Meredith for Real: the curious introvert

Is psychedelic assisted therapy is BETTER than traditional talk therapy? You’ll hear how they’re different, how psychedelics may help not just the combat veteran or trauma survivor, but the functional griever (goes to work every day, acts like everything is fine, but having panic attacks out of nowhere). You’ll also hear about my own experience with psychedelics and different types of medicines for different types of grief.

Michael...

In this episode, we discuss the difference between addiction & dependence, convenient diagnoses, compulsive sexual behavior within bipolar disorder & OCD, how to identify sex addiction & what recovery looks like.

Dr. Joshua Grubbs is an addiction researcher who found his interest in sex addiction in college (not as exciting as it sounds). He’s since published over 100 papers on sexual compulsive behavior disorder &a...

Rachel Bernstein is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Cult Specialist & the Host of the IndoctriNation Podcast. She has spent the last 35 years helping former cult members & those who have had loved ones in cults, focusing on emotional abuse recovery, identity repair & moral injury. In this episode she explains the psychology of political allegiance, why religion & politics always fuse together, thought stop...

Michael Glawson is a PhD philosopher of science, technology, religion & ethics. As an ethicist, he has created corporate ethics training for government organizations & fortune 500 companies. In this episode, he puts into plain language the ever evolving world of AI. 

We cover Anthropic’s recent report of their AI technology blackmailing two of their executives in a recent sandboxed experiment, why AI isn’t as smart as you th...

Before Lauren Sisler was an Emmy award-winning ESPN sideline reporter, she was an 18-year-old in her dorm room when she found out that her parents had died just hours of each other due to a hidden battle with opioids.

When her world came crashing down, the next decade became a wrestling match with the truth. In this episode, she’s going to share her story & unpack her thoughts on legacy, shame & identity for what you’re sure...

Our first ever FEED DROP SWAP! I'm personally endorsing UAP STUDIES Podcast because I know how much you all love the UFO topic! This week's episode is a sample of their show - an episode I picked that I think you'll love. Listening supports my show, but the real magic happens when you also subscribe to the UAP Studies Podcast & download a few episodes for later (they are doing the same for us)!

 The UAP Studi...

Dr. Benjamin Bergen is a Cognitive Science professor at the University of California San Diego, the author of the book, What the F, and was featured on the Netflix series “The History of Swear Words.” Here he shares what makes a word bad, discusses the future of cussing, the efficacy of word prohibition & the cultural influence of cursing etymology around the world.

This episode originally aired August 22, 2022.

If you like this ...

Pranic healing, known as acupuncture without needles, is a type of biofield therapy belonging to the family of naturopathic medicine. Jason Yuan is a certified Associate Pranic Healer, with a bachelor’s in Biology & a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a Masters in Acupuncture. In this episode, you’ll hear how pranic healing helped him go from hospitalized with eczema to nearly completely healed, pranic healing vs placebo v...

Catherine De Noir has two Masters degrees & is a PhD student. She has also been a brothel manager in Western Europe for nine years. You’ll hear stories of clients like the unironic plumber & the man who sold his house as well as insights from the sex workers, like the secret of their top earning woman. We discuss what these moments teach us about the things that connect & disconnect us from each other & what her hop...

Heather Lillico is a registered holistic nutritionist who struggled with bulimia. In this episode, you’ll hear which mineral deficiencies can cause anxiety, which foods are mood boosting, who the top food offenders are for anxiety & opens up about her relationship with food to illustrate how mindset is at the heart of it all.

Spotify mental health playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2VT1YYrZeTImP9jAuMg1W0?si=CjaHx9ShQruc...

Jose Herrera had Marine squad leader training that included learning about & using a “sixth sense.” In this episode, he shares his journey to developing pre-cognitive abilities & how he used them in his 3 combat tours in Iraq & Afghanistan. He also shares a bit of military history around this topic & how we might all be able to upgrade our senses.

This episode originally aired September 12, 2022.

Spotify psi play...

Megan Stodard, PhD is a clinical psychologist, the founder of Harbor Wellness & has over a decade treating mood disorders. In this episode, she breaks down in plain language the KEY differences between depression & sadness, symptoms in men & women, the best time to see a therapist & the difference between spaghetti & waffles (it’s relevant, I promise).

This episode originally aired November 23, 2020.

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Dr. Sabine Hazen is a Gastroenterologist, Researcher, & CEO of Progena Biome. In this episode, she explains how fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) have the potential to treat Alzheimer's, Autism, Crohn's, Anxiety, Depression & Alopecia. She explains how it works, why mapping the microbiome is like mapping the human genome & interesting cases of personality changes post transplant.

If you like this episode, you...

Do we accept the creepy side of tech in order to enjoy its benefits? Bill Ottman is a technologist best known for founding the decentralized social network Minds, but you may have seen him on Joe Rogan Experience, NPR, or the NYTimes. In this episode, we discuss the privacy paradox of public outrage at government surveillance living alongside public over disclosure on social media. You’ll also hear his take on TikTok, baby monitors...

Who’s talking about men’s mental health? In this episode, four guests join me – Russ Jones, an ADHD mentor, Paul Roberts, a blue-collar business owner, Ali Mattu, a clinical psychologist & Jon Patrick Hatcher, a nonfiction humor writer. We discuss how men talk to each other about mental health behind closed doors, the mistakes women are unknowingly making when they try to help, the problem with strength-based identity, the medi...

Dr. Barbara Cohen is psychotherapist, certified ADHD Coach, international ADHD researcher, and fellow ADDer. In this episode, you’ll hear why adult ADHD is often misdiagnosed, the #1 question you should be asking to a mental health counselor if you think you have ADHD, some practical tips for work & even how ADHD might be sabotaging your sex life.

This episode is a combination of episodes originally airing on June 1, 2020 &...

Gregory Shushan, PhD, is the leading authority on near-death experiences and afterlife beliefs across cultures and throughout history. He is an award-winning author affiliated with Birmingham Newman University, University of Winchester, Marian University, and the Parapsychology Foundation. In this episode, he shares why studying NDE’s is time well spent, how historical NDEs differed from the religious texts of the time, consciousne...

Mike Feldstein worked in the natural disaster restoration sector, witnessing firsthand the impact of polluted air on people’s health. Later he went on to found Jaspr, a health company that makes commercial-grade air scrubbers. In this episode, you’ll hear the danger in your dentist office, what sick building syndrome is & what the Manhattan project has to do with HEPA.

If you like this episode, you’ll also like episode 109: BEIN...

Dr. Loretta Breuning was unconvinced by prevailing theories on human motivation & after researching the animal origins of our brain chemicals, wrote the book Habits of a Happy Brain. Here she shares why we find ourselves saying, “I shouldn’t be so unhappy! I have everything I need” or doing late-night shopping at the expense of your savings account, drinking more than we said we would, or going back into that bad relationship. ...