Mind Body Health & Politics

As a society, Americans are stressed out. Currently, we are facing perhaps the greatest uncertainty and stressors of our lifetime. Whenever we feel stressed out we suffer from not only anxiety and depression, but other health issues as well. Last week you heard cardiologist Dr. Christopher Davis, talking about the rise in heart conditions and the role stress has played. This week, in a very special extended episode, you will be hearing more about the root cause of many of our societal health problems – stress – from an expert on the subject. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Gabor Maté several times on Mind Body Health & Politics. Dr. Maté is a bestselling author of four books published in over thirty language and an internationally renowned speaker highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development, and the relationship of stress and illness. His book on addiction, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, received the Hubert Evans Prize for literary non-fiction.Rather than offering quick-fix solutions to these complex issues, Dr. Maté weaves together scientific research, case histories, and his own insights and experience to present a broad perspective that enlightens and empowers people to promote their own healing and that of those around them. For his groundbreaking medical work and writing he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction, and the Civic Merit Award from his hometown, Vancouver. He is also an expert on trauma, chemical dependence, and the broader topic of today’s program: stress and the mind-body connection.In the first part of this episode we look at stress and addiction, while the second part focuses on a less obvious manifestation of stress and disease- the proliferation of diagnoses of ADHD. Do we live in a toxic culture? Are we making ourselves sick? Dr. Gabor Maté answers these questions and more in this week's new episode. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Did you know that a staggering 80 percent of the U.S. population has either low or moderate cardiovascular health? That means just one in five people have a heart that’s in excellent shape, according to a new study by the American Heart Association. While these numbers are cause for concern, our guest this week is an Interventional Cardiologist and is here to tell you what you need to do to keep a healthy heart. In this episode, we welcomed Dr. Christopher Davis to the show. Dr. Davis practices Cardiology and Functional Medicine at Manatee Cardiovascular Wellness Institute and Reveal Vitality, where he is the founder and CEO. In his practice he incorporates nutrition, hormone balance, fitness, and permanent weight control. His board certifications are in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and interventional cardiology. Other specialties of practice include nutrition, fitness, and functional medicine. Dr. Davis has always been passionate about providing top-notch care and compassion to his clients. His achievements and training are a reflection of his pursuit of excellence in the treatment of chronic illnesses and performance enhancement. Dr. Davis trained at the prestigious Johns Hopkins/Sinai Hospital for his Internal Medicine residency. During his training, he was recognized and honored for his incredible talent and commitment to patient care by being bestowed the honor of Chief Medical Resident at Johns Hopkins/Sinai University. Dr. Davis continued his training in cardiology and interventional cardiology with fellowships at the renowned University of Virginia. He then pursued training in Functional Medicine, Bioidentical Hormone Replacement, and Regenerative Medicine to truly help his patients thrive and achieve reversal of disease and optimal vitality. This approach has earned Dr. Davis an outstanding reputation in the medical community and with his patients. Dr. Davis breaks down heart health and the need for a healthy lifestyle in a way that is both approachable and applicable to every day living. Learn all about it in this week's new episode. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week I am pleased to welcome Dr. William Courtney back to the program along with his wife Kristen Courtney for a second part to their interview. Dr. Courtney's area of special interest is in the dietary uses of cannabis to which he considers as a conditionally essential nutrient in the diet of individuals of 40 years and older, and Kristen brings a decade of personal experience and research to the area of whole plant use for prevention and treatment.In research, Dr. Courtney has presented on high dose non-psychoactive dietary uses at Cannabis Therapeutics in Rhode Island (April 2010), the Institute of Molecular Psychiatry at the University of Bonn (June 2010), the Institute for Advanced Studies at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (November 2010), and the International Cannabinoid Research Society conference in Chicago (July 2011). Kristen has presented her case study and research to the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS), the International Cannabis As Medicine Society, in Bonn, Germany (on the Endocannabinoid System), in Israel at the Institute for Advanced Studies and the Israel Science Foundation, and at the International Cannabis As Medicine conference in Germany. She is heading up the experimental research design department in Ettelbruck, Luxembourg, working with the Association Luxembourgeoise des Methodes Preventives. Kristen is also reporting for Shaughnessy: The Journal of Cannabis In Clinical Practice.From personal experience stems Kristen's healing story is a powerful motivator. She has used fresh cannabis leaf to put her Systemic Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Endometriosis, and numerous other conditions into a sustained remission. With 14 surgeries and 4 years of bed rest she has empathy as well as knowledge that has arisen from her education in statistics and research design, which helps her bridge the gap between patients, physicians, and researchers.Dr. Courtney and Kristen co-founded Cannabis International, which is working to reverse the United Nation’s Convention One Treaty in order to allow people access to cannabis worldwide, and currently reside in the Commonwealth of Dominica, where they run the Nature Isle Sanctuary- offering consultations with individuals suffering from Endogenous Cannabinoid System deficiencies. Want to learn more about what they do? Check out their video on juicing raw cannabis. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Paul is a professor of history and sociology at Stony Brook University (New York). Originally trained as an interdisciplinary Latin Americanist at Oxford University and the University of Chicago, his career now mostly focuses on drug and global commodity history.Outside of the university, Paul has chaired various programs at the Social Science Research Council in Brooklyn including the Drugs, Security, and Democracy program; and is the General Editor for The Oxford Handbook of Global Drug History (recently published by Oxford University Press). He currently is the president of the Alcohol and Drugs History Society (2021-2023).He has published three books on cocaine; Andean Cocaine: The Making of a Global Drug (UNC, 2008), Cocaine: Global Histories (Routledge, 1999), and with Liliana M. Dávalos, The Origins of Cocaine: Peasant Colonization and Failed Dedevelopment in the Amazon Andes (Routledge, 2018). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week I am pleased to welcome Dr. William Courtney to the program, joining us from the middle of the rainforest, nonetheless. With an extensive medical education and having been immersed in the experiences of thousands of patients who use raw cannabis daily, Dr. Courtney’s area of special interest is in the dietary uses of cannabis- which he considers a conditionally essential nutrient in the diet of individuals. Dr. William Courtney began with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Michigan, he received his Doctor of Medicine from Wayne State University, Interned for Residency in Psychiatry at California Pacific Medical Center, and then went on to earn his Post Doctorate in Forensic Examination and Forensic Medicine. Now, he is a member of the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine, the International Cannabinoid Research Society, the International Association of Cannabis as Medicine, and the Society of Clinical Cannabis. Dr. Courtney has also been teaching Continuing Medical Education (CME) courses in clinical cannabis.One of the world's foremost pioneers in cannabis research, Dr. Courtney seeks to consolidate the science regarding the essential nature of the phytocannabinoid contributions to health maintenance and restoration. Some notable achievements in his career are he has presented on high dose non-psychoactive dietary uses at Cannabis Therapeutics in Rhode Island in April 2010, the Institute of Molecular Psychiatry at the University of Bonn in June 2010, the Institute for Advanced Studies at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in November 2010, the International Cannabinoid Research Society conference in Chicago in July 2011, and is the father of AC/DC (Alternative Cannabinoid Dietary Cannabis), a high CBD content cultivar from Cannatonic seeds acquired during a visit to Barcelona, Spain from Resin Seeds. Dr. Courtney owns Cannabis International and currently resides in the Commonwealth of Dominica, where he runs the Nature Isle Sanctuary- offering consultations with individuals suffering from Endogenous Cannabinoid System deficiencies. His work now primarily focuses on consultations and strain development/ advice. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week I am pleased to welcome renowned musician Gary Muszysnki to the program.Gary Muszynski is a percussionist, composer, bandleader, and leadership coach who creates original music that combines jazz, world, and classical music. He plays a wide variety of world percussion, including handpan, berimbau, pandeiro, surdo, udu, mbira, conga, bongo, and cajon. He has performed at venues such as SF Jazz (with Bobby McFerrin), the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, CA, the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville and at TEDxBerkeley. Gary received an artist’s grant to study Brazilian folkloric and popular music at the Carlos Gomez Conservatory in Belem, Para (Brazil) at the mouth of the Amazon through the Partners of the Americas in 1989. It was at that time that he also met Martinho da Villa, one of Brazil's most important samba singers and composers, and began to study and parade with the Vila Isabel School of Samba in Rio de Janeiro, and then with Olodum in Salvador, Bahia in 2005.Gary was one of the first percussionists to spread samba in the US, founding a samba school in the Midwest in 1987. He founded One World Music at that time, a non-profit performing arts and education organization, receiving funding from the Missouri Arts Council and the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission.Currently residing in the SF Bay Area; Gary’s newest album is called Roots and Wings, featuring Sting’s pianist and arranger Frank Martin; Mark Summer, the former cellist and co-founder of the Turtle Island Quartet; Cuban jazz-piano legend, Omar Sosa, and Deepak Ram, North Indian bansuri flute master as well as many other musical luminaries. Roots & Wings won the top award at the Global Music Awards in 2021 and was then voted as one of the best CDs of 2021.In addition to his career as a recording and performing artists, Gary has been brining musical experiences and thinking into organizations to further leadership, collaboration, and innovation for the past 30 years. He has reached more than 150,000 leaders and managers through organizational trainings and interactive conference keynotes on five continents and has worked with Apple, Disney, Google, and Xerox Parc among many other organizations. You can see his work through Orchestrating Excellence here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

With training from the Harvard Mind/Body Medical Institute and over 25 years of clinical mental health and mind/body expertise, Heather Lee is truly passionate about guiding people into connection with their inner wisdom to promote health, healing, and hopefulness. In addition to being certified in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and skilled as a behavior change specialist, she is the past Director of Wellness Education at The University of Virginia Medical Center, is on the advisory board of Silo Wellness, and runs her company Medicine Women Retreats.As a psychedelic psychotherapist, speaker, consultant, and transformational travel facilitator, Heather has dedicated her career to helping people learn how to skillfully navigate stress, anxiety, challenging life transitions, and relationships. One of Heather’s many areas of expertise is woman’s health, and her Medicine Woman Retreats are the first psilocybin retreats designed exclusively for women; offering exclusive nature immersion and plant medicine experiences around the world. Other signature topics are psychedelics for self-care, psilocybin for eco-anxiety, and psilocybin in cancer care- something she has first-hand experience with. In the same week, Heather received her certification as a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist, received a diagnosis of breast cancer, and received a call from Silo Wellness to help develop cancer and end of life retreats. In Heather’s own words, “sometimes the alignment and synchronicity of everything shines so bright.” As if the universe came together, she sees her cancer as an opportunity to deepen her connection with the use of psilocybin for navigating disease. Heather uses her experience as a psychotherapist as well as her journey to cultivate calm and consciousness for one’s cancer journey. Our first featured guest in the series “Healing Stories of Psychedelics”, Heather A. Lee is both a healer and finding healing. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

There is much talk these days about a psychedelic renaissance taking place – both in terms of scientific research, as well as personal experimentation all over the world. Part of this renaissance has included greater awareness and emphasis on the integration component, or what one does afterward with the information/healing they obtain on their psychedelic journey.I was honored to be a part of a panel discussion organized by my dear friend Lorna Li, whom I met years ago at Wilbur Hot Springs. Lorna did an amazing job with this year's Plant Spirit Summit. The discussion focused on the different approaches of psychedelic psychotherapy versus coaching. I and the other panel participants are particularly concerned to answer this question: What can we do to create an inclusive, responsible, and ethical Psychedelic Renaissance? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week I interview Dr. Laura McGuire (they/them or she/her) - an internationally recognized consultant, survivor, researcher, seminarian, and author of the book Creating Cultures of Consent (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021). They were named as one of the 2022 Champions of Pride by the Advocate Magazine and are regularly featured in media outlets for their expertise and approachability. Dr. Laura is also the founder of The National Center for Equity and Agency. In 2019 they created the world's first certification in trauma-informed care for legal professionals and in 2021 expanded it to include the insurance industry. They currently teach at both Widener and Dominican University and work as a trainer, mediation advisor, and author.Please be sure to check out their website: www.drlauramcguire.com/ and follow them on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/drlauramcguire/?hl=en This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week I interview Tom Weidlinger – a writer and filmmaker who has been writing, directing and producing documentaries for 35 years. His most recent film, The Restless Hungarian, is his most personal project, and will be featured at the upcoming Mendocino Film Festival on June 3.In this searingly honest melding of the personal and historical Weidlinger uncovers the epic story of four generations. Central to the story is Tom’s father, Paul Weidlinger, a brilliant structural engineer who fled Europe just ahead of the Holocaust—but who kept secret, even from his children, the fact that he was a Jew.The film unfolds in 1920s and ‘30s Budapest, Zurich, London, Paris, La Paz (Bolivia), then 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s Chicago and New York, as Weidlinger traces his famous father’s account of his fantastical life. Attempting to untangle truth from fiction, he uncovers a hidden story and lays bare the scars from his family’s experience of war, displacement, and immigration.Combining documentary material with recreated scenes from his own childhood, the filmmaker discovers how family tragedies, psychosis and suicide, are manifestations of historical trauma passed on from one generation to the next. Weidlinger’s profoundly thoughtful quest makes meaning from his family’s suffering, resulting in a healing work that breaks the cycle of intergenerational trauma.The Restless Hungarian’s trajectory intersects with the rise of Modern Architecture, the Holocaust, the Hungarian Jewish Diaspora, and the nuclear arms race.Twenty-one of Weidingers's previous films have been broadcast on public television. Many have won festival and industry awards and all remain in distribution. For detailed information, including trailers, please visit http://moiraproductions.com/. The documentary is also available in book form under the title The Restless Hungarian: Modernism, Madness, and the American Dream. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week I have the pleasure of speaking with Paulita Pappel – a Madrid/Berlin-based filmmaker and feminist pornographer. Paulita works as a producer, director and intimacy coordinator, and is an advocate for a sex-positive, consent-based culture.‍After studying comparative literature in Berlin, Paulita decided to follow her passion for both cinema and sexuality. She started working as an adult performer, and soon explored many different roles. Her knowledge of film counts now over 10 years of experience balancing work between the mainstream film and adult film industry. She has worked as producer, director, casting director, scriptwriter and performer. She has produced feature-length films that were shown and awarded internationally in festivals and she has produced, directed and performed many short films.‍She is the co-founder of Lustery, a platform dedicated to the sex lives of real-life couples from around the world. She is one half of HardWerk, an independent studio creating cinematic hardcore, where she directs and produces. Since 2013 she has been a curator for the Pornfilmfestival Berlin. She also works as an intimacy coordinator for mainstream productions.‍Our conversation will focus on her work challenging societal taboos, removing the stigma around sex and pleasure, and fostering a sex-positive consent culture, in which people are free to express themselves sexually within the boundaries of mutual consent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Carlos has been studying the science of ayahuasca and plant medicine in the Amazon Rainforest since 2003. He currently works as the program director for the Ayahuasca Foundation, a non-profit organization he began in 2009 based out of Iquitos, Peru. He organizes healing retreats and educational courses with authentic indigenous healers, called curanderos, to help people in need of healing anything from depression to cancer or who are interested in learning the indigenous healing traditions of the Amazon Rainforest.In 2017 Carlos opened the Riosbo Ayahuasca Research Center. The research there was recently published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry demonstrating that attending an ayahuasca retreat can produce epigenetic changes and significantly reduce depression and anxiety. Research continues at the center and will now include studying chronic pain, PTSD, and changes to the gut biome. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

In this week's program, I continue my series on Sexual Medicine in a conversation with Dr. Stella Resnick – Clinical Psychologist, Gestalt therapist, certified sex therapist and developer of the Embodied Relational Sex Therapy (ERST) process and therapist training. Stella's holistic approach recognizes sexual health, and capacity for pleasure and play as intertwined with self-development throughout life, and as basic elements in emotional, physical, and relational health and happiness.She developed this "full-spectrum" approach over many years of experience. It is a body-based, present-centered, experiential method for individuals and couples, centered on personal and relational healing and growth and focused on enhancing the capacity to enjoy greater physical, emotional and sexual pleasure. The process involves looking into early programming, not as an intellectual process of mere understanding but as felt-sense memories that are locked in the body through chronic physical tension, withheld breathing, and unresolved old emotions that trigger programmed reactions to stress.Through breath and body awareness, in the present moment, we learn to become more mindful and self-aware in the moment. By breathing into painful emotions and experimenting with new ways to respond in emotionally fraught situations, we can access inner resources that we may not even know we have, and call forth more loving and pleasurable responses from others.Stella believes this is especially true in romantic and sexual relationships, viewing relational and sexual problems are as opportunities to heal from early emotional pain and shame, to broaden the ability to love and be loved, and to share emotional and sexual pleasure with a lover or mate. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Dear Neighbors,In this week's program, I speak with Sheryn Hildebrand about the serious problem of child sex trafficking in Mendocino County. As painful as it may be to hear her words, we must listen. In this gut-wrenching interview, we will hear about how children in Mendocino county California are courted, drugged, groomed, and put out to the public as child prostitutes. They are coerced, psychologically and physically abused, extorted, and blackmailed, in order to keep them in virtual captivity.Authorities are understaffed and the public is so horrified, by the topic itself, that it does not receive the public outcry needed.Sheryn Hildebrand is the Director of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program in Lake & Mendocino County. Sheryn has served as director for 21 years and also works with neighboring counties (Lake, Humboldt, Del Norte) facilitating Child Abuse Prevention opportunities. She sits on both Mendocino and Lake Counties' child abuse prevention councils as well as participates at the state level on the critical incidents citizen review panel (CRP). Learn more at the California CASA website.A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained volunteer appointed by a judicial officer to provide advocacy for a child who is under the jurisdiction of the courts due to abuse or neglect. The CASA serves as the “eyes and ears” of the judge for children in foster care. Volunteers spend time with children, monitor needed services, and provide child-focused recommendations to the court based on the best interest of the children they serve.From March 28 - 31, the iEmpathize organization will be featuring an exhibit called The Apathy Effect at the Ukiah Conference Center (200 S. School St., Ukiah, CA). The purpose of the iEmphathize organization is to help communities ignite empathy to end childhood exploitation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

On this week's episode we talk with Deborah Bowes, a licensed Feldenkrais instructor, on how she uses this method to bring about healing and growth in her life and the lives of her clients. She works with people with ongoing, complex medical conditions to foster hope and improve function. Her expertise and experience includes Feldenkrais Method, Chi Kung, Tai Chi, and other awareness based movement and health practices. She co-founded this group private practice in 1988. They specialize in teaching Feldenkrais Method and work with individuals who would like to improve how they move and function. She has success with people who have not been helped by more traditional therapy, who may have been injured by a health care provider, people dealing with pain, people with brain injuries, and people with complex health needs or conditions. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

On this week's episode we talk with Diana Richardson on the power of mindful sex.Diana Richardson is known as the pioneer of the Slow Sex movement and, along with her partner, Michael Richardson, is the creator of the life-changing weeklong Making Love Retreat, which they have been offering in Europe since 1995. She wrote her first book in 1996, published as The Love Keys in 1999, and then later republished as The Heart of Tantric Sex, a best seller. Since then has written a further 7 books on the tantric approach to love and sex. These are translated into German, Spanish, French, with certain books translated in Russian, Korean, Czech, and Estonian.Diana is now based in Switzerland with Michael, where they continue to guide couples in the art of slow, conscious sex in their highly successful Making Love Retreats. For more information about their backgrounds, retreats, books, please visit their websites:www.livinglove.com or www.love4couples.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Based out of New York, Evacheska is the founder of Temple Sotto Luce, a community project designed to be a gateway to a higher state of being through the use of both traditional methods and approaches, and more esoteric tools. Evacheska is a former Executive Leader, having spent over a decade working in corporate America where she held positions as Vice President of Marketing and Strategy and Executive Director at multi-million-dollar businesses such as Avon, Rodan + Fields, Stella & Dot, and TYRA Beauty. In 2019, she decided to make a career shift to be in service of others and return to school to expand her expertise and skill set. Since then, Evacheska has dedicated her life’s work and energy to creating and holding space for healing and expansion. She leverages her unique background abilities to create distinctive experiences focused on supporting each participant’s internal work. She is a certified Mindfulness and Meditation facilitator, Integrative Coach, and Trauma and Somatics Practitioner, and is also certified in Psych-K®. She is currently pursuing a degree in psychology at CUNY, studying yogic philosophy, and studying the power of plant medicines, of which she has worked with many, both in her personal work and work with others. She recently returned from a month in Peru where she studied with the Ayahuasca Foundation. Evacheska has taken her unique background and personal passions and applied it to a myriad of different areas of work. She currently leads seminars and workshops on Quantum Time Manifestation, Harnessing Personal Power, and leads Mindfulness Meditation and Medicine Music & Movement events. She also offers one-on-one guidance through Zoom and in-person sessions for deeper work, and facilitates customized group retreats. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

On this week's episode we talk with the wonderful Faith Jones, a summa cum laude graduate from Georgetown and who was raised in the "Children of God" cult, about her book "Sex Cult Nun".Faith was raised in and escaped from the infamous cult, the Children of God. It was founded by her paternal grandfather. The group was notorious for its radical practices, which required members to become full-time missionaries, forgo income and formal education, and submit to the “Law of Love,” a doctrine which encouraged spouse sharing and (for a time) sexual relations with children, and used female disciples as sex “bait” to gain followers and supporters."I was able to emancipate myself at 23 and, through self-taught study, was later accepted into Berkeley Law school. I give an intimate description of life inside a secretive cult, and most importantly, the framework of how to set oneself free of mental and spiritual manipulation in hopes of helping others stand up for themselves.” Faith says."Both inspiring and disturbing, Sex Cult Nun unravels Jones’ complicated upbringing,the trauma she endured as a result and her path to liberation" - TIME Magazine This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

On this week's episode, we talk with Maeve Moon - a former sex worker turned trauma recovery coach as she shares with us her story of recovery and victory. Maeve goes through her heartbreaking yet harrowing journey as a young woman in the sex industry, and what it took for her to find her true self and escape. She is now using her story to enlighten other women in the industry, and to provide hope. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

"The woman who can create her own job is the woman who will win fame and fortune." – Amelia Earhart Though she isn't a professional therapist, Maggie McNeill's decades of studying human sexuality from very close up has given her a remarkable degree of insight into sexuality, relationships, and many other related topics; people have therefore long sought out her advice on such topics.Maggie McNeill was a librarian in suburban New Orleans, but after divorce economic necessity spurred her to take up sex work; from 1997 to 2006 she worked first as a stripper, then as a call girl and madam. She eventually married her favorite client, retired, and moved to a ranch in the rural Upper South. There she writes a daily blog called “The Honest Courtesan” which examines the realities, myths, history, lore, science, philosophy, art, and every other aspect of prostitution; she also reports sex work news, critiques the way her profession is treated in the media and by governments, and is frequently consulted by academics and journalists as an expert on the subject. "The Honest Courtesan" is quite possibly the largest single-author blog on the internet, containing over 3500 essays written over the past decade. You can find her book "Ask Maggie" and its subsequent volumes on amazon, and please be sure to follow her on twitter. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Despite the increasing visibility of LGBTQ people in American culture, our understanding of bisexuality remains superficial, at best. Our guest, Ritch Savin-Williams PhD provides an important new understanding of bisexuality as an orientation, behavior, and identity in his book titled, "Bi". Bi shows us that bisexuality is seen and embraced as a valid sexual identity more than ever before, giving us timely and much-needed insight into the complex, fascinating experiences of bisexual youth themselves.This episode features Professor Emeritus Ritch Savin-Williams. Savin-Williams teaches developmental psychology at Cornell University and specializes in gay, lesbian, and bisexual research. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

On this next episode of Mind, Body, Health, and Politics I speak with the team from the Grass Roots Institute. We will hear from the insightful Peter McNamee, Carrie Durkee, and Jim Tarbell.The Grassroots Institute: A progressive solutions group for the Common Good (GRI) is confronting our deteriorating political, economic and environmental systems. GRI looks at the systemic problems created by wealthy corporate elites instituting public policies benefiting their own good rather than the common good. GRI also promotes citizen-based solutions that are creating a vibrant future.GRI offers two free study guides. One for the Grassroots Solutions and Corporate Power course, and the other for the Building the Economy for the Common Good course. Their study guides educate concerned citizens on corporations, democracy and building an economy for our common good. The solutions to our sustainable future are already at work in our communities. We just have to recognize them, bring them together and support them. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

On today's episode I speak with author, Tibetan Lama, Elder, and Polymath Mike Crowley. Mike began studying Buddhism with a Tibetan lama in 1966, becoming an upasaka of the Kagyud lineage in 1970. In order to augment his Buddhist studies, he acquainted himself with Sanskrit, Tibetan and Mandarin Chinese. Mike has lectured at the Jagellonian University, Cracow, the Museum of Asia and the Pacific, Warsaw, the California Institute for Integral Studies, San Francisco, and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His work has been published in Fortean Studies, Time & Mind, the Journal of Archeology, Consciousness and Culture, Psychedelic American, and Psychedelic Press UK.He is the author of, "Secret Drugs of Buddhism". Drawing on a wide range of disciplines (including pharmacology, iconography, botany, and scriptural sources), this book calls attention to the central role which psychedelics played in Indian religions, tracing their history from the soma of the Vedic period to amrita, the sacramental drink of Vajrayana Buddhism. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Sumati has been a personal and spiritual growth junkie her entire life. Her training includes having attended over 40 workshops with the Human Awareness Institute, also known as HAI, is a trained Zegg Forum Facilitator and part of the Network for a New Culture, has studied Non-Violent Communication (or NVC) with Marshall Rosenberg, has been practicing 12-step work in the areas of relationship and addiction since 1985, is a trained PSYCH-K Facilitator (a process used to remove limiting beliefs), has a Yoga & Meditation teacher certification through the Sivananda school, and has studied sacred sexuality with Evalena Rose, Baba Dez and other prominent teachers.Sumati Sparks’ first name was given to her by the great living saint, Amma (Mata Amritananda Mayi). Sumati means pure essence. She is a relationship coach with a life PhD! Since 2000, she has been coaching people in the areas of relationship and sexuality and now specializes in helping people create successful open relationships. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Veronica Monet is an American author and activist for sex worker rights. Her early activism focused on debunking stereotypes about sex workers and advocating for the decriminalization of all sex work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Dear Neighbors,We want to end this year thanking you, our listeners, and by wrapping up with some of our most cherished moments from the podcast. With the Confessions series a huge hit with all of you, we wanted to pull key moments to look back on. We also have sections from Dean Edell, Dennis McKenna, Tim Scully, and more. You will find the links to all of the full episodes in the show notes of tomorrows broadcast.Again, it has been a wonderful year with all of you. We have even more stimulating and insightful conversations on the horizon for 2022. If this show has impacted you in any way, please be sure to share with you loved ones. If you have any questions or comments please reach out to us - we would love to hear from you.Tally Ho! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Letha Hadady is one of the nation's leading experts on natural Chinese remedies and author of books on health and beauty. She has lead stress management workshops and acted as natural product consultant for Sony Entertainment Inc., Dreyfus, Ogilvy & Mather, and Consumer Eyes, Inc. in New York.In 1980 Letha became involved with novelist Michael Foster and librarian and poet Barbara Foster in a work-oriented menage a trois of writers. Together they researched and the Fosters wrote two biographies of Alexandra David-Neel: Forbidden Journey and The Secret Lives of Alexandra David-Neel. Their book Three in Love: Menages a Trois from Ancient to Modern Times has been called "racy and engaging" by Entertainment Weekly. The three have been featured in television and radio interviews and a European documentary "Menage a Trois" in 2008 by Catherina Klusemann. She has also authored "Tea for Three: The Other Woman by Letha Hadady", as well as co-authored "Outlaws of Love: A History of Forbidden Desire". Please be sure to check out her website for more info at: www.asianhealthsecrets.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Link to the Flash Technique Video: https://youtu.be/f-QNuzTdJVYLewis is a licensed psychologist and has been practicing in San Francisco and Marin County for over 40 years. His approach to therapy is interactive and he seeks to understand his clients’ struggles and collaboratively develop a process to resolve their difficulties.Currently, his area of specialization is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is an effective and well researched therapy originally developed for the treatment of the aftereffects of severe trauma such as combat, physical and sexual abuse, sexual assault, traffic accidents and natural disasters.In 2017, he assisted Philip Manfield, Ph.D. in the development of a revolutionary new technique, the Flash Technique, which combined with EMDR allows for the rapid and painless resolution of traumatic memories. EMDR and Flash are also successful in effectively treating anxiety, depression, avoidance, phobias and panic. These symptoms can arise either from major trauma or simply from the ordinary strains of growing up in a family and other challenges of life.In addition, he has written a popular book, Imaginary Crimes, that addresses why some of us sabotage ourselves and prevent ourselves from being happy and successful. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Affectionately dubbed "Her Deepness", by The New Yorker magazine, Dr. Sylvia Earle, one of the world’s top experts on ocean science and conservation, shares her inspiring wisdom in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC OCEAN: A GLOBAL ODESSY showcasing how the ocean--with its forces, habitats, creatures, and global influence--has a tremendous impact on our everyday lives. President & Chairman of Mission Blue, Dr. Earl describes the evolution, beauty, and impact of our ocean, the challenges it faces, such as climate change, plastic, and overfishing, and the myriad ways we can help protect it. With a special focus on new discoveries in the deepest reaches of the ocean, Dr. Earle’s book reveals wonders that few have witnessed before and broadens our understanding of this essential realm of life on Earth. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

For this week's episode we are speaking with Mike Jay, author of "Mescaline: A Global History of the First Psychedelic".He writes regularly for the London Review of Books (free access long reads on madness and revolution, Edgar Allan Poe, memory, and hallucinations), the Wall Street Journal and the Literary Review (free access piece on Philip K. Dick).Mike Jay has written widely on the history of science and medicine, and particularly on the discovery of psychoactive drugs during the 18th and 19th centuries. His books on the subject include Emperors of Dreams: drugs in the nineteenth century (2000, revised edition 2011) and most recently High Society: mind-altering drugs in history and culture (2010), which accompanied the exhibition he curated at Wellcome Collection in London. The Atmosphere of Heaven is also the third book in his series of biographical narratives of political reformers in 1790s Britain. It follows The Air Loom Gang (2003, revised edition forthcoming 2012) and The Unfortunate Colonel Despard (2004). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

For this week's episode we are featuring a wonderful conversation with The Maudsley Learning Podcast. (Be sure to check out their podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/maudsley-learning-podcast-psychiatry-psychotherapy/id1466932169)Maudsley Learning is part of one of the world’s most renowned mental healthcare organisations and unifies education. Their mission is to produce the highest quality mental health and well-being education and training products. They design and deliver courses to meet the continuing professional development needs of individual professionals in the healthcare workforce, but also to many others including colleagues in social services, policing, schools and in the private sector.We are discussing MDMA, Psychedelics & the Therapeutic Milleu on this week's show This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week I am interviewing Mr. Sanjay Singhal - entrepreneur and founder of the Nikean Project.Sanjay is a Canadian tech entrepreneur and author best known for founding and selling Audiobooks.com. He created the 500 Startups Canada fund in 2016 and actively remains an ongoing investor in over 20 startups. His memoir “Zero to Tesla,” published in 2018, chronicles the whole messy journey. He launched the Nikean Foundation in 2019 to fund mental health research, focusing on novel psychedelic therapies to treat mental disorders including anorexia, depression, and PTSD. The Nikean Foundation currently funds research trials around the world, with a focus on developing knowledge and infrastructure in Canada. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week we are flipping the script and asking some hard hitting questions with our Host; Dr. Richard Louis Miller.Our Producer - Charlie Deist, along with our Audio Engineer - David Springer, will be addressing some questions from our listeners on this weeks episode.We love hearing from you! So please email us any questions you may have and we will do our best to bring those up in a future episode! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Dr. David L. Geisinger, is the 82-year-old author of Kicking It: The New Way to Stop Smoking and Permanently Going The Distance: Finding and Keeping Lifelong Love, written with his life partner, Dr. Lonnie Barbach.Dr. Howard I. Levene – 85-year-old former Commander and medical officer in the U.S. Navy – is founder of Diabasis House, and a faculty member at the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco and Department of Psychiatry, UCSF Medical School. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week we speak with Jeremy Narby, author and anthropologist, on botanics and biology and their applications in psychedelic therapy. He has written several books including "Plant Teachers" and "The Cosmic Snake" as well as co-authored "The Psychotropic Mind".Jeremy grew up in Canada and Switzerland, studied history at the University of Canterbury, receiving a doctorate in anthropology from Stanford University. Jeremy spent several years living with the Ashaninca tribe in the Peruvian Amazon, cataloging indigenous uses of rainforest resources.Jeremy has worked since 1989 as Amazonian projects director for the Swiss non-profit Nouvelle Planète, backing projects for the self-determination of Amazonian indigenous peoples that involve land rights, primary education, village health, botanical knowledge, fish farms, tree nurseries, and other local initiatives. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week I pivot from my exploration of psychedelic medicines to a new discussion on racial justice with Brendan Kiely, author of the New York Bestseller All American Boys. Brendan has also authored Tradition, The Last True Love Story, and The Gospel of Winter. His most recent book, and the topic of today's show, is The Other Talk: Reckoning with Our White Privilege. His work has been published in over a dozen languages, and has received the Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award, the Walter Dean Meyers Award, and ALA’s Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults.A former high school teacher, he is now on the faculty of the Solstice MFA Program. He states that he watches too much basketball and reads too many books at the same time, but most importantly, he lives for and loves his wife and son. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week I continue my exploration of psychedelic medicines with Dr. Kile Ortigo, author of "Beyond The Narrow Life: A Guide For Psychedelic Integration and Existential Exploration".Dr. Ortigo a licensed psychologist in California with over 14 years of clinical experience and a passion for applying psychological concepts and scientific principles to improving experiences of individuals seeking mental health care, psychotherapists, and others with a desire to improve their life course. His clinical approach is integrative, collaborative, evidence-based and flexible to the needs and goals of the individuals with whom he works. He believe the therapeutic relationship is the key vehicle that can help people explore their innermost selves more freely and openly in order to make important shifts in their approach to life. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Susan Campbell, Ph.D. is a counselor and author of 12 books. When she was a professor at UMass Amherst in the 60’s and 70’s, she co-founded an alternative counseling and education center for university students seeking to integrate their psychedelic experiences and avoid bad trips and confusing after-effects.The methods she pioneered then are still a major part of her practice today and are considered state-of-the art in psychedelic therapy. Susan trains coaches and therapists throughout the United States and Europe. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Dale has been the state director of California NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) since 1987. He wrote his PhD dissertation at Stanford on Consumer Choice and FDA Drug Regulation. He was one of the original co-authors of California's medical marijuana initiative, Prop. 215, in 1996, and has co-sponsored and lobbied for other drug reform measures. He has published original research on medical marijuana, the history of marijuana and drug prohibition, the economic benefits of legalization, marijuana and driving safety, cannabis vaporization, CBD, and drug urinalysis. He is a founding member of the Drug Policy Forum of California. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

John Gilmore is a computer engineer, computer entrepreneur, civil libertarian, drug policy reformer, and philanthropist. He has thirty years of experience in the computer industry, including applications programming, systems programming, language implementation, management, and investment. He was the fifth employee at Sun Microsystems, and contributed to hardware and software design and production. He co-designed the protocol that your phone or laptop uses every day to get when you connect to WiFi or Ethernet. He has contributed significantly to the worldwide free software movement, by writing many free programs, and co-founding Cygnus Support, a successful commercial free software company that is now part of IBM. He cofounded the "alt" subnet of the Usenet decentralized world forum to improve its free expression. He is a champion of civil liberties, a cofounder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and a cypherpunk, an advocate for wide distribution of strong encryption systems, to provide privacy and security despite malevolent governments. He has contributed several decades and more than $12 million to improving United States drug laws. He serves on the boards of the Marijuana Policy Project, which has enacted more than half of the adult-use and medical marijuana laws in the US; and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, which leads the psychedelic medicine movement, by running FDA-approved clinical trials to make MDMA (Ecstacy) into a legal prescription medicine for post-traumatic stress disorder. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week I continue the series with my old friend, Dr. Martin H. Goodman. Marty graduated from Harvard with a BA in biology in 1971, before receiving his MD from the University of California at San Diego.He worked at the Haight Ashbury Free Medical Clinic in the 1980s and volunteered taking care of people having "bad trips" at rock concerts under the auspices of their "rock medicine" section. Marty has been a life-long fighter for social justice, and is an advocate for educating the public in the scientific method, and using evidence-based reasoning when it comes to matters of medicine and science. He is also a mountaineer (often in remote desert regions), backpacker, river rafter, long-distance cyclist, and life-long environmentalist.Marty is a self-described "iconoclast," who has rejected the politically correct tropes of both the "right" and of the "left". He first used LSD over 50 years ago. Always with a friend, and more often than not in an outdoors (often genuinely wilderness) environment. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week I continue my series of Confessions of the Psychedelic Elders (please subscribe and review) with an old acquaintance (and neighbor of mine in Mendocino County) – Mariavittoria Mangini, PhD, FNP. Mangini is the author of the forward for the newly released volume of Sasha Shulgin's pharmacology lectures: The Nature of Drugs, and has written extensively on the impact of psychedelic experiences in shaping the lives of her contemporaries. Her particular interest is in the history of women in this field. In addition to her personal confessions, she will be telling us about her upcoming doctoral class at the California Institute for Integral Studies this fall on women and psychedelics.Mangini has also worked closely with many of the most distinguished investigators in this field and is a founder of the Women’s Visionary Council, a nonprofit organization that supports investigations into non-ordinary forms of consciousness and organizes gatherings of researchers, healers, artists, and activists whose work explores these states.Her long history with the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic includes having been a barefoot patient, a lead clinician in the medical section, and the chair of the Board of Directors – all in the same lifetime. She has been a Family Nurse Midwife for 35 years, and was in primary care practice with Frank Lucido MD, one of the pioneers of the medical cannabis movement, for 25 years. Their practice was one of the first to implement the California Compassionate Use Act of 1996, the first state medical cannabis initiative. She is Professor Emerita of Nursing at Holy Names University in Oakland. Her current project is the development of a Thanatology program for the study of death and dying. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This week, I take a break from the Confession of the Psychedelic Elders series to bring you an interview with my dear friend Rabbi Sydney Mintz. The topic of our conversation will be what it means to call oneself Jewish. We will also discuss how Judaism has shaped her identity as a human being, a mother, and a lesbian.Rabbi Mintz (she/they) was ordained in 1997 by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City. She is the founder of the award-winning Late Shabbat Young Adult Program at Congregation Emanu-El where she has served as Rabbi for almost 25 years. She became a Senior Rabbinic Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem after completing her fellowship in 2004 and serves on the National Board of Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice.She is a graduate of Bend the Arc’s Selah Leadership Program, is a member of the U.S. State Department’s Working Group on Religion and Social Justice, and serves on Reimagine’s 360 Advisory Council.In 2018, Rabbi Mintz’s one-woman show “You May Think I’m Funny, But It’s Not” premiered and sold out at the Marsh Theatre in San Francisco. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Richard Elliot Doblin (born November 30, 1953) is an American drug activist and executive who is the founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Join us today on another stimulating episode of Mind, Body, Health, and Politics! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

This morning we are flipping the script, as Philosopher Charles Bush solicits my own personal confessions as a psychedelic elder.Don't miss my own story, as I officially join our growing tribe of elders – this morning at 9 am PACIFIC.If you miss the live program, be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts, and leave us a 5-star review in Apple podcasts. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

My guest this morning is Countess Amanda Feilding – the Founder and Executive Director of the Beckley Foundation – widely recognized as a leading force behind the current Psychedelic Renaissance.Born in 1943, Countess Feilding is the youngest child of Basil Feilding, great-grandson of the 7th Earl of Denbigh and the Marquess of Bath, and his wife and cousin, Margaret Feilding.She has propelled the field forward over the last 20+ years, spearheading studies such as the world’s first psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression study (on which Compass Pathways based their business), the world’s first LSD, MDMA and DMT brain imaging studies, plus the initiation and collaboration with Johns Hopkins on the first study using psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to overcome nicotine addiction. She has also co-authored over 80 research papers. Since 1998, the Beckley Foundation has been at the forefront of exploratory research into psychedelics, and evidence-based global drug policies. Through her work with the Beckley Foundation, Amanda is bridging the gap between science and policy, creating a positive feedback loop, with the aim of building and harnessing our knowledge of the benefits of currently prohibited compounds to optimize human health, wellbeing and potential.Today, however, she joins me to discuss how psychedelics have influenced her own journey – taking us from her early days as an independent youth, through her life as an influential spokesperson, advocate, and researcher into psychedelics and non-ordinary states of consciousness. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe