In episode 4, Cody sits down with Jesse Gould - a retired Army Ranger and president of Heroic Hearts Project. After serving three tours in Afghanistan, Jesse founded the Heroic Hearts Project to spearhead the acceptance and use of ayahuasca therapy as a means of addressing the current mental health crisis among veterans.

(Time stamps below)

Heroic Hearts Project (HHP) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects military veterans struggling with trauma to psychedelic therapy options including ayahuasca, psilocybin, ibogaine, and ketamine treatments in combination with professional coaching and integration. HHP provides these veterans, who have often exhausted all of the resources offered by the Department of Veteran Affairs and don't know where to turn, with education about and access to these alternative healing modalities. HHP's mission is to restore hope and empower each veteran in his or her own healing process.

Secondarily, HHP aims to contribute to the growing base of psychedelic research, to educate the public on the potential of psychedelics based on the outcomes of this research, and to advocate for policy changes enabling increased and more equitable access to psychedelic therapies.

The Awakened Underground is a proud ambassador of the Heroic Hearts Project.

0:06 - Disclaimer

1:53 - Cody shares a story, talks about street fighting and breaking cycles of violence

10:43 - background on PTSD 

14:20 - psychedelic medicines that are at the forefront of the treatment of PTSD

16:06 Cody introduces Jesse Gould

16:31 - What is Ayahuasca?

19:29 - Interview with Jesse Gould

20:27 - How Jesse discovered psychedelic medicines and their potential for helping Veterans

28:35 PTSD

30:03 - working with a social worker at the VA

31:38 - pharmaceuticals and alcohol 

39:05 deciding to go to Spirit Quest in the jungle

45:15 - Jesse's first two nights with Ayahuasca

47:00 - drinking Ayahuasca with Cody's mom

48:44 - Jesse's third night with Ayahuasca

53:25 - Jesse's fourth night working with Ayahuasca

56:06 - integrating the experience 

58:36 - reflecting on the experience 

59:35 - Traumatic brain injuries in Veterans and healing CTE

1:10:46 - Beginning the Heroic Hearts Project

1:19:35 - risks

1:20:39 - what the HHP program entails 

1:33:16 - the integration process and coaches for Veterans 

1:39:07 The HHP Ambassador Program 

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