Understand

Justin Webb looks back at the five big US foreign policy shifts from the Monroe Doctrine to Donald Trump. Over five episodes he and his guests look at how America’s approach to the world has constantly changed over time. This may help answer a really big question - how radical is the way Donald Trump deals with the world? Is he really an outlier in US history? Or do his actions reflect the changing patterns of American power?
In this episode Justin discusses The Monroe Doctrine with Jay Sexton, Professor of History and Director of the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri.
Presenter: Justin Webb
Producers: Caroline Bayley and Kirsteen Knight
Researcher: Helena Warwick-Cross
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Justin Webb looks at five big US foreign policy shifts, from Monroe to Trump.

During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states.
In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to better understand a group of substances that induce altered states: psychedelics.
There’s been a surge of interest in their therapeutic potential for various mental health conditions - as well as a range of other clinical possibilities. As research around the world ramps up after years of taboo and prohibition he tries to get to grips with - or at least get a clearer sense of - how science, culture, politics and business might all interact in this changing psychedelic landscape, and what it all might mean.
He also explores what might be happening in the brain during a trip and whether, by studying psychedelics, we might uncover more about consciousness, imagination and even the mysteries of reality itself.
In this final episode, Tim explores how much there is still to understand about the therapeutic possibilities of psychedelics and, furthermore, what other insights research might lead us towards. Will curious minds be given the space to roam free?

Contributors:
Lucie Berkovitch, psychiatrist and neuroscientist, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences
Osiris García Cerqueda, historian and sociologist, Program Coordinator, Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative (IRI)
Gül Dölen, neuroscientist, University of California, Berkeley
David Luke, psychologist and psychedelic researcher, University of Greenwich
Andrew Penn, psychiatric nurse practitioner and psychedelics researcher, University of California San Francisco School of Nursing
Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes, philosopher of mind and metaphysics, University of Exeter
Presenter: Tim Hayward
Series Producer: Richard Ward
Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Written by Tim Hayward and Richard Ward
Sound Design and Mixing: Richard Ward
Researcher: Grace Revill
Production Executive: Lisa Lipman
Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states.
In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to better understand a group of substances that induce altered states: psychedelics.
There’s been a surge of interest in their therapeutic potential for various mental health conditions - as well as a range of other clinical possibilities. As research around the world ramps up after years of taboo and prohibition he tries to get to grips with - or at least get a clearer sense of - how science, culture, politics and business might all interact in this changing psychedelic landscape, and what it all might mean.
He also explores what might be happening in the brain during a trip and whether, by studying psychedelics, we might uncover more about consciousness, imagination and even the mysteries of reality itself.
In this episode, we hear from members of the psychedelic community who fear the consequences of plants and fungi that are sacred to some indigenous communities being exploited for commercial gain. This would not be the first time, they say - just look at what happened with tobacco.
Contributors:
Osiris García Cerqueda, historian and sociologist, Program Coordinator, Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative (IRI)
Ariel Clark, lawyer and founding member of the Psychedelic Bar Association
Mike Jay, author and cultural historian
Presenter: Tim Hayward
Series Producer: Richard Ward
Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Written by Tim Hayward and Richard Ward
Sound Design and Mixing: Richard Ward
Researcher: Grace Revill
Production Executive: Lisa Lipman
Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
Audio footage from Psychedelic Science 2023 and 2025 used with permission from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).

During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states.
In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to better understand a group of substances that induce altered states: psychedelics.
There’s been a surge of interest in their therapeutic potential for various mental health conditions - as well as a range of other clinical possibilities. As research around the world ramps up after years of taboo and prohibition he tries to get to grips with - or at least get a clearer sense of - how science, culture, politics and business might all interact in this changing psychedelic landscape, and what it all might mean.
He also explores what might be happening in the brain during a trip and whether, by studying psychedelics, we might uncover more about consciousness, imagination and even the mysteries of reality itself.
In this episode, Tim explores the many barriers to researching the potential therapeutic value and other potential applications of psychedelics. He assesses how other countries are weighing up and reacting to the current evidence, and asks if a tipping point may be looming in the UK.
Contributors:
David Luke, psychiatrist and psychedelic researcher, University of Greenwich
Lauren MacDonald, psychiatrist and psilocybin group facilitator
Jo Neill, professor of psychopharmacology, University of Manchester and Chair of Trustees, Drug Science
Presenter: Tim Hayward
Series Producer: Richard Ward
Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Written by Tim Hayward and Richard Ward
Sound Design and Mixing: Richard Ward
Researcher: Grace Revill
Production Executive: Lisa Lipman
Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4