THE EXPLODING HUMAN with Bob Nickman

JEFF LEBOWE is one of the founders of Spores Lab (sporeslab.io), a Canadian company which sells mushroom spores, cultures and grow kits for those interested in growing their own mushrooms. Jeff talks about the research behind the benefits of micro-dosing psilocybin to treat depression, anxiety, trauma and addiction. We also talk about the hallucinagenic experience, Big Pharma, and the future of medical treatments using mushrooms, ketamine, LSD and other substances in very small doses to promote healing.

OCEAN MALANDRA talks about the renewed interest in psychedelics and their applications in mental, spiritual and physical health. He is a widely published freelance environmental journalist and travel writer who divides his time between Northern California and South America. His work has appeared in over 30 different media outlets, including Vice, Lonely Planet, USA Today, Mongabay, Earth Island Journal, High Times Magazine, Parabola Magazine and Paste Magazine, where he wrote the environmental column EarthRx. He is also the author of the Moon Travel Guide series to Colombia. His new book, co-edited with neuroscientst and Harvard researcher, Natalie Dyer PhD, titled "Infinite Perception: The Power of Psychedelics for Global Transformation" is an anthology of voices from the front line of the Psychedelic Renaissance.er, PhD. Dr. Natalie Dyer, PhD, is a Research Scientist with Connor Whole Health at University Hospitals, President of the Center for Reiki Research, and serves on the Scientific and Medical Network board. Natalie completed her doctorate in neuroscience at Queen's University and postdoctoral fellowships in psychology at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School. She has published many scientific papers and book chapters on postmaterialist science, psychedelics, and the therapeutic effects of integrative medicine practices, including yoga, acupuncture, mindfulness, and energy medicine, and is co-editor of the book Expanding Science: Visions of a Postmaterialist Paradigm. Natalie is also an energy medicine practitioner and teacher with clients around the world. Her passion is in understanding and addressing mental and physical health from a psychospiritual perspective. She lives in the woods on the east coast of Canada with her husband, artist Louis Dyer, and their daughter. We discuss the history of psychedelics along with current research and the future of their use in enhancing a wide variety of health and wellness challenges. Ocean brings a great deal of personal experience with shaman ritual as well as scientific research to the table in a frank discussion about human potential in body, mind and spirit.

New York Tmes bestselling author LAURA DOYLE was the perfect wife--until she got married.Wheb she began telling her husband how to be tidier, more rmantic, more ambitious, he avoided her.So she dragged him to omarriage counseling and nearly divorced him. In desperation, she asked happily married women for their secrets, and that's when she got her miracle;the man who had wooed her returned. Laura is the founder of the international relattionship coach training program Laura Doyle Connect, the star of Empowered Wives, on Amazon Prime and the The Empoweed Wife Podcast. Laura shares her personal marrigage challenges, along with cllent anectdotes and offers her tips, hacks and secrets to having a successful marriage. She is warm, honest and loves to laugh! Find out more at: www.lauradoyle.org

DR. ZACK ABBOTT is the CEO and co-founder of ZBiotics. He's at the forefront of health innovation with the world's first genetically engineered probiotics. Zack is passionate about using modern biotechnology to solve health problems. We discuss how transparent, responsible genetic engineering can improve our health. His expertise in microbiology and dedication to better health is apparent as we talk about the myriad possibilities for genetically engineered probiotics. We alos delve into longevity and our own ideas of what the future may or may not hold for people living well into their hundreds. www.ZBiotics.com

MARIYA JAVED-PAYNE, MSW, LICSW, LADC is a somatic psychotherapist specializing in healing trauma, complex trauma, addiction, generational and racial trauma, and oppression in the body. She is both a practitioner and teacher of "Brainspotting" a powerful technique in healing trauma. Mariya says, "I am a woman. I am a body of culture. I am a person in recovery. I am an immigrant. I am a student of life. I am a partner, educator, sister, daughter, and friend. I am a passionate and curious individual dedicated to creating health and wellness for individuals, communities, and societies. I believe in deep, nourishing, and holistic change that heals from the roots up." I was born in India and lived in France, Brazil, and the United States all before the age of six. My experience with vastly different cultures piqued my curiosity about humans and diverse societies from a young age. Blending and assimilating my culture of origin with the United States has been and continues to be an integral part of my story. It has also shaped my ability to assist others in reclaiming their identities as multi-dimensional and complex human beings. These early life experiences in global societies defined my open worldview and appreciation for the diverse walks of life that humanity encompasses. I am grateful for the expansiveness they have provided my foundation. My own journey with addiction and my challenging path to recovery over ten years ago has also given me depth and compassion as a therapist. I gained a firsthand understanding of the quest of the human mind to find a sense of belonging and settledness in an ever-shifting world. These experiences have given me the ability to approach all people with openness, non-judgment, and patience. They have also taught me to be tenacious in my pursuit of healing self and others. Hope is a powerful survival mechanism. www.awakenconsultingservices.com

THOMAS EDWARDS is the Founder of The Professional Wingman® and a coach committed to helping high-achieving entrepreneurs and professional men live iconic lives. With a foundation built on over 15 years of unmatched expertise, Thomas has redefined the paradigm of modern personal development and self-improvement, directly aligning with his profound personal mission to cultivate a legacy of strong, masculine leadership.

WAYNE LEHRER, at 73, has fully moved into a new phase of life… the most rewarding so far. Wayne says, "I have prepared my whole life for this moment. Successes, failures, self-care, and eventually … Discovering what's important … now. Learning to let go of what no longer Is. And the steps to take to cultivate Happiness, Joy, Meaning, Intimacy and Fulfillment in mid-to-late-life." This is the groundbreaking message ofh is upcoming book "The Art of Conscious Aging that makes it the Operating Manual for the Third Act." Wayne's unique view of the world first showed up in his paintings, then as a filmmaker, writer, producer of large-scale event experiences, and sculptor. It became clear that the thread was "immersive, transformative, and spiritually uplifting experiences." But now he is in a different space. Around age 60, he started to let the person he was go, which was hard, and then became the person he is today. This is the time when all the pieces come together: the hero(ine) overcomes their own and others' obstacles, marshals their skills and talents, rises to the occasion, and, in the words of Abraham Maslow, self-actualizes. Age and the passage of time can be viewed as a great assembling of all our seemingly splinter skills and experiences. This is a time when we can become the person we were meant to be. While he continues to teach yoga and meditation, he is also begun to Coach others to successfully Launch into their Third Act. www.waynelehrer.com

In 2009, BRIAN HOLLEY was diagnosed with kidney cancer, and his left kidney was removed. There are now tumours in his pancreas, and one was recently found in his humerus and removed. Throughout this period, he has maintained symptom-free health largely through exercise, meditative practices and diet. This is the story of one man who continues to live a happy and active lifestyle while living with cancer and a book to give comfort and advice to others. Brian is an engaging speaker living in the U.K and the author of ."What My Doctors Didn't Tell Me About Cancer: What You Can Do to Support and Enhance Your Cancer Treatment" We talk about how he first discovered he had cancer, how his doctor's approached treatment and how he became an advocate for himself in treating cancer with nutrition, supplements and meditation. Brian writes, "I've been living with kidney cancer since 2009. After a third operation in 2015, my cancer became metastatic, and 'visitors' took up residence in my lungs. I turned down chemotherapy and am very fortunate to be going strong nearly ten years later. Another 'visitor' was evicted from my left humerus, and I now have 'unpaying guests' lodging in six locations in my body. However, I'm able to lead an active and fulfilling life. (At 84, I sing and play guitar in a band, undertake some gardening, serve on two committees and take several walks of two or three miles each week.) "Cancer is sneaky. We can live with it for months, even years, without knowing it's there. That's perhaps because cancer is not something we catch but something that happens to our own cells when their DNA is corrupted." And that is usually because of our lifestyle. " . . . the first response to a problem should not be rejection but acceptance; acceptance of it and all its apparent implications. Yes, that sounds strange, but half the pain we suffer is in withstanding the idea that we should have to suffer at all." In early 2022, my wife, Elizabeth, suggested I keep a cancer diary, which by 2023 had turned into a book. As I researched for the book, I was amazed at what I didn't know about cancer, having lived with it for so long. I'd spent time volunteering for Macmillan and attending support groups) and discovered that was true for most of us. I was shocked to find that my doctors didn't know some important things about cancer, too – how dangerous sugar could be, for instance. In 2023, with a broken humerus and prosthetic shoulder to deal with, the diary had grown into a book. I have continued my cancer diary, though, and will bequeath it to Cancer Research UK. Central to my book is my MEDS regimen: Mind, Exercise, Diet and Support. I take my 'MEDS' every day. My doctors are very dedicated and exceptionally hard-working. They all know a fantastic amount, but they can't know everything. There are many things we can do to support our immune systems and the treatment our doctors provide. We need to be self-advocates: to ask pertinent questions about the whys and wherefores of our treatment – and impertinent ones too if necessary. I refused chemotherapy again in 2022. It seems that I'm growing older faster than my tumours, which are growing big. I'm not at all afraid of dying, and I hope to die with cancer rather than of it. These last 15 years have been the richest time of my life.

When a sudden onset of manic episodes lands her in a psychiatric ward, what is an established, respected psychotherapist to do? MARCIA NAOMI BERGER, single and twenty-nine, has her first psychiatric hospitalization and then two more in the next year and a half. A series of close friends and mentors stand by her through challenges with abusive colleagues, conflicted relationships with men, estrangement from her mother, and confusion about what truly matters. Marcia Berger taks about her new memoir, The Bipolar Therapist: A Journey From Madness to Love and Meaning which reveals her personal journey of being the professional and the patient, of living with and overcoming Bipolar Disorder, a secret she kept hidden until now. It's a story not just about battling mental illness, but also about resilience, healing, and finding hope in the face of adversity. We discuss the stigma of mental illness and what we can do about it. How some people recover from a severe mental illness and the way some people react to a person with mental health issues. Marcia offers insights into the challenges of bipolar disorder while challenging societal stigmas surrounding mental illness. Her story is not just about survival but about transformation and the power of love and meaning to overcome even the most daunting obstacles. Marcia Naomi Berger, LCSW, is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Rafael, California. She held senior-level positions in child welfare, alcoholism treatment, and psychiatry with the city and county of San Francisco. She also served as a lecturer on the clinical faculty at the University of California School of Medicine and as executive director of Jewish Family and Children's Services of the East Bay. www.marriagemeetings.com

DR. DEB BUTLER is a Certified Master Weight Loss and Life Coach, and even taught at The Life Coach School for the amazing Brooke Castillo. Before that? She spent 30 years as a Board CertifiedChiropractor, Nutritionist and Acupuncturist. She is the host of the podcast "ThINNER Peace In Menopause and Beyond" and has been featured as a guest on various podcasts as well.Dr. Deb spent decades struggling with her weightand yo-yo dieting. She went on her last diet at the age of 50 and has been free of the diet culture ever since. She read, researched, and created aprogram to help other women. If you have been battling your weight and relationship with food your whole life… and now menopause is making it harderthan ever... Dr. Deb can teach you to change the way you think, so that this is the very last time you have to lose weight. Deb says, "Diets don't work. In order to reach and maintain your desired weight deprivation-free you need to reestablish a strong mind-body connection." Podcast: THINNER Peace In Menopause and Beyond Website: www.drdebbutler.com