102: Conspirituality, Cancer, & Compassion (w/Gavin Ryan)

After we published episode 98 on “Placebo Joe” Dispenza, an Australian artist named Gavin Ryan posted a comment to Facebook in response:

“My wife was full of this stuff, when she stopped taking all the treatments that had finally turned her breast cancer around, right up to the day she died of it. Still fully convinced she was going to heal herself by sheer force of wishful thinking.” We reached out, and Gavin agreed to an interview.

Fey was 47 years old when she died under the coconut palms and stars of Ubud, with Gavin at her side. She’d spent six years feverishly trying to keep ahead of breast cancer with alternative medicine and New Age spirituality. She received several turns of evidence-based care that had served her body well. But she would always return to the energy work, herbs, and meditations that spoke to her soul.

Gavin was there with her all the way. He found himself stretched thin between advocating for treatments that worked, and honoring her need for magic.

We're really grateful that he has shared this story with us.

Show Notes

Here's the full recording of Fey reciting "Karuna Breath."