Welcome to a VERY special episode of the podcast… this week I interviewed my first ever GUEST, Spring Washam. Spring is one of my beloved Buddhist teachers, but also a real pioneer in terms of offering entheogens, along with the Buddhist spiritual path. And she’s been an inspiration for me in many ways.In this interview, Spring and I talked all about what she’s learned about plant medicine and altered state experiences in the jungles of South America and how that’s translated to her work here in the United States. We also talked about where all that fits into her own Buddhist beliefs and how she faces opposing views from other Buddhist practitioners.In this special Episode, we jammed on:// How we both began working with plant medicine & ayahuasca// Why we find exploring the medicine’s place in Indigenous culture so important to its uses in Western society// Why there’s an absence of integration and post-journey support in our industrialized, western society// The importance of ceremony and community in our healing journey// Whether altered-state experiences ACTUALLY go against the teachings of Buddhism (and if that even matters)// Our advice for those who are considering plant medicine on the spiritual path// Death and the possibility of rebirth, and the implications in journey workResources:// Learn more about Spring Washam (and stay tuned for her 2025 event schedule)// Follow Spring on Instagram or Facebook//  Check out my previous Episodes on psychedelics and entheogens:Episode 97: Psychedelics and Spiritual PracticeEpisode 153: Psychedelic ExceptionalismEpisode 225: How to Choose a Psychedelic Guide// Episode 122: Come See for Yourself - Ehipassiko// If you want to dive more deeply into practices that help create a life of inner and outer freedom, come join me in my NEWEST program, called No Regrets. It’s a deep dive into exploring our own life legacy, the gift of impermanence, intimacy with death + life, and living a life of no regrets. To get on the waitlist, head over to AdventureMastermind.com. You’ll be the first to know when early registration opens in a few days, with special early bird rates, extra bonuses, and first dibs on the limited-capacity in-person retreat on the Big Island of Hawai’i…and more.  // If you want to dive deeper into this Soul-level work and create a strong foundation for self-coaching, consciousness exploration, and creating a life of freedom, adventure, and purpose, head over to JoinFreedomSchool.com. It’s got everything you need in one place. // If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics. // Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I’d love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here.