Psychedelics: Facing your Deepest Fears and Reconnecting with your True Self

How can we reconnect with our true selves and find lasting inner freedom?

Many of us feel a persistent lack of purpose or a growing distance from our families, friends, and even our own hearts. We live in a time of profound disconnection, often trapped in ego-driven narratives and nervous system dysregulation that keep us from experiencing the full potential of life.

If we want to move beyond these barriers, we must address the parts of ourselves that feel uncomfortable or stuck. Yet, traditional approaches often remain purely intellectual, failing to reach the deeper somatic and spiritual roots of our being. We might feel like we are constantly searching for meaning without ever truly arriving.

How do we bridge this gap? What would allow us to unlock deep, sustainable transformation?

As the co-founder of Enfold, Steve Rio has explored how a comprehensive, safety-focused approach to somatic psychedelic medicine can serve as a catalyst for this change. In this session Steve will survey the "Awakening to Life" framework, which integrates somatic modalities and Internal Family Systems-informed coaching to help regulate the nervous system and dissolve the boundaries of the ego.

He will outline the concrete steps required to move beyond the mind and clear the energetic blockages that hold us back. The aim is to move toward a state of inner alignment, where your highest self and physiological responses work in harmony to create a life rooted in authentic connection and resilience.

Steve Rio is a visionary coach, facilitator, musician, and co-founder of Enfold — a sanctuary for healing located on a remote island near Vancouver, BC.
His life and work draw on a unique synthesis of mindfulness, philosophy, psychology, entrepreneurship, functional medicine, and creative practice. Once described as “a real-life Jedi,” Steve exudes the clarity of a philosopher, the imagination and vision of an artist, and the depth of someone who has lived many lives.
Together with his wife and co-founder Austin, Steve has developed the world’s most comprehensive protocol for working with 5-MeO-DMT — the strongest psychedelic compound known to science. The Enfold Process blends modern psychology, somatic and energetic modalities, and universal spiritual wisdom to help people rediscover their true selves and reconnect with their hearts. Guests from across the globe — including the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia — travel to Enfold in search of deep healing, spiritual awakening, and lasting transformation.

To find out more about Steve's work, visit his website: https://enfold.org/

In a time marked by growing mental health pressures, uncertainty about the future of work, and increasing polarization, the Center for Human Flourishing lecture series equips students, faculty, staff, and community members with research-informed tools to move beyond coping toward flourishing.

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