Exploring Reality, Maybe

You’re invited to soften the boundaries between yourself and the world around you. Each tone, hum, and whisper becomes a wave passing through your awareness, no longer a distraction, but a doorway into presence. 

By listening without naming or judging, you’ll begin to sense the subtle vibration that remains after sound fades, the still, alive silence that connects all things. 

Practice anywhere, in the city, at work, or in solitude and discover how the art of listening can return you to your most spacious, grounded self.

In this thought-provoking episode of Exploring Reality Maybe, Dr. Nitin Ron’s story bridges science, spirituality, and the human spirit. A neonatologist, mountaineer, and meditation researcher, he’s dedicated his life to understanding the miracle of life, from the fragile breath of a newborn to the thin air atop the Himalayas.

Dr. Ron shares how his parents shaped his path in medicine and mindfulness; his father, a nuclear scientist who championed peace and introduced meditation to India’s scientific community, and his mother, a mathematician whose love anchored his journey. We explore his insights on how high-altitude mountaineering mirrors the physiology of the womb. And, we learn about his encounters with monks walking barefoot on glaciers, and his groundbreaking mindfulness research that began in the mountains and now supports frontline workers and scientists in New York City.

He also reflects on the lessons learned during ten days of silence in a Himalayan cave, the healing power of self-acceptance, and the role of love and community during the pandemic.

From saving premature babies to studying consciousness, Dr. Ron invites us to look at medicine, meditation, and compassion not as separate paths, but as one continuous breath of humanity.

In this thought-provoking episode of Exploring Reality Maybe, we sit down with Josh Haynes, Co-Founding Partner at Masawa, the mental wellness impact fund. Josh brings a unique lens to investing, one that prioritizes not only financial returns but also emotional resilience, purpose, and human flourishing. His journey from tech entrepreneurship to impact investing reveals how well-being and capital can coexist in a system often driven by speed and scale.

Josh shares his path toward redefining success, from burnout and personal awakening to founding Masawa, where “nurture capital” takes center stage. We explore how investing in mental health, mindful leadership, and compassionate innovation can create sustainable impact across organizations and communities.

Finally, we reflect on the deeper questions: What does it mean to align money with meaning? How can we design systems that nurture rather than extract? This conversation invites listeners to reimagine capitalism through the lens of care, consciousness, and collective well-being.

In this compelling episode of Exploring Reality Maybe, we sit down with Nick Sireau, Co-Founder and CEO of Seranatis Bio, to explore the complex landscape of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), neurochemistry, and the science of healing. Nick’s journey into neuroscience began through personal experience,  witnessing the challenges of OCD in his own family, which ignited his lifelong commitment to uncovering new ways to understand and treat the condition.

From his early work in rare disease research to leading efforts in neuropsychiatric drug discovery, Nick bridges compassion with scientific innovation. He unpacks the latest insights into brain circuits, glutamate–GABA balance, and how understanding neurochemistry could revolutionize mental health care.

We also discuss the emotional and philosophical dimensions of healing, how purpose, resilience, and curiosity shape both scientific progress and personal growth.

Finally, we reflect on what it means to seek serenity in a restless mind. This conversation offers a rare and intimate look into the intersection of neuroscience, empathy, and the enduring human drive to heal.

In this thought-provoking episode of Exploring Reality Maybe, we sit down with Ethan Nadelmann, often called the “godfather of drug policy reform.” From his early academic years at Princeton to leading global movements that challenged the U.S. war on drugs, Ethan has spent decades reshaping how society views cannabis, psychedelics, and addiction. His work is as much about justice and human rights as it is about science and health.

Ethan shares his journey of questioning prohibitionist policies, the intellectual spark that came from John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty, and how a call from George Soros set him on the path to founding the Lindesmith Center and later the Drug Policy Alliance. He explains the human and systemic costs of mass incarceration and explores the rise of harm reduction as an alternative to criminalization.

We also dive into the global perspective—what the U.S. can learn from Europe, the United Nations, and Latin America about regulating drugs and supporting communities. Ethan unpacks the growing role of psychedelics in mental health, the lessons from tobacco harm reduction, and the political challenges facing reform today.

Finally, we reflect on ego, consciousness, and the delicate balance between personal transformation and collective responsibility. This conversation is a rare look into the mind of someone who has been at the center of one of the most important public health and human rights debates of our time.

In this deeply moving and eye-opening episode of Exploring Reality Maybe, we sit down with Natalia Greene—environmentalist, legal activist, and co-founder of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN). From the courtrooms of Ecuador to the international climate stage, Natalia has been a passionate voice for ecosystems, advocating for the legal recognition of nature as a living, rights-bearing entity.

Natalia shares her personal journey growing up in Ecuador, a country that made history in 2008 by becoming the first in the world to enshrine the Rights of Nature into its Constitution. She takes us behind the scenes of powerful courtroom battles, including a landmark case where a frog became the legal face of resistance against a mining company. Her stories are equal parts poetic and political, showcasing a global movement fighting to flip the script—from exploitation to interconnection.

Together, we explore the philosophical and legal frameworks that underpin the Rights of Nature movement. Natalia explains how indigenous worldviews and ecocentric legal systems offer a lifeline for humanity and biodiversity alike. With over 70 cases in Ecuador alone and growing recognition in more than 40 countries, the Rights of Nature is no longer a fringe idea—it's a global shift gaining legal, ethical, and spiritual momentum.

If you've ever wondered what it means to live in true harmony with the Earth—or how legal systems can be reimagined to protect what cannot speak for itself—this episode is a must-listen. Prepare to rethink your relationship with the planet, and maybe even adopt a river or a frog along the way.

In this episode of Exploring Reality Maybe, we dive deep into the extraordinary spiritual journey of Rabbi Zac, a path shaped by mystical awakening, profound personal loss, and transformative psychedelic experiences. From an unexpected encounter with the divine as a teenager in Israel to the soul-crushing grief of infertility, Rabbi Zac’s story weaves together vulnerability, resilience, and a renewed connection to faith.

Through the lens of Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah, Rabbi Zac shares how his participation in groundbreaking psilocybin research at Johns Hopkins reshaped his understanding of spirituality, consciousness, and the relationship between light and shadow in the human experience. We explore the rich symbolic language of Hesed and Gevurah, the interplay of unity and uniqueness, and the profound insights revealed in altered states of consciousness.

We also discuss the bridges he is building between ancient Jewish spiritual practices and modern psychedelic therapies, creating spaces for preparation, integration, and communal healing. Rabbi Zac offers a candid view of the pushback from traditional communities, the importance of harm reduction, and his vision for a pluralistic Jewish psychedelic movement.

This conversation is an invitation to rethink our relationship with spirituality, consciousness, and the ego and to explore how ancient traditions and modern neuroscience can meet to support deeper connection, meaning, and service to others.

In this soul-stirring episode of Exploring Reality Maybe, we sit down with David Sauvage—an empath, writer, performer, and prophetic voice for our times. Known for his unique ability to embody and articulate the emotions of others, David shares how empathy can serve not only as a tool for personal healing but also as a medium for cultural transformation. From his early days doing emotional readings at Burning Man to his recent AI collaborations and prophetic storytelling, David challenges us to reimagine how we feel, relate, and lead.

We explore the raw, nuanced space between empathy and manipulation, attunement and power, grief and transformation. David offers surprising insights into how highly attuned figures—whether spiritual leaders or controversial public figures—navigate empathy without compassion, and how reclaiming true empathy might be essential to evolving as a collective. We also dive into the provocative role of performance, grief, and art in moving us from the world we have to the one our hearts know is possible.

David speaks candidly about his work with AI and storytelling, including viral deepfake videos that reimagine political leaders undergoing spiritual awakenings. We unpack what it means to envision an alternate timeline, how the heart can guide the flow of capital, and why prophetic voices—those who speak with love, truth, and accountability—are more vital now than ever.

If you're longing for a conversation that meets you at the intersection of emotional intelligence, cultural grief, and the sacred economics of the future, this one’s for you.

In this thought-provoking episode of Exploring Reality, Maybe, hosts Jody and David sit down with Dr. Glen Rein, a neurochemist turned quantum biologist, whose unconventional scientific journey spans the boundaries between empirical research and ancient metaphysics. From studying enzyme activity under traditional biochemistry to exploring the energetic influence of intention, love, and subtle energies on DNA, Glen’s research challenges the very fabric of conventional science.

Dr. Rein recounts his transformational shift from mainstream academia to the little-charted realm of energy medicine after reading a single paper by a nun studying the effects of healing on enzyme activity. This pivotal moment propelled him to investigate how consciousness interacts with biological systems — not through pharmacology, but through energy fields both measurable and mysterious. From scalar waves to toroidal DNA structures acting as wormholes, his work offers a scientific framework for what spiritual traditions have long understood.

Listeners will gain insight into the fascinating world of quantum-level healing, the bioelectromagnetic field of the heart, and the possibility of scaling divine energy into the physical body for transformation. Dr. Rein also shares how he advises cutting-edge consciousness tech companies, including a curious story of infusing cosmetic products with healing intention for Estee Lauder.

Whether you're a curious skeptic, a spiritual seeker, or a scientist wondering what lies beyond the microscope, this episode will leave you questioning what we truly know about reality—and how we might study what we don’t.

Where does the spark of desire arise from? Out of nowhere, an urge, a longing, a craving arises, perhaps as an interaction with the senses. In this meditation, we will focus our attention on the very second that spark of desire arises and then cause it to pause. One may find that there is little knowledge of what that spark of desire wants, nor an action upon its calling! The arising of desire, out of nowhere, when paused... leaves us in an exquisite state of expanded consciousness. This is the goal of this meditation.