Conversations that
inspire, engage, illuminate & heal
Psychedelic literally means ‘soul revealing’. What reveals the soul to oneself is psychedelic.
Mother earth is psychedelic. Her body is covered with psychoactive, Sacred medicine. Can Earth medicines help us become more conscious partners, lovers, parents and leaders?
The Psychedelic Mom Podcast is a podcast to inspire, transform, and awaken you to a part of the movement that's transforming the world.
I invite you to join me in deep conversations that explore the beauty, wisdom, practices, and challenges of waking up, and personal stories of others on this wild path including; wise women and men across disciplines including elders, authors, historians, psychologists, mothers and fathers and medicine keepers to understand the current times we are living in and why waking up to our true essence is crucial to the rebalancing of our world.
Episode 79
Join Michaela Carlin in conversation with Brooke McPoyle as they explore the intersection of breath, fascia, electromagnetism and health. With a rich background that spans opera singing to Division I golfing with a deep dive into breath science and physiology, Brooke passionately shares about the profound implications of breath and fascial work on physical health, mental clarity and emotional resilience.
Brooke critiques common misconceptions in the breathwork community, especially one-size-fits-all practices that can exacerbate the stress response. Advocating for a more nuanced approach, she explains how specific practice of breathing, grounding and facial compression can significantly enhance nervous system function and mobility, radically upleveling our total wellbeing.
Episode 78
In this episode of the Psychedelic Mom Podcast, host Michaela Carlin interviews Quilley Powers, an 81-year-old 5-MeO-DMT facilitator with a rich history in psychedelic exploration for over six decades. Quilley delves into the significant role psychedelics have played in her approach to grief, loss, and her practice in hospice care, offering a unique perspective on the aging process, wisdom, and enlightenment.
She discusses how her personal experiences, including the tragic loss of her son, led her to work with psychedelics in a more sacred way, her approach to serving medicine as a “crone” in a youth-centric society, and the importance of set and setting in psychedelic therapy.
Michaela and Quilley also address the ethical considerations of serving a powerful medicine like 5-MeO-DMT, especially with respect to age and preparedness and the role of a facilitator in ensuring safe and meaningful experiences.
Episode 77
The intersection of psychedelics, healing, and awakening forms the central theme of today’s episode of The Psychedelic Mom with guest Licia Sky. This conversation is an exploration into the profound benefits of working with the body, mind and breath with patience, self-compassion and deeply attuned support.
Licia shares her extensive experience as a somatic healer and medicine woman, highlighting the techniques she uses to help people connect with their inner selves. The discussion covers the impact of trauma on the body, the challenges of working within the Western model of mental health, the significance of subtlety in the healing process, and the transformative power of psychedelics such as ketamine when used with sensitive dosing, intention and care.
Episode 76
Tune in to another inspiring episode of The Psychedelic Mom as Michaela Carlin interviews Brandilyn Clay, a ‘mamapreneur’, mother of two, and CEO of Goddess Capes and Liquid Gold Bone Broth. Brandilyn's journey is a profound exploration of transitioning from Mormon roots into a life deeply intertwined with psychedelics, entrepreneurship and motherhood.
Brandilyn's story unfolds as she becomes a passionate beekeeper, through which she met psychedelic mentors and experienced profound spiritual awakenings with plant medicines and psychedelics. Exploring the interconnectedness of psychedelia, motherhood, and entrepreneurship, Bradlyn shares the impact of her spiritual psychology expertise and personal growth on coaching postpartum mothers and married couples. Michaela and Brandlyn reflect on the joys and challenges of integrating psychedelics into the journey of motherhood, offering insights into a devotional life of purpose.
Episode 75
How does one navigate the complex intersection of identity, facilitation, and healing within the psychedelic experience? In this episode Michaela Carlin and Tony Pham (Butterfly), a facilitator deeply rooted in Buddhism and queer and BIPOC identities, dive into the complexities of psychedelic training programs, the art of facilitation, and the importance of self-care and integration on the path of psychedelic service.
With insights into the challenges of navigating facilitation within diverse communities and the responsibility towards ethical practices, this conversation shines a light on the layered experiences of connecting with ancestral wisdom and bridging traditional healing practices with modern needs.
Episode 74
How do we find true fulfillment? Tune in to The Psychedelic Mom for a conversation with Dr. Meghan Roekle about the relationship between one's true nature, the body's wisdom, and the mind-body connection. Michaela and Meghan explore the limitations of traditional therapy, pointing to non-duality and embodiment as portals through which we can move more deeply into genuine healing and fulfillment.
They discuss practical approaches to tapping into the body's wisdom, the power of presence and awareness, and how these principles can be integrated to support navigating life's challenges. Their dialogue offers listeners a deeper understanding of fulfillment by bridging spiritual concepts with everyday experiences and outlines practices to help orient towards living a more connected and fulfilling life.
Episode 72
Exploring the deeply transformative nature of psychedelics on parenthood, personal growth, and the understanding of generational trauma, Seth Lorinczi, a writer and parent, shares his journey with psychedelics and how it has influenced his life, relationships and perspective on his family lineage.
Michaela's conversation with Seth puts a significant focus on the critical juncture at which Seth was reintroduced to psychedelics in his forties during a crisis in his marriage, leading to profound changes in his relationship and his ability to show up more fully for his own life.
Seth shares about his process of excavating his family’s Holocaust survival story, in part through a psychospiritual quest to Hungary and how he then documented this experience and the revelations it inspired in his book, 'Death Trip: A Post-Holocaust Psychedelic Memoir’.
Beyond personal transformation, Seth touches on the broader societal and cultural dimensions of psychedelic use, including its impact on parenting, the dangers associated with young people's cannabis use, and the societal implications of mainstreaming psychedelic therapy. The interview illuminates the intricate ways in which psychedelics can act as both a mirror and a catalyst for deeper self-exploration and healing, and how they can also help individuals gain more clarity about collective and generational wounds.
Episode 71
This episode of the Psychedelic Mom Podcast is the second part of a dialogue between Michaela Carlin and her friend and colleague, Stefanie Cohen. Themes of ego dissolution, recognizing and sitting with our shadow, confronting deep-rooted shame and the challenges of integration post-psychedelic experiences weave throughout this fun and candid conversation.
Both women also offer reflections on their quest to embody their true nature through the lens of psychedelic experiences and non-dual philosophy, sharing insights into how these paradigms intersect within their broader processes of healing, self-discovery and awakening to the true nature of reality.
Episode 70
In this conversation, friends and colleagues Michaela Carlin and Stefanie Cohen pull back the curtain on their long, strange trips of psychedelic transformation. Michaela and Stefanie open up about their personal journeys, sharing about the profound shifts in identity they’ve both experienced on the medicine path, the intensity and importance of their shadow work, and the concept of spiritual healing.
Stefanie describes her past struggles with depression and SSRIs, culminating in her first experience with Ayahuasca in 2015, which set her on a path of self-discovery and healing. Michaela did not begin her psychedelic explorations from a place of suffering, but rather was led onto the path by a lifelong curiosity about consciousness. She shares about encounters with shadow selves, generational trauma and deep self-love in her very first psychedelic journey and how they changed her life forever.
The conversation further explores reasons why certain people are drawn to the path of psychedelics, pondering how past lives, embedded traumas, or profound questions about the nature of existence may factor in.
Episode 69
This week on The Psychedelic Mom Michaela Carlin welcomes Frank Yang for an upbeat conversation about Frank’s remarkable journey out of suffering from bipolar disorder and sex addiction to achieving liberation through a shift into the ‘natural state’ of non-duality through psychedelics, meditation, and existential inquiry.
Michaela and Frank dive deep into topics such as the paradox of “seeking” enlightenment, the nature of suffering, how conditioning can dissolve through working with psychedelics, and the emergence of a 'spiritual ego'. They also highlight the limitations of language in conveying non-dual concepts, the physicality of awakening, and shifts in relationships and perceptions post-enlightenment.
For anyone seeking to understand the role psychedelics might play in the awakening process, this episode provides a nuanced view on ways in which they can be powerful tools for transformation and transcendence.
Episode 68
In this episode of the Psychedelic Mom Podcast, Michaela Carlin interviews Maria Camille, a nomad entrepreneur and former wife of a mafia gangster. Maria shares her challenging life journey, from tumultuous times as a mob wife to the death of her young son to becoming a self-made businesswoman and a world champion in extreme sports.
Maria further describes her healing process post-divorce and the transformative role psilocybin mushrooms played in her recovery, leading her to host psilocybin retreats for middle-aged people looking to alter their life's direction and find new purpose and meaning. Maria discusses the crucial role of integration in post-psychedelic therapy and reveals her plans for an upcoming documentary exploring the concept of 'what's next' for people in their middle to elder years.
Episode 66
In this episode, Kevin Cannella, a psychotherapist and passionate psychonaut, discusses his personal journey into the psychedelic space and his role as the co-founder and executive director of Thank You Life. a nonprofit organization that aims to expand the accessibility of psychedelic therapy by eliminating financial barriers for those seeking treatment. Thank You Life targets communities like the BIPOC, LGBTQ, and Veteran population, providing cost-effective group healing sessions.
Kevin shares details about the experience of working with these communities and the positive impact psychedelics have had on their mental wellbeing. Kevin and Michaela discuss the legalization, effectiveness, safety, and nuances of psychedelic medicines, particularly ketamine. Kevin also highlights the importance of guided psychedelic experiences, emphasizing the value of safe, professional containers, and speaks about eventual longitudinal studies and potential partnerships to expand Thank You Life’s service to a broader audience.
Episode 65
Listen in as Michaela Carlin welcomes Jemma Gawned, a medicine woman initiated into the sacred ancestral healing path of the Andes, as she shares about the transformational power of shamanic medicines such as ayahuasca, huachuma, and cacao, emphasizing the critical role of a mindful, heart-centered approach in ceremonial facilitation. Jemma also delves into the process of soul retrieval, where fragments of one's soul, displaced due to trauma, are called back, and how this healing process can lead to an affirmation of identity and increased vitality.
Jemma's commitment to awakening individual truths and her unique perspective on connecting with nature and ancient cultures underline the importance as well as implications of increasing accessibility to shamanic healing practices. Be sure to listen to the whole episode so that you don’t miss Jemma guiding listeners to cleanse energy, heal ancestral imprints, acknowledge their inner child's needs, and recall soul fragments as part of a liberating and healing mini-session.
Episode 63
Join host Michaela Carlin for a deep dive into MDMA - also known as molly and ecstasy - for treating a variety of mental health disorders. She answers questions about its safety, usage, and effects on the body and shares about her own personal experiences and observations.
Michaela also looks into the current state of MDMA in terms of legality, scientific studies and clinical trials, its growing popularity in the psychotherapy world, and the fascinating history of the drug’s origins.
The effects of MDMA vary greatly from person to person and include many anecdotal reports of empathy, deep self-love, compassion and forgiveness. However, Michaela cautions listeners to exercise care about legality, dosage, set and setting, and purity while considering MDMA.
Episode 62
Today we meet Tommy Rosen, an internationally renowned yoga teacher, meditation instructor, and addiction recovery expert with over 30 years of continuous recovery from addiction. Rosen shares his perspectives on addiction by highlighting the importance of addressing it as a ‘frequency’ that affects mind, body and spirit. He elaborates on the therapeutic potential of yoga and his personally developed program, Recovery 2.0, that merges a modified 12-step approach with an expansive yogic system of evolutionary growth. Rosen urges people to move beyond their trauma instead of staying stuck and identifies true recovery as a holistic journey towards wellbeing and awakening. The podcast also discusses the impact and usage of psychedelics, distinguishing between their potentially beneficial or harmful effects, especially for people recovering from addiction.
Episode 61
In this warm and inspired conversation, host Michaela Carlin speaks with Elizabeth Bast, co-founder of Soul Centro, an iboga retreat center located in Costa Rica. Elizabeth shares about her deep immersion with iboga within the context of the Bwiti tradition in Gabon, reflecting on how it has transformed her life and brought profound healing to both her and her husband, co-facilitator, Chor Boogie.
The dialogue covers a wide range of topics, including generational trauma, the significance of regenerative neurology in addiction treatment, respecting the sacred use of iboga, and what it means to live a life serving medicine in steadfast dedication to individual and collective healing. Elizabeth also underlines the intersection of her roles as a mother and a medicine woman and the significance of ancestral wisdom, sovereignty, and soul connection in parenthood and guiding others.
Episode 60
This week Michaela Carlin is joined by Robert Forte for a deep dive into the history of the psychedelic movement, the controversial nature of conspiracy theories, and the escalating conflicts in global politics. Forte, a pioneer in the psychedelic movement, shares insights on the historic and modern uses of psychedelics, stories about key figures like Timothy Leary, Aldous Huxley, and "Sasha" Shulgin, and expresses concerns about corporate interests encroaching on the 'psychedelic renaissance.'
A key point raised is the power of psychedelics in fostering individual discernment and the potential dangers during their post-intake suggestibility period. With respect to current world events, the conversation highlights the increasing commercialization of psychedelics and their possible role in empowering a societal transformation amidst the mounting global tensions and ongoing political crisis.
Episode 59
Join Michaela Carlin and Stefanie Cohen for a fascinating conversation with neuroscientist, Dr. Dölen as she discusses her research, including her pioneering work with MDMA on octopuses, which has unveiled the possibility of using psychedelics to increase sociability in support of trauma healing, as well as her exploration of how psychedelics can help open “critical periods” of learning. She shares in great depth about the potential of applying such treatments for PTSD, addiction, and even post-stroke motor function recovery.
The discussion also ventures into the possible use of psychedelics in treating genetic autism through reinitiating the social reward learning period. However, a note of caution is emphasized: consistent evidence is needed to prevent possible harm, especially with conditions like schizophrenia and autism. Future studies will concentrate on determining how the duration and intensity of psychedelic effects relate to the longevity of these reopened 'critical periods'.