One-Degree Shifts

What does it actually mean to make sense of something that broke you open?In this episode, Pascal sits down with Guy Simon, a psychotherapist, trauma researcher, and PhD candidate at Bar-Ilan University, to explore what actually happens when people try to make meaning after a challenging psychedelic experience.Drawing on 48 in-depth interviews with people who had difficult experiences outside clinical settings, Guy shares a map of five distinct patterns of meaning-making, and the specific conditions under which those patterns help, and when they don't.This is one of the most honest and grounded conversations we've had on the show about what integration actually looks like, and what can go wrong when the story you come out with isn't really yours.TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction 02:49 About the research 11:16 Having your own internal framework for meaning making 16:21 Patterns 1-2: "The Mind Goes Looking" - Somatic Discovery and Embodied Re-Experiencing 29:37 Pattern 3: "The Experience as Instruction" 40:32 Pattern 4: "The Recursive Healing Project" 49:55 Pattern 5: "When the Framework Fails" 01:03:23 When a facilitator is going beyond holding space and imposing a framework on you 01:07:55 Pattern 6: "The Pressure to Have a Good Story" 01:14:57 Fetishizing the psychedelic insight, undervaluing the mundane 01:23:16 Advice for someone carrying a story that isn't yours into integration 01:27:05 Advice for someone preparing for a journeyWHAT WE COVERThe five patterns of meaning-making after a challenging psychedelic experienceThe difference between finding a framework and being handed oneSomatic discovery and embodied re-experiencing: when the body becomes the textWhat happens when something comes up in a session that you can't verifyThe only way out is through: when it helps and when it causes harmThe recursive healing project and when more medicine isn't the answerThe social pressure of integration circles and the cost of sharing too soonWhy the best facilitators act like carpetsWhy not knowing is itself a form of knowingAfter the ecstasy, the laundry: finding meaning in ordinary lifeNOTABLE QUOTES "Not knowing is knowing.""You are not a Gabor Maté book. You are very unique and very fragmented and not clear to yourself, and that's okay.""The only way out is through is a framework that can do much more damage than it can support.""The best facilitator should be the best carpet they can be. It's not about you.""Psychedelics are not silver bullets. They act as a compass. You still need the car." "You don't need to fight the dragon. There is no dragon."ABOUT GUY SIMONGuy Simon is a psychotherapist, trauma researcher, and PhD candidate at Bar-Ilan University, based in Amsterdam. His work focuses on how people make meaning after difficult psychedelic experiences outside clinical settings. He is clinical director of Impulse, an integrative mental health center, and a collaborator with the Challenging Psychedelic Experience Project. 🌐 guysimon.comRESOURCES MENTIONEDGuy Simon: guysimon.comChallenging Psychedelic Experience ProjectBessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the ScoreJack Kornfield, After the Ecstasy the LaundryAdam Aronovich, Temple of the Way of LightGabor Maté

How do we stay human and compassionate when the world feels like it's on fire?In this episode, we sit down with Daan Keiman, a Nectara collaborator, Buddhist practitioner, psychedelic care giver, and someone deeply committed to holding both grief and joy in these turbulent times. Daan brings the wisdom of years of spiritual practice, the honesty of someone still learning, and the courage to face the most difficult questions without pretending to have all the answers.Together, we explore the tension between spiritual truth and lived experience, between rage and compassion, between the desire to change the world and the acceptance of what we cannot control. Daan shares what Buddhism teaches about responding versus reacting, the fierce energy of anger and how to transform it, and what it means to practice love amid suffering...even when that practice asks everything of us.Whether you're navigating grief, anger, confusion, or simply trying to stay present in an increasingly turbulent world, this conversation will meet you where you are and invite you deeper into the questions that matter most.Come join us as we explore what it means to go against the stream with an open heart.This episode is for you if you're....Struggling to balance spiritual practice with activism and social engagementNavigating grief, anger, or despair about the state of the worldWondering how to stay compassionate without spiritually bypassing difficult emotionsCurious about Buddhist perspectives on suffering, impermanence, and compassionSeeking to integrate psychedelic insights into meaningful actionTrying to understand what it means to "live love" in times of injusticeExploring the relationship between personal healing and systemic changeLooking for guidance on working with fierce emotions like anger and rageKey themesFinding joy amid suffering: Buddhist practice in turbulent timesResponsibility vs. reactivity: creating space for compassionate responseThe tension between spiritual truth and lived human experienceWorking with anger as compassionate energy rather than spiritually bypassing itGoing against the stream: individual practice and cultural resistanceAcceptance and impermanence in the face of death and uncertaintyThe myth of individual problems: understanding systemic causes of sufferingIntegration as engagement with the world, not retreat from itSmall acts of love as meaningful resistanceDevotion to compassion while acknowledging our capacity for violenceThe role of community and relational practice in transformationNormalizing difficult emotions and violent impulses on the spiritual path

If you’ve spent any time working in the psychedelic space, you’ve likely felt the strain growing beneath the surface. Integration has become a buzzword, yet the actual skills needed to support people after deep experiences have not kept pace. New facilitators are entering the field every week. Training programs multiply. But practical foundations, ethical clarity, and real world competency are often missing.Many practitioners find themselves navigating complex cases with little guidance. Personal experience gets mistaken for professional readiness. Some trainings offer inspiring ideas but lack depth. Others promise certification without preparing people for the realities of supporting someone through confusion, fear, overwhelm, or unfinished processes.This gap affects everyone. It creates uncertainty for clients, frustration for practitioners, and a field full of well intentioned people who simply need better tools.To help illuminate these challenges and the path forward, I’ve included a 30 minute talk in this email where you can hear Marc Aixalà speak directly about the state of integration work today. His reflections come from more than a decade of responding to over a thousand real integration cases through the ICEERS Support Center. It’s a rare chance to listen to someone who has actually been doing this work at scale.This talk also introduces why the ICEERS Integration Training is so valuable. Unlike many programs on the market, this one is built entirely from practical experience. It gives facilitators and care providers real frameworks, scenario based tools, and a clear model for supporting both positive and challenging psychedelic experiences.If you work with journeyers, or hope to, this program offers essential grounding in a field that urgently needs it.

What happens after the journey ends? Why do insights fade? Why does healing feel so hard to hold?In this episode, we sit down with Marc Aixalà, founder of the ICEERS Support Center, clinician in psilocybin research, and someone who has walked beside more than a thousand people navigating the aftermath of psychedelic experiences. Marc brings the clarity of an engineer, the presence of a therapist, and the embodied wisdom of years spent holding space through vulnerability and transformation.Together, we move past the buzzwords and into the lived terrain where expectations soften, insights meet resistance, and healing unfolds in its own quiet rhythm. Marc shares what he's learned about inner challenges, the myths of integration, and the support that makes real change possible.Whether you're a journeyer, facilitator, or simply walking the path of inner work, this conversation will help you understand better how to root your integration into daily life; where the real transformation happens.Come join us as we step into the heart of integration.

Pascal sits down with Troy Valencia to explore the world of Iboga and the Bwiti tradition.Troy shares his own journey of initiation and healing with Iboga, offering insights into how ancient practices and modern science can come together in respectful and effective ways. He emphasizes the importance of community, sustainability, and ethics in the use of this sacred plant medicine.We also dive into the science of Iboga and Ibogaine, their therapeutic potential, and the risks and safety considerations that must be understood.This is a conversation about healing as both a personal and collective process—where science, spirit, and community all play a role.🌿 Who this is for👉 Journeyers curious about Iboga as a healing path, and what makes it distinct from other medicines👉 Seekers who want to engage responsibly with the Bwiti lineage and support ethical, sustainable practices👉 Anyone interested in the intersection of traditional knowledge, conservation, and modern therapeutic science✨ Key themesIboga as a powerful plant medicine with deep cultural rootsThe Bwiti lineage: community, lineage, and spiritual growthSustainability and conservation: protecting Iboga’s futureIboga vs. Ibogaine: whole plant and single alkaloid approachesThe role of intention, safety, and preparation in the Iboga experienceIntegration and community as the foundation of lasting transformationEthical sourcing and questions to ask providers before choosing to work with them🗣️ Notable quotes“The only way to really understand what the Bwiti is, is to sit in ceremony yourself. Words can’t capture the beauty and depth—it’s a way of life, a collective heartbeat.”“Life doesn’t just happen to you—it happens for you, with you, and eventually as you. Iboga taught me that.”“Community isn’t optional—it’s the soil where healing takes root and blossoms.”“Iboga is the rainbow. Ibogaine is just the color red.”“The medicine is powerful, but it’s what you do with your life afterwards that matters most.”⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Introduction to Iboga and the Bwiti Tradition03:07 – Troy’s Journey and Connection to Iboga06:08 – Understanding the Bwiti Tradition08:47 – Living a Bwiti Life in the Modern World11:52 – The Earthy Connection of Iboga14:55 – Sustainability and Conservation of Iboga17:47 – Finding Ethical Iboga Providers20:35 – The Science Behind Iboga and Ibogaine29:33 – Understanding Ibogaine and Its Medical Context31:29 – Risks and Considerations for Iboga and Ibogaine34:08 – Navigating the Experience: Control and Intention36:39 – The Importance of Environment and Support39:16 – The Healing Journey: More Than Just a Quick Fix40:12 – Psycho-Spiritual Journeys: Deep Healing Through Iboga48:16 – Empowerment and Community in Healing51:19 – Preparing for an Iboga Retreat55:01 – Integration: The Key to Lasting Change58:31 – The Role of Community in Healing