This week, we sat down for Part 2 with the Amanita Warrior, Rael Inshan, to take a deep dive into the legal psychedelic mushroom, Amanita Muscaria. Amanita is known for its mystery and magic and although recognized globally, it is less talked about within the western psychedelic movement. In last week’s episode, Rael shared his personal journey and all the ways it changed his life. Today, we breakdown how to microdose Amantia, the benefits and potential risks,  the importance of community, support, discipline and being ready and open to change. 

Rael is dedicated to bringing the wisdom of Amanita to the world and warns, “it will change your life!”. He provides insights on what you need to know about building a relationship with this ancient technology. Enjoy this episode and I hope you find the magic in your life.

In this week’s episode of The Psychedelic Mom podcast, Michaela sits down with Rael Inshan, also known as The Amanita Warrior, who has dedicated his life to teaching the world about Amanita Muscaria—one of the most mysterious and misunderstood mushrooms on the planet.

Once a shy, socially awkward, and skeptical atheist, Rael suffered for years from crippling insomnia and depression. After trying everything to find relief, his life changed forever when he stumbled upon a field of Amanita Muscaria. That single encounter set him on a path of deep healing, discipline, and devotion to the teachings of this sacred mushroom.

Actor, author and life coach, David Dayan Fisher joins Michaela after fleeing the LA fires, offering profound reflections on what truly matters in times of crisis. In this deeply personal conversation, David shares how life itself is a mirror, reflecting our unprocessed wounds, and how we can use these insights to grow.

He opens up about the ‘characters’ we play in life, how acting helped him understand his own anger and trauma, and the transformative power of psychedelics—especially his experiences with ayahuasca and iboga, which led him to commune with younger versions of himself. Together, he and Michaela explore shadow work, emotional expression, and the impact of patriarchy on vulnerability, reframing childhood wounds, and the journey to forgiveness.

In this week’s episode, we uncover the benefits of microdosing psilocybin mushrooms through Rachel McKernan’s personal story of overcoming addiction and healing depression. Rachel’s journey began after her sister’s death at 33 years old to addiction. This tragic event, combined with Rachel’s own addiction, depression and childhood trauma led her to look out for support from psychedelic mushrooms. It is hard to scientifically chart the benefits of microdosing, so we are gathering personal accounts of life-altering experiences and benefits from people who are microdosing psilocybin mushrooms for healing from PTSD, depression, addiction and/or deepening self-understanding. 

In Part 2 of Michaela’s conversation with global non-dual teacher Lisa Cairns, Lisa shares the profound challenges and breakthroughs of her journey to awakening. Defining non-duality as absolute love and the realization that separation is an illusion, Lisa recounts her time living in the Australian bush with a non-dual teacher, a heartbreaking breakup, and a transformative month spent in Bali. There, she gave herself permission to do nothing but listen to her body’s intuitive needs, uncovering the truth that happiness is not dependent on anything external.

In this week’s two-part series, Awakening to Infinite Love: LSD, Non-Duality, and Banana Fritters, Michaela sits down with globally renowned non-dual teacher Lisa Cairns to explore the transformative power of awakening. Lisa delves into the profound insights of non-duality, a direct experience of reality beyond thought, belief, and separation, offering practical wisdom on living an expansive, authentic life. In Part 1, the conversation focuses on how psychedelics like LSD, Ayahuasca, and mushrooms mirror the process of awakening, illuminating the unbinding from the illusion of self, time, and space. Lisa also explains the importance of shadow work, the difference between no-self and no-boundaries selflessness, and how to maintain presence while navigating relationships and challenges.

In this compelling conversation, Michaela is joined by Simeon, a pioneer whose passion and expertise in the psychedelic space spans over 30 years. With a rare combination of deep personal experience—thousands of journeys with a vast range of medicines—and professional leadership, Simeon bridges the worlds of research, philanthropy, policy, and global impact.

Simeon shares stories from his lifelong exploration of consciousness, from his early psychonautic journeys to recent expeditions into Africa’s biodiverse landscapes, where he seeks new molecules and untapped healing potential. As co-founder of JLS Fund, the first venture capital fund dedicated to psychedelics, and organizer of the inaugural Psychedelic Investment Summit, Simeon brings a visionary perspective on the transformative power of psychedelics and Earth medicines.

The traditions surrounding Christmas may trace back to magic mushrooms? In ancient Siberia, shamanic practices included the consumption of the iconic red-and-white mushroom, Amanita muscaria. Shamans, in traditional dress resembling Santa Claus—with red-and-white robes and pointed boots—would deliver sacred, psychedelic mushrooms to their communities during the winter solstice, often entering homes through the chimney due to heavy snow blocking the doors. The mushrooms would then be hung near the fire to dry, echoing the stockings we hang today. Even reindeer are known to nibble on these mushrooms, leading to a state of intoxication that may have inspired the story of flying reindeer. These mushrooms were seen as gifts of transformation offered once a year.

In this episode, Michaela sat down with four courageous mothers—Amy, Sema, Katie, and Meredith—to explore the profound gifts psychedelic mushrooms offer modern-day mothers. These women share heartfelt stories of the deep love, connection, and understanding they received from psilocybin mushrooms. 

Stress has become one of the most significant challenges of modern life, impacting not only our mental and emotional well-being but also our physical health. How we respond to stress—whether through habitual patterns or intentional tools—can determine whether we remain stuck in survival mode or find a path toward healing and resilience. In this episode, Dr. David Rabin, a board-certified psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and co-founder of Apollo Neuroscience, brings decades of experience to unpack how we can better understand and regulate our stress responses.

The conversation dives deep into the science of the nervous system, exploring how stress, trauma, and epigenetics shape our lives and even future generations. Dr. Rabin shares non-invasive, science-backed tools like breath, touch, and vibration therapies to help calm the body and mind. They discuss the emerging role of psychedelics—like MDMA and ketamine—in facilitating profound healing by rewiring trauma responses. Whether you’re curious about wearable technologies, psychedelic-assisted therapy, or simple practices to regulate your nervous system, this episode offers hope, insights, and tangible strategies to bring your brain and body back into balance.

This week on The Psychedelic Mom, Nick Murray discusses his visionary work at the exciting new frontier where psychedelic science meets personalized mental healthcare, focusing on how psilocybin can transform treatment for conditions like TBI, PTSD, addiction, depression, and anxiety. Nick’s research at The Wake Network involves an innovative approach that combines psilocybin therapy with comprehensive health assessments and real-time data collection, using tools like EEG scans, hormonal analysis and customized sound therapy to tailor treatments to individual needs. 

By establishing clinics with advanced diagnostic technology in places where psilocybin is legal, Nick aims to integrate wellness-focused psychedelic therapy with scientific rigor, hoping to establish data that can guide future policy on psychedelics and offer compassionate and effective care for those seeking alternative paths to healing and self-discovery.

Can psychedelics help us embrace life’s profound cycles of birth and death as well as our never-ending process of self discovery?

Dr. Katherine MacLean shares her journey from psychonautical exploration to psychedelic scientific inquiry to spiritual transformation, discussing how psilocybin has opened her understanding of mortality, consciousness and the mystical aspects of existence. 

“Love is our blueprint, choice is our power, life is our school.” 

Listen in to a moving conversation with Dr. Dan Engle, a pioneer in integrative psychiatry, who shares deeply about how psychedelics have helped him heal himself and inspired him to support others to safely use them to explore all aspects of themselves - shadow and light - and discover their true dharma.

The conversation tracks Dr. Dan’s journey from traditional psychiatry to the jungles of South America, where ayahuasca helped him uncover the deeper layers of his own healing. Michaela and Dr. Dan discuss the challenges of integrating ancestral wisdom into modern mental health practices and how psychedelic therapies can help guide individuals to navigate personal challenges, foster deep interconnection, and align with their unique life purpose. 

What if drug policies were designed to prioritize health and human rights over politics and punishment? 

This week on The Psychedelic Mom, Michaela Carlin and Steve Rolles, an advocate for drug policy reform with decades global experience, discuss the need for decriminalization and the thoughtful regulation of psychedelics and other drugs. 

What happens when life’s toughest moments force you to question the life you’ve created and even who you thought you were? 

This week on The Psychedelic Mom, Anne Kiehl Friedman joins MIchaela Carlin to share her personal journey of awakening to her own self-worth. Central to Anne’s story is the concept of "blender moments"—periods of intense upheaval, such as her struggle with Lyme disease and a painful breakup, that forced her to reexamine her life and break free from societal conditioning and expectations.

How can ayahuasca and other sacred plant medicines deepen family bonds and foster collective healing within communities?

In this episode, Glauber Assis, a Brazilian sociologist and leader in the Santo Daime tradition, shares his experiences using psychedelics to support personal transformation, parenting, and cultural preservation. He explores the role of sacred plant medicines in nurturing resilience and healing, emphasizing the importance of honoring indigenous wisdom in modern psychedelic practices.

How does CBD help individuals manage chronic pain, reduce inflammation, and support overall health and wellbeing?

In this conversation, CBD expert Ali Stoddard shares her insights into the transformative power of this highly potent and impactful compound. She explains how CBD activates the body’s endocannabinoid system to foster healing and improve well-being, providing an alternative to symptom-focused allopathic medicine.

In this conversation with Emerson Nonduality, the core concept explored is the ineffable nature of nonduality itself—a direct experience beyond words or definitions. Emerson speaks to the fundamental realization that the belief in a separate self is an illusion, and awakening is a return to the simple and ever-present nature of being. He emphasizes that we wake up when we let go of the need for conceptual understanding, and instead, experience life as it is—without labels or separation. This realization leads to profound peace, even amidst life's challenges.

Emerson and Michaela explore the potential role of psychedelics in awakening, the concept of no-self, and the transformative power of accepting life’s intensity without resistance. They also touch on the importance of meeting people where they are in their journey, creating a safe space for radical honesty and true freedom.

This week on The Psychedelic Mom we meet Ash Ritter, an ethnobotanist and plant medicine expert who explores the profound relationship between humans, plants, and fungi within the context of an animistic worldview. Ash shares her experiences with Amanita Muscaria and other powerful fungal and plant allies, revealing how these natural medicines can help support our health and wellbeing, unlock ancestral wisdom and guide personal transformation. The conversation covers Ash’s extensive background in various lineages of herbalism, the role of different types of altered states in self-discovery, and the power of integrating plant medicines into modern life to connect to our own inherent wisdom.

In this week’s episode, Bayo Akomolafe joins Michaela Carlin to explore how the intricate relationship between humanity and the more-than-human world reveals that we are not the centers of existence but interconnected participants in a vast ecosystem. 

Challenging conventional dualistic thinking, Bayo urges a shift towards recognizing our entanglement with the world around us. He emphasizes that the urgency of our times stems from deeper relational crises, where our responses to climate collapse and social injustices often reflect a misunderstanding of our place within this interconnected web.