Ex-SEAL Shawn Ryan Splits With Trump, Warns Intel Plants Target Podcasts

The Diary Of A CEO

Shawn Ryan warns that intelligence operatives actively infiltrate independent podcasts to seed geopolitical talking points, leading him to abandon candidate endorsements and corporate ad deals to preserve editorial and spiritual alignment.

AI-assisted summary of Shawn Ryan: There's A Battle For Your Soul, It's Happening Right Now — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published: 2026-10-02

Key ideas

Shawn Ryan discloses how covert intelligence assets and political operatives systematically target and plant guests on top independent podcasts to manipulate national discourse outside legacy media channels. (9:45)
Ryan expresses disillusionment with Donald Trump over foreign intervention policies, warning that military escalations regarding Iran prioritize Israeli geopolitical interests over American security. (20:11)
Following a second psychedelic protocol pairing African ibogaine with 5-MeO-DMT, Ryan experienced severe supernatural torment and demonic oppression, prompting multiple Catholic deliverance exorcisms and adult baptism. (57:05)
Corporate sponsors abruptly canceled high-value ad campaigns following Ryan's pivot to faith-based content and scripture study, a pressure he consciously rejected to preserve spiritual alignment over short-term revenue. (77:04)

Detailed notes

## Background This interview was published on October 1, 2026, on the YouTube channel The Diary Of A CEO, hosted by Steven Bartlett. The episode features former U.S. Navy SEAL and CIA contractor Shawn Ryan, who discusses the hidden psychological toll of military ambition, the terrifying spiritual risks of intensive psychedelic therapy, and the personal cost of aligning one's media career with core spiritual values.

## TL;DR In this extensive conversation, Shawn Ryan traces his transition from high-stakes military and CIA operations to extreme adrenaline addiction and near-death drug runs in Colombia. He recounts overcoming chemical dependency through ibogaine, only to encounter a terrifying, supernatural abyss and demonic oppression during a subsequent 5-MeO-DMT experience that led to multiple exorcisms and his adult baptism. Ryan also explains his disillusionment with mainstream politics, the prevalence of planted intelligence assets across top podcasts, and why he chose to walk away from major advertising revenue to preserve editorial integrity and prioritize his family.

## Atmosphere & style The conversation carries an intense, deeply vulnerable, and at times chilling mood as Ryan speaks with unfiltered candor about supernatural dread, existential fear, and the dark realities of covert warfare. Steven Bartlett acts as an empathetic, analytical sounding board, bridging secular curiosity with respectful openness as Ryan details deeply metaphysical and harrowing personal accounts. It feels less like a polished promotional media tour and more like an intimate, confessional debrief between two high-performing creators grappling with the unseen spiritual, psychological, and familial costs of worldly success.

## Bulletin - [09:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=585s) Shawn Ryan discloses how covert intelligence assets and political operatives systematically target and plant guests on top independent podcasts to manipulate national discourse outside legacy media channels. - [20:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1211s) Ryan expresses disillusionment with Donald Trump over foreign intervention policies, warning that military escalations regarding Iran prioritize Israeli geopolitical interests over American security. - [57:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3425s) Following a second psychedelic protocol pairing African ibogaine with 5-MeO-DMT, Ryan experienced severe supernatural torment and demonic oppression, prompting multiple Catholic deliverance exorcisms and adult baptism. - [01:17:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4624s) Corporate sponsors abruptly canceled high-value ad campaigns following Ryan's pivot to faith-based content and scripture study, a pressure he consciously rejected to preserve spiritual alignment over short-term revenue.

## Key takeaways - [07:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=428s) Elite special operations conditioning elevates stress tolerance but creates severe neurological dependencies on adrenaline, leading operators into depression, reckless thrill-seeking, and substance abuse in civilian life. - [09:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=585s) Political campaigns and intelligence operatives have shifted information warfare strategies to independent podcasts, planting guests across top shows to seed precise geopolitical talking points. - [10:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=615s) Podcasters risk editorial capture through proximity to political figures and VIP access, leading Ryan to decline White House visits and flights on Air Force One to maintain independence. - [15:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=955s) Independent creators face systemic shadow suppression and exclusion from curated platform shelves due to algorithmic gatekeeping and human moderation within major tech companies. - [18:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1096s) The Trump campaign engaged with independent media by imposing zero preconditions, whereas the Harris campaign declined interviews despite being offered complete control over discussion topics. - [20:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1211s) Escalating military aggression toward Iran contradicts anti-interventionist campaign promises and risks embroiling the United States in foreign wars that offer no strategic national upside. - [22:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1341s) Both major U.S. political parties operate in lockstep on foreign policy, fostering an inconsistent diplomatic posture that fractures alliances and accelerates the erosion of American global hegemony. - [25:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1531s) In response to domestic decay and political neglect, Ryan launched the '50 States in 50 Days' project to visually document severe poverty and directly confront governing officials. - [39:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2365s) Chasing the operational adrenaline of military combat led Ryan into dangerous drug networks in Medellín, Colombia, culminating in police surveillance and an immediate covert exit. - [53:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3230s) While an initial ibogaine treatment cured severe stimulant and alcohol addictions, entheogens can dismantle protective spiritual veils and expose users to intense supernatural distress. - [57:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3425s) A subsequent high-dose protocol of ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT triggered profound spiritual terror, physical contortions, and diagnosed demonic oppression requiring Catholic deliverance rites. - [01:12:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4332s) Multiple special operations veterans privately corroborated experiencing identical terrifying spiritual oppression following plant medicine retreats, despite vocal resistance from the commercial psychedelic community. - [01:21:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4903s) True alignment requires absorbing immediate financial friction—such as advertisers canceling multi-year contracts over faith-based content—to safeguard spiritual integrity. - [01:28:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5314s) Unchecked entrepreneurial drive and the constant mental focus demanded by media ventures risk emotional absence at home, which material wealth cannot rectify for growing children. - [01:34:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5640s) Consumer data broker telemetry enables foreign adversaries to locate and target military assets, prompting the necessity of hardened mobile privacy infrastructure like Glacier.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=0s) Teaser: Near-Death Realms, Cartels, and Media Manipulation

The episode opens with a rapid sequence of intense reflections that frame the breadth of Shawn Ryan's life experiences. Ryan insists that he didn't merely imagine a near-death encounter, stating: "I know I did. And it was more real than anything I've experienced. It was the most amount of fear I'd ever felt in my life." He describes his body twisting in ways a human body shouldn't, prompting Steven Bartlett to ask whether he believed he was possessed, given that he underwent multiple exorcisms afterward. Ryan confirms that the supernatural events were completely undeniable.

The conversation shifts through his military and intelligence background, noting his deployment history in the U.S. Navy across Iraq, Haiti, and Afghanistan. Ryan reflects on becoming heavily addicted to high-stakes environments and raw adrenaline. Following his CIA contracting days, he moved to Medellín, Colombia, which he characterizes as "probably the most dangerous thing I'd ever done." When asked if he became involved in local drug networks, Ryan clarifies that while he was not dealing on the street, he was setting up the network and mapping the players to chase that operational rush. The adventure took a dark turn when an associate named Freddy informed him that the police were tracking him, having placed a listening bug directly into the light fixture outside his door.

Looking at his current career, Ryan has established one of the world's most dominant independent podcasts, yet he notes that his show often fails to surface on mainstream "popular podcast" charts due to topics he began addressing long ago. When Bartlett asks whether independent podcasters and digital creators are being systematically compromised by planted guests or clandestine agendas, Ryan affirms that political operations and institutional forces recognize the massive cultural power of podcasting, deploying operatives into these networks and platforms to influence narratives.

---

[02:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=138s) From BUD/S to CIA Contracting: The Making of Shawn Ryan

Steven Bartlett asks Ryan to lay out the foundational milestones of his early career prior to launching *The Shawn Ryan Show*. Ryan recounts enlisting in the U.S. Navy at age 17, heading straight toward the Naval Special Warfare pipeline. He entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, was assigned to SEAL Team 4, and served five and a half years in active naval service.

Following his discharge, Ryan sought an entirely different life path. Inspired by Donald Trump's business book *How to Get Rich*, he attempted to reinvent himself as an entrepreneur and real estate agent. When that venture failed miserably, he pivoted back toward defense and intelligence work. He entered the private contracting sphere, beginning with a modest State Department contract before being picked up for CIA operational contracts. He worked through private security firms Blackwater and SOC, eventually earning direct-hire contractor status with the Central Intelligence Agency with no middleman.

---

[03:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=209s) What Separates a Navy SEAL from Conventional Forces

To provide context for international listeners, Bartlett asks Ryan to explain what fundamentally sets Navy SEALs apart from conventional infantry or standard military personnel. Ryan details the acronym itself—Sea, Air, and Land—explaining that operators are cross-trained to wage warfare in every operational environment, making them among the most elite special operations units on Earth.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Navy SEAL Training Pipeline accDescr: The multi-year training progression from BUD/S to active deployment for Navy SEAL operators.

subgraph Pipeline["Training Pipeline"] A["BUD/S Training (6-9 Months)"] --> B["Jump School"] B --> C["SQT: SEAL Qualification Training"] end

subgraph TeamIntegration["Team Operational Phase"] C --> D["Trident Pin Awarded"] D --> E["SEAL Team Workup (1-2 Years Advanced Tactics)"] E --> F["Global Deployment Readiness"] end ```

The pipeline involves brutal attrition: - **BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL):** Six months standard; Ryan spent roughly nine months after being rolled back. - **Specialized Schools:** Jump school followed by SQT (SEAL Qualification Training), where candidates are refined into tactical operators. - **The SEAL Trident:** Earning the warfare insignia is only the midpoint; newly pinned operators then spend an additional 12 to 24 months embedded in a SEAL team workup. - **Operational Mastery:** Training covers combat diving, military freefall, land warfare, close-quarters battle (CQB) in kill houses, demolitions, and extreme survival across jungle, winter, and desert environments.

Bartlett asks if the unit is equivalent to Britain's Special Air Service (SAS) or Special Boat Service (SBS), and Ryan agrees that they operate on that equivalent tier.

---

[06:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=360s) Haiti and the Shadow of Operation Red Wings

Ryan recounts his earliest encounters with real-world chaos, starting in 2004 during the crisis in Haiti when President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted. It marked his first exposure to abject poverty and societal collapse: raw sewage flowing openly in streets, prisons emptied of violent convicts, bullet-riddled architecture, burning vehicles, and bodies left floating in the harbor. Though jarring at the time, Ryan notes it paled in comparison to the violence he would witness later in the Middle East.

Following Haiti, Ryan deployed to Afghanistan shortly after the catastrophic events of Operation Red Wings in 2005—the deadliest single incident in SEAL history up to that point. Ryan summarizes the tragedy, popularized by the book and film *Lone Survivor*: - A four-man SEAL reconnaissance and sniper element was observing a village harboring a high-value terrorist target. - The hide site was stumbled upon and compromised by a local goat herder. - The herder informed anti-coalition militia members, who surrounded and ambushed the team on the mountain ridge. - Responding MH-47 Chinook helicopters were targeted, one of which was brought down by an RPG, killing everyone aboard; only one operator from the ground reconnaissance team survived.

Ryan arrived in late September or early October 2005. His team ran multiple direct-action raids in the region, but they yielded mostly dry holes and a handful of detainees, cutting the deployment short.

---

[07:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=428s) Counter-IED Operations in Iraq and the Cost of the SEAL Culture

Frustrated by the low operational tempo in Afghanistan, Ryan sought combat where he could perform direct actions, close-quarters battle, and sniper missions every single night. In the 2005–2006 timeframe, amidst stalled political elections, his Officer in Charge (OIC) devised a strategy: loaning their SEAL detachment out to conventional infantry units that were getting hammered by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and suicide bombers along vital supply routes.

The SEALs integrated directly into regular units to overhaul their operational security and tactics: - Teaching conventional soldiers mission architecture, route surveillance, and sniper hide construction. - Leading combat patrols to hunt the specific insurgent networks planting roadside explosives. - Successfully eliminating insurgent cells within 24 hours of moving into new sectors before advancing to help the next conventional unit.

When asked how the SEAL culture transformed him as a man, Ryan explains that the crucible permanently recalibrates an individual's limits: - It instills a massive surge in personal drive and self-belief, teaching a person that they can endure vastly more than normal civilians believe possible. - It elevates high-stress functionality to abnormal levels. - Conversely, it creates severe neurological dependencies: an insatiable addiction to adrenaline and exposure to dangerous environments. - It pulls operators into an aggressive subculture marked by excessive drinking, violence, and reckless behavior once off the battlefield.

---

[09:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=585s) Information Warfare and Planted Guests in Independent Podcasting

Bartlett points out that after leaving contracting, Ryan built an independent media platform that rivals corporate networks, and asks whether podcast hosts and digital influencers are actively targeted and compromised by external powers. Ryan unhesitatingly agrees: "I have no proof, but yes."

Ryan argues that political campaigns and intelligence operatives recognized that the podcast ecosystem fundamentally upended legacy broadcast media. He points out how the Donald Trump presidential campaign leveraged long-form podcasts to dominate the electoral cycle, bypassing traditional media filters entirely. Because powerful political and institutional figures now understand that podcasting controls public perception, Ryan asserts that covert operators place specific individuals inside digital platforms and aggressively attempt to plant guests on influential shows to manipulate national discourse.

[10:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=615s) Elite Capture and the Seduction of Access

Shawn Ryan reflects on how political figures quickly recognized the immense leverage of long-form podcasts and began co-opting hosts and digital influencers. Once podcasters gain proximity to a sitting president or an administration, many become intoxicated by the feeling of access and influence. Ryan points to the public spectacles surrounding the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, where personalities posed for photographs while clutching binders of documents. In Ryan's view, the moment creators participate in those photo ops, they are effectively "captured." Even if an individual genuinely considers themselves an independent thinker, the external perception is set in stone: they have joined a tribe and become part of a political faction's promotional machinery.

To protect his independence, Ryan routinely rejects invitations to high-profile political events, whether trips to the White House, VIP seating at football games, or flights aboard Air Force One and Marine One. He explains that these seemingly once-in-a-lifetime perks are subtle traps designed to present a unified front to the public: "Hey, look, we have Steven. We've got him. We've got pictures of him holding binders up. We've got pictures of him at dinners with us. He's on our team." Accepting those overtures imposes an invisible ceiling on a creator's integrity, fundamentally altering their judgment and credibility downstream.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: The Mechanics of Influencer Capture accDescr: A flow illustrating how independent creators become politically compromised through access and public association.

subgraph Seduction["The Offer of Proximity"] A["Elite Access Offered (White House, Marine One, VIP Events)"] --> B["Creator Accepts Invitations"] end

subgraph Capture["The Public Association"] B --> C["Photographed with Officials & Partisan Props"] C --> D["Public & Media Perception: 'They are on our team'"] end

subgraph Compromise["The Loss of Independence"] D --> E["Tribal Alignment Formed"] E --> F["Independence Ceiling Reached & Loss of Freethinking Credibility"] end ```

[12:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=740s) Planted Guests, Spies, and Covert Narratives on the Circuit

The discussion shifts to covert influence operations within the independent podcast landscape itself. Ryan and Steven Bartlett agree that foreign and domestic intelligence agencies likely utilize planted guests—and potentially hosts—across the circuit. Ryan notes that sudden, unknown guests frequently burst onto the scene, amassing unfathomable view counts and booking dozens of shows in a matter of months despite lacking remarkable life histories or personal accomplishments. In many cases, these individuals appear for four- or five-hour conversations merely to deliver a single calculated sentence meant to be clipped for viral social media distribution or to seed specific narratives regarding conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, or Iran.

Ryan recounts personal experiences where such guests made precise geopolitical forecasts during an interview, only to text him weeks later when the event unfolded to brag: "I told you this was going to happen." The realization that a guest who did fifty podcasts in two months tracked that exact comment back to his show left Ryan convinced he had been used as an operational asset: "Oh, they got me." Bartlett adds that as an ordinary civilian, he once dismissed such ideas as Hollywood fiction until he studied how intelligence networks genuinely operate—such as establishing deep-cover foreign agents who live routine lives in cities like New York with families and businesses bankrolled by foreign entities. Bartlett references investigative journalist Annie Jacobsen, who favors the term "speculative narratives" over "conspiracy theories," acknowledging that many dismissed claims eventually prove true.

- Guests often enter the podcast circuit with no substantial track record, yet immediately secure tens of millions of views across top-tier shows. - A five-hour interview can serve merely as a vehicle to place one targeted, clippable sentence into the broader media ecosystem. - Host-level manipulation frequently involves seeding predictive claims about international conflicts to build artificial credibility with the interviewer.

[15:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=955s) Platform Suppression and Covert Moles in Big Tech

Bartlett and Ryan explore how digital platforms manipulate discovery and reach behind the scenes. Ryan reveals that although *The Shawn Ryan Show* garners between 150 million and 200 million views per month, ranks as the number three podcast on Spotify, and frequently claims the number one overall slot on YouTube (outpacing Joe Rogan's weekly U.S. viewership at times), his show is entirely absent from YouTube’s curated "Popular Podcasts" shelf. He traces this exclusion back to early episodes covering terrorism, suspecting that internal curation mechanisms manually blacklisted the show from that specific promotional real estate.

Ryan posits that intelligence agencies embed operatives inside major technology and media firms under everyday corporate cover. In this framework, an intelligence asset's primary mission is information control, while their surface role is simply an employee at YouTube, Meta, or TikTok. While Ryan clarifies that he maintains an excellent relationship with YouTube and is not personally complaining about platform politics, both creators agree that algorithmic delivery is frequently shaped by arbitrary human gatekeeping and editorial intervention inside tech offices.

[18:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1096s) Political Maneuvering: Trump, Kamala Harris, and Podcasting Rules

Addressing his political stance during the presidential race, Ryan clarifies that while he was supportive of Donald Trump and desired his victory, he never issued an official political endorsement. He notes that critics frequently ignore his persistent attempts to host the Democratic ticket. Negotiations with Kamala Harris's campaign were extensively reported in outlets such as *The Washington Post*. Ryan engaged in extensive back-and-forth discussions with Harris's staff to establish an interview outline. When her team objected to a long list of Ryan's proposed topics, he offered a total concession: they could select every single discussion topic themselves, and he would merely write the outline and questions around those chosen subjects. Despite this, her campaign ultimately declined the invitation.

In sharp contrast, Ryan notes that when Donald Trump appeared on his show, the Trump campaign placed zero constraints, guidelines, or restricted topics on the conversation. Bartlett reflects that this dynamic serves as an instructive lesson for modern political strategy: candidate handlers frequently strangle their candidates' authenticity through risk-averse boundary setting. Bartlett mentions that when Harris later appeared on *The Diary of a CEO* after losing the election, her team imposed no editorial guidelines whatsoever, demonstrating how campaigns only grant total transparency once they have lost all institutional control and have nothing left to protect.

[19:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1173s) Political Interviews and Kamala Harris's Backout

The conversation touches on interview experiences with high-profile figures. Steven notes that when a political guest speaks candidly—cursing, stating plainly that "Joe Biden kind of screwed me over," and shedding the typical "cookie cutter polish politician" persona—it produces far more compelling material. He laments that this genuine side was not shown across podcasts prior to the election, as a direct comparison would have been valuable. Shawn reveals that he had Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his show while he was running as an independent and came extremely close to booking Kamala Harris before her team backed out at the last minute. Shawn reflects that having her on likely would not have swayed the election's outcome, though he still wished the discussion had taken place.

[20:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1211s) Disillusionment with Donald Trump and the Iran Conflict

Steven asks Shawn directly if his opinion of Donald Trump has changed. Shawn answers emphatically, "Oh, yeah," explaining that he is deeply dissatisfied with current developments and believes Trump has "totally gone against what he said he was going to do." Steven remarks that as a non-American, he observes the escalating situation involving Iran as a significant blunder with no discernible positive outcome or "golden bridge." Shawn shares this assessment, stating that nothing about the engagement makes sense and there is no upside for the United States.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Divergent Interests in Military Action accDescr: Military sentiment contrasts the stated administration narrative against suspected foreign interests. subgraph Stated["Public Justification"] A["Official Stated Narrative Prevent Nuclear Threat"] end subgraph Veteran["Ground / Veteran Perspective"] B["Colleagues' Assessment US not acting in senior partner role"] C["Primary Beneficiary Foreign alignment (Israel)"] end A -.->|Contradicts| B B --> C ```

When asked what his former military peers think about the deployment, Shawn states plainly that they believe they are engaged on behalf of another nation's priorities rather than American interests. Steven points out that Vice President JD Vance claimed the United States is the "senior partner," yet service members feel the reality on the ground contradicts that rhetoric. When probed about whose interests are being prioritized, Shawn points to Israel, rejecting the narrative that the military action was initiated strictly over nuclear defense concerns. When asked why Trump would allow American resources to serve non-domestic interests, Shawn admits he cannot provide a rationale beyond recognizing that it is not serving the American public.

- Service members and veterans communicate strong skepticism that the ongoing Iran operations serve core American interests. - Public assertions from administration figures about the U.S. functioning as the dominant partner conflict directly with what operators observe. - Shawn rejects the nuclear rationale given for initiating the conflict, regarding it as unsupported speculation.

[22:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1341s) The Fall of U.S. Hegemony, Erratic Trade, and the "Schizophrenic" State

Addressing whether the country would have been better off under a Democratic administration, Shawn responds that the two parties have become "one and the same," which is the primary reason he is distancing himself from political commentary. He laments that nearly every political figure who has sat across from him has "just lied straight to my face." This constant deceit fuels Shawn's suspicion that the United States is actively losing its status as the world's preeminent superpower.

He points out glaring structural vulnerabilities, highlighting China's aggressive expansion of nuclear energy while American leadership endlessly debates grid modernization, all against the backdrop of the crumbling petrodollar—a vulnerability analyzed in depth on past shows featuring Game Theory specialist Professor Chuen. Shawn contrasts this with America's treatment of historical allies like Canada:

Shawn describes the resulting foreign policy as like "dealing with a schizophrenic," an impossible environment for international diplomacy and commerce. He argues that outside of Israel, the U.S. has systematically alienated its closest allies, punishing them for reactions caused directly by past American policy reversals.

[25:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1531s) Historical Precedents and the "50 States in 50 Days" Concept

Looking forward, Shawn wants to explore historical parallels by examining what happened to the United Kingdom when it ceded its global superpower mantle to the United States around World War II. He notes that domestic discourse treats the potential loss of superpower status purely as an apocalypse where currency collapses and chaos ensues. Shawn questions whether this transition could instead force a necessary reset: removing immense PAC money from Washington and requiring elected officials to govern for their own people.

To highlight this domestic neglect, Shawn details a project he wants to produce called "50 States in 50 Days." The concept involves filming in the most impoverished corners of every state—from New York and New Jersey to Wisconsin, California, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida—to document severe neglect: - Confront the visual reality of extreme domestic poverty while billions in taxpayer capital flow overseas. - Directly call out sitting governors, senators, and congressmen on camera, displaying their districts' squalor and asking, "This is your state... and this [shit] is happening all around you." - Expose political leaders Shawn describes as "runaways" who have fundamentally abandoned their constitutional obligations to American citizens.

[27:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1662s) Deterrence, Global Realignment, and the 2028 Election

Steven reflects that America's former dominance relied on "peace through strength"—an implicit, quiet confidence that never required behaving like an insecure bully. He notes that when a nation's leadership starts hurling petty insults, calling Canada the "52nd state," and threatening partners, allies interpret the behavior as insecurity rather than genuine force. Consequently, European leaders are realizing they can no longer rely unconditionally on Washington's security guarantees, driving them to form their own independent defense pacts. In contrast, China maintains an unhurried, strategic posture, allowing the United States to erode its own credibility without intervention: "They're watching us self-destruct right now in real time."

Looking toward the 2028 presidential race, Shawn expresses complete disinterest in participating or platforming conventional contenders unless a legitimate third-party movement arises. As it stands, he sees no candidate demonstrating genuine leadership. The segment concludes as Steven brings up Blair Cottrell (referred to in conversation as Blair Skoro), a past guest whose statements triggered Shawn's skepticism.

[29:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1785s) Planted Narratives and the CIA Asset

Shawn Ryan shares an anecdote about a former guest who claimed to be an Eastern European immigrant recruited out of prison to serve as a CIA asset. The man’s mission had been to infiltrate Islamic terrorist organizations and the Muslim Brotherhood to intercept massive weapons caches and redirect them into CIA custody. Ryan notes that recently they received an email revealing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had detained the man and was attempting to deport him. The guest feared he would be killed upon deportation, yet ICE seemed indifferent to his background.

During the podcast recording, after hours of discussing the Global War on Terror and his clandestine operations, the guest suddenly made an abrupt, unprovoked pivot to claim that Russia was smuggling nuclear warheads into the United States. The sudden interjection struck Ryan as completely out of left field, fitting neither the tone nor the subject matter of the interview. Sensing an ulterior motive, Ryan challenged him right on camera, asking how he could be sure the guest wasn't planted simply to slip that single talking point into a high-reach show to reinforce the mainstream anti-Russia narrative. Although the guest was taken aback, Ryan reflects that this is precisely how intelligence-planted messaging operates: someone gives hours of credible material merely to insert one narrative seed.

[32:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1959s) Why Ryan Refuses to Air Certain Episodes

When Bartlett asks if he deletes many episodes, Ryan clarifies that while he rarely deletes released content, he has shelved several recordings that will never see the light of day. He describes a guest who presented an elaborate case claiming the COVID-19 vaccine had been manufactured in a lab and patented well before the pandemic began. Upon reflecting on the conversation afterward, Ryan realized the guest kept subtly shifting terms—while the narrative frame was about COVID-19, the man's specific claim was that the *SARS* vaccine had been patented before 2020. Recognizing that SARS and coronaviruses encompass thousands of variations, Ryan refused to air the episode; knowing millions listen to him, he could not stomach the idea of a listener making life-or-death medical choices based on misleading information, despite his own personal regrets about taking the vaccine.

Ryan recounts two other instances where he cut interviews short and scrapped the footage: - **The World Economic Forum "Expert":** A guest booked to explain the World Economic Forum could not answer basic structural questions about whether it was a business, a non-profit, or a foundation, immediately veering into unfounded conspiracy rants instead. Ryan promptly ended the interview. - **The Supposed CIA Operative:** A woman claiming to have worked for the Agency hid behind classification to avoid discussing real tradecraft, but dwelled obsessively on polygraph examinations. Suspecting she had merely memorized basic polygraph literature to construct a façade of legitimacy—while omitting genuine operational details—Ryan shut the conversation down within a couple of months prior to this recording.

Ryan emphasizes that while mistakes are inevitable, he will never knowingly publish fraudulent claims just to chase views and engagement.

[37:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2232s) Sponsor Break: Shopify & Ketone-IQ

Steven Bartlett transitions into brand partner messages: - **Shopify:** Highlights the ease of turning entrepreneurial ideas into operational online businesses. He mentions tools such as drag-and-drop website builders, AI sidekicks, analytics, and an efficient one-click checkout system that stores customer data to optimize conversion rates (accessible at shopify.com/bartlett). - **Ketone-IQ:** Bartlett discusses achieving flow states deliberately rather than relying on chance, noting his personal investment and co-ownership in Ketone-IQ. Designed as clean cognitive fuel to sustain mental clarity across high-demand interviews, the product is promoted via ketone.com/steven (30% off subscriptions) and nationwide at CVS.

[39:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2365s) Transition to Colombia

Bartlett turns the focus to Ryan's post-contracting years. At age 34, having closed his chapter as a Navy SEAL and private CIA contractor, Ryan relocated to Colombia. He spent roughly two years drinking heavily and drifting without direction. Ryan explains that he initially arrived in Cartagena before choosing to settle down and "camp out" in Medellín. The conversation sets up Bartlett’s inquiry into whether Ryan became entanglements with local drug cartels and illicit underworld networks during that volatile period.

[39:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2392s) Chasing the Dragon in Colombia: The Adrenaline Trap

Asked directly whether he became involved with drug trafficking networks while living in Colombia, Shawn Ryan answers without hesitation: "Yes, I did." Looking back from a bird's-eye view, the period appeared to represent total instability, especially coming immediately off a high-stakes military career as a Navy SEAL and contracting for the CIA. However, Shawn frames that chapter not as financial opportunism, but as a severe addiction to adrenaline. After operating at the absolute razor's edge of covert combat, normal civilian life in the United States was agonizingly dull.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Shawn Ryan's Adrenaline Cycle and Downward Spiral accDescr: Flowchart tracking Shawn Ryan's descent from civilian boredom after military service into covert network building in Colombia, leading to police surveillance and eventual escape.

subgraph PostService["Post-Service Void"] A["Disillusionment in the US (Boring bars, unwanted war opinions)"] --> B["Relentless Craving for Adrenaline"] end

subgraph ColombiaOps["Underworld in Colombia"] B --> C["Relocation to Medellín"] C --> D["Barrio Antioquia & Underworld Hubs (Infiltrating dealer hierarchies)"] D --> E["Chaotic Incidents (Throwing cash on Puente de los Locos)"] end

subgraph Extraction["The Crackdown & SDR"] E --> F["Building Alerted by Doorman Freddy (Bugged light fixture & sniper/OP across street)"] F --> G["Surveillance Detection Route (SDR) (Flight within 12 hours)"] end ```

Sitting in American bars had no appeal, and listening to everyday citizens debate war policy when they had never risked anything infuriated him. He moved south to escape the English language, avoid questions, and cut off polite society entirely. Once in Colombia, he turned the underworld into his personal playground. For Shawn, the thrill was never street-level selling; it was the clandestine craft of infiltrating organizations, identifying key players, and embedding himself directly into their hierarchy. He admits that he placed zero value on his own life at the time: while he stopped short of calling himself suicidal, he was solely chasing the rush, fully prepared for the possibility that he might die down there if the thrill ever ran dry.

- **The Motivation**: Replacing the unmatched neurochemical highs of covert CIA operations and SEAL deployments. - **The Modus Operandi**: Inserting himself into local networks, learning the command chain, and operating with total disregard for personal survival.

---

[41:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2515s) Barrio Antioquia, the "Puente de los Locos", and Bugged Penthouses

Shawn's lifestyle quickly escalated into three- to five-day cocaine benders. He frequently ventured into Barrio Antioquia in Medellín—a notoriously guarded, high-crime enclave that ordinary taxis refused to enter, protected by multiple police checkpoints. It housed the cheapest, highest-purity cocaine and the city’s top cartel bosses, making it an irresistible adrenaline magnet. On one extreme run accompanied by several women, he visited a bridge known locally as the *Puente de los Locos*, a sprawling encampment populated by homeless and mentally ill individuals. Driven by reckless curiosity to see how the crowd would react, Shawn threw a massive wad of cash into the air. The stunt triggered an immediate mob stampede; hundreds swarmed them, and the group barely fought their way back into their car to escape.

Back at his penthouse, Shawn relied on a network he had methodically cultivated: the building's doormen and private security guards. Practicing strict tradecraft, he made sure the staff was well taken care of—gifting them alcohol, groceries, new clothes, tips, and drugs whenever he bought supplies. That investment saved his life. A trusted doorman named Freddy intercepted him to warn that law enforcement was closing in. Initially, Shawn blew up at Freddy, assuming the local worker was running a shakedown on a wealthy foreigner. But Freddy held firm, warning that investigators had already demanded copies of Shawn's passport, demanded his employer details, and produced surveillance photos of Shawn throwing cash at the *Puente de los Locos* only hours earlier.

Freddy revealed that authorities had planted an audio bug inside the light fixture right outside Shawn’s apartment door and set up a static observation post (OP) in the building opposite his penthouse. Realizing the danger was real, Shawn immediately sanitized his unit, destroyed and dumped his remaining supply, and conducted an SDR (Surveillance Detection Route) through multiple internet cafés to confirm he was not being tailed. Using the counter-surveillance techniques he learned in government service, he purchased tickets across conflicting destinations and fled the country within twelve hours, never returning to Colombia.

- **Puente de los Locos**: The site of a near-fatal crowd surge provoked by throwing cash into a destitute encampment. - **Doorman Intel**: Freddy, his primary building contact, tipped him off to police inquiries and counter-intelligence surveillance. - **Surveillance Countermeasures**: Shawn sanitized the penthouse, scrubbed the drugs, and ran an SDR through local internet cafés before fleeing on a 12-hour emergency extraction.

---

[46:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2800s) Chasing Danger in Central America and the Mother's Day Awakening

Fleeing Colombia did not cure the addiction. Shawn returned stateside, but civilian life quickly triggered restlessness once again. He began darting across Central America to recreate the intensity, making runs into Panama, Costa Rica, and San Pedro Sula in Honduras—then statistically recognized as the most violent city on Earth. Though he toned down his intake slightly, he was still locked into a self-destructive cycle.

A stark wake-up call occurred during a catastrophic drug binge in Colombia when he realized it was Mother's Day. Years earlier, a friend had warned him about fatal overdoses on stimulants: "You don't have to worry about OD'ing on coke until things start to slow down. If you're on speed and then everything seems slow, that's when you're riding the edge." High out of his mind, with his ankles visibly swollen from severe circulatory failure, Shawn suddenly experienced time slowing down around him. Believing he was living his final minutes, he placed a desperate phone call to his mother to say goodbye. The memory of that call remained an open wound and a major catalyst for change.

---

[47:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2858s) Finding Purpose in a Brother's Battle and Stepping into Therapy

The true structural turning point arrived when Shawn discovered a mission outside of his own ego. His best friend—a fellow overseas contractor—was retiring from operations while battling a crippling opioid addiction. Desperate to keep his friend alive, Shawn made saving him his personal mission: "He became my purpose... in order to clean him up, I had to clean myself up." Although his friend tragically succumbed to his addiction years later, the commitment forced Shawn to establish personal accountability and enter formal psychotherapy.

Admitting he needed clinical help was a severe hit to his pride as an elite special operator. However, isolated in Florida with no local network—while most of his former teammates remained deployed downrange—he swallowed his pride: > "It was definitely a blow to my ego, but at the same time, you know, I didn't really have any friends. Most of my friends were still operational at the time, and I didn't have any friends where I lived in Florida... I was like, 'What the hell? You know, I might as well try this.' And it did help. It helped a lot."

Shawn discovered that psychotherapy functioned much like an effective long-form interview: sitting before an unbiased professional who asked minimal, pointed questions allowed him to verbalize, process, and untangle his deep psychological knots on his own. That foundational therapy provided the stability that eventually steered him toward seeking alternative treatments, paving the way for his later experience with ibogaine.

[51:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3064s) The First Ibogaine Treatment: Curing Addiction and Quieting the Mind

Steven Bartlett opens by sharing that between exiting his first company and launching *The Diary Of A CEO*, he spent a year working inside the psychedelics mental health sector. While there, he learned about the extraordinary clinical efficacy of ibogaine—an intense, long-duration plant medicine capable of disrupting severe addiction patterns in just a single therapeutic dose—though he had never met anyone who had undergone the treatment firsthand. Shawn Ryan confirms that he has now done ibogaine twice, explaining that his initial journey occurred shortly after launching *The Shawn Ryan Show*. At the time, his life was consumed by work. With a six-month-old son at home, he found himself completely incapable of living in the present moment because his thoughts were constantly looping on business opportunities, podcast growth, and the fear of missing out on commercial momentum.

Although Shawn had already eliminated cocaine and stopped drinking hard liquor, he was still reliant on Adderall and pharmaceutical sleep aids to regulate his intense schedule. Seeking a way to quiet his racing mind and reconnect with his wife and infant son, he traveled to an international clinic for ibogaine treatment. The therapeutic breakthrough was immediate and comprehensive: he emerged with zero desire to consume alcohol or stimulants, stepped away from all prescription sleep medications, and experienced an effortless release from chemical dependence. He notes that over four years later, he remains completely free of any chemical vices and mentally sharper than ever.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Shawn Ryan's First vs Second Psychedelic Experience accDescr: Flowchart contrasting the positive therapeutic reset of Shawn's first ibogaine session with the traumatic spiritual fallout of his second journey.

subgraph Phase1 ["First Ibogaine Experience"] A["Severe Workaholism & Overactive Mind"] --> B["Ibogaine Treatment"] B --> C["Total Cessation of Adderall & Sleeping Meds"] C --> D["Presence with Family & Over 4 Years Sobriety"] end

subgraph Phase2 ["Second Journey (3 Months Prior)"] E["Loosened Intentions / Problem-Solving"] --> F["Ibogaine Pill followed by 5-MeO-DMT"] F --> G["Profound Spiritual Emptiness & Fear"] G --> H["Physical Contortions & Dark Aftermath"] end ```

[53:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3230s) Returning to the Medicine and the Illusion of Psychedelic Clarity

Despite his clean lifestyle, Shawn underwent a second ibogaine retreat roughly three months prior to the interview—an experience that went catastrophically wrong and left him feeling as though he had literally visited hell. He details the protocol, which involves taking an ibogaine pill derived from Gabon, Africa—widely recognized as one of the most potent entheogens in the world—followed the next day by 5-MeO-DMT. Shawn references a conversation with Dr. Andrew Huberman regarding faith, explaining that while he had previously utilized psychedelics like psilocybin and 5-MeO-DMT to cut through complicated corporate choices, evaluate human motives, and solve intricate personal dilemmas, he gradually allowed his boundaries to loosen.

Initially, Shawn approached plant medicine with profound respect and intentional prayer, but as he witnessed widespread casual use, he began relying on psilocybin journeys as an intellectual shortcut to decipher complex issues. During these visionary states, the underlying motivations of business partners or long-term consequences of contracts would lay themselves bare. However, Shawn warns that this apparent clarity carries a severe cost. He came to believe that entheogens do not merely alter brain chemistry; they puncture an energetic veil, granting individuals unauthorized access to a spiritual dimension beyond human comprehension.

- **Treatment Protocol:** An initial flood dose of ibogaine in pill form originating from Gabon, Africa, followed twenty-four hours later by 5-MeO-DMT. - **Historical Utility:** Using psilocybin to deconstruct complex interpersonal and professional problems, gaining immediate clarity on hidden agendas and strategic decisions. - **Spiritual Premise:** The conviction that psychedelics artificially open gateways into a spiritual reality that humans were never intended to breach.

[57:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3425s) The Horror of 5-MeO-DMT: Experiencing Hell and Spiritual Abandonment

When Steven asks what hell actually felt like, Shawn clarifies that his experience was devoid of cartoonish fire or brimstone; it manifested primarily during the 5-MeO-DMT session as "total emptiness." He recounts sinking into an abyss of absolute fear and anxiety where God and Christ were completely absent. For roughly an hour and a half, time stretched into an unbearable eternity. Shawn describes the sensation as equivalent to undergoing the most violent spiritual exorcism imaginable—feeling malignant entities anchored inside him while simultaneously enduring the profound horror of total divine abandonment.

The ordeal took an extreme physical toll as his body violently contorted in unnatural ways. A close friend—a battle-hardened MARSOC GWOT veteran who had witnessed the darkest atrocities of war in the Marine Corps—was staying on the property. Though Shawn had explicitly instructed him to stay away, the veteran heard such disturbing noises from downstairs that he feared someone was being physically harmed. Peeking around the stairwell, the veteran was deeply unsettled by the grotesque contortions of Shawn's body, remarking weeks later that he had never witnessed a human frame twist in such a manner. In the weeks that followed, Shawn withdrew from society, refusing contact with nearly everyone except his wife, a spiritual mentor, and Catholic priests.

> "It was the most amount of fear that I had ever felt in my life. It was the most amount of anxiety I'd ever felt in my life. There was no God. There was no Christ... It felt like abandonment. It's the most horrific feeling you could ever even imagine. And it was more real than anything I've experienced in real life."

[01:00:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3603s) Spiritual Repercussions: Darkness, Supernatural Encounters, and Turning to Faith

Rejecting the idea that the event was merely a bad drug hallucination, Shawn insists that chemical entheogens strip the human soul completely defenseless, leaving a person "naked in a world that you or I or nobody living today truly understands." In this unprotected state, human consciousness is vulnerable to invasive spiritual forces. Since that session, his life has taken a distinct turn into deep spiritual warfare characterized by severe nightmares, strange synchronicities, and overt supernatural occurrences in his physical surroundings.

When Steven presses him on rumors that objects were flying off the walls inside Shawn's family residence, Shawn corrects the record, specifying that these supernatural physical disruptions occurred elsewhere rather than inside his home. Describing the lingering atmosphere simply as "dark," Shawn reflects that this pervasive darkness has ultimately produced an unintended spiritual reaction: confronting pure, unfiltered evil stripped away all doubt, pulling him dramatically closer to his Christian faith and his reliance on Christ for protection.

[01:02:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3738s) Unexplained Attacks: Dreams, Flying Frames, and the Mass in Maine

Shawn Ryan recounts a chilling sequence of events that unfolded while visiting his in-laws in Maine for a podcast recording. Having undergone exorcisms with two priests who serve as his spiritual mentors, Shawn had been drawn back to the Catholic faith of his childhood, convinced Catholicism uniquely understands the supernatural realm. However, he began suffering from recurring, distressing nightmares centered on the ruin of his family. In one particularly vivid dream, a Catholic bishop whom Shawn had considered inviting onto his show kept sending him cryptic, unwanted advances. The dream left Shawn waking up furious and repulsed, suddenly questioning his faith and thinking, "I don't want to be a part of this anymore. This is disgusting."

Shaking off the dream, Shawn began his daily spiritual regimen—the Liber Christo method, which mandates prayers at 6:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. While reciting the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel, a picture frame suddenly flew off the wall across the room. Stunned by the immediate physical disruption following the anti-faith nightmare, he prepared for Sunday morning Mass alongside a close friend and protector he refers to as "Hendo," who serves as both family security and a spiritual mentor.

At Mass, the anomalies escalated physically. Immediately upon taking Holy Communion, Shawn suffered what felt like a violent allergic reaction: - His face instantly flushed and felt as if it were "on fire." - His forehead veins began visibly bulging, turning his face red as a tomato within seconds of receiving the host. - The reaction occurred far too fast for a biological food allergy, arriving in the immediate seconds after consumption. - Hendo observed the rapid physiological shift in real time, confirming Shawn's sudden, extreme discoloration.

Shawn notes that these supernatural and physical occurrences have persistently struck in tightly packed sequences over a three-month span.

---

[01:06:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4008s) The Forbidden Realm and the Psychedelic Backlash

Reflecting on what triggered this three-month onslaught, Shawn points directly to the aftermath of his intensive psychedelic experience. While he was once one of the most vocal advocates for the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics for military veterans, he discovered that any public critique of plant medicine is met with swift hostility from the psychedelic community: "The minute you do something and you say something negative about it, it pisses everybody off. They don't want you to talk about it. How dare you?"

Shawn emphasizes that people deserve to hear both sides of the coin before making life-altering decisions. While he acknowledges that psychedelics have aided many, he maintains that his own ordeal proves the dark side is genuine. He suspects that substances like ibogaine strip away spiritual boundaries that are intended to keep humans safe:

> "I think that it opens you up to a forbidden realm that maybe we shouldn't have access to. A lot of people say, you know, 'it lifts the veil.' Yeah, it lifts the veil, all right. But maybe we have that veil over us for a reason."

---

[01:08:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4095s) Sponsor Message: The 1% Diary

Steven Bartlett breaks briefly for a message directed at the strivers in his audience who grapple with the psychological weight of pursuing monumental goals in business, health, and life. Drawing an analogy to standing at the base of Mount Everest looking up, Bartlett explains that large ambitions often breed paralysis unless broken down into incremental, manageable milestones. Within his own team, this philosophy is known as "the 1%," a compounding approach credited with driving much of their operational success.

To turn that philosophy into a practical daily tool, Bartlett introduces the updated edition of the *1% Diary*, available via `thediary.com`, which sold out its initial release and now features new colors and structural refinements. He concludes the break by urging viewers who regularly watch the channel to check their subscription status and hit the subscribe button to support the platform.

---

[01:09:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4181s) Oppression vs. Possession: The Reality of Modern Exorcisms

Steven brings the discussion back to the multiple exorcisms Shawn has undergone, asking what the ritual entails in contrast to sensationalized Hollywood depictions like *The Exorcist*. Shawn clarifies that he was never doing a "backwards spider crawl up a wall," but emphasizes that the reality remains intense and exhausting. Drawing on guidance from the priests treating him, Shawn outlines the critical distinction between demonic *possession* and demonic *oppression*.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Comparison of Spiritual Possession versus Oppression accDescr: Flowchart illustrating the two distinct categories of spiritual attack explained by Shawn Ryan.

subgraph Attacks["Spiritual Afflictions"] P["Possession Loss of bodily and mental control"] O["Oppression External targeted warfare"] end

subgraph OppressionTargets["Spheres of Oppression (Shawn's Diagnosis)"] F1["Physical Health & Reactions"] F2["Spiritual Faith & Nightmares"] F3["Financial & Career Stability"] F4["Marriage & Family Structure"] end

O --> F1 O --> F2 O --> F3 O --> F4 ```

- **Possession:** The individual loses sovereign control of their physical body, voice, and cognitive faculties. - **Oppression:** The individual retains full control over their own mind and body, but experiences targeted external and systemic attacks aimed at dismantling their faith, physical health, finances, and family structure.

The priests determined Shawn is dealing with oppression rather than possession. The exorcism sessions involve liturgical prayers recited in both Latin and English. The priests systematically test for physical, emotional, or physiological reactions to specific phrases, invocations, and prayers to diagnose the exact spiritual entities involved and formulate a targeted deliverance plan.

---

[01:11:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4313s) The Impact on Family Life

Steven asks how living through ongoing deliverance rites has affected Shawn's family and his wife, Katie. Shawn acknowledges the immense emotional and mental burden it places on a household when unusual events, intense prayers, and physical distress become part of daily reality. He describes the raw, surreal nature of coming home to his spouse and children after an exhausting spiritual session and having to say candidly: "I just got done with my fifth exorcism today."

[01:12:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4332s) Isolation, Military Comrades, and Speaking the Unspoken

Shawn Ryan addresses the intense psychological vulnerability of enduring supernatural phenomena, wrestling with whether he was losing his mind or if this burden would linger forever. He constantly worried about his wife’s private reactions—whether she thought she was sleeping next to a madman every night. Steven relates, mentioning that his own fiancée, who happened to be waiting in an adjacent room at the studio, is deeply religious and spiritual and would likely respond by praying for him. Shawn praises both of their partners, noting that his wife has stood by him and witnessed several of these terrifying occurrences firsthand.

When Shawn first began speaking publicly about his dark post-psychedelic experiences, he felt completely isolated. Soon after, high-profile figures across elite special operations—including Navy SEALs, Special Forces operators, and Delta Force members—privately reached out to him. They confessed they had suffered identical, terrifying encounters and lauded him for possessing the courage to articulate an ordeal they believed they suffered through alone. While Shawn never historically cared about public opinion, breaking silence on such deeply personal, taboo subjects revealed that many shared the trauma, but he was simply the first willing to speak out.

[01:14:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4443s) Steven’s Agnostic Curiosity and the Seed of Faith

Turning the conversation onto his host, Shawn asks Steven whether he is a Christian. Steven explains that while he was raised in a strict Christian household, he began questioning dogma around age 18 or 19. He immersed himself in the "new atheist" movement, devouring books by Richard Dawkins and aggressively debating religion to carve out his own worldview. Over time, that intellectual hostility faded into an open-minded agnosticism. Steven admits that interviewing numerous deep thinkers on his podcast—most notably seeing figures like neuroscientist Andrew Huberman speak about faith—convinced him that it would be arrogant to dismiss a higher power, even if he cannot define it with the doctrinal precision of Christian apologists like Wes Huff.

Shawn identifies with Steven’s path, explaining that his own podcast guests served as the catalyst that originally planted the spiritual seed. Although Shawn grew up Catholic, he spent years ambivalent and perched on the fence until guests continuously shared their transformative faith journeys. This internal shift ultimately culminated in Shawn getting baptized on Easter Sunday in 2024. Despite the frightening nature of the supernatural attacks he experienced, the incidents served an unexpected purpose: they cemented both his and his wife’s unwavering faith in Jesus Christ, making spiritual reality undeniable.

[01:17:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4624s) Stepping Away from Politics to Deconstruct the Bible

Recalling Shawn’s remark to Tucker Carlson in July—where Shawn stated he was undergoing a "crazy spiritual transformation"—Steven asks why he chose to air such subjective experiences on a massive platform where detractors might brand him crazy. Shawn explains that holding one of the largest podcasts in the world confers a heavy responsibility. Because he is afforded rare access to extraordinary figures, he feels compelled to pursue authentic curiosity rather than chase superficial content.

Disillusioned by national politics—denouncing politicians as untrustworthy liars and declaring an end to political interviews—Shawn decided to fill that creative void with something purposeful. Acknowledging that he has read roughly half the Bible while understanding only a fraction of it, Shawn launched an ambitious multi-year project to break down every single book in the Bible with leading experts. The project kicked off with Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, a high-ranking Catholic prelate. The night before their interview, bizarre supernatural disturbances escalated dramatically in Shawn's home, an eerie occurrence whose timing convinced him that demonic resistance was actively attempting to derail the mission.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Transition from Political Content to Faith-Based Focus accDescr: Diagram showing Shawn Ryan's shift from political podcast episodes toward a multi-year breakdown of the Bible, triggering supernatural and commercial resistance.

subgraph Shift ["Content Evolution"] A["Disillusionment with Politics"] --> B["Content Gap"] B --> C["Multi-Year Bible Project (Book-by-Book Series)"] end

subgraph Consequences ["Spiritual & Commercial Resistance"] C --> D["Cardinal Burke Interview Kickoff"] D --> E["Spiritual Warfare / Oppression (Supernatural Night Before)"] C --> F["Corporate Sponsor Pushback (Faith-Based Objections)"] end ```

[01:19:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4771s) Spiritual Warfare, Daily Oppression, and Corporate Hypocrisy

Shawn characterizes his ongoing ordeal not as mere psychological residue, but as an active, real-time battle for his soul occurring within the unseen spiritual realm. To push back against this spiritual oppression, he is required to pray multiple times daily. When Steven asks how long this grueling battle will last, Shawn admits he has no timeline; spiritual mentors have told him only that when the battle is won, he will know beyond doubt.

Knowing this conflict between good and evil is real has stripped away Shawn's ability to remain neutral or play both sides, which has already caused financial fallout: - Long-time corporate sponsors have begun abandoning the podcast specifically over his faith-based discussions. - A life insurance company abruptly canceled their contract right after holding strategic meetings to deepen their multi-year partnership. - Shawn highlights the hypocrisy of a life insurance provider—whose core business relies on family-oriented breadwinners who care deeply about their wives and children—refusing to run ads alongside faith-based content where family values are prioritized above all else.

[01:21:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4903s) The Spiritual Cost of Podcasting and Alignment Over Incentives

Addressing the reality of advertisers pulling out over his faith-based content, Shawn views the pushback not merely as corporate hesitation, but as a deliberate attempt to silence him. He points back to the strange sequence of disruptions that struck his production the night before hosting Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, framing both events within the same spiritual conflict. With a platform reaching millions of listeners, Shawn emphasizes that guiding people toward the Bible genuinely agitates spiritual forces and institutional interests: "There's no more pretending for me. Like, I know what this is." Confronted with the choice of dropping his Bible series to protect corporate ad revenue or standing firm, he notes that he believes in heaven and hell, and earthly money cannot follow anyone past the grave.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Short-Term Incentives vs True Alignment accDescr: A comparison showing how pursuing near-term incentives leads to isolation from self, while choosing alignment leads to genuine fulfillment.

subgraph Incentives ["Near-Term Incentives (The Herd)"] A["Prioritize Ad Revenue & Celebrity Bookings"] --> B["Compromise Personal Values"] B --> C["Short-Term Growth & Subscriber Bumps"] C --> D["Long-Term Misalignment & Emptiness"] end

subgraph Alignment ["Principled Alignment (The Hard Road)"] E["Tackle Uncomfortable & Sacred Topics"] --> F["Accept Sponsor Loss & Near-Term Turbulence"] F --> G["Remain Faithful to Calling & Core Beliefs"] G --> H["Authentic Integrity & Enduring Impact"] end ```

Steven reflects on a consistent pattern observed throughout his interviews with high achievers: almost every remarkably successful person reached a defining inflection point where they actively rejected immediate incentives to preserve their internal alignment. He cites comedian Jimmy Carr, who abandoned a secure corporate career to tell jokes in pubs for little to no money for nearly a decade, and illusionist Derren Brown, who gave up security to work close-up card tables in Bristol for ten years. Choosing alignment often looks foolish to outside observers and triggers painful short-term turbulence, yet chasing easy metrics—such as booking generic celebrities just for views—inevitably forces a creator into the herd, leaving them with an alienated life they ultimately despise.

- **Near-term sacrifices in elite careers**: Steven points out that figures like Jimmy Carr and Derren Brown deliberately sacrificed comfortable salaries for ten years in low-paying trenches to stay true to their craft. - **The herd trap**: Choosing safe guests or pulling back on convictional topics yields temporary subscriber bumps at the cost of creative and spiritual paralysis.

---

[01:24:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5069s) Courage, Accountability, and Dismantling Tribalism

When Steven asks what central goal now guides his podcast and business, Shawn explains that beyond exploring biblical themes, his main objective is dismantling tribalism and giving everyday people the permission to ask questions. Rejecting ideological silos, Shawn maintains friendships and open dialogue across polar opposites—regularly hosting figures as disparate as The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. For Shawn, intellectual honesty demands total accountability: he has made public corrections whenever he realized he unintentionally shared inaccurate information.

In a media landscape where almost nobody publicly admits error, Shawn insists that preserving personal integrity matters more than saving face. He wants his platform to demonstrate that expressing what you believe and asking probing questions will not destroy your world: - The catastrophic consequences people envision in their heads rarely materialize with the severity they fear. - "Courage is contagious," and viewers need to see leaders withstand backlash without crumbling. - Having weathered extreme scrutiny while covering controversial, taboo subjects, Shawn emphasizes that standing tall through criticism proves "it's going to be okay."

---

[01:26:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5196s) Redefining the Good Life: Why Money Cannot Buy Peace

Asked what a meaningful life looks like today, Shawn shares that it centers entirely on creating memories with his wife and children. While acknowledging that both he and Steven have achieved comfortable financial stability, Shawn—having grown up without wealth—dismisses the illusion that material abundance delivers inner rest. Money eases logistical pressure, but it introduces an entirely new layer of complex stress; genuine happiness and peace cannot be bought, only cultivated internally.

This hard-won perspective has forced Shawn to re-evaluate how he manages his innate workaholism. Rather than grinding endlessly on every inbound proposal, he now hunts exclusively for high-leverage "power plays" and has embraced saying "no" as his most potent tool. Walking away from an offer is often the highest-leverage decision not because the business deal was inherently flawed, but because it pulls time and focus away from life's core priorities. Steven observes that this mental boundary is universal among parents, admitting that because he has not yet had children, his own schedule remains somewhat more self-centered, dominated by his business and his fiancé. Shawn affirms Steven's intense drive to scale while young, but offers a serious warning: unchecked ambition and business growth can silently rip a family apart if not guarded with vigilance.

---

[01:28:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5314s) The Agony of the Absent Father: Ambition vs. The Toy Train

Becoming visibly emotional and fighting back tears, Shawn explains the painful reality behind his warning to ambitious founders. Looking back at how fast a child transforms—from an infant in your arms, to a six-month-old, to a five-year-old boy—leaves parents breathless, wondering where the years vanished. "You only get one shot at this," Shawn stresses. "You're everything to them. And if you're not there, somebody else will be everything to them."

He opens up about the constant, exhausting battle to achieve work-life balance while running an elite, top-tier media empire. Podcasting at that scale operates like a high-stakes, 24/7 chess match—scrambling production schedules within twelve-hour windows, shuffling releases based on breaking news, and constantly strategizing the next leap. Because reaching the summit demands relentless obsession, a founder's internal engine never shuts off; the pistons continue firing violently in their head even at home.

``` "You're always switched on. Even when you're not trying to be switched on, you're switched on. Pistons are firing in your brain all the f***ing time. And you got your two-year-old over here that just wants to play trains with you. And you can't get in the mode. You can sit there and push a toy train around, but they know when you're there and when you're not there." ```

When Steven gently asks whether this feeling is rooted in regret or guilt, Shawn admits it is deeply rooted in guilt. Despite being exceptionally close with his children, the realization that young kids instantly perceive emotional absence—knowing their father is mechanically rolling a toy across the carpet while his mind is thousands of miles away calculating business maneuvers—remains one of the heaviest burdens he carries.

[01:31:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5513s) The Trade-off of Absence: Necessity versus Abundance

Steven Bartlett reflects on Shawn's struggle to balance professional commitments with being present for his children, noting how difficult it is for Shawn even to leave home for interviews. Steven shares a deeply personal perspective from his own childhood, recalling how his parents instilled values of relentless work and resilience not through words, but by example. Steven’s mother worked around the clock to provide for the family, to the extreme point of sleeping on a sack of rice in the back of her small corner shop without ever uttering a single complaint. Steven acknowledges that while watching her work taught him the discipline and perspective that enabled his own success, that lesson was delivered through her physical absence.

Steven admits that such an upbringing involves an inevitable trade-off: he did not grow up as close to his parents as he might have had they been around more. Shawn points out a critical distinction between their two circumstances: Steven’s parents operated out of sheer economic necessity and survival, whereas the dilemma Shawn faces now takes place in the context of financial abundance. Choosing to work excessively when your family's basic survival is already secured is an entirely different calculation than working around the clock just to keep food on the table.

[01:34:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5640s) Glacier: Digital Privacy, Data Brokers, and Power Plays

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Glacier Mobile App Architecture accDescr: Diagram showing how Glacier intercepts data extraction from apps and provides secure communication channels.

subgraph Phone["User's Smartphone"] Apps["Installed Mobile Apps"] GlacierDNS["Glacier Secure DNS"] Burner["Burner Numbers"] VPN["Encrypted VPN"] end

subgraph Exploitation["Threat Vectors"] Brokers["Commercial Data Brokers"] Adversaries["Hostile Actors & Foreign Militaries"] end

Apps -- "Attempts data harvesting" --> GlacierDNS GlacierDNS -- "Blocks telemetry extraction" --> Brokers Brokers -. "Prevented from selling to".-> Adversaries Burner -- "Disposable communication / revocable access" --> Public["External Contacts"] VPN -- "Encrypted traffic tunnel" --> Internet["Public Internet"] ```

Asked what concrete conclusions he has drawn from this realization, Shawn explains that his focus is shifting entirely toward high-leverage "power plays" rather than chasing quick financial returns. Having turned down countless commercial opportunities that failed to resonate with his personal values, Shawn decided to build things that solve problems he personally faces, culminating in his cybersecurity company, Glacier.

Glacier is designed as an accessible, streamlined mobile privacy application that bundles encrypted VPN functionality, burner phone numbers, and secure DNS filtering. Shawn stresses that everyday mobile applications continuously siphon location and telemetry data from users' devices, funneling it directly into the hands of shadowy data brokers who auction it off to third parties. Referencing an interview he conducted with investigative journalist Byron Tau, Shawn points out that foreign adversaries, including Iranian forces, have reportedly targeted U.S. military installations simply by purchasing geofenced commercial marketing data collected from soldiers' civilian smartphone apps.

- **Secure DNS Filtering:** Glacier’s primary defensive mechanism intercepts and halts the background exfiltration of private phone data before it ever reaches advertising exchanges and data brokers. - **Burner Phone Numbers:** Users can generate disposable telephone numbers for public or business correspondence; the instant a number is spammed or compromised, it can be deleted with the press of a button, cutting off unwanted contact permanently. - **Strategic Restraint:** Shawn avoids chasing "quick money," opting instead to hold out exclusively for businesses that solve authentic security and personal problems.

[01:35:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5755s) Scaling Back the Show and the SEAL Mindset in Business

Shawn reveals that maintaining a grueling production schedule of two podcast episodes per week is no longer sustainable alongside his family life, especially given the extensive travel and international trips required for on-the-ground investigations. While he loves the medium, he plans to scale down *The Shawn Ryan Show* to one comprehensive episode per week. At the same time, Shawn rejects the idea of stepping away from entrepreneurship entirely, noting that he needs the creative outlet and competitive thrill of building ventures from scratch.

Reflecting on his past careers as a Navy SEAL and a CIA paramilitary contractor, Shawn explains how operational problem-solving directly translates to the business landscape. When most entrepreneurs encounter a brick wall, they give up and assume the idea failed. In special operations, failure is not an option; operators are trained to recognize that there is always another path to mission success if they are disciplined enough to map out every possible route, reverse engineer the objective, and remain relentlessly persistent.

[01:37:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5845s) "What Is Love?" and the Closing Reflections

Following the podcast's tradition where the preceding guest leaves an unseen prompt in the closing book for the next guest, Steven reads the question left for Shawn: "What is love?" Without hesitation, Shawn answers: "Love is what you're willing to die for." When Steven asks him what he is willing to die for, Shawn answers simply: "My family."

Steven closes the conversation by expressing deep admiration for Shawn’s integrity, describing him as a rare "n of 1" creator in an industry overrun by derivative imitators. He praises Shawn for standing firm in his convictions—even when taking a stance resulted in major sponsors walking away—and for openly showing the emotional tension between professional drive and fatherhood. Shawn thanks Steven for the opportunity, and Steven concludes by directing viewers to the algorithmically recommended follow-up video.

## Notable quotes > [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=0s) I know I did. And it was more real than anything I've experienced. It was the most amount of fear I'd ever felt in my life. — Shawn Ryan

> [10:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=615s) Hey, look, we have Steven. We've got him. We've got pictures of him holding binders up. We've got pictures of him at dinners with us. He's on our team. — Shawn Ryan

> [20:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1211s) totally gone against what he said he was going to do. — Shawn Ryan

> [22:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1341s) one and the same, — Shawn Ryan

> [22:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1341s) dealing with a schizophrenic, — Shawn Ryan

> [27:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1662s) They're watching us self-destruct right now in real time. — Steven Bartlett

> [49:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2940s) It was definitely a blow to my ego, but at the same time, you know, I didn't really have any friends. Most of my friends were still operational at the time, and I didn't have any friends where I lived in Florida... I was like, 'What the hell? You know, I might as well try this.' And it did help. It helped a lot. — Shawn Ryan

> [58:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3530s) It was the most amount of fear that I had ever felt in my life. It was the most amount of anxiety I'd ever felt in my life. There was no God. There was no Christ... It felt like abandonment. It's the most horrific feeling you could ever even imagine. And it was more real than anything I've experienced in real life. — Shawn Ryan

> [01:06:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4018s) The minute you do something and you say something negative about it, it pisses everybody off. They don't want you to talk about it. How dare you? — Shawn Ryan

> [01:07:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4070s) I think that it opens you up to a forbidden realm that maybe we shouldn't have access to. A lot of people say, you know, 'it lifts the veil.' Yeah, it lifts the veil, all right. But maybe we have that veil over us for a reason. — Shawn Ryan

> [01:22:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4920s) There's no more pretending for me. Like, I know what this is. — Shawn Ryan

> [01:28:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5314s) You're everything to them. And if you're not there, somebody else will be everything to them. — Shawn Ryan

> [01:28:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5314s) You're always switched on. Even when you're not trying to be switched on, you're switched on. Pistons are firing in your brain all the f***ing time. And you got your two-year-old over here that just wants to play trains with you. And you can't get in the mode. You can sit there and push a toy train around, but they know when you're there and when you're not there. — Shawn Ryan

> [01:37:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5845s) Love is what you're willing to die for. — Shawn Ryan

## Mentioned Shawn Ryan, Steven Bartlett, U.S. Navy, Navy SEALs, SEAL Team 4, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Blackwater, SOC, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., JD Vance, Joe Biden, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Special Air Service (SAS), Special Boat Service (SBS), Annie Jacobsen, Professor Chuen, Blair Cottrell, Spotify, YouTube, Meta, TikTok, World Economic Forum, Shopify, Ketone-IQ, The Shawn Ryan Show, The Diary Of A CEO, How to Get Rich, Operation Red Wings, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Freddy, Barrio Antioquia, Puente de los Locos, Andrew Huberman, Hendo, Liber Christo, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Katie Ryan, Tucker Carlson, Richard Dawkins, Wes Huff, Jimmy Carr, Derren Brown, Cenk Uygur, The Young Turks, Byron Tau, Glacier

## Video description What happens when the relentless pursuit of adrenaline leads to losing your soul in the process? Shawn Ryan reveals the hidden psychological toll of ambition, the dark side of psychedelics, and the ultimate price of true alignment.

Shawn Ryan is a former U.S. Navy SEAL, CIA contractor, and the creator of The Shawn Ryan Show, one of the most influential and widely watched independent podcasts. After transitioning from elite military service and dangerous covert operations into media, he has built an expansive platform known for raw unfiltered conversations.

*In this episode, he explains:* ■ *The Adrenaline Trap:* How former elite operators often suffer from severe post-service depression because normal civilian life cannot replicate the neurological highs of combat. ■ *The Psychedelic Nightmare:* Why an intensive ibogaine treatment designed to optimize his mental state instead opened a terrifying portal to the spiritual realm and severe supernatural oppression. ■ *The Cost of Alignment:* Genuine personal transformation demands going through a shedding phase, in which you consciously step away from profitable ad deals, social networks, and short term incentives to stay true to your values. ■ *The Illusion of the Herd:* Authentic, lasting achievement relies entirely on nurturing a unique voice anchored in personal belief, while imitating results in creative paralysis. ■ *The Ultimate Priority:* Chasing ambition eventually demands sacrificing family time, demonstrating that no amount of business success can make up for absence in your children's lives.

00:00:00 Intro 00:02:18 What Made Shawn Ryan? 00:03:29 What Separates a Navy SEAL From the Rest of the Military 00:06:00 What Really Happened During Operation Red Wings 00:08:35 How Becoming a Navy SEAL Changed Him 00:09:45 Are Podcasters Being Compromised by Planted Guests? 00:18:16 Did He Endorse Trump? 00:20:10 Has His Opinion on Trump Changed? 00:21:11 How the Military Feels About Deployment to Iran 00:22:21 Would America Be Better Off If Democrats Had Won? 00:29:10 Why the 2028 Election Matters to Him 00:32:39 Why He Deletes Podcast Episodes 00:37:12 Ads 00:39:38 Why He Moved to Colombia After Contracting 00:39:49 Did He Get Involved With Drug Networks in Colombia? 00:41:55 What Happened With the Police in Colombia? 00:46:40 Was Colombia Enough to Make Him Get Clean? 00:47:38 The Turning Point That Changed Everything 00:49:47 Why Going to Therapy Was So Difficult 00:50:53 Why He Turned to Psychedelic Therapy 00:54:05 What Is Ibogaine and Why Did He Take It? 00:57:07 The Hell He Experienced During Ibogaine 00:59:53 What Happened During His Psychedelic Experience 01:00:50 How That Experience Changed His Life 01:08:14 Ads 01:09:41 What Is an Exorcism and What Actually Happens? 01:11:53 How His Experiences Affected His Family 01:19:31 Had Supernatural Things Happened Before? 01:21:42 What He Thinks About Sponsors Walking Away 01:34:44 What Is Glacier and Why Does It Matter?

*Follow Shawn Ryan:* YouTube: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/DoJWKmI

Instagram: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/AKYL4qQ

X: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/Fofoug4

Glacier App: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/APvONfo - (20% off for the first 3 months)

*The Diary Of A CEO:* ◼ Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/ ◼ Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/BWjLTZK ◼ Shop The Diary Of A CEO collection: https://thediary.com/collections/shop ◼ Get email updates - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/5IB1H6E ◼ Follow Steven - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/AGU9QP4

*Sponsors:* Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett Ketone - https://ketone.com/STEVEN for 30% off your subscription order

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4)

中文简报

前海豹队员Shawn Ryan与特朗普决裂，警告情报特工渗透播客 Shawn Ryan警告称，情报人员正积极渗透独立播客以散布地缘政治话术，这促使他放弃为候选人背书和商业广告合作，以保持编辑独立与精神追求。在这场深入对话中，Shawn Ryan回顾了他从高风险的军事与CIA行动，转向极度肾上腺素成瘾并在哥伦比亚濒死运毒的历程。他讲述了自己如何借助伊博格碱戒除药物依赖，却在随后的5-MeO-DMT体验中遭遇了可怕的超自然深渊与恶魔压迫，最终促成多次驱魔仪式及他的成年洗礼。Ryan还阐述了他对主流政治的幻灭、头部播客中情报暗桩的普遍存在，以及为何他选择放弃巨额广告收入，以维护编辑独立性并优先顾及家庭。 Shawn Ryan揭露了隐秘的情报人员和政治特工如何系统性地盯上头部独立播客并安插嘉宾，从而在传统媒体渠道之外操纵国家公共话语。 (9:45) Ryan对Donald Trump的对外干涉政策表示幻灭，并警告称针对伊朗的军事升级是将以色列的地缘政治利益置于美国安全之上。 (20:11) 在结合了非洲伊博格碱与5-MeO-DMT的第二次致幻疗程后，Ryan经历了严重的超自然折磨与恶魔压迫，随后进行了多次天主教解救驱魔仪式并接受成年洗礼。 (57:05) 在Ryan转向信仰相关内容与经文研读后，企业赞助商突然取消了高额广告项目，但他自觉拒绝妥协于这种压力，选择坚守精神追求而非短期收益。 (77:04)

Reading summary

Former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor Shawn Ryan argues that the unbridled pursuit of operational adrenaline, political access, and chemical shortcuts ultimately erodes personal integrity and spiritual protection. Drawing from his military career, media platform experience, and severe psychological crises following psychedelic use, Ryan contends that long-term stability requires grounding oneself in Christian faith, familial presence, and strict ideological independence. The Adrenaline Trap and Post-Service Collapse (39:52) Recounting his transition from Navy SEAL deployments in Haiti, Afghanistan, and Iraq into private CIA contracting, Ryan explains that elite military conditioning permanently recalibrated his stress tolerance while fostering a severe addiction to adrenaline. Finding civilian life dull and purposeless, he relocated to Medellín, Colombia, where he chased operational highs by mapping local drug networks, engaging in multi-day cocaine benders, and frequenting Barrio Antioquia. His reckless activities culminated in Colombian police placing a wiretap in his residence, an ambush he narrowly avoided thanks to a warning from his building's doorman. A near-fatal overdose on Mother's Day—marked by circulatory failure and the perception that time was decelerating—served as an initial awakening. Ryan subsequently committed to personal rehabilitation to support a fellow contractor struggling with opioid addiction, leading him to swallow his professional pride and enter formal psychotherapy to process years of operational trauma. Information Warfare and Political Disillusionment in Media (10:15) Ryan warns that the independent podcast ecosystem is increasingly targeted by political handlers, intelligence operations, and platform gatekeepers. He contends that media figures who accept proximity to political power succumb to 'elite capture,' surrendering their objectivity in exchange for White House visits or VIP access. Furthermore, Ryan asserts that covert intelligence assets regularly tour podcast circuits to seed specific geopolitical talking points, recalling an interview where an alleged former operative abruptly made unprompted claims about Russian nuclear warheads being smuggled into the United States. Expressing total disillusionment with the American political apparatus, Ryan views both major political parties as fundamentally dishonest and describes the United States as losing its global hegemony. While previously supportive of Donald Trump, Ryan explicitly criticizes the administration's aggressive posture toward Iran, reporting that his military peers view the conflict as advancing foreign interests rather than American security. Psychedelic Trauma and the Shift to Spiritual Warfare (53:50) Although an initial ibogaine treatment successfully eliminated Ryan's dependency on Adderall and prescription sleep aids, a subsequent retreat involving ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT proved catastrophic. Describing the visionary state as an abyss of total divine abandonment, Ryan experienced severe physical contortions that deeply unsettled a visiting MARSOC combat veteran who witnessed them. Ryan argues that entheogens artificially puncture a protective energetic veil, leaving individuals spiritually vulnerable to demonic forces. Following the retreat, Ryan experienced what treating Catholic priests diagnosed as demonic 'oppression' rather than possession, retaining cognitive control while enduring intense psychological distress, nightmares, and external disturbances. The ordeal necessitated multiple exorcism rituals and completely altered his worldview, prompting him to abandon his ambivalence toward religion and commit to Christianity, culminating in his baptism on Easter Sunday in 2024. Realigning Priorities Toward Faith and Family (77:04) In response to his spiritual transformation, Ryan has steered his media company away from partisan politics toward an exhaustive study of the Bible alongside theologians, beginning with Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke. This editorial pivot resulted in commercial friction, including the immediate cancellation of advertising contracts by long-term corporate sponsors such as a major life insurance firm. Simultaneously, Ryan addresses the acute tension between professional ambition and fatherhood. Acknowledging that running a massive media operation left his mind racing even when trying to play with his toddler, Ryan emphasizes that choosing overwork in a state of financial abundance is unjustifiable. Consequently, he plans to cut his podcast production from two episodes per week to one, while channeling his operational drive into targeted ventures such as his mobile privacy and cybersecurity firm, Glacier. Ryan concludes that cultural integrity rests on rejecting political tribalism, admitting public errors, and enduring the financial and social costs of one's convictions. However, his account leaves open the question of whether his intense post-psychedelic suffering stems from severe neurochemical disruption or genuine metaphysical conflict, as well as whether independent creators can remain commercially viable while explicitly defying corporate advertising interests.

精炼阅读摘要

前海豹突击队成员兼中央情报局（CIA）合同工 Shawn Ryan 在访谈中详述了他从军旅高压战场跌入毒品成瘾深渊，随后因一次灾难性的致幻剂经历遭遇严酷“属灵争战”并最终确立基督教信仰的心路历程。面对播客行业内的政治拉拢、情报虚假信息渗透与算法操控，Ryan 决定彻底退出常规政治访谈，转而深耕圣经解构与家庭生活，宁愿承受赞助商撤资也要坚守道德独立。高危成瘾：特战创伤与哥伦比亚危机 (39:52) Ryan 曾服役于海豹突击队第四队，并在海地、阿富汗与伊拉克执行高危任务，退伍后为黑水公司（Blackwater）、SOC 及 CIA 从事准军事安保。长期特种作战重塑了他的神经极限，使其极度耐受高压，却也养成了对高风险和纯粹肾上腺素的病理性依赖。在告别一线后，平淡的平民生活令他无所适从，促使他在 34 岁移居哥伦比亚麦德林（Medellín），为了追逐行动刺激而涉足当地毒品网络与高危街区 Barrio Antioquia，陷入长达数天的古柯碱狂欢。在一场濒临死亡的狂欢中，Ryan 因循环衰竭导致双踝肿胀，并在感知到“时间变慢”这一致命过量迹象时给母亲拨打了绝望的诀别电话。随后，公寓门卫 Freddy 警告警方已在门外装置窃听器，他才仓皇撤离。回国后，Ryan 为拯救一名深陷阿片类药物成瘾的特战挚友，迫使自己整顿生活并放下特战精英的骄傲接受心理治疗，借由专业咨询逐步理顺心理创伤，戒断了硬毒品与酗酒。药物反噬：地狱体验与现代“属灵压制” (57:05) 为摆脱处方兴奋剂与睡眠药物，Ryan 曾通过植物药伊博格碱（Ibogaine）成功切断瘾症；但在受访前约三个月进行的第二次体验（伊博格碱叠加 5-MeO-DMT）中，他遭遇了极其恐怖的灾难。Ryan 强调这并非普通幻觉，而是一种神明彻底缺席的无底深渊与纯粹恐惧，随行的前特战战友甚至目睹其肉体呈现出常人无法达到的扭曲状态。Ryan 认为致幻剂并非仅改变神经递质，而是强行撕裂了保护人类的灵界屏障，使灵魂赤裸地暴露于不可知的黑暗力量面前。此后数月，Ryan 陷入了剧烈的恶梦、怪异超自然现象及持续的身心痛苦中。天主教神父将其诊断为“属灵压制”（Demonic Oppression）而非身体被控制的“附身”（Possession）——即受害者心智清醒，但其精神、婚姻、健康与事业遭受系统性攻击。Ryan 透露自己接受了多次驱魔仪式，并在公开经历后收到多位海豹突击队及三角洲特战老兵的私信，证实他们亦有相同遭遇。这场危机最终粉碎了他的怀疑态度，促使他与妻子于 2024 年复活节正式受洗皈依基督教。舆论战场：精英拉拢与情报暗度陈仓 (10:15) Ryan 深度揭露了大型长视频播客所面临的隐秘操纵。他指出，政客正通过白宫合影、空军一号陪同等特权对头部主播实施“精英俘获”（Elite Capture），创作者一旦接受摆拍，其独立公信力便荡然无存，沦为附庸工具。此外，Ryan 与主持人 Steven Bartlett 一致认为，情报机构正向知名播客输送“植入嘉宾”；这些毫无资历的个体在短时间内密集登上各大节目，只为在数小时对谈中精准夹带一句经过设计的地缘言论（例如某位自称情报资产的嘉宾突兀宣称俄罗斯正向美走私核弹头），以此操纵公众认知。在分发层面，尽管 The Shawn Ryan Show 每月斩获多达 2 亿次播放量，长期位列全美顶流，却完全被排除在 YouTube 官方“热门播客”推荐位之外，Ryan 怀疑这与早期涉恐话题导致的后台人工封禁有关。鉴于各路政客当面说谎的常态，以及对唐纳德·特朗普政府在伊朗局势等军事政策上偏离初衷的极度失望，Ryan 认定两党已沦为同一丘之貉，决定彻底退出常规政治访谈，不再为任何缺乏真实领导力的党派站台。解构圣经、拒绝妥协与父职本位回归 (77:04) 在抽离政治纷争后，Ryan 开启了耗时数年的《圣经》全卷逐篇解构项目，邀请 Raymond Leo Burke 枢机主教等权威学者对谈。然而转型信仰内容带来了直接的财务损失：数家长期合作的商业广告主（包括一家人寿保险公司）因其宗教言论撤单。Ryan 批评人寿企业排斥重视家庭价值的信仰内容极为虚伪，但他坚信财富无法带入死后世界，绝不在审查面前妥协。他将播客的核心主旨调整为打破意识形态的“部落主义”，倡导公众勇敢发问与诚实纠错。在私人领域，Ryan 坦承全天候运营传媒帝国的狂热心态对家庭构成了巨大伤害。他反思自己曾因大脑高速运转而无法全心陪伴两岁的孩子玩玩具火车，警醒创业者切勿以牺牲家庭为代价：“如果你缺席，别人就会取代你成为孩子的一切。”为此，他决定将节目频率缩减至每周一期，并将精力投向符合个人原则的实体项目——如其创立的移动端数据隐私工具 Glacier。他最终将爱定义为“愿意为之献出生命的事物”，并确认家庭正是他最不可妥协的底线。 Shawn Ryan 的经历呈现了一位特战精英在经历战场创伤、恶性成瘾与形而上学心理危机后的精神重建过程。尽管其关于灵界纠缠与驱魔仪式的叙述完全基于个人主观体验且缺乏经验科学印证，但该访谈切中要害地剖析了顶流播客面临的政治收买、情报操弄及商业审查困境，为数字时代的独立媒体伦理与个人价值取向提供了极具冲击力的反思样本。

Detailed notes — zh

## Background 本期视频由 YouTube 知名播客频道《The Diary Of A CEO》（主持人 Steven Bartlett）于 2026 年 10 月 1 日发布。视频简介指出，前美国海军海豹突击队队员兼中情局（CIA）承包商、《The Shawn Ryan Show》创办人 Shawn Ryan 深入剖析了军旅退役后的肾上腺素成瘾陷阱、深度迷幻药治疗所触发的超自然灵界恶梦，以及为了坚守道德原则与家庭初心而主动放弃世俗利益的代价。 ## TL;DR 访谈回顾了 Shawn Ryan 从海豹突击队服役、CIA 海外危险安保，到退役后因深陷肾上腺素成瘾而流落哥伦比亚麦德林地下毒网的惊险过往。在决心戒瘾自救后，他通过心理咨询和伊博格碱（Ibogaine）疗法摆脱了药物依赖并创立了顶流播客，但随后的第二次迷幻药仪式却将他拖入充斥着极度虚无与超自然压迫的“精神地狱”，促使他历经多次天主教驱魔并最终坚定皈依基督信仰。此外，Shawn 尖锐揭露了政治势力与情报机构向顶级播客植入嘉宾以操纵舆论的内幕，解释了自己为何宁弃百万广告赞助也要转型拆解《圣经》，并坦诚分享了在商业野心与陪伴家庭之间的残酷取舍以及创立隐私工具 Glacier 的初衷。 ## Atmosphere & style 整场对话笼罩在一种肃穆、深沉而又惊心动魄的气氛中，既有特种作战老兵直面枪林弹雨与谍影重重的冷峻自白，也有在触碰超自然灵界与驱魔危机时的战栗与敬畏。Steven Bartlett 充当了极具共情力且敏锐的倾听者，引导 Shawn 从早年亡命徒式的肾上腺素狂热一步步走向内省与救赎。当话题从宏观地缘政治与舆论黑幕切入到为人父母的愧疚与眼泪时，访谈呈现出剧烈的情绪起伏，带给听众一种罕见的赤诚、沉重且充满精神重量的震撼感。 ## Bulletin - [09:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=585s) 独立长视频播客正日益成为地缘政治认知战与幕后操纵的前沿阵地，情报机构和利益集团通过密集安排特定背景嘉宾登门巡回，试图在数小时的长谈中精准植入定调口径并通过短视频切片引导舆论。 - [39:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2392s) 特战退役军人面临严峻的“肾上腺素陷阱”，缺乏战时神经生理刺激与脱节的平民生活容易诱发严重的心理失衡，Shawn Ryan 离开 CIA 承包商岗位后曾远赴哥伦比亚麦德林并深陷毒品分销网络。 - [53:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3230s) 迷幻药疗法存在严重的未知灵性与心理风险，Shawn 在第二次伊博格碱及 5-MeO-DMT 体验中遭遇类似地狱的极端虚无与躯体异化，随后引发长达数月的超自然“魔鬼压迫”并接受了多次天主教驱魔仪式。 - [01:19:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4784s) 坚守内容原则与信仰探索伴随着沉重的现实商业代价，在 Shawn 决定淡化虚伪政客议题、启动全本《圣经》深度拆解系列后，大型人寿保险赞助商随即以“规避信仰内容”为由单方面撕毁合作合约。 - [01:28:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5290s) 商业野心与陪伴家庭存在无法调和的残酷冲突，在财富充裕的阶段为了追逐更多世俗成功而缺席孩子的童年，本质上是一种主动妥协，任何商业成就都无法弥补在子女生命中的缺失。 ## Key takeaways - [06:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=419s) 特种作战的高危环境会永久重构个体的心理认知结构，一方面打破抗压极限，另一方面也会让人对极致危险和肾上腺素产生病态依赖，退役后极易陷入酗酒和自毁倾向。 - [10:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=615s) 内容创作者过度接近总统或白宫核心权力往往会掉入被收编的陷阱，一旦被贴上政治宗派标签，无论主观意愿如何，其作为独立发声者的客观公信力都将荡然无存。 - [12:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=740s) 情报力量渗透播客圈的常见模式是在短时间内让嘉宾密集巡回数十档顶级长播客，用长谈建立权威假象，核心目的仅为抛出一两句预设的地缘政治定调词并引爆全网切片。 - [15:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=914s) 主流技术平台内部疑似存在受外部力量操纵的审查内线，即便单周收听量位列全美前列的头部独立节目，也可能因触碰敏感政治话题而在官方推荐位中被永久除名。 - [20:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1210s) 一线军人对目前的海外战事升级深感愤怒与困惑，普遍认为军队正沦为替别国地缘利益流血牺牲的代理人，官方宣称的安全威胁叙事在基层官兵中已彻底破产。 - [32:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1959s) 守住事实真相是自媒体的核心底线，对于涉及医学健康或概念偷换的争议性内容，即使蕴含天量点击诱惑，一旦核实存在误导也应彻底封存永不播出。 - [41:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2515s) 退役特种兵在哥伦比亚介入地下毒网源于肾上腺素戒断与求生欲的丧失，直至遭遇当地警方技术监控并面临牢狱之灾后，才通过专业反监视路线紧急撤离出境。 - [49:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2987s) 击碎特种部队的硬汉自尊并寻求专业心理咨询，是戒除毒瘾与心理自救的关键转折，客观中立的引导能有效帮助成瘾者建立理性的自我问责机制。 - [01:07:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4020s) 迷幻药并非毫无隐患的灵丹妙药，过度依赖致幻物质可能强行掀开不该涉足的未知灵界维度，将人类脆弱的精神暴露在无法理解的精神危机与实体侵袭之下。 - [01:09:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4181s) 天主教会对灵界侵扰有着严格的教理判定，“附魔”表现为躯体与心智彻底失控，而“压迫”则是当事人保有自主心智的同时在外界环境、健康、家庭和信仰上面临系统性摧毁。 - [01:12:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4332s) 精锐特种作战圈内部经历迷幻药引发的超自然异象与精神危机绝非个例，但普遍受制于社会舆论偏见与污名化而选择私下隐忍沉默。 - [01:17:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4624s) 媒体人在看透世俗政客的虚伪嘴脸后，决定放弃追逐政治流量转向《圣经》深度拆解，这种内容转向在现实与精神层面均引发了激烈的阻力与正面交锋。 - [01:21:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4903s) 追求内心真正契合（Alignment）必须承受短期的利益剥离，面对商业赞助撤单与舆论压力，坚持真实表达与高道德标准是摆脱“羊群效应”并获得长久生命力的唯一路径。 - [01:26:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5196s) 财富无法直接购买到内心的安宁与幸福，商业成功在减轻生存压力的同时会带来更高维度的管理压力，学会在商业合作中果断说“不”是守护平静的核心智慧。 - [01:31:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5513s) 物质匮乏时为生计奔波的缺席是生存所迫，而在资源充裕时因野心膨胀牺牲陪伴则是主动的利益取舍，这种缺席对年幼子女的成长具有不可逆的伤害。 - [01:34:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5643s) 第三方手机应用对用户隐私的窃取已被广泛商业化并转卖给数据经纪商，甚至能被敌对势力用于定位目标，因此从底层阻断外泄的安全 DNS 和虚拟号码成为刚需。 - [01:35:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5755s) 特战生涯赋予创作者最核心的心智模式在于坚信制胜路径永远不止一条，面对复杂的商业与生活困局，必须具备逆向工程、拆解问题与持续执行的战略韧性。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=0s) 访谈前瞻：地狱幻象、中情局承包与播客内幕在节目的开篇剪辑中，Shawn Ryan 抛出了一段令人心悸的自白。当主持人 Steven Bartlett 询问他是否真的认为自己曾经造访过地狱时，Shawn 坚定地表示自己不仅去过，而且“那比我经历过的任何现实都更加真实”。他描述了那是他生命中经历过最极致的恐惧，身体出现诡异扭曲，做出完全违背人体机理的动作。在随后的生活中，他甚至经历了数次驱魔仪式，他坚信发生的一切超自然现象都是不可否认的。话题随后快速穿梭在他充满传奇色彩的过去与当下：从美国海军海豹突击队在伊拉克、海地和阿富汗执行极度疯狂的任务，到离开特种部队后成为中央情报局（CIA）承包商，再到退役后搬到哥伦比亚麦德林。Shawn 坦承自己当时对极度危险的环境与肾上腺素严重上瘾，甚至参与到了当地毒品网络的搭建当中。当时一名叫 Freddy 的男子提醒他已经被当地警方盯上，警方甚至在他公寓门外的灯具里安装了窃听器。如今，他创立了全球最具影响力的播客之一（《The Shawn Ryan Show》），但他的节目却曾因早期言论而无法出现在热门榜单上。他甚至直言，政客与利益集团正在利用植入嘉宾的方式渗透或操纵头部播客与网络红人。 - 经历过深度的灵性/超自然危机，曾进行过多次驱魔（Exorcisms） - 曾担任海豹突击队队员及 CIA 海外承包商，对高压与肾上腺素极端上瘾 - 曾卷入哥伦比亚麦德林的地下势力并遭到警方技术监控 - 针对 2024 年大选与播客生态，揭露政治势力对自媒体平台的渗透 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Shawn Ryan 个人经历转变图 accDescr: 展示 Shawn 从军旅生涯、高危涉险到媒体帝国与灵性觉醒的转变路径。 subgraph EliteMilitary["军旅与高危岁月"] A["海军海豹突击队 （海地/阿富汗/伊拉克）"] --> B["CIA 私营承包商 （Blackwater / SOC / 机构直签）"] B --> C["哥伦比亚麦德林 （地下网络与极限肾上腺素）"] end subgraph Awakening["转型与精神冲突"] C --> D["死藤水与伊博格碱治疗 （遭遇灵性地狱与附身危机）"] D --> E["多次驱魔仪式 （精神重构与信仰确立）"] E --> F["创立顶流独立播客 （《The Shawn Ryan Show》）"] end ``` --- ### [02:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=138s) 从海豹突击队到 CIA 承包商的早期生涯在主持人 Steven Bartlett 的常规开场请求（呼吁观众订阅频道）之后，对话正式切入 Shawn Ryan 的早年轨迹。Shawn 大约在 17 岁时入伍加入美国海军，直接进入了著名的海豹突击队选拔与训练流水线。他完成了严苛的基础水下爆破/海豹突击队训练（BUD/S），随后进入海豹八队（SEAL Team 8），在海军服役了整整五年半。离开军队后，Shawn 读到了唐纳德·特朗普当时撰写的商业畅销书《如何发财》（*How to Get Rich*），受到极大鼓舞的他决定转行做房地产经纪人并尝试创业。然而，那次商业探索“惨败告终”。重挫之下，他将目光投向了报酬丰厚且熟悉的政府安保承包领域。他最初接下了一份小型的美国国务院安保差事，随后顺利拿到中央情报局（CIA）的承包合同。在承包商生涯初期，他先是挂靠在黑水公司（Blackwater），后来跳槽到 SOC（Special Operations Consulting），最终凭借过硬的业务能力被中情局直接签约为直属独立承包商，彻底甩开了中介公司。 - 17 岁入伍加入美国海军，被分配至海豹八队（SEAL Team 8） - 5 年半服役期满后转型做房地产与创业，因经验不足彻底失败 - 通过黑水公司（Blackwater）、SOC 逐步升迁，最终成为 CIA 直签承包商 --- ### [03:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=209s) 什么是海军海豹突击队：炼狱般的选拔与作战能力为了让非美国本土及不熟悉军事编制的国际听众了解海豹突击队的含金量，Shawn 详细拆解了海豹突击队与常规陆军部队的本质差异。"SEAL" 代表“海、空、陆”（Sea, Air, and Land），属于全球最顶尖的特战部队之一。其选拔与训练流程耗时数年：最初的 BUD/S 训练如果一切顺利且不受伤、不发生“延训回退”（Rolled back），标准周期是 6 个月。而 Shawn 当时因为某些原因被延训，在集训营里整整熬了 9 个月。完成 BUD/S 之后，学员需要前往跳伞学校，接着进入极为严酷的海豹突击队资格训练（SQT，SEAL Qualification Training）。只有在 SQT 毕业典礼上，队员才会被正式授予象征荣誉的海豹三叉戟徽章（SEAL Trident）。即便如此，新人仍要在各自的海豹队伍中继续接受为期一年到一年半的高强度全域战术训练，涵盖潜水作业、跳伞渗透、野外地面战、爆破技术、室内近身距离作战（CQB/Kill house）以及针对沙漠、极寒雪地和丛林等极端环境的战术部署，之后才有资格代表国家出海部署执行实战任务。Shawn 确认，海豹突击队在能力和职能上与英国特种空勤团（SAS）及特殊舟艇部队（SBS）处于同等水平。 --- ### [05:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=305s) 首历战阵：海地政变与红翼行动后的阿富汗部署谈到服役期间所目睹的真实残酷景象，Shawn 回忆起 2004 年部署海地的经历。当时海地总统让-贝特朗·阿里斯蒂德（Jean-Bertrand Aristide）被推翻流亡，Shawn 随队进驻。那是他人生中第一次亲眼见到赤贫与彻底的无政府状态：生活污水直接在街道上横流，监狱暴动导致重刑犯倾巢而出，港口和水面上漂浮着浮尸，沿街建筑布满弹孔，燃烧的汽车随处可见。虽然与日后中东的惨烈烈度相比海地不算真正的“高烈度交火”，但那种极端混乱给年轻的他带来了巨大冲击。 2005 年夏末秋初，Shawn 随部队部署到了阿富汗，当时美军刚刚遭受了海豹突击队历史上最惨重的一次单日伤亡——“红翼行动”（Operation Red Wings，即好莱坞电影《孤独的幸存者》的原型事件）。四人狙击侦察小组在阿富汗偏远山区监视一名基地组织高价值目标时，隐蔽位置被当地放羊的牧童意外发现。放羊人向塔利班武装告密，导致海豹小队遭到大规模伏击，前往救援的 MH-47 直升机也被火箭弹击落，最终仅有一名海豹队员马库斯·拉特雷尔（Marcus Luttrell）侥幸生还。Shawn 的小队在 9 月底或 10 月初进驻该战区，尽管执行了一系列搜捕打击任务，但大部分行动扑了空（打到了“干洞/Dry holes”），只抓获了少数囚犯。 - 2004 年海地政变：亲历阿萨德倒台后的混乱无序、监狱越狱与街道暴乱 - 2005 年阿富汗：红翼行动（2005年6月28日惨剧）后进驻执行打击与清剿任务 - 任务受制于战场情报不准，多次突袭目标房屋均告扑空 --- ### [06:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=419s) 伊拉克猎杀网络与海豹突击队给性格带来的双重烙印阿富汗的部署并没有满足 Shawn 对实战的渴望。当时他的排已经准备轮换回国，但 Shawn 渴望每天晚上都能外出执行破门突击（Direct Action）、室内近距离战斗（CQB）或狙击伏击。由于阿富汗当时的政治大选陷入僵局导致行动停滞，Shawn 的突击排排长（OIC）想出了一个办法：将他们“外派借调”给频繁遭到路边炸弹（IED）和自杀式袭击的常规陆军运输护航部队。 Shawn 的特战小组进驻常规部队，担任特战教官并亲自带着常规士兵作战。他们手把手教授常规部队如何搜集监控情报、策划完整作战流程、构建隐蔽狙击阵地、精准射击以及执行安全撤离（Exfil）。在部署期间，Shawn 带着这些部队主动出击，追踪并猎杀那些伏击美军车队的武装分子，几乎每次外出潜伏都能在 24 小时内锁定并击毙敌方恐怖分子。这是他在军队的最后一次作战部署。当被问及离开特种部队后是否“判若两人”时，Shawn 坦言自己的心理结构被永久重塑了。正面而言，海豹突击队的严酷环境将他的个人驱动力推向了极限，打破了普通人对自身潜能的认知边界，在高压环境下的抗压与决策能力也暴涨；然而其阴暗面同样致命——他彻底对肾上腺素和危险成瘾，并深陷特战圈子内盛行的酗酒、斗殴和暴戾文化中无法自拔。 - 将特种作战技能（侦察、狙击伏击、撤离）降维输出并培训陆军常规部队 - 在高危路段反伏击中，创下出击 24 小时内必肃清制造炸弹袭击者的战绩 - 退役后的后遗症：对极度危险的肾上腺素成瘾，以及海豹突击队特有的酗酒硬汉亚文化侵蚀 --- ### [09:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=585s) 播客与网红是否正被幕后政治力量渗透？离开一线作战与中情局后，Shawn 创立了全球顶尖的独立播客节目。Steven Bartlett 顺势将话题引向当下自媒体生态的一个黑暗命题：**如今的播客主和网络红人是否正被外部利益集团通过“精准植入嘉宾”等隐蔽手段实施操纵或渗透？** Shawn 斩钉截铁地回答：“是的。虽然我没有确凿的司法证据，但我确信这一现象存在，而且形式多样。”他不仅将范围限制在播客主身上，更扩大到了全网的内容创作者（Influencers）。以 2024 年美国总统大选为例，Shawn 指出特朗普竞选团队彻底打赢了自媒体选战，他们敏锐地洞察到了独立长视频播客对于公众心智的巨大统治力，并将其作为主要战术武器。由于这些新媒体平台的号召力已经碾压传统电视媒体，各方政治势力和情报机构早已在各大内容平台内部安插人手，或利用复杂的公关网络向独立主播精准输送特定背景的嘉宾，试图借顶级主播的公信力进行带风向与认知作战。Shawn 甚至透露，自己的节目就曾亲身遭遇过这类可疑嘉宾的“登门造访”。 ### [10:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=615s) 权力的俘获：播客主与政治圈套肖恩·瑞安（Shawn Ryan）深入剖析了当权者与政客如何敏锐地察觉到独立播客的舆论能量，并将其转化为精密的收编战术。很多播客主持人与网络意见领袖在获得接近总统和白宫行政核心的机会后，内心往往会滋生出一种膨胀的权力感。肖恩以第一批爱泼斯坦案卷宗（Epstein files）公开时的荒诞一幕为例：当时一群网络博主被邀请前往现场，手捧厚重的档案夹拍照作秀。肖恩一针见血地指出，这些人根本没有意识到，在合影快门按下的那一刻，他们就已经“被彻底俘获了”（they were captured）。这种亲近权力的代价，是彻底丧失独立思考者的公信力。即便博主内心坚信自己仍是自由发声者，但在公众眼中，他们已经打上了某个政治阵营的“宗派”（tribe）烙印。肖恩透露，自己曾多次收到过各种高端名利场与权力枢纽的邀请——包括前往白宫、VIP贵宾包厢观看橄榄球赛，甚至是搭乘空军一号（Air Force One）或海军陆战队一号（Marine One）。但他无一例外全部坚决回绝：“我绝不参与这些破事。我知道这是怎么回事——你们就是想俘获我，把我塞进你们的阵营里。”在他看来，一旦让这种合影和同台发生，向外界传递出“我们是一伙的”信号，创作者的公信力就立刻触碰到了天花板，往后的独立性将荡然无存。 - 政治团队惯用的收编手段包括：邀请博主出席白宫闭门晚宴、参与官方活动合影、安排搭乘空军一号等专属特权体验。 - 肖恩强调，过分执迷于接近权力核心，会让内容创作者在浑然不知中沦为被政客展示的资产，进而永久丧失中立性。 --- ### [12:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=740s) 播客圈的空降卧底与情报暗战两人随即探讨了更隐秘的舆论操控手段：情报机构或外部力量直接向播客圈安插嘉宾甚至主持人。肖恩与史蒂文·巴特利特（Steven Bartlett）一致认为，这种渗透在行业内真实存在。网络上常常会莫名其妙地冒出一些此前毫无知名度的“素人嘉宾”，既没有惊心动魄的人生履历，也没有做出过什么卓越功绩，却能突然在全网席卷天文数字般的流量与播放量。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 假定渗透嘉宾的舆论注入路径 accDescr: 展示情报机构如何通过播客平台植入预设叙事并引爆全网传播的流程图。 subgraph Phase1["第一阶段：精准植入"] A["选定或包装特定嘉宾"] --> B["密集巡回各大头部播客"] end subgraph Phase2["第二阶段：叙事埋线"] B --> C["长达数小时的长谈"] C --> D["埋藏关键预言或核心定调句"] end subgraph Phase3["第三阶段：流量引爆"] D --> E["切片传播与算法推流"] E --> F["国际突发事件验证权威感"] end ``` 肖恩揭露了这类操作的运作机制：嘉宾可以坐在演播室里陪你漫谈三到五个小时，但其整场谈话的核心“作战任务”（the mission），可能仅仅是为了抛出精心设计的某一句定调言论。这一句话就是专门用来制作短视频切片（clips）并引爆病毒式传播的诱饵。肖恩分享了发生在自己节目上的真实遭遇：曾有嘉宾在节目中信誓旦旦地对乌克兰、以色列或伊朗等地缘政治走势作出精准预言；不久之后，肖恩便收到了对方发来的短信邀功——“看，我之前就告诉过你这事会发生”。肖恩当时后背发凉：对方在两个月内连上了50档不同的播客，为何能精准记住在自己节目里说过这句预言？肖恩立刻意识到：“他们得手了，我被当枪使了。” 史蒂文坦言，普通平民在成长过程中往往认为现实世界非黑即白，把间谍特工当作好莱坞《007》的虚构剧情。然而现实远比电影更离奇：仅在纽约市，就有大量由外国情报机关资助、以体面工作和美满家庭为掩护扎根多年的职业潜伏间谍。当了解到这些跨国谍报网络的真实运作后，他对待各类“阴谋论”的态度发生了根本转变，不再轻易将其斥为无稽之谈。 - 职业暗桩的常见模式：在两到三个月内密集参与数十档顶级长视频播客，铺设特定地缘政治预测。 - 植入目的不仅在于当期节目，更在于后续事件发生时，通过社交网络切片迅速回流、收割全网公信力。 --- ### [15:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=914s) 平台深处的内线与“推测性叙事” 对话转向了主流技术平台的流量操纵与幕后黑手。如果敌对势力或利益集团想要操控公众意识形态，最有效的杠杆就是在播客界扶植一名极具表演力的代言人；一次爆款访谈就能轻松滚出上亿次曝光，引发全网播客的争相追逐。对于平台是否存在流量干预，肖恩给出了耐人寻味的佐证。他高度怀疑主流科技平台内部早已被植入了外部情报力量的“内鬼”（moles）——这些人的正式掩护身份仅仅是 YouTube、Meta 或 TikTok 的普通白领员工，但实际上却在系统内部暗中执行特定的审查与限流任务。肖恩拿自己的节目遭遇举例：目前《肖恩·瑞安秀》（The Shawn Ryan Show）在 Spotify 全美排行榜高居第三，月浏览量高达 1.5 亿至 2 亿次，单周在美国本土的播放量甚至超越了乔·罗根（Joe Rogan）。然而，在 YouTube 官方的“热门播客”（Popular Podcasts）推荐位中，他的节目却被永久除名，原因仅仅是因为他在早期节目中触碰了涉及恐怖主义的敏感话题。肖恩淡然表示自己与 YouTube 整体保持着良好的合作关系，并不在乎是否进入推荐位，但这种反常的流量封锁本身就暴露了平台人工干预痕迹的不可捉摸。史蒂文随之引述了著名调查记者安妮·雅各布森（Annie Jacobsen）的洞见——不应轻易将这些现象标签化为“阴谋论”，而应当称之为“推测性叙事”（speculative narratives），因为许多看似耸人听闻的推论，最终都被证实是真实存在的情报操作。 --- ### [18:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1096s) 采访邀约的博弈：特朗普与哈里斯团队的对比史蒂文询问肖恩在 2024 年总统大选前是否正式公开背书了唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump）。肖恩澄清称，自己虽然在个人立场上支持特朗普并希望其胜选，但从未发表过任何正式的背书声明。外界遗忘的关键事实是，肖恩在大选前曾极力向民主党全国委员会以及卡玛拉·哈里斯（Kamala Harris）的竞选团队发出郑重邀请，《华盛顿邮报》也曾对此进行过报道。肖恩回忆道，哈里斯团队当时并没有直接拒绝，双方曾就采访大纲展开深入沟通。然而，哈里斯方面提出了极其严苛的禁区清单，罗列了大量“不可触及的话题”。为了促成对话，肖恩主动退让并提出妥协方案：“干脆由你们团队全权决定想聊什么，我自己来顺应你们的话题设计采访大纲，反正我有信心把控全场。”即便做出了如此巨大的让步，哈里斯团队最终依然选择了回绝。与之形成鲜明对比的是，当特朗普受邀做客《肖恩·瑞安秀》时，其团队“完全没有设置任何限制条件”（there were no guidelines），全盘接受无死角的真实对话。史蒂文指出，民主党团队在对待新媒体的僵化与封闭策略上应当吸取惨痛教训；史蒂文同时透露，大选落败后哈里斯也登上了自己的节目《CEO日记》（The Diary Of A CEO），而那时由于再无选战包袱，其幕僚团队也彻底放开了话题管控。 ### [19:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1173s) 错失的哈里斯专访与对政客的幻灭在复盘大选期间的媒体策略时，两人提到了副总统卡玛拉·哈里斯（Kamala Harris）。如果哈里斯能展现出私底下真实、放松的一面——比如毫无顾忌地吐槽乔·拜登（Joe Biden）让她陷入困境，甚至带点脏话——而不是始终保持那种千篇一律、打磨过度的政客外壳，或许选情会有不同的化学反应。肖恩·莱恩（Shawn Ryan）透露，自己的节目当时曾邀请过以独立候选人身份参选的小罗伯特·肯尼迪（Robert F. Kennedy Jr.），而哈里斯团队也一度与他们走得极近，但哈里斯团队在最后一刻选择退出。莱恩坦言，虽然即使她来参加访谈也不大可能改变选举的最终结果，但这仍是一个巨大的遗憾。当被问及对唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump）的看法是否发生转变时，莱恩给出了极为坚定的肯定答复。他直言不讳地表示：“坦白讲，我对现在发生的一切都感到非常不满。”他认为特朗普完全背叛了最初参选时的各项承诺，现状令人难以接受。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 选民与播客主对政治候选人的信任崩塌路径 accDescr: 展示从政治候选人做出承诺、背弃选民，到播客主产生幻灭感并拉开距离的全过程。 subgraph 竞选阶段 A["竞选承诺与包装形象"] --> B["受邀登上长视频播客"] end subgraph 执政与履职 B --> C["政策彻底违背竞选初衷"] C --> D["当面谎言与选民背叛"] end subgraph 媒体反思 D --> E["彻底幻灭与拉开政治距离"] end ``` ### [20:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1210s) 伊朗局势、军队反弹与外交失策针对目前美军在伊朗的部署和冲突升级，史蒂文·巴特利特（Steven Bartlett）表示，即便作为非美国人，逻辑上也完全推导不出这场军事冲突有任何良好的收尾方案。曾作为精锐海豹突击队服役的莱恩对局势给出了极为悲观的判断：没有任何积极结局可言，眼前的一切完全失去理智。莱恩与昔日军中战友交流后发现，现役军人的普遍情绪是高度愤怒与困惑。前线士兵深感自己被派往前线并非为了捍卫美国国家利益，而是沦为服务另一个国家利益的棋子——这个国家大概率就是以色列。尽管副总统当选人J.D. 万斯（JD Vance）曾在访谈中坚称美国在这段双边盟友关系中是“高级合伙人（Senior Partner）”，但美军一线官兵的实际感受却恰恰相反。莱恩断然否定了“因核武器威胁而被迫开战”的官方叙事，他认为特朗普被裹挟进这场非本国利益的战争完全令人匪夷所思，整场行动对美国自身没有任何益处。 - 军中真实情绪：基层与一线官兵普遍认为美军被当作外力代理人，在替别国的利益流血牺牲。 - 官方叙事破产：莱恩完全不相信关于伊朗核威胁的战争借口，视其为无稽之谈。 - 双党一体本质：在被问及若民主党胜选是否会好一些时，莱恩认为两党越来越趋向于一体两面，本质上毫无二致。 ### [22:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1356s) 谎言破灭、霸权交替与盟友体系瓦解两党政客在播客节目上当面撒谎的经历，让莱恩对美国现有政治生态彻底幻灭。他将视线转向更为宏观的全球地缘格局，认为美国正在失去全球超级大国的地位。与中国在核电、清洁能源以及整体电力网络上的快速跃进相比，美国内部仍在针对“是否发展核能”以及“电网老化如何解决”等基本议题反复推诿扯皮；叠加石油美元协议的动摇，美国的根基已摇摇欲坠。美国在对外经贸上的行径更让传统盟友寒心。以加拿大为例：加拿大此前希望推进 Keystone 输油管道建设，拜登政府一口回绝；加拿大转而寻求与其他国家（如中国）开展经贸合作，结果换届后特朗普政府却对加拿大举起关税大棒，税率一路飙升至 25%、50% 乃至 100%。这种朝令夕改、前后矛盾的做法如同精神分裂症患者，任何理性的商业实体都无法与这种政府打交道。除了以色列之外，美国几乎正在摧毁与全球所有盟友的外交信任基础。 ```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: 美国盟友信任崩塌的恶性循环 accDescr: 说明内政撕裂与政策摇摆如何破坏国际盟友信任，促使盟友抱团自立。 A["内政反复撕裂 (如Keystone管道)"] --> B["关税大棒施压盟友"] B --> C["盟友安全感丧失 (欧洲重新审视自主权)"] C --> D["外部势力坐收渔利 (静观美国自我内耗)"] ``` ### [25:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1531s) 帝国黄昏的启示与“50天50州”底层计划为了理清超级大国更迭的真实代价，莱恩计划邀请历史学者探讨二战后大英帝国失去全球霸主地位时的真实社会境况。主流叙事往往充斥着“货币归零、秩序崩塌”的末日恐慌，但莱恩提出反思：失去全球霸权或许能挤出游说集团（PAC）的腐败资金，倒逼华盛顿的政客把精力和财政重新放回本国事务。出于对对外挥霍资金的愤怒，莱恩萌生了一个构想：实施名为“50天50州（50 states in 50 days）”的纪实项目。摄制组将深入每个州最贫困、破败的角落——从纽约、新泽西，到威斯康星、加利福尼亚、阿拉巴马、密西西比和佛罗里达，用镜头记录被完全遗弃的底层惨状。莱恩计划在镜头前公开质问该州的参议员、众议员和州长：“这就是你们代表的州，看看眼前这片人间地狱，凭什么把纳税人的巨额资金送去海外挥霍，却任由本国同胞自生自灭？” 巴特利特指出，美国过去之所以成为超级大国，凭借的是“大智若愚、平静而威严的力量（Peace through Strength）”，无需像霸凌者一样到处叫嚣；而如今动辄贬损别国领导人、嘲弄加拿大是“第52个州”的做法，实则是内心虚弱与不安全感的投射。这种霸凌行径反而加速了欧洲各国的抱团与战略自主，而中国只需保持沉稳克制，“坐在旁边看着美国实时自我毁灭”。对于即将到来的 2028 年大选，莱恩明确表示自己心灰意冷，眼下看不到任何有担当的优秀候选人；除非未来出现真正有分量的第三方势力，否则他极大概率不会再参与总统大选相关的报道。话题随后转向此前造访其节目的嘉宾布莱尔（Blair），探讨起某些曾引发他警惕的可疑言论。 ### [29:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1785s) 播客上的潜伏线人与突兀的叙事植入 Shawn Ryan 讲述了一位曾做客节目的特殊嘉宾的下场：美国移民和海关执法局（ICE）逮捕了他并试图将其驱逐出境。团队收到邮件求助，该嘉宾极度恐惧自己一旦被遣返就会遭到暗杀，但 ICE 似乎根本不在乎他的生死。这名男子来自前东欧阵营国家，最初在监狱中被中情局（CIA）招募，任务是潜入穆斯林兄弟会（Muslim Brotherhood）等伊斯兰恐怖组织内部。他曾成功打入拥有海量军火库的恐怖网络，协助 CIA 将大批非法武器查扣并转运至其他国家。然而，在节目录制过程中，整场长达数小时关于全球反恐战争的生平讲述突然变了味。该嘉宾毫无征兆地开始大谈“俄罗斯人正在把核弹头运进美国本土”。这个论调极其突兀，完全脱离了之前所有的谈话背景。Shawn 敏锐地察觉到，某些受访者可能聊上三到六个小时，目的仅仅是想在播客里塞进这么一两句话，借此开启一个全新叙事或强化既有的地缘政治宣传。 Shawn 当场毫不客气地质问对方：“我怎么知道你不是专门被派到这里，就为了在节目里塞进这一句话？这完全是不着边际的话题，跟我们刚才聊的所有内容都对不上。”对方显然被问得措手不及。Shawn 指出，直觉经常会提醒你，眼前坐着的某些人很可能依然在为某些情报机构执行任务。 - 被 ICE 扣留的前 CIA 线人来自东欧国家，因曾渗透穆斯林兄弟会并截获大型军火库，面临遣返后被处决的危险。 - 突兀话题：在长时间反恐故事的铺垫下，突然硬生生插入“俄罗斯将核弹头偷运入美”的惊悚言论。 - 播客操纵手法：情报机构或利益团体常常利用长播客建立可信度，实际上只为植入一句话来引导舆论偏向。 ### [32:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1959s) 为什么宁愿压下录像也不愿为了流量播假话谈到是否经常删除或压下录制好的节目，Shawn 表示自己绝少这样做，但确实有那么几期内容被彻底封存，从未面世。核心原因在于他不愿违背良心、为了追逐点击率而传播误导性信息。其中最典型的一期发生在关于 COVID 疫苗争议最激烈的时期。一位嘉宾声称新冠疫苗早在疫情爆发前数年就在实验室完成研发并注册了专利，听上去极其引人入胜。但 Shawn 录完后反复琢磨了数天甚至数周，发现了破绽：该嘉宾每次谈到“2020年以前就被注册专利”的关键事实时，悄悄把词汇从“COVID-19 疫苗”偷换成了“SARS 疫苗”。由于冠状病毒和 SARS 存在数千种变异株，故意混淆概念极可能是一种虚假推销。Shawn 坦言，自己的播客面对着数以千万计的受众，医学话题极为敏感；虽然他自己曾接种疫苗且对此感到后悔，但他绝不能让听众依据充满猫腻的谎言去做出关乎生命健康的重大决定，因此果断将那期全盘压下。同样被永久封存的还有另外两场荒谬的访谈： - **世界经济论坛（WEF）“专家”**：Shawn 本想探讨达沃斯及世界经济论坛的运作机制，结果该嘉宾甚至分不清 WEF 究竟是一家商业实体还是非营利组织，满口胡言乱语堆砌阴谋论。Shawn 当面打断并终止了录制：“如果你连它到底是什么都说不清楚，你根本没资格坐在这里。” - **自称 CIA 的女特工**：一位女性声称曾在中情局任职，但进入实质问题后便以“全都是涉密信息（Classified）”为由推脱，整场对话只围绕“测谎仪（Polygraph）”大做文章。Shawn 随即意识到这不过是对方在网上搜集了测谎仪相关知识来冒充圈内人，甚至可能在试探如何破解测谎，录制几分钟后便被当场叫停并废弃。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Shawn Ryan 节目弃播判定机制 accDescr: 展示 Shawn Ryan 如何在录制过程中及录制后识别并拦截虚假受访者的决策流程。 A["嘉宾参与录制"] --> B{"是否存在疑点？"} B -- 概念偷换 / 虚假医学证据 --> C["涉 COVID/SARS 疫苗混淆概念"] B -- 专业基础漏洞 / 满嘴阴谋论 --> D["WEF 嘉宾连其基本性质都无法回答"] B -- 拿涉密当挡箭牌 / 纠缠测谎仪 --> E["假冒 CIA 女特工避重就轻"] C --> F["严守播客底线：拒绝为了点击率误导千万大众"] D --> F E --> F F --> G["彻底封存 / 永不播出"] ``` ### [37:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2232s) 商业赞助：Shopify 与 Ketone-IQ 在访谈转折期，主持人 Steven Bartlett 插入了播客赞助内容： - **Shopify**：强调当今自主创业与为他人打工相比，风险逻辑已发生变化。Shopify 提供拖拽式建站编辑器、AI Sidekick 智能助手及转化率极高的结账流程，帮助创业者以极低门槛将商业想法落地。听众可访问 `shopify.com/bartlett` 开启免费试用。 - **Ketone-IQ**：Steven 提到自己不仅是该品牌的投资者与联合创始人，更是深度使用者。面对不同领域的复杂受访者，播客需要大脑全天候保持敏锐的“心流”与深度专注。Ketone-IQ 作为大脑的高级燃料，现已在全美 CVS 门店上架，访问 `ketone.com/steven` 可享首单七折优惠，或直接在 CVS 免费领取首支体验装。 ### [39:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2365s) 告别承包商生涯：前往哥伦比亚的放逐之旅 34 岁那年，Shawn Ryan 彻底结束了中情局（CIA）海外安全承包商的高压服役阶段。脱离了充满生死危机的安保岁月后，他没有直接融入美国普通的世俗社会，而是选择背起行囊前往哥伦比亚。他最初在海滨城市卡塔赫纳（Cartagena）落脚，但随后决定转往麦德林（Medellín），并在那里滞留了两年之久。在那段日子里，他试图用酒精、混乱与彻底的异域生活来麻痹自己，而主持人 Steven 紧接着将话题切入了他是否卷入当地错综复杂的贩毒网络。 ### [39:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2392s) 哥伦比亚时期的肾上腺素成瘾与潜入毒网 Shawn Ryan 坦承自己在哥伦比亚期间确实卷入了毒品分销网络。当主持人 Steven Bartlett 询问该如何定义这段生活阶段——从海豹突击队员、中情局（CIA）合同工骤然转向哥伦比亚的混乱生活，从宏观来看极度不稳定——Shawn 解释道，这一切的根源正是他对“肾上腺素的严重成瘾”。离开前线回到美国本土后，普通生活对他而言枯燥乏味；去酒吧喝酒毫无吸引力，他更无法忍受整天听普通美国民众对战争高谈阔论，对前线任务指手画脚，而这些人根本从未亲历战场。出于厌烦，Shawn 决定前往一个听不到英语的地方。在哥伦比亚，他开始把渗透毒品网络当作一场高度刺激的现实“游戏”。他并不亲自沿街贩毒，真正带给他致命快感的是搭建关系网、摸清背后的操盘手、层层顺藤摸瓜并最终将自己安插在网络核心。Shawn 坦言，回想起来这绝对是他一生中做过最危险的事，但当时他毫无求生欲望，并不觉得自己算严格意义上的自杀倾向，纯粹就是为了追求极致刺激，甚至做好了“如果连这也变得无聊，那我就死在这里算了吧”的最坏打算。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 战后心理失衡与哥伦比亚逃避循环 accDescr: 展示从军旅高压生活退役后，因无法适应平民生活而走向极端刺激的心理发展路径。 subgraph 平民适应不良 A["离开海豹突击队/CIA"] --> B["战后平民生活极度枯燥"] B --> C["厌恶大众空谈战局"] end subgraph 哥伦比亚逃避 C --> D["前往哥伦比亚（远离英语环境）"] D --> E["肾上腺素戒断与追逐"] E --> F["潜入毒网、搭建层级链条"] end subgraph 极端危机 F --> G["疯人桥撒钱 / 遭遇警方监控"] G --> H["执行反监视路线与紧急撤离"] end ``` ### [41:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2515s) “疯人桥”撒钱与警方的秘密监控在哥伦比亚期间，Shawn 极度沉迷于可卡因，经常陷入连续三到五天的狂欢放纵。当时麦德林有一个臭名昭著的毒品社区 Barrio Antioquia，外人根本进不去，出租车拒载，沿途设有多个警察检查站，但那里却流淌着最便宜、最纯的可卡因以及整个网络的顶级操盘手。为了寻找刺激，Shawn 带着一群女孩闯入那里一座被称为“疯人桥”（Puente de los Locos）的桥梁，桥下聚集着大批宛如精神失常的流浪汉。Shawn 带着一大叠现金直接扔向空中，纯粹想看看人群会如何反应；数百名流浪汉随即疯狂争抢，将他们团团围住，一行人险些无法脱身，最终狼狈逃上汽车返回其顶层公寓。回到公寓后，大楼门卫 Freddy 拦住了他。在哥伦比亚，本地人算计外国人是家常便饭，但 Shawn 一向善待大楼的安保门卫——给他们买衣服、送酒水、分可卡因、给丰厚小费，将他们视作自己的外围情报网。起初 Freddy 警告警方正在盯他、要求查验护照时，Shawn 以为对方又想敲诈勒索而破口大骂；直到 Freddy 明确指出警察手里有他数小时前在 Barrio Antioquia 桥上撒钱的照片，Shawn 才猛然惊醒。不仅如此，警方还在他门外的灯具里安装了窃听器，并在对街建筑物设立了监视哨。 - **反监视撤退（SDR）**：确认被盯上后，Shawn 立刻彻底搜查并清理掉公寓内的所有可卡因和违禁品。 - **紧急撤离**：通过窗户隐约锁定了对街的观察点后，他在街头设计并执行了 SDR（Surveillance Detection Route，反监视路线），辗转数家网吧确认未被跟踪。 - **果断出境**：购买了前往不同地点的数张机票以制造假象，在 12 小时之内彻底撤离哥伦比亚，此生再未踏足该国。 ### [46:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2800s) 中美洲浪荡与母亲节的濒死电话回到美国后，这次与牢狱之灾擦肩而过的惊险经历并未完全让他戒除可卡因。因为无聊，Shawn 又转战巴拿马（虽然比哥伦比亚收敛，但同样容易卷入毒网）、哥斯达黎加，甚至前往洪都拉斯的圣佩德罗苏拉（San Pedro Sula）——那里是当时全球凶杀率最高、最危险的城市，他去那里的唯一目的就是继续喂养自己贪婪的肾上腺素瘾。尽管行为有所收敛，但他并未彻底摆脱毒瘾，直至两个重大转折点出现： 1. **战友的阿片类药物成瘾**：他最好的朋友从特种承包商退役后深陷严重的阿片类药物成瘾。Shawn 找到了全新的人生目标——拯救好友。他意识到要想帮朋友戒毒，自己必须首先以身作则彻底戒除毒瘾。虽然这位挚友多年后仍不幸因药物过量离世，但这促使 Shawn 下定决心开始自救。 2. **哥伦比亚母亲节的濒死体验**：在哥伦比亚吸毒期间，Shawn 曾因严重缺乏血液循环导致脚踝肿胀，时刻担心自己吸毒过量死亡。一位朋友曾告诫他：“在可卡因兴奋状态下，只有当周围一切感官突然变慢时，你才是真正濒临死亡极限。”在一次母亲节吸毒放纵中，时间变慢的濒死征兆真的出现了，Shawn 以为自己活不过当天，在极度恐惧中给母亲拨通了电话告别。这次直面死亡的经历成为他幡然醒悟的关键时刻。 ### [49:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2987s) 击碎自尊：寻求心理咨询与自我救赎为了给成瘾的好友树立榜样，同时清楚认识到自己心理状态濒临崩溃，Shawn 最终决定去接受专业心理咨询。在当时，海豹突击队退役军人接受心理治疗具有极大的社会偏见与心理阻力，这对 Shawn 极度要强的自尊心是一个沉重打击。但当时他身处佛罗里达，战友们大多仍在海外执行任务，身边没有朋友，无人知晓他的过往，他索性硬着头皮走进了咨询室。事实证明，心理咨询发挥了意想不到的巨大作用。Shawn 将其比作访谈节目：治疗师往往并不需要长篇大论，仅凭几个客观且不带偏见的问题，就能引导来访者在倾诉的过程中，在自己的头脑中理清思路、解开死结，同时治疗师也起到了关键的外部监督和问责作用。正是在这段心理重建期间，Shawn 开始接触伊博格碱（Ibogaine）等致幻剂疗法，为后续深入灵性探索与艰难转变埋下了伏笔。 ### [51:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3064s) 迷幻药行业的初体验与伊博格碱的奇迹 Steven Bartlett 提到，在离开第一家公司到真正创办这档播客之间，他曾在一家专注于心理健康的迷幻药企业工作过一年。正是在那段时间，他接触并研究了伊博格碱（Ibogaine），见识到它在戒断成瘾方面的惊人疗效，不过他此前从未亲眼见过真正服用过伊博格碱的人。当时业内告诉他，伊博格碱是一种极其漫长而剧烈的治疗过程，但确实存在一些案例：仅在医疗辅助环境下使用一次剂量，长年的成瘾症状便被奇迹般彻底治愈。 Shawn Ryan 随后分享了自己两次使用伊博格碱的亲身经历。他第一次前往治疗是在创办播客之后。当时他的儿子刚满六个月，但他整个人完全被商业野心裹挟，脑子里充斥的除了商业还是商业、播客与业务拓展，根本无法与刚出生的儿子和妻子真正共处当下。面对雪崩般涌来的机遇，他陷入了极度焦虑——不知道该不该抓住每一个机会、拒绝是否意味着犯傻。当时他虽已戒掉了可卡因与烈酒，但仍依赖阿德拉（Adderall）和安眠药度日。抱着理清思绪、学会如何隔离商业压力以及回归家庭的念头，他接受了伊博格碱治疗。治疗的效果立竿见影： - 从体验中出来后，他对饮酒彻底失去了兴趣。 - 毫不费力地一次性戒掉了所有的安眠类药物和阿德拉。 - 精神状态焕然一新，能够全心全意地陪伴妻子和襁褓中的儿子。 - 至今四年多没有碰过一滴酒，无任何不良药物依赖与嗜好，达到了身体与心理健康的巅峰状态。 --- ### [53:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3230s) 第二次仪式与窥见“虚无的地狱” 直到大约三个月前，Shawn Ryan 决定进行第二次伊博格碱旅程，但这次的结果却截然相反。Shawn 解释说，伊博格碱源自非洲加蓬（Gabon），被普遍认为是世界上最强烈的迷幻剂。在他接受治疗的机构，标准方案是在伊博格碱体验结束的次日，紧接着服用 5-MeO-DMT（五甲氧基二甲基色胺）。这次经历彻底改变了他的人生，让他确信自己“亲眼见到了地狱”。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 两次迷幻药疗程的心理与精神对比 accDescr: 对比 Shawn Ryan 两次伊博格碱及附带 5-MeO-DMT 体验的初衷与完全相反的经历结果 subgraph First["第一次体验：解脱与戒除"] A1["初衷：缓解商业焦虑、回归家庭"] --> B1["服用伊博格碱"] B1 --> C1["无痛戒断所有药物与酒精"] C1 --> D1["精神澄澈、彻底回归当下生活"] end subgraph Second["第二次体验：坠入精神地狱"] A2["初衷：寻求深层指引与清晰洞察"] --> B2["伊博格碱 + 次日 5-MeO-DMT"] B2 --> C2["毫无光芒与火焰的绝对虚无"] C2 --> D2["极度恐惧、遭抛弃感与非人扭曲"] end ``` 当 Steven 问及如何辨别那就是地狱时，Shawn 描述道，他在随后的 5-MeO-DMT 过程中感受尤为深刻。那不是传统意义上的烈火焚烧，而是“绝对的虚无”（total emptiness）： - **绝对的荒芜与孤立**：在那里感受不到神的存在，也没有基督的救赎，唯有完全的被抛弃感。 - **无以复加的恐惧与绝望**：伴随着有生以来最强烈的极度惊恐与焦虑，整个过程宛如持续了一个半小时漫长至极的永刑。 - **驱魔般的肉体折磨**：Shawn 感到自己的体内正经历一场前所未有的剧烈驱魔，仿佛有某些异物想强行钻出，抑或是自己在拼命驱逐它们却无能为力，整个经历比现实世界中的任何体验都要更为真实。 --- ### [58:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3515s) 特战老兵目击的躯体异化与精神维度的代价在这一恐怖的过程中，Shawn 的肉眼什么也看不见，但身体却呈现出完全违背人类生理结构的极度扭曲状态。当时一位退伍的前海军陆战队特种作战司令部（MARSOC）全球反恐战争老兵朋友在现场陪同。尽管 Shawn 事先叮嘱过不要下楼查看，但由于楼下传出的动静极其惊骇，这位朋友以为有人遭遇生命危险，便忍不住顺着楼梯拐角偷看。事后数周，这位见惯了阿富汗与伊拉克残酷战场的资深特种兵心有余悸地告诉 Shawn：“我这辈子从未见过一具人类的躯体能做出你当时那样的动作。” ```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: 迷幻药与灵性维度的危险联结 accDescr: 展示滥用迷幻药获取洞察力与陷入未知灵界危险之间的关系 A["频繁使用迷幻药物 (裸盖菇素 / 5-MeO-DMT)"] --> B["短期获得洞察与解答 (看穿商业动机、解构人际难题)"] B --> C["打破敬畏心与精神戒备 (仪式心态松懈)"] C --> D["强行开启灵界大门 (暴露在人类无法理解的未知领域)"] D --> E["遭遇精神侵袭与超自然黑暗"] ``` Shawn 反思了自己过去对待裸盖菇素（Psilocybin）和 5-MeO-DMT 的心态。最初他怀有极大的敬畏之心，每次使用都能看清复杂的商业意图、人际关系乃至未来选择的因果逻辑；但后来随着身边越来越多人在做，他逐渐放松了戒备。他得出的严肃结论是：**人类本不该强行打开灵界（spiritual realm）的大门**。当人们依赖致幻药物进入那个层面时，人类如同赤身裸体暴露在一个未知的维度之中，随时可能任由灵界实体摆布与侵入。 --- ### [01:00:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3650s) 体验之后的超自然纠缠与信仰归宿那次仪式结束后的三个月里，Shawn 封闭了自己，连续数周除了妻子、自己的属灵导师以及神父之外，拒绝同外界任何人交谈。他的生活从此彻底变了，被浓重的“黑暗”所笼罩： - **无法解释的超自然现象**：在周边物理环境中接连发生离奇事件（虽然不是在家中，而是在其他身处的场所发生物品离奇坠落等反常现象）。 - **极端的梦魇与异常巧合**：频繁出现逼真的噩梦，并接连撞上诡异的同步性巧合（synchronicities）。 - **信仰的极致强化**：面对这一系列骇人听闻的压迫与折磨，Shawn 不再在乎旁人是否相信，而这一段被黑暗笼罩的经历反而促使他全力转向基督信仰，与神建立起前所未有的紧密连接。 ### [01:02:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3738s) 缅因州的噩梦、飞落的相框与弥撒中的异样反应 Shawn Ryan 详细讲述了他在缅因州录制播客期间寄住在岳父母家的一段诡异经历。当时，他已经经历过两次由两位天主教神父（也是他的精神导师）主持的驱魔仪式。在那段时间里，他频繁做噩梦——梦境场景各不相同，但核心主题都是摧毁他的家庭。这一连串超自然遭遇让他重新回归天主教信仰；他从小作为天主教徒长大，中途曾远离信仰，如今重新皈依，是因为他发现天主教会是极少数对灵界领域有深刻理解的组织之一。当时 Shawn 正考虑邀请一位天主教会的主教上节目，结果当晚便做了一个极其生动的噩梦：梦中那位主教在录制播客前不断向他发送隐晦的同性挑逗信息，企图与他发生关系。Shawn 在梦中怒不可遏，醒来后甚至对天主教会产生了强烈的厌恶与排斥，心里直犯嘀咕：“我再也不想和这帮人沾边了，这太恶心了。”然而他从未见过那位主教。神父们此前为 Shawn 制定了一套名为“基督释放法”（Liber Christo Method）的日常祈祷程序，要求在早晨 6 点、中午 12 点和傍晚 6 点各念诵一次。为了摆脱噩梦带来的恶劣情绪，Shawn 开始念诵祈祷文。当念到“圣米迦勒祈祷文”（St. Michael's Prayer）的中途时，墙上的一个相框突然凌空飞落砸在地上，让他震惊不已。紧接着在周日早上（大约 7 点到 8 点），他和一位代号为“Hendo”的保镖兼精神导师一同前往教堂参加弥撒。在领受圣体（Communion）几秒钟后，Shawn 的身体立即出现了剧烈的过敏样反应：他的脸像着了火一样滚烫，额头青筋暴起，整张脸红得像个番茄。Hendo 当场惊诧地看着他，而这种在数秒内爆发的生理异常根本无法用常规的医学过敏反应来解释。Shawn 指出，这些诡异事件总是成串出现，从噩梦到相框飞落再到弥撒中的剧烈反应，全都集中在短短两小时内。 ### [01:07:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4020s) 精神迷幻药的双刃剑：揭开不该触碰的帷幕这一系列接连不断的灵异骚扰已经持续了整整三个月。主持人 Steven Bartlett 询问 Shawn，经历这三个月后他的结论究竟是什么。Shawn 直言不讳地指出，自己过去一直是迷幻药疗法的狂热拥护者，公开宣扬其带来的种种心理益处；然而，迷幻药社区存在着一种极端的偏狭——一旦有人谈论它的负面后果，整个群体就会暴怒反弹，质问“你怎么敢这么说”。 Shawn 坚信事物必有一体两面，公众需要了解全部真相以便自行做出权衡，迷幻药绝非“百利而无一害”。尽管他无法百分之百断定这一切是否完全由迷幻药引起，但那次迷幻体验无疑是所有超自然异象的直接导火索。他认为这类物质所谓“掀开现实的帷幕”，实际上是向人类开放了一个充满未知的禁忌灵界；人类之所以被那层帷幕遮蔽，或许本就是为了自我保护，那个领域根本不是普通人应该擅自涉足的。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 迷幻药引发的灵界危机与后续连锁反应 accDescr: 展示从迷幻药体验触发超自然现象到天主教介入驱魔的演变过程 subgraph Phase1["诱因阶段"] A["高剂量迷幻药体验\n（掀开灵界帷幕）"] --> B["心理与超自然异象爆发\n（噩梦/家庭受威胁）"] end subgraph Phase2["升级阶段"] B --> C["物理与生理异常\n（相框凭空飞落/领圣体过敏）"] C --> D["精神骚扰不断加剧\n（持续三个月）"] end subgraph Phase3["应对阶段"] D --> E["求助天主教神父\n（Liber Christo 祈祷法）"] E --> F["判定为魔鬼压迫\n（开始系列驱魔仪式）"] end ``` ### [01:09:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4181s) 附魔与压迫的差异：亲历驱魔仪式针对外界对“驱魔”的猎奇心理，Steven 询问驱魔在现实中究竟是如何运作的。Shawn 澄清说，好莱坞电影《驱魔人》中的戏剧化场景（如受害者身体反向蜘蛛爬行）与现实相去甚远。他目前仍处于驱魔流程之中，根据神父的诊断与教理，灵界骚扰主要分为两大级别： | 类型 | 控制状态与特征 | 具体表现 | |:--- |:--- |:--- | | **附魔（Possession）** | 个体丧失对自身肉体和思维的控制权 | 身体完全被外来恶灵占据并支配 | | **压迫（Oppression）** | 个体依然保有对心智与肉体的绝对控制 | 外部环境遭遇全方位打击（财务危机、健康崩溃、家庭关系撕裂、摧毁宗教信仰） | 神父们一致判定 Shawn 面临的情况属于“压迫”而非“附魔”。实际的驱魔过程包含神父使用拉丁语或英语念诵一系列特定的长篇祈祷文；神父通过观察 Shawn 对特定祈祷章节或词句是否产生异常生理与心理反应，来逐步排查、缩小范围，以此锁定暗中施加骚扰的灵体属性与具体症结。当谈及这一切对家庭特别是妻子 Katie 的影响时，Shawn 坦言过程极其艰难沉重。他坦白道，面对妻子和孩子时，直截了当地告诉他们“我今天刚刚做完第五次驱魔”，那种对家庭心理造成的压力与冲击是常人难以想象的。 ### [01:12:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4332s) 超自然阴影下的家庭支持与特种作战圈的共鸣 Shawn Ryan 与主持人 Steven Bartlett 探讨了面对超自然体验与驱魔时内心的恐惧与无助。当脑海中不由自主浮现出恐怖电影里的画面时，一个人难免会怀疑自己是否还能掌控自己的心智，并陷入无休止的担忧：“这到底会恶化到什么程度？接下来会发生什么？这玩意儿会伴随我一生吗？我每晚躺在妻子身边，她会觉得我是个疯子吗？”Steven 分享道，自己的未婚妻当天正好也在隔壁房间，若自己回家跟她说这些，信仰非常虔诚的未婚妻大概率会为自己祈祷。Shawn 随即赞同，直言两人的伴侣都是不可思议的伟大女性；他的妻子一路陪伴，亲眼目睹了部分超自然现象的发生，整个过程对家庭而言异常艰难。当 Shawn 决定公开谈论迷幻药引发的超自然梦魇时，他原以为自己会显得孤立且疯狂。然而节目播出后，包括海豹突击队（Navy SEALs）、陆军特种部队（Green Berets/SF）以及三角洲部队（Delta Force）在内的诸多极具影响力的军方顶尖人物纷纷私下联络他，坦白道：“天啊，我一直以为我是唯一经历过那种绝境的人。”这些战友不仅称赞他的勇气，更让他意识到这类遭遇在特战圈内绝非个案，自己仅仅是第一个勇敢站出来将其完整表达出来的人。 ### [01:14:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4445s) 两位播客主的信仰旅程：从无神论与不可知论到基督信仰当 Shawn 问及 Steven 是否是基督徒时，Steven 回顾了自己的心路历程：他成长于一个极其严格的基督教家庭，骨子里带有些许宗教印记，但在十八九岁时产生了大量质疑，随后加入了理查德·道金斯（Richard Dawkins）引领的“新无神论运动”（New Atheist movement），到处找人辩论以确立观点；随着阅历增长，他脱离了激进反驳的阶段，如今处于一种“保持好奇的不可知论”状态。Steven 承认，在主持《The Diary Of A CEO》期间接触了各类嘉宾（例如护教学家 Wes Huff 等）后，他深感如果傲慢地断言“宇宙中没有某种更崇高的存在”是不理性的，只是他目前尚无法像传统基督徒那样给出精确定义。 Shawn 随之点出，诸如神经科学家安德鲁·胡伯曼（Andrew Huberman）等平时难以想象会谈论宗教的人，最近也在 Steven 的节目里公开探讨信仰，这与 Shawn 自己的心路完全一致——正是在主持《The Shawn Ryan Show》的过程中，无数嘉宾的个人见证像种子一样埋入他的内心。虽然 Shawn 幼时在天主教家庭长大，但他原本也一直游离在信仰边缘，直到经历了这几年不可否认的超自然事件，信仰的齿轮彻底转动： - 2024 年复活节，Shawn 正式受洗。 - 尽管面临超自然压迫的极度惊恐，但随着时间推移恐惧逐渐减少，反而极大巩固了他与妻子对耶稣基督的坚定信仰。 - 2024 年 7 月接受塔克·卡尔森（Tucker Carlson）采访时，Shawn 坦言自己正经历一场“疯狂的精神蜕变”。 ### [01:17:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4624s) 卸下政治转向《圣经》：超自然战场的现实交锋谈及为何要将极具主观色彩的超自然经历公之于众，Shawn 表示，作为全球头部播客的主持人，他拥有接触普通人无法接触到的核心人物的特权，也有充足的对话时间。他认为忠于自己的好奇心并在公众面前替普通大众提出深刻的问题，是他不可推卸的责任。与此同时，他对节目的内容方向做出了重大抉择：此前他过度卷入了政治议题，但如今他看透了那些政客“几乎全是一群满嘴谎言的混蛋”，因而决定大幅抽身，不再以此为主。为了填补政治内容的空缺，Shawn 决定利用自身平台开启一项耗时数年的庞大计划——逐卷拆解《圣经》中的每一卷书。他坦承自己只读了大半本《圣经》，理解程度不过 5% 到 10%，因此需要借助顶级专家的智慧。然而，就在他邀请天主教会极具威望的高层伯克枢机主教（Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke）录制启动节目的前一晚，一连串不可思议的超自然异象突兀爆发。Shawn 坚信这种时机绝非巧合，而是精神领域在现实中的即时映射：一场争夺他灵魂的善恶大战正在上演。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Shawn Ryan 播客内容转型与灵界交锋流程 accDescr: 展示 Shawn Ryan 从对政客幻灭到开启圣经拆解计划，并触发超自然对抗与广告主反应的因果过程。 subgraph ContentShift ["播客内容范式转移"] A["看透政客虚伪 退出政治议题"] --> B["出现巨大内容真空"] B --> C["启动全本《圣经》拆解系列 （预计耗时数年）"] end subgraph SpiritualWarfare ["精神战场的现实交锋"] C --> D["邀请天主教会高层 伯克枢机主教录制开篇"] D --> E["录制前夜爆发强烈超自然压迫"] E --> F["每日多次祈祷 以打破属灵压迫与争战"] end subgraph WorldlyCost ["世俗层面的代价"] E --> G["不再骑墙观望 坚定基督信仰立场"] G --> H["合作品牌因‘信仰内容’撤单 商业利益受损"] end ``` ### [01:19:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4784s) 灵魂之战的代价：坚守立场与人寿保险广告主的撤单讽刺当 Steven 询问这种每天多次的祈祷是否是为了宣示争战的胜负时，Shawn 解释其核心目的是“释放与驱除压迫”（release oppression）。至于这场战斗何时结束，Shawn 表示自己毫不知情，但被神职人员告知“当胜利来临时，你自然会清清楚楚地知晓”。虽然当下的处境极其艰难，但 Shawn 强调自己已经无法再假装无知，也不可能再在善恶的交界线上骑墙观望。这份精神觉醒迅速带来了现实商业世界的代价。Shawn 透露，有一家长期合作多年的重要广告赞助商刚刚撕毁了合约。讽刺的是，该赞助商是一家大型人寿保险公司，双方前不久才开会讨论过如何进一步深化合作，但对方随后却以“不在宗教信仰类（faith-based）内容上投放”为由断然取消合作。Shawn 情绪激动地痛斥这种商业逻辑的荒谬：人寿保险的目标受众本就是那些深爱家庭、极度关心妻儿未来保障的负责任群体，而信仰虔诚的受众恰恰是将家庭视为最高优先级的人群；广告主声称要寻找顾家的客户，却因为创作者谈论信仰而落荒而逃，这种自相矛盾的伪善令他无比愤怒。 ### [01:21:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4903s) 坚守内心契合与灵魂之战的代价谈到赞助商退出以及围绕播客内容所承受的压力，Shawn Ryan 认为这绝非巧合，而是一种试图阻止他探讨精神与宗教话题的无形力量。这种阻力就如同他在邀请 Raymond Leo Burke 枢机主教（Cardinal Burke）录制节目的前一晚所遭遇的一连串诡异事件一样。当被问及这是否属于“灵魂争夺战”的一部分时，Shawn 直言，像他与 Steven Bartlett 这样拥有庞大受众的平台蕴含着巨大的能量；当一个人有能力影响无数生命，并试图引导大众走向《圣经》所揭示的真理时，必然会触怒许多世俗乃至无形的实体（entities）。 Shawn 强调自己坚信天堂与地狱的存在，因此他必须在商业利益与信仰之间做出清晰的选择：“如果我因为担心失去广告商而宣布‘我们不能再做圣经系列了’，那我死后又能带走什么？这笔钱我一分也带不走。”尽管失去广告收益确实让人痛心，但他无法违背内心的契合（alignment）。 Steven 对此深表赞同，并指出在他采访过的众多卓越人物（例如放弃优渥全职工作、在酒吧讲了五到十年脱口秀的 Jimmy Carr，或是辞去体面工作在布里斯托尔表演魔术长达十年的 Derren Brown）身上，都存在一个共同的模式：他们在人生的转折关头，做出了看似违背短期利益、甚至被外人视为“愚蠢”的抉择。然而，正是这种拒绝为了眼前的短期诱惑而妥协、坚持追求内心真正契合的魄力，最终将他们带向了更开阔的境地。如果仅仅为了点击率或商业收益而不断违背自我，短期内或许能换来更多粉丝，但长远来看只会沦为“羊群（the herd）”的一员，陷入自己所厌恶的人生泥潭。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 核心价值观与短期利益的冲突抉择 accDescr: 展示内容创作者在追求内心契合与屈从短期商业利益之间产生的两种不同路径及结果。 subgraph Choice["抉择时刻"] A["重大决策关口"] end subgraph PathA["屈从短期利益"] B["迎合赞助商与流量"] C["盲目追逐大牌嘉宾与订阅数"] D["沦为羊群的一员 / 陷入厌恶的生活"] end subgraph PathB["坚守内心契合 Alignment"] E["甘愿承受短期动荡与赞助流失"] F["坚持真实表达与高道德标准"] G["长期获得精神自由与深远影响力"] end A -->|"追求短期诱惑"| B B --> C C --> D A -->|"坚守核心价值"| E E --> F F --> G ``` --- ### [01:24:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5069s) 播客的核心使命：激发求真勇气与打破部落偏见在谈及当下做播客的终极目标时，Shawn 表达了他对促进公众沟通与个人诚信的深切渴望。他指出，除了传播信仰与圣经的核心价值外，他最希望看到的是人们不再畏惧提出质疑，并走出狭隘的“部落主义（tribalism）”对立。 Shawn 认为自己始终保持着开放的心态，无论外界如何评判他的立场，他既可以与保守派的名嘴 Tucker Carlson 成为朋友，也能与进步派媒体《青年土耳其人》（The Young Turks）的创办人 Cenk Uygur 保持深厚友谊。他强调了直面错误与公开问责的重要性： - 他曾多次在公众面前坦承自己的失误，并公开纠正节目中无意散播的错误信息。 - 他认为当今社会极度缺乏勇于自我问责的人，而诚信（integrity）是他最看重的品质。 - 他希望通过节目证明，勇敢地提出质疑、坚持自己的信仰并不会招致脑海中所想象的那种灭顶之灾。正如俗话所说，“勇气是具有传染性的（courage is contagious）”，美国社会当下最需要的就是这种无畏表达的勇气。 --- ### [01:26:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5196s) 财富无法买到的安宁与家庭的核心地位当被问及“当下对你而言，美好的生活意味着什么”时，Shawn 毫不犹豫地回答：是与妻子和孩子们一起创造回忆。Shawn 与 Steven 探讨了金钱对人生的真实影响，直言虽然他们如今在财务上都极为宽裕，但金钱并不能解决所有本质问题： > “你无法用金钱买来平静，也无法用金钱买来幸福。你必须自己去创造它们。金钱确实可以减轻财务压力，但它会带来完全属于另一层面的压力。” 这种认知彻底重塑了 Shawn 对事业与生活的排序。虽然他承认自己骨子里依然是个“工作狂（workaholic）”，但他开始强迫自己更聪明地工作，寻找关键的“四两拨千斤”的机会（power plays）。他学到了商业中最重要的一课：**学会说“不”往往是最好的商业决策**。拒绝一项合作并不是因为那是笔糟糕的交易，而是因为它并不契合自己现阶段的真正目标。 --- ### [01:28:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5290s) 事业野心与为人父母的残酷博弈面对尚未生育但全情投入事业的 Steven，Shawn 给出了一番极为动情且发人深省的忠告。他鼓励 Steven 趁现在还没有孩子、充满干劲时，全力以赴将事业版图做大；但他也严肃地警告，**无休止的事业野心有可能会毁掉一个家庭**。回忆起陪伴孩子成长的岁月，Shawn 几近哽咽。他看着孩子从出生几个月、一眨眼长到五岁，时间飞逝的速度令人痛心：“你在这件事上只有一次机会。对他们来说，你就是一切；如果你不在那里，别人就会成为他们的一切。” Shawn 坦白剖析了高成就者在平衡家庭与事业时内心的真实挣扎： - 播客和创业是一个需要 24 小时全天候运转的“棋局”，为了抢占先机、调整发布排期，大脑的齿轮每时每刻都在高速飞转，即便试图放松也无法真正关机。 - 这种思维常驻的代价是残酷的：当两岁的儿子只想拉着他的手一起玩玩具小火车时，他虽然人坐在那里推着玩具车，心思却被下一个商业电话和紧急决策填满，根本无法完全进入当下的陪伴状态。 - “孩子们能敏锐地察觉到你到底在不在场。”Shawn 承认，正因如此，他内心不可避免地承受着对家人的内疚与自责。 ### [01:31:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5513s) 缺席的代价：生存所迫与富足之下的取舍对话从探讨与家庭的紧密联系切入。Shawn Ryan 坦言，要让他离开家出来奔波、录制节目，需要下极大的决心。主持人 Steven Bartlett 对此深表钦佩，并由此反思起自己父母当年的付出。Steven 回忆起儿时家庭并不富裕，父母给他最宝贵的礼物并非具体说了什么，也不是陪着他玩玩具火车，而是通过身体力行传递出的工作伦理、奋力拼搏以及克服困难的韧性。他特别提到母亲在开转角小超市时，为了让全家过上好日子拼命干活，甚至一度直接睡在店铺后方的一袋大米上。正是母亲这种无怨无悔的缺席与辛劳，潜移默化地塑造了 Steven 面对困境的视角，才有了他今天的成就。然而，Shawn Ryan 敏锐地指出了这背后的核心差异——这是生活必需（necessity）与资源充裕（abundance）的区别。在物资匮乏时，父母外出打拼是生存所迫，尽管这种缺席会让亲子关系付出疏远的代价；而在事业成功、财富富足的当下，如果为了追求更多而牺牲陪伴家庭的时间，那就是一种主观上的利益权衡与取舍。两人一致认同，在这两种完全不同的境遇下，这种“缺席”的本质与价值大不相同。 --- ### [01:34:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5643s) 创业新布局：打造移动隐私与安全工具 Glacier 在被问及如何应对事业与家庭的权衡时，Shawn Ryan 表示自己仍在摸索，但核心结论是：专注于“关键策略”（power plays），耐心等待真正契合的大机会，坚决不做赚快钱的烂生意。正是在这一原则下，他推出了全新创立的数字隐私与安全应用——Glacier。Shawn 解释说，开发这个产品纯粹是为了解决自己在数字安全上的切身痛点。 Glacier 致力于打造市面上最极简、最实用的手机隐私保护工具，其核心功能包括： - **安全 DNS（Secure DNS）：** Shawn 指出，普通人手机里的各类 App 每天都在偷偷吸取个人信息，并打包卖给数据经纪商（data brokers）。他援引记者 Byron Tau 的访谈细节，指出伊朗甚至曾通过向数据经纪商购买营销数据，监控驻地美军士兵的手机信号，进而精准锁定了美军基地发动袭击。Glacier 的安全 DNS 能在底层直接拦截这些数据的外泄，这是该应用最大的技术胜点。 - **一次性虚拟号码（Burner Numbers）：** 用户可以在日常生活中把副号留给外界；一旦察觉号码遭到骚扰、滥用或泄露，只需在应用里一键销毁，对方就再也无法联络，随后可以随时换购新号。 - **虚拟专用网络（VPN）：** 提供基础的网络流量加密与传输防护。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Glacier 隐私与数据安全防护架构 accDescr: 展示手机应用数据泄露风险以及 Glacier 的防御机制 subgraph Risk["数据泄露风险"] Apps["手机各类第三方 App"] -->|"窃取并上传日常数据"| Broker["商业数据经纪商 Data Brokers"] Broker -->|"转卖敏感位置/营销数据"| BadActors["外部势力 / 潜在威胁源"] end subgraph GlacierDef["Glacier 核心防护方案"] DNS["安全 DNS (底层拦截外部吸取)"] Burner["一次性虚拟号码 (防骚扰/一键销毁重开)"] VPN["加密 VPN 链路 (网络传输安全)"] end Apps -.->|"被直接阻断"| DNS ``` --- ### [01:35:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5755s) 创作减负与特战思维：总有另一种制胜路径 Shawn Ryan 坦言，为了兼顾家庭，他不可能永远保持每周更新两期播客的高强度节奏，尤其是频繁奔波到世界各地进行海外录制，已经让家庭承受了太大压力。他计划未来将播客制作精简至每周一期。对他而言，播客带来的庞大平台应当用来赋能那些能够真正解决现实问题的商业项目。他不愿做一个完全脱离创造性事务的纯粹家庭主夫，因为商业运作中的创意与求解过程深深吸引着他。 Shawn 回顾了他在海豹突击队（Navy SEAL）以及担任中情局（CIA）海外安保承包商的经历，认为那段特种作战岁月留给他最宝贵的财富，就是对“制胜策略”的执着信念。很多人一撞南墙就宣告放弃，但特种部队教给他的是：通往既定目标的道路永远不止一条，任何时候都存在获胜的可能；关键在于要保持足够的创造力，去推演、拆解各种不同的路径，逆向工程（reverse engineer）出破局方法，并辅以极大的韧性去持续执行。 --- ### [01:37:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5845s) 终极拷问与告别：何为爱与“独一无二”的灵魂节目录制尾声进入了《The Diary Of A CEO》的经典保留环节——上一位嘉宾为下一位未知名嘉宾留下一个问题。本期留给 Shawn 的问题是：“什么是爱？（What is love?）” Shawn 毫不犹豫地回答：“爱，就是你甘愿为之付出生命的东西。”当 Steven 追问他愿意为什么牺牲生命时，Shawn 坚定地吐出两个字：“我的家人（My family）。” Steven 对 Shawn 表达了崇高的敬意与感谢。Steven 强调，Shawn 身上最打动他的特质就是极高的道德原则与言行合一（integrity and alignment）。在当今这个充斥着模仿、随波逐流的自媒体生态中，Shawn Ryan 是极少数完全按照自己方式做事的“独一无二的存在”（n-of-one）。即使需要承担失去广告赞助商、承受外界舆论攻击的巨大代价，他也从未放弃探寻真相与坚守原则。同时，Shawn 在事业雄心与家庭责任之间所经历的挣扎与真情流露，也为正步入人生新阶段的 Steven 和广大观众提供了深刻的共鸣与指引。在热烈真挚的互相致谢中，本期对话圆满结束。 ## Notable quotes > [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=0s) 那比我经历过的任何现实都更加真实。 — Shawn Ryan > [10:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=615s) 我绝不参与这些破事。我知道这是怎么回事——你们就是想俘获我，把我塞进你们的阵营里。 — Shawn Ryan > [12:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=740s) 看，我之前就告诉过你这事会发生。 — 嘉宾（转述） > [19:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1173s) 坦白讲，我对现在发生的一切都感到非常不满。 — Shawn Ryan > [32:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=1959s) 如果你连它到底是什么都说不清楚，你根本没资格坐在这里。 — Shawn Ryan > [39:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2392s) 如果连这也变得无聊，那我就死在这里算了吧。 — Shawn Ryan > [46:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=2800s) 在可卡因兴奋状态下，只有当周围一切感官突然变慢时，你才是真正濒临死亡极限。 — Shawn Ryan的朋友（转述） > [58:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=3515s) 我这辈子从未见过一具人类的躯体能做出你当时那样的动作。 — MARSOC老兵朋友（转述） > [01:12:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4332s) 天啊，我一直以为我是唯一经历过那种绝境的人。 — 军方顶尖人物（转述） > [01:21:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=4903s) 如果我因为担心失去广告商而宣布‘我们不能再做圣经系列了’，那我死后又能带走什么？这笔钱我一分也带不走。 — Shawn Ryan > [01:26:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5196s) 你无法用金钱买来平静，也无法用金钱买来幸福。你必须自己去创造它们。金钱确实可以减轻财务压力，但它会带来完全属于另一层面的压力。 — Shawn Ryan > [01:37:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4&t=5845s) 爱，就是你甘愿为之付出生命的东西。 — Shawn Ryan ## Mentioned Shawn Ryan, Steven Bartlett, The Diary Of A CEO, The Shawn Ryan Show, Navy SEALs, SEAL Team 8, CIA, Blackwater, SOC, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, JD Vance, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Marcus Luttrell, Operation Red Wings, Annie Jacobsen, Tucker Carlson, Cenk Uygur, Raymond Leo Burke, Richard Dawkins, Andrew Huberman, Wes Huff, Byron Tau, Jimmy Carr, Derren Brown, Glacier, Shopify, Ketone-IQ, Ibogaine, 5-MeO-DMT, Psilocybin, Adderall ## Video description What happens when the relentless pursuit of adrenaline leads to losing your soul in the process? Shawn Ryan reveals the hidden psychological toll of ambition, the dark side of psychedelics, and the ultimate price of true alignment. Shawn Ryan is a former U.S. Navy SEAL, CIA contractor, and the creator of The Shawn Ryan Show, one of the most influential and widely watched independent podcasts. After transitioning from elite military service and dangerous covert operations into media, he has built an expansive platform known for raw unfiltered conversations. *In this episode, he explains:* ■ *The Adrenaline Trap:* How former elite operators often suffer from severe post-service depression because normal civilian life cannot replicate the neurological highs of combat. ■ *The Psychedelic Nightmare:* Why an intensive ibogaine treatment designed to optimize his mental state instead opened a terrifying portal to the spiritual realm and severe supernatural oppression. ■ *The Cost of Alignment:* Genuine personal transformation demands going through a shedding phase, in which you consciously step away from profitable ad deals, social networks, and short term incentives to stay true to your values. ■ *The Illusion of the Herd:* Authentic, lasting achievement relies entirely on nurturing a unique voice anchored in personal belief, while imitating results in creative paralysis. ■ *The Ultimate Priority:* Chasing ambition eventually demands sacrificing family time, demonstrating that no amount of business success can make up for absence in your children's lives. 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:18 What Made Shawn Ryan? 00:03:29 What Separates a Navy SEAL From the Rest of the Military 00:06:00 What Really Happened During Operation Red Wings 00:08:35 How Becoming a Navy SEAL Changed Him 00:09:45 Are Podcasters Being Compromised by Planted Guests? 00:18:16 Did He Endorse Trump? 00:20:10 Has His Opinion on Trump Changed? 00:21:11 How the Military Feels About Deployment to Iran 00:22:21 Would America Be Better Off If Democrats Had Won? 00:29:10 Why the 2028 Election Matters to Him 00:32:39 Why He Deletes Podcast Episodes 00:37:12 Ads 00:39:38 Why He Moved to Colombia After Contracting 00:39:49 Did He Get Involved With Drug Networks in Colombia? 00:41:55 What Happened With the Police in Colombia? 00:46:40 Was Colombia Enough to Make Him Get Clean? 00:47:38 The Turning Point That Changed Everything 00:49:47 Why Going to Therapy Was So Difficult 00:50:53 Why He Turned to Psychedelic Therapy 00:54:05 What Is Ibogaine and Why Did He Take It? 00:57:07 The Hell He Experienced During Ibogaine 00:59:53 What Happened During His Psychedelic Experience 01:00:50 How That Experience Changed His Life 01:08:14 Ads 01:09:41 What Is an Exorcism and What Actually Happens? 01:11:53 How His Experiences Affected His Family 01:19:31 Had Supernatural Things Happened Before? 01:21:42 What He Thinks About Sponsors Walking Away 01:34:44 What Is Glacier and Why Does It Matter? *Follow Shawn Ryan:* YouTube: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/DoJWKmI Instagram: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/AKYL4qQ X: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/Fofoug4 Glacier App: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/APvONfo - (20% off for the first 3 months) *The Diary Of A CEO:* ◼ Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/ ◼ Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/BWjLTZK ◼ Shop The Diary Of A CEO collection: https://thediary.com/collections/shop ◼ Get email updates - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/5IB1H6E ◼ Follow Steven - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/AGU9QP4 *Sponsors:* Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett Ketone - https://ketone.com/STEVEN for 30% off your subscription order [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3O04Wtqa4)

Source quotes

[0:00] Shawn Ryan: 那比我经历过的任何现实都更加真实。 [10:15] Shawn Ryan: 我绝不参与这些破事。我知道这是怎么回事——你们就是想俘获我，把我塞进你们的阵营里。 [12:20] 嘉宾（转述）: 看，我之前就告诉过你这事会发生。 [19:33] Shawn Ryan: 坦白讲，我对现在发生的一切都感到非常不满。 [32:39] Shawn Ryan: 如果你连它到底是什么都说不清楚，你根本没资格坐在这里。 [39:52] Shawn Ryan: 如果连这也变得无聊，那我就死在这里算了吧。 [46:40] Shawn Ryan的朋友（转述）: 在可卡因兴奋状态下，只有当周围一切感官突然变慢时，你才是真正濒临死亡极限。 [58:35] MARSOC老兵朋友（转述）: 我这辈子从未见过一具人类的躯体能做出你当时那样的动作。 [72:12] 军方顶尖人物（转述）: 天啊，我一直以为我是唯一经历过那种绝境的人。 [81:43] Shawn Ryan: 如果我因为担心失去广告商而宣布‘我们不能再做圣经系列了’，那我死后又能带走什么？这笔钱我一分也带不走。 [86:36] Shawn Ryan: 你无法用金钱买来平静，也无法用金钱买来幸福。你必须自己去创造它们。金钱确实可以减轻财务压力，但它会带来完全属于另一层面的压力。 [97:25] Shawn Ryan: 爱，就是你甘愿为之付出生命的东西。

Source quotes

[0:00] Shawn Ryan: I know I did. And it was more real than anything I've experienced. It was the most amount of fear I'd ever felt in my life. [10:15] Shawn Ryan: Hey, look, we have Steven. We've got him. We've got pictures of him holding binders up. We've got pictures of him at dinners with us. He's on our team. [20:11] Shawn Ryan: totally gone against what he said he was going to do. [22:21] Shawn Ryan: one and the same, [22:21] Shawn Ryan: dealing with a schizophrenic, [27:42] Steven Bartlett: They're watching us self-destruct right now in real time. [49:00] Shawn Ryan: It was definitely a blow to my ego, but at the same time, you know, I didn't really have any friends. Most of my friends were still operational at the time, and I didn't have any friends where I lived in Florida... I was like, 'What the hell? You know, I might as well try this.' And it did help. It helped a lot. [58:50] Shawn Ryan: It was the most amount of fear that I had ever felt in my life. It was the most amount of anxiety I'd ever felt in my life. There was no God. There was no Christ... It felt like abandonment. It's the most horrific feeling you could ever even imagine. And it was more real than anything I've experienced in real life. [66:58] Shawn Ryan: The minute you do something and you say something negative about it, it pisses everybody off. They don't want you to talk about it. How dare you? [67:50] Shawn Ryan: I think that it opens you up to a forbidden realm that maybe we shouldn't have access to. A lot of people say, you know, 'it lifts the veil.' Yeah, it lifts the veil, all right. But maybe we have that veil over us for a reason. [82:00] Shawn Ryan: There's no more pretending for me. Like, I know what this is. [88:34] Shawn Ryan: You're everything to them. And if you're not there, somebody else will be everything to them. [88:34] Shawn Ryan: You're always switched on. Even when you're not trying to be switched on, you're switched on. Pistons are firing in your brain all the f***ing time. And you got your two-year-old over here that just wants to play trains with you. And you can't get in the mode. You can sit there and push a toy train around, but they know when you're there and when you're not there. [97:25] Shawn Ryan: Love is what you're willing to die for.

Original transcript

[0:00] You said you think you visited hell. [0:02] >> I know I did. And it was more real than [0:04] anything I've experienced. It was the [0:07] most amount of fear I'd ever felt in my [0:09] life. My body was contorted. It was [0:11] doing things that the human body [0:13] shouldn't do. [0:14] >> Do you think you were possessed? Because [0:15] subsequently, you've had several [0:16] exorcisms. [0:17] >> Yes. The things that are happening are [0:19] just undeniable. [0:20] >> What happened? [0:21] >> I'll tell you what I experienced. [0:22] >> Just before we get into all of that, you [0:23] have lived a remarkable life. I was in a [0:26] US Navy, went to Iraq, Haiti, [0:28] Afghanistan, and done some insane [0:31] missions. I mean, you learn a lot of [0:33] critical life lessons, but there's [0:35] another side, too. I mean, you get [0:36] addicted to those type of environments. [0:38] Adrenaline. [0:39] >> And after your CIA contracting role, you [0:41] moved to Medlin, Columbia. [0:43] >> Yeah. It was probably the most dangerous [0:45] thing I'd ever done. [0:46] >> Did you get involved in the drug dealing [0:48] networks? [0:49] >> Yes. I never really dealt. It was more [0:51] setting up the network, figuring out who [0:53] the players are that gave me the rush. [0:55] There's not very many people that can [0:56] pull some like that off. But then this [0:58] guy Freddy, he said, "The police were [1:00] after me." They had planted a bug in the [1:03] light fixture outside of my door. And [1:05] then they [1:08] >> You now have built one of the biggest [1:10] podcasts on planet Earth. [1:11] >> Yes, but my show will not appear in [1:13] popular podcasts because it's something [1:15] that I was saying a long time ago. It [1:16] had to do with [1:18] >> That is very [ __ ] weird. Do you think [1:19] podcasters are being compromised by [1:21] guests being planted on their shows or [1:24] in other ways? [1:24] >> Yes. Here's one example. Trump [1:26] administration crushed it in the [1:28] election cycle, right? Really utilized [1:30] the podcast. They saw the power of it. [1:31] It was a great tactic and so I think [1:33] that they have people inside of all the [1:35] platforms that we use and this has [1:36] happened to me because one time I had a [1:38] guy come on and we can talk about that. [1:40] >> And you endorsed Trump before the [1:42] election. [1:42] >> I wanted him to win. Have you changed [1:43] your opinion on Trump now? [1:45] >> Oh yeah, for a multitude of reasons. I [1:47] probably shouldn't be satisfied. [1:52] >> Before this episode starts, I have a [1:53] small favor to ask you. Two months ago, [1:54] 61% of the people that watch this [1:56] channel weren't subscribed. We're now [1:58] down to 58%. My goal is 50%. So, if [2:01] you've ever liked any of the videos [2:02] we've made on this channel, if you like [2:03] this channel, can you do me a small [2:04] quick favor and hit the subscribe [2:06] button? It helps this channel more than [2:08] you know. And the bigger the channel [2:09] gets, the more we can invest in bringing [2:10] you even better guests. Thank you and [2:13] enjoy this episode. [2:18] Sean Ryan, you have lived a remarkable [2:21] life for so many different reasons. Um, [2:23] I feel like you've lived several [2:24] different lives as well, dare I say. But [2:27] for anybody that might not be familiar [2:28] with your smash hit show and your [2:31] incredible journey through the military, [2:33] can you give me a a topline on the [2:37] career that you've had before you got [2:38] into podcasting for those that might not [2:40] know? Yeah, joined the US Navy. It I [2:44] think I enlisted at age 17, went [2:46] straight to into the Navy Seal program, [2:49] went to BUDS, went to SEAL teammate, [2:51] spent 5 and a half years in the Navy, [2:54] and then left that, became a real estate [2:57] agent. I had read a book by Donald Trump [3:00] way back then on this is it, how to get [3:03] rich. It inspired me to become an [3:05] entrepreneur and failed miserably. So [3:09] then I looked at government contracting, [3:12] started contracting for central [3:14] intelligence agencies, started a small [3:17] state department gig, got picked up for [3:19] the CIA contract, did that through [3:21] Blackwater, then jumped over to a [3:23] company called Socked and then uh wound [3:25] up getting picked up direct contractor [3:28] for the agency of No Middleman. [3:29] >> And you said that you wanted to be a [3:31] Navy Seal. Now, for for international [3:34] audiences that might not know what a [3:35] Navy Seal is relative to just like being [3:37] in the army, what is the distinction? [3:39] >> A Navy seal stands for sea, air, and [3:42] land. So, you operate in the sea, air, [3:44] and the land. It's uh special [3:46] operations. So, it is uh one of the most [3:50] prolific special operations units in the [3:52] world. You go through a training [3:53] pipeline that's a couple years long. you [3:55] go through buds, which if you make it um [3:58] without getting hurt or without getting [4:00] rolled back, that's 6 months. I didn't [4:02] make it without rolling back. So, I [4:05] think I spent about 9 months there. Then [4:07] you go to jump school. Then you go to [4:10] SQT SEAL qualification training, which [4:13] is kind of where they turn you into [4:15] I guess I shouldn't say they turn you [4:17] into a special operator, but but that's [4:19] the the final school. Then you get your [4:21] SEAL trident and then you spend another [4:25] year or two, year and a half training at [4:27] your SEAL team before you ever even get [4:29] the opportunity to to to deploy uh for [4:32] the country. Diving, jumping, land [4:34] warfare, demolition, small unit tactics, [4:38] lots of time in a kill house, lots of [4:40] time in land warfare, all different uh [4:43] operational environments, desert, [4:44] winter, jungle, you name it, we're in [4:48] it. Is it equivocal to the SAS which is [4:51] like the British version of the special [4:52] operations team? [4:53] >> I would say yeah SAS or SPS. [4:56] >> Okay. And you must have seen some pretty [4:59] horrific interesting [5:01] unforgettable things while you were on [5:03] those tours of duties around the world. [5:05] >> Yeah. Yeah. Oper. [5:10] The first thing I ever saw uh that was [5:12] that that that [5:14] was warfareish. It wasn't really hot. I [5:17] thought it was hot at the time, but uh [5:19] 2004 we went to Haiti when Aristid got [5:22] pulled out of power. It was the first [5:24] time I'd really seen true poverty. And [5:27] uh I don't know if you've ever been [5:29] there, but I mean, you know, the sewage [5:31] goes right into the streets. All the [5:33] prisoners had broken out. We there were [5:35] dead bodies floating around the water, [5:37] bullet holes everywhere. [5:40] Every once in a while, I'd see a car on [5:41] fire. I mean, it was just vast chaos. It [5:44] really wasn't anything compared to what [5:46] I would see later on. But uh but that [5:50] was the first place. And then [5:52] Afghanistan uh we went there after [5:55] Operation Red Wings uh happened. That [5:58] was uh the biggest loss in SEAL team [6:00] history at the time. [6:00] >> What was Operation Red Wings? [6:02] >> Have you ever seen the movie Lone [6:04] Survivor? [6:04] >> No. [6:05] >> Okay. There was a a sniper element on a [6:08] mountaintop that was that was [6:10] surveilling a town that had a highv [6:13] value terrorist in in there. And um the [6:16] sniper hide was compromised by a goat [6:19] herder. Goat herder went back to town [6:22] and told everybody what he had seen and [6:24] then and then they ambushed the element [6:26] up there. Helicopters went down and then [6:29] there was one guy that survived it. And [6:32] so it was it was the biggest loss ever [6:34] in Seal Team history at the time. That [6:38] happened in on June 28th and I think we [6:41] were there by late late September, early [6:44] October, I believe, is when we were [6:46] there. We did some uh hit some targets, [6:49] but they were pretty much all dry holes. [6:51] Grabbed a couple of prisoners. Um stuff [6:54] like that. And then we actually went [6:57] home early. And then I went to Iraq. [6:59] Well, I went to Iraq. My platoon went [7:01] home. I decided I wanted to get out at [7:03] that point. Uh it just for me it wasn't [7:05] really what it was uh what I thought it [7:08] was going to be. [7:08] >> What was it? [7:09] >> I thought it would be a lot more combat. [7:11] I wanted to go out every night and do [7:14] the job, do direct actions, [7:17] do CQB, do sniper stuff, whatever. I [7:20] just wanted to work. And uh we weren't [7:22] getting that in Afghanistan. It was few [7:25] and far between. This was 05 time frame [7:29] and 0506 [7:32] time frame. I can't remember what [7:33] happened. Uh but the elections were [7:35] dragging on and so I had a OIC which is [7:38] kind of like the leader of a of a SEAL [7:41] platoon. He had found a way to farm us [7:44] out to conventional units that were [7:46] getting hit were getting hit on supply [7:47] routes with with roadside bombs, uh [7:50] suicide bombers, stuff like that. And so [7:54] we would attach into these conventional [7:56] units and train them up. Hey, this is [7:58] how you this is how you run [8:00] surveillance. This is how you come up [8:01] with a mission basically. And we would [8:04] teach them everything from how to plan [8:06] the mission to how to set up a sniper [8:09] hide, how to shoot, how to insert, how [8:12] to Xfill, uh how to position all the [8:14] different teams. And then we would go [8:16] out there. We would take them with us [8:18] and uh hunt the people that were killing [8:21] our guys. And every time we went out, [8:23] we'd [8:25] we had killed the bad guys, uh, the [8:28] terrorists within within 24 hours of [8:31] being out there. And then we move on to [8:33] the next unit and that was my last [8:34] deployment. [8:36] >> When you came back from the SEAL team, [8:37] were you a different man? [8:39] >> Definitely. [8:40] >> In what way were you changed? [8:43] >> A lot of ways. you learn uh a lot of [8:47] critical life lessons uh in the SEAL [8:50] teams and being in environments like [8:52] that and your personal drive just goes [8:55] through the roof. Uh what you realize [8:58] that you can accomplish as a human being [9:01] uh is far more than I think what the [9:04] normal person thinks. your ability to to [9:08] work in stress uh in extreme stress uh [9:13] goes through the roof. There's another [9:15] side too. I mean you get addicted to [9:17] adrenaline. You get addicted to [9:20] those type envir of environments. You [9:24] succumb to the culture that comes with [9:26] that which is a lot of drinking, [9:28] fighting, all those things. [9:30] >> So you're in the Navy Seals. [9:33] >> Mhm. [9:34] You contract with the CIA for a while [9:36] and then I guess the other, you know, [9:38] pretty tremendous accomplishment is you [9:39] now have built one of the biggest [9:40] podcasts on planet earth where you [9:42] interview people just like I do here. [9:44] That is correct. Do you think podcasters [9:46] are being compromised by sort of guests [9:49] being planted? Yes. [9:52] I have no proof, but yes. And in a in a [9:55] couple of different ways. So here's one [9:58] example. [10:00] Not just podcast. Let's go influencers, [10:02] not just podcasters. [10:03] So Trump administration [10:09] crushed it in the elections in the [10:12] election cycle, right? Different [10:13] podcasts, they they really utilized the [10:15] podcast. They saw the power of it. They [10:17] utilized it and uh it was a great [10:20] tactic. And then afterwards, you know, I [10:23] think a lot of podcasters and [10:25] influencers, they felt powerful because, [10:28] you know, the they got close to the [10:30] president, they got close to the [10:31] administration. And if you saw what [10:33] happened, you know, do you remember the [10:34] ep the first Epstein file release? [10:37] >> Yes. [10:37] >> When they had all these people show up [10:39] and they're holding up the binders and [10:40] [ __ ] you know, they did not understand [10:44] that the minute that happened, they were [10:46] captured. [10:47] >> Who was [10:48] >> the everybody that was in those [10:50] pictures? [10:50] >> Oh, okay. Yeah. they can no longer be a [10:52] freethinker because maybe they are a [10:55] freethinker but the appearance that they [10:57] just gave off is that they are in a [10:59] tribe you know and they were smart to do [11:01] this and and I've had several invites I [11:04] always turn it down because no I don't I [11:06] don't know I'm not doing that [11:08] >> invites to where invites to wherever [11:11] >> the white house [11:12] >> football games the white house this that [11:14] you know public events where you'll be [11:16] seen where you'll be photographed where [11:17] it looks like everybody's on [11:20] >> one team and we're all having a party [11:21] and we're all friends and all this [ __ ] [11:23] You know, that's a way to capture what [11:26] you're doing without you even realizing [11:28] it and showing the world, hey, look, we [11:31] have we have Steven. We've got him. [11:33] We've got pictures of him holding [11:35] binders up. We've got pictures of him at [11:37] dinners with us. He's on our team. And [11:40] maybe you didn't want that, but you were [11:41] so fixated on being close to power [11:45] >> that you didn't even realize it was [11:48] happening. M. And now those those people [11:51] those people are all captured. It feels [11:53] like once in a lifetime stuff. Hey, we [11:55] want you to come, you know, ride on Air [11:57] Force One, ride on Marine One, do this, [11:59] do this with us, do this. [12:01] >> I'm not doing any of that [ __ ] I know [12:03] what this is. You're trying to capture [12:05] me and put me into a group. You know, [12:09] you can't allow that to happen. [12:11] Otherwise, you hit a ceiling. And and [12:13] the minute that happens, you've hit the [12:14] ceiling. and you don't know what kind of [12:16] decisions these people are going to wind [12:18] up making later on. [12:20] >> So that was one of the ways you can be [12:21] captured. [12:22] >> That's one of the ways you're talking [12:23] about people being inserted into the [12:25] podcast circuit. [12:26] >> Yeah. [12:27] >> Yeah. I think there are definitely [12:28] people that are in the podcast circuit [12:30] that are planted but maybe they don't [12:32] even know [12:33] >> guests or hosts or both. [12:35] >> Probably both. [12:37] you know, [12:39] but like you said, we were talking about [12:40] it offline, but yeah, I think there are [12:43] guests that [12:45] come out of nowhere and all of a sudden [12:47] you see these these people that nobody's [12:49] ever heard of and they get just [12:52] unfathomable traction and numbers, but [12:55] it's not because they have a good life [12:57] story. It's not because of something [12:58] miraculous that they've done. It's just [13:01] they're talking about current events, [13:04] you know, and I think the way that this [13:06] works is, you know, you could talk to [13:09] somebody for 2, three, four, five hours, [13:13] you know, but the mission, you know, the [13:15] piece of it may only be one sentence [13:20] >> that they know is going to hit [13:23] that they know, you know, they're hoping [13:26] gets clipped [13:26] >> or they can clip [13:28] >> and then that goes viral or maybe we've [13:31] done something. This has happened to me. [13:33] These people can come on and they'll [13:35] make predictions about what's going to [13:37] happen in different geopolitical uh [13:40] events that are going around the world. [13:41] You know, Ukraine, Israel, Iran, [13:44] whatever it is, you know, whatever the [13:46] thing, and then you get a text, you [13:49] know, hey, you know, I call I told you [13:51] this was going to happen. And it's like, [13:52] you did tell me. How the [ __ ] did you [13:55] know that? [13:56] >> You know, and and it's like, how do you [13:58] how do you even remember [14:00] >> Yeah. [14:01] >> that you said that? Because you did 50 [14:03] shows, you know, you did 50 different [14:06] podcasts and in a two month span. How do [14:09] you remember you said that on mine? [14:11] >> Mhm. [14:12] >> And when I have things like that happen, [14:14] I'm like, "Oh, [14:16] they got me." [14:17] >> I wouldn't have believed any of this. I [14:20] wouldn't, as an ordinary civilian, I [14:21] wouldn't have believed any of this stuff [14:23] even existed. until I started learning [14:24] about the spy organizations around the [14:27] world and because I don't how do I say [14:30] this? You kind of grow up thinking the [14:32] world is as it seems and then you learn [14:35] and then you see I don't know James Bond [14:37] and you go okay that's a movie and at [14:39] some point I realized that these things [14:40] were actually true like that there are [14:43] lots of different um sort of spy [14:45] agencies and networks around the world [14:47] and they use all these operations. They [14:48] compromise people. They put them in [14:50] certain situations. There are people [14:52] living here in New York City right now [14:54] that are living lives we assume are [14:57] real. They've got families. They've got [14:58] jobs. They've got businesses. They've [14:59] got all these things. but they're [15:00] actually planted from another country [15:02] and that other country is like funneling [15:04] the money to support them and prop up a [15:06] fake life. Like when I learned all these [15:08] things, I suddenly became very cautious [15:10] generally about like calling anything a [15:12] conspiracy. [15:13] >> Mhm. [15:14] >> And then you sit here with these spies, [15:15] I mean probably you've interviewed a lot [15:17] of CIA spies. If someone had heard [15:19] someone saying this on a podcast, I [15:20] would have thought they were a [15:21] conspiracy theorist. [15:22] >> I would have dismissed it and gone [15:23] [ __ ] idiots. Now maybe from doing [15:26] this, no, no, no, no. I it makes logical [15:29] sense to me. Like if I was insert [15:32] adversary, [15:34] that's what I would do. I would get [15:36] insert great uh podcast guest. I'd get [15:40] them because I'd know that the minute [15:41] they have one good podcast performance, [15:43] every podcast calls them. [15:45] >> You can do a 100 million views off just [15:48] one good podcast performance. And can [15:50] you influence a podcast performance? Can [15:51] you send traffic to a podcast? [15:53] Theoretically, could you? Of course you [15:54] could. [15:55] >> I think you could. [15:57] I think that you I think that they [16:01] >> I think that they have people inside of [16:02] all the platforms that we use. Here's an [16:04] example. I started talking about a [16:06] certain subject very early on. And I'm [16:09] not going to say we got shadowbanned, [16:10] but there was a lot I'm still not even [16:12] in the top most what what is that [16:15] section in YouTube? The most popular [16:17] podcast. We're number three on Spotify [16:20] today. We've been the number one on [16:21] YouTube uh several different times, but [16:25] I can't get into the my my show will not [16:28] appear in popular podcasts because [16:31] something that I was saying a long time [16:33] ago. It was it it had to do with um [16:36] terrorism. [16:37] >> Oh, this section. [16:39] >> Yeah. [16:40] >> Oh, [16:40] >> you'll never see mine in there. [16:42] >> H [16:43] >> we get like 150 to 200 million views a [16:46] month. [16:48] It's not in there. [16:49] >> Yeah. Hey, you've got more US views this [16:51] week than Rogan has. [16:53] >> Isn't it? But anyways, so I think that [16:57] there are people inside, you know, and [16:59] I'm not saying that the companies even [17:01] know, you know, cuz that's how that's [17:02] how this game works. This is the [17:04] intelligence work is, you know, is the [17:08] primary job, but the cover is, oh, I'm [17:10] just an employee at YouTube. [17:12] >> Mhm. [17:13] >> You know what I mean? Oh, I'm just an [17:14] employee at Meta. Oh, I'm just an [17:16] employee at Tik Tok. Oh, I'm just an [17:18] employee. But it's a mole inside the [17:20] organization that nobody really realizes [17:22] is happening. [17:26] >> You know, Annie Jacobson calls it uh [17:29] speculative narratives [17:31] instead of conspiracy theories. [17:33] >> Speculative narratives. [17:35] >> Speculative narratives. I love that. [17:37] >> I mean, she knows a lot about conspiracy [17:38] theories herself. I mean, she's like [17:40] basically studied and proven a lot of [17:41] them aren't conspiracies. So, I'm [17:44] guessing she she's saying that in a way [17:46] that is supportive of the idea that [17:48] these speculative narratives are often [17:50] true. [17:51] >> Mhm. I'm not complaining. I have a great [17:53] I have a great partnership with YouTube. [17:55] I love they've been great to me. You [17:57] know what I mean? I don't really give a [17:59] [ __ ] if I'm in that or not. I just find [18:01] it very odd that we're not, [18:03] >> you know? It's just like, well, this [18:06] doesn't make much sense. I think with [18:08] all platforms there is there's a there's [18:10] a human element where there's someone at [18:11] the office picking. [18:13] >> Mhm. [18:13] >> I mean that's the case with all it seems [18:15] to be the case with all these platforms. [18:16] Did you endorse Trump before he before [18:18] the election? [18:20] >> I was supportive of him. I wanted him to [18:22] win. I don't think I gave any official [18:25] endorsements or anything. I did get put [18:27] in that that sphere. What nobody [18:30] remembers is I've I offered the [18:32] Democratic party I mean you can look it [18:34] up. I think it's on the Washington Post [18:36] and we were talking to Kamla's team. I [18:38] wanted to have her on. I wanted to have [18:39] everybody on. [18:40] >> So they said no. Comma Harris's team [18:42] said no. [18:43] >> They said no. But it wasn't just a hard [18:44] note. We were talking about it. We were [18:46] coming up with an outline. They I had [18:49] all these things that I wanted to talk [18:51] about. They said, "Well, we don't want [18:52] to talk about that. We don't want to." I [18:54] said, "I'll tell you what. You guys just [18:55] tell me what you I don't care what you [18:57] want to talk about. I know I can hold my [18:59] own. So you you give me the topics and [19:02] I'll develop the outline. How about [19:04] that? [19:04] >> And when Trump came on, was there [19:05] anything he didn't want to talk about? [19:07] >> There were no guidelines. [19:09] >> I think this should be a little bit of a [19:10] sort of a a lesson for the Democratic [19:12] party about how to navigate in this [19:14] these environments. [19:15] >> Yeah, they're learning. [19:17] >> When Kamala came on my show, which was [19:19] after the election and after she'd lost [19:20] and all that stuff, no guidelines. [19:22] >> Oh, really? [19:23] >> Is there? That's good. [19:24] >> She didn't tell me there was anything I [19:25] couldn't talk about, but I think at that [19:26] point she had they had nothing to lose. [19:28] I actually think at that point she [19:29] didn't even have the same team anymore. [19:31] >> That's good. She came in, she was, in my [19:33] view, she was honest. She She said Joe [19:35] Biden kind of screwed me over. She was [19:37] swearing. [19:38] >> She There was none of this sort of like [19:40] cookie cutter polish politician [19:43] [ __ ] She just was super relaxed. [19:45] >> That's good. [19:46] >> And I just wish you'd offered that side [19:48] of her to shows like yours beforehand [19:50] cuz it would have been good to see the [19:51] comparison. Yeah, that's what I wanted [19:53] to do, you know, and uh I I had RFK on [19:56] when he was still running as an [19:58] independent, but yeah, we we got very [20:00] close to Camala and then at the last [20:03] minute uh they backed out. I wish it [20:05] would have happened. I don't think it [20:07] would have changed the outcome, but um [20:09] but I wish it would have happened. [20:11] >> Have you changed your opinion on Trump [20:12] now? [20:13] >> Oh, yeah. [20:14] >> Really? [20:14] >> Yeah. [20:15] >> Why? [20:17] >> Oh, man. for just for a multitude of [20:21] reasons. I'm just, you know, to put it [20:23] plainly, I'm I'm not really happy about [20:26] anything that's happening right now. I [20:29] think he's totally gone against what he [20:30] said he was going to do. And what do you [20:33] think? Are you happy? [20:35] >> I'm not an American, so I tend to like [20:37] try and you know, but I think I mean, [20:38] one of the things I think a lot about is [20:40] this situation in Iran and um how much [20:43] of a blunder that appears to be. I you [20:46] know I don't know a ton about the [20:47] military or war or conflict but [20:50] logically I can't reason my way out of [20:53] that situation like I can't find a good [20:56] outcome at this point to what's going on [20:58] there and because you have been a [21:00] service person you served served for [21:02] America I was curious to get your [21:04] perspective on what you think is going [21:05] on there and do you see a a golden [21:08] bridge or a positive outcome? [21:11] >> No. [21:11] >> No. I I don't at this point I I don't I [21:15] don't know what's going on there [21:16] anymore. Nothing seems to make any damn [21:18] sense to me. I don't think there's any [21:20] positive outcome for America. [21:22] >> When you talk to your former colleagues [21:24] in the military, what's the general [21:26] sentiment around the deployment and the [21:29] situation there? [21:30] >> They think that they are involved for [21:33] for another country's uh interests. [21:36] >> Whose interests is it for? I think [21:39] Israel probably has the majority of the [21:41] interest here. [21:42] >> I sat with JD Vance. He said that, you [21:44] know, we're the he said we're the we're [21:45] the senior partner, but it sounds like [21:47] your colleagues are saying that maybe [21:48] that's not necessarily the case. [21:50] >> It doesn't seem like that's the case to [21:51] me. [21:52] >> Did you buy the narrative that Trump [21:54] invaded or started the war for reasons [21:59] related to nuclear weapons? [22:00] >> No. [22:01] >> No. What do you think the real reason [22:03] is, Sean? [22:04] >> I don't know. You know, anything I say [22:06] would just be speculative, but I don't [22:10] think they're for our interests. [22:11] >> And so, why would Trump be sucked into [22:14] doing something for a non-American [22:17] country's interests? [22:18] >> That's a great question. I don't know [22:20] the answer to. [22:21] >> Do you think America would have be [22:22] better off if the Democrats had won? I [22:25] think that [22:29] these are [22:32] seemingly more and more to be one and [22:35] the same. [22:36] >> And this is why you're sort of [22:37] retracting from politics is because [22:40] you're sort of you sounded like you're a [22:41] bit disillusioned by one of these [22:43] candidates. Yeah, I've had I mean it [22:46] just [22:48] pretty much every one of them that I've [22:50] had on has just slied straight to my [22:52] face [22:52] >> really until everybody who watches. You [22:56] know what I'm interested in is is I [22:58] think that there is a possibility that [23:01] maybe it's already happened but I think [23:03] that there's a possibility that America [23:06] uh may no longer be the superpower or [23:08] will not be shortly for a multitude of [23:11] reasons. I mean, if you look at, you [23:13] know, the the power that that China's [23:17] power structure, nuclear, they're going [23:19] nuclear, and we're still batting around [23:22] this [ __ ] here in America. Should we go [23:24] nuclear? What are we going to do about [23:25] our power grid? And the petro dollar. I [23:28] mean, you've had um what's that guy's [23:30] name? He does a great breakdown on it. [23:32] Professor [23:34] the game theory guy. [23:35] >> Yeah. Professor Chung. [23:37] >> Yeah. He does a great breakdown of it. [23:39] And I I mean when you think about it, [23:40] it's like holy [ __ ] And and you think [23:43] about everybody that we've pissed off, [23:44] you know, in America. I mean like Canada [23:47] for example, [23:48] >> you know, they wanted to pipe in uh what [23:50] is the Keystone pipeline. Biden said no. [23:54] They don't want to. [23:56] >> Trump says so they start to make deals [23:58] with other countries, China. Now Trump [24:02] is penalizing him for it. I can't [24:03] remember the exact uh tariffs, but it [24:06] went from somewhere around 25% to 50% to [24:10] 100% or you know, whatever. But we're [24:12] penalizing them and it's like [ __ ] man. [24:14] 4 years ago or less. They wanted to pipe [24:18] it in. Now we got this new guy. He want [24:22] And now we're going to penalize him [24:24] because they're not going to pipe it in. [24:26] And they're looking at us like, "These [24:29] people are [ __ ] crazy. They're like [24:31] dealing with a schizophrenic. How do you [24:33] do business with that? I mean, as a [24:35] business owner, as an entrepreneur, you [24:37] can't do business with with with an [24:39] entity like that. You can't. And I think [24:43] the whole world is is seeing this, you [24:46] know, because it's happening to damn [24:48] near the whole world [24:51] except one country, Israel. [24:56] But everybody else, you know, we're [24:59] destroying our relationships with and [25:01] and yeah, does does the US, you know, [25:04] put in the majority of the money and [25:05] take the, you know, like put in the [25:08] majority of the risk, you know, with a [25:09] lot of the things? Yes, we do. But we [25:11] still need allies, you know, and and you [25:14] can't just [ __ ] [25:16] and ruin everybody's trade [25:18] infrastructure and oil trade and and and [25:21] and penalize people for [25:24] making changes for some for something [25:26] that they tried to do earlier, you know, [25:28] with you and and it's happening all over [25:30] the world. And so one of the things that [25:31] I'm interested in uh that I'm looking [25:34] for is I want to start talking to [25:38] starting with the UK. I want to talk [25:39] about when you know what did it look [25:41] like for the UK when when the US took [25:44] the the superpower ship you know back in [25:47] World War II. What did that actually [25:49] look like? Because all we hear is all [25:51] this doom and gloom and you know oh you [25:54] know it's going to be lawless. It's [25:55] going to you know our currency is going [25:57] to go to zero. Look that that all might [25:59] happen. It might. I don't know. I'm not. [26:02] But it might be. Maybe it's I don't [26:04] know. Maybe it's a good thing. Was it [26:06] that bad in the UK when So, I want to [26:09] bring on a historian to actually find [26:10] out what what exactly did that look [26:13] like. I'll tell you one thing. If we do [26:15] lose it, it's going to take a lot of [26:16] these a lot of pack money, you know, out [26:19] of US politics. is going to, you know, [26:21] hopefully force politicians to actually [26:23] look at our country [26:26] and and concentrate on our country. You [26:30] know, another thing I want to do, I I I [26:31] probably shouldn't even be saying this. [26:32] I want to do a thing called 50 states in [26:35] 50 days where you go to the poorest [26:39] parts of each state and just film it and [26:42] look at this [ __ ] Look at this [ __ ] [26:44] Why are we sending all of our money to [26:47] all of these other foreign countries [26:49] when this [ __ ] is happening right here [26:51] in New York? Tomorrow we're going to be [26:54] in New Jersey and the next day we're [26:56] going to be in Wisconsin. And then we're [26:57] going to go to California, Alabama, [26:59] Mississippi, Florida, every single [27:01] state, and just show how much poverty [27:04] and how disgusting certain parts of this [27:06] country are. And why the [ __ ] are we [27:10] sending all of our money to all these [27:12] foreign countries? [27:14] instead of taking care of our own [27:17] people. It's disgusting. [27:20] Our politicians have totally abandoned [27:22] us. They're just [27:25] they're runaways. [27:27] And then I want to call out every single [27:29] senator, congressman, governor, and just [27:33] look at this. This is your state. This [27:36] is your state. This is the state that [27:38] you represent, and this [ __ ] is [27:39] happening all around you. Look at this. [27:42] H there's both I guess a disrespect [27:45] here at home but there's also as you [27:47] point it like a disrespect of allies and [27:51] you know you can put the tariff there [27:52] and whatever but I think one of the [27:54] things that made the US the superpower [27:56] that it is still but you know that's [27:59] increasingly in question is there was [28:01] this sort of peace by strength or [28:03] whatever the phrase is [28:05] >> like you're strong because you never [28:08] really have to like say you are you [28:10] don't act like a bully [28:11] >> but we just know you're strong and then [28:14] the minute you start acting like a [28:15] bully, we start going, is that strength [28:17] or is that insecurity? [28:19] >> You know, this the minute you start [28:21] insulting countries and being rude about [28:23] their leaders and saying that I don't [28:24] know, Canada is the 52nd state or [28:27] whatever Trump said, that's when it [28:28] starts to look a little bit more like [28:29] insecurity. [28:31] >> And also, that's when I think some of [28:33] these nations go, [ __ ] like maybe we [28:35] need to band together ourselves instead [28:37] of banding together with the United [28:39] States. And I think you're seeing that [28:40] in Europe now with what's going on with [28:42] Iran. The European leaders are now [28:44] coming back together and saying, "Fuck, [28:45] like we might not be as safe as we [28:47] thought we were um with in the US's, you [28:50] know, with the US's leadership. And so [28:51] we need to form a new type of [28:52] leadership." It's it's it's an interest [28:55] really interesting time. And you know [28:56] what? One might say that China are [28:57] playing it very smart, not making [29:00] enemies with anybody. That calm [29:04] strength. [29:05] >> They don't need to do anything. They're [29:07] watching us self-destruct right now. in [29:09] real time. [29:10] >> Do you care about the 2028 election? Are [29:12] you going to get involved in it if the [29:14] politicians will want to come back on [29:15] your show? [29:17] >> I don't know. I mean, [29:20] it depends. Right now, I think probably [29:23] not. If there were to be some type of a [29:26] third party, then I would probably get [29:29] involved. [29:31] But right now, uh, with what I see, I [29:35] just don't really see any strong [29:36] candidates. You mentioned you had [29:38] someone on your podcast called Blair [29:40] >> who said something which was slightly [29:42] suspicious to you. [29:43] >> Blair Skoro. [29:44] >> Yeah. [29:45] >> Yeah. Yeah. I think that ICE got him and [29:48] they're trying to deport him out of the [29:49] country or something. We got an email [29:51] about it, which if he was uh an asset, [29:55] actually did all that stuff for us, [29:56] which, you know, I think he did. [29:58] >> What happened? [29:58] >> I guess I I don't know the full scope. I [30:00] just know that uh he got wrapped up by [30:03] ICE and it sounds like they're going to [30:05] deport him and that he's worried that if [30:08] they deport him that he's going to be [30:09] killed. Apparently ICE doesn't care [30:12] about that. But yeah, you know, he came [30:15] on and we were talking about it was a [30:17] life story basically in a nutshell. He [30:19] came on and he was a he got recruited [30:22] out of prison to infiltrate the Islamic [30:25] terrorist cells, the Muslim Brotherhood. [30:27] >> He's an American. He is from uh I can't [30:31] remember uh eastern block country. He [30:34] was able to infiltrate all these uh like [30:38] huge like terrorist cells that had huge [30:40] weapons cachets and he would go and and [30:43] he was a CIA asset and he would go and [30:45] and do the deal and then all of that [30:47] those caches would get shipped to [30:49] another country where it would and then [30:50] it would be in CIA's hands. And so we [30:53] had this we long conversation about this [30:55] and then all of a sudden he starts [30:57] talking about uh Russians [31:00] getting nukes into the US and it was [31:02] just so out of left field. It made me [31:05] think, [31:07] you know, I just said earlier, you know, [31:09] you you could talk to somebody for two, [31:11] three, four, five, six, however many [31:13] hours and maybe they just need one thing [31:16] inserted into the podcast, you know, to [31:18] start a new narrative or to reinforce a [31:22] current narrative. You know, there's a [31:24] big back then, still is today, you know, [31:27] big narrative. We we all need to we all [31:29] need to hate Russia. Maybe we do, maybe [31:32] we don't. I'm not saying either way, but [31:35] you know, for us to be talking about the [31:36] global war on terror and his time is a [31:41] CIA asset infiltrating terrorist [31:43] networks and and and derailing massive [31:47] weapons caches back to uh wherever they [31:50] were going, you know, and then all of a [31:52] sudden for him to talk about the [31:54] Russians [31:56] bringing in nuclear warheads or whatever [31:59] it was into the US, it was like and I [32:01] think I challenged him right on the show [32:03] and I said, "You know, how do I know [32:04] that you weren't sent here just to put [32:06] that one sentence into the show? That [32:08] came out of left field. [32:10] That doesn't fit anywhere with any [32:12] conversation that we've been talking [32:13] about." [32:14] >> What did he say? [32:16] >> He was, you know, taken back. I don't [32:19] remember exactly what he said. You could [32:21] probably find the clip somewhere, but [32:23] that's that's how it happens. That's how [32:25] it happens. I'm not saying that he is or [32:27] isn't one. I'm saying that's what it [32:29] looks like when it happens. And your gut [32:31] sometimes tells you that you're [32:32] interviewing someone who is probably [32:35] still working on behalf of an agency. [32:37] >> Uhhuh. [32:39] >> Do you delete a lot of episodes? [32:41] >> No. I've had I've had episodes that I [32:44] didn't delete or that I never aired. [32:46] I've had I don't know, not very many, [32:48] but I've had a handful. You know [32:50] >> what is the reason typically? [32:52] Well, one time I had a guy come on. This [32:55] was about the COVID vaccine. And he [32:58] comes on and and he's talking about how [33:02] the COVID vaccine was was developed in a [33:06] lab and was patented way before CO even [33:09] came out. And it it was very compelling [33:12] and I didn't really think about it until [33:14] afterwards. But afterwards when I was [33:15] thinking about the interviews, some of [33:17] these interviews I'll think about all [33:18] weekend or you know days to weeks [33:21] sometimes after they happen. I mean it [33:24] sounded super compelling and maybe it [33:25] was real. I don't know. But every time [33:28] he would it was co 19 co. But then when [33:32] he would say he wouldn't say the covid [33:34] vaccine was patented prior to [33:38] 2020 he would say the sars vaccine was [33:42] patented prior to you know so but but [33:45] the narrative was the covid-19 vaccine [33:49] was [33:52] patented long before co 19 ever even [33:54] came out. But like I said, he would [33:56] switch it. He would switch. We would be [33:58] saying co CO, but then he would say the [34:00] SARS vaccine. And so he left and I was [34:04] like, I mean, there's got to be like a [34:06] million different there's there's like [34:09] thousands of variations of SARS and CO. [34:12] And so why did he keep switching it? Why [34:15] didn't he just say the COVID 19 vaccine? [34:18] Why did he switch it to SARS? And so [34:20] that that clicked and I was it just made [34:23] me think maybe this isn't factual and I [34:26] don't want to you know I've done [34:29] speculative narrative interviews lots of [34:31] them but I [34:34] once again we were talking earlier you [34:36] know we have an audiences of millions [34:38] and millions and millions of people and [34:41] I don't want to put something out that's [34:43] not factual and then have somebody make [34:44] an important medical decision based on [34:47] >> Yeah. based on [ __ ] and I just [34:50] didn't want to gamble that. So I never I [34:52] never released the episode and I'd [34:54] talked to lots of doctors and you it was [34:56] a it was a charged subject, you know, at [34:59] the time and so I didn't like the vax. I [35:02] took it but I regret it but but [35:07] whatever. You know what I mean? It [35:08] doesn't matter. I didn't want anybody [35:09] making that type of a I know that people [35:12] trust me. I I couldn't live with myself [35:14] if I found out that guy was totally full [35:16] of [ __ ] feeding feeding a [ __ ] [35:19] narrative for whatever. [35:20] >> And then you got people, you know, [35:23] either taking it or not taking it based [35:24] off what he said. So I never aired that. [35:27] You know, I've had another guy [35:31] I had I was interested in a lot of the [35:34] stuff going on in the World Economic [35:35] Forum and and I had this guy that I [35:38] thought was an expert on the World [35:39] Economic Forum come on and he couldn't [35:41] even tell me what it was. I was like, [35:44] "Well, what is it? Is it a business? Is [35:46] it a nonpr What is it?" He couldn't even [35:48] tell me. And then he would just start [35:50] talking about all this conspiracy [ __ ] [35:52] and I'm like, "Look, if you can't even [35:54] tell me what it is, like you really have [35:55] no business being here." So, let's just [35:57] end the interview right now. [35:59] >> And recently, I had one where [36:03] this woman on supposedly she worked for [36:06] the agency. Then when I started talking [36:09] about agency stuff, of course, [36:12] everything's classified. So, we hide [36:14] behind the classification system. And [36:17] the only thing she wanted to talk about [36:18] was like the polygraph. And I'm like, [36:20] for the polygraph? Who gives a [ __ ] [36:21] about the polygraph? Like, everybody in [36:24] there has to take a polygraph. Why are [36:26] we talking about the Is this like [36:28] something that you researched really [36:30] hard on what a polygraph's like? So to [36:32] make yourself sound legitimate because [36:33] you're not talking about anything else [36:36] >> and you know something that may be [36:38] classified that they don't want out is [36:40] how to defeat a polygraph. So and that [36:44] was within the past couple months and [36:46] you know we we ended that one pretty [36:48] quickly and I think she knew exactly [36:52] this. So, we'll never release that one. [36:55] But I don't care. You know what I mean? [36:56] I just I don't want to knowingly put [36:58] things that are [ __ ] out there. I [37:01] mean, it's going to happen. We're going [37:02] to make mistakes. I've made mistakes. [37:05] But, you know, knowingly, just for [37:08] views, [37:10] nah, I have no interest in that. [37:12] >> It used to be that working for yourself [37:14] was a massive, massive risk. 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So, go [39:14] to ketone.com/stephven [39:16] for 30% off or you can head to CVS and [39:19] get your first shot for free. That's [39:21] right. Ketone IQ is now available at CVS [39:23] locations nationwide. [39:25] And then once you did your stint um [39:28] through the sort of security era of your [39:30] life and through the after your CIA [39:32] contracting role at 34, you moved to [39:37] Medigene, Colombia and spent two years [39:40] with taking out drinking alcohol. Yeah, [39:42] I started in Cardahana and uh ultimately [39:46] just decided I'm going to camp out in [39:48] Medigene. [39:50] >> Did you get involved in the the drug [39:52] dealing networks while you were there? [39:55] >> Yes, I did. [39:57] >> How do you categorize this season of [39:58] your life in Colombia? Because before [40:00] then you, you know, you're a SEAL, [40:02] you're doing contracting work with the [40:03] CIA, and then it appears that in this [40:05] season of your life, when I look at it [40:07] from sort of a bird's eye view, that it [40:09] represents instability. [40:12] I think what it represents is, you know, [40:15] just talked about addiction to [40:17] adrenaline. Yeah. And I wasn't getting [40:21] that adrenaline anywhere. And, you know, [40:23] I would be in the States and it was [40:25] boring to me. You know, it was it was it [40:28] was boring going to the bar and that [40:32] life just it had no appeal to me. It was [40:34] boring. And then on top of that, I was [40:36] tired of listening to everyday average [40:39] Americans talk about the war, give their [40:42] opinions on what we should be doing when [40:45] none of them have done anything. It just [40:47] didn't sit well with me. So that's why, [40:49] you know, when I said I went down to I I [40:50] didn't want to hear English. I didn't [40:52] want to hear people asking me for my [40:54] opinions. I didn't want to hear their [40:55] opinions. I don't think their opinions [40:57] mattered. I didn't think that at the [40:59] time anyways. And so I went down there [41:02] and it became like a game to me. It [41:05] wasn't the dealing. I never really [41:07] dealed uh dealt. It was more setting up [41:10] the network that gave me the rush and [41:14] infiltrating networks and figuring out [41:17] who the players are and all that and [41:19] being able to insert myself into the [41:21] middle of all of that. You know, in [41:24] retrospect, it it was probably the most [41:26] dangerous thing I'd ever done. Uh I [41:29] didn't care. you know, I just I I didn't [41:31] really have any value for my own life. I [41:34] wouldn't say I was suicidal at the time, [41:37] but I just I was in it for for the [41:39] thrill. And to me, there was nothing [41:42] else that was going to give me a thrill, [41:43] a bigger thrill than that. And I figured [41:46] if if this gets boring, then I'll [41:49] probably just die down here. [41:52] >> I'll probably just die down here. [41:53] >> Yeah. [41:56] I mean, it sounds like you came pretty [41:57] close to getting in significant trouble. [41:59] At one point, your apartment was bugged [42:01] by the police. [42:03] >> Yep. Yep. I uh [42:07] I had come home and I was probably I did [42:12] I did a lot of a lot of drugs down [42:14] there, a lot of cocaine. And I don't [42:18] know, I was on three, four, maybe a five [42:20] day bender. [42:22] And there was this bridge down there [42:24] that was called in in this area called [42:27] Bario Antio. I don't know what it's like [42:30] now, but back then you couldn't you [42:32] couldn't get in there. You couldn't get [42:33] a taxi to drive you in there. You [42:35] couldn't get in there without going [42:36] through several police checkpoints. [42:39] Um, but that's where the cheapest and [42:42] best coke was and that's where all the [42:46] the players are. It's all it's all [42:48] coming out of that specific [42:49] neighborhood. And I used to go in there [42:51] for a thrill and and [42:55] like go up the chain, go up the dealer [42:57] chain, find whose boss is whose boss is [43:00] whose boss. Anyways, I went down there [43:02] uh with a bunch of girls and uh we went [43:05] to this bridge called the Poente de los [43:07] Locos and it was all these [43:11] it was like a homeless camp and [43:15] of just [43:17] insane people and I went down there with [43:21] a huge stack of cash [43:25] and just threw the money up in the air [43:28] cuz I wanted to see what would happen. [43:30] Of course, they all got up and it was [43:31] like a mad dash [43:34] and we almost didn't get out of there uh [43:36] cuz they had surrounded and there was [43:38] hundreds of people. And so we we we [43:41] wound up getting out of there and in a [43:44] car and we got back to my building where [43:49] I was staying at my penthouse. [43:51] And one thing I always did was I always [43:54] took care of the door man at the [43:55] building. you know, all the security [43:57] guys that the the door man, they control [43:59] who comes in and out, they can inform [44:02] you if people are hanging around that, [44:05] you know, maybe shouldn't be, people are [44:07] looking for me. And so I built that was [44:08] part of my network, you know, was taking [44:10] care of them. And so I anything I got, [44:13] if I got Coke, they got Coke. If I got [44:15] booze, they got booze. If I went clothes [44:17] shopping, they got clothes. If I got [44:18] groceries, they got groceries. They [44:20] always got tipped. They, you know, when [44:22] I was leaving, I would give them a bunch [44:24] of my clothes. like I just always took [44:26] care of those guys. And I came back and [44:29] uh this guy, his name was Freddy, and he [44:32] said that uh the police were after me. [44:35] One thing being a foreigner in Colombia, [44:38] it's almost like a sin for them not to [44:40] try to take advantage of you. And I had [44:44] built a lot of trust with with Freddy. [44:47] He was my favorite uh guy. [44:50] And I was pissed. And I started yelling [44:53] at him like, "Man, I I give you like all [44:56] kinds of stuff. Like, why would you lie [44:58] to me to try to get more out of me? I I [45:00] I always take care of you." And he said, [45:03] "I'm not doing that." He said, "They [45:06] came by and they wanted uh they wanted [45:08] copies of your passport. They wanted to [45:10] know where you came from, who you are, [45:12] who you work with, all these things." [45:15] And I was I just thought he was full of [45:16] [ __ ] And he said, "Look," he said, [45:18] "they told me that they have pictures of [45:20] you throwing money up at a bridge in [45:23] Bario, Antioquia, [45:25] and that was we had just come from [45:27] there." And so I was like, "Oh [ __ ] he [45:30] is not lying." And what he was telling [45:32] me was that [45:35] they had [45:37] supposedly planted a bug in the light [45:40] fixture outside of my door and that they [45:44] had set up a observation point in a [45:47] building across from me. And so I went [45:50] up and scrubbed myself of everything. uh [45:55] kind of scanned around to see if I could [45:57] pick up, you know, who was who was [46:00] looking at me, who was watching. I'm [46:02] pretty sure I saw it and got rid of [46:06] everything. Got rid of all the coke. Got [46:07] rid of everything. And then uh I did a [46:11] SDR to a couple of different internet [46:14] cafes. [46:15] >> An SDR. [46:16] >> An SDR. That's a surveillance detection [46:19] route. [46:19] >> Okay. and uh it's it's it's it's a route [46:22] that you develop to to figure out if [46:25] you're being followed or not. So, I did [46:27] that. Didn't pick anything up. Bought a [46:31] couple of different tickets to different [46:33] places and um was out of there within 12 [46:38] hours, never to go back. [46:41] >> And when you got back to the United [46:42] States, presumably, had you changed? Was [46:44] that was that enough of a close call for [46:47] you to give up the the cocaine and the [46:49] habits that you had at the time? [46:52] >> No. [46:53] >> No. [46:53] >> I tried I I had cleaned it up a lot. I [46:56] had cleaned it up a lot, but I went I [46:59] started getting bored and so I did a [47:00] couple of trips uh a trip or two maybe [47:03] to Panama. Panama was a lot tamer than [47:06] Colombia, but it's just as easy to get [47:08] in the middle of it. And then I did one [47:10] to Costa Rica. And then I I can't [47:13] remember exactly how many. I had gone a [47:15] lot of different places. I went to [47:17] Honduras. I went to San Pedro Sula [47:20] because it was uh it was literally the [47:23] do most dangerous place on the planet at [47:25] the time. So I wanted to go there and [47:28] feed my adrenaline. I had toned it down [47:30] a lot, but um [47:35] but I didn't clean it up 100%. [47:38] What was the turning point for you in [47:40] that season of your life? [47:41] >> There were a lot of turning points. One [47:43] turning point that made me clean it up [47:46] quite a bit was uh my best friend [47:49] uh was was leaving contracting and and [47:52] he had a horrible addiction to opiates. [47:55] And so he became my purpose. He became [47:59] my purpose. I wanted to help clean him [48:01] up. And so in order to clean him up, I [48:03] had to clean myself up. [48:06] And um [48:08] I think we made a lot of headway. [48:10] Ultimately he did uh succumb to his [48:13] addiction uh years later. But that was a [48:17] turning point. And in in the middle of [48:18] that journey, I met this uh I had [48:20] started my therapy myself. [48:23] >> What was the catalyst for you to go to [48:24] therapy? [48:28] I just knew I [48:30] I needed something and I had to [48:34] set an example for my friend like I'm [48:36] doing it so you should do it too. [48:38] >> There was this call on Mother's Day as [48:40] well which I've heard you talk about. [48:41] >> That was in Colombia. [48:42] >> That was it while you were in Colia. [48:43] >> That was while I was in Colombia. [48:45] >> What was that phone call? [48:46] >> That was a [48:49] I always thought I was oding down there. [48:52] like my ankles would swell up, you know, [48:54] from lack of blood circulation [48:57] and that would freak me out and lots of, [49:01] you know, things. And and I remember my [49:04] friend told me early on, he said, "You [49:06] don't you don't have to worry about [49:11] Odian on Coke until [49:14] things start to slow down. If you're on [49:17] speed [49:19] and then everything seems slow, that's [49:21] when you're riding the edge. And so that [49:24] started happening. I realized it was [49:26] Mother's Day once and I I called my my [49:29] mom in the middle of that cuz I thought [49:31] it was going to be my last day alive. [49:35] And um [49:38] so that's yeah, that's [49:41] that that was a realization point. [49:43] >> And then you found this therapist. And [49:45] then I found this therapist. [49:47] >> Was that a challenge to go to a [49:48] therapist? You know, there's there's a [49:49] lot of stigma associated to with going [49:51] to therapy, especially at that time. [49:53] >> Yeah, I mean, it was definitely a blow [49:55] to my ego, but at the same time, you [49:57] know, I didn't really have any friends. [49:58] Most of my friends were still [50:00] operational at the time, and I didn't [50:02] have any friends where I lived in [50:04] Florida. And so, nobody really knew me, [50:06] and I didn't have anything else to do. I [50:08] was like, "What the hell?" You know, I [50:09] might as well try this. And it did help. [50:12] It helped a lot. [50:15] How did it help? [50:16] >> You know, I think [50:21] it's amazing how many of your own [50:23] problems you'll work out yourself in [50:25] your head just by telling somebody who [50:28] has a, you know, seemingly unbiased [50:31] opinion, you know, just with a couple of [50:34] a couple of questions. Kind of like how [50:36] both you and I interview. you don't say [50:38] much and people just spill it. Yeah. [50:40] >> And that you can see them working things [50:41] out in their head as they go along. [50:43] >> For me, that's what therapy was. And [50:46] it's also [50:49] somebody that can hold you accountable, [50:51] you know, for for different things. And [50:54] around that time, you did I began [50:56] treatment, which I'm somewhat familiar [50:58] with just after that time because I [51:00] worked in psychedelics for a couple of [51:01] years. Well, a year while [51:03] >> you worked with psychedelics. [51:04] >> I worked in psychedelics in the [51:05] industry. Um, okay. And I just when I [51:08] was between leaving my first company and [51:10] really starting this podcast, I did a [51:12] year in working in a psychedelics [51:14] business. [51:14] >> Interesting. [51:15] >> That was focused on mental health. So [51:16] Ibegan was one of the uh therapies that [51:19] I came across and studied and saw the [51:21] huge efficacy around addiction. But I've [51:24] actually never met anybody that did IEN. [51:27] But I remember at the time when I was [51:28] working in psychedelics, they they told [51:29] me that there was this thing called [51:30] Iberane you could take. It was quite a [51:32] intense treatment, quite a long [51:34] treatment. But there are several cases [51:36] where people do one dose of ibeane in a [51:40] therapeutic setting and their addiction [51:42] is cured. That's what I was told and I [51:45] was like this is crazy. [51:48] And you you you did I gain right? [51:50] >> I did I gain done twice now. [51:52] >> Oh wow. [51:53] >> And yeah the first time was amazing. I [51:56] went down there actually that was [51:59] actually after I'd started the podcast. [52:01] I have a feeling we're very similar. you [52:03] probably wrap your entire life up into [52:05] what you're doing. And we were having I [52:08] had a a six-month-old at the time, my [52:10] son. And I wasn't present with him [52:12] because my mind was always in business. [52:16] It's just all I thought about was [52:17] business, business, business, the [52:18] podcast, business. I needed something to [52:21] just to slow my mind, you know, so that [52:24] I could be in the moment and actually be [52:26] present with my with my wife and with my [52:28] son. You know, at the time I had kicked [52:31] I kicked a lot of things. I wasn't [52:33] drinking hard alcohol anymore. I I was I [52:36] mean, I was still on there was no coke [52:38] for a long time before that, but there [52:41] was still some pharmaceutical meds that [52:43] I would um dabble in sleeping meds, but [52:47] I went down there to be in the moment. [52:48] That was it. like like help me [52:50] compartmentalize or manage business [52:52] stress because so many opportunities are [52:55] coming and if you you know the deal you [52:57] feel it's like do I need to do all these [52:59] opportunities are these all [53:00] opportunities all good for whatever am I [53:03] a fool if I turn this down and I went [53:07] down there for that and when I came out [53:09] of it had no interest in drinking again [53:11] I quit all the sleep medications I had [53:14] quit the aderall and it was effortless [53:17] >> it was effortless and I was able to be [53:20] present uh with my wife and son. [53:23] >> And where do you find yourself today as [53:25] it relates to alcohol, the substances [53:28] we've talked about, and your mental [53:29] health? [53:31] >> I've never been better. You know, I [53:33] haven't had a drop in over 4 years. I [53:37] don't take sleeping medications. I don't [53:39] take Adderall. I don't I have I actually [53:41] have no vices. [53:43] None. And then I went to do it again and [53:47] uh the next one didn't didn't work out [53:49] so well for me. [53:50] >> The next I gain journey. [53:52] >> Yeah. [53:52] >> Was this recently? [53:54] >> This was about I guess about 3 months [53:56] ago now. [53:57] >> And this is the one where I saw on your [53:58] show you said you you think you visited [54:01] hell. [54:02] >> Yeah. Yes, that would be the one. So, [54:05] for anyone that doesn't know what [54:06] Iberane is and what the journey is like, [54:10] is it a drink that you take and then [54:12] it's sort of like a 12-hour? [54:14] >> For me, it was a pill. [54:15] >> It was a pill. [54:16] >> It's from a group in I think Gabone, [54:18] Africa. [54:19] >> Okay. [54:19] >> Yeah. They they they say it's the most [54:21] powerful psychedelic you can do. [54:24] >> And I believe it that and and and then [54:26] uh at this particular place, you do 5 [54:28] MAO DMT a day after uh your I gain [54:32] journey. And it's some extremely [54:36] powerful stuff. [54:37] >> Has it changed you [54:39] >> that second? [54:40] >> Yes. [54:42] It's changed a lot of things. [54:46] >> I saw you had uh Dr. Huber been on. [54:48] Yeah. You know, the other day he was [54:50] talking about his faith and all that [54:52] stuff and and I'm on my faith journey as [54:54] well. And but you know, one thing is [54:57] when it comes to psychedelics [55:00] is I've done Ibis Gain twice. I've done [55:03] psilocybin a handful of times. I've done [55:06] 5 MO a handful of times. And I got so [55:10] much out of the first one and I had a [55:12] very healthy respect. You know, I really [55:14] prepare for them. And then I forced [55:16] myself to kind of get looser with it. uh [55:19] because I I saw all these other people [55:21] doing it and and I would get these [55:23] answers to things, you know, really [55:26] tough business decisions or or something [55:29] that, you know, might seem really uh [55:32] beneficial to you, but you don't [55:34] understand why it's happening or you [55:36] think there you think there might be [55:38] something else behind it. You know, I [55:40] would do maybe a psilocybin journey and [55:43] think on that and and it would be like [55:46] everything became clear like all of it. [55:50] You could see what the motivations are [55:52] behind the person that wants to do [55:54] business with you. You could see the [55:56] thing over here that's going to happen [55:57] if you if you take that that step and [56:00] and commit or maybe you see what happens [56:03] if you don't. It would be like problem [56:06] solved, you know, and this has happened [56:08] multiple times and not just with [56:09] business, with family, with [56:10] relationships, with with friends. You [56:13] would be able to piece together uh these [56:16] super complex problems and and and and [56:20] it would make sense and I believe it was [56:23] real. But also at the same time, I [56:27] believe that, and I always have, I [56:29] believe that you are [56:31] potentially [56:34] opening yourself up to a spiritual realm [56:36] that maybe [56:39] we should not have access to. And that's [56:42] something that I always took very [56:43] seriously. Even when I did loosen up, I [56:45] would always pray before it. And as my [56:48] journey through Christianity became [56:50] stronger and stronger, I would take it [56:51] more and more seriously. you know, the [56:53] praying before and during [56:55] and [56:58] which led up to this last one, which [57:00] was, "Yeah, I thought I think I saw [57:02] hell. I know I did." [57:05] >> You know, you saw hell. [57:06] >> Yeah. [57:06] >> Give me some context on how how one [57:09] would know that was hell and and if you [57:10] can at all. I know it's difficult to [57:12] sort of say these things in human words, [57:13] but like what was it? [57:16] >> It was total [57:19] emptiness. [57:21] When I say I saw, I didn't see fire. I [57:26] didn't see any of that. And and where I [57:28] really felt it was in the five MAO [57:30] experience. And there was nothing. It [57:34] was [57:38] the most amount of fear that I had ever [57:40] felt in my life. It was the most amount [57:42] of anxiety I'd ever felt in my life. [57:45] There was no God. There was no Christ. [57:48] There was [57:53] and it felt like eternity and this went [57:54] on for an hour and a halfish. [57:59] It felt like I was going through the [58:01] most intense exorcism you could ever [58:03] imagine. That's what it felt like. And [58:09] it felt like things were trying to maybe [58:13] leave. Maybe not trying, maybe I was [58:16] trying to get these things out and they [58:18] wouldn't leave. But it felt like [58:22] abandonment. It it it it's it's the most [58:26] horrific feeling you could ever even [58:28] imagine. And it was more real than [58:30] anything I've experienced in in in real [58:34] life. [58:35] >> What could you see [58:37] >> in this specific experience? I couldn't [58:39] see anything. [58:40] >> Okay. [58:40] >> I mean, my body was contorted. It was [58:43] doing things that the human body [58:44] shouldn't do. There was a a friend of [58:48] mine with me. Told him I didn't want him [58:51] to come down when I did it. And uh I [58:53] talked I didn't want to talk to anybody [58:55] for weeks after this except my wife, a [58:59] guy that um is a spiritual mentor of [59:02] mine and some priests. [59:05] And uh but I I so I called him several [59:08] weeks. He kept checking on me and he [59:12] said, "Man," he goes, "I know you told [59:13] me not to go down there, but he goes, [59:14] "When I heard uh you down there," [59:20] he he said, "I didn't know if you were [59:22] hurting people. I didn't know what I [59:24] didn't." He's like, "I had I just felt [59:26] like I had to check." And he goes, "I [59:28] peered around the the the stairwell." [59:32] He just said, "I've I've I've never seen [59:35] a human body doing what you were doing." [59:38] And this is a Mars [59:42] GWAD veteran who has [59:45] seen it all in the Marine Corps. I've [59:47] seen horrific [ __ ] It was a It was a [59:51] really bad experience. [59:53] >> What do you think it was? Because some, [59:55] you know, people say you had a [59:58] psychedelic experience, but you think it [59:59] was something more than just a [60:01] psychedelic hallucination, per se. [60:03] >> Yeah, I think it's what I told you. I [60:05] think that when you dabble in [60:08] psychedelics, [60:10] there can be benefits. [60:13] And I also think that there are you are [60:16] opening yourself up to a realm that we [60:18] were never supposed to have access to [60:21] spiritually. [60:23] And I think [60:26] that you are [60:28] naked in a world that you or I or nobody [60:34] living today truly understands. [60:37] And with that comes [60:42] I mean you're just you're at a [60:44] vulnerable point that things can can [60:46] access you that and you can access them. [60:51] And from what I saw from watching your [60:52] videos over the last couple of weeks, [60:54] your life has been different ever since. [60:56] >> Mhm. It's been different. All right. [60:58] It's been [61:01] dark. [61:03] >> Really? [61:03] >> Yeah. [61:05] It gets better. It's been a lot of [61:11] supernatural things. Things that I just [61:14] I mean, I can't even believe I'm saying [61:16] I I talk about some of this stuff, but [61:18] it's it is real. And uh [61:23] I don't really care what anybody thinks [61:24] about me, but it has been supernatural [61:27] things that have happened. It has been [61:29] nightmares. It has been very odd [61:31] coincidences, [61:33] uh synchronicities, [61:35] um [61:37] lots of that kind of stuff. And you know [61:40] what it's all done, it is it has drawn [61:43] me much much much closer to Christ. [61:48] I heard you describe that some [61:49] supernatural things that were going on [61:51] in your physical environment, [61:53] >> but you know, I think you one of the [61:55] videos I was watching maybe a week ago, [61:56] you said that things were like falling [61:57] off the walls in your house. [61:59] >> Not in my house. [62:00] >> Not in your house, in other places. [62:02] >> Mhm. [62:02] >> Your use of the word dark is really [62:04] fascinating to me. Is the darkness [62:06] because of the nightmares or is it [62:07] because of your mental state or is it [62:09] something else? [62:09] >> The darkness is because of all of it [62:11] together. So, I'll I'll give you a I [62:14] don't want to talk too long on this uh [62:16] to be honest with you, but I'll give you [62:18] the example of the picture frames coming [62:20] off the wall. [62:21] >> So, I was in Maine. [62:23] I did a podcast up there [62:26] >> and I was at my in-laws house and I had [62:30] been put on this uh I mean, it's no [62:32] secret. I I had done some exorcisms now [62:35] uh with two different priests who've [62:38] also been spiritual mentors of mine. And [62:40] I went up there and I I've been I I kept [62:42] having these nightmares, these these [62:44] reoccurring nightmares, different [62:46] scenarios, but it would it would destroy [62:47] my family. I'm sure you've had dreams [62:49] like this. You wake up and it takes you [62:51] a couple minutes to realize it was just [62:53] a dream. [62:55] Well, I kept having these. [62:58] And what all this has done has drawn me [63:04] further into Catholicism. I grew up [63:06] Catholic, fell away from it. Now I'm [63:08] back in because I think they're some of [63:09] the only ones that have an understanding [63:11] of this realm. [63:13] And I've been thinking about having this [63:15] bishop on from the Catholic Church. [63:19] And [63:21] I had had this dream where [63:25] he kept uh kind of like we were about to [63:28] do the podcast [63:30] and he kept like sending me these like [63:34] cryptic [63:35] homosexual messages like he wanted to [63:39] get with me or something. This was in my [63:41] dream and it was just making me furious [63:44] and and it made me hate the Catholic [63:47] Church. made me hate it. I woke up from [63:49] it. I was like, I don't want to be a [63:52] part of this anymore. This is [63:53] disgusting. Why, you know, it was vivid [63:55] dream. And uh but it was all Yeah, I [63:58] never met him. And then I still have [63:59] never met him. And and but I I I just [64:01] kept getting, you know, it was it was [64:03] vivid. It was like what? We're coming [64:05] here to do the podcast to talk about the [64:08] So I wake up. These priests had put me [64:10] on this uh prayer regimen. It's called [64:12] the Libra Cristo method. And so you say [64:14] it at 6:00 a.m. 12 uh p.m. 6:00 p.m. So [64:19] I go out, I kind of shake it off and I'm [64:21] like, "All right, I'm going to go out [64:22] and I'm going to start my prayer [64:24] regimen." And so I start the prayer [64:26] regimen. And in the middle of it, I [64:30] start the St. Michael's prayer and a [64:32] picture frame flies off the wall. [64:36] And I'm like, "Holy shit." All right. I [64:38] just had this weird dream that makes me [64:40] hate Catholicism. [64:42] Now I'm doing this prayer and this [64:44] picture frame flies off the wall and [64:46] then it's Sunday. So then I'm going to [64:48] mass. So I go to mass [64:51] and I'm with this guy uh we'll call him [64:54] Hendo and uh he he he protects me, [64:58] protects my family and has turned into a [65:01] spiritual mentor of mine and a good [65:02] friend. And we're going to mass together [65:06] and I'm telling him about these things [65:07] that are happening [65:09] and he knows all the prior stuff. whole [65:11] bunch of stuff had had happened prior to [65:13] this too. And we get into mass and and [65:16] uh I go and I take communion and [65:20] immediately after I took communion I had [65:24] an allergic reaction like immediately. [65:28] And so this is all I think we went to [65:30] 8:00 mass. So this is all within about 2 [65:33] hours from end of the dream to the [65:35] prayer to now we're at mass maybe 7:00 [65:38] a.m. I don't know. So, I go up, I take [65:40] communion, [65:42] come back. I'm kneeling down. My face [65:44] feels like it's on fire. And he looks at [65:48] me and and he's like, "What?" He's like, [65:50] "What? What's wrong with you?" And I'm [65:52] like, "Is my face is my face red?" And [65:55] he's like, "Yeah." He's like, "Your He's [65:57] like, "Your veins are like popping out [65:59] in your forehead and you look like a [66:01] tomato." [66:03] I'm like, "Man, my face feels like [66:04] really hot. I'm having a I think I'm [66:07] having a reaction to communion and I [66:10] mean this is like seconds after I it's [66:14] not even enough time for an allergic [66:16] reaction to happen. and it happened [66:17] seconds afterwards. And so, you know, [66:20] it's these weird And right before that, [66:22] I had told him we had we had got there a [66:24] little early and I was like, you it's so [66:26] weird cuz these things seem to happen in [66:28] like [66:30] >> in sequences. [66:32] And I was like, it's just like one after [66:34] the next and then nothing happened for a [66:36] while and then we went into mass and [66:38] bam, there it is. [66:41] That kind of stuff has been happening to [66:43] me for 3 months now. Ever since that, [66:47] >> ever since that [66:48] >> I guess the outstanding question I have [66:50] is there's this experience you had three [66:52] months ago. There's these experiences [66:54] you've had thereafter and like what is I [66:56] guess the audience will be thinking like [66:57] what is the conclusion of this? [67:00] >> It's really interesting because I've [67:01] I've done I've been a huge proponent for [67:05] the psychedelic community and and all [67:08] the good that it's done. But the minute [67:11] you do something and you say something [67:13] negative about it [67:15] >> pisses everybody off. They they don't [67:18] want you to talk about it. How dare you? [67:20] You know, and and it's [67:22] there's two sides to it. And people need [67:25] to know that. You know what I mean? And [67:27] make their own decisions. Like it's not [67:29] all good. I just I just prove that, you [67:32] know, and and do I know what it is? No. [67:35] Do I know for certain that it came from [67:37] psychedelics? I'm not saying that it did [67:39] come from psychedelics. That seemed to [67:41] be the trigger point, but it kind of [67:44] appears to me like I'm the only one [67:47] that's willing to talk about both sides [67:49] because people are really upset, you [67:52] know, that I'm talking about what [67:54] happened to me, my journey. And um like [67:57] I said, I think that [68:00] it opens you up to a forbidden realm [68:03] that we maybe we shouldn't have access [68:05] to. I mean, a lot of people say, you [68:06] know, it lifts the veil. Yeah, it lifts [68:09] the veil. All right. But maybe we have [68:11] that veil over us for a reason. [68:15] >> This is something that I've made for [68:17] you. I realize that the divers here [68:18] audience are strivvers. Whether it's in [68:20] business or health, we all have big [68:22] goals that we want to accomplish. And [68:24] one of the things I've learned is that [68:26] when you aim at the big big big goal, it [68:28] can feel incredibly psychologically [68:31] uncomfortable because it's kind of like [68:33] being stood at the foot of Mount Everest [68:34] and looking upwards. The way to [68:36] accomplish your goals is by breaking [68:38] them down into tiny small steps. And we [68:41] call this in our team the 1%. And [68:43] actually this philosophy is highly [68:45] responsible for much of our success [68:46] here. So, what we've done so that you at [68:49] home can accomplish any big goal that [68:51] you have is we've made these 1% diaries [68:54] and we released these last year and they [68:56] all sold out. So, I asked my team over [68:58] and over again to bring the diaries [68:59] back, but also to introduce some new [69:01] colors and to make some minor tweaks to [69:03] the diary. So, now we have a better [69:06] range for you. So, if you have a big [69:09] goal in mind and you need a framework [69:10] and a process and some motivation, then [69:13] I highly recommend you get one of these [69:15] diaries before they all sell out once [69:17] again. And you can get yours at the [69:19] diary.com. [69:20] And if you want the link, the link is in [69:22] the description below. There should be a [69:24] button just down below here. And if it [69:26] says subscribed, you're already [69:27] subscribed. If it says subscriber, that [69:30] means you're not yet. And if you're not [69:31] subscribed, please could you do us a [69:32] favor and hit that button? It helps the [69:34] show more than you know. And according [69:35] to the algorithm, you're someone that [69:37] watches our show, but you haven't yet [69:38] hit that button. Thank you so much. [69:41] Subsequently, you've had several [69:42] exorcisms, which you've talked about [69:44] over on your show. What is an exorcism? [69:47] Cuz many of us only know a movie called [69:48] The Exorcist, and that's only sort of [69:50] reference point for an exorcism, but I [69:52] from what I understand, it's a priest [69:54] that does a sort of a process on you [69:57] with the intent of removing something [69:59] that is demonic. Is that broadly what [70:02] happens? [70:02] >> Yeah. the movies, you know, are are very [70:06] extreme to compare to to in comparison [70:08] to what I've been through. I didn't, you [70:10] know, do a backwards spider crawl up a [70:12] wall or or anything uh even close to [70:15] that. But and and I don't really want to [70:17] go too far into it cuz I'm I'm still in [70:20] this process. [70:21] >> To my knowledge, there are two types. Uh [70:24] there are possession which is where [70:27] you're not [70:29] really in control of your body and your [70:32] mind and then there is oppression [70:36] which is things start happening around [70:39] you and it could be [70:43] all the things that we just talked [70:44] about. It could be financial. It could [70:47] be health. It could be trying to destroy [70:49] your family. It could be trying to [70:51] destroy your faith. It could be all of [70:54] that, you know, but it's not. But you're [70:56] still in control of your mind and your [70:59] body. And so [71:02] from the from the the the priests that [71:04] I've talked to, they all think that it [71:06] is oppression, [71:08] >> oppression, not possession. [71:12] >> What is it? I mean it is uh it's a [71:15] series of prayers. They try to figure [71:17] out what it is. I don't know exactly [71:19] everything that they're doing. Some of [71:21] them have been done in Latin. Uh some of [71:23] them have been done in English. One of [71:25] the commonalities seem to be, hey, we're [71:28] going to do a series of these. And we [71:30] want to see if we get any reactions um [71:34] to certain prayers or certain parts of [71:37] prayers. And if we do see a reaction to [71:40] a certain part, then we can eliminate [71:41] certain things and and and and [71:44] kind of dial in on on what we think [71:46] exactly is going on. [71:48] >> And you are right in the middle of this [71:50] at the moment. [71:52] >> Yeah. [71:53] >> How has it been for your family, for [71:55] Katie? [71:56] >> I mean, it's it's it's been rough. [71:58] >> Brilliant. [71:58] >> Yeah. I mean, imagine uh coming home to [72:02] your wife and kids and saying, you know, [72:05] just being honest. I just got done with [72:08] my fifth exorcism today. [72:10] >> Yeah. [72:11] >> And then thinking about the things that [72:12] are going through their head because, [72:14] you know, you think about, you know, [72:15] what goes through your head? Exactly [72:17] what you said, the movies, [72:18] >> you know, what is he what like is he in [72:20] control of his own mind? What is going [72:22] to happen? And I have the same [72:23] questions. How bad is this going to get? [72:26] What's going to happen next? Is this is [72:28] this is this ever going to go away? Is [72:30] this just mine to carry for the rest of [72:32] my life? What does my wife think? What [72:35] does she think when she goes to bed next [72:37] to me every night? [72:38] >> Does she think I'm I'm I'm a crazy [72:40] person? [72:42] >> I was just imagining my fiance's she [72:44] actually I think it's probably one of [72:46] the first time she's ever been here, but [72:46] she just happens to be here today. She's [72:48] in one of the other rooms and I was just [72:50] thinking I was imagining coming home and [72:51] saying that to her. She is very [72:53] spiritual. She's very religious as well. [72:55] So I imagine she might pray for me. Um I [72:59] imagine I imagine she'd want to pray for [73:01] me. [73:01] >> Mhm. [73:02] Well, then you have an amazing woman and [73:04] so do I. And she's been with me every [73:07] step of the way. She's been there for [73:09] some of them. Uh she's seen some of the [73:12] things happen, but it's been tough. It's [73:14] been really tough. And you know what's [73:16] interesting too is when I started [73:18] talking about this, [73:20] you feel like you're you're alone and [73:22] you're crazy and and I never really have [73:24] cared what other people think about me, [73:26] but this is pretty pretty personal uh [73:30] stuff, but especially with the [73:32] psychedelics thing. I had uh extremely [73:36] influential uh military figures, SEALs, [73:40] SF guys, Delta, like all these guys have [73:44] reached out and said, "Man, I thought I [73:45] was the only one that had that kind of [73:47] an experience." I and they're telling me [73:49] how brave I am for talking about it, you [73:52] know. But [73:55] I guess what I'm saying is I'm I'm not [73:57] the only one, you know, that this this [73:59] stuff happens to. I guess I'm just the [74:01] only one that decided to articulate it. [74:03] >> How are you? [74:05] >> I'm good. [74:06] >> Yeah. [74:07] >> Yeah, that's I was going, you know, [74:09] there is a positive to all of this and [74:11] and [74:13] >> you know, for me, are you a Christian? [74:17] >> It's a good question. I was raised [74:20] Christian in a very very Christian [74:21] household. So, you know, to some degree [74:24] it's somewhat in your bones. I think at [74:26] like 18 19 I started having lots of [74:28] questions and then I became I was one of [74:30] those people in the sort of new atheist [74:31] movement they called it that got really [74:32] interested in reading all the like [74:33] Richard Dawkins books [74:34] >> and I went through that phase where I [74:36] just wanted to argue with everybody [74:37] because I was trying to form my own [74:38] opinion and I came out of that and [74:40] stopped caring and now I find myself in [74:42] a place that I would describe as like um [74:45] as agnostic but curious and that [74:48] curiosity I think maybe from doing this [74:50] podcast frankly and the interviewing [74:51] some of the people that I have has [74:54] has continued to develop. So I found [74:56] myself in a place where I think it would [74:57] be extremely arrogant for me to say that [75:00] I didn't think there was something more. [75:03] But I I I don't I I couldn't say what I [75:06] what it was. I couldn't define it like [75:08] some people are able to define it. Like [75:09] the Christian apologists like Wes Huff [75:11] Wes Huff can define it. I can't define [75:13] what that means for me. [75:15] >> Well, don't you think it's interesting [75:16] that all these people keep coming on [75:18] your podcast and bringing this stuff up? [75:20] people that maybe you would never expect [75:22] like like your most recent one [75:24] >> Andrew Hubman. [75:25] >> Yeah. [75:25] >> No, it is fascinating. It is truly [75:27] fascinating. [75:28] >> That's what started happening to me. [75:30] >> Oh, on your show. [75:31] >> Yeah. That's where that's where the seed [75:32] was was planted. You know, I grew up, [75:35] like I said, I grew up Catholic, but [75:36] that's what started happening to me is [75:38] all these people started coming on and [75:39] they would [75:41] >> and it was fascinating to me to hear [75:43] their journey, but I didn't, you know, I [75:45] was like you on the fence. [75:47] >> You got baptized quite recently. [75:49] >> Yeah. I can't remember what year. [75:51] >> 2024, I think it was. [75:52] >> Yeah. On Easter. [75:53] >> Yeah. [75:54] >> It's just funny, you know, how it works. [75:56] But but so where I was going, you know, [75:57] with all this stuff that's happening and [75:59] and and [76:02] it's scary and but it gets less scary [76:05] and less scary and you know what it is [76:09] doing is uh it's just it's it's [76:11] strengthening uh my faith and my wife's [76:14] faith in Christ because [76:17] the the the things that are happening [76:19] are just undeniable. [76:21] You said to Tucker Carlson in July, I'm [76:23] going through a crazy spiritual [76:24] transformation right now. [76:28] It must be somewhat difficult to share [76:29] this with with the world, you know, for [76:33] lots of different reasons because it's a [76:35] it's a subjective experience. [76:38] So to sort of communicate that publicly, [76:41] you I could see as you were explaining [76:43] it like you you're well aware that [76:44] people will think it's like it's what's [76:46] he talking about or it's some whatever. [76:48] Like when you deliver your truth, you [76:50] also acknowledge as you're saying it. [76:52] Some people will think I'm just saying, [76:54] but you just have to take my word for [76:55] it. So, it's not easy to make that [76:57] decision to share it. What What inspired [76:59] that? What inspired your decision to [77:01] come out and tell your audience very [77:02] publicly [77:04] you're going through this? A couple [77:06] reasons. One is [77:10] we get access to a lot of people that [77:12] nobody gets access to, you know, and and [77:16] we get a lot of time with them. [77:20] I ask them on my podcast. I just ask the [77:23] questions, you know, that I'm that I'm [77:24] genuinely curious and for my for myself. [77:28] >> Mhm. And on top of that, I feel like [77:29] it's kind of maybe my responsibility or [77:32] that maybe I'm supposed to do that, you [77:34] know, because because I do have one of [77:36] the biggest podcasts in the world and [77:38] I'm a I'm just a normal guy. I think a [77:41] lot of people realize that about me and [77:43] because I get the access to the people [77:45] that I get access to, you know, I think [77:49] it's important that I ask those kind of [77:50] questions. You know, one thing that came [77:53] out of this, you know, for me is I I [77:54] just uh I've never like [77:58] Some of these things, some of these [77:59] supernatural type things happened the [78:02] night before I had Cardinal Burke on and [78:04] he is very high up in the Catholic [78:06] church. And so, uh, one thing I decided [78:08] I wanted to do is cuz I I got way more [78:12] involved in politics than I wanted to [78:14] be. And you now I think pretty much all [78:17] of them are just lying pieces of [ __ ] [78:19] And so I don't really want to do it [78:21] anymore. Well, that leaves a a huge gap [78:23] in my content. And I'm not saying I will [78:26] never do it again, but uh it's unlikely. [78:30] So now I have this gap that's opened and [78:33] I I am obviously very interested in [78:37] Christianity now. And I've read maybe [78:39] half the Bible, maybe a little bit more, [78:41] understand maybe 5 10% of what I've [78:44] read. So, what I want to do is, you [78:46] know, just like I was saying, I think [78:47] I'm supposed to ask these questions and [78:49] and and I get access to people that [78:53] almost nobody gets access to. And so, I [78:55] want to do a a series breaking down [78:58] every single book in the Bible on my [79:01] podcast. And it'll take several years, [79:04] you know, to get through it all. But [79:07] right when we kicked it off with [79:09] Cardinal Burke the night before all [79:11] these [79:13] wild [79:16] supernatural things you know started [79:18] happening the night before and so to me [79:21] that's a sign like yeah I am supposed to [79:23] be doing this. Were those the [79:24] supernatural things we talked about [79:26] before or is this lots of other things [79:28] >> difference the timing? You cannot make [79:30] the timing up. [79:31] >> And have supernatural things ever [79:33] happened to you before that experience [79:35] you had 3 months ago? [79:38] >> Not like that. [79:38] >> Not like this. [79:39] >> This is the spiritual realm playing out [79:42] in real time. [79:44] A battle over uh [79:47] over my soul. [79:48] >> A battle over your soul. [79:49] >> Yeah. And this is why you have to pray [79:52] several times a day is to I'm assuming [79:56] to reinforce which side of that battle [79:58] is winning. [79:59] >> It is to um [80:03] release oppression. [80:04] >> And you don't know how long you're going [80:05] to have to do that for or how long this [80:07] is going to take? [80:08] >> No idea. [80:09] >> Really? [80:10] >> Do you know when you'll know that it's [80:12] that battle for your soul has been won? [80:14] >> All I'm told is that you will just [80:16] you'll know. You will know. it will be [80:19] uh very apparent. [80:22] Is it difficult to be you right now? [80:26] Yeah, I know what this is for me. [80:31] And now that I know what it is, now you [80:34] know, we were talking about [80:35] responsibility earlier. And now that I [80:37] know what this is, this is a battle [80:40] between good and evil. Now I I'm no [80:43] longer on the fence. I can't pretend [80:44] that I don't know. So, for example, I've [80:47] already had advertisers [80:49] who have been with me for [80:52] years. [80:54] We just had a meeting on how to deepen [80:56] the relationship with this one [80:57] particular advertiser because they've [80:59] been with me for so long and they just [81:02] canled because they don't advertise on [81:04] faith-based content. [81:06] This is a life insurance company who [81:09] wants to get to people who give a [ __ ] [81:12] about their wife and their kids so that [81:14] if something goes wrong, [81:17] their wife and kids are taken care of. [81:19] Now, I'm sorry. What [ __ ] audience [81:22] are you trying to reach? People that [81:25] give a [ __ ] about their families and you [81:27] don't want to advertise on faith-based [81:29] content. They are maybe the only ones [81:34] that that put family at the very top of [81:36] the priority list and you're going to [81:38] cancel [81:40] when I get farther into that. [81:43] >> How do you feel about that decision? [81:44] What do you think that is? [81:45] >> I think it is a influence to try to get [81:48] me to not talk about it. Just like the [81:50] series of events that happened the night [81:52] before I had Cardinal Burke on. [81:53] >> You think it's part of the battle for [81:55] your soul? I think that my platform [81:59] as well as yours has a lot of power. [82:03] And when you have the ability to reach [82:08] more people than you and I could ever [82:09] count in a lifetime [82:12] and you're leading people to that book, [82:16] it pisses a lot of entities off. It [82:19] pisses a lot of people off. There's no [82:21] more pretending for me. Like I know what [82:24] this is. So, I have to make a decision, [82:26] you know, because I do believe in heaven [82:29] and hell. And so, if I say we can't do [82:32] the Bible series anymore because we're [82:35] going to lose advertisers, [82:39] I can't take any of that money with me [82:41] after this is over anyways. [82:45] It sucks. I have goals. I'm sure you [82:48] have goals. [82:50] I think me and you have both probably [82:52] seen a pattern in the guests we've [82:54] interviewed, you focus a lot on life [82:55] stories. One of the remarkable things I [82:57] notic in the life stories often when I'm [82:58] asked like what is the pattern of these [83:00] successful people? I always site that in [83:02] their stories there is a moment when [83:05] they made a decision that was against [83:06] their near-term incentives. And often I [83:09] mean this could be you know I think [83:10] about Jimmy Carr. He had a great job and [83:12] he went to do jokes in pubs for like 5 [83:14] or 10 years and got paid nothing for it. [83:16] or Darren Brown, one of the world's [83:17] great illusionists who had a great job [83:19] but went and did card tables in Bristol [83:21] for 10 years because that was his thing. [83:23] You look at these moments in their life, [83:24] you go, it only only an idiot would have [83:27] done that at that moment. But [83:29] consistently, what it leads to is a [83:32] better place. And I think when you were [83:35] saying, you know, there's a short-term [83:36] sacrifice potentially to pursue living [83:38] more in alignment. I don't know, the [83:41] conversations I've had is every great [83:42] person that I've interviewed has has got [83:44] that in their story. Sometimes several [83:45] times. They've all walked away from [83:47] something that others in sane humans [83:49] might not have because of the strength [83:50] of the incentive in the pursuit of [83:52] alignment with themselves. Yes, there's [83:55] some near-term turbulence, but [83:56] consistently like living out of [83:58] alignment is I think a much worse [84:02] long-term place to be. [84:04] >> Mhm. It's like you're right. [84:05] >> Do you know what I mean? We kind of [84:06] talked about it even with like booking [84:07] guests on the podcast. like, yeah, I [84:08] could have insert famous celebrity [84:11] person on, but then I'm I'm [84:13] incrementally swaying away from my own [84:15] like alignment. [84:16] >> Mhm. [84:16] >> And and you know, in the near term, I [84:18] might get a couple more subs. [84:20] >> Yep. [84:20] >> But over the long term, I have a life I [84:21] hate. [84:22] >> Exactly. [84:23] >> You know, [84:23] >> you know, exactly. You become part of [84:26] the herd. It's easy to be part of the [84:28] herd. [84:29] >> What is your goal now? Is there a [84:31] central goal that you sort of orientate [84:33] yourself towards [84:34] >> in podcasting? in podcasting with your [84:36] businesses [84:37] >> in podcasting. You know, I think it's a [84:39] couple of things. I think it's, you [84:41] know, we already talked about this [84:42] >> the Bible, [84:43] >> but I think that, you know, your team [84:46] actually sent me a similar question [84:49] before we got here and I thought a lot [84:52] about it, you know, cuz it always [84:54] changes, but there's one commonality I [84:57] think in my [84:59] in my show and I just don't want people [85:03] to be afraid to ask questions [85:06] and I don't want people to be so tribal. [85:10] I have a pretty open mind, you know, [85:12] regardless of what people think about [85:14] me. I'll talk to both. So, I've had [85:15] Brohan on several times and Jank U is a [85:19] friend of mine. You know, Tucker [85:21] Carlson's a friend of mine. And so, I'm [85:23] open to all ideas. I'm able to say I'd [85:27] made a mistake. I'm able to hold myself [85:29] accountable, you know, for things. and [85:32] and I've publicly made statements saying [85:34] that I've messed up, saying that I've [85:37] put out misinformation unknowingly, you [85:40] know, and I have to correct the record [85:42] cuz I I I I just I really pride myself [85:44] on integrity. And we don't see [85:48] very many people left holding themselves [85:50] accountable. And so I, you know, a [85:52] couple through my show, I just I I I [85:54] want to show that you can ask questions [85:57] and take a stand for what you believe [85:59] in. And maybe the repercussions that you [86:02] have come up with in in your head aren't [86:05] going to be near as severe is is is what [86:07] you what you might think they're going [86:09] to be. You know, they say courage is [86:11] contagious. And I I think that this [86:13] country needs I think the people in this [86:15] country need courage. And so I want to [86:17] show like you can like talk about these [86:21] things and ask questions and it's going [86:23] to be okay, man. [86:25] >> It's going to be just fine. Yeah, you [86:27] might get a little bit of hate, but like [86:29] I'm I'm still here and I've covered some [86:32] of the most controversial [ __ ] on the [86:34] planet, you know? I think that's really [86:36] important. [86:36] >> And what does a what does a good life [86:38] mean to you these days? [86:40] A good life to me is just [86:45] creating memories with my wife and kids. [86:47] I think we're both in in very good [86:49] financial situations. [86:52] And [86:53] I don't know where you came from, but I [86:56] didn't come from money. And what I've [87:00] realized, you hear it, and nobody's [87:02] going to believe me when I say it, but [87:05] you just can't buy peace and you can't [87:07] buy happiness. [87:09] You have to create it yourself. And [87:12] you're not going to create it with [87:13] money. Yep. It will take some financial [87:17] stress off, but it brings a whole other [87:19] side of of of stress. And so, [87:22] you have to do what you love and you [87:25] have to live in the moment as much as [87:29] you can and and create as many memories [87:32] with the people that you love as as as [87:34] possible. And you know, so it's it's [87:37] made me I wouldn't say back off my [87:39] business cuz I'm a workaholic. I I know [87:42] you are too, but you have to work [87:44] smarter and look for the power plays. [87:46] >> Mhm. [87:46] >> And sometimes no is the is the best [87:49] business decision you could make, not [87:51] because [87:53] it was a bad deal, because it wasn't the [87:55] right deal. Does that make sense? [87:57] Smarter decision. [87:58] It's something a narrative that I hear [87:59] from from fathers and mothers much more [88:01] than anybody else because now they [88:03] really do have to think deeply about [88:06] priorities [88:08] whereas you know I'm yet to have [88:10] children. I hope we have I will have [88:11] children soon but um but uh right now my [88:16] life is probably a little bit more [88:17] selfish in that regard than yours is [88:20] because the competition for my time is [88:22] my business and then you know my [88:24] partner, my fiance. [88:25] >> But you love your business. [88:26] >> I love it. there's nothing else you'd [88:28] rather be doing. So, for whatever it's [88:30] worth, I I think you're doing the right [88:32] time, the right thing. The time for you [88:34] to build is now [88:35] >> because when you do have kids [88:37] >> and you do realize how fast they grow [88:40] and you look, you know, when your when [88:42] your kids's born and then 6 months you [88:44] look back and you're like, "Holy shit." [88:46] Like, they he was this big and now he's [88:49] this big and now he's this big. 5 years [88:53] later and you're like I mean it makes me [88:56] tear up right now. It's like where does [88:58] where did it go? Where did the time go? [89:02] So build man build it as big as you can [89:04] get it right now. Look for the smart [89:06] deals and then I hope you know I hope [89:10] you do get the opportunity to raise kids [89:12] but business can destroy a family. You [89:15] got to be careful of that. [89:18] >> Why is that the warning that you give [89:19] me? Is that from experience? [89:23] Then what? You said you you're miser [89:25] thinking about the speed of growth of [89:27] your son. [89:29] Why? [89:30] >> You only get one shot at this. [89:33] You're everything to them. And if you're [89:36] not there, [89:40] somebody else will be everything to [89:41] them. [89:45] >> Where is this coming from, Sean? [89:47] >> You can see it sometimes. [89:49] It's a battle. I mean it's a battle you [89:52] know for me [89:57] and so the time you know it's it's [89:59] always you know you hear people complain [90:02] about it and try to find it all the time [90:05] what is the right balance how do you do [90:06] the balance [90:11] I don't know [90:14] I do the best I can to figure it out But [90:20] it it you you you you [90:29] can see how much time they want to spend [90:30] with you and and all the phone calls and [90:34] all the business deals and you know the [90:36] the [ __ ] that seems so important because [90:39] it's going to put you at the next level, [90:41] you know, and you're probably like me. [90:43] your team's like, "Holy [ __ ] Steven's [90:46] got to pivot and we got to get the [ __ ] [90:47] done by in 12 hours, you know, and it's [90:51] those kind of phone calls, you know, [90:52] like, hey, we this guy went on this, [90:54] we're going to we're going to shift this [90:55] podcast to this day. Put this one in [90:57] this thing hit, you know, it's a [90:59] chessboard, you know what I mean?" And [91:01] and you'll and and and that that's a [91:04] 24-hour a day business to be the best. [91:10] You're always switched on. Even when [91:12] you're not trying to be switched on, [91:14] you're switched on. Pistons are firing [91:16] in your brain all the [ __ ] time. [91:20] And you got your 2-year-old over here [91:21] that just wants to [91:24] play trains with you. And you can't get [91:27] in the you can't get in the mode. You [91:29] can you can you can sit there and [91:33] push a toy train around, but they they [91:35] know when you're there and when you're [91:36] not there. [91:40] Have you got regrets in this regard [91:42] or is it was it guilt? What is it? What [91:44] is the emotion? [91:45] >> Yeah, there's some guilt. [91:47] >> With that being said, I'm I'm I am, you [91:50] know, I'm very close with my kids, but I [91:53] could be closer. [91:54] >> And that really matters to you, doesn't [91:56] it? [91:57] >> It takes a lot for me to leave home to [91:59] come do stuff like this. [92:05] >> Incredibly admirable, you know, and [92:11] Dare I say that even, [92:15] you know, I think about all the all the [92:17] gifts my parents gave me by by [92:21] demonstrating the values of work and and [92:25] striving and um overcoming. And I think [92:30] generally like the some of the gifts [92:31] that I look back on as a young kid, but [92:33] we didn't come from from money. The some [92:35] of the things that I'm most thankful to [92:37] my parents of is just is nothing they [92:39] said. It's not that they pushed the [92:41] trains around with me. It's like the [92:43] fundamental lessons they gave me about [92:44] life vicariously watching how they [92:47] conducted themselves. And one of the [92:48] things I think about with my mom is just [92:50] like she [92:53] never compl like she just like worked [92:55] all the time for us, you know, for to [92:58] make sure that we were good. and to the [93:00] point that at one point she started [93:01] sleeping on this bag of rice in the back [93:03] of her little corner shop. And she [93:06] she never complained. She and through [93:08] that she taught me the lesson of like [93:10] hard work and striving. And there's no [93:12] possibility that I'd be sat here now [93:14] with a life that I love, doing something [93:16] that I love, with a perspective that has [93:19] been helpful for me in terms of dealing [93:21] with hardship and all those things if I [93:22] hadn't watched her through her absence [93:26] teach me this lesson. So I sometimes, [93:27] you know, all I say that to say that [93:31] the nature of the absence I think also [93:33] matters, you know, [93:35] >> cuz that's going to be the story I think [93:36] for a lot of that's was the story for [93:38] me. It's like what where was my mom? My [93:39] mom and my dad, they were out working [93:41] for me. [93:42] >> Mhm. [93:44] >> But it's a trade. It's a trade. [93:46] >> It's a trade. [93:47] >> Yeah. It's a trade. Cuz am I as close to [93:49] them as I might have been otherwise? No. [93:52] >> But you're talking about necessity. [93:54] >> Yeah. Yeah. And what we're talking about [93:56] is abundance. [93:57] >> Yeah. Yeah. True. Yeah. [94:00] >> And there's a difference. [94:01] >> Mhm. So, what's your conclusion there? [94:03] Is there a conclusion? Is there an [94:04] action to take? Is there [94:06] >> I'm I'm still figuring it out, but the [94:08] conclusion [94:10] is look for the power plays. [94:14] >> Look for things that make sense. Hold [94:16] off for the right deals. Only do what [94:19] you really believe in. The quick money [94:21] is all [ __ ] [94:23] like my newest business, Glacier. [94:28] I didn't know that was going to come, [94:29] but I knew something big was going to [94:31] come that made sense. And I've turned [94:34] down so many opportunities because I [94:37] just I didn't feel like it was me. And [94:39] then this came along and it was just [94:43] me solving my own problem. [94:44] >> And it's a privacy and digital security [94:46] mobile app. [94:47] >> Mhm. [94:48] >> What does it do? [94:50] >> We made the simplest [94:53] phone privacy app that's out there. It's [94:56] got a VPN. It's got secure DNS and it [94:58] has burner numbers. You walk around [95:00] every day, you have all these apps. [95:02] These apps are sucking information out [95:04] of your phone. They're pushing it to [95:06] data brokers that's being sold to who [95:09] the hell knows who. I mean, I just had [95:11] Byron Taon. He thinks that the Iranians [95:13] attacked a base by buying data from a [95:17] data broker and then attacked a US base [95:20] because of it. basically tapping into [95:23] soldiers phones just through everyday [95:25] data broker marketing [ __ ] And so what [95:27] the secure DNS is is it blocks all that [95:30] from getting sucked out of your phone. [95:32] The VPN's great, but that's not the [95:34] focus. The real win here is is the [95:36] secure DNS and the burner numbers. I [95:38] mean, now you can hand out burner [95:40] numbers. Yeah, here you can get a hold [95:42] of me on this burner number. When that [95:44] burner and you feel like that burner [95:45] number's been abused, you just hit the [95:48] button, it goes away. they can never [95:49] contact you again and you can you you [95:52] buy another one. [95:52] >> What a cool product and very well [95:53] aligned. [95:54] >> Thank you. [95:55] >> Yeah. [95:55] >> Thank you. Look, for for me, [95:59] I'm not going to do two podcasts a week [96:01] forever. I love to do this. Two a week, [96:04] it's too much for me and my family, [96:08] especially traveling around and and [96:09] doing foreign countries and this other [96:11] stuff. Like it I I have to slim it down. [96:13] So, I'm eventually I'm going to go to [96:15] one a week and I've been given this [96:19] platform and [96:23] I want to start businesses that I truly [96:25] believe in that solves a real problem [96:28] cuz I love business. I love you know I [96:30] also think about the other side like [96:32] well what if I was what if I was solely [96:35] a dad and husband and I didn't get any [96:37] of the phone calls and I wasn't able to [96:39] I didn't have a creative outlet. I love [96:42] the creativity of business and and [96:44] creating your way on how to win, [96:46] >> you know? I mean, I think a lot of [96:47] people hit a roadblock and like, oh [96:49] [ __ ] didn't work. There's always [96:51] another way. There's always another way [96:53] to win, [96:54] >> you know? And that's that's one of the [96:56] things that I took and one of the [96:58] positive things that I took from my days [97:00] at contracting for CIA and being a Navy [97:02] Seal is there is always a way to win, [97:06] but you have to you have to be creative [97:07] enough to find all the different avenues [97:10] to the goal that you want to get and [97:12] reverse engineer that [97:13] >> and dare I say have a bit of [97:14] persistence. [97:15] >> Yeah, a lot of persistence. It's an [97:18] education, you know, and you get smarter [97:20] along the way. So, in a long way, I [97:23] think that's my conclusion. [97:25] >> We have a closing tradition on this [97:27] podcast where the last guest leaves a [97:28] question for the next guest not knowing [97:29] who they're leaving it for. [97:31] >> And the question left for you is, what [97:35] is love? What is love? [97:41] The first thing that comes to mind is [97:44] love is what you're willing to die for. [97:47] >> H And what are you willing to die for? [97:51] my family. [97:54] >> Sean, thank you. Thank you for being an [97:56] inspiration for us podcasters. We've [97:58] learned so much from what you do. I [97:59] think the big lesson that I've taken [98:00] from you is actually just around kind of [98:02] what we talked about earlier on is [98:03] you're such a high integrity person that [98:05] lives with such great alignment to what [98:06] you believe. You do things your way and [98:09] that's why I think you know people like [98:11] you I admire so much cuz in the world we [98:13] live in so easy to copy and follow and [98:17] you know all those kinds of things. But [98:19] there are some people I look out there [98:20] and I go, do you know what? That [98:21] person's doing it their way. I know who [98:23] they are because what they're producing [98:25] is so n of one. It there's only one of [98:27] them. And that and so that's those are [98:29] the people that I have the most respect [98:30] for as as sort of a podcasting peer. And [98:32] you're certainly one of them. And you [98:34] know, as well with the subject matter we [98:36] talked about you being in pursuit of [98:38] your truth and your alignment even in [98:40] spite of there being obvious costs like [98:43] losing advertisers or what people might [98:44] think if again it's a it's a [98:46] demonstration of your integrity as a [98:48] man. And and then lastly, your um real [98:50] focus on family being at the heart of it [98:52] and seeing the emotion in your face as [98:53] you describe. This sort of battle that I [98:55] know a lot of my audience have every [98:57] single day in their own lives between [98:58] ambition and goals and these types of [99:01] things, but then the love of family and [99:02] kids and all those things is another [99:04] wonderful reminder for me at this point [99:05] in my life where I feel like I'm about [99:08] to tussle with the same situation. So, [99:12] thank you for doing all that you do. I'm [99:13] a I'm a great fan of yours both as a [99:15] fellow creator and podcaster but also as [99:17] a man and uh the service for the country [99:19] as well as something that is of great [99:20] admiration. So thank you Sean. [99:22] >> Thank you. I was really excited to meet [99:24] you and uh [99:25] >> great job with what you're doing. [99:26] >> Thank you so much. Thank you. 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