In this episode, I talk with author and esoteric explorer P.D. Newman about his powerful new book Tripping the Trail of Ghosts: Psychedelics and the Afterlife Journey in Native American Mound Cultures. Together, we dive into the mysterious world of Southeastern Native American shamanic practices—specifically those connected to death, rebirth, and the spirit realm.
Newman uncovers a largely overlooked legacy of entheogenic use among the Mississippian mound cultures, where potent plant allies like jimsonweed, nightshade, morning glory, psilocybin mushrooms, and even an ayahuasca-like brew he calls Missihuasca were used in sacred rites to connect with other realms.
These powerful psychoactive journeys formed the basis for initiatory rites and afterlife preparation, centered around what was known as the Trail of Ghosts or Path of Souls—a visionary passage believed to carry the soul into the next world.
We also explore the profound role that the compound DMT played in these ancient traditions. One of the biggest revelations is his rediscovery of Missihuasca, a Southeastern analogue to ayahuasca that may have been used by Native shamans to enter deep trance states and receive spiritual revelation in their earliest history.
Together, we delve into the symbolic and energetic significance of the mound structures themselves, and their striking parallels with other sacred afterlife maps—like the Egyptian and Tibetan Books of the Dead.
It’s a riveting glimpse into a forgotten system of ancient spiritual technology designed to guide the soul through the ultimate mystery. An amazing episode… Drop in!
P.D. Newman Bio:
P. D. Newman has been immersed in the study and practice of shamanism, alchemy, hermetism, and theurgy for more than two decades. The author of Theurgy: Theory and Practice and Angels in Vermilion, he lives in Tupelo, Mississippi, with his wife, Rebecca, and his youngest son, Bacchus.