Cultivating Connections

We recap week 3 This week a notable change in Rory's behavior was seen when he reached out to Ryan as soon as the craving to to use drugs first emerged. This is a major difference in Rory's behavior from his past. Rory has never previously attempted to get ahold of me for potential intervention in his process of acquiring his drug of choice.

This was our second interview with Dr. Rick Strassman Author of DMT; The Spirit Molecule and The Psychedelic Handbook. We interviewed DR. Rick Strassman again following his recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Podcast and his release of his new book 'The Psychedelic Handbook' Check out our YouTube page for video clips from this interview! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZvApgMamf1wtfZo4Wmxmxw/videos

In this episode Rory and I talk about our second Ritual, and how the week has went since then.

Rory and I talk about the second week of our new ritual

August 17, 2022 Update - Starting at Square One Earlier this year we finished up filming for a documentary which is set to be released later in the year. In this episode we talk about how our sacred ritual practice and other therapeutic connection outlets we had fell apart and ultimately led to Rory's relapse into old patterns and behaviors. We are in a much different place now than we were when we last uploaded a podcast and we aim to keep our audience up to date and release more frequent episodes regularly. Although we feel we are starting from square one we feel we are in a unique position to capitalize on our own journey's in ways we weren't able to in the past. Rory in his recovery from opiates and Ryan in his own life's fulfilment. We aim to upload video logs to our YouTube page and more podcasts detailing how we plan to overcome these hurdles and whether we succeed or not, it is the journey and effort that makes it count for us.

In this episode we discuss our experience trying to use our ritualized setting and psychedelic therapy to help another human overcome addiction. Our experience was documented on film, which will be released on ReasonTV's YouTube channel in the near future.

Part 3 of 3 We talk about this last summers experience recording a short documentary after a woman reached out to us with the hopes of having a plant medicine ritual that could help change her life. Much like Rory, she was also on a methadone and in active addiction when she reached out to us. The film documents the events from meeting her up until a few weeks after the plant medicine experience. The short film/documentary will be released within a few weeks on YouTube. Thanks for listening!

Part 2 of 3 We talk about the de evolution of our current Ritual and what we will do to revitalize it and how we have started a new Ritual without any exogenous substances.

Part 1 of 3. In this episode we recap the past two years. What catalyzed our transformation then, what we've been through since, and where we see ourselves going forward. We also pick up where we left off from the last episode when Rory returned from California, and what life was like recovering from the traumatic experience he had there. We've also been part of a documentary film which should be airing by the end of February, we talk about that process as well.

In this episode we talk about my trip to California and how it landed me in a psychiatric hospital for three days. Ever since then I have struggled. I have been actively trying to repress that experience and I have been using drugs to do that. I'm trying to find the courage to face it, and accept it. Expressing myself on this podcast is one of the tools that has helped me in the past. I hope it can help me now. - Rory This is a reuploaded episode recorded on 12/1/2021

A few months ago I took a trip to California and ended up in a hospital with paranoid psychosis. For three days I worried that someone was going to kill me, I didn't sleep, I was so scared that if I did I would not wake up. After 72 hours and a few doses of antipsychotic medication I managed to calm down enough to get myself out of the hospital. I was scared that they would not let me leave, I was still very paranoid and didn't know what was real or not. As I tried to get home to Vermont I felt that I was being followed and watched. I changed my flights multiple times because I thought someone was going to get me. Eventually I made it home. But since that experience I have never fully dealt with it. I have been avoiding and repressing it. I have been using opiates to facilitate that repression. I know I have to face the fear of that experience. That is what I am trying to do now. In this podcast my brother and I talk about how this process is going. - Rory

There is value in vulnerability. That is what I have learned since beginning this podcast. Still, I doubt it. I doubt if people will understand, if they will accept me and the things I've done. But so far they have. People have embraced it, and showed understanding and compassion. I'm tremendously grateful for the love and compassion I've received. "I rather live telling the truth and be judged for my mistakes, than falsely held up..."

Hi guys, I'm so grateful for all of our listeners. When my brother and I started this podcast I was still struggling with my mental health, even though I had been clean from opiates for a few months I still had so much of my unconscious mind to uncover. This podcast has been one of the ways for me to do that. Your support means so much to me! We just added a new member to our Sunday ritual/integration practice. Her name is Samantha and we talk about what that experience was like for us, and what it looks like going forward. Make sure to check out our website! https://www.cultivatingconnectionsvt.com/ This was my favorite episode to record thus far. I hope you all enjoy - Rory

We talk about what a hero means to us, how we see our fellow citizens as more heroic than most celebrities, and how we overcome the hurdles that are placed before us in our own hero's journey.

In this episode we talk about what life was like growing up and how we felt ashamed of things we couldn't control, in a sense life was happening to us. As we age and mature, we realize we have more control of how we think and deal with our thoughts than when we were younger. Freeing us from shame of our loved ones. We just uploaded our first Video/ Audio episode of 'Candid Conversations' onto our youtube Cultivating Connections. We hope you get a chance to check it out and let us know what you think of it! Enjoy the episode!

This week is the first week in a long time where we had our Sunday ritual practice without our dad there, we talk among other things, about that and what affect that had on the set and setting. We also talk about this past year, and how far we've each come in just one year. A lot of times it's difficult to see just how much one has accomplished, but we realize, when it comes time to look back on this year, it may be one of the best years of our lives. Thanks for listening, hope you enjoy!

In this episode I talk about my best friend Hunter's suicide and the guilt from my inability to act on the warning signs he exhibited before his suicide. I also talk about an experience when/where I overdose and with no one home but my brother, I left my life into his hands to deal with. But after all the shame and guilt I love this community here and I'm so grateful for everything that has transpired in the past to get me here today.

Ryan asks me if I consider myself cured from addiction, we talk about toxic vs non toxic substances

This episode is really important to us. We discuss drug education reform, alternate perspectives catalyzed by altered states of consciousness, the importance of one's relationship to substances, and holding a reverence for sacred substances.

Today we talk with Matthew Simpson author of the book, Worth The Fight: Acting for a Better World, A Guide to Spirituality, Psychedelic Medicines and Overcoming Trauma, and host of the podcast Worth The Fight. Matthew has done work for Veterans for entheogenic Therapy INC. Matt has been an advocate for proper integration of psychedelic experiences. Some topics we discuss include psychedelic integration, pre frontal cortex, and drug reform. Hope you enjoy!

In this episode we talk with Tom Morano, he's a very close friend and the third member of our little ritual we do on Sundays, we talk about our experiences with him and his own life experience and his relationship to psychedelics and other substances.

We interview Sam, a very close family friend, about her past drug addiction and her ayahuasca experience that ultimately helped her get clean from opiates and cocaine similar to Rory's story.

On this episode we have our good friend Gina join us to tell us about her experiences. We talk about rituals, psychedelics, mental health and more. Many thanks to Gina for being open and sharing with us, it was an absolute pleasure and definitely my favorite episode to record so far. If anyone else listening wants to share their experiences and connect (either on or off camera) with us send us an email. We would love to connect! Thanks for listening.

I've been getting a lot of questions on social media asking me about what the psychedelic experience provided me with, and questions about how it helped changed my behaviors and views on life. So I decided to record a 15 minute episode where I talk about it in depth, and go over what else has helped me get off and stay off illicit drugs. Thank you for listening!

I missed the ritual this week and wasn't sure how it would affect me. Honestly, it was a blessing simply for the fact that I learned how much this ritual provides for me. We also want to let people know that if you have a story you'd like to share, a story about mental health, addiction, depression, or psychedelics, that we would love to have you on our podcast to talk about it. Please send us an email at cultivatingconnectionsvt@gmail.com. Thank you for listening!

Ryan missed our ritual this Sunday and we talk a bit about how that has affected us, we also talk about how important rite of passage is for the transformation of one's life, especially when confronting adulthood. If we can get our society to understand how important rite of passage is and if we can educate the youth about it, then we believe it could be massively impactful in the way of the world, and for everyone's future.

We talk about the human relationship with altered states of consciousness, wether endogenous or exogenous. This weekend we took part in a cold water immersion, with breathing techniques that gave us introspection to the capabilities we as humans have.

Today we discuss the power of ritual, and we talk about why people in todays society don't incorporate rituals into their lives more often. We also talk about the impact it has had on both our lives and the lives of people connected to us.

In this episode we get a new addition to the podcast, our dad an M.D. Psychiatrist who will be a consistent member on our podcast in the future. In this episode we get his perspective on how our ritual has affected his life, and talk about an experience in our ritual that was transformative for him and us all, thank you for listening.

We talk about relapse and the state of mind one can be in before they make the decision to relapse, in this case it is conveyed through Rory's own personal experience.

Religion is quite possibly the most powerful tool humans have ever created. It has empowered us to build cities, empires, and modern day as we know it. We all have a choice to use this tool. But should we?

In Podcast number 7, We talk about accepting our responsibility to heal/change ourselves and how reliying on external sources handicaps our ability to do so

Check out this recording of Ryan and I talking about death and experiencing the overwhelming fear that literally took over and obliterated our ego, and how we are going to find value in it.

Today, I talk about losing my best friend at age 18 to suicide, my behaviors afterwards which were very hurtful towards others and detrimental to myself, and how they shaped me into who I am today, Im grateful for it all and I hope you can relate to it - Rory

I talk about my fear of embracing others pain/emotion for my actions and Ryan sheds some perspective on the situation - Rory

This episode my brother and I express our gratitude towards each other and relive some powerful memories that shaped our relationship today. We now have our website where we share out group ritual structure. If you're interested check it out at cultivatingconnectionsvt.com Thank you all so much for your support!

Today my brother and I get deep when we talk about my past overdoses. We discuss the shame that we felt in the past and how it's shaping our present life in a positive way. Thank you all so much for listening, we appreciate the chance to express ourselves and encourage you to reach out to us if you can relate to what we talk about.

In this episode Rory and I discuss behaviors and how they can serve either to connect us or to disconnect us from each other, ourselves, and the present moment. We use examples from our own lives to highlight the importance of understanding our intentions behind our behaviors. We have been making a conscious effort to cultivate more behaviors that connect us, while reducing our reliance on disconnecting to cope with discomfort. Thanks for tuning in, and enjoy.

Hello, my name is Ryan. My brother Rory and I decided to create this podcast Cultivating Connections as an attempt to create more connections in our lives. Most of our lives we have been disconnecting from ourselves, and others. This has led us into depression and substance abuse problems. We have realized at the core of our problems is our inability or unwillingness to connect. Most of our behaviors serve to disconnect and distract us from the moment. Our goal through this podcast is to cultivate a deeper connection with our emotions and intuition and at the same time cultivate deeper connections as brothers. We hope we can connect with some listeners out there as well. In this intro, we talk about why we decided to create a podcast and some of the things we will talk about here. Thanks for listening.