For this time around the dark nights of the winter solstice - at least in the northern hemisphere - we've been exploring more of an inner landscape - being reflexive with Nathalie and Della, and before that, exploring the living myths of our land and how we can ground them in our current reality with Angharad Wynne. And this week, we're heading inward and outward, travelling to Peru with Dr Simon Ruffell, psychiatrist, ayahuasca researcher and student of Shipobo curanderismo. 

Since 2016, Simon has been working closely with Indigenous communities in the Amazon basin, exploring the effects of ayahuasca and the role of ceremony and spirit in healing. As you'll hear in the conversation that follows, Simon manages to bridge between the world of western science and the older world of indigenous spirit with extraordinary integrity, humour and a grounded. commitment to the traditions he's learning that feels wholly authentic. He's experiencing the depths of ancient teaching and exploring the leading edge of modern science, delving into epigenetics, the microbiome and neuroplasticity. As we rest in the cusp of the dark nights, that time of reflection and renewal, I wanted to bring you something that felt as if it spoke deeply to the ethos of Accidental Gods, and I couldn't imagine anything better. So people of the podcast, please welcome, Dr Simon Ruffell. 

Simon's personal website https://www.drsimonruffell.com/Simon's Onaya website https://Onaya.ioWebsite for donations https://onaya.science ICEERS https://www.iceers.org/

Simon on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-ruffell-27bba0191/Simon on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/simon.ruffell Simon on Twitter https://twitter.com/sgdruffellOnayaScience on Twitter https://twitter.com/Onaya_Science

Dreaming Awake shamanic training (with Manda and her apprentice) https://dreamingawake.co.uk