I really enjoyed the opportunity to share on the Keep Going Podcast withJohn Biggs! In a focused 20 minutes, we covered key considerations on the healing potential of psychedelics – including many important considerations beyond the catalytic medicine experience itself. Below is a great description from John’s own words. I hope you all find this dialog supportive to your journey.
“I first spoke with Ehren Cruz and felt something I do not get often in this space, grounded optimism. He runs a retreat center north of Asheville and guides people through psilocybin journeys with a process that looks more like a rite of passage than a thrill ride. Here is how he works. He starts with a real assessment. Meds, mental health history, trauma, and whether he is the right person to help. Then a month of preparation. Sleep, food, time off the treadmill, and intention. He teaches basic emotional regulation so you are not surprised by your own mind. Only then do you sit. Music, instruments, careful facilitation, and a room that feels safe. Afterward comes the hard part, landing the craft. What did you learn. What will you change. Who do you need to forgive. How will you embody that tomorrow morning.
If the language around psychedelics feels too soft, Ehren can meet you in plain English. He talks about neuroplasticity and the way a wider thalamic filter lets you consider ideas that your habitual self would ignore. He also talks about something older. Fungi as a living partner, not a static compound. You bring your healing intelligence. The medicine brings its own. The work happens in the space between. We talked about the fear of change. Many people know they need it but stay put. The familiar pain feels safer than the unknown. Ehren gave me a frame I like. Letting go happens when the risk of staying the same finally outweighs the risk of stepping into mystery. You do not need to force it. You prepare the ground and notice when the fruit is ready to drop.”
Amid an evolving psychedelic drug policy landscape and limitations of existing substance use disorder (SUD) treatments, a novel addiction recovery paradigm has emerged involving augmentation of 12-Step program engagement with therapeutic psychedelic use. A preliminary qualitative analysis was initiated to describe this movement by examining real-world experiences of participants in remission from alcohol, opioid, and stimulant use disorders. Between November 2022 and February 2023, data collection was piloted with nine individuals reporting ayahuasca, ibogaine, psilocybin, and/or peyote use in combination with 12-Step engagement. Participants were intentionally recruited through a community partner to explore this emerging phenomenon; findings are not intended to generalize to broader 12-Step communities. Motivations included challenges with sobriety, psychological distress during abstinence, dissatisfaction with existing SUD treatments, and the relative accessibility of this community-based approach compared to clinical care. Participants highlighted reduced SUD-related cravings, psychospiritual mechanisms of behavior change, and synergistic effects of psychedelics with Steps 2, 4, and 11… Read More.
Soul Path Mentorship is a 12-phase program designed to reconnect you with your essential being, your innate SELF that is boundless in potential and impact. Our first step together, is to build a powerful new foundation — your Client Internal Operating System — based in extraordinary self-care, clear personal boundaries and a disciplined adherence to wellness habits and mindfulness practices that support daily renewal, presence and growth.
With that groundwork set, we will then clarify and invigorate the “North Star” of your soul path. Through identifying and anchoring in your core values that define your vision and mission, we will determine with unshakable clarity not only that which you want to create in your life, but more importantly, how to become a living expression of it.
Finally, you will learn to alchemize a lifestyle that embodies your awareness into a continual psycho-spiritual flow. Through the adherence to a path forged in personal accountability, discernment and the art of authentic resonance, you will gradually make the transition from a life of mental management to that of genuine heart coherence. The result – awaking into lasting presence that emanates vitality, resilience and freedom.
A new study published in Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology provides evidence that psilocybin therapy may reduce suicidal ideation in adults with psychiatric conditions. The findings come from a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials and suggest that the psychedelic compound, when paired with psychological support, may have a modest but measurable impact on decreasing thoughts of suicide. Although suicide attempts and deaths were not observed in these trials, the results point to the possibility that psilocybin could play a role in mental health treatment strategies aimed at reducing suicide risk…
A new scientific review published by the American Medical Association (AMA) shows that use of psilocybin has “surged” in the U.S. in recent years amid the decriminalization movement and in light of “promising clinical trial results” on its therapeutic potential. But the paper, released on Wednesday, also points out that current federal laws present “a major barrier” to researchers gaining a better understanding of the psychedelic substance’s true impacts. As a result, similar to what’s been observed during the state-level marijuana legalization push, “public access and enthusiasm are outpacing regulatory oversight and scientific understanding, posing potential risks to public health,” researchers said…
I first came across this masterful text on a coffee table in my therapist office. Each time I visited, I would open up to a random page. Time and time again, I was moved almost to tears by the exquisite poetic dance of Rumi with the sacred source, he calls the beloved. This book is an absolute masterpiece for the eyes, ears and heart. As the accompanying illustrations to the poems breath in yet another layer of life giving beauty. Since I have encountered this book, I have been reading Rumi nightly and am now on my fourth volume. His words are a true pathway into the awakened heart. I hope you enjoy!
Ehren Cruz is an Anthropologist, CTA & ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Third Wave Psychedelic Certified Coach, Master Ceremonialist, certified Harm Reductionist, Loving Husband & Proud Father of 3 Little Ladies. He is devoted to the healing & actualization in all facets of his life.
