103 Future Now Show Podcast - Cameo with Cat Miller and Rifat Chowdhury from "Passionate Living TV", Interview with Annelise Schinzinger on her new book "Ayahuasca, Opening to the Mysteries"

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When creating our show, our guests are usually in their home environments, connected to us via Zoom or Facetime. But this week our mountaintop ‘fortress of solitude’ was visited by not one but three live guests in our studio at the same time! First up was a brief but wonderful check in by the Passionate Living TV folks, Catherine Miller and Rifat Chowdhury visiting from Buffalo, NY. They were here in California for a film festival and recording of future stories for their award-winning series on passionate lifestyles. 

And author Annelise Schinzinger made it up the hill to chat with us about her new book documenting her pioneering experiences in South America with Ayahuasca, a psychoactive brew used by Amazonian tribes for spiritual and healing purposes. Annelise’s experiences go back to the 1970’s, way before Ayahuasca was known  in North America.  I was particularly fascinated by her understanding of “burracheira,” the field of consciousness created by those sharing an Ayahuasca experience. It is also worth noting that she was the Portugese translater for scientist Dennis McKenna in his field research while in Brazil. She takes us on a most fascinating and insightful journey into some of the deeper mysteries of life and death. Enjoy!

Interview - Annelise Schinzinger, author of The Art and Science of Caregiving: Stories of Inspiring Elders with an End-of-Life Guidebook

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Broaching one of the more difficult issues of life, the death and dying of a loved one, Annelise shares with us her experiences and knowledge of being a caregiver to ones who are passing.  She speaks of what it means to be prepared for death, local gatherings where people discuss the topic with each other (death cafes), the phenomenon of ‘terminal lucidity’ where the dying suddenly become very aware in their final moments, near death experiences, the role of psychedelics in transition, the managment of pain, facing fears of the unknown, hospice at home, medically assisted dying, and finding a suitable caregiver.  

She joined us in the studio, and we found her to be a very engaging and profound guest, striking a cord with many of our listeners. Enjoy.

Interview - Annelise Schinzinger on her new book, The Art and Science of Caregiving- Stories of Inspiring Elders with an End-of-Life Guidebook

Listen Now to Annelise Schinzinger

Annelise learned about the importance of competent and loving caregivers when she was recovering from a serious illness at 19. She applied what she had learned when her grandmother and mother were dying. At twenty-seven, her grandmother’s passage took her fear of death away because it was so peaceful. She found herself spending time with elders who showed her how to live, and how to die. Caring for her mother was so profound that she left the corporate world and became a hospice caregiver.

Twenty years later, she was telling a friend about the wise and remarkable elders she had the privilege of caring for. Her friend exclaimed, “You have to write these stories down!” Annelise eagerly started writing, and over the next seven years, her book expanded into a comprehensive guidebook. 

I think you’ll enjoy hearing Annelise share a few of her stories with us, and a few insights she has in the caring of elders in their final chapter. Enjoy.

Annelise Schinzinger between the Futures at KSCO