For this our fiftieth episode milestone of the MINDBEND podcast, we're joined by Benjamin Forest, who has written a stunning psychedelic guidebook of sorts called Trip Of A Lifetime,

Ben is a retired military officer turned psychedelic author, speaker, and coach. His transformation began with a life-changing psilocybin journey that lifted him from decades of depression and into a radically new way of living. Before this path, he earned multiple advanced degrees, built a successful real estate business, and helped raise two brilliant children into adulthood.

Ben shares about what it takes to make a commitment to living a life informed by the work one does to heal from emotional, psychological and physical pain. Psychedelics have been a powerful component of Ben's journey, and his enthusiasm to share candidly is medicine for us all.

Follow Benjamin Forest:

Instagram: @benjamin.forest.bliss

Website: benjaminforest.com

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Watch Full Episode on YouTube: @mymindbend

Website: www.mymindbend.org

This is an Operation Podcast production, connect with us @operationpodcast

#mindbend #benjaminforest #menswork #vulnerability #traumaintegration #psychedelichealing #plantmedicine #innerjourney #healingafterwar #masculinity #shadowwork #brotherhood #authenticity #reclaimyourlife #posttraumaticgrowth #mentalhealthjourney #spiritualtransformation #healingfromwithin #mindbodyspirit

In this episode of MINDBEND, Dr. Bianca Hur speaks with clarity and compassion about the relationship between identity, power, and emotional safety, through the eyes of a psychologist.

Bianca shares her thoughts on the therapeutic process as a practice of co-regulation, naming the limits of traditional psychoanalysis and reflecting on how unconscious narratives show up in both individuals and groups. With a deep respect for nuance, Dr. Hur explores the importance of letting go of the need to "know" everything, and how dismantling hierarchical dynamics can create more honest, generative spaces for healing.

Our conversation centers around embodiment, attachment, authenticity, Bianca's Korean heritage and the role that's played in her development as a practitioner, ecstatic dance and the value of play as resistance.

Follow Dr. Hur:

Instagram: @hurpsyche

Website: https://hurpsyche.com/

Follow MINDBEND IG: @mymindbend

Watch Full Episode on YouTube: @mymindbend

Website: www.mymindbend.org

This is an Operation Podcast production, connect with us @operationpodcast

#BiancaHur #MINDBENDpodcast #mentalhealth #therapy #psychology #attachment #coaching #trauma #embodiment #authenticity #emotionalhealth #psychoanalysis #nervoussystem #healingjourney #mentalhealthawareness #pleasurepractice #somatics #psychotherapy

In this episode of MINDBEND, relationship coach Ally Iseman joins to explore the layered concept of pleasure — not as a fleeting indulgence, but as a navigational tool for embodied presence, healing, and human connection.

Ally reflects on how modern culture distorts the meaning of pleasure, framing it as inherently sexual or frivolous, rather than recognizing its essential role in regulating the nervous system and guiding personal alignment. She shares personal stories and client anecdotes that underscore how pleasure, when honored without shame, becomes a portal to deep self-awareness and relational authenticity.

From dismantling patriarchal scripts to embracing the body's own wisdom, Ally speaks to the liberatory potential of redefining pleasure as a practice of consent, curiosity, and self-trust.

Follow Ally:

Instagram: @passport2pleasure

Website: https://www.passport2pleasure.com/

Follow MINDBEND IG: @mymindbend

Watch Full Episode on YouTube: @mymindbend

Website: www.mymindbend.org

This is an Operation Podcast production, connect with us @operationpodcast

#MINDBENDPodcast #AllyIseman #PleasureIsWisdom #RelationshipCoach #EmbodiedHealing #ConsentCulture #NervousSystemHealing #SomaticWisdom #RadicalPleasure #HealingThroughPresence #UnlearningShame #SexualityAndHealing #PleasurePractice

Dr. Stephanie Michael Stewart is a psychiatrist working at the intersection of mental health and ecological consciousness. I am grateful that she sat down with us to share her evolving understanding of trauma, embodiment, and healing on the Mindbend Podcast.

Drawing from her clinical background, she reflects on how psychiatric work inside traditional institutions has illuminated the limitations of Western medical frameworks—and how stepping outside those systems has allowed her to reconnect with land-based, somatic, and ancestral forms of wisdom. Her approach blends science and spirit, grounded in years of experience treating patients while also listening deeply to what the natural world teaches.

Dr. Stewart describes how personal practices like walking, observing nature, and being in relationship with land became essential to her own healing journey. She speaks about "Returning to the Mothership," a project rooted in her desire to help others remember what it feels like to be in right relationship with the Earth. The conversation touches on themes of slowing down, listening to grief, and reclaiming the body as a site of both memory and regeneration. Her voice is gentle but firm as she stresses the need to listen to place-based wisdom, from those people and communities who are often not included in the commercial conversations around healing and medical science.

She encourages listeners to ask better questions, to pay attention to the rhythms of the land, and to honor intergenerational experience. In the end, this episode offers a layered and contemplative look at what it means to be a healer in times of collapse—and how the practice of psychiatry can be expanded when it is in conversation with ecology, story, and spirit.

Follow Dr. Stewart:

Instagram: @dr.stephaniemichaelstewart

Website: www.worldwidewellness.io

Follow MINDBEND IG: @mymindbend

Watch Full Episode on YouTube: @mymindbend

Website: www.mymindbend.org

This is an Operation Podcast production, connect with us @operationpodcast

#Mindbendpodcast #DrStephanieMichaelStewart #IntegrativePsychiatry #TraumaHealing #EcologicalPsychiatry #SomaticWisdom #MentalHealthAndNature #LandBasedHealing #AncestralMedicine #SlowMedicine #PsychiatryBeyondInstitutions #MindBodySpirit #HealingWithTheEarth #IntergenerationalHealing #CeremonyAndScience

Mindbend EP. 46 TANTRIKA CVNNABIS HEALER & SPIRITUAL GUIDE with ZIPPORAH premiers this Wednesday, Feb 12th! In this cosmically pleasurable episode of MINDBEND, I sit down with Tantrika, Cvnnabis Healer, and Spiritual Guide Zipporah to explore the profound intersection of tantric healing, psychedelic medicine, and awakening. Zipporah shares her transformative journey from challenging early experiences with cvnnabis to leading cvnnabis-infused tantric ceremonies that guide participants toward deep healing and empowerment.

We delve into the divine feminine essence of cvnnabis, the power of breathwork, and how intentional practices can help us cultivate presence, release trauma, and experience expanded states of consciousness. Whether you're curious about tantra, plant medicine, or simply seeking deeper connections, this conversation is filled with insights and inspiration.

Discover how Zipporah is helping individuals and couples unlock the power of sacred intimacy, embodied wisdom, and intentional living.

Follow Zipporah:

Instagram: @zipporah.thehighpriestess

Website: www.hightantra.com

Follow MINDBEND IG: @mymindbend

Watch Full Episode on YouTube: @mymindbend

Website: www.mymindbend.org

This is an Operation Podcast production, connect with us @operationpodcast

#Tantra #CvnnabisHealing #SacredFeminine #Breathwork #MindbendPodcast #SpiritualGrowth #HealingJourney #TantricWisdom #SacredIntimacy

MINDBEND EPISODE 45 - MEDITATION, SSRI CESSATION, LIBERATION with ANDREA MONIER I am honored to welcome my dear friend Andrea Monier to the Mindbend podcast. Together, we dive into the transformative journey of meditation as Andrea shares how her personal experiences with anxiety led her to explore meditation as a necessity, not just a practice. Over time, her curiosity evolved into a lifelong passion, guiding her to study the nuances of mindfulness, Kriya Yoga, and internal family systems.

To me, part of what defines Andrea's scholarship is her ability to integrate neuroscience, storytelling, and spirituality into her work, offering a holistic approach to self-discovery. From her own struggles with trauma and healing to helping others navigate their inner landscapes, Andrea has created a bridge between ancient teachings and contemporary modalities, making meditation accessible and deeply personal.

In our conversation, we touch on the power of presence, the courage to face our shadows, and how cultivating a relationship with ourselves can transform every other connection in our lives. Please listen to hear Andrea's inspiring insights on finding peace, purpose, and integration through the art and work of meditation.

Follow Andrea Monier:

Instagram: @an_dream_onier

Follow MINDBEND IG: @mymindbend

Watch Full Episode on YouTube: @mymindbend

Website: www.mymindbend.org

This is an Operation Podcast production, connect with us @operationpodcast

Diego Ugalde is a repeat guest on Mindbend. The founder of The Trident Approach, and author of the book LEADING FROM THE DEEP, the last time on the show Diego discussed more of his own journey and integration of medicine work, and how lessons learned from the SEAL Teams translate into leadership training.

Diego has returned on this episode to tell us about the most powerful medicine he's encountered, which is connection. And how he has formed WARRIORSIDE as an academy to train veterans to become elite level storytellers, who may parlay this skillset into a career of public speaking, or simply show up better for the aspects of their current employment and daily lives that demand high level communication skills.

This, from the Warriorside website:

Warriorside is a veteran-owned 501 (c)(3) that stands with those who've served and now fight battles no one can see. In a world where veteran suicide and depression claim too many lives, we've discovered a plan of attack more powerful than therapy or medication: Connection.

Through the timeless art of storytelling, Warriorside brings veterans together to share their raw, unfiltered experiences—stories forged in courage, brother and sisterhood, and sacrifice through live on-stage performances. These connections transcend words, reigniting purpose, and resilience. Join us in this episode to learn more about how you too might become invovled with Warriorside.

Follow Diego Ugalde and Warriorside:

Instagram: @thewarriorside

Website: warriorsidefoundation.org

Follow MINDBEND IG: @mymindbend

Watch Full Episode on YouTube: @mymindbend

Website: www.mymindbend.org

This is an Operation Podcast production, connect with us @operationpodcast

Our guest on EP.43 of MINDBEND is Shane Norte, founder of Church of the People for Creator and Mother Earth. Shane is someone I've wanted to visit with for some time now. It's not every day that I meet a native person who has opened their home on tribal land to facilitate medicine ceremonies for anyone in need who is able to honor and respect the process and the container, and is also in optimal physical condition so as to maximize the benefits of the work.

During our conversation, Shane shares his unfiltered insights into the psychedelic community and the challenges of integrating Native values into modern healing spaces. Shane candidly explores the dichotomy between ceremonial reverence and party culture within the psychedelic movement, questioning whether the industry is truly walking the walk when it comes to inclusion and authenticity.

Shane also discusses the unique model of his church, which offers free, earth-based ceremonies grounded in Native traditions. He reflects on the broader societal disconnect from nature and how reconnecting to the land can foster humility, healing, and community.

This episode offers a provocative lens on the state of psychedelics today, the importance of uncomfortable conversations, and the enduring wisdom of Native voices. It's a call to action for those seeking depth, truth, and genuine transformation.

Follow Shane Norte:

Website: churchofthepeopleforcreatorandmotherearth

Follow MINDBEND IG: @mymindbend

Watch Full Episode on YouTube: @mymindbend

Website: www.mymindbend.org

This is an Operation Podcast production, connect with us @operationpodcast