August 13, 2025 • 15 mins
This recap episode features mind coach, Brandon Epstein. Epstein explains his unique approach to mental performance, honed from his own journey from a struggling college football player seeking physical enhancement to a mind coach for elite athletes. He discusses his methods, which combine techniques like hypnosis, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and ancient Eastern wisdom, including breathing exercises and visualisations, to help clients overcome mental blocks, anxieties, and self-limiting beliefs. The conversation explores the profound impact of mindset on physical performance, injury recovery, and overall well-being, emphasising the importance of self-awareness, emotional processing, and a holistic approach to health. The discussion also touches upon extraordinary human feats of endurance, the role of physical activity in mental health, and the potential benefits and pitfalls of psychedelics.
---
We all love The Joe Rogan Experience and much prefer the real thing, but sometimes it's not possible to listen to an entire episode or you just want to recap an episode you've previously listened to. The Joe Rogan Recap uses Google's NotebookLM to create a conversational podcast that recaps episodes of JRE into a more manageable listen.
On that note, for those that would like it, here's the public access link to the Google Notebook to look at the mind map, timeline and briefing doc - https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/c1166f15-0284-475b-be9a-06377f8004b1 - Please note, you must have a Google account to access.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today, our mission really is to
cut through all the noise and pull out the most important
insights from a really fascinating conversation you
share with us. We're diving deep into the Joe
Rogan experience to unpack some crucial stuff on health, peak
performance, and, you know, the incredible potential of the
human mind, often untapped potential, I should say.
(00:20):
So let's just jump right in thiswhole world of modern medicine
and Wellness, it feels like it'sin such a complex place right
now, doesn't it? I mean, we've even seen doctors
getting their YouTube channels pulled just for talking about
health topics. It really makes you wonder, how
do we separate the good info thethe baby from the bathwater and
healthcare? How do we navigate all that?
Yeah, it's a huge challenge, youknow, because modern medicine,
(00:41):
it really does have this kind ofdual nature.
On one hand, the advancements are just profound.
No question. We're living longer.
We're curing things that used tobe, well, fatal.
Historically, you could argue it's the best system we've ever
had, though it does make you wonder what some ancient
civilizations may be. The Mayans or Egyptians new
(01:02):
intuitively, you know, but then on the other side, you
absolutely have to look at the financial incentives.
They're very real. And those incentives can push,
you know, unnecessary prescriptions or even shape how
studies are designed may be engineered for success,
potentially hiding side effects.All about those quarterly
profits. Sometimes it's.
It's tricky. It really highlights how those
(01:23):
incentives are just everywhere. And it's not just like the big
pharmaceutical companies. Isn't this whole cultural thing
of wanting a shortcut, that kindof fast food experience we've
all gotten used to? It seems like that bleeds right
into supplements, too. We're always looking for that
quick fix. Totally.
And that that brings up a reallybig concern who's actually
checking what's in these supplements?
A major issue is just the lack of FDA regulation.
(01:46):
It's pretty stark actually. You hear these stories
constantly about tainted supplements, you know, stuff
mixed in the same vats as steroids or other things you
definitely don't want. It's like a never ending game of
whack A mole for the people trying to regulate it.
Our sources even mentioned it's a pretty alarming claim that
maybe up to 30% of supplements on Amazon could be fakes.
Forgeries 30%. Yeah.
(02:06):
So the advice here is really crucial.
You've got to find companies that are like super legit, great
track record, long history. And this is key, they do robust
third party testing. Pure Encapsulations was
mentioned as as one example of areliable one.
OK. So fundamentally, this really
just boils down to trust. Then when you can't fully trust
(02:26):
the labels or, you know, the market in general, people often
end up turning to specific individuals, influencers, I
guess you could call them, like Huberman.
And the absolute bottom line forthat trust has to be just
honesty, right? Unwavering honesty.
OK, so we've talked about the external stuff, the pills, the
regulations. Let's pivot a bit.
(02:46):
Let's talk about maybe the most powerful tool we actually have,
our own mind. This seems to be where the real
magic of peak performance happens, especially when you
look at mental coaching. Our deep dive brought up this
example of mind coach Brandon Epstein in his work with UFC
fighter Sean Brady. Brady apparently had built this
whole identity around being unbeatable, right?
But then that belief just got completely smashed after he lost
(03:08):
to Balaam Muhammad and Epstein came in to help him basically
rebuild that core belief system.Yeah, and what's really
interesting about Epstein's method is how he talks about
tackling those shattered beliefs.
He uses this phrase like clearing out the mental bullshit
or maybe unproductive thought patterns is a better way to put
it. From the nervous system.
He says he does it at an energetic level.
(03:29):
And, you know, his own background is pretty wild,
totally unconventional. He described himself as
basically a meathead college football player.
When he was 18, he was actually looking for pro hormones stuff
like MAG 10, which was, you know, basically a full on
steroid, now banned. But instead he kind of
accidentally runs into this sensei figure who teaches him
breathing techniques, visualization, and later he got
(03:52):
into hypnosis and NLP, neuro linguistic programming.
Wow. Yeah.
So that was his like weird side door entry into mental coaching.
That's an amazing story, a totalleft turn really, and it brings
us right to visualization. Lots of us have heard of it, but
how does mental training like that actually impact physical
performance? Like in a way you can measure?
Got any solid examples from the sources?
(04:14):
Right. Because it can sound a bit woo
woo sometimes, can't it? But yeah, there are actually
specific studies that really back it up pretty rigorously.
So for example, there was this bicep curl study.
They had four groups, one did nothing, one just did physical
curls, one did curls plus visualization, and the last
group did only visualization. And here's the kicker, the group
(04:37):
doing just the visualization, they have the same strength
increase as the group doing onlythe physical curls.
No way really. Yeah, it's not just about trying
hard. It's about like directed mental
focus. Now, the best results, not
surprisingly, came from combining the physical and the
mental. But then there's another study,
this one on hip flexors and athletes.
Mental training alone increased strength by 24%.
(05:00):
Physical training was 28%, so almost the same.
That's incredible. It really shows your mind alone
can create physical gains. That kind of shifts how you
think about potential, right? And for elite athletes, this
stuff applies both short term, like in a fight camp, and those
small incremental gains over thelong haul.
So yeah, definitely not just some abstract idea.
It's got real teeth. And this seems to connect to
(05:22):
Epstein's more holistic view too, right?
He talked about meridians and chakras, this whole energy body
system. For people listening who aren't
familiar, Those are concepts from like Eastern medicine,
energy pathways and centers. How do those ideas actually
translate into something practical like feeling grounded?
If you're a football lineman or managing that, you know that gut
feeling of anxiety in your solarplexus.
(05:44):
Yeah, he talks about it like a domino effect.
Belief is the very first domino,absolutely critical.
When that belief gets knocked over, it sets off real physical
reactions in your nervous system.
Think about like a really strongguy in jiu jitsu, maybe someone
who thinks they're super tough, right?
Then they get pinned down easilyby someone's smaller but way
more skill, their self-image just shatters, and even if
(06:06):
they're physically fine, they might start hyperventilating.
That gut feeling, that solar plexus anxiety or needing to
feel grounded as a lineman, it connects right back to managing
that initial belief domino to stop the whole cascade.
That's a really powerful way to think about it.
The power of belief or Yeah, theshattering of it.
Yeah, huge impact. And Speaking of extreme
examples, the sources touched onDavid Goggins running 200 miles
(06:31):
with supposedly no knees. Doctors apparently called his
bone on bone situation theoretical.
He's like this torch bearer for his just bra human will, isn't
he? Oh, totally.
But he's he's unique case an outlier really.
Goggins seems to build belief through just sheer brutal
willpower. And that's, well, that's
(06:51):
incredibly rare. Most people just aren't wired
that way. And this brings up that really
important concept from Steven Pressfield's book, The War of
Art. This this idea of resistance.
Resistance is that, you know that internal force that just
holds you back. It's rooted in fear of failure
or maybe self sabotage. We're just not feeling inspired.
It's that invisible wall stopping you from doing the
thing you know you should do. We've all felt it right?
(07:13):
Oh, absolutely. That inertia.
Yeah, that voice saying just scroll for another hour instead
of starting the work. That's resistance.
Right. So, OK, for someone who isn't
David Goggins, maybe they feel stuck in like an anxiety pit of
despair, as the source put it, and they don't have a personal
coach. What are the actual first steps?
What can they do right now to start pushing back against that
(07:36):
resistance? OK.
Yeah, there's a pretty clear process you can try broken down
into steps. First is just awareness, like
set alarms on your phone throughout the day.
When it goes off, just ask yourself, OK, how do I feel
right now? And just sit with it.
Don't judge it, don't try to fixit immediately, just notice, OK?
Just notice second. Step Focus.
Keep doing the awareness thing, but then start asking what was I
(07:57):
focused on right before I felt this way?
Start connecting the dots between where your attention
goes and how you feel. Blinking focus to feeling.
Got it. 3rd, flip the focus. This is where you treat your
mind like a muscle you need to train.
Practice deliberately shifting your focus away from those
negative patterns, even if it feels kind of fake at first,
like you're lying to yourself. It's about building new mental
(08:19):
habits, right? Practice makes perfect, even for
focus. Exactly.
And 4th look for the low hangingfruit.
Be really honest with yourself and audit your life.
Are there obvious things holdingyou back?
You know if someone's drinking vodka at 7:00 AM, well that's a
pretty clear starting point. Make those small obvious changes
first. That's.
Super practical. Yeah, really actionable advice.
(08:42):
And it feels like physical activity is a huge piece of this
puzzle too, right? It seems like it can almost like
wring out the anxiety from your body physically, which then
helps clear your head. We all know about the runner's
high, but doing challenging physical things like jiu jitsu
has mentioned, that seems like it can really build confidence
and tap into that human potential, even for people you
might traditionally think of as nerds.
(09:04):
Yeah. It really highlights that
amazing connection between, you know, our physical state, moving
our bodies and also having a sense of meaning, something
challenging to work towards. The cool thing about something
like jiu jitsu is it's both intensely physical and this
incredible mental game. You're forced to deal with
anxiety, pressure, learning to stay calm when things are tough.
(09:25):
And you know, it's not just for tough guys.
Lots of really smart people, maybe nerds, thrive on that
physical puzzle and through mastering it, they build serious
confidence. They often become more
interesting people, actually. It really is a vehicle for
developing potential because it just constantly makes you face
things that are scary or hard. Totally.
OK, so Speaking of holistic stuff and physical health,
(09:47):
Brandon Epstein himself, the mind coach, he apparently had
this incredible journey healing his own hypothyroidism
naturally. What did that involve?
What can we learn from that about the body's own healing
ability? Yeah.
That story is pretty remarkable.What stands out is this
intuition he described, this feeling that guided him to
actually stop taking his medication, even though doctors
(10:08):
told him he'd need it for life. He used a really holistic
approach, gut cleanse, fasting, red light therapy, specifically
on his thyroid. And this seemed key, cutting out
caffeine to lower his overall stress response.
And it also shines a light on the placebo effect, doesn't it?
It's funny how we sometimes dismiss the placebo effect like
it's not real healing. But its benefits are measurable.
(10:30):
They show up in studies all the time.
And this also connects to that idea of psychosomatic injuries.
You know, those aches and pains that just won't go away don't
seem to have a clear physical cause, but might actually stem
from something emotional, which is totally different from, say,
a torn ligament that needs surgery, right?
Important distinction. And then there's the whole realm
of altered states of consciousness, like psychedelics
(10:53):
or deep meditation, even flow tanks.
How do they fit into creating these hard resets or boosting
neuroplasticity, that ability ofthe brain to change?
Yeah, these experiences can really push you beyond language,
as the source put it. They can have a profound impact.
There is a bizarre story shared about some cult leader in
Austin, apparently a former gay porn star and hypnotist.
(11:15):
Who could supposedly induce these incredibly profound states
of knowing or connection to God in his followers, seemingly just
through their sheer belief in him?
It was described as this kind ofcosmic joke.
That this particular figure could wield that kind of power
just massively underscores how powerful belief itself is, how
it can shape reality and unlock these intense states almost
(11:38):
regardless of the trigger. It's wild that.
Is wild belief is clearly a powerful level, but what about
substances that directly affect the mind?
Let's talk cannabis. We heard Robert O'Neill, the
Navy SEAL credited with killing bin Laden, uses it for sleep,
for relaxation, and Epstein mentioned his own experience
with it. Neuroprotective effects,
enhanced sensitivity in boxing. Well, this really highlights
(11:58):
individual variability. You know, how stuff effects
people is just so personal. For someone like O'Neill, maybe
it genuinely helps quiet the mental noise, helps him
decompress, which is obviously critical for him.
For Epstein, he reported feeling, yeah, more sensitive,
better coordination, maybe even some neuroprotection in a small
study he mentioned. But the absolute key is being
honest with yourself. Like, what's your thing?
(12:20):
For some people, cannabis might just make them paranoid or
anxious. But for others, yeah, it might
genuinely help them kind of stepback and get a different
perspective on things. It really comes down to
self-awareness. Being totally honest about how
it affects you makes. Sense super individual.
So OK, we've kind of circled around these uncommon among
uncommon men, these elite fighters with these
(12:43):
extraordinary mindsets. It's really a testament to what
the mind can do when it's pushed, isn't it?
Absolutely. And mental coaching.
In that world, it's about reprogramming beliefs.
Even when things go wrong, like losing a sparring round doesn't
have to trigger doubt. It can be reframed as, OK, I'm
learning, I'm getting better. And you see the huge mental
battles these guys face. Think about Chris Weidman after
(13:04):
that horrific leg break. The psychological recovery, the
scar tissue there is immense. Oh, yeah.
Or Deontay Wilder after his reported ayahuasca experiences
post Tyson Fury fights seeming almost too peaceful, maybe
losing that edge required to fight at that level.
The mind is just as crucial as the body, maybe even more so at
the elite level and. It's not just the mental
(13:25):
toughness, but the skills keep evolving too.
We're seeing these really uniquefighting styles like point
fighting guys like Michael VenomPage and Raymond Daniels.
It's described as crazy, unique,bringing a whole new flavor to
MMA. Yeah, it just shows even after
30 years, the the sport is stillinnovating like crazy, driven by
these creative approaches. Definitely.
And Speaking of the sport evolving, huge news, right, That
(13:46):
UFC deal with Paramount Plus making all the pay per views
essentially free. If you subscribe to Paramount
Plus, that is going to absolutely explode the sport
prediction wise. It just lowers the barrier to
entry. So much for casual fans.
More eyes, more understanding ofthe mental fortitude involved.
It's going to bring in a whole new wave and really cement MMA
in the mainstream. Super smart move, that
(14:07):
paramount, yeah? Huge for accessibility.
What a time for MMA, and what a fascinating deep dive this has
been. So wrapping this all up, the
overwhelming message seems to beabout the incredible, almost
limitless potential of the humanmind.
Whether it's the extreme will ofa Goggins, the targeted mental
programming of an elite fighter,or just finding your own
challenging path like jiu jitsu,the core idea is continuous self
(14:30):
improvement. Actively facing your fears seems
to be this amazing vehicle for growth and breaking down sources
like this, it really does help cut through the noise and pull
out insights you can actually use.
Absolutely, and understand your own internal code, you know your
own mindset and actively workingon it.
That's not just for athletes. It can genuinely transform every
part of your life. It's about listening to those
(14:51):
natural inspirations, not suppressing that drive we all
have somewhere inside us to become more.
So thinking about all this, whatresistance are you facing in
your own journey right now? And what's one small, actionable
step you could take, maybe even today, to start flipping that
focus and building the belief you need?
Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today, our mission really is to
cut through all the noise and pull out the most important
insights from a really fascinating conversation you
share with us. We're diving deep into the Joe
Rogan experience to unpack some crucial stuff on health, peak
performance, and, you know, the incredible potential of the
human mind, often untapped potential, I should say.
(00:20):
So let's just jump right in thiswhole world of modern medicine
and Wellness, it feels like it'sin such a complex place right
now, doesn't it? I mean, we've even seen doctors
getting their YouTube channels pulled just for talking about
health topics. It really makes you wonder, how
do we separate the good info thethe baby from the bathwater and
healthcare? How do we navigate all that?
Yeah, it's a huge challenge, youknow, because modern medicine,
(00:41):
it really does have this kind ofdual nature.
On one hand, the advancements are just profound.
No question. We're living longer.
We're curing things that used tobe, well, fatal.
Historically, you could argue it's the best system we've ever
had, though it does make you wonder what some ancient
civilizations may be. The Mayans or Egyptians new
(01:02):
intuitively, you know, but then on the other side, you
absolutely have to look at the financial incentives.
They're very real. And those incentives can push,
you know, unnecessary prescriptions or even shape how
studies are designed may be engineered for success,
potentially hiding side effects.All about those quarterly
profits. Sometimes it's.
It's tricky. It really highlights how those
(01:23):
incentives are just everywhere. And it's not just like the big
pharmaceutical companies. Isn't this whole cultural thing
of wanting a shortcut, that kindof fast food experience we've
all gotten used to? It seems like that bleeds right
into supplements, too. We're always looking for that
quick fix. Totally.
And that that brings up a reallybig concern who's actually
checking what's in these supplements?
A major issue is just the lack of FDA regulation.
(01:46):
It's pretty stark actually. You hear these stories
constantly about tainted supplements, you know, stuff
mixed in the same vats as steroids or other things you
definitely don't want. It's like a never ending game of
whack A mole for the people trying to regulate it.
Our sources even mentioned it's a pretty alarming claim that
maybe up to 30% of supplements on Amazon could be fakes.
Forgeries 30%. Yeah.
(02:06):
So the advice here is really crucial.
You've got to find companies that are like super legit, great
track record, long history. And this is key, they do robust
third party testing. Pure Encapsulations was
mentioned as as one example of areliable one.
OK. So fundamentally, this really
just boils down to trust. Then when you can't fully trust
(02:26):
the labels or, you know, the market in general, people often
end up turning to specific individuals, influencers, I
guess you could call them, like Huberman.
And the absolute bottom line forthat trust has to be just
honesty, right? Unwavering honesty.
OK, so we've talked about the external stuff, the pills, the
regulations. Let's pivot a bit.
(02:46):
Let's talk about maybe the most powerful tool we actually have,
our own mind. This seems to be where the real
magic of peak performance happens, especially when you
look at mental coaching. Our deep dive brought up this
example of mind coach Brandon Epstein in his work with UFC
fighter Sean Brady. Brady apparently had built this
whole identity around being unbeatable, right?
But then that belief just got completely smashed after he lost
(03:08):
to Balaam Muhammad and Epstein came in to help him basically
rebuild that core belief system.Yeah, and what's really
interesting about Epstein's method is how he talks about
tackling those shattered beliefs.
He uses this phrase like clearing out the mental bullshit
or maybe unproductive thought patterns is a better way to put
it. From the nervous system.
He says he does it at an energetic level.
(03:29):
And, you know, his own background is pretty wild,
totally unconventional. He described himself as
basically a meathead college football player.
When he was 18, he was actually looking for pro hormones stuff
like MAG 10, which was, you know, basically a full on
steroid, now banned. But instead he kind of
accidentally runs into this sensei figure who teaches him
breathing techniques, visualization, and later he got
(03:52):
into hypnosis and NLP, neuro linguistic programming.
Wow. Yeah.
So that was his like weird side door entry into mental coaching.
That's an amazing story, a totalleft turn really, and it brings
us right to visualization. Lots of us have heard of it, but
how does mental training like that actually impact physical
performance? Like in a way you can measure?
Got any solid examples from the sources?
(04:14):
Right. Because it can sound a bit woo
woo sometimes, can't it? But yeah, there are actually
specific studies that really back it up pretty rigorously.
So for example, there was this bicep curl study.
They had four groups, one did nothing, one just did physical
curls, one did curls plus visualization, and the last
group did only visualization. And here's the kicker, the group
(04:37):
doing just the visualization, they have the same strength
increase as the group doing onlythe physical curls.
No way really. Yeah, it's not just about trying
hard. It's about like directed mental
focus. Now, the best results, not
surprisingly, came from combining the physical and the
mental. But then there's another study,
this one on hip flexors and athletes.
Mental training alone increased strength by 24%.
(05:00):
Physical training was 28%, so almost the same.
That's incredible. It really shows your mind alone
can create physical gains. That kind of shifts how you
think about potential, right? And for elite athletes, this
stuff applies both short term, like in a fight camp, and those
small incremental gains over thelong haul.
So yeah, definitely not just some abstract idea.
It's got real teeth. And this seems to connect to
(05:22):
Epstein's more holistic view too, right?
He talked about meridians and chakras, this whole energy body
system. For people listening who aren't
familiar, Those are concepts from like Eastern medicine,
energy pathways and centers. How do those ideas actually
translate into something practical like feeling grounded?
If you're a football lineman or managing that, you know that gut
feeling of anxiety in your solarplexus.
(05:44):
Yeah, he talks about it like a domino effect.
Belief is the very first domino,absolutely critical.
When that belief gets knocked over, it sets off real physical
reactions in your nervous system.
Think about like a really strongguy in jiu jitsu, maybe someone
who thinks they're super tough, right?
Then they get pinned down easilyby someone's smaller but way
more skill, their self-image just shatters, and even if
(06:06):
they're physically fine, they might start hyperventilating.
That gut feeling, that solar plexus anxiety or needing to
feel grounded as a lineman, it connects right back to managing
that initial belief domino to stop the whole cascade.
That's a really powerful way to think about it.
The power of belief or Yeah, theshattering of it.
Yeah, huge impact. And Speaking of extreme
examples, the sources touched onDavid Goggins running 200 miles
(06:31):
with supposedly no knees. Doctors apparently called his
bone on bone situation theoretical.
He's like this torch bearer for his just bra human will, isn't
he? Oh, totally.
But he's he's unique case an outlier really.
Goggins seems to build belief through just sheer brutal
willpower. And that's, well, that's
(06:51):
incredibly rare. Most people just aren't wired
that way. And this brings up that really
important concept from Steven Pressfield's book, The War of
Art. This this idea of resistance.
Resistance is that, you know that internal force that just
holds you back. It's rooted in fear of failure
or maybe self sabotage. We're just not feeling inspired.
It's that invisible wall stopping you from doing the
thing you know you should do. We've all felt it right?
(07:13):
Oh, absolutely. That inertia.
Yeah, that voice saying just scroll for another hour instead
of starting the work. That's resistance.
Right. So, OK, for someone who isn't
David Goggins, maybe they feel stuck in like an anxiety pit of
despair, as the source put it, and they don't have a personal
coach. What are the actual first steps?
What can they do right now to start pushing back against that
(07:36):
resistance? OK.
Yeah, there's a pretty clear process you can try broken down
into steps. First is just awareness, like
set alarms on your phone throughout the day.
When it goes off, just ask yourself, OK, how do I feel
right now? And just sit with it.
Don't judge it, don't try to fixit immediately, just notice, OK?
Just notice second. Step Focus.
Keep doing the awareness thing, but then start asking what was I
(07:57):
focused on right before I felt this way?
Start connecting the dots between where your attention
goes and how you feel. Blinking focus to feeling.
Got it. 3rd, flip the focus. This is where you treat your
mind like a muscle you need to train.
Practice deliberately shifting your focus away from those
negative patterns, even if it feels kind of fake at first,
like you're lying to yourself. It's about building new mental
(08:19):
habits, right? Practice makes perfect, even for
focus. Exactly.
And 4th look for the low hangingfruit.
Be really honest with yourself and audit your life.
Are there obvious things holdingyou back?
You know if someone's drinking vodka at 7:00 AM, well that's a
pretty clear starting point. Make those small obvious changes
first. That's.
Super practical. Yeah, really actionable advice.
(08:42):
And it feels like physical activity is a huge piece of this
puzzle too, right? It seems like it can almost like
wring out the anxiety from your body physically, which then
helps clear your head. We all know about the runner's
high, but doing challenging physical things like jiu jitsu
has mentioned, that seems like it can really build confidence
and tap into that human potential, even for people you
might traditionally think of as nerds.
(09:04):
Yeah. It really highlights that
amazing connection between, you know, our physical state, moving
our bodies and also having a sense of meaning, something
challenging to work towards. The cool thing about something
like jiu jitsu is it's both intensely physical and this
incredible mental game. You're forced to deal with
anxiety, pressure, learning to stay calm when things are tough.
(09:25):
And you know, it's not just for tough guys.
Lots of really smart people, maybe nerds, thrive on that
physical puzzle and through mastering it, they build serious
confidence. They often become more
interesting people, actually. It really is a vehicle for
developing potential because it just constantly makes you face
things that are scary or hard. Totally.
OK, so Speaking of holistic stuff and physical health,
(09:47):
Brandon Epstein himself, the mind coach, he apparently had
this incredible journey healing his own hypothyroidism
naturally. What did that involve?
What can we learn from that about the body's own healing
ability? Yeah.
That story is pretty remarkable.What stands out is this
intuition he described, this feeling that guided him to
actually stop taking his medication, even though doctors
(10:08):
told him he'd need it for life. He used a really holistic
approach, gut cleanse, fasting, red light therapy, specifically
on his thyroid. And this seemed key, cutting out
caffeine to lower his overall stress response.
And it also shines a light on the placebo effect, doesn't it?
It's funny how we sometimes dismiss the placebo effect like
it's not real healing. But its benefits are measurable.
(10:30):
They show up in studies all the time.
And this also connects to that idea of psychosomatic injuries.
You know, those aches and pains that just won't go away don't
seem to have a clear physical cause, but might actually stem
from something emotional, which is totally different from, say,
a torn ligament that needs surgery, right?
Important distinction. And then there's the whole realm
of altered states of consciousness, like psychedelics
(10:53):
or deep meditation, even flow tanks.
How do they fit into creating these hard resets or boosting
neuroplasticity, that ability ofthe brain to change?
Yeah, these experiences can really push you beyond language,
as the source put it. They can have a profound impact.
There is a bizarre story shared about some cult leader in
Austin, apparently a former gay porn star and hypnotist.
(11:15):
Who could supposedly induce these incredibly profound states
of knowing or connection to God in his followers, seemingly just
through their sheer belief in him?
It was described as this kind ofcosmic joke.
That this particular figure could wield that kind of power
just massively underscores how powerful belief itself is, how
it can shape reality and unlock these intense states almost
(11:38):
regardless of the trigger. It's wild that.
Is wild belief is clearly a powerful level, but what about
substances that directly affect the mind?
Let's talk cannabis. We heard Robert O'Neill, the
Navy SEAL credited with killing bin Laden, uses it for sleep,
for relaxation, and Epstein mentioned his own experience
with it. Neuroprotective effects,
enhanced sensitivity in boxing. Well, this really highlights
(11:58):
individual variability. You know, how stuff effects
people is just so personal. For someone like O'Neill, maybe
it genuinely helps quiet the mental noise, helps him
decompress, which is obviously critical for him.
For Epstein, he reported feeling, yeah, more sensitive,
better coordination, maybe even some neuroprotection in a small
study he mentioned. But the absolute key is being
honest with yourself. Like, what's your thing?
(12:20):
For some people, cannabis might just make them paranoid or
anxious. But for others, yeah, it might
genuinely help them kind of stepback and get a different
perspective on things. It really comes down to
self-awareness. Being totally honest about how
it affects you makes. Sense super individual.
So OK, we've kind of circled around these uncommon among
uncommon men, these elite fighters with these
(12:43):
extraordinary mindsets. It's really a testament to what
the mind can do when it's pushed, isn't it?
Absolutely. And mental coaching.
In that world, it's about reprogramming beliefs.
Even when things go wrong, like losing a sparring round doesn't
have to trigger doubt. It can be reframed as, OK, I'm
learning, I'm getting better. And you see the huge mental
battles these guys face. Think about Chris Weidman after
(13:04):
that horrific leg break. The psychological recovery, the
scar tissue there is immense. Oh, yeah.
Or Deontay Wilder after his reported ayahuasca experiences
post Tyson Fury fights seeming almost too peaceful, maybe
losing that edge required to fight at that level.
The mind is just as crucial as the body, maybe even more so at
the elite level and. It's not just the mental
(13:25):
toughness, but the skills keep evolving too.
We're seeing these really uniquefighting styles like point
fighting guys like Michael VenomPage and Raymond Daniels.
It's described as crazy, unique,bringing a whole new flavor to
MMA. Yeah, it just shows even after
30 years, the the sport is stillinnovating like crazy, driven by
these creative approaches. Definitely.
And Speaking of the sport evolving, huge news, right, That
(13:46):
UFC deal with Paramount Plus making all the pay per views
essentially free. If you subscribe to Paramount
Plus, that is going to absolutely explode the sport
prediction wise. It just lowers the barrier to
entry. So much for casual fans.
More eyes, more understanding ofthe mental fortitude involved.
It's going to bring in a whole new wave and really cement MMA
in the mainstream. Super smart move, that
(14:07):
paramount, yeah? Huge for accessibility.
What a time for MMA, and what a fascinating deep dive this has
been. So wrapping this all up, the
overwhelming message seems to beabout the incredible, almost
limitless potential of the humanmind.
Whether it's the extreme will ofa Goggins, the targeted mental
programming of an elite fighter,or just finding your own
challenging path like jiu jitsu,the core idea is continuous self
(14:30):
improvement. Actively facing your fears seems
to be this amazing vehicle for growth and breaking down sources
like this, it really does help cut through the noise and pull
out insights you can actually use.
Absolutely, and understand your own internal code, you know your
own mindset and actively workingon it.
That's not just for athletes. It can genuinely transform every
part of your life. It's about listening to those
(14:51):
natural inspirations, not suppressing that drive we all
have somewhere inside us to become more.
So thinking about all this, whatresistance are you facing in
your own journey right now? And what's one small, actionable
step you could take, maybe even today, to start flipping that
focus and building the belief you need?
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