In this deeply moving episode of Exploring Reality Maybe, we sit down with Sarah Kernion, writer, advocate, mother, and founder of Inchstones, to explore what it means to parent children with profound autism and non-speaking communication while letting go of the expectations of what life is “supposed” to look like.

Sarah shares how her children taught her to see “inchstones” rather than milestones—small moments of connection, growth, communication, and joy that are easy to overlook when we are focused on conventional measures of development. She opens up about the invisible labor of caregiving, the hypervigilance of “listening for footsteps,” and the radical self-care required to remain present.

Together, we explore communication beyond speech, presumed competence, co-regulation, the possibility of forms of communication we don't yet fully understand, and what science might learn by staying curious about experiences that challenge our current models.

We also dive into the spiritual dimensions of caregiving: presence, unconditional love, ego, surrender, and learning to live in the now. Sarah reflects on how raising her children has fundamentally changed her understanding of identity—not by constructing a new version of herself, but by “chiseling away” at the ego and the expectations she once carried.

This is a conversation about autism, but it is also a much larger conversation about how we define a meaningful life, what it means to truly see another person, and what becomes possible when we stop chasing “normal” and start paying attention to what is already here.

In this episode of Exploring Reality Maybe, we sit down with neuroscientist Rowshanak “Rak” Hashemiyoon — known by some as the “People’s Neuroscientist” and even the “Gandalf of the Mind” — for a fascinating conversation about consciousness, identity, stress, spirituality, and the hidden architecture of transformation.

Drawing from her work in computational neuroscience, deep brain stimulation, and large-scale brain dynamics, Roshanak explores the profound relationship between the brain, body, and our sense of self. She shares what happens when identity shifts after neurological interventions, why chronic stress physically reshapes the brain, and how the nervous system can trap us in a survival mode without us even realizing it.

Together, we dive into the fascinating overlap between neuroscience and spirituality — from meditation and ego dissolution to social synchronization, storytelling, and the measurable ways our brains literally influence one another in relationship. Rowshanak explains why human beings are far more interconnected than we think and why consciousness may not be as isolated as modern culture often assumes.

We also explore practical tools for transformation, including nervous system repatterning, the physiological sigh for stress regulation, and how updating our internal “operating system” may be just as important as updating our technology.

This is a rich and expansive conversation about science, healing, awe, the ego, and what it truly means to become more conscious human beings.

In this episode of Exploring Reality Maybe, we sit down with Mike Margolies, whose own path into psychedelics began with an ayahuasca experience that made him realize a different life was possible.

What followed was a major personal and professional transformation: leaving engineering, traveling through India and Southeast Asia, and eventually creating spaces where people could speak openly and honestly about psychedelics.

Mike shares why honest conversation is just as important as the molecules themselves, how culture and “set and setting” shape psychedelic experiences, and why the movement must confront ethical questions around power, safety, and access.

He makes a case for plurality rather than one-size-fits-all thinking, arguing that therapy, indigenous ceremony, and other forms of psychedelic engagement can all have value when they are held responsibly.

We also explore the surprising intersection of psychedelics and blockchain, the decentralized ethos behind the Global Psychedelic Society, and how that network has grown into hundreds of independent community groups around the world.

From biweekly Zoom gatherings to international retreats, Mike describes a movement built on connection, shared learning, and distributed leadership.

Finally, Mike reflects on ego, intuition, and the deeper question of how psychedelics may help us move toward a more liberated future.

He closes with a hopeful vision: a genuine post-prohibition world where people can relate to these medicines with more honesty, more care, and more freedom.