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Do psychedelics distort reality, or do they loosen the filters that normally shape what we perceive? In this episode, we explore the neuroscience of consciousness, predictive processing, psychedelic perception, DMT entity experiences, mystical and traditional altered states, and the limits of ordinary waking awareness. We also follow the stranger historical side of consciousness research, including MKULTRA, remote viewing, the Gateway Process, and declassified U.S. government experiments. Along the way, we separate established neuroscience from theory and speculation to ask a much bigger question: how much of reality are our brains actually capable of seeing?

The full episode transcript, study citations and companion guide is available on Substack.

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For more from me beyond the podcast, come hang out on Between Mind & Body on Substack, where I share full podcast transcripts and deeper companion content, essays, physician-created guides, emerging research, and the questions medicine has not quite answered yet.

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Instagram: @drmaryella
LinkedIn: Mary Ella Wood, DO, ABOIM

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What happens between the moment women notice something and the moment medicine decides it is real?

In June 2026, women all over the internet started asking the same question: what happened to our periods?

That strange collective conversation sent me down a much bigger rabbit hole into menstrual cycles, the moon, women’s intuition, midwives and witches, unexplained infertility, and the long history of women noticing things before science had an answer for them.

In this episode, we explore:

• The menstrual mystery of June 2026 and what heat, light, seasonality, and even solar activity might (or might not) have had to do with it
• How observation becomes scientific evidence
• Why women’s bodies are rhythmic, even though medicine often studies them as static
• Whether women’s periods really sync
• Menstrual cycles and the moon
• How menstruation went from sacred and powerful to impure, pathological, and something women were expected to hide
• Midwives, women healers, herbal medicine, ergot, LSD, and the ancient roots hiding inside modern medicine
• What science can tell us about women’s intuition, interoception, pregnancy, and maternal knowing (and what it still can’t)
• How the witch became a symbol of dangerous female knowledge, and why she still matters
• Unexplained infertility and the important difference between there is no explanation and we haven’t found the explanation yet

The full episode transcript, citations and companion guide is available on Substack.

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For more from me beyond the podcast, come hang out on Between Mind & Body on Substack, where I share full podcast transcripts and deeper companion content, essays, physician-created guides, emerging research, and the questions medicine has not quite answered yet.

Substack: Between Mind & Body
Instagram: @drmaryella
LinkedIn: Mary Ella Wood, DO, ABOIM

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Can a psychedelic experience leave measurable traces in the body long after the trip is over?

In this episode, we explore emerging research on how psychedelics may influence:

• DNA methylation and epigenetic signaling
• The immune system, inflammation, and cytokines
• The HPA axis, cortisol, and stress physiology
• Neuroplasticity and lasting changes in brain connectivity
• Cellular senescence, telomeres, oxidative stress, and longevity pathways
• The bigger case for rethinking the mind-body divide

Psychedelic science may be revealing something much larger than a drug effect: how experience itself becomes biology.

The companion guide, full episode transcript and all studies and sources cited, is available on Substack.

Support the show

For more from me beyond the podcast, come hang out on Between Mind & Body on Substack, where I share full podcast transcripts and deeper companion content, essays, physician-created guides, emerging research, and the questions medicine has not quite answered yet.

Substack: Between Mind & Body
Instagram: @drmaryella
LinkedIn: Mary Ella Wood, DO, ABOIM

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Can you prevent preeclampsia? In this deep dive, we look at the root causes, proposed mechanisms, and holistic support strategies for one of the most serious complications of pregnancy. We are learning more about what may contribute to preeclampsia, including placental development, inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, endothelial health, genetics, nutrient status, paternal factors, the microbiome, environmental toxins, and long-term cardiovascular risk.

Aspirin is one of the most recommended prevention tools, and in this episode we get into why it is used, what it actually does, and where its benefits seem strongest. But it turns out, there may be a lot more to the prevention conversation.

In this episode, we cover:

• What preeclampsia is and how it is diagnosed
• The two-stage model of preeclampsia: abnormal placental development and maternal vascular dysfunction
• Oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, platelet activation, and endothelial health
• Genetic factors: MTHFR, homocysteine, methylation issues
• Epigenetics: how lifestyle may influence gene expression in pregnancy
• Environmental toxins, including BPA, phthalates, PFAS, heavy metals, air pollution, and placental health
• The paternal factor: semen exposure, paternal antigens, sperm health, obesity, and immune tolerance
• Gut, vaginal, oral, and urinary microbiome research
• COVID infection, COVID vaccination data, and preeclampsia risk
• Why preeclampsia is linked to future cardiovascular disease
• What the evidence actually says about baby aspirin
• Supplements that may help with prevention: Calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, lycopene, omega-3s, CoQ10, NAC, and more
• Nutrition: the DASH diet, Mediterranean diet, fiber, probiotics, and food-first nutrition strategies
• Exercise in pregnancy and what we know about hypertensive disorders
• Sleep, obstructive sleep apnea, and preeclampsia risk
• Mind-body medicine, stress physiology, mindfulness, yoga, acupuncture, and blood pressure regulation
• How to think about prevention without fear, blame, or over-supplementing

The full episode transcript with citations for all studies mentioned can be found at: drmaryellawood.com

Support the show

For more from me beyond the podcast, come hang out on Between Mind & Body on Substack, where I share full podcast transcripts and deeper companion content, essays, physician-created guides, emerging research, and the questions medicine has not quite answered yet.

Substack: Between Mind & Body
Instagram: @drmaryella
LinkedIn: Mary Ella Wood, DO, ABOIM

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In this episode I’m joined by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Asmi Berry for a deep dive into integrative dermatology, acne, hair loss, pregnancy skincare, postpartum hair loss, anti-aging skincare, Ayurveda, hormones, nutrition, supplements, and the gut-skin axis.

In addition to being a board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Berry has advanced training in integrative dermatology and Ayurvedic culinary medicine.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Integrative dermatology and whole-person skin health (including nutrition, supplements, conventional treatments and more)
• Acne, hormones and the gut-skin axis
• Hair loss, including postpartum hair loss
• Pregnancy skincare and pregnancy-safe skincare ingredients
• Anti-aging skincare and skin longevity
• Inflammatory skin conditions
• Ayurveda, including a dive into doshas and how they relate to skin health
• How conventional dermatology and holistic medicine can work together

Learn more about Dr. Asmi Berry:

Website: https://www.drasmiberry.com/

Clinic: https://bhskin.com/about-us/asmi-berry/

Instagram: @drasmiberry

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@drasmiberry

Support the show

For more from me beyond the podcast, come hang out on Between Mind & Body on Substack, where I share full podcast transcripts and deeper companion content, essays, physician-created guides, emerging research, and the questions medicine has not quite answered yet.

Substack: Between Mind & Body
Instagram: @drmaryella
LinkedIn: Mary Ella Wood, DO, ABOIM

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In Part 5 of Detox in a Toxic World, we explore digital detox and the new age of toxins. From screens, social media, and overstimulation to light pollution, red light therapy, EMFs, grounding, and nature therapy, this episode looks at how modern life may be shaping the nervous system, sleep, circadian rhythm, inflammation, and overall health.

This is a grounded, evidence-based look at what the research does and does not show, along with practical ways to reduce digital burden and support a more regulated, resilient body in a world that is not just chemically toxic, but cognitively and energetically overwhelming.

Companion Guide: drmaryellawood.com/guides

Support the show

For more from me beyond the podcast, come hang out on Between Mind & Body on Substack, where I share full podcast transcripts and deeper companion content, essays, physician-created guides, emerging research, and the questions medicine has not quite answered yet.

Substack: Between Mind & Body
Instagram: @drmaryella
LinkedIn: Mary Ella Wood, DO, ABOIM

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In Part 4 of Detox in a Toxic World, we take an evidence-based look at detox supplements, cleanses, binders, protocols, and some of the most common products being sold in the name of detox. From milk thistle, NAC, glutathione, and sulforaphane to activated charcoal, clay binders, detox teas, colon cleanses, and coffee enemas, this episode breaks down what may actually be supportive, what has limited evidence, and what may be harmful.

We also talk about how to think more clearly about “detox supplements” versus supplements that support the body’s natural detox pathways, why dramatic reactions are often mistaken for healing, and how to stay grounded in physiology rather than marketing.

Companion Guide: drmaryellawood.com/guides

Support the show

For more from me beyond the podcast, come hang out on Between Mind & Body on Substack, where I share full podcast transcripts and deeper companion content, essays, physician-created guides, emerging research, and the questions medicine has not quite answered yet.

Substack: Between Mind & Body
Instagram: @drmaryella
LinkedIn: Mary Ella Wood, DO, ABOIM

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In Part 3 of Detox in a Toxic World, we take a closer look at what “detox” actually means and how the body is already doing it every single day. This episode breaks down the body’s major detox and elimination pathways, including the liver, gut, kidneys, lungs, skin, lymphatic system, and glymphatic system, and explains how these beautifully coordinated processes help clear hormones, waste products, and environmental compounds.

We also walk through practical, evidence-based ways to support these natural detox mechanisms, including nutrition, hydration, movement, sweating, lymphatic support, sleep, mind-body medicine, and time in nature.

Companion Guide: drmaryellawood.com/guides

Support the show

For more from me beyond the podcast, come hang out on Between Mind & Body on Substack, where I share full podcast transcripts and deeper companion content, essays, physician-created guides, emerging research, and the questions medicine has not quite answered yet.

Substack: Between Mind & Body
Instagram: @drmaryella
LinkedIn: Mary Ella Wood, DO, ABOIM

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribing, sharing it with a friend, or leaving a review helps more than you know.