Imagine throwing away your antidepressants and never needing them again. For about 85% of the people who sit with Dr. Jeff McNairy, that is exactly what happens.
He is the Chief Medical Officer of Rythmia, the world's only medically licensed ayahuasca retreat, and he looks at the most stigmatized corner of mental health through a clinical lens: the chemistry, the screening, the data, and the integration work that decides whether change lasts.
Meet our guestDr. Jeff McNairy holds a doctorate in psychology and a master's in public health from UCLA. He ran locked psychiatric units in Pasadena and was administrative director of Passages Malibu before trying plant medicine himself in 2014. For 25+ years he has worked at the intersection of Western psychology and indigenous medicine, and today he runs the medical operation and Costa Rican licensing for Rythmia.
Thank you to our partners- Outliyr Biohacker’s Peak Performance Shop: get exclusive discounts on cutting-edge health, wellness, & performance gear
- Ultimate Health Optimization Deals: a database of of all the current best biohacking deals on technology, supplements, systems and more
- Latest Summits, Conferences, Masterclasses, and Health Optimization Events: join me at the top events around the world
- FREE Outliyr Nootropics Mini-Course: gain mental clarity, energy, motivation, and focus
- Ayahuasca pairs DMT with an MAOI vine so the compound survives digestion and reaches the brain
- It activates a gene that links the amygdala to the prefrontal cortex, letting stored trauma surface and release
- About 85% of guests who came off antidepressants to attend never go back on them
- Rythmia turns away ~22 people a day for SSRIs, benzodiazepines, heart conditions, bipolar 1, schizophrenia, or type 1 diabetes
- The ceremony is the start, not the finish: every guest gets a free 13-week integration program
- A "psychosomatic" purge (vomiting, yawning, sweating) is how the body lets go of held emotion
- Intention plus meditation may drive a real epigenetic effect, per emerging UK research
- The biggest red flag in plant medicine is a retreat without firm staff-guest boundaries
00:00 Intro
02:25 What ayahuasca actually is (DMT + MAOI)
05:22 What a week at Rythmia looks like
10:22 How emotions get stored in the body
12:31 85% come off antidepressants and don't go back
17:19 The free 13-week aftercare program
38:41 Foods that pull you out of the medicine
48:51 Testing biological age before and after
51:31 How Rythmia measures success (98%)
53:42 Breaking the hippie stereotype 57:59 When NOT to do ayahuasca
1:05:57 What he's building next
Links- Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/N6SdiFFKFTY
- Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/263
- Subscribe
- Leave an Apple Podcast review
- Suggest a guest
Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for us? Let me know in the show notes above and one of us will get back to you!
Be an Outliyr,
Nick
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com