The Universe Within Podcast
A podcast delving into plants, plant medicine, consciousness, holistic health, philosophy, psychology, science and myriad related topics. Hosted by Jason Grechanik.
This podcast was created to give voice to the doctors, shamans, guides, facilitators, visionaries, anthropologists, linguists, scientists and wisdom-keepers working on the ground day in and day out within their respective fields.
Latest episodes

Jul 9, 2025 • 2h 14min
Ep. 162 - Dr. Bryan Ardis - Nicotine as Medicine, COVID, & Big Pharma
Hey everybody! Episode 162 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Dr. Bryan Ardis. Dr. Ardis was recommended to me by a few friends due to his research on the benefits of nicotine. As I work with tobacco as medicine I found his research and ideas to be a great match. I also really respected Dr. Ardis’ stance during COVID, speaking up against tyranny and the lack of science disguised as science. This is a really fascinating conversation about nicotine as medicine which has been much maligned. Nicotine and tobacco are in fact wondrous medicines if used properly and we spoke about a lot of the propaganda behind tobacco, the monopoly of Big Pharma, the COVID pandemic, and his view of the future. This conversation will surely be an eye-opener for many and for others a reminder of a deeper calling. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!To learn more about or contact Dr. Ardis, visit his website at: https://thedrardisshow.comTo learn more about our work, visit our website: https://NicotianaRustica.org To view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in July in Westport, Ireland (SOLD OUT), online beginning August 23, and in-person in the Sacred Valley of Peru November 2. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.org Integration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithin YouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal, donate: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanik Website: https://UniverseWithinPodcast.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcast Music: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

Jun 25, 2025 • 1h 55min
Ep. 161 - Mariana Mae - Plant Medicine Technology, Art, Song, & Faith
Hey everybody! Episode 161 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Mariana Mae. Mariana is an artist, cultural bridge and healing arts practitioner that I met through our mutual friend Jessica Begin. I was really impressed by Mariana’s wisdom. We sat down and spoke about her background, her work as an artist, how pottery brought her to the Amazon to learn from the Shipibo people, and how that opened up a gateway to plants and medicine. She has a really interesting story and she weaves these different paths beautifully together. I trust you all will gain much from this episode. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!This episode is sponsored by Real Mushrooms. As listeners, visit their website to enjoy a discount of 25% off your first order: https://www.realmushrooms.com/universeTo learn more about or contact Mariana, visit her Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/_marianamae/To learn more about our work, visit our website: https://NicotianaRustica.orgTo view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in July in Westport, Ireland (SOLD OUT, waitlist), online beginning August 23, and in-person in the Sacred Valley of Peru November 2. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgAlso, Mariana will be co-facilitating the Shipibo Master Plant Dieta in Costa Rica, July 12–22, alongside the Maestros. You can learn more on their website: https://www.yacumama.love/master-plant-dieta2025Integration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal, donate: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://UniverseWithinPodcast.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

Jun 11, 2025 • 1h 21min
Ep. 160 - Jason Shurka - Pyramids, Healing, & the Spiritual Battle
Hey everybody! Episode 160 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Jason Shurka. Jason is a really interesting guy. He has a great YouTube channel where he speaks about myriad interesting topics such as the Pyramids of Giza, energy/sound/frequency healing, breaking illusions, and a spiritual battle between light and dark forces. We had a very good conversation about these topics that I’m sure will open some new ideas. It was a pleasure and I hope you enjoy. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!To learn more about or contact Jason, visit his YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonShurka26To view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in July in Ireland (SOLD OUT), online beginning August 23, and in-person in the Sacred Valley of Peru November 2. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal, donate: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://UniverseWithinPodcast.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

May 28, 2025 • 2h 17min
Ep. 159 - Michael Amster - The Power of Awe
Hey everybody! In this episode, I spoke with Michael Amster. Michael is a really interesting guy. He is a medical doctor who has bridged many different spiritual paths together. Through mindfulness he developed a practice to, as he puts it, microdose awe. He co-wrote a book called The Power of Awe which is about just that, the power of awe to positively influence our lives. As someone who works with plant medicines, I also think that this experience of awe is one of, if not the most important, aspects of this work with plants and also at the core of what it means to be a human being. It was a pleasure to have Michael on to share his research and I trust you all will gain much from this interview. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!This episode is sponsored by Real Mushrooms. As listeners, visit their website to enjoy a discount of 25% off your first order: https://www.realmushrooms.com/universeTo learn more about or contact Michael, visit their website at: www.thepowerofawe.comTo learn more about our work, visit our website:https://NicotianaRustica.orgTo view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in July in Ireland (SOLD OUT), online beginning August 23, and in-person in the Sacred Valley of Peru November 2. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal, donate: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://UniverseWithinPodcast.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

May 14, 2025 • 1h 55min
Ep. 158 - Roman Hanis - Beyond Ayahuasca: Evolutionary Science of Indigenous Amazonian Wisdom
Hey everybody! Episode 158 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Roman Hanis. This is my second time interviewing Roman. I really enjoyed our first interview with Roman and was impressed with his wisdom and what he had to share. He is releasing a book soon so I was happy to heave him back on to speak about it. Its called Beyond Ayahuasca: Evolutionary Science of Indigenous Amazonian Wisdom. I had the pleasure to read it a while back and really enjoyed it. Its full of wisdom about these traditional technologies and I think you all will gain much from this episode as from the first. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!To learn more about or contact Roman, including his book, visit his website at: paititi-institute.orgTo learn more about our work, visit our website: https://NicotianaRustica.org To view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in July in Westport, Ireland. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.org Integration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithin YouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal, donate: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanik Website: https://UniverseWithinPodcast.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcast Music: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

Apr 30, 2025 • 3h 31min
Ep. 157 - Todd Roberts & Lacey Ann Luna - The Medicine Path: Ayahuasca & Shipibo Lineage
Todd Roberts and Lacey Ann Luna, co-founders of Intertwining Medicines, share their deep-rooted experiences in the Shipibo ayahuasca tradition. They explore transformative journeys of healing, particularly during the COVID pandemic, and highlight the challenges of facilitating ceremonies. The duo discusses the balance between genuine spiritual callings and ego-driven desires, the complexities of morality, and the significance of integrity in healing practices. Their insights into plant intelligence and cultural respect offer a profound perspective on the evolving landscape of ayahuasca retreats.

Apr 16, 2025 • 1h 43min
Ep. 156 - Melissa Osorio - Ayahuasca, Trauma, Abuse, & Healing
Hey everybody! Episode 156 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Melissa Osorio. Melissa has a really interesting, difficult, and inspiring story. We spoke about her early years growing up in Venezuela, the death of first her sibling and then her father, the impact his had, her journey to the US to pursue and achieve the American Dream, her discontent, her journey with ayahuasca, the revelations of early childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her father, and how that led her on a journey of self-discovery and healing. Melissa has an inspiring story and a lot of wisdom to teach and I trust you all will find this a deep and helpful conversation. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!To learn more about Melissa, visit her website: https://melissa-osorio.comTo view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in April/May in Porto Covo, Portugal, and July in Westport, Ireland. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.org Integration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithin YouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal, donate: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanik Website: https://UniverseWithinPodcast.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcast Music: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

Apr 4, 2025 • 1h 48min
Ep. 155 - Merav Artzi, Jason Grechanik, & Tara Muirghein - Tobacco & European Tree Wisdom
Hey everybody! Here is a special 155 episode of the show. This episode is an interview that I did with my colleague Merav Artzi and our friend Tara Muirghein of Fire Tree Alchemy. Tara invited us on to speak about our story, our work with connecting to the wisdom of plants, our lineage from the Amazon, how we work with tobacco and trees, and how we have begun to bridge this technology with connecting people with the wisdom of their own indigenous lands and trees. It was lovely to share with Tara, thank you to her for having us on, and we hope you enjoy this episode. As always, to support this podcast, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!To learn more about our work, visit our website: https://NicotianaRustica.org To view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in April/May in Porto Covo, Portugal, and July in Westport, Ireland. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.org Integration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithin YouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal, donate: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanik Website: https://UniverseWithinPodcast.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcast Music: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

Apr 2, 2025 • 2h 8min
Ep. 154 - Dr. Moshe Daniel Block - Naturopathy, Alchemy, Chronic Illness, & Mind-Body Connection
Hey everybody! Episode 154 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Dr. Moshe Daniel Block. Moshe is a really interesting guy and is a Naturopathic doctor. We spoke about his background, naturopathic medicine, the mind-body connection, chronic illnesses, auto-immune conditions, the limits of the Western materialist medical model, the soul, alchemy, the mind and the power of belief systems in illness, Hermeticism and Truth, and many other topics. It was a joy to speak with Moshe and have him share in his holistic wisdom and I trust you all will gain much from this interview. As always, to support this podcast, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!This episode is sponsored by Real Mushrooms. As listeners, visit their website to enjoy a discount of 25% off your first order: https://www.realmushrooms.com/universeTo learn more about Moshe, visit his website:https://dr-moshe.comTo view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in April/May in Porto Covo, Portugal, and July in Westport, Ireland. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.orgIntegration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithinYouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal, donate: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanikWebsite: https://UniverseWithinPodcast.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcastMusic: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

Mar 19, 2025 • 2h
Ep. 153 - Satya - Bridging Ancient Wisdom with Modern Psychedelic Therapy
Hey everybody! Episode 153 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Satya. This was my second time speaking with her. I have had the chance to get to know Satya and her work more since the first interview and I was very impressed with her ability to bridge different modalities together to create cathartic experiences for her guests and to help them to learn tools to do this work better. In this episode we spoke about this, about diagnosing and the felt-sense and presence that that involves, about ayahuasca, psychology and the bridging of ancient wisdom with more modern therapeutic ways of working with sacraments, and many other topics. I trust you all will gain much from this episode and the wisdom that Satya has to share. As always, to support this podcast, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!To learn more about Satya, visit her website: https://www.workingwithsatya.com/To view the recent documentary, Sacred Tobacco, about my work, visit: https://youtu.be/KB0JEQALI_wIf you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. And please Subscribe or Follow and if you can go on Apple Podcasts and leave a starred-rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!I will be guiding our next plant medicine dietas with my colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) in April/May in Porto Covo, Portugal, and July in Westport, Ireland. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://NicotianaRustica.org Integration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.comPatreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithin YouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerksPayPal, donate: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanik Website: https://UniverseWithinPodcast.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcast Music: Nuno Moreno: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound & https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com & Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H