Marine Corps veteran, helicopter pilot, and electrical engineer
Applied Psychonautics is a research hub and consulting practice built by Atlas, a Marine Corps veteran with over a decade in military aviation, electrical engineering, and advanced data systems.
After years of navigating the VA system, experimental treatments, and a lot of bad information, Atlas started doing what his background trained him to do: gather data, find patterns, vet sources, and build systems that actually work.
That skillset turns out to be useful in a space full of hype, contradictions, and high stakes. Over a decade of aviation experience taught pattern recognition under pressure. Years in data engineering and IT infrastructure built the instinct to find signal in noise. Applied Psychonautics is where those skills meet the psychedelic research landscape.
This is not a clinic, a retreat center, or a ceremony. It is an independent resource for people who want to do their homework before, during, and after psychedelic experiences.
What I do
Retreat and provider vetting
Not all providers are created equal. I research credentials, safety protocols, pricing transparency, and track records. My network runs deep in this space.
Substance education and safety
Clear, evidence-based information on dosing, contraindications, drug interactions, and risk factors. No hype. No fearmongering. What the research actually says, and where the gaps still are.
Integration support and resources
The experience is only the beginning. Frameworks, reading lists, and practitioner referrals for turning a psychedelic experience into lasting change. Set, setting, and integration aren't buzzwords here. They're the foundation everything else sits on.
How I work
01
Research-first approach
Every claim gets checked against primary sources. I read the papers, not just the headlines. When the evidence is thin, I say so.
02
Pragmatic and transparent
I share what I know, what I don't know, and where the evidence runs out. No guru energy. No false certainty. The psychedelic space has enough of both.
03
Peer model, not gatekeeper
I am a researcher and fellow explorer who happens to have an engineering brain and a military background. I am not selling enlightenment or access. I am sharing what I have found.
04
Honest about limitations
Some questions don't have good answers yet. Some treatments work for certain people and not others. I will tell you which questions are still open and why that matters.
The research library
A growing collection of research, analysis, and practical resources organized by topic. All sourced, all cited, all updated as the science evolves.
Clinical research
Peer-reviewed trials and therapeutic applications
Safety and pharmacology
Dosing, interactions, and contraindications
Provider standards
Credentials, protocols, and best practices
Integration methods
Frameworks for lasting change
Neuroscience
Mechanisms of action and brain research
Historical context
Traditional use and modern rediscovery
The library is curated for signal, not volume. Every source is there because it adds something useful to the homework.
Signal Scan
A biweekly newsletter covering psychedelics, consciousness research, and uncomfortable truths.
Curated research, honest analysis, and the stuff most people in this space won't say out loud.
Curious and cautious. You want to understand what you are getting into before committing. Not looking for someone to hold your hand. Looking for someone to show you where the landmines are.
Veterans navigating alternatives
You have been through the standard treatments. You have heard about psychedelic therapy but don't know who to trust or where to start. You need information that respects your intelligence and your service.
People vetting retreats and providers
You found a retreat or provider but something feels off. The website is slick but vague. The pricing is confusing. You want a second opinion from someone who knows what to look for.
Anyone tired of the hype
Exhausted by the wellness industrial complex. Not interested in being sold a transformation or joining a community. Just want the research, the risks, and the real picture.
Start here
Whether you're researching a first experience, vetting a retreat, or just trying to separate signal from noise, Applied Psychonautics exists to help you do the homework.
Read Signal Scan
Biweekly newsletter. Research, provider vetting, uncomfortable truths. No hype, no upsells, just signal.