Dr. Jeff McNairy, Chief Medical Officer at Rythmia Life Advancement Center, bridges clinical medicine and plant healing. He shares insights on the transformative power of Ayahuasca, discussing emotional purging and its connection to trauma and neuroplasticity. The conversation emphasizes the importance of integration after ceremonies and critiques the limitations of Western medicine in addressing root causes of suffering. Jeff highlights the potential for deep emotional release and personal growth, illustrating Ayahuasca as a serious path for self-discovery.
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Jeff's Shift from Psychology to Ayahuasca
Jeff McNairy moved from traditional mental health to ayahuasca after witnessing its transformative effects.
His experience with a difficult client led him to help found a medically licensed ayahuasca retreat in Costa Rica.
insights INSIGHT
Limits of Western Medicine
Western psychiatric meds mainly mask symptoms instead of addressing root trauma.
Healing requires deep work on trauma and lifestyle changes often missing in healthcare.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Jeff's First Ayahuasca Journey
Jeff McNairy's first ayahuasca experience revealed hidden childhood trauma that shaped his personality.
He underwent intense emotional and physical purge that helped release subconscious fears and anger.
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A documentary film exploring trauma and its impact on society
Gabor Maté
The Wisdom of Trauma is a documentary film that delves into the effects of trauma on individuals and society. It features Dr. Gabor Maté, who discusses how trauma shapes our lives and how understanding its roots can lead to healing. The film advocates for a trauma-informed approach in various sectors of society.
In 2015, I drank Ayahuasca abroad. It was a deeply transformational moment — but also an intense, terrifying one. Ayahuasca isn’t something to take lightly. It demands real care and respect.
In this episode, I speak with Dr Jeff McNairy, Chief Medical Officer at Rythmia Life Advancement Center in Costa Rica — the world’s only medically licensed Ayahuasca retreat. Dr Jeff bridges the world of clinical medicine with deep experience of plant medicine, having worked with thousands of people seeking healing where conventional approaches have fallen short.
We talk about:
What actually happens during an Ayahuasca ceremony
Why emotional purging can be so powerful
The neuroscience of trauma, release and neuroplasticity
Why integration afterwards is absolutely essential
How the Western medical model often misses the root causes of suffering
And the kind of healing that becomes possible when we stop bypassing what we feel
I also share some of my own journey with the medicine — how it cracked me open and ultimately shaped the work I now do around inner alignment.
This is a grounded conversation about plant medicine — not as a miracle cure, but as a serious path for those ready to face themselves honestly.
A New Way of Being 