Interview begins @ 5:18

In this episode, we dive into the compelling journey of Greg Wrenn, author of the ayahuasca eco-memoir Mothership. Greg begins by sharing a poignant excerpt from his book that ties back to an early memory of his mother, illustrating the profound impact of growing up with an emotionally dysregulated parent. His memoir not only explores personal trauma but also the psychodynamics that have shaped his life.
Greg, a former Stegner Fellow and an associate professor at James Madison University, discusses the transformative nature of poetry, suggesting that a poem is not merely read but experienced. This belief mirrors his view on life's most impactful experiences—they may not always be pleasant, but they are transformative.
A central theme of our conversation is the role of psychedelics, particularly ayahuasca, in personal healing and growth. Greg offers insights into current research, highlighting how psychedelics can reopen critical developmental periods, fostering integration, trauma recovery, and creativity. He emphasizes the importance of being mindful about what we "feed" our brain during these malleable times, as the experiences can deeply sculpt our mind and consciousness.
We also critique the modern education system's focus on outcomes over experiences, discussing how this emphasis can hinder deep, meaningful engagement with learning processes. Greg shares how his healing was profoundly influenced by his connections with nature and his experiences with ayahuasca, drawing a powerful link between ecological awareness and personal well-being.

Bio: 
A former Stegner Fellow and Jones Lecturer at Stanford University, Greg Wrenn is the author of ayahuasca eco-memoir Mothership: A Memoir of Wonder and Crisis (Regalo Press 2024), an evidence-based account of his turning to coral reefs and plant medicines to heal from childhood trauma, and Centaur (U of Wisconsin Press 2013), which National Book Award-winning poet Terrance Hayes awarded the Brittingham Prize. 

Greg's work has appeared or is forthcoming in HuffPost, The New Republic, Al Jazeera, The Rumpus, LitHub, Writer's Digest, Kenyon Review, New England Review, The Iowa Review, and elsewhere. He has received awards and fellowships from the James Merrill House, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Vermont Studio Center, the Poetry Society of America, the Hermitage Artist Retreat, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the Spiro Arts Center.

As an associate English professor at James Madison University, he teaches creative nonfiction, poetry, and environmental literature. He also teaches in the low-residency MFA Program at Bennington Writing Seminars and in the Memoir Certificate Program at Stanford Continuing Studies. He was educated at Harvard University and Washington University in St. Louis.

Greg is currently sending out Homesick, his second poetry collection. A student of ayahuasca since 2019, he is a trained yoga teacher and a PADI Advanced Open Water diver, having explored coral reefs around the world for over 25 years. He and his husband live in the mountains of Virginia, the ancestral land of the Manahoac and Monacan people.

www.gregwrenn.com

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110: Greg Wrenn – Mothership: A Journey of Identity, Ecology, & Ayahuasca

Join depth psychotherapist and Jungian scholar, John Price, in an exploration of extraordinary stories and phenomena that lurk beneath the surface of normal and everyday life. Listen in as John interviews experts, dilettantes, sinners, and saints to explore their professional and personal perspective on the underlying purpose of the mysteries which lurk within the seemingly mundane nature of day-to-day life. 

John received his Master’s degree in clinical psychology and his Doctorate degree in Jungian psychology. He is in private practice and is also on the faculty of The Jung Center and The University of St. Thomas, both located in Houston, Texas. He lectures and teaches classes in subjects ranging from Parenting and Consciousness to Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll. 

This podcast seeks to accept a challenge laid out by Carl Jung:  to explore the universal human feelings of emotional incompleteness, spiritual curiosity and one’s related search for wholeness and meaning. Interviews commence with the belief that, by engaging in this exploration, we can learn more about the psyche, consciousness, spirituality, philosophy and the profound, though often hidden, meaning of the day-to-day lives we lead (or which will lead us, if we aren’t watchful).

Come along as John follows people into bars, universities, places of worship, financial districts and the home. He finds each context equally able to provide a setting for this worthy search and also that, through this process, we have an opportunity to come to know each other and ourselves much more deeply.

110: Greg Wrenn – Mothership: A Journey of Identity, Ecology, & Ayahuasca

The Sacred Speaks: Hosted by John Price