The Evolving Man Podcast

Jessica Cadoch is a researcher whose masters’ thesis focussed on building a bridge between the well established 12 step recovery approach for addiction recovery, and the emerging movement of psychedelic assisted therapy for trauma.

Since addiction is often rooted in trauma, her question is an important one: “How can addicted people in abstinence-based recovery benefit from the healing that psychedelic therapy can provide, without it qualifying as a ‘relapse’?”. Jessica joined me on the show to discuss this topic and talk about solutions.

In this episode we dive into:

• Jessica’s experience volunteering at the Montreal Psychedelic Society. 
• Psychedelic assisted therapy. 
• The groundwork of Jessica’s thesis in Medical Anthropology. 
• Ben’s journey of learning about psychedelics. 
• Double standards in 12-Step programs. 
• Community initiatives progressing the psychedelic revolution. 
• Building a bridge between 12-Step programs and psychedelic assisted therapy.
• Spiritual awakenings vs. spiritual experiences. 
• Changing existing medical models. 
• Examining phrases and ideologies in 12-Step programs.
• Original definition of “recreational.”
• Stigma of psychedelic use in the recovering addicts community. 
• The importance of intent when using drugs. 
• Spreading the conversation of psychedelics outside of medical clinics. 
• The role of demographics in drug use and treatment. 
• Dr. Carl Hart’s idea of “no bad drugs.”
• Addiction as a result of systemic issues.
• How psychedelics could aid society’s current downfalls. 
• Missing statistical data in the psychedelic movement. 
• The Maya App: measurement based software for psychedelic therapists and coaches. 
• Psychedelics: assisted process vs. self-directed process. 
• How can individuals support the psychedelic movement? 
• Normalizing conversations about taboo subjects. 

Links 

• Jessica's Instagram - @_jaz.ie
• Montreal Psychedelic Society
• Dosed Movie
• Evolving Man & Dosed Podcast Episode 1
• Evolving Man & Dosed Podcast Episode 2
• Danielle Negrin Instagram
• The San Francisco Psychedelic Society
• Kevin Franciotti Website
• Carl Hart’s Website
• Maya Health
• Psychsem.org

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ashanti Branch has been mentoring young men and women for 19 years in California. He is the founder of The Ever Forward Club, with a mission of changing the way students relate to learning. He is also the host of the Taking Off The Mask Podcast.

Ashanti joined me on the show to talk about how to build emotionally intelligent, resilient, and powerful humans. 

In this episode we dive into:

• Ashanti’s role in the film: The Mask You Live In.
• Creating a safe space for teenage boys.
• Talking about feelings vs. writing them down.
• The origin of “the mask” movement. 
• Myths about anger.
• Emotional literacy.
• Breaking the cycles perpetuated by older generations. 
• Making money vs. following your purpose.
• Ashanti’s journey from engineering to teaching. 
• What it looks like to run Ever Forward and host men’s groups. 
• Expectations of men in society: repressing feelings that have nowhere to go.
• The nature of emotions. 
• Conscious leadership. 
• Grief co-existing with anger.
• How to hold space for men experiencing anger.  
• Emotional expectations of women vs. men. 
• Examples of Ashanti’s work with boys in schools. 
• Ashanti’s life-changing path to creating men’s groups.
• Overcoming the lone wolf narrative: the importance of asking for help. 
• The magic of appreciation, recognition, and compliments in men sharing’s circles. 
• The “no homo” phase and what it was pointing to. 
• Younger generations: open minds and determination. 
• Gender and sexuality. 
• COVID vaccines and the divisiveness we are seeing. 
• Confirmation bias and the news. 
• Advocating for men to have support teams. 
• Taking Off the Mask podcast.

Links

• Ashanti’s Instagram
• Ashanti’s Twitter
• Ashanti’s Facebook
• Ashanti’s Website
• Ever Forward Club Instagram
• Ever Forward Club Website
• Mask Challenge 
• Brad Leslie on The Evolving Man Podcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Traver Boehm is the author of Today I Rise, and Man UNcivilized. He’s a men’s coach and the founder of the UNcivilized Men’s Movement. Traver wants to redefine the way men experience their masculinity, by blending the primal elements of manhood with massive doses of consciousness.

In this episode, Traver joins me to discuss the challenges men are facing today: from mass depression and suicidality, to mass shootings, to fatherlessness and the lack of men’s initiation culture. Please share this episode with men who you think might need it.

In this episode we talk about:

• What’s going on with men and humanity as a whole.
• Mass shootings in the US and Canada. 
• The lockdown’s impact on outwardly expressing violence. 
• Addressing grief in men. 
• Appropriate anger towards men vs. men needing compassion.
• Finding roots of behavior in adulthood linked to childhood. 
• Free will vs. life choices. 
• Privilege and the lack of understanding for those who struggle. 
• Social media: a double edged sword. 
• Shadows, wounding, and trauma. 
• Turning inward: looking at pain and grief. 
• Finding the root of a problem vs. attacking the branches. 
• Suicide vs. homicide & mental illness vs. addiction. 
• How do we deal with men feeling collectively lost? 
• Redefining the role of men in society. 
• Intentional men’s groups: support, accountability, and healing. 
• Pros and cons of finding like minded connections. 
• The magic of being seen. 
• The masculine’s desire to be challenged. 
• Confronting fears. 
• The lack of humanity in society. 
• The #MeToo movement and #NotAllMen.
• Men and women doing “the work.” 
• What’s behind Traver’s mantra, “Let others be safer as I walk among them”?
• Living by a code. 
• 3 things men can do today to turn inward and start healing wounds. 
• The fulfillment of doing “the work.”
• The challenges of being a policeman today. Shout out to the protectors.

Find and Follow Traver at the below links:

Website 

Instagram 

YouTube

Podcast 

Book 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shawn Stevenson is the author of the USA Today National bestseller Eat Smarter and the international bestselling book Sleep Smarter. He’s also creator of The Model Health Show, featured as the number #1 health podcast in the U.S.

As a graduate of the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Shawn studied business, biology, and nutritional science and became the cofounder of Advanced Integrative Health Alliance. He joins me on the show to discuss how to follow scientific studies to manage your health and your mindset, and how WE can use science help humanity through the current crisis.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How real education is education is up to you.
• Unsuccessful (and some damaging) approaches in current medicine practice. 
• What most people who have lost their life to COVID have in common. 
• The extreme politicization of COVID. 
• The number one cause of chronic disease.
• Diet and how it influences the immune system. 
• A cardiologist’s perspective on why our healthcare systems fail us. 
• How long it takes to destroy our immune systems.
• Most important factors to staying healthy: movement and sleep. 
• Somatic effects of COVID. 
• Empowering people to understand their health better.
• Understanding and supporting scientific evidence. 
• COVID vs. birthing process.
• Hive mind - the good and the bad. 
• Shawn’s book, “Eat Smarter.”
• The current epidemic of suicide and attempted suicide. 
• Natural killer cells - what are they?
• How will the COVID lockdown impact our children? 
• Analyzing COVID data through an epidemiologist lens.
• Masks: are they helpful or harmful? 
• Cognitive biases and their impact on relaying COVID information. 
• Studies on COVID and masks found on Shawn’s website. 
• Top 3 pre-existing conditions tied to COVID deaths. 
• The next novel virus. 
• How we can change a system that was not designed to help us. 
• What can actually help strengthen our immune systems.

Shawn’s Links:

Website 

Podcast 

Instagram

Facebook 

Twitter

YouTube

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Wolynn is a trauma specialist who understands how to resolve trauma that has been passed down through generations. He wrote a book called It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle. At a time where the world is waking up to our individual and collective wounding, Mark is a perfect guest for listeners who want to understand more about what trauma is, how it occurs, and how to heal it.

Mark joined me for a fascinating discussion that took us into the depths of the healing arts. We talked about early life trauma, ancestral trauma, and particular insights on men’s relationships with their mothers and fathers which shape them in adulthood. For my male listeners, this will be truly fascinating.

In this episode we discuss: 

• What is inherited family trauma?
• Mark’s focus on “what isn’t remembered in the mind”, but what is remembered in the body. 
• Trauma: expanding our understanding and its misconceptions. 
• Ben’s story of addiction and how it ties to his mom. 
• Attunement - now we know its importance.
• Why it’s useful to dig into our pasts. 
• Verbal and non-verbal trauma language.
• Trauma as the window to our ancestors. 
• The importance of doing trauma work with others. 
• Focusing on father/son relationships in men’s groups. 
• How to do this work without spiritual bypassing.
• Avoiding and re-creating pain. 
• “The Work”: leaning in and creating space.
• The unconscious connection to our parents that we all need to recognize. 
• 4 ways we can merge with our parents that creates pain. 
• Common dynamics with men and their mothers, and their fathers. 
• Why men’s groups are so important. 
• The lost art of initiation processes.
• Positive experiences that can physically change the brain. 
• DNA expression and how we can shape it in the healing process.
• The power of visualization for healing. 
• Ben’s experience of re-connecting with his brother. 
• The importance of knowing your family history.

Links

Mark’s Website: https://markwolynn.com/

Mark’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkWolynn 

Mark’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkWolynn

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tyler Chandler and Nick Meyers from the DOSED documentary are back to dig even deeper into the healing powers of psychedelics and discuss how the psychedelic revolution is making its way into government policies. They share multiple personal accounts of their experiences taking psychedelics, all which led to their own personal growth. We also covered the ongoing mental health and addiction crisis, the negative impact of modern medicine, religion, censorship on social media, and most importantly, DOSED 2 which is in production now.

In this episode, we discuss: 

• DOSED is now live on streaming platforms.
• How the pandemic has impacted its reach.
• Isolation and COVID restrictions worsening the mental health and addiction crisis. 
• Why watching DOSED can be beneficial to the whole world.
• The major downfalls of the “war on drugs”. 
• The growth of psychedelic research. 
• The psychedelic revolution making its way to the government level.
• Big Pharma vs. plant medicine.
• How medication treats the symptom of problems. 
• Parallels between drug addicts and medication to treat mental illness. 
• Why psychedelics treat the root of problems. 
• How psychedelics lead to the dissolution of ego. 
• Tyler’s profound experience taking psychedelics for the first few times. 
• What inner-work looks like, while on psychedelics. 
• The necessity of connectivity and understanding. 
• Taking mushrooms for personal growth.
• Nick and Tyler’s experiences with DMT.
• The progress being made in Canada to access psilocybin mushrooms for therapeutic purposes.
• DOSED 2 Nick and Tyler’s next film project about psilocybin and terminal illness.
• Navigating shadow bans and censorship on social media. 
• How to watch DOSED.

To watch DOSED and stay up to date on Tyler and Nick’s projects, check out the links below: 

DOSED Website

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamilton Souther is a master Ayahuasca Shaman who moved from the United States to Peru in his early 20s to find out if there was any truth behind mysticism and Shamanism. He ended up becoming one of the few non-native men to be initiated into traditional ways of Ayahuasca Shamanism. To learn more about how Hamilton got involved with Indigenous cultures and his path to Shamanism, check out our first episode together.

Hamilton now operates a healing center called Blue Morpho, based in Iquitos, Peru. They hold traditional healing retreats, hosting guests from all over the world. However, due to the outbreak of COVID, they were forced to transform. Blue Morpho is now expanding its retreats around the world, through cyberspace. Now you can take part in healing ceremonies with Hamilton from the comfort and safety of your own home.

In this episode we talk about Hamilton’s journey to becoming a Shaman, the myths and reality of Shamanism, the future of holding healing ceremonies online, and COVID-19’s impact on the medicine world.

In this episode we dive into the following: 

• The life and death reality of learning Shamanism. 
• Shamanism is not all about love and “new age” light.
• An anthropological outlook on tribal societies. 
• A different way of looking at viruses.
• Hamilton’s first interactions with Shamans.
• A medicine man vs. any other kind of Shaman.
• Modern society issues vs. Shamanic tribal issues.
• The internal struggle that each Shaman has to face. 
• The keys to finding the right healing ceremony for yourself.
• Hamilton’s own intense healing experience. 
• Two main governing principles of Ayahuasca.
• The westernization of Ayahuasca ceremonies. 
• Becoming your own Shaman during a healing ceremony. 
• Untrained support vs. trained support. 
• What healing ceremonies should be based in: medicine, love, and healing. 
• The importance of knowing the history of the space of your ceremony.
• The mythological conflict that exists in Amazonian ideas about plants. 
• “Tree Dietas”.
• The sacred plant industry during COVID. 
• What happened to Iquitos, Peru’s during the pandemic. 
• Bringing ceremonies to digital space.
• Breathwork in ceremonies. 
• The importance of plants in the future of technological advancement. 
• Blue Morpho’s Triniti Retreats. 

Links to find more content from Hamilton and Blue Morpho:

• Blue Morpho’s website
• Blue Morpho’s Facebook
• Blue Morpho’s Instagram
• Hamilton’s Facebook
• Hamilton’s Instagram

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best-selling author Robert Glover joins me on the podcast for a candid conversation about Nice Guys, relationships, and men’s work.

Robert didn’t start out his career as a therapist planning on getting into men’s work. After receiving his doctorate and working as a marriage and family therapist, Robert started noticing common patterns in the men he was seeing. Many of them were the same patterns he saw in his own life. So he dove into men’s work,  and wrote “No More Mr. Nice Guy - A Proven Plan For Getting What You Want In Love, Sex, and Life. 

Robert has been on this journey for over 25 years – helping other men break free of the Nice Guy Syndrome, and always evolving his own personal tool kit.

In this episode, we discuss nice guys, “men’s tribes”, mothers, subconscious programming, shifting mindsets in relationships, embodiment work, men’s safe spaces, purpose, and so much more.

We dug into the following in detail: 

• How Robert got into men’s work. 
• The paradox of “nice guys.” 
• Do women like Nice Guys? 
• Differentiating from family members, especially mothers.
• Macho Jerks and Caring Wimps.
• Breaking free from the “nice guy syndrome.”
• What it means to be a differentiated man. 
• How mothers can impact their son’s lives and future relationships. 
• Subconscious programming in relationships. 
• Co-creating familiarity in relationship.
• Viewing relationships as an opportunity to work on patterns vs. a difficult burden.
• The ticket to a successful long-term relationship.
• The importance of having same sex friends.
• “Men’s Only” spaces” - The power of strong masculine relationships.
• Different opportunities to connect deeper with other men. 
• The growth of the worldwide men’s movement.
• Embodiment work.
• The push needed to get into men’s work.
• The connection between childhood wounds and relationship patterns.
• Robert’s top book picks for men’s work and self-healing. 
• What men need most in 2020 - honesty, purpose, passion. 
• “Playing games” in relationships.
• Robert’s books (No More Mr. Nice Guy! And Dating Essentials for Men). 
• Ben’s “human contract” in this world (AKA purpose).
• How to bring these ideals back to younger boys.
• The changing adolescent education system.

Robert's Links 

• DrGlover.com
• Twitter
• Facebook
• YouTube

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi is changing an entire generation of men. After losing his father as a child, he became committed to learning the best ways for men to live the longest and healthiest lives as possible. After completing medical school and spending years as a bodybuilder, he became a fitness coach and created the Fit Father Project - a health and wellness company aimed at helping men (especially “older men”) lose weight, build muscle, and get their energy back.

In this episode we discuss the fundamentals of living a long, strong, healthy life. We talk about hormones, diet, exercise, sleep, supplements, breathwork, and lots more. 

In this episode we dive in to the following:

• Anthony’s personal story, experiencing his father’s early death, which led to his background in personal training, bodybuilding, and medical school.
• The philosophy of the Fit Father Project - simple and sustainable health and wellness for busy men.
• The fitness world can teach someone what the medical world neglects.
• Ben’s 100 year old grandfather.
• Slowing down aging without becoming obsessed with it.
• How to better manage hormones as we get older.
• What the “ideal aging process” looks like.
• The misconception around aging - are we really simply just alive and moving straight toward death?
• How to limit the amount of damage we accrue that could affect our life cycle through: the food we ingest, the quality of air we breathe, the exercise we do, and managing our stress levels.
• What things kill most people and how can we prevent them from happening to ourselves?
• Fasting and how it contributes to a rejuvenation process throughout the body.
• 4 square meals a day - criticisms.
• Bodybuilding - not always necessarily conducive to living the longest life.
• Testosterone levels - are important, but not the only factor in living a long and healthy life.
• Methods of boosting testosterone.
• The importance of keeping cortisol and testosterone levels balanced
• An explanation of Daniel Buettner’s work - the fundamentals to living a long life.
• The “typical man’s man” and why this isn’t always a healthy lifestyle practice.
• How to do at home hormone testing with Let’s Get Checked.
• Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) - once you start, it’s hard to stop.
• Other T boosters - high intensity exercise, vitamin D3, sunbathing, living as close to nature as possible and eating real, non-processed foods.
• The implications of Xenoestrogens and where it can be found in our daily routines.
• Important vitamins and minerals for maintaining healthy testosterone levels.
• The immense benefits of doing hot and cold therapy.
• Why prolonged fasting is so beneficial in terms of cleaning out our “tubes”.
• The work of John Rose and Dr. Zach Bush - learning about juicing and the gut.
• The plethora of benefits of breathing through the nose.
• Wim Hof style breathwork - how it works and why cyclic and rounds breathwork can aid in healing our bodies.
• How the breath is the access point to our nervous system and why it is very important to be conscious of our breathing.
• Is it possible for men to keep their testosterone levels high? How do we combat its natural decline with aging - and should we do so?
• When is the right time to start looking into TRT - if ever?
• Why testosterone levels and lifestyle factors need to be used together.
• The various implications of increasing testosterone.
• The importance of getting morning sunshine and supplementing with D3 if you live in an area with lack of sunlight.
• The Fit Father Project’s testosterone supplement.
• An explanation of adaptogens and how they can help deal with stress.
• Anthony’s opinion on drinking coffee.
• The importance of incorporating meaningful work, service, and social connection into one’s life.
• The distinction between meaningful work and work that can make you a lot of money.
• True happiness is found through self-transcendent practices.
• The importance of keeping your brain active in order to reduce cognitive decline - especially through a daily meditation practice.

This was a huge episode with a ton of information covered. Bookmark it, listen to it again, share it with your friends. 

Links

Fit Father Project Website

Fit Father Project on YouTube 

Fit Father Project on Facebook

Fit Father Project on Instagram

Anthony’s Twitter

Link to get your own male hormone tests with LGC and use the code 'Evolving Man' for 30% off your first order. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eldra Jackson III spent a large part of his life as a convict in the US prison system. Inside prison, he encountered a circle of men who led him to overcome his darkness and find healing. He is now the Co-Executive Director of that organization, called Inside Circle. This work was covered in the documentary called The Work.

Join me in learning about Eldra’s life story - how he went from serving 24 years of a life prison sentence in California to becoming a successful businessman whose mission is to help heal and mentor other men for whom all hope is lost.

In this episode we discuss: 

• The prison industrial complex in the United States.
• Eldra’s life journey and what led him to serving a life sentence.
• Why Eldra made many decisions from a place of trauma.
• How childhood trauma can affect your nervous system and behavior later in life. 
• What is a “good convict”?
• The common mindset among incarcerated people.
• The difference between prison and rehab 
• What retirement looks like for a prisoner.
• How Eldra turned his life around and transformed his mindset.
• The importance of looking inward to heal.
• How Eldra got introduced to Inside Circle while in prison.
• Therapy circles in prison.
• Changing the way we view and treat hurt people.
• Why systems only exist because we allow them to.
• How to create change in the prison system.
• Why countries need to learn from each other once they’ve developed solutions to societal problems.
• What’s next for Inside Circle? 
• How trauma survivors can redirect their energy to good things in the world.
• Inside Circle’s mission.

Eldra’s Links: 

Eldra’s TedTalk - How I Unlearned Dangerous Lessons About Masculinity
The Work Documentary: https://www.topic.com/the-work

(note: you will have to pay for this documentary, but it is VERY worth it)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsideCircleOrg/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inside__circle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/inside_circle

How to get involved: Inside Circle’s Website - https://insidecircle.org/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.