Dr. Gary Laderman is Goodrich C. White professor and chair of the religion department at Emory University, as well as the author of books like "Don't Think About Death: A Memoir on Mortality", and "Sacred Matters: Celebrity Worship, Sexual Ecstasies, the Living Dead, and Other Signs of Religious Life in the United States". He has also co-edited two encyclopedias. Dr. Laderman has been interviewed on various topics in American religious cultures, ranging from death and funerals to horror films and psychedelics, in a variety of media, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and other newspapers, several radio and TV shows. He is continuing to research, write, and teach on the sacred in American life generally, and is currently working on a book project exploring religion and drugs, a subject we talk about in detail during this conversation. Enjoy!