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Brainforest CaféAuthor: McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy Language: en-us Genres: Natural Sciences, Philosophy, Science, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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From Conventional Medicine to Plant Dietas and Spiritual Growth
Episode 48
Monday, 17 November, 2025
Nissan started his career as a medical doctor and began his work as a general practitioner in an urban community clinic system. He then specialized in ophthalmology and practiced in a small town for 36 years. He became dissatisfied working strictly on the physical level and received training in Gestalt psychotherapy and had a small private practice. He became interested in the field of Natural Vision Improvement which combined his interest in vision with present moment, embodied presence. A reading from a tarot card reading psychic suggested the need for working in and with the spiritual realm to facilitate the Natural Vision work and suggested there were some gifts for him in shamanism. His wife had had a powerful experience in a ceremony with Don José Campos and encouraged him to explore Ayahuasca as a method to open himself spiritually. He had two very different , but powerful experiences with Don José and participated in a plant dieta in the Amazon in 2005 with Don José. He received what he interpreted as an initiatory experience and felt called to be trained as a vegetalista. He embarked on the training under Don José and Don Lucho’s guidance and began leading ceremonies in the US in 2009 and in 2011 began leading plant dietas in the Amazon. He continues to lead ceremonies in various locations in the US and occasionally Canada and leads dietas in the Amazon twice a year. Chapters (00:00:13) - Shamanism in the Amazon(00:02:25) - What Led Me to Become a Vegetalista(00:11:22) - Retinal detachments in both eyes(00:14:40) - Paul Feuerstein on his vision problems(00:19:21) - The story of Don Jose and ayahuasca(00:26:50) - The transformative power of ayahuasca(00:32:04) - The Power of Ayahuasca and Pain(00:41:23) - Experiences of Being Initiated(00:42:37) - Dietas and ayahuasca(00:46:23) - In the Amazon, a variety of plant medicines(00:49:23) - The Healing Power of Shihua Wako(00:59:13) - On Psychedelics and Panpsychism(01:04:03) - The Brainforest Cafe with Dennis McKenna
