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
#3 Itzel Barakat: US Air Force Veteran Overcoming Trauma
US Air Force Veteran Itzel Barakat uses plant medicine to overcome PTS and intergenerational trauma. In this episode of Plantscendence, we talk to Itzel Barakat, a Panamanian-American veteran who served in the US Air Force for six years. After returning from deployment and encountering intense challenges, including emotional numbness, uncontrollable anger, and insomnia, Itzel found solace and transformation through various encounters with plant medicine, ranging from psilocybin and ketamine to ayahuasca and 5-MeO. Throughout their conversation, Itzel and Jon discuss everything from ancestral visions and intergenerational trauma work, to the importance of destigmatizing mental health in the military. Itzel also talks about the profound impact that animal encounters have had on her healing journey – whether it be equine-assisted therapy or accidentally coming face-to-face with a bear while doing mushrooms in the woods – and her commitment to helping veterans impacted by PTS (post-traumatic stress), and other trauma-affected groups, gain access to these alternative healing modalities.