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Sex, spirituality, and getting high are intricately sewn together within the human experience.

This has been known for thousands of years and across many cultures. In modern times, however, they are often mispresented as being mutually exclusive. But they are not; each takes us beyond our psychic-baseline and possesses the capacity for profoundly shifting in our sense of self, our connection with others, and our relationship to the life. Each, as well, are ill-represented the modern world.

Despite these problematic representations, several cultural movements embrace their connection and can re-educate us on the power and potential of consciously embracing altered states, sex and drugs included. In a world living in the long tail of trauma still echoing onward from a long history of spiritual and sexual repression, it behoves us to explore these cultural movements and assess where we stand. This is why we welcome Elizabeth Bast to the show.

Bast is a yoga & tantra teacher, mentor, healing artist, and musician. She is the author HEART MEDICINE: A True Love Story, an intimate memoir about a healing experience with the sacred Iboga medicine. She has experienced the Missoko Bwiti initiation and Rite of Passage in Gabon, Africa, and is currently in an iboga facilitator training with the Bwiti tradition.

Bast and her partner Chor Boogie were on the show back a few months back (Ep 60). We spoke about their journey together as partners through both the tribulations of heroin addiction and the liberation that came from Iboga.

She is on the show for this episode, however, to talk about her journey as a tantric practitioner and to explore the potentials of a sexually empowered spiritual practice. We also talk about sexual consumerism; porn; toxic shame; #metoo; the historical use of entheogenic plants in yogic practice; and the (somewhat controversial) archetype of the sacred prostitute.

*** Featured image courtesy of A. Andrew Gonzalez. His art is absolutely breathtaking. Go check out more of his work here.

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Episode Breakdown

The lack of representation of women in psychedelic culture.
The importance of different ways of knowing.
Unpacking the medical diagnosis of psychosis and delusion in regards to psychedelic experiences.
The purpose of yoga and the role of sexuality within it.
A tantric perspective on sexual energy (kundalini) and how it influences the mind.
Bast’s dance journey into Tantra.
Descriptions of “dakini” and “sacred prostitute.”
Sacred sex work and the dangers of modern culture’s sex imitations (porn).
The effect of pornography on one’s capacity for profound sexual encounters.
Finding a sexual teacher.
Sexual shame and popular culture.
The historical use of psychoactive plants in yoga.
The modern use of psychoactive plants and substances in spiritual practice.
Lessons on sexual relationships from Iboga.
Bast’s prognosis of modern Western society’s sexual dysfunction — sexual consumerism, toxic shame, and lack of wise sexual education.
The role of sexual repression/shame in sexual assault; discussing #metoo, #Ididit, and healing social and personal sexual trauma.
Healthy vulnerability vs playing the victim.
Practical steps and caution for starting a sacred relationship to sexuality.

relevant Links

Elizebeth Bast’s Website

Here you will find more about Elizabeth, such as her work with Iboga and the recommended reading list she mentioned during the interview.

Buy Heart Medicine: A True Love Story

This is Elizabeth’s wonderful book about her journey with Chor Boogie, heroin addiction, and healingAfricanhe African, psychedelic root bark Iboga.

Connect With Elizabeth

This link has all her social media links as well as her newsletter.

This episode contains my first ad sponsorship!

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Check it out here, and use the promo code “ATTM” for free shipping.

{ I have been personally using it for my stress and feel very good about its efficacy. Also, having met the owner of the company, Caitlin, I also feel very good about featuring it as my first ad. }

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*** Special Thanks To Patrons: Thomas & Melanie H., Greg A., Clea S., Joe A. Dean H., Andy D., Angela & James J., Ian C., & Reese. H. for their extra generous support!