Episode 8: Students of the Jungle — Return to Essence, Ibogaine in Brazil & the Path of the Medicine Woman | Tatiana and Charles

In this episode, Dr. Tafur and Natasha spoke to Tatiana Aya Tupinambá and Charles Johnston. Tatiana is a Brazilian born Indigenous woman and traditionally trained spiritual healer, who has been an ayahuasca curandera for over 10 years. Charles has guided thousands through psychedelic experiences and is an author, producer and educator in the fields of addiction and psychedelics.

Together, drawing on their own triumphant stories of recovery, they co-founded Nekawa, combining modern medical science with Indigenous wisdom to deliver an Ibogaine treatment program in Brazil. They also produced an award-winning documentary Curandera, about Tatiana’s story and Ayahuasca plant medicine.

We cover a whole range of topics from the creative process behind the documentary, to the path of the medicine woman, to Ibogaine and addiction recovery and their new project for a living school/village with various programmes running parallel for people to find their way back to nature and their very essence.

Thanks for listening! If you’d like to support the nonprofit Modern Spirit and our podcast, you can make a donation HERE. You can also sign up to Dr. Tafur’s newsletter and Patreon here.

To follow Charles and Tatiana: 

• Websites: Curandera.co and Nekawa.com 
• Instagram: psychedelic_rehab and curandera_official 
• YouTube link to watch Curandera documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY8rZ-BG5D8 (Released: Feb 2025, Director: Alexia Kraft de la Saulx, Exec producer/writer: Josema Roig, Exec producer: Charles Johnston)

Timestamps:
(00:00) Welcome and Guests
(02:49) From Home Video to Award-Winning Documentary 
(07:33) Beauty & Storytelling Over Sensationalism 
(09:31) How Charles & Tatiana Met
(13:55) Tatiana’s Training in Peru & Brazil 
(17:53) Missing the Feminine Voice
(21:42) The Path of the Medicine Woman
(24:46) Male Allyship for Female Healers
(28:14) Ibogaine and Addiction Recovery
(32:27) Building the Ibogaine Center in Brazil
(33:41) Designing a New Program in Nature 
(35:40) Addiction And Lost Essence
(37:26) Building A Healing Village & School
(39:49) How Charles and Tatiana Work Together: Prep & Integration
(43:10) Inviting People Into Their Lifestyle
(45:56) Joe’s Connections With Tatiana & Charles
(47:56) Guided by the Plants + Reconnection to Essence
(53:39) Psychedelic Medicine & Sacred Plant Medicine Learn From Each Other
(57:15) Remembering Maestro Juan Flores 
(01:00:03) Closing Gratitude & How to Follow Their Work