Episode Theme: Trust

VR. AI. Psychedelics. Death. This episode explores how trust, not technology, is the true gateway to healing and connection.

In this episode of Finding Zen, Michael Pottern sits down with Jeremy Nickel to explore how trust forms the invisible architecture beneath spiritual practice, technology-mediated connection, and psychedelic-assisted healing. From VR meditation and the Overview Effect to AI-guided integration and modern facilitation, the conversation examines how trust in self, systems, and one another creates the conditions for safety, vulnerability, and transformation. This wide-ranging dialogue invites listeners into a deeper look at how we design containers that allow presence, awe, and healing to emerge naturally, without force.

Key Takeaways

1. Technology can reveal presence, not replace it, when designed to reduce distance and invite genuine human connection.

2. Honesty emerges when people feel safe, supported by clear boundaries, consent, and thoughtfully held containers.

3. True surrender arises not from chaos, but from a structure that allows the nervous system to relax.

4. Lasting transformation depends more on preparation and integration than on the intensity of the peak experience itself.

5. Anonymity, when designed with care, can unlock deeper authenticity by removing fear of judgment.

6. Zen is a practice of intention, requiring stillness and clarity to be actively chosen and protected in daily life.

7. The future of Zen lies in human-centered design that uses technology to honor trust, sovereignty, and what is fundamentally sacred.

   
   

   Jeremy Nickel is a tech and spiritual entrepreneur and Unitarian Universalist minister whose work lives at the intersection of immersive technology, contemplative practice, and psychedelic-assisted healing. With a background in VR development and leadership within wellness-focused technology companies, he explores how tools like AI and virtual reality can be used not for escape, but for presence, insight, and genuine human connection. 

   Rooted in a lifelong meditation practice and a justice-oriented, theologically spacious ministry, Jeremy brings a deeply human lens to altered states, preparation, and integration, emphasizing safety, consent, and relational trust. A founder and community builder, he collaborates with clinicians, technologists, artists, and spiritual leaders to create experiences that honor both mystery and responsibility, guided by a belief that healing happens in relationship and that technology, when shaped by humility and care, can serve as a sacred tool for meaningful transformation.

   Connect with Jeremy

   • KetReady – AI-powered ketamine preparation & integrationhttps://ketready.com

   • SomaQuest – Jeremy Nickel’s new businesshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-nickel/ 

   • Jeremy Nickel’s LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-nickel

   • Jeremy’s Substackhttps://open.substack.com/pub/jeremynickel/p/no-pill-big-wonder-my-journey-into 

   
   

   Resources & External References Mentioned

   • Overview Effect Short Filmhttps://vimeo.com/55073825 

   • Frank White – Originator of The Overview Effecthttps://overviewinstitute.org

   • VRChat – Platform hosting The Overview Effect experiencehttps://www.patreon.com/posts/overview-effect-92287857 

   • TRIPP – VR wellness and meditation platformhttps://www.tripp.com

   • California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS)https://www.ciis.edu

   • InterTrek (Portland, OR)https://intertrek.org

   
   

   We’ve also included a link to four free, curated wellness tools designed to support grounding, regulation, and everyday presence.

   https://explore.denverzenden.com/podcast-gifts-episode-1  

   Episode Sponsor – Denver Zen Den – We help people regulate their nervous system using light, sound, and vibration.
   

   • Website: https://www.denverzenden.com

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   • Purchase our technology: https://www.mindwave.biz/ 

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