It seems like every week we get another celebrity coming out about their psychedelic experiences.
Most recently it was rap star Lil Nas X telling the world that psychedelic mushrooms helped in the creation of his latest album; before that was the blockbuster book and movie Dune being inspired by magic mushrooms; before that Will Smith came out about his life-changing experience with ayahuasca; even hockey legend and tough guy Mark Messier went public with his positive psychedelic experience.
Joining the family fun we now have Jada Pinkett Smith and her son Jaden Smith having a very public and very in-depth discussion about their psychedelic experiences.
Along with grandmother Adrienne Banfield Norris, the family sat down for an episode of their award-winning Facebook Watch series: Red Table Talk. The conversation was educational and candid and casual, and shows just how far public discussions around psychedelics have come.
Jada Pinkett Smith talked about her personal and very serious struggles with mental health:
“I struggled with depression for so long. And the thing about the plant medicine is it helps you feel better but also solves the problems of how you got there in the first place.”
Her son Jaden added his own experience, articulating how psilocybin helped him better understand his mind and that pesky and all-encompassing ego:
“That was the moment that really changed me. You get to a place where you are blocked by something, whether it’s a trauma or your emotions or ego, not being able to express yourself. Psychedelics are a way to tear down that wall and see what is beyond it. Doing it guided with people who are professionals really increases the chances of having that mystical experience.”
Jada presented highlights of recent groundbreaking studies and how the medical community is increasingly accepting plant medicine’s potential. She then added more personal context and showed a solid understanding of the power and potential and commitment required:
“You have to really wanna do it, this is not for play. You have to be willing to confront some hard stuff. It is very healing and it has changed my life…”
“Plant medicine completely rehabilitated me from debilitating depression and has changed my life for the better. I came home, I am home. I am really hoping we find a way that African Americans can have access to these plant medicines safely.”
The family was joined by famed author Micheal Pollan and other celebrities who all shared their experiences. It was another important moment of redefinition for the movement.