Episode 113

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Published on:

26th Jan 2025

Luke Jensen S3E113

Luke Jensen is a veteran, neuroscience researcher, and plant medicine practitioner. Returning disenchanted and lost after a deployment to Afghanistan, Jensen shares how his search for healing led to him living in Peru’s beautiful Sacred Valley and now offering retreats rooted in indigenous spiritual wisdom, the healing properties of ayahuasca and other plant medicines, and the modern science of brain mapping and neurofeedback.

Luke Jensen lives and works at the intersection of neuroscience, anthropology, and the mystical realm of plant medicines. A veteran of the Marine Corps and National Guard, Jensen experienced PTSD and other negative consequences from his deployment to Afghanistan. In 2014, Jensen began to find healing in the Amazon basin learning about shamanic spiritual practices, indigenous wisdom, and the healing properties of ayahuasca and other plant medicines. In collaboration with his mentor, Dr. Richard Soutar, Jensen began field research in Peru of the effects of ritual practice and plant medicines using neurofeedback and QEEG brain mapping resulting in two published academic papers. Through his organization, Tiwaz Awakening, Jensen now offers healing retreats in the Peruvian Sacred Valley that combine the healing properties of plant medicine, the embodied practice of Brazilian jui jitsu, and the modern technology of QEEG brain mapping and neurofeedback. These retreats are the subject of a new documentary, “Crossed Paths: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science.”

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About the Podcast

Lives Radio Show & Podcast with Stuart Chittenden
Every Sunday at 9am on KIOS 91.5FM, Omaha's NPR affiliate, Season Three of Lives will tackle the big questions: What is a good life? Why are we here? How might we feel more connected? These and other big questions about how we live will be explored each week. Through intimate conversations, fascinating guests will share their spiritual, philosophical, artistic, and cultural approaches to exploring the wonders of our human experience. Join me as we delve into the practical and profound possibilities of living well.

As well as listening to this Season Three of Lives being broadcast on KIOS, listen back to Seasons One and Two, featuring fresh voices and diverse perspectives on culture, community, business, and more. From the Midwest and beyond, inspiring guests share compelling stories spanning the fields of politics, business, media, community activism, arts and humanities, philanthropy, and more.

On air since January 2017, Lives Radio Show & Podcast initially broadcast on the community radio station Mind & Soul 101.3FM in north Omaha, housed at the Malcolm X Center, and more recently broadcast with 1st Sky Omaha.

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stuart chittenden

I'm Stuart Chittenden—an existential coach, Certified Humanist Professional, and the creator and host of Lives Radio Show & Podcast. My work centers on helping people explore who they are, what matters most, and how to live well in a world that often rushes past those questions.

Throughout my journey—from law in London to brand strategy and community dialogue in the American Midwest—I’ve always been drawn to what lies beneath: the quiet, often unspoken work of making meaning. Lives is one of the most enduring expressions of that calling. For over eight years, I’ve invited guests from all walks of life into deep, human conversations about identity, purpose, and how we shape—and are shaped by—our stories.

Whether through coaching, workshops, or the microphone, I create space for reflection, connection, and the rich conversations that help us live more fully.