Still In It : 5-MeO-DMT Stories

First-Responder Heals PTSD with Psychedelics | Ep. 37 — Mugs' 5-MeO Story

Mugs, a firefighter from just outside Seattle, came to us at Enfold in early 2025 after years of service left her system overloaded. A series of traumatic calls she dealt with — car accidents, suicides, fires — compounded earlier personal depression and trauma. “My world had gotten so small,” she says. “I stopped living or functioning.” Having tried talk therapy, EMDR, and countless modalities without relief, she arrived at Enfold with one clear hope: to find something that could reach the pain her mind couldn’t. What unfolded was an equally beautiful and challenging death & rebirth experience. During her 5-MeO-DMT ceremony, Mugs experienced a profound purge — a letting go of energy she says “never belonged to me.” Through that release came what she describes as a near-death experience that reoriented her entire relationship with life, family, and service. Returning home, she found her nervous system quiet for the first time in decades. The “hard drive” of her body and mind felt wiped clean, leaving space for presence, creativity, and love to return. “I just had space again,” she says. “It was absolutely incredible. The way it’s unfolded over time has been the best gift of my life.” In This Episode 1. How cumulative trauma and compassion fatigue can silently shut down the body 2. What happens when traditional therapies can’t reach the somatic roots of pain 3. The purging and release process of 5-MeO-DMT through Mugs’ lived experience 4. Moving from emotional numbness to gratitude and connection 5. How a near-death experience reshaped her relationship with her kids and work 6. Bringing empathy and forgiveness into difficult conversations 7. Reclaiming creativity and purpose after years of survival 🔍 For anyone carrying the unseen weight of service — especially first responders — Mugs’ story is a testament to how deep nervous system healing can restore the very qualities that trauma once buried: patience, compassion, and the simple joy of being alive. 🗣️ “I’m just so thankful. I care now. I didn’t care before… To be able to have that feeling where you actually genuinely care what the other person is going through.. it’s such a gift.” — Mugs —  Enfold offers safe and sacred transformational experiences combining psychedelic medicines, breathwork, coaching, and somatic modalities, with a grounding in Buddhist philosophy. We come together as a community to support one another on the path of transformation with events, circles, and ongoing programs.  Ready to embark on your own transformational journey? Learn more about our programs at: ⁠https://enfold.org [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0MzQ0tyQVJmdEVleGZ0eEhaWk94Ukp0VW9vQXxBQ3Jtc0tuZWxaNHJRVWxMeWwxTjl3QWsyLWFNbmJNVmZOcU9SYlg2QTE5U0ZKT1lHRVZTdXBBMEFjcmtlT3VWZ1gyWHdfZ21QSTRBOTk5RnFXNno4bGtaY2ZfMzdRNXNlMjVfR1VXS0dLRElhdEg2RndFaXdMMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fenfold.org%2F&v=PYms6_eDmtc]

Entrepreneur Returns to 5-MeO | Ep.36 — Tony Leblanc's 5-MeO Story

When Tony first came to Enfold with his wife, Chantel, he was searching for something that years of therapy and effort couldn’t unlock: greater empathy. Despite his love for her, he often felt frozen in moments of her pain — unable to connect, unsure why. That first intensive opened the door. He began to feel her emotions and be with her through them, rather than analyze them, marking a profound shift in how he related to love, vulnerability, and safety. A year later, Tony returned on his own — no longer to save his marriage, but to understand himself. What unfolded was an intimate encounter with his deepest wound: abandonment. Through 5-MeO-DMT and a dedication to the integration work, Tony reconnected with the parts of himself that had never known safety or intimacy. In a moment of clarity, he realized that what he longed to give to others was what his own inner child had always needed — to simply be held. This second journey deepened Tony’s relationship with himself — expanding his capacity for compassion, acceptance, and presence across his business, family, and spiritual path. In This Episode 1. How early emotional absence shaped Tony’s struggle with empathy 2. The power of returning to the medicine with a new intention 3. Uncovering abandonment as a lifelong survival pattern 4. How integration practices like breathwork and IFS are the backbone of healing 5. Reconciling spiritual growth with an entrepreneurial drive 6. Learning to face mortality with openness rather than fear 7. Why healing is less about breakthroughs and more about devotion to practice 🔍 For anyone who feels disconnected from the people they love — or who can show care to everyone but themselves — Tony’s story reveals that real transformation doesn’t end in ceremony. It lives in the quiet, daily commitment to meet the parts of ourselves we’ve long kept at a distance. 🗣️ “I have the tendency of keeping people at a distance because my father left when I was a kid... I’m trying to unprogram that — to let people in, to support them, not be afraid to express love and compassion.” — Tony LeBlanc —  Enfold offers safe and sacred transformational experiences combining psychedelic medicines, breathwork, coaching, and somatic modalities, with a grounding in Buddhist philosophy. We come together as a community to support one another on the path of transformation with events, circles, and ongoing programs.  Ready to embark on your own transformational journey? Learn more about our programs at: ⁠https://enfold.org [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0MzQ0tyQVJmdEVleGZ0eEhaWk94Ukp0VW9vQXxBQ3Jtc0tuZWxaNHJRVWxMeWwxTjl3QWsyLWFNbmJNVmZOcU9SYlg2QTE5U0ZKT1lHRVZTdXBBMEFjcmtlT3VWZ1gyWHdfZ21QSTRBOTk5RnFXNno4bGtaY2ZfMzdRNXNlMjVfR1VXS0dLRElhdEg2RndFaXdMMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fenfold.org%2F&v=PYms6_eDmtc]

An Ongoing Practice | Ep.35 — Nick's 5-MeO Experience

Nick, a Seattle-based UX researcher, shares his journey of how debilitating Long Covid became a gateway of discovery revealing his physical symptoms were manifestations of decades-old nervous system dysregulation and unprocessed C-PTSD. Nearly six months after his intensive at Enfold, Nick reveals what brought him to this medicine: debilitating fibromyalgia, chronic body tension, and a nervous system stuck in survival mode since age 16. Despite meditation retreats and other healing modalities, he still couldn't access safety in his own body. What emerges is a story of gradual transformation — from reconnecting with trust and rest in his body, to recognizing patterns that had been keeping him from stepping fully into his life and upcoming marriage. This conversation explores the intersection of somatic healing, ancestral patterns, and the non-linear nature of deep nervous system work. In This Episode: 1. How COVID became the catalyst that revealed deeper nervous system dysregulation 2. The ongoing process of learning what trust and rest feel like in the body 3. Why his Zen practice prepared him for the medicine but couldn't reach certain wounds 4. The shadow work revelation about not fully stepping into mature masculinity 5. The rage and sorrow that needed expression after generations of family suppression 6. Why healing continues to unfold in both profound moments and mundane daily life 🔍 For anyone whose body holds tension despite years of practice, Nick's story shows how transformation is rarely instant — it's a patient unfolding that compounds over time through multiple experiences and practices. 🗣️ "These difficult emotions are just strong currents flowing through deep time... it's like taking off a tight pair of shoes." — Nick — Enfold offers safe and sacred transformational experiences combining psychedelic medicines, breathwork, coaching, and somatic modalities, with a grounding in Buddhist philosophy. We come together as a community to support one another on the path of transformation with events, circles, and ongoing programs. Ready to embark on your own transformational journey? Learn more about our programs at: ⁠https://enfold.org [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0MzQ0tyQVJmdEVleGZ0eEhaWk94Ukp0VW9vQXxBQ3Jtc0tuZWxaNHJRVWxMeWwxTjl3QWsyLWFNbmJNVmZOcU9SYlg2QTE5U0ZKT1lHRVZTdXBBMEFjcmtlT3VWZ1gyWHdfZ21QSTRBOTk5RnFXNno4bGtaY2ZfMzdRNXNlMjVfR1VXS0dLRElhdEg2RndFaXdMMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fenfold.org%2F&v=PYms6_eDmtc]

Love Without Armour | Ep. 34 — Benjamin Forest's 5-MeO Experience

Benjamin Forest, a retired military officer turned psychedelic coach and author, shares how 25 years of military service left him emotionally shut down, and how psychedelics helped him rediscover his capacity to feel and love authentically. Five months after his intensive at Enfold, Benjamin reflects on his journey from military life through psychedelic healing. After a mental breakdown ended his military career, followed by psychiatric hospitalization and years of unsuccessful treatments, a transformative psilocybin experience opened his heart and changed everything. Having explored various medicines since then, he came to Enfold purely out of curiosity about 5-MeO-DMT. What he discovered was unexpected: intense physical release, nervous system recalibration, and the revelation that his romantic love had been coming from a wounded, defensive place. This conversation explores how a lifetime of masculine conditioning created "emotional constipation", and how learning to love vulnerably became the real integration work. In This Episode: 1. How military service and masculine conditioning taught him to lock down all emotions 2. The mental breakdown and psychiatric hospitalization that catalyzed his healing journey 3. How the heart medicine ceremony revealed what he actually needed to work on 4. The intense physical purging and energetic release during his ceremonies 5. The 48-hour deep rest that followed as his nervous system finally downregulated 6. The new practice of responding to hurt with vulnerability instead of retaliation 🔍 For anyone who's built their life around strength and control, Benjamin's story shows how true courage lies in learning to feel, express hurt honestly, and love without armour. 🗣️ "One of the biggest practices of integrating around this lesson of love is learning how to react to hurt. If I can react to hurt from a place of love... life just got a whole lot easier and a lot more honest." — Benjamin 📚 Get Benjamin's Book: Benjamin's new book Trip of a Lifetime: The Psychedelic Path to Healing, Loving, and Living features his Enfold experience in Chapter 10. This self-help guide walks readers through preparation, navigation, and integration of psychedelic experiences in an accessible, practical format. Available September 2025 at benjaminforest.com [http://www.benjaminforest.com] — Enfold offers safe and sacred transformational experiences combining psychedelic medicines, breathwork, coaching, and somatic modalities, with a grounding in Buddhist philosophy. We come together as a community to support one another on the path of transformation with events, circles, and ongoing programs. Ready to embark on your own transformational journey? Learn more about our programs at: ⁠https://enfold.org [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0MzQ0tyQVJmdEVleGZ0eEhaWk94Ukp0VW9vQXxBQ3Jtc0tuZWxaNHJRVWxMeWwxTjl3QWsyLWFNbmJNVmZOcU9SYlg2QTE5U0ZKT1lHRVZTdXBBMEFjcmtlT3VWZ1gyWHdfZ21QSTRBOTk5RnFXNno4bGtaY2ZfMzdRNXNlMjVfR1VXS0dLRElhdEg2RndFaXdMMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fenfold.org%2F&v=PYms6_eDmtc]

Ep. 33 — Jaclyn | A Soul Reckoning ~ 5-MeO-DMT Experience

Jaclyn, a small business owner from British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, shares how childhood trauma was still affecting her adult life and relationships, and how the Enfold process helped her reclaim safety, trust, and her authentic voice. Nearly a year after her experience at Enfold, Jaclyn describes what led her to seek this medicine: fractured sleep, reactivated nervous system triggers, and a deep distrust of masculine energy that was impacting both her professional and personal life. Despite years of traditional therapeutic work, she knew she was still "circling around core wounds" and felt called to something deeper. What unfolds is a story of transformation — from the moment she felt the medicine calling, to the moments at Enfold that helped her reclaim her voice. This conversation touches the heart of what it means to heal not just personal trauma, but generational patterns that live in our bodies. In This Episode: 1. Why years of traditional therapy still left Jaclyn feeling stuck around core wounds 2. The pivotal conversation that led to her immediate "yes" to this experience 3. How the group dynamic and witnessing others' healing became part of her own transformation 4. The full release ceremony where she "birthed herself back to herself" 5. That unforgettable integration moment in the ice bath and what it unlocked 6. How her relationship with masculine energy completely shifted after the experience 🔍 For anyone who has done "the work" but still feels something calling them deeper, Jaclyn's story illuminates how some healing requires going beyond the mind to access what the body holds. 🗣️ "Your joy is on the other side of what you may have been avoiding... It's not a trip. It's a soul reckoning." — Jaclyn