Minds on Mushrooms

Psychedelic Research Is Accelerating: Ibogaine, PTSD, and the Launch of North Node

This is a special episode, filmed on Earth Day, and it marks a turning point. Exploring ibogaine for opioid addiction, psilocybin for healing, and a new model for education, integration, and community. This conversation dives into psychedelic research, PTSD, and what is shifting right now. I’m joined by my partner Angela Dahlof, who has spent over a decade cultivating psilocybin and working as a facilitator. She shares part of her personal healing journey and what led her to this work. You can learn more about Angela here: https://www.explorenorthnode.com/meet [https://www.explorenorthnode.com/meet] We also talk about a major moment unfolding right now, with President Trump signing an executive order to accelerate research into psychedelic plant medicines. There is growing attention on ibogaine, especially for its potential in supporting people living with PTSD and opioid addiction. This comes in the context of a 30-plus-year opioid epidemic in America that has impacted millions of lives and families. Early outcomes have been deeply promising, especially for veterans who have been searching for real relief. This episode is also an announcement. For the first time, we introduce North Node, a private educational association with a mission to expand access to education, integration, and community. We share how we came together with a simple vision to create intentional and responsible spaces where these medicines can be explored with care and support. Learn more about North Node here: https://www.explorenorthnode.com/ [https://www.explorenorthnode.com/] We also talk about what is ahead, including the upcoming event The Rewired Mind with Coalition9 at Forgotten Star Brewing in Fridley, Minnesota on May 13, 2026. This event is open to the public. You can register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/c9-well-the-rewired-mind-tickets-1987465011350?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/c9-well-the-rewired-mind-tickets-1987465011350?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true] We also introduce a new outdoor series called HikroDose, a community experience centered around plant medicine, nature, and the arts. Something is shifting. If you’re ready to explore what this could look like for you, book an alignment call: https://calendly.com/explorenorthnode/45min [https://calendly.com/explorenorthnode/45min]

Can MDMA Save Relationships? A Therapist With 50 Years of Experience Explains

In this episode of Minds on Mushrooms, I sit down with psychotherapist and relationship expert Jonathan Robinson, who has explored MDMA both personally and professionally for more than 50 years. Together we explore how MDMA works in the brain and body, why it’s often described as a heart-opening medicine, and how thoughtful set, setting, and emotional safety can create powerful opportunities for connection and healing between partners. We talk about the science, the emotional openness this medicine can create, and the relational possibilities that emerge when defenses lower and compassion rises. In this conversation, we explore: • How MDMA affects fear and trust in the brain • Why the medicine can increase empathy and emotional connection • The importance of preparation, intention, and environment • How couples can create supportive spaces for deeper conversations • What decades of experience reveal about MDMA and relationships If you're curious about MDMA-assisted therapy, psychedelic science, or new approaches to relationship healing, this conversation offers a thoughtful and grounded perspective. Resources Mentioned 📖 Jonathan Robinson’s book Ecstasy as Couples Therapy: Using MDMA to Heal Conflict and Deepen Your Relationship https://www.amazon.com/Ecstasy-Couples-Therapy-Conflict-Relationship-ebook/dp/B0G5HWTSJT [https://www.amazon.com/Ecstasy-Couples-Therapy-Conflict-Relationship-ebook/dp/B0G5HWTSJT] About Jonathan Robinson • 40+ years of experience with MDMA-assisted therapy • Trained over 500 clinicians through MDMAtraining.net • Author of 16 books on communication, trauma, MDMA, and healing • New York Times bestselling author (Communication Miracles for Couples) • Began conducting MDMA therapy research in 1984 for his master’s thesis • Featured on Oprah, CNN, and over 200 podcasts Websites • https://FindingHappiness.com [https://FindingHappiness.com] • https://XTCasMedicine.com [https://XTCasMedicine.com] • https://XTCforCouples.net [https://XTCforCouples.net] Explore More 🌐 Minds on Mushrooms https://www.mindsonmushrooms.com [https://www.mindsonmushrooms.com] 🌿 North Node https://www.explorenorthnode.com [https://www.explorenorthnode.com] 📞 Book an Alignment Call https://calendly.com/explorenorthnode/45min [https://calendly.com/explorenorthnode/45min] Listen to Minds on Mushrooms Minds on Mushrooms is available on: • YouTube • Apple Podcasts • Spotify The show explores the science, healing, and human stories behind psychedelic medicines and conscious living. Hosted by Maggie Kirkwood, psychedelic practitioner and integration guide for intentional inner journeys. ⚠️ This episode is shared for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice.

From Breaking Point to Breakthrough: Psychedelics & the Reinvention of a Marriage | Jay Fiset

In this deeply honest and expansive conversation, I sit down with Jay Fiset, who shares how reaching a breaking point in his marriage became the catalyst for profound personal and relational transformation. Jay and his wife, Cory Fiset, have been in relationship for 37 years. After 25 years of marriage, they found themselves at a crossroads that required radical honesty, individual healing, and a willingness to reinvent both themselves and their relationship from the inside out. Jay opens up about his own inward journey first, taking responsibility for his healing, meeting old patterns with clarity, and learning how to show up more truthfully. Throughout our conversation, I deeply appreciate Jay’s transparency in how he shares his lived experience as a psychedelic educator and guide, speaking openly about the responsibility, intention, and integrity this work requires. Psychedelics became a gateway for this work, offering insight, emotional access, and aligned action. As his inner work deepened, that healing naturally began to ripple into the relationship. Eventually, psychedelics also became a shared entry point for both Jay and Cory. Jay speaks candidly about the role MDMA played as a major catalyst, not as a cure or shortcut, but as a tool that supported emotional safety, openness, and deeply honest communication. Through this intentional work, they were able to soften defenses, rebuild trust, and come back together in a more transparent, authentic, and connected partnership. Today, Cory and Jay are a husband-and-wife team and Certified Psychedelic Guides who focus specifically on supporting couples. Drawing upon more than 30 years of experience facilitating intensive personal development programs, individual coaching, experiential workshops, and couples retreats, they now offer intentional, safe, and intimacy-enhancing medicine experiences for committed couples. Their work is designed for couples who want to discover themselves more fully, express truth with care, and deepen emotional and relational connection, not by bypassing the work, but by meeting it together with intention and integrity. This episode explores: * Why individual healing is the foundation of relational repair * Psychedelics as catalysts for insight, not replacements for the work * MDMA’s role in emotional safety, trust, and intimacy * Reinventing long-term relationships without starting over * What it truly means to heal together while honoring personal responsibility If you’re curious about how psychedelics can support deeper self-awareness, and how that awareness can strengthen intimacy, honesty, and connection within long-term relationships, this conversation offers a grounded, real-world perspective on healing from the inside out. ✨ This conversation is shared for educational and informational purposes and emphasizes intention, responsibility, and integration. 🔗 Explore Jay & Cory’s Work If this conversation resonates and you would like to explore Jay and Cory’s offerings, you can learn more here: The Connection Experience – FAQs https://theconnectionexperience.love/faq [https://theconnectionexperience.love/faq] Fireside Chat: The Connection Experience https://theconnectionexperience.love/firesidetce [https://theconnectionexperience.love/firesidetce] The Psychedelic Coach Accelerator, a 3-day immersive event https://psychedeliccoachaccelerator.com/ [https://psychedeliccoachaccelerator.com/] The Psychedelic Coaching Blueprint https://theconnectionexperience.love/blueprint-rp [https://theconnectionexperience.love/blueprint-rp] Couples Connection ++ Microdosing Protocol https://theconnectionexperience.love/couples-connection-microdosing [https://theconnectionexperience.love/couples-connection-microdosing] Microdosing Products and Protocols https://theconnectionexperience.love/order [https://theconnectionexperience.love/order] 🌿If this episode stirred something in you, whether around relationships, self-inquiry, or intentional psychedelic work, you can explore my work through North Node, a private, consent-based practice focused on preparation, integration, and embodied change. Learn more at: 🌱 https://explorenorthnode.com [https://explorenorthnode.com] 🌱 https://www.explorenorthnode.com/working-together [https://www.explorenorthnode.com/working-together] If this speaks to you, trust that feeling. 🎧 Minds on Mushrooms is available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Visit https://www.mindsonmushrooms.com [https://www.mindsonmushrooms.com] to explore episodes, resources, and more. Mush love, Maggie

Kanna: A Legal Alternative to Alcohol & MDMA? | with Andrew Weiss

What if you could feel open, connected, and relaxed… without alcohol? In this episode of Minds on Mushrooms, I sit down with Andrew Weiss, writer of The Psychedelic Blog, to explore kanna: a legal, mood-enhancing plant traditionally used for resilience, connection, and social ease. Many people describe kanna as heart-opening and gently euphoric, similar to MDMA or a few drinks, but without the hangover or emotional crash. We talk about what kanna actually feels like, how it works, and the story behind Get Kanna, Andrew’s thoughtfully crafted product designed for intentional, situational experiences like date nights, gatherings, music, or deeper connection. If you’re rethinking your relationship with alcohol or curious about plant-based alternatives for feeling good in your body, this conversation is for you. ✨ Free shipping with code FRIENDS0FGK2 Get Kanna: https://www.getkanna.com/ [https://www.getkanna.com/] IG: @getkanna To learn more about working with Maggie: https://www.explorenorthnode.com/working-together [https://www.explorenorthnode.com/working-together] Book an Alignment Call [https://calendly.com/mindsonmushrooms-info/45min] This episode is for educational purposes only and not medical advice. Keywords: kanna, kanna plant, alcohol alternative, legal plant medicine, herbal mood enhancer, plant medicine podcast, psychedelic education, microdosing alternatives

Strength Without Armor: A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Professor on Avoidance, Core Wounds & Choosing Support

In this deeply honest conversation, I sit down with Derek Barlow, professor at Bellum Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu [https://bellumbrazilianjiujitsu.com/] in St. Paul, to talk about strength, avoidance, and what happens when the armor we build no longer serves us. Derek shares how exploring psilocybin on his own brought awareness to long held patterns of avoidance and a core belief of unworthiness, and how realizing he could not navigate those discoveries alone led him to seek intentional, supported care. We talk about what it means to stop running from yourself, to honor core wounds without judgment, and how choosing support can soften not only the inner world, but relationships as well. Derek opens up about how this work deepened his connection with his wife and reshaped his understanding of strength. This episode is a grounded, responsible conversation about awareness, readiness, and the courage it takes to meet yourself honestly without having to do it alone. Learn more about Bellum Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu https://bellumbrazilianjiujitsu.com/ [https://bellumbrazilianjiujitsu.com/] https://www.instagram.com/bellumbjjstpaul/ [https://www.instagram.com/bellumbjjstpaul/] More information about working together through North Node https://www.explorenorthnode.com/working-together [https://www.explorenorthnode.com/working-together]