Masterclass The Mindful High - Sebastian Marincolo

Mindful Approach

Minimize Risk

Unfold Personal Potential

What is a cannabis high? How can we use it mindfully and minimize risks?

In this 4-hour interactive workshop, we will explore the fascinating psychoactivity of cannabis and learn how the plant affects our ability to concentrate and how it can influence our pattern recognition, perception of time, memory, imagination, empathic understanding and many other mental processes. These effects have been used positively by countless users such as the jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong – but they can also be dangerous.

The workshop is based on the interdisciplinary work of the consciousness researcher and publicist Sebastián Marincolo and teaches very specifically how cannabis users can tap into the mind-altering potential of cannabis for themselves. We will discuss questions such as:

What are the different types of cannabis?
Does it still make sense to talk about “indica” or “sativa”?
How do I find a suitable strain for me?
What is the endocannabinoid system, why should I know it?
What is the best way to dose cannabis?
How do we avoid being “dazed and confused” and experiencing a clear high?
What is meant by “partial tolerance development”?
What activities can a high help me with, when is it dangerous?
What exactly is a „high“? How does cannabis affect our consciousness?
How can I deal with psychoactivity as a cannabis patient?
What is the “entourage effect”?
What effects does the high have on attention?
How does the high affect our memory, pattern recognition and imagination?
How can a high enrich my creativity?
How can the psychoactivity of cannabis alter introspection and empathic understanding?
Does a high combine well with meditation?
How can I recognize that I have developed a cannabis use disorder?

Target groups

Cannabis users Inexperienced to very experienced users and cannaficionados with an interest in psychology and personal development
Artists, musicians, creatives who want to use cannabis for their productivity
Cannabis patients who want to learn how to deal with the psychoactivity of the high
Doctors, pharmacists, health professionals who want to deepen their knowledge of the psychoactivity of cannabis and cannabinoids
Relatives of cannabis users and patients who want to better understand why others use cannabis
Experts from the cannabis industry

Aims of the workshop

A sound introduction to the psychoactivity of cannabis
Explain which mental abilities can be positively influenced under certain conditions, such as focusing attention, imagination or creativity
Provide a deeper understanding of the risks of a cannabis high
Practical guidance on how to use the high positively and minimize risks
Networking and dialog between all participants to share knowledge and experiences
Empower participants to unlock the transformative potential of cannabis

Part I: Travel preparations

How can we research the high?
Potential and risks of the high: an overview
The surfboard metaphor: the high as a tool
The multidimensional high: an overview
The endocannabinoid system: a brief introduction
What factors play a role in the high?
Strains, ingestion method, dose, set and setting: an overview
Craft cannabis versus pharmaceutical cannabis
Cannabis strains and the „entourage effect“
Cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, alkaloids
Cannabis species: the indica/sativa/ruderalis debate
Vaporizing, dabs, smoking, eating, topical application: an overview
Dosing, Part I: Start Low and Go Slow
No effect the first time? Two hypotheses
Dosing, Part 2: Practical tips
Partial tolerance formation: advantages and disadvantages
Ingestion methods: Overview
Vaporizing
Eating
Topical applications
Smoking
Setting goals and mindful experimentation
Considering the set and setting
Summary

Part II: The journey

Preparing for the trip: 5 tips
Preliminary remarks on the term „cognitive enhancement“
The enhancement of perception, cognition and moods
The hierarchy of cognitive abilities
Complexity brings fragility
Effects versus potential
15 Changes in consciousness: Overview
Attention: hyperfocus – flow – direction –
Sensory experiences: – Detail and intensity
Amazement – the Aristotelian impulse
Intensified body awareness
Synaesthetic perception: a central phenomenon
Episodic memories: new – vivid – detailed
Imagination: multimodally intensified
Racing thoughts
Altered perception of time
Enrichment of pattern recognition
Mood modulation
Improved introspection
Enhanced creativity
Enhanced empathy and sex
Aha experiences and insights
Summary

Part III: Outlook

Altered states of consciousness as part of human nature
Concluding remarks: The inclusion of the high

Sebastián Marincolo

is a philosopher, author, and researcher with a deep focus on consciousness and altered states of mind. He studied philosophy and linguistics in Tübingen and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, learning from leading thinkers such as Manfred Frank, William G. Lycan, Dorit Bar-On, and Simon Blackburn. His doctoral research, supported by the German Research Foundation and the German Academic Exchange Service, explored neurophilosophy and the philosophy of consciousness.

For over 25 years, Marincolo has investigated the cannabis high as a unique altered state of consciousness. He has published five books and numerous articles in both Germany and the U.S., with publishers including the renowned publishing houses Klett-Cotta Tropen and Hilaritas Press—the latter founded by the daughter of visionary author Robert Anton Wilson.

Marincolo collaborated closely with his friend the late Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Lester Grinspoon, a pioneer in cannabis research, and contributed expert content for Sensi Seeds Amsterdam and was as a video tutor for various classes about the mind enhancement uses of cannabis for Greenflower Media, Los Angeles.

His work—spanning essays, books, and macro photography—has been widely featured in international media for its insightful and artful exploration of the cannabis experience.

Marincolo’s latest book, Elevated: Cannabis as a Tool for Mind Enhancement (2023), explores how cannabis can be used to enhance mental abilities such as imagination, creativity, and insight.

Instagram: @sebastian_marincolo.de
LinkedIn: Sebastian Marincolo

Praise for Sebastián Marincolo

„Sebastián Marincolo’s work is outstanding and will make a major contribution to the field.“

Lester Grinspoon, cannabis expert and Harvard Associate Prof. Emer. of Psychiatry

“Cannabis is a dazzlingly powerful tool for the expansion of consciousness, heightened sense of presence, increased creativity, exalted aesthetic sensibility, and overall bliss… Sebastián Marincolo has written an exquisite manual for getting high responsibly, deliberately, and productively”

Jason Silva, storyteller, futurist, keynote speaker, known for hosting National Geographic’s BrainGames

“Nobody has ever broken down the nuances of cannabis psychoactivity quite like Sebastián Marincolo in what he calls a ‘bouquet of cognitive effects and enhancements.’”

Gregory Frye, Autor, Journalist und Chefredakteur von The Bluntness

“Marincolo’s research on the marijuana high is years ahead of others working in this field”

Joe Dolce, Autor von Brave New Weed & Moderator des Brave New Weed podcasts

„Marincolos Denken und seine Arbeit sind exzellent – ich empfehle sein Werk mit Begeisterung weiter.“

Michael Backes, Autor von Cannabis Pharmacy. The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana

Disclaimer:

Psychoactive substances such as cannabis have great medicinal and inspirational potential, but also entail dangers, partly because they temporarily alter the perception with which we ensure our survival in the world. This book focuses primarily on helping users of cannabis to tap into its positive mind-altering potential.
Some risks are mentioned and advice is given on how to minimize them. However, this book is not intended to be a substitute for a complete risk-benefit assessment for the use of cannabis, especially not in the medical field. The author would like to explicitly point out that he is not advising illegal actions and that even those who wish to use cannabis legally are responsible for the possible consequences.