In this episode, chad speaks with YZ about her first 5-MeO-DMT experience. Despite prior work with meditation retreats and other psychedelics, she found those insights did not last. What remained was an intuitive pull toward a different kind of encounter—one grounded a contemporary context, and one-to-one support.

YZ reflects on her hesitation around traditional medicine settings, particularly the tension between lineage, tourism, and authenticity. She was drawn instead to an individualized format, where the presence of the guide became central the experience. For her, that relational support allowed something deeper to unfold—something she could not access in a group setting.

She describes the session as profoundly paradoxical: both terrifying and deeply peaceful. Through the metaphor of an ice cube melting into water, she captures the shift from a rigid sense of self to something more fluid and expansive—losing form, but not essence.

In the aftermath, YZ speaks to a lasting change in how she relates to herself and the world. What had once been conceptual became directly experienced. She describes less judgment, greater fluidity, and a new baseline in daily life—framing the experience not as an endpoint, but as the beginning of an ongoing process.

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chad charles is a practitioner, educator, and mentor specializing in 5-MeO-DMT. Since 2016, he has worked exclusively in this field, developing a practice-based understanding of these experiences through direct facilitation, practitioner training, and ongoing research. He works one-on-one with individuals in therapy-assisted contexts, supports people around the world through integration calls, and guides practitioners through mentorship and training. A large, detailed body of documented sessions since 2020 informs targeted research initiatives, with a focus on clarity, precision, and lived data. His private practice operates in Toronto and Montreal. Learn more at chadcharles.net

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction & How YZ Chose 5-MeO-DMT

04:44 From Traditional Lineages to Modern Containers

07:35 Power of One-on-One Guidance & Support

10:23 Paradox of Terror and Infinite Love

14:55 Seeing Love in Everything After the Session

18:06 Actualization of Prior Spiritual Work & Behavioral Shifts

23:13 Self-Love as Love for All That Exists Within You

25:44 The Ice Cube Metaphor: Identity Melting into Vastness

29:44 Bravery, Empowerment, and Deeper Truth

32:18 Sharing the Ineffable & Guidance for Others

35:50 An Ongoing, Never-Ending Journey