I interviewed Dr. Ellen Vora, board-certified psychiatrist and author of Season of the Witch: A Psychiatrist’s Case for Magic, about the intersection of science and spirituality, the power of intuition, and the role of spirituality in mental health.
We explore why modern psychiatry often overlooks spirituality, how intuition shapes our understanding of ourselves, and whether consciousness might extend beyond physical death.
Ellen shares how losing her mother transformed her understanding of grief, the afterlife, and the possibility of continued connection with loved ones. We discuss why women have historically been taught to distrust their intuition, how cultural conditioning shapes our skepticism, and what it means to reclaim our inner wisdom.
We also explore the mental health benefits of spirituality, the healing potential and risks of psychedelics and ayahuasca, the importance of yin and rest in a productivity-driven world, and the unique challenges of motherhood and postpartum mental health.
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ABOUT DR. ELLEN VORA
Ellen Vora, MD, is a holistic psychiatrist, acupuncturist, and yoga teacher, and the author of The Anatomy of Anxiety. She takes a functional medicine approach to mental health—considering the whole person and addressing imbalance at the root. Dr. Vora received her BA from Yale University and her medical degree from Columbia University, and she is board-certified in psychiatry and integrative holistic medicine. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.
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EPISODE TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
01:00 Intuition and the Science of Knowing
04:00 What Is Magic?
05:00 Spirituality and Mental Health
08:00 Grief, Death, and the Afterlife
12:00 Consciousness and Life After Death
14:00 Why Psychiatry Ignores Spirituality
17:00 Spirituality, Depression, and Anxiety
19:00 How to Reconnect with Your Intuition
22:00 Yin and Yang: Rest, Burnout, and Productivity
24:00 Science, Spirituality, and the Unknown
27:00 Why Women Are Taught to Distrust Their Intuition
30:00 Psychedelic Therapy and Mental Health
34:00 Ayahuasca and Mystical Experiences
37:00 The Mind-Body Connection
38:00 How to Develop and Trust Your Intuition
40:00 Postpartum Depression and Women's Mental Health
43:00 Motherhood and Intuitive Wisdom
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EPISODE LINKS
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ABOUT INNERCALLING
Hi, I'm Dr. V! Welcome to INNERCALLING, where I host organic conversations at the intersection of mental health, science, spirituality, & wisdom. Together with leading scientists, psychologists, authors, philosophers, and spiritual teachers, we explore consciousness, resilience, purpose, human flourishing, & the timeless questions that shape a meaningful life.
Questions we explore:
• How do we find
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