The Curious Spirit

Dr. Katrina Michelle

Demystifying Spiritual Emergence in Psychedelic Times What if the extraordinary has been moving through the ordinary all along, but we've lacked the structures to hold it? Hosted by psychotherapist and researcher Dr. Katrina Michelle, The Curious Spirit explores spiritual emergence — a natural developmental process, colloquially known as spiritual awakening, from a grounded, research-informed psychological perspective. As more and more people find themselves encountering experiences that take them beyond the limits of their worldviews — especially with the movement of psychedelic therapies into the mainstream — it's time for us to catch up: normalizing this process, and creating frameworks that offer language, support, and room to expand into our highest potentials. Transcendent spiritual experiences are not reserved for new-agers, yogis, or seekers — they're simply part of being human. Each monthly episode brings grounded research, real stories, and clinical insight to experiences too often dismissed or pathologized. Stay curious. katrinamichelle.substack.com

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    Carrying the Lineage Forward: A Conversation with Jay Dufrechou

    What happens when an experience changes everything you thought you knew about reality? In this episode of The Curious Spirit, I'm joined by Jay Dufrechou, PhD, for a thoughtful conversation about spiritual emergence, synchronicity, and the ways extraordinary experiences can reshape our understanding of ourselves and the world. Jay shares how a profound mystical experience changed the direction of his life and eventually led him from practicing law into transpersonal psychology and Holotropic Breathwork. We explore the importance of finding language for these experiences, the role of community and integration, and what the growing interest in psychedelic therapies means for the future of psychological and spiritual healing. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IM2IpvAxj6E About Jay Dufrechou Jay Dufrechou, J.D., PhD, is the Director of Grof Legacy Training USA and author of Moving Through Grief: Reconnecting with Nature. A former attorney, Jay has spent decades exploring spiritual emergence, transpersonal psychology, and Holotropic Breathwork. His work focuses on supporting personal transformation, developing training programs, and creating spaces for meaningful integration. Connect with Jay:https://www.grof-legacy-training-usa.com/ Connect with Katrina Website: https://www.thecuriousspirit.org/ Substack: https://substack.com/@drkatrinamichelle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katrina_thecuriousspirit/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katrinamichelle.substack.com

  2. Oct 7

    The Reality of Kundalini Awakening

    In this episode of The Curious Spirit, I’m joined by Ali Storm for a conversation about her spontaneous kundalini awakening, the years-long process of integration that followed, and what it means to navigate spiritual emergence in real life. Together, we explore the intensity of awakening, the challenge of returning to everyday life after a profound spiritual opening, and the importance of discernment, grounded support, and learning to trust your own inner knowing. About Ali Storm Ali Storm is the author of THIRTY-THREE and founder of IRIS Identity, a modern astrology system and women’s movement. After 13 years in corporate fashion in New York City, a spontaneous kundalini awakening in 2012 changed the course of her life and led her into years of spiritual integration, teaching, writing, and supporting women through their own transformational processes. Connect with Ali Website: https://iris-identity.com/ Connect with Katrina Website: https://www.thecuriousspirit.org/Substack: https://substack.com/@drkatrinamichelleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/katrina_thecuriousspirit/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katrinamichelle.substack.com

  3. Sep 22

    Spiritual Emergence: Waking Up Without a Map

    Millions of people are having profound spiritual experiences, and most have no language or framework to understand them. In this first episode of The Curious Spirit, Katrina Michelle, PhD, LCSW, shares the mystical experience that set her life's work in motion and how it led her here. She offers some initial language for the journey and introduces herself and the heart of this podcast: not to hype awakening, but to support it, normalize it, and ground it in research and context. If you're waking up to new capacities and feel like you're doing it without a map, this one is for you. Stay curious, Katrina Thanks for reading and listening to The Curious Spirit! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Connect with Katrina: https://www.thecuriousspirit.org/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katrinamichelle.substack.com

  4. Aug 20

    Introducing The Curious Spirit Podcast

    Welcome to The Curious Spirit: Demystifying Spiritual Emergence in Psychedelic Times. In this short welcome episode, I’m sharing a glimpse of what’s to come on the podcast and why this conversation feels so important right now. Together, we’ll explore spiritual emergence, often called spiritual awakening, through a grounded, research-informed psychological lens. This podcast will bring together real stories, clinical insight, thoughtful conversations, and research around experiences that can expand us beyond our familiar understanding of reality. As psychedelic therapies become more present in the mental health landscape, I believe we need better language, frameworks, and support for what can unfold. My hope is that The Curious Spirit becomes a space for curiosity, discernment, mystery, and care as we make room for the extraordinary experiences that are part of being human. Stay curious. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katrinamichelle.substack.com

  • 4 Episodes

About

Demystifying Spiritual Emergence in Psychedelic Times What if the extraordinary has been moving through the ordinary all along, but we've lacked the structures to hold it? Hosted by psychotherapist and researcher Dr. Katrina Michelle, The Curious Spirit explores spiritual emergence — a natural developmental process, colloquially known as spiritual awakening, from a grounded, research-informed psychological perspective. As more and more people find themselves encountering experiences that take them beyond the limits of their worldviews — especially with the movement of psychedelic therapies into the mainstream — it's time for us to catch up: normalizing this process, and creating frameworks that offer language, support, and room to expand into our highest potentials. Transcendent spiritual experiences are not reserved for new-agers, yogis, or seekers — they're simply part of being human. Each monthly episode brings grounded research, real stories, and clinical insight to experiences too often dismissed or pathologized. Stay curious. katrinamichelle.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Katrina Michelle
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Katrina Michelle
  • Show Website
    The Curious Spirit

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