Love, Loss & Hallucinations with Scott Schumaker

In this thought-provoking episode, Shann Ray, a clinical psychologist, genocide researcher and prolific author, shares his profound insights from decades of research and personal experience on authentic love, forgiveness, and the union of masculine and feminine energies. We delve into how ancient wisdom, current scientific findings, and simple but valuable daily practices can transform our relatio...

In this episode, Jaime Flairs, an author, transformational guide, and the founder of Whale Song Creative, joins me to share her profound journey through divorce, spiritual awakening, and reclaiming her authentic self. Together, we explore the power of ritual, community, nature as a healing and stabilizing force, the importance of discovering and staying aligned with your soul’s purpose, and how in...

In this episode, music and psychedelic entrepreneur Brandon Deroche, founder and CEO of Propeller and Portal, shares how transformative plant medicine journeys have influenced him and his career path. Wanting to have a meaningful career from a young age, and influenced by his grandfather’s death, insights from psychedelics and Ram Dass, Brandon and I discuss how he’s has pursued positive social ch...

Personal growth and transformation come in many forms, almost all of them challenging. Having a guide to help you navigate these journeys can be extremely helpful. In this episode, nature-based transformational guide Jade Sherer shares 20+ years of wisdom gleaned from assisting people through such trials and towards more authentic, soul-fulfilling lives. This includes 10-day nature retreats, one-o...

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Stephen Kellogg joins Scott in this episode of the Love, Loss & Hallucinations podcast to discuss the wisdom he has gained around grief, success, anxiety and integrity during his 25-year journey as an artist. Stephen talks about the challenges and triumphs that have shaped his life and career, and we both share our evolving understanding of love. Tune in for...

In this special 25th episode of "Love, Loss and Hallucinations," Scott welcomes back his first guest and his wife, Tiffanie DeBartolo, to share her profound journey with plant medicine the day before. Together, they explore the depths of human existence, the mysteries of identity, the spiritual revelations that come from embracing discomfort, source or god, and her revelation of what awaits us aft...

“I’ve found I can do about two years of therapy in a single day,” says this week’s guest, psychotherapist Jonathan Robinson, about using MDMA with clients. Starting in the 1970s, therapists began using MDMA to treat patients. But, by the late 80s, this empathogen became the rave drug of choice, and its therapeutic uses were sidelined when the DEA classified it as a schedule 1 controlled substance....

In this deep and funny episode, I’m joined by Kyle Nicolaides,lead singer/songwriter/guitarist for the band Beware of Darkness, to explore his transformative journey from depression to healing. Kyle opens up about his struggles with mental health, the pivotal role of ayahuasca in his recovery, insights from his book (Thank God for Depression), tapping into and protecting creativity as an artist, a...

In this episode, Christine Rosen joins me to discuss the many critical human skills we’re in the process of losing due to technology. Rosen, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, is the author of "The Extinction of Experience." Together, we explore the impact of technology on human connection, the importance of face-to-face interactions, the value of boredom and the challenges of r...

Listen and be uplifted! Siri Lindley joins me to dive into her extraordinary life. She was a world champion triathlete who didn’t know how to swim. She battled a rare, almost-always-deadly strand of leukemia and won. She weathered homophobia in her personal life and athletic career, learning how to live authentically along the way. She and her partner, Rebekah Keat, started a successful horse resc...

In this heartfelt episode of "Love, Loss, and Hallucinations," I welcome Christy Turlington-Burns, founder and president of Every Mother Counts. Together we dive into themes of love, loss and resilience as Christy shares touching moments from her dad’s passing when she was in her late 20s, what she learned from witnessing his death (and her grandmother's), how Eastern philosophy helped her underst...

In this profound episode, I welcome Benjamin Forest, a retired lieutenant colonel who has transformed his life into that of a psychedelic coach, speaker, and author. We dive into Benjamin's transformative journey from a military career to embracing the healing power of psychedelics, exploring themes of spirituality, personal growth, and the transformative impact of plant medicine. Benjamin shares...

In episode 18, I talk with Jennifer Griffith, author of the memoir "Both Sides of Then: Finding Love After Abandonment." Jennifer's memoir uniquely intertwines her life with her mother's, exploring themes of identity, loss, and the complexities of family dynamics.  We discuss her transition from a successful tech career to writing, inspired by her father’s death and a pivotal moment at a Tony Robb...

In this episode of "Love, Loss, and Hallucinations" you will discover how nature can serve as a guide and catalyst for change. Scott is joined by Michael Jospé, CEO of the Earth-Based Institute, and together they look at the transformative power of the outdoors. Michael shares his journey from wilderness adventures to founding a unique and powerful coaching program that integrates nature connectio...

In this episode, Brittany Harris, a holistic wellness practitioner, joins Scott to take a deep look at a part of our body most of us ignore, our fascia. As a fascia expert, she discusses the important roles it plays for each of us, how it’s tied to our emotional, physical, and even spiritually well-being, and how it is connected to trauma and healing. Brittany also opens up about living with type...

In this episode of Love, Loss and Hallucinations, executive coach and spiritual advisor Zev Schiller and I engage in a deep conversation with about the nuances of coaching, personal growth, the wisdom to be learned from loss, and the important benefits of men’s groups. Zev shares his journey from navigating personal challenges to helping others find clarity and purpose in their lives. We explore t...

Are you addicted to an unhealthy idea of love? Is our culture? Do you lose yourself in relationships, romantic or platonic, again and again? And, what does healthy love look like? Jodi White, a trauma therapist and love addiction expert, joins Scott in this lively episode to dig deep into L O V E. We get into the symptoms of love addiction, the cultural and familial influences that contribute to i...

Being human is messy, something Albert Strasser knows first-hand. As a coach who once studied to become a Tibetan monk, he was dealt a one-two punch of sorrow in recent years. First, his dad’s death, which broke him. Soon after, his brother flatlined during an iboga plant medicine journey, but was revived, only to go into a coma, and is still in an unresponsive wakeful or “vegetative” state. Alber...

Anna Symonds, a national champion rugby player, has been face-to-face with intense grief, loss, trauma and evil. Fifteen years ago, her life was torn apart when a good friend and team member was brutally murdered. Anna’s journey since that day has been one of navigating the challenges of healing and forgiveness, finding her way through the pain of a divorce, and, with the help of plant medicine, d...

Jimmy Riccitello is a triathlon legend, although he’d never use that term for himself. After falling into the sport almost by accident, he went on to become an XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon world champion, a 2x USA triathlon team member at the Goodwill Gamesone, and one of his era’s most fierce forces on the bike. He also happens to be funny as hell. In this episode, we share tales from those earlier...

In this wholly unique and wise episode, I talk with Sarah Hope, a psychedelic coach & earth-based healer. Through personal stories and profound insights, Sarah shares how her early fascination with mysticism and healing led her to embrace plant medicine and become a micro-dosing pioneer and shamanic guide. We also delve in the classic hero’s journey and contrast that with the heroine’s journey...

In this wisdom-filled episode, Jeff Wright, a seasoned marriage and family therapist with 20 years of experience, shares insights he’s learned about love, loss, plant medicine and prayer as a therapist and from his own challenging life journey. Jeff and I delve into the intricate dance of vulnerability and love in relationships, the power spirituality and prayer can have in healing, the need to un...

In this transformative episode, Marisa Radha Weppner, a somatic and psychedelic therapist and a yoga and meditation instructor, and I explore the emerging role of psychedelics and ketamine therapy in the realm of healing. We look at how these modalities are offering new hope for those seeking healing and personal growth. We also dive into the intriguing world of shadow work and talk about how conf...

In this engaging conversation, Andrew Munz, founder and director of Tumbleweed Creative Arts in Jackson, WY, shares how art has helped him heal from an intense family tragedy. The discussion digs into the impacts of personal tragedy and the complexities of navigating relationships afterwards with honesty and vulnerability. We also talk about if beauty can be found in death and tragedy, the double-...

In this deep and captivating episode, I talk with the renowned and groundbreaking artist, East Forest. Together, we explore the profound connections between music, nature, and the human experience, as well as the transformative world of psychedelics, and how all these areas can foster personal growth and deepen our understanding of love. We get into why he decided to take on the mammoth task of cr...