#36 Dillan DiNardo: Engineering Consciousness with Psychedelics and AI

Engineering consciousness through psychedelics is framed through Mindstate Design Labs and CEO Dillan DiNardo, who describes a systematic, data driven approach to drug development. Mindstate combines pharmacological and phenomenological data, aiming to quantify subjective psychedelic experiences rather than focusing only on receptor level interactions. The episode highlights a “primer-probe” methodology that uses combinations of compounds to steer specific experiential effects. The conversation also covers “psychedelic tofu” concepts, where certain compounds are positioned as amplifiers or modifiers of other psychedelic effects. Mindstate’s lead candidate Moxie (MSD-1) is noted as having received FDA clearance to begin human trials, and the discussion connects the work to regulatory pathways for combination psychedelic medicines and broader implications for understanding consciousness.