Plantscendence
Welcome to Plantscendence, a new podcast hosted by filmmaker Jon Reiss. Join us on a transformative journey as we explore the world of plant medicine and its profound impact on healing, personal growth, and artistic expression.
Within each episode, Jon engages in insightful conversations with a diverse array of experts, practitioners, artists, grief counselors and everyday people who have harnessed the power of plant medicine to heal trauma, navigate loss, unlock creativity, and become more their true selves.
Guests for the ten episode first season include poet and musician Vera Sola, author and pioneer of microdosing Jim Fadiman, actress Gina Gershon, artist and Nganga Chor Boogie, US Army veteran Itzel Barakat, author and teacher Spring Washam, artist Doris La Frenais, plant wisdom practitioner Sitaramaya Sita, grief counselor Larry Carlat and healer and author Tricia Eastman.
Jon Reiss is a critically acclaimed filmmaker, author, and media strategist. He began his film career at the fabled Target Video, where he shot seminal punk bands, including Black Flag, X, Iggy Pop, Throbbing Gristle, and The Cramps. Reiss then filmed and edited a series of videos documenting Mark Pauline’s Survival Research Laboratories. After directing numerous music videos, including, notoriously, Happiness in Slavery for Nine Inch Nails, he directed the feature films Bomb It, Better Living Through Circuitry, and Cleopatra’s Second Husband. Through his company 8 Above Reiss also helps filmmakers navigate the new distribution and marketing landscape.
Plantscendence
#10 Tricia Eastman: Harm Reduction
Tricia Eastman harnesses the “Mount Everest of Psychedelics” to break addictive cycles and promote collective healing. In the last episode of Season 1, we’re joined by initiated medicine woman Tricia Eastman, whose nonprofit Ancestral Heart works towards the reciprocity and preservation of ancestral and indigenous traditions. Tricia vividly recounts her early experiences with psychedelics, where she experienced both the transformative power and potential pitfalls of substances like MDMA and psilocybin. She shares how her experiences with these medicines facilitated deep insights into her own traumas and ancestral wounds, allowing her to release deeply held shame around her body and sexuality, and ultimately leading her to reevaluate and rechart her life’s path. Finally, she discusses her 10 year-long journey working with iboga, often hailed as the “Mount Everest of psychedelics”, and how she’s seen it help thousands detox from opiates and other addictive substances. Throughout the conversation, Tricia emphasizes the importance of holistic integration and responsible engagement with plant medicine, while also addressing the complexities of psychedelic legalization and the imperative of cultural respect and reciprocity.