I had 22 years of hard-won sobriety before I delved into the conscious use of psychedelics. I had used them very unconsciously earlier in life, but this was different. Despite all the work I’d done on myself over the years, there were still some dark corners of my life that I was having trouble cleaning out.

In this month’s bonus episode with Going Within’s David Naylor, I talk about my curiosity seeing others get “struck sober” from an experience with plant medicine, weighed against my trepidation over the thought of losing my sobriety, one of the greatest gifts of my life.

As it turned out, the intentional use of ayahuasca was a portal to a world of healing that I don’t believe I could have found otherwise.

I share the experience of revisiting my own traumatic birth and how that shed light on the demons of loneliness and disconnection that had been following me all my life. David and I discuss how time-space shifts on medicine, allowing us to receive guidance and support from allies in other dimensions and to heal various timelines in which we were hurt or hurt others.

Thankfully, my initial fears were unsupported. In fact, my life has improved dramatically since I began this new phase of healing. As the medicine told me, I have actually never been more sober.

If you’re considering journeying with plant medicines or other psychedelics, I stress the importance of doing so within a safe container with an appropriate guide. And be prepared to come back to this realm with work to do to integrate your insights.

Enjoy this conversation about my rite of passage of shedding my old identity and learning to feel safe and trust myself to make healthy decisions in this eternal now.