In & Through: The Onaya Podcast

Onaya

In times of political, ecological and psychospiritual crisis — the only way out is In & Through. Join Onaya as we welcome some of the most interesting people we know, to discuss eclectic topics from psychedelic medicine and Indigenous ways of knowing, to spirit entities, the meaning of dreams, and singing to the plants. Your main host is our founder Dr Simon Ruffell, a psychiatrist and research psychologist with a PhD in Amazonian ayahuasca and a student of Shipibo curanderismo. Onaya is dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional indigenous knowledge and modern science, including a not-for-profit research arm that studies ayahuasca and other Amazonian plant medicine practices. We offer one-to-one support, consultancy and accredited courses that combine shamanism and biomedical science to facilitate holistic individual and collective healing. For more information, please visit https://www.onaya.io/ or join our mailing list. *** For a special 10% discount to our 6-Month Psychedelic Mentorship Training, head to our website and use the code 'INTHROUGH10' *** Co-producers: Robbie Redway and Caspar Montgomery Music: United Freedom Collective

  1. #25 — Open Source Education and the Shadow of Money with Liam Hackett MBE

    3d ago

    #25 — Open Source Education and the Shadow of Money with Liam Hackett MBE

    In this episode of Onaya's In & Through podcast, host Dr Simon Ruffell is joined by Liam Hackett MBE: entrepreneur, charity founder, executive coach, and founder of the HALI Foundation: an evidence-led organisation for psychedelic education, policy reform, and public dialogue on sacred plant medicines. Liam is also a graduate of Onaya's inaugural Psychedelic Mentorship Training programme, from our very first cohort, and this podcast features detailed reflections and practical discoveries from his subsequent journey towards covering psychedelic preparation, integration and transformation in his offerings. Liam spent 18 years building Ditch the Label into one of the world's largest youth charities, reaching over 180 million people and partnering with brands including EA Games, TikTok, and L'Oréal; work recognised with an MBE from His Majesty the King. That journey brought him face to face with the root causes of harm, stigma, and disconnection, and eventually to plant medicine, which he describes as holding "just the most enormous potential to really tackle those root causes" in ways conventional systems have failed to reach. Simon and Liam trace the arc of Liam's path: from founding a youth charity at 15 to the slow, seed-planting encounter with psychedelics that eventually called him to leave Ditch the Label and begin what he describes as "the second mountain." They explore the psychospiritual territory of that transition; the shamanic death, the collapse of the familiar road ahead, the art of surrender; and what it has felt like to move through it with intention. The conversation turns to the work Liam is building now: HALI Foundation's mission to bridge the gap between academic research, Indigenous wisdom, and public understanding; and Liam’s private coaching practice with founders and high achievers navigating the dissonance between outer success and inner misalignment. Together, Simon and Liam explore the shadow of money in plant medicine spaces; greed, shame, under-charging, and the spiritual bypassing that can lead practitioners to reject the very systems they are needed inside; and make a case for energetic exchange as a practice of awareness, boundaries, and contribution rather than transaction. This is a conversation about what it means to bring business acumen into the service of healing, to stay grounded while walking an uncertain path, and to go back into the world (rather than retreating into another retreat) as the actual work. Links HALI Foundation HALI Coaching

    1h 6m
  2. #24 — Psychedelic Ecologies of Context with Dr Ido Hartogsohn

    May 20

    #24 — Psychedelic Ecologies of Context with Dr Ido Hartogsohn

    In this episode of Onaya’s In & Through podcast, host Dr Simon Ruffell is joined by Dr Ido Hartogsohn, Assistant Professor in the Graduate Program for Science, Technology, and Society at Bar-Ilan University, and one of the leading contemporary thinkers on psychedelic set and setting. Dr Ido Hartogsohn’s research explores how context (the intricate confluence of psychological, social, cultural, and technological forces) profoundly shapes psychedelic experience. Together, Simon and Ido trace the historical development of the concepts of set and setting, from their mid-20th-century origins through to their place in today’s therapeutic renaissance, and consider how different eras have framed psychedelics: from 1950s ideas of optimization and performance to the contemporary focus on trauma and mental health. They also explore the idea of “collective set and setting”: The broader cultural narratives, media environments, and shared expectations that shape individual experience, and how intention itself is never purely personal but always formed in relation to the worlds we inhabit. Drawing on his background in Science and Technology Studies and media ecology, Dr Ido Hartoghsohn offers parallels between digital media environments and psychedelic environments, and how both can be understood as mind-shaping technologies. Dr Ido Hartoghsohn is the author of Technomysticism: Consciousness in the Technological Age (2009), American Trip (MIT Press, 2020), and Mind Changing: Notes from the Psychedelic Renaissance (2025), and writes widely for both Israeli and international media, including Haaretz and The New York Times, on psychedelics, technology, and culture. This is a conversation about maturity in psychedelic culture, the responsibilities of researchers and practitioners, and what it might mean to take seriously the subtle architectures that shape both individual and collective experience. Links Dr Ido Hartogsohn’s research profile American Trip (MIT Press, 2020) X: @hartogsohn

    1h 11m
  3. #23 — At the Threshold: Out of Body Experiences with Jade Shaw

    Apr 13

    #23 — At the Threshold: Out of Body Experiences with Jade Shaw

    In this episode of In & Through, Dr. Simon Ruffell is joined by Jade Shaw, teacher, researcher, and guide in out-of-body experiences (OBEs), astral projection, and the dream state, for a conversation spanning neuroscience, Tibetan Buddhism, shamanism, ADHD, why out-of-body experiences are not the same thing as lucid dreams (Jade’s had well over 300), and what is technically involved in teaching people how to navigate the further reaches of human consciousness. “We tailor techniques to the way you perceive reality. So if you're more visual, are you more audio? Do you feel like you sense energy? And so there are techniques that would specifically work more best for you if you're a more visual person. If you can't visualize it all, then maybe more of the logical techniques and tools might help.” Opening what becomes a generously technical discussion, Jade shares how childhood OBEs and a chance encounter with Robert Monroe's classic book Journeys Out of the Body led her to abandon a dance career and return to university to study transpersonal psychology. She explains the key differences between lucid dreaming and OBEs, and what five years in a Tibetan Buddhist temple taught her about consciousness transference, an advanced practice used to prepare for death, help stuck souls move on, and, in the Dalai Lama's case, consciously choose whether to reincarnate. Host Dr Simon Ruffell draws on his own training with the Shipibo in the Amazon rainforest to spotlight the prejudicial limitations that Westernised research all too often places on extraordinary experiences and entity encounters when it calls into question their veridicality, which leads to a wider discussion of ways that Western researchers have been known to go about getting to grips with the realness of spirit contact. Jade and Simon then reflect in particular on the experiences of Harvard psychiatrist John Mack's research into alien abduction, with Jade sharing follow-up insights gleaned at a private Esalen gathering of ex-government officials exploring non-human intelligence through astral projection. Jade and Simon also cover intention, mindfulness, neurodiversity, harm reduction, and the moving stories of students whose OBEs changed the course of their lives. The episode concludes with a walkthrough of Jade’s current six-month study at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, which tracks the transformative effects of OBE practice in 200 participants. Thought-provoking and satisfyingly precise, this conversation is an excellent opportunity to engage directly with practicing OBE exploration. For the OBE-curious, Jade has developed an introductory three-step guide. Links Jade’s website Instagram: @jadeshawofficial

    1h 17m
  4. #22 — Emphasizing Thriving: Americans for Ibogaine with Bryan Hubbard

    Mar 12

    #22 — Emphasizing Thriving: Americans for Ibogaine with Bryan Hubbard

    “Ibogaine has a very unique capacity to intelligently, uniquely, and sentiently reveal a reality to the individual which affirms the concrete reality of human divinity.” In this episode, Dr Simon Ruffell is joined by Bryan Hubbard, CEO of Americans for Ibogaine, a policy strategist who has played a central role in advancing the medical development of Ibogaine in the United States. Bryan shares the story behind the landmark passage of the Texas Ibogaine Initiative, signed into law by Greg Abbott in June 2025. The initiative allocates $50 million directly from the Texas state general fund, matched by a further $50 million from a consortium of universities, private hospital systems, and a drug developer, to support clinical research aimed at securing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Ibogaine as a breakthrough therapy for trauma, addiction, and other neurological conditions. Bryan recounts the two-year journey that led to this historic milestone, which began in Kentucky when he served as chair of the state’s opioid commission and launched the original Kentucky Ibogaine Initiative at the state capitol in 2023. After the project was transplanted to Texas, it culminated in what is now the largest single public investment in psychedelic medical research and development in history. Together, Simon and Bryan explore the broader movement now forming around Ibogaine in the United States. Especially, the importance of ensuring that Ibogaine’s direct relation to Iboga and to Bwiti communities in Gabon is respected, in step with the Global North’s recognition of its restorative potentials. With the creation of Americans for Ibogaine, a coalition of researchers, policymakers, and citizens is working to expand access to Ibogaine across multiple states as legislatures prepare to convene in 2026. The conversation ranges from the practical realities of bringing psychedelic medicines through regulatory pathways to the deeper humanitarian motivations behind the work. Bryan describes an emerging movement that is at once empirical, political, cultural, and spiritual, seeking new responses to addiction, trauma, and the generational challenges affecting American society. “You know, we can help ensure that people can live. It's a whole different thing than helping them actually live a life in which they can thrive. You know, we've got to start emphasizing thrive as much as we emphasize survive.” This episode reflects on what it takes to move a vision into legislation, and how the convergence of science, policy, and public will may help reshape the future of mental health care in the United States. Links Americans for Ibogaine Bryan Hubbard Instagram: @w_bryan_hubbard

    1h 13m
  5. #21 — Soul Retrieval and Nutrition as Medicine with Rory Lamont

    Feb 21

    #21 — Soul Retrieval and Nutrition as Medicine with Rory Lamont

    In this episode, Dr Simon Ruffell is joined by Rory Lamont, a former professional rugby union player who represented Scotland in two World Cups and earned 29 international caps, playing for Glasgow Warriors, Sale Sharks, and Toulon. Rory’s story is one of profound rupture and transformation. After years of injuries and repeated concussions, he suffered a career-ending leg break during the 2012 Six Nations. The loss of his career and identity, alongside multiple surgeries and pharmaceutical interventions, precipitated a deep physical, psychological, and spiritual crisis that brought him to the brink. What followed was a journey that took him far beyond the world of elite sport, including to Costa Rica, where he encountered the plant medicine Iboga. In this conversation, Rory speaks candidly about that experience: confronting his past, reckoning with the impact of his previous lifestyle, including the volume of pharmaceutical drugs inherent in being a professional rugby player, on his body and mind, and undergoing what he describes as a profound spiritual re-awakening. Together, Simon and Rory explore themes of soul loss and retrieval; experiences that can echo what we might clinically call trauma or PTSD; and the possibility of healing when parts of ourselves feel too unsafe to remain. They discuss the contrasts and complementarities between Western medicine and Indigenous traditions, the role of diet and detoxification, and the importance of community in recovery. Inspired by his own healing journey, Rory went on to co-found CAIM, a health and wellness retreat centre in the Scottish Highlands, offering breathwork, meditation, plant-based nutrition, and spaces for deep personal restoration. This conversation celebrates how collapse can be followed by reconstruction, the recognition of identity beyond performance, and the growing dialogue between science and spirituality in our collective understanding of health. Onaya is offering a 20% discount code on our Psychedelic Mentorship Training (next starting February 24th) to the CAIM community, which you can unlock at checkout with the code: CAIM20 Links CAIM’s website Life After Rugby (Rory’s Journey) Instagram: @rory_lamont

    1h 38m
  6. #20 — Death, Rebirth, Reclaiming the Witch with Tree Carr

    Jan 13

    #20 — Death, Rebirth, Reclaiming the Witch with Tree Carr

    Tree Carr is a dream worker, TEDx speaker, and the author of nine publications, whose work spans the thresholds of death, dreams, and consciousness.  A transpersonal psychologist with a focus on altered states, dreamwork, and psychedelic-assisted therapy, Tree is a graduate of the Alef Trust and a CPD Crossfields Institute Certified Death Doula. She teaches at the College of Psychic Studies, The Psychedelic Society UK, and has tutored lucid dreaming at the Royal College of Art. In the 20th episode of In & Through, host Dr Simon Ruffell and Tree explore the numinous beginnings of Tree’s journey into these liminalities, initiated by a near-death experience at the age of four, a pivotal moment that shaped her lifelong orientation toward liminal states and unseen worlds. This conversation then explores Tree’s work as a death doula, the specificities of supporting people at the end of life, and how death work is inseparable from questions of meaning, presence, and consciousness. They explore dreams as vital explorations of consciousness, discussing why dreaming has held such importance across Indigenous cultures worldwide, and why reconnecting with the dreamscape is especially necessary in the contemporary Western world. The episode also unpacks the concept of the tem “witch” as a practitioner of magic, wisdom, and embodied knowledge, and why reclaiming and redefining this term matters as magic begins to reawaken in the British Isles. Looking toward the future, Simon and Tree also discuss AI and its role in the evolution of consciousness, debating whether it could be a powerful tool for good or ill, depending on human intention. This episode concludes with reflections on interconnectedness, integrity, and the importance of hope in the face of global challenges. LinksTree’s websiteLucid Dreaming Course: Exploring the Dream Realms (starts 19 January 2026)Sessions and Services with TreeTechnomancy: Tech Magic and Spells for the 21st-Century Witch (Out May 2026, available now for pre-order!)  We are delighted to offer a 15% discount to Tree’s community to take part in Onaya’s 6-month Psychedelic Mentorship Training (Next Start: 24 February 2026) with the code: TREECARR15

    1h 33m
  7. #19 — Entheogenic iCloud: Mycelial Sciences with Darren Le Baron

    12/18/2025

    #19 — Entheogenic iCloud: Mycelial Sciences with Darren Le Baron

    Darren Le Baron is a world-renowned educator in ethnomycology and psychedelic studies, based between the UK and the Caribbean. A grassroots community activist with a background in creative arts, organic horticulture, and permaculture, he is a programme curator of Breaking Convention and the creator of the Shroomshop, a mushroom cultivation initiative that engages local communities, schools, and businesses while reconnecting people to fungi as teachers, healers, and allies. In this conversation, Darren Le Baron and Dr Simon Ruffell explore the cultural, spiritual, and communal significance of mushrooms, with a particular focus on African traditions and Indigenous practices. Darren traces the deep historical roots of psychedelic use across Africa, reframing psychedelics as ancestral technologies that have long supported healing, ceremony, and the transmission of knowledge across generations. The conversation weaves together history, spirituality, and lived experience, highlighting the role of mushrooms in both personal transformation and collective wellbeing. Darren speaks to the importance of maintaining balance across physical, psychological, and spiritual planes, and how respectful, intentional engagement with psychedelics can help restore harmony within individuals and communities alike. Together, Darren and Simon reflect on the contemporary psychedelic renaissance, examining both its promise and its challenges. Darren offers a grounded critique of extractive or commercialised approaches, while advocating for the ethical interaction of traditional cultural knowledge with contemporary scientific research. Central to this vision is education, community empowerment, and honoring the lineages from which these practices emerge. This episode also explores psychedelics as agents of spiritual journeying, facilitating connection with ancestors, access to higher knowing, and deeper self-understanding. Through his work, Darren reminds us that mushrooms are not only medicines for individuals but catalysts for cultural reverence, resilience, and collective healing. Links: Darren’s websiteNext Shroomshop learning opportunity (12 January 2026) Instagram: @darren_le_baronDarren Le Baron has gifted the Onaya community a 50% discount on his Psychedelics in Africa webinar series, with the code: ONAYA50 (Expires: 31 Jan 2026) We are delighted to offer a 15% discount on Onaya’s next 6-month Psychedelic Mentorship Training, a live, taught, accredited course led by Dr Simon Ruffell and Dr WaiFung Tsang to Darren’s community. You can find out more and sign up with the code: DARREN15

    1h 18m
  8. #18 - Plants, Intuition and Initiation with Nathaniel Hughes

    11/27/2025

    #18 - Plants, Intuition and Initiation with Nathaniel Hughes

    Herbalist and teacher Nathaniel Hughes works at the intersection of intuitive plant communication, traditional healing lineages, and contemporary Western herbalism. Founder of Ruskin Apothecary and author of several books on relational herbal practice, including  ‘Intuitive Herbalism’ (2014), ‘Weeds in the Heart‘ (2018), and ‘Wild Enchantments‘ (2024), Nathaniel’s path bridges early training in organic chemistry with a deep commitment to experiential, spirit-led plant study. In this conversation, Nathaniel shares his transition from academic science into a more embodied, animist understanding of the vegetal world shaped by apprenticeship, personal revelation, and an openness to plant intelligence. Together, Nathaniel and Dr Simon Ruffell consider how herbalism has been marginalized through colonial and reductionist histories, why conventional scientific models struggle to capture the complexity of human–plant relationships, and how reconnecting with ancestral approaches can restore a sense of reciprocity and reverence. This episode also explores the ethics of respectfully engaging with Indigenous science, the nuances of cultural appropriation, and the resurgence of interest in traditional healing practices, emphasising the importance of cultivating direct experience, listening beyond the measurable, and honouring the relational field that plants invite us into. Nathaniel is a practitioner, writer, and educator at The School of Intuitive Herbalism, advocating for an herbalism rooted in humility, curiosity, and deeper connection with the living world. Ways to engage with Nathaniel’s work and to learn from plants directly: Insight Herbalism’s WhatsApp Group for event notifications The School of Intiutive Herbalism’s Newsletter Engaging with plants respectfully is a core tenet of Onaya's six month Psychedelic Mentorship Training - next cohort starting January 20th, 2026. In the spirt of this we're thrilled to offer the Intuitive Herbalism community a 15% discount to join the course, with the checkout code: INTUITIVE15

    1h 12m
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About

In times of political, ecological and psychospiritual crisis — the only way out is In & Through. Join Onaya as we welcome some of the most interesting people we know, to discuss eclectic topics from psychedelic medicine and Indigenous ways of knowing, to spirit entities, the meaning of dreams, and singing to the plants. Your main host is our founder Dr Simon Ruffell, a psychiatrist and research psychologist with a PhD in Amazonian ayahuasca and a student of Shipibo curanderismo. Onaya is dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional indigenous knowledge and modern science, including a not-for-profit research arm that studies ayahuasca and other Amazonian plant medicine practices. We offer one-to-one support, consultancy and accredited courses that combine shamanism and biomedical science to facilitate holistic individual and collective healing. For more information, please visit https://www.onaya.io/ or join our mailing list. *** For a special 10% discount to our 6-Month Psychedelic Mentorship Training, head to our website and use the code 'INTHROUGH10' *** Co-producers: Robbie Redway and Caspar Montgomery Music: United Freedom Collective

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