The Psychonaut Files
Take an exclusive trip into the controversial life of psychedelic explorer Gordon Todd Skinner. An odyssey of intrigue, enlightenment, and the consequences of reaching beyond the veil of reality.
“It’s a journey into madness,” Skinner’s mother warned me.
She was talking about her son, Gordon Todd Skinner—the notorious LSD chemist, alleged government informant, and convicted kidnapper who has spent decades behind bars. He is suspected of being among the U.S. Government's most successful multi-agency drug informants; he is infamous for his involvement in the largest LSD bust in history; he is demonized for his role in a bewildering kidnapping case. An odder distinction, however, lured me into his orbit: Skinner is among the most experienced psychonauts in human history, trying over 144 different psychoactive compounds spread across an estimated four thousand excursions into the inner cosmos. Now, for the first time, Skinner is ready to speak for himself.
Revealing the Real Skinner
After I co-authored the article, “Subterranean Psychonaut,” I knew I had only seen a tiny fraction of a massive story. Since then, I’ve conducted hundreds of hours of recorded private interviews with Gordon Todd Skinner, his friends, his family, and dozens who know him—and many who still fear him. A complex and nuanced portrait of Skinner emerged, a man far different from the scandalous—and largely erroneous—accounts offered so far.
In-Depth Explorations of the Psychedelic Experience
Astronauts use rockets for space travel; psychonauts use psychedelics to explore the inner cosmos. A Buzz Aldrin of consciousness, Skinner traveled to far reaches of the mind by synthesizing some of the most exotic chemicals known to man.
In these rarified states, Skinner beheld resplendent mental palaces and nightmarish realms. The excursions left their mark. They subverted his identity and his reality. He went from being a financial analyst to a clandestine drug lord, from a science geek to a metaphysical stuntman. He grew so comfortable in hallucinogenic states that he formed his own cartography of the psychocosmos: the Godhead and the Supergodhead were the spaces that yielded the most exquisite insights. They were also the ones fraught with the most peril.
Psychedelic enthusiasts will learn about Skinner’s advanced protocols for trip preparation and navigation, as well as his harm reduction techniques.
We’ll also explore broader themes like:
The tension between drug informants and government agencies:
How do deals get struck?The line between scientific exploration and criminal activity:
When does curiosity become obsession?The ethics of radical consciousness exploration:
What are the costs of extreme experimentation?
Unprecedented Access
All of the accounts about Skinner so far have never included his participation. But in the Psychonaut Files, you’ll finally get Skinner’s perspective. And that includes not just hearing from him directly, but also access to his personal archive of materials. You’ll see things like specialized equipment, the books he used, correspondence, never-released photos, and numerous other in-depth archival content that came from his personal storage units.
Twice-a-Month Updates
Every two weeks, you’ll receive an dispatch full of new revelations. Free subscribers will enjoy discovering new characters and chemicals, travel to tripping palaces and underground missile bases, and they’ll learn about Skinner’s own secret hacks for navigating altered states.
Along the journey, you’ll hear accounts from Skinner, his personal friends and family, as well as from those who call themselves victims and casualties. In addition to discovering hidden histories, you’ll be the first to find out about:
Cascia Hall Preparatory School, Tulsa’s Psychedelic Hogwarts Academy
How Skinner turned Oral Roberts University into a clandestine drug research lab
A mysterious passport with clues as to Skinner’s operative activities
Billy Graham and the true origins of Salvinorin-A, which predates the Wikipedia version
Tripping habits of the rich and famous, including the infamous shamanic colonic
What was really happening in multiple missile bases across the country
Secretive psychedelic production techniques involving optical chemistry and supercritical fluid extraction
Government operations you’ve probably never heard of
Skinner’s involvements with numerous agencies and military officials
The inside story of Seattle’s Psychedelic Circus
Audio of Skinner discussing advanced chemistry
Why Subscribe?
Authentic First-Hand Accounts: Access hours of direct interviews with Skinner and the people closest to him.
Never-Before-Seen Materials: Unpublished photos, letters, legal filings—even the shoes he wore in LSD labs.
Behind-the-Scenes Analysis: Discover how Skinner’s story intersects with the War on Drugs, clandestine chemistry, and the evolving psychedelic culture.
Exclusive Audio Files & Transcripts: Founding members can hear Skinner describe his lucid dreaming protocols, psychedelic odysseys, and advanced drug synthesis methods, unfiltered.
Paid subscribers will receive the bi-weekly newsletter plus:
Exclusive access to audio files of individuals connected to Skinner’s story and brief audio samples of interviews with Skinner.
Access to subscriber-only images and files
Full archive access
Founding members will receive all the above plus:
Extended, raw audio interviews with Skinner himself
Rare/tough-to-find legal filings and exhibits
First-hand updates about new findings
Your email questions will receive top priority
Ready to Dive In?
Click the button below to subscribe today—you’re getting in on the most adventurous, untold true crime story in psychedelics today.