Ron Interpreter (Part 2) – Ancestral Wisdom for Spirituality, Recovery & Life: An Integration of Native Traditions, Psychedelic Experiences & Integral Theory

Ep. 152 (Part 2 of 2) | Life coach, recovery coach, and plant medicine ceremonialist Ron Interpreter has created a multidimensional, whole person healing modality that integrates Navajo spiritual teachings and traditions with Ken Wilber’s Integral Model and Integral spirituality. Humanity is shifting, Ron explains, and is now looking to the teachings of the ancestors and Indigenous practices that can bring a sense of authenticity, purpose, and meaning to our lives. Native spirituality teaches us how we can relate to the elements of earth, fire, water and air in terms of remedies and medicines, and also in terms of beliefs and emotional connections. Plant medicine and other mind-altering ceremonies provide us with the means to get beyond the psychological limitations we put on ourselves, attain higher states of consciousness, and receive answers to our deepest questions.

With a calm, articulate fervency, Ron shares the ancestral wisdom he teaches to people in recovery or who are suffering from trauma, including special ops forces and veterans: the Native concepts of taking responsibility, being accountable, forging a relationship with God or Spirit, and living from a profound understanding of what it means to be a human being. “We are in the creation of self—how do we practice our selves?” Ron asks. The Indigenous teachings that Ron brings forward provide a deep sense of grounding in Nature and Spirit, as we come to a better understanding of our place in the universe and the practices that can open us up to living in a sacred way, in connection with divine being. Recorded August 1, 2024.

“We have to see ourselves as human beings first.”

(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)

Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2

• Stopping the blame game—blaming colonialism—and healing intergenerational trauma (01:28)
• How do we practice our selves? Get back to our ancestral ways, see ourselves as human beings first (05:06)
• The future of recovery depends on the expansion of the practitioner’s approach and getting back to the elementals (11:00)
• What are the most valuable Native practices for healing and recovery? (18:10)
• Psychedelic medicines are tools to get beyond the psychological limitations we put on ourselves (23:52)
• Ceremony is vitally important to give context and reverence to a plant medicine experience (25:04)
• Building character in young people (26:11)
• In order for you to receive the medicine, you need to have a spiritual practice (28:29)
• At Ron’s church, a long period of practicing breathwork and other modalities will often precede the use of psychedelic tools (32:15)
• Facilitating plant medicine ceremonies for special ops forces and veterans (34:55)
• Native traditions are now accessible to help people understand what it means to be human (40:02)
• The future of addiction, especially with addictive potentials increasing exponentially (42:49) 
• We have to stop looking at addiction as your experience, my experience (48:49)

Resources & References – Part 2

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs