Ayahuasca Podcast with Sam Believ

In this episode of the Ayahuasca Podcast, host Sam Believ speaks with Bruce Eckfeldt—a seasoned entrepreneur, systems thinker, certified exit planning advisor, former CEO of an Inc. 500 tech firm, and host of the Psychedelics Invest podcast.

00:00 - 01:00: Introduction of guest Bruce Eckfeldt, highlighting his background as an architect, tech founder, exit planning advisor, and host of Psychedelics Invest.

01:01 - 04:04: Bruce shares his personal journey from architecture to interactive tech, selling his company in 2013, recovering from a broken back using cannabis, and transitioning into the cannabis and psychedelic podcast space.

04:05 - 05:15: Sam and Bruce discuss using podcasting as an effective tool for learning and connecting with people.

05:16 - 09:30: Bruce details his first personal psychedelic experience—a weekend retreat involving psilocybin and San Pedro in the California Redwoods—and the deep sense of internal trust and connectedness it provided.

09:31 - 14:00: A discussion on executive and founder burnout, where Bruce redefines burnout not as overexertion, but as an integrity issue stemming from putting energy into work that lacks alignment with personal values.

14:01 - 18:30: Sam and Bruce discuss founder dynamics, the natural life cycle of business stages, energy allocation, and the typical 5- to 7-year life shift cycle.

18:31 - 21:00: Addressing the rumor/fear in Silicon Valley of founders drinking Ayahuasca and quitting their companies or drastically altering their lives.

21:01 - 24:00: Bruce explains his intensive retreat format for executive teams, using natural settings, discomfort, and strategic reflection to drive organizational change.

24:01 - 28:50: Exploring the potential of combining plant medicine with business retreats to treat burnout, alongside the importance of doing internal work before making radical external life changes.

28:51 - 32:25: Unpacking why entrepreneurs build businesses—balancing purpose versus proving oneself—and using the analogy of picking a mountain to climb.

32:26 - 34:25: Why successful people struggle to enjoy their achievements, shifting the focus from fleeting happiness to deep engagement and purpose.

34:26 - 39:30: Bruce introduces his book, Springboard, which guides founders on post-exit planning, scaling, and reverse-engineering their business exit strategies.

39:31 - 44:50: Examining "conscious capitalism" and the intersection/tension between business investors, clinical researchers, and traditional ceremonial plant medicine practices.

44:51 - 49:25: How leaders should integrate psychedelic insights without impulsively disrupting their organizations or teams.

49:26 - 52:25: Recurring visual realms, geometry, and neural patterns experienced during psychedelic journeys.

52:26 - 53:25: Closing remarks and where to find Bruce Eckfeldt's work (on his LinkedIn, and his book Springboard).

In this episode of Ayahuasca Podcast, host Sam Believ (founder of www.lawayra.com) speaks with Una Meistare. Una is a prominent Latvian cultural journalist, art critic, and co-founder/editor-in-chief of Artterritory and Spirit Territory. Having spent over two decades exploring fashion and design, she now researches alternative states of consciousness, ethnobotanical healing, and the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.

00:00 - 02:00: Overview of Latvia's mental health statistics, high suicide rates, and Una's background in art journalism

02:01 - 04:30: Una's initial introduction to Ayahuasca through an interview with Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto

04:31 - 07:15: First secret ceremonies with the Huni Kuin tribe and attending the World Ayahuasca Conference in Girona

07:16 - 10:15: High rates of treatment-resistant depression in Latvia, suicide statistics, and organizing therapeutic psychedelic conferences

10:16 - 13:30: Traditional plant harvesting protocols, asking permission from nature, and overcoming cultural stigma

13:31 - 16:30: Integration challenges, psilocybin's potential in Latvia, and local mushroom-foraging culture

16:31 - 22:30: Deep dive into the traditional Latvian pirts (sauna) ceremony as an ancient method for altered states of consciousness

22:31 - 26:30: The energetic qualities of trees (oak and linden) and cross-cultural parallels in heat-based healing

26:31 - 32:00: Seasonal dynamics in Latvia, extreme light/dark cycles, and reconnecting with nature

32:01 - 36:15: Sauna rituals as a healthy alternative to heavy alcohol consumption

36:16 - 41:10: The surge of Ayahuasca tourism in Latvia, interpreting symbolic messages, and Rick Strassman’s perspectives on ego amplification

41:11 - 46:40: The intersection of psychedelics, art, emotional intelligence, and Una's exhibition on six universal emotions

46:41 - 50:10: Final thoughts on inner healing, self-reflection, and where to find Una's work

If you would like to attend one of our Ayahuasca retreats go to www.lawayra.com.

Find more about Una Meistare at www.artterritory.com and www.spiritterritory.com.

In this episode of Ayahuasca Podcast, host Sam Believ (founder of www.lawayra.com) has a conversation with Kat Courtney. Kat is a traditionally trained ayahuasquera, huachumera, pioneering integration coach, and dedicated death doula. After completing a decade-long apprenticeship in the Amazon within the Shipibo-Conibo lineage, she founded Plant Medicine People to help seekers safely navigate the world of psychedelics.

00:00 - 02:00: Kat’s background, healing journey with Ayahuasca, and the natural multidimensional state of consciousness

02:01 - 05:15: Transitioning from corporate game production at Disney to traditional shamanic plant medicine

05:16 - 07:40: Overcoming bipolar diagnosis, bulimia, alcoholism, and finding hope through Ayahuasca

07:41 - 11:05: Navigating grief and the transition of loved ones through death doula perspectives and the Ho'oponopono prayer

11:06 - 14:48: Exploring Ayahuasca as the "vine of the dead," ego deaths, and psychedelic birth/grief portals

14:49 - 18:20: Addressing abuse in the plant medicine space, teacher falls from grace, and accountability for the ego

18:21 - 20:00: Shadow work, Carl Jung, and discovering the "golden shadow" and hidden superpowers

20:01 - 22:15: Ayahuasca's impact on dysregulated nervous systems and the importance of gentle titration

22:16 - 25:00: The reality of sitting in over 1,000 ceremonies as an apprentice and facilitator

25:01 - 29:00: Kat's legal battles with Homeland Security, federal charges, and navigating systemic hypocrisy around DMT

29:01 - 34:40: The dangers of fast-tracked facilitators, energetic safety, and physical/emotional risks

34:41 - 37:00: How Ayahuasca learns and evolves alongside human consciousness

37:01 - 40:25: Handling projections, pedestals, and participant trauma as a facilitator

40:26 - 44:50: Practical integration, avoiding the "ceremony slump," and connecting with nature

44:51 - 49:10: Daily self-check-ins, holding hope for collective consciousness, and closing thoughts

If you would like to attend one of our Ayahuasca retreats go to www.lawayra.com.

Find more about Kat Courtney at www.plantmedicinepeople.com.

In this episode of Ayahuasca Podcast, host Sam Believ (founder of www.lawayra.com) has a conversation with Shane Mauss. Shane is an award-winning stand-up comedian, science communicator, and host of the long-running podcast Here We Are. Known for blending evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and comedy, he is also the creator of the documentary Psychonautics and the immersive two-part comedy special Trips, filmed at Meow Wolf.

0:00 - 02:40: Shane’s background, rebel youth, and blending science, comedy, and psychedelics

02:41 - 08:52: The origin of Trips and creating immersive visual comedy experiences

08:53 - 11:45: Conventional education vs. self-directed learning and humor as an educational tool

11:46 - 24:32: The famous "Purple Lady" DMT entity story and shared trip experiences

24:33 - 36:58: Exploring the reality of trip visions, brain architecture, and Jungian archetypes

36:59 - 42:33: Navigating dogmatic spiritual views, ego-centrism, and mania in psychedelic spaces

42:34 - 55:46: Shane’s dark side of psychedelics: Reckless use, manic psychosis, and Psychonautics

55:47 - 58:20: Grounding fail-safes in traditional Ayahuasca use vs. unguided tripping

58:21 - 1:03:52: Performing stand-up comedy while under the influence of LSD and mushrooms

1:03:53 - 1:05:48: The challenges of accidental microdosing and trying to function in normal life

1:05:49 - 1:09:00: Details on Shane's Trips special, Meow Wolf, and future projects

If you would like to attend one of our Ayahuasca retreats go to www.lawayra.com.

Find more about Shane Mauss at www.shanemauss.com.

In this episode of the Ayahuasca Podcast, host Sam Believ speaks with Dr. Richard Louis Miller, a clinical psychologist with over 60 years of experience in humanistic psychology and addiction recovery. Dr. Miller is a former faculty member at Stanford University and the University of Michigan, an advisor to the President's Commission on Mental Health, founder of the Wilbur Hot Springs Health Sanctuary and the Cokenders program, and author of Psychedelic Medicine.

Dr. Miller shares his journey through the early psychedelic movement, the historical and political factors behind drug prohibition, and his personal protocols for longevity and health.

Key Episode Highlights & Timestamps

First Psychedelic Experiences & The 1960s Renaissance (01:36 - 08:31) Dr. Miller recounts his first experiences with DMT, Sandoz LSD at the Esalen Institute in 1967, and ingesting Morning Glory seeds after reading Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert's work. He discusses how the subsequent 50-year government shutdown affected early research.

Pioneering Holistic Addiction Treatment (04:38 - 06:19) Establishing the Wilbur Hot Springs sanctuary and the first holistic health chemical dependence program, integrating meditation, exercise, nutrition, and acupuncture to safely detox over 1,500 individuals.

Societal Structures, Politics, and Psychedelics (12:53 - 25:11) Dr. Miller and Sam explore how psychedelics dissolve boundaries and foster a sense of planetary unity. They discuss why governments have historically restricted these substances, the pitfalls of societal division, and alternative models of social care and taxation.

Longevity Protocols at 87 (32:25 - 41:42) Dr. Miller shares his personal maintenance routine for longevity: weightlifting, daily aerobic conditioning, strict nutrition, drinking half his body weight in ounces of water daily, and maintaining active social connections in line with Blue Zone principles.

Overcoming Terminal Health Diagnoses & Microdosing (43:15 - 47:58) How Dr. Miller reversed terminal heart failure and survived nodular melanoma, highlighting the role of double aerobic exercise, a strong immune system, and disciplined LSD microdosing in his recovery.

LSD, Creativity, and Innovation (47:58 - 52:16) The historical impact of LSD on scientific discoveries and technology (such as DNA sequencing and Silicon Valley innovation), and the lost potential caused by ongoing restrictions.

Mentioned Books by Dr. Richard Louis Miller

Psychedelic Medicine

Master Your Mind

The Adverse Effects and Therapeutic Benefits of Psychedelic Medicine (Upcoming)

Connect & Learn More

Ayahuasca Retreats: Visit www.lawayra.com

Dr. Richard Louis Miller: Learn more at wilburhotsprings.com or find his books and content on Amazon and social media platforms.