Step into a powerful and deeply personal conversation in this episode of In the Blink Podcast,, where healing, transformation, and the untapped wisdom of the mind take center stage. Explore how guided plant medicine journeys can catalyze emotional recovery, unlock forgotten memories, and rewire trauma at the neurological level. With insights on psilocybin, mescaline, and DMT—plus reflections on music, memory, and the body’s own intelligence—this episode offers a rare and profound look at the intersection of neuroscience, therapy, and spirituality. Whether you're new to the topic or already curious, this is a must-listen for anyone exploring healing beyond the surface.

“When you go through a psychedelic experience, it's more lucid. It tends to be as if you opened into the dream world, but with a clearer set of diving goggles on.” - Ben

Hear more about:

• Plant Medicine as a Catalyst for Healing: Guided psychedelic journeys using plant medicines like psilocybin, mescaline, and DMT can act as catalysts for emotional breakthroughs, particularly when trauma is recent and hasn't deeply taken root neurologically.

• Neuroplasticity and the "Critical Period": Psychedelics can reopen the brain’s critical period of neuroplasticity, allowing individuals to rewire maladaptive patterns and address trauma more effectively, even years after it occurred.

• Different Plant Medicines Serve Different Purposes: Each plant medicine has a unique effect—psilocybin often evokes psychological material and, at higher doses, spiritual experiences; mescaline heightens body intelligence; and DMT tends to facilitate transpersonal or spiritual insights.

• Music Deepens and Extends Healing: Music plays a potent role in psychedelic sessions. It evokes memories, deepens emotional processing, and can be used intentionally during and after sessions to reinforce positive changes.

• Unconscious Patterns Surface for Integration: Psychedelic experiences can bring up forgotten or repressed childhood memories and emotional patterns, even those not consciously targeted, allowing for holistic healing.

• Stereoscopic Vision and Memory Activation: Plant medicine can access deep neurological imprints, such as the experience of stereoscopic vision in individuals who have lost an eye, illustrating the brain’s capacity to retrieve and re-experience stored sensations.

• Sub-Brain Intelligence: The heart, gut, and nervous system hold their own forms of intelligence—often referred to as “sub-brains”—which psychedelics can help bring back into conscious awareness, enhancing decision-making and self-awareness.

• Risks of Overuse and the Importance of Integration: While psychedelics can be healing, excessive use or poor integration during the post-journey critical period can destabilize mental frameworks. Information hygiene and intentional integration are essential for lasting benefits.

About Benjamin Phelan:

After a first career in television and media, Benjamin found his calling in helping people from all walks of life to navigate major life passages, overcome significant personal challenges, and discover deeper purpose and meaning. He is based in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado.

For those interested in learning more, Neurons to Nirvana: Understanding Psychedelic Medicines is a highly recommended documentary—available on Amazon Prime, Apple, Google Play, or YouTube.

Another Movie Recommendation: Fantastic Fungi

https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=fantastic%20fungi&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#fpstate=vclbx

Connect with Meagan:

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

If you’ve ever navigated life after trauma, faced the invisible challenges of illness, or simply felt like your inner world is at odds with your outer reality, this podcast episode is for you. Join a deeply honest and insightful conversation between a host and her therapist of three years as they explore transformative healing through Internal Family Systems (IFS), psilocybin therapy, and the power of being truly witnessed. From coping with life-altering diagnoses to unlocking the subconscious mind, this episode offers wisdom, compassion, and tangible practices for anyone on a journey of grief, resilience, or self-discovery. Tune in—you might just find a piece of yourself in their story.

“So eventually I related to the illness as it really just my body seizing an opportunity to tell me that you're walking so far down the wrong path that we have to stop you from walking, yeah, and like you need to just slow down and sit in your being and see if what you're doing is actually in resonance with who you are.” - Abby

Key Points:

• Healing Isn't Always About Fixing—It's About Integration: Healing from trauma or life-changing illness doesn't necessarily mean returning to who you were before. Instead, it's about integrating what happened, accepting your current reality, and learning to live fully with it.

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) Offers a Path to Rewire the Brain: IFS therapy works by allowing individuals to access subconscious parts of themselves—often inner children or protector parts—and rewire long-held beliefs through imagination and compassionate attention, even without the use of psychedelics.

• Psychedelics Can Trigger Profound Shifts—but They're Not the Only Way: Psilocybin and other psychedelics can unlock hidden brain pathways and offer healing insights, but similar brain states and outcomes can be reached through visualization, meditation, and IFS.

• Invisible Disabilities Carry Unique Emotional Weight: Living with a disability no one can see can be isolating and frustrating. The episode brings attention to the emotional burden of being misunderstood or overlooked and the strength it takes to keep going.

• Being Truly Heard and Witnessed Is Inherently Healing: The simple yet powerful act of being seen, believed, and validated—without judgment—can be transformative for those processing trauma or grief.

• Slowing Down Changes Brain States and Promotes Healing: Most adults operate in beta brainwave states (analytical, overthinking mode), but healing often requires shifting into alpha or theta states through mindfulness, visualization, or guided meditation—where deeper emotional processing can occur.

About Abby White:

Abby provides individual adult psychotherapy sessions both virtually & in-person via her private practice "Butterfly Affect Psychotherapy & Counseling LLC", located in Boulder, CO. She specializes in working with those coping with life-changing illness & trauma, college/post college anxiety & identity development, & music industry professionals. Her approach to treatment is heavily rooted in the IFS (Internal Family Systems) tradition of therapeutic intervention in which client & clinician explore together the parts of self holding onto subconscious beliefs so that they may be released, integrated, & updated to support current client goals in life & in therapy. She also uses mindfulness-based interventions, training in non-violent communucation, & transpersonal approaches to support individual client recovery & aid in the development of life purpose & personal passions.

Connect with Abby:

Website: butterflyaffectpsychotherapy.com

Phone (text preferred): 203.536.0813

Email: abby@butterflyaffectpsychotherapy.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/butterflyaffect/

Connect with Meagan:

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

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to connect with a loved one who’s passed—or how that experience could transform your healing journey? In Episode 7 of In the Blink Podcast, Meagan sits down with Nicole Carson and Audra Brem to explore their deeply personal and emotional experiences with a medium. From grief and trauma to unexpected peace and growth, their stories offer powerful insights into life, loss, and the messages that can come through when you open your heart. Tune in to hear how one phone call changed everything.

“Have an open mind to other people who have done that and not be so harsh or judgmental towards that decision. Because everybody in life is on their own journey, and their own healing journey, and trauma is wild. So if you can find a sliver of hope in the darkest time of your life to get through that, and that comes in the form of a medium, so be it.” - Nicole

Key Takeaways:

• Mediums Can Provide Deep Emotional Healing: Nicole and Audra found significant healing through their sessions with Monica, a medium who helped them process grief, understand past traumas, and find peace with the loss of their parents.

• Letting Go Can Lead to Freedom: Nicole’s journey emphasized the importance of releasing the need to understand everything—particularly her father's suicide—which allowed her to finally feel a sense of peace and freedom.

• Skepticism Is Normal, Openness Is Transformational: Both Nicole and Audra began their journeys skeptical of mediums but experienced life-changing moments once they opened their minds and hearts to the process.

• Mediums Can Offer Ongoing Support and Guidance: Monica not only connected loved ones with those who had passed, but also continued to provide emotional and spiritual support, acting as a life coach and parenting guide.

• Shared Experiences Foster Empathy and Growth: Meagan, Audra, and Nicole found that discussing their experiences with mediums helped them process their pain, grow emotionally, and become more supportive and empathetic toward others navigating similar paths.

All About the Guest:

Nicole Carson is a passionate entrepreneur and franchise sales expert who owns Star Glow Spray Tan, a successful spray tan studio known for its high-quality service and client care. In addition to running her business, she works in franchise development, helping others pursue business ownership. With a background in marketing and a degree in Public Relations and Marketing, Nicole has built a career on strong relationships and strategic brand development. Her early experiences in dance and professional cheerleading shaped her confidence and leadership. Outside of work, she's a dedicated wife, mother of two active kids, school volunteer, and proud dog mom. Nicole enjoys spending time with loved ones, cheering for the Denver Broncos, and embracing her love of music and dance.

Connect with Nicole:

Instagram: @starglowspraytan

Connect with Meagan:

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

Join us for a powerful new episode of In the Blank as we reconnect after a three-year pause with a deeply personal conversation about resilience, grief, healing, and purpose. In this heartfelt episode, our host opens up about the life-altering accident that changed everything, her journey through trauma, and the inspiration behind launching a nonprofit to provide prosthetic eyes for those in need. From navigating single motherhood to rediscovering love and building a new life, this episode is a testament to the strength it takes to start again. Tune in for raw honesty, meaningful insights, and a story that reminds us we’re never alone in our struggles.

“This journey actually and founding this nonprofit, working on a website, telling my story, has actually been extremely healing. So just going through this process has really helped. All the things I did back in the beginning”

Key Takeaways:

• Importance of Personalized Learning: The episode emphasizes that education should not be one-size-fits-all. There is a strong call to recognize students' diverse learning styles, needs, and contexts to design more meaningful and effective learning experiences.

• Teacher Agency and Autonomy: Empowering teachers to adapt and personalize learning experiences is a recurring theme. When teachers have the autonomy to make decisions, they can better address the unique needs of their students.

• Learner-Centered Classrooms: The discussion highlights a shift toward placing students at the center of the learning process. This involves encouraging student voice, choice, and ownership of learning, which can lead to more engagement and deeper understanding.

• Challenges of Standardization: The conversation critiques standardized curricula and assessments, suggesting they often limit creativity and responsiveness in teaching. Flexibility and adaptability are presented as better alternatives.

• Importance of Reflective Practice: Teachers are encouraged to engage in continuous reflection to improve their practice. This includes questioning what is working, what isn’t, and how to better support student learning.

• Community and Collaboration: Building a supportive learning community is seen as vital. This includes collaboration among educators, as well as partnerships with students and families, to create environments where everyone can thrive.

Connect with Meagan:

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

If you’re looking for a conversation full of resilience, humor, and hope, don’t miss the latest episode of In the Blink featuring Katie Doble. Katie shares her extraordinary journey through personal loss, a stage-four cancer diagnosis, and life-changing treatments — all with incredible honesty and warmth. Her story is packed with life lessons about navigating adversity, finding strength in community, and embracing every moment. Listen in and be inspired!

“Own the narrative and take control. There's so much right now you can't control, and so figure out what you can and work on that. So just take what you need to make yourself feel like you have the control, but you need to own the narrative, and you need to tell people what you need, instead of letting people tell you what they need” - Katie Doble

Key Takeaways:

• Resilience Through Major Health Challenges: Katie faced immense adversity, including the death of her mother from pancreatic cancer and her own diagnosis with stage-four ocular melanoma. Despite these overwhelming hardships, she adapted with strength and found ways to move forward with her life.

• Importance of Community and Support Systems: Throughout her cancer journey, Katie emphasized how vital her support network was — from her family rallying around her to friends and the cancer community. She also learned to communicate clearly about what support she needed from others.

• Power of Hope, Faith, and Signs: Katie found hope through spiritual signs, especially a recurring symbol of hot air balloons she connected to her late mother. These experiences gave her comfort, a sense of connection, and motivation during difficult times.

• Mental Health Strategies in Facing Trauma: Therapy played a crucial role in Katie’s ability to manage her emotions. Key strategies included focusing on what she could control, owning her narrative, preparing for emotional triggers, and allowing herself to sit with grief rather than forcing positivity.

• Living Fully with Uncertainty: Katie highlighted the balance between cherishing the present, remembering the past, and planning for the future, even amid uncertainty. She emphasized that living meaningfully doesn't mean ignoring past hardships but embracing all parts of life’s journey.

All About Katie Doble:

With her captivating presence and insightful perspective, Katie Doble shares her profound first-hand account of navigating a stage 4 cancer diagnosis as a young adult. In her role as a patient advocate, Katie consults with and presents to pharmaceutical, biotech, and clinical supply audiences including the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF), American Brain Tumor Association, American Cancer Society, AstraZeneca, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the FDA. Recognized for her resilience and advocacy, Katie is a past recipient of the Courage Award from the MRF and the Out Living It Award from First Descents, and she has been published or featured in The Washington Post, NPR, HuffPost, and TODAY.com. She works as a headhunter in Denver, Colorado, where she lives with her husband, Nick, and their doghter, Alice.

Sign up to get updates on when Katie’s book releases and links to her blog, youtube, socials, and published articles or have been featured in: www.liinks.co/katiedoble

Throughout May, Katie Doble will proudly sport an eye patch daily to support the Eye on Grace Foundation. This non-profit offers crucial financial assistance to ocular melanoma patients traveling for treatment. You can contribute to this cause by donating here: https://givebutter.com/jCSaAD/katiedoble

Connect with Meagan:

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

If you've ever faced life-altering loss or unexpected challenges, this powerful podcast episode is a must-listen. It’s a heartfelt, raw, and at times surprisingly humorous conversation about resilience, perspective, and the unexpected gifts that can emerge from even the darkest moments. With stories of physical and emotional recovery, finding joy after tragedy, and the importance of a strong support system, this episode will leave you feeling seen, inspired, and hopeful. Listen in—you won’t want to miss it.

“Buy a helmet and run right at life, don't let it stop you. You're going to be sad, you're going to have bad days, and it's going to be awful. I'm not going to sugarcoat it to you, life is going to suck for a while and you'll run into things that will bring you back to really fragile parts of your recovery, and those will be hard, but life is still out there waiting for you.”

Key Takeaways

1. The Duality of Loss: Curse and Blessing

   • Loss can lead to profound growth and transformation.

   • The pain is real, but it can bring clarity and unexpected beauty to life.

   • Grief provides perspective; many things that once felt important become trivial.

2. Grieving Is Personal and Nonlinear

   • There's no timeline for healing; grief must be fully felt and honored.

   • Pressure to “just be positive” can be harmful—real healing comes from allowing all emotions.

3. The Power of Community

   • Supportive friends who treat you like your normal self can be essential to recovery.

   • The right tribe helps you maintain humor, identity, and perspective through adversity.

4. Acceptance Through Perspective

   • Loss reframes what matters: being alive, seeing your family, appreciating the little things.

   • Volunteering and hearing others’ stories can shift focus from “poor me” to gratitude.

5. Adaptation and Resilience

   • People are capable of more than they think; with time, you can do almost anything again.

   • Even with physical limitations, it’s possible to thrive and even surpass previous abilities.

6. Humor as a Coping Tool

   • Laughing at yourself can be healing—it’s a form of acceptance and a way to disarm discomfort.

   • Humor creates connection and helps normalize tough experiences.

7. Practical Advice for Navigating Loss

   • “Buy a helmet and run right at life”—don’t let fear stop you.

   • Find things you love and let them distract and fill you up ("distractive therapy").

   • Don't waste time with people or things that don’t add value to your life.

About Buck Latta:

Buck Latta is a Colorado native and amputee with deep ties to his family and community. Whether that's helping local businesses successfully navigate benefits strategies or Volunteering, coaching or teaching within the amputee community, local sports teams and non-profits. Buck lives in A-Town (Aurora) with his awesome wife, Cammie and two kids, Kiera (16) & Flynn (14) where he enjoys playing golf with his family and making questionable decisions on the ski hills in Colorado's beautiful high country.

Connect with Meagan:

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

Jennifer MacNiven shares her transformative journey from a career in physical therapy to a path of self-healing and discovery. She opens up about overcoming PTSD, anxiety, and depression through alternative therapies, including plant medicines, yoga, and travel. With experiences spanning 32 countries and 49 states, Jennifer discusses the importance of self-love, feminine energy, and holistic healing. She also introduces her book, Mind, Body, Soul Mate, which explores personal growth and relationships.

“My yoga teacher training, especially in myofascial yin yoga, deepened my understanding of meditation and body awareness. It’s like a deep massage that helps release trauma, often bringing unexpected emotions to the surface.”

1. Transition from Medical Device Job to Healing Journey

• 13 years in physical therapy and neurological rehab before experiencing burnout.

• A pivotal shift led her to photography and yoga teacher training in Bali.

• Struggled with anxiety, PTSD, and adrenal fatigue before embracing self-healing.

2. Healing Journey and Discovering Empathy

• Learning to embrace her empathic nature and overcome personal trauma.

• The impact of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness on emotional well-being.

• Finding purpose through photography and working with entrepreneurs.

3. Trauma and Healing through Plant Medicines

• Overcoming trauma from a past attack and understanding how the body stores trauma.

• Healing through psilocybin therapy, ayahuasca, and San Pedro.

• Importance of somatic therapy in conjunction with plant medicine for deeper healing.

4. Understanding Feminine Energy and Self-Love

• The challenge of embracing softness in a society driven by achievement.

• Learning self-acceptance and the power of receiving.

• Cultural contrasts between Eastern and Western perspectives on feminine energy.

5. Transition to Photography and Women’s Empowerment

• Shifting from medical work to photography, focusing on personal transformation.

• Empowering women through brand photography and self-expression.

• Attracting positive energy and living a fulfilling life through joy and beauty.

Connect with Jennifer:

Connect with Meagan:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meaganoberle/
Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meagan-oberle-0538038/

Hi, I’m Meagan Oberle, host of In the Blink. In this episode, I talk with Ray Caruso about the tragic loss of his son, Gavin, in a hiking accident. Ray shares his journey through grief, the support he received, and how he’s finding healing through music and community.

"I think this life is bigger than any one person or any one thing. And even though I'm not spiritual and I don't believe in an afterlife, there's still something I believe in the universe."
— Ray Caruso

• The Accident & Its Impact

• • Gavin and his girlfriend, Courtney, were caught in a thunderstorm while hiking.

  • A slip on wet rocks led to Gavin’s fatal fall.

  • Courtney survived and later became an EMT, inspired by the experience.

• Coping with Loss

• • Ray struggled to face the reality of Gavin’s death.

  • He avoided identifying Gavin’s body and still hasn’t opened his remains.

  • I share my own experience with loss and dealing with Bob’s remains.

• Healing Through Rituals & Community

• • My therapist emphasized the importance of rituals, like spreading ashes.

  • Ray plans to honor Gavin by spreading his ashes in San Diego.

  • We discuss the emotional challenges of preparing for closure.

• Personal Growth & Reflection

• • Ray shares how his relationship with Gavin evolved over time.

  • Courtney’s perspective helped Ray see his son in a new light.

  • We talk about the role of community in the grieving process.

• Creativity & Healing

• • Ray wrote a song, Cross the Line, to process his grief.

  • Music became a therapeutic outlet for him.

  • We explore how creative expression helps in healing.

Connect with Ray

Connect with Meagan:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meaganoberle/
Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meagan-oberle-0538038/