
Primal Nature
In-depth conversations around making life as good as it can be, with people from all walks of life dedicated to exploring, healing, expanding, or transforming the self.
We are especially focused on psychedelics, heat and cold exposure, breathwork, and other practices that take us to the limits of human experience in both body and mind, so that we can better find our selves.
Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain.
We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.
We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.
www.primalnature.eu
Insta: @existential.hormesis
Latest episodes

Oct 9, 2022 • 1h 21min
Barbara Savage - Cultural Preservation, Shamanism, & Supernatural Truths
Barbara Savage is the founder of the Tribal Trust Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting indigenous cultures from around the world through a wide variety of projects and initiatives. Barbara shares some of the unique experiences she's amassed over 26 years working in remote locations with some of the world's last surviving hunter-gatherer cultures, and we hone in more specifically on her seemingly supernatural connection with many of the shamans she's encountered in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. https://tribaltrustfoundation.org/--Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature. We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa. www.primalnature.euInsta: @existential.hormesis

Oct 2, 2022 • 44min
Ultra Running as a Psychedelic Experience
This is basically a trip report from my first ultra marathon. 5 months ago the longest distance I had ever run was 21km; last week I did 93km, and next month I'm going for 180km. My physical training has been minimal, like maybe 25km per week of running on average. I've been focused instead on the psychological and the physiological, pushing to train my body-mind for the impact of the experience. I'm not an expert in ultra running by any stretch of the imagination, and I don't provide much in the way of tangible advice here; I am, however, a connoisseur of altered states of consciousness, which are I think at the root of the ultra experience...and arguably the essence of human nature. This is the perspective that I wish I had found while I was preparing. --Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature. We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa. www.primalnature.euInsta: @existential.hormesis

Jul 20, 2022 • 1h 51min
Amal Graafstra - Biohacking, Tech Implants, Dangerous Things
Amal Graafstra is a biohacker, engineer, entrepreneur, and deep thinker about our species' increasingly integrated relationship with technology. He is CEO of Dangerous Things and Vivokey, two pioneering companies dedicated to developing tech implants for general use. Today we talk about some of the specifics of the technology currently developed and dive deep into the practical, ethical, and existential implications of those that are soon to come. He provides a unique perspective on the movement of which he is at the forefront. dangerousthings.com vivokey.com--Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature. We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa. www.primalnature.euInsta: @existential.hormesis

Jul 11, 2022 • 1h 12min
Neil Harbisson - Life as a Cyborg, Perception, Connection
Neil Harbisson is the world’s first cyborg, neither human nor machine but a hybrid mix. Since 2004 when he got an antenna implanted in his skull he can perceive color as sound, receive phone calls directly to his head, listen in on the ultraviolet radiation of outer space, and more. He is part of a small community of experimental artists pushing the bounds of what it means to be human, sometimes reluctant spokespeople for a life in which biology and technology are inextricably intertwined. Today we speak about his way of perceiving the world, what it means to open your consciousness to direct internet access and external control; identity, sanity, reality, ethics, and our future as a species. You can find more about Neil here:www.cyborgarts.com https://www.instagram.com/neilharbisson/--Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature. We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa. www.primalnature.euInsta: @existential.hormesis

Jun 6, 2022 • 1h 55min
Eric Harbour - Breath, Performance, Enjoyment of Exercise
Eric Harbour is a researcher at Salzburg University dedicated to exploring the role of breath in exercise, in all of its facets. Here we discuss his recent paper Breath Tools, in which he outlines the key parameters of breath and their effects on training, performance, and the enjoyment of exercise through physiological and psychological pathways. Specifically he describes the importance of rate, depth, nasal vs. mouth, active exhale, sync, strength, and hold. Listen in if you want to dive deep into the details of breath.You can find the full paper here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.813243/full--Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature. We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa. www.primalnature.euInsta: @existential.hormesis

Jun 1, 2022 • 1h 18min
Dr. Michael Levin - Taking the Reins of Evolution, Bioengineering a Revolutionary Future
Part 3. The near future is unlikely to look remotely similar to anything this planet has ever experienced before. Bioengineering extends beyond regenerating limbs or custom-order brains; eventually it means that humans take the reins in directing the course of evolution. Dr. Michael Levin builds on our previous conversations and talks about the practical applications and complex philosophical implications of his work in greater depth. Mike is a researcher, entrepreneur, and brilliantly heterodox thinker; officially, he’s a developmental and synthetic biologist at Tufts University. More than that, he is an intrepid explorer of some of the most profound questions in both science and philosophy; widely read and deeply thoughtful, a prolific writer and eloquent speaker. https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/presentations/https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/publications/ https://icdorgs.org/ https://twitter.com/drmichaellevin --Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature. We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa. www.primalnature.euInsta: @existential.hormesis

May 14, 2022 • 1h 5min
Dr. Michael Levin - AI, Human Consciousness, and Crossing the Rubicon of Evolution
Part 2. Dr. Michael Levin builds on our previous conversation, centering more specifically on the moral and ethical implications of our rapidly approaching enmeshment with robotic and AI systems, crossing the Rubicon into an unknown future. We explore the relevant issues through the lens of biological continuity, explain in greater depth in part 1. Mike is a researcher, entrepreneur, and brilliantly heterodox thinker; officially, he’s a developmental and synthetic biologist at Tufts University. More than that, he is an intrepid explorer of some of the most profound questions in both science and philosophy; widely read and deeply thoughtful, a prolific writer and eloquent speaker. https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/presentations/https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/publications/ https://icdorgs.org/ https://twitter.com/drmichaellevin --Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature. We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa. www.primalnature.euInsta: @existential.hormesis

May 2, 2022 • 1h 31min
Dr. Michael Levin - AI, Bioelectricity, Programming Living Cells, Evolution of the Conscious Self
Dr. Michael Levin is a researcher, entrepreneur, and brilliantly heterodox thinker; officially, he’s a developmental and synthetic biologist at Tufts University. More than that, he is an intrepid explorer of some of the most profound questions in both science and philosophy; widely read and deeply thoughtful, a prolific writer and eloquent speaker. What more could you ask for? His groundbreaking work illuminates a revolutionary understanding of everything from genetics to AI, cancer to free will, selfhood to enlightenment. Today we talk about immortal worms, regenerating limbs, bioelectricity, the evolution of intelligence, and much more. https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/presentations/https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/publications/ https://icdorgs.org/ https://twitter.com/drmichaellevin --Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature. We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa. www.primalnature.euInsta: @existential.hormesis

Mar 21, 2022 • 1h 57min
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor - Neuroanatomy, Enlightenment, Psychedelics
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist with unique expertise, both scientific and experiential. Her career is dedicated to understanding how our brains create our perception of reality, and her work was radically deepened and transformed by a stroke that took out the entire left hemisphere of her brain for 8 years. This experience, chronicled in My Stroke of Insight, informs her unique commitment to moving beyond abstract scientific knowledge to apply her findings directly, in practical terms, to life as it is actually lived. Her latest book, Whole Brain Living, provides us with tools that we can all use to be our best selves and live the lives that we want to live. Today we talk about her research, her personal experience with the stroke, and the implications of all this for navigating life, the self, enlightenment, psychedelics, and more. You can find Dr. Taylor here:www.drjilltaylor.com--Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature. We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa. www.primalnature.euInsta: @existential.hormesis

Jan 26, 2022 • 1h 33min
Ana Forrest & Jose Calarco - Searching for Truth through Yoga, Ritual, Ceremony
Ana Forrest is an internationally-recognized pioneer in yoga and emotional healing, and the creatrix of Forrest Yoga. Jose Calarco comes from a long history of shamanism, the arts, music and healing, and co-directs Forrest Yoga. Together Ana and Jose create an experience that extends far beyond what people typically mean when they say "yoga" -- it is a unique ceremony of healing and discovery, an exploration of what in aboriginal tradition might be called dreamtime.Today we speak about the origins of Forrest Yoga, Ana's personal healing journey, and Jose's experience with indigenous ritual and music; we speak about truth, spirit, discipline, ceremony, and living life in close connection with all that matters most.IG: @forrestyoga + @josecalarcoFB: Forrest YogaOnline Courses: https://www.forrest.yoga/product-category/online-courses/Write with any questions: info@forrestyoga.com--Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature. We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa. www.primalnature.euInsta: @existential.hormesis