Mind Body Mushroom

Ep. 40 | From Bin Laden to Ibogaine: Elite Warfare and Integrated Healing | DEVGRU Operator Alex West

Alex West spent twenty years as a United States Navy SEAL, completed fifteen combat deployments, and served over a decade at DEVGRU — including the night they took out Bin Laden. He carried all of it home. In this episode, Alex opens up about the real cost of that life, his reckoning with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, and the integrated healing journey that led him through EMDR, ibogaine, and plant medicine — and eventually to founding One More Wave, a San Diego nonprofit using adaptive surfing to bring veterans back from the edge. A raw, honest conversation about war, healing, and what it looks like to rebuild yourself from the inside out. (0:00) Introduction and overview of Alex West (2:44) Sponsor: One NC Coffee (3:32) Motivation to join the SEAL teams (5:18) Early military career and BUDS training (6:37) Deployment experiences and impact of 9/11 (9:19) Early operations in Afghanistan (11:06) Changing American attitudes toward war (14:15) Transition to DevGroup and first impressions (18:52) DevGroup training and selection (25:54) Transition to Red Squadron (26:34) First Red Squadron deployment (28:00) Introduction to Omega teams and mission (30:11) Challenges working with Omega teams (31:48) The grind of continuous deployments (33:18) Balancing ops tempo with R&D (36:20) Transition to less glamorous military roles (36:45) Reflections and preparation for UBL mission (39:18) Theories on UBL's evasion and intelligence (41:29) Detailed account of the UBL mission (58:08) Transition to post-mission life and mental health (1:01:03) Founding of One More Wave (1:04:17) Impact of adaptive surfing (1:05:18) TBIs, PTSD, depression, and moral injury (1:08:10) Culture of drinking in the military (1:09:02) Importance of seeking help and community (1:10:00) Changes in military culture (1:11:30) EMDR and trauma therapy (1:14:02) Combining modern and ancient healing practices (1:15:47) EMDR for depression and addiction (1:17:02) Somatic therapy and trauma (1:19:08) Ibogaine treatment and personal experience (1:22:24) Political advocacy for Ibogaine (1:29:26) Future plans and personal well-being (1:30:53) Lifelong pursuit of wellness (1:33:37) Thanking Alex West

Ep. 39 | The Gnostic Blueprint: The Ancient Power Structure That Shapes the Modern World | Joel Thomas – Free the Rabbits

What if the secret societies, elite bloodlines, and occult orders that shaped medieval Europe never actually disappeared — they just got better at hiding? In this episode, Jordan sits down with Joel Thomas, host of Free the Rabbits, to pull back the curtain on the ancient power structures that continue to operate beneath the surface of modern civilization. From the Rex Deus priesthood and the Knights Templar to the mystery of Rennes-le-Château, the Priory of Sion, and the Nephilim bloodlines hiding in plain sight — Joel brings two hours of serious research and hard questions to a conversation that connects the ancient world directly to the one we're living in right now. This isn't history for history's sake. This is the blueprint. (0:00) Introduction, themes, and guest overview (1:21) Guest introduction: Joel Thomas from Free the Rabbits (1:58) Rennes Le Chateau mystery and historical overview (3:14) Joel Thomas on academic integrity and research approaches (5:13) The Cass Sunstein effect and cognitive infiltration (10:06) UAP, NHI phenomena, and historical context (12:10) Joel Thomas’ personal Freemasonry experience (14:58) Music, conspiracy research, and building community (17:12) Podcasting journey and community building (19:32) Rennes Le Chateau mystery revisited (20:05) Rex Deus and historical background (26:13) Rex Deus priesthood and practices (29:42) The Essenes and their connection to Rex Deus (31:54) The Temple Mount and significance in modern conflicts (33:20) Christian Zionism vs. Christianity (36:29) The origins and rise of the Knights Templar (44:39) Templars, Assassins, and Palestine connections (45:43) QAnon movement and controlled opposition (47:28) Templars’ split with Priory of Sion (51:31) Fall and resurgence of the Templars (52:42) Sinclair family and Templar order in Scotland (57:10) Roslyn Chapel and mysterious carvings (1:01:17) French nobility and Middle East connections (1:04:04) Arthurian legends and hidden meanings (1:09:03) Robin Hood as a grail tale (1:14:09) Occult initiation processes (1:14:44) Ren Le Chateau and Father Sonnier’s story (1:19:23) Oak Island treasure and Rosicrucian connections (1:20:51) Catholic Church’s actions against Father Sonnier (1:24:08) Bloodlines of Jesus and their significance (1:24:39) Priory of Sion and Les Dossier Secrets

Ep. 38 | Gladio Pt. 2: Deep State Networks, False Flags, and the Strategy of Tension

In Part 2 of the Gladio series, Jordan examines Operation Gladio not as a Cold War footnote, but as a framework for understanding how power operates beneath the surface of modern politics. This episode explores NATO’s secret “stay-behind” networks, the economic fears that drove anti-communist strategy in post–World War II Europe, and the emergence of what became known as the “strategy of tension.” Jordan connects Gladio to intelligence institutions, financial networks, and political coordination layers including P2, Banco Ambrosiano, BCCI, and the Vatican Bank. Rather than focusing on individual scandals, the discussion looks at systems: how fear shapes public perception, how covert finance sustains political secrecy, and how crises can shift power inside institutions. The episode concludes by introducing a key question that will guide the rest of the series: instead of asking who did it, what did it do? (0:00) Introduction to today's episode on Gladio (0:31) Overview and Impact of Gladio on 20th-century events (1:05) Podcast updates and listener engagement (2:08) Framework of Gladio's origins and geopolitical landscape (4:21) Creation of NATO's stay-behind armies and anti-communism (6:43) Communism's economic threat and alignment to combat it (10:37) Gladio's connection to institutions and clarification of ideologies (13:02) Roots of intelligence networks and CIA origins (16:07) United Fruit Company, CIA coups, and state power misuse (19:15) Fascist networks and strategy of tension in Gladio (21:37) False flag operations and public confirmation of Gladio (23:38) Evolution of Gladio tactics and psychological operations (25:23) Controversial connections and suspicious national incidents (29:31) Public discussion challenges and the Bondi Beach shooting (35:17) P2 Masonic lodge influence and Italy's Plan for Democratic Rebirth (40:52) Financial scandals: Banco Ambrosiano, Vatican Bank, BCCI (47:45) Iran Contra, Southern Air Transport, and Epstein connections (53:08) Robert Maxwell, Promise Software, and surveillance evolution (1:01:14) Systems understanding and applying historical frameworks (1:05:01) Sponsor: Wind and Sea Coffee (1:08:08) Closing remarks and farewell

Ep. 37 | From 9/11 to Now: ICE, Surveillance, and the Rise of the American Security State

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has expanded dramatically since 9/11, reshaping U.S. immigration enforcement, surveillance, and detention policy in ways most Americans rarely see. Jordan Ryan examines how ICE has evolved and what its current operations reveal about the modern American security state. This episode breaks down common myths about immigration enforcement, explores the realities of ICE raids and detention practices, and highlights documented cases of mistaken identity, prolonged detention, and the treatment of children and families. Jordan also discusses ICE’s deadliest year on record, mounting human rights concerns, and the agency’s growing relationships with surveillance and data-driven technology partners. Placing these developments in historical and political context, the episode challenges listeners to look beyond partisan narratives and consider what today’s policies signal about the future of immigration, civil liberties, and state power in the United States. (0:00) Introduction to Mind Body Mushroom (5:25) Sponsor: Wind and Sea Coffee (7:14) The Role of ICE in Immigration (11:13) Analyzing the Effectiveness and Complexities of ICE (17:11) Current Operations and Myths Surrounding ICE (21:46) Issues with Detainment and Mistaken Identities (25:06) Detention Center Conditions and Child Treatment (27:01) ICE's Deadliest Year and Case Studies (33:37) Human Rights Concerns and Reports on ICE (37:15) Surveillance and Immigration Policies (40:09) Legal Tactics and Administrative Warrants (42:11) ICE's Tech Partnerships and Implications (46:54) Connections to Controversial Figures and Concepts (52:13) Detention Center Expansion and Future Governance (57:27) The Importance of Awareness in Immigration Policy (59:05) Reflecting on Past Administration's Policies (1:00:23) Closing Thoughts and Preview of Next Episode (1:01:22) Sponsor mention: Wind and Sea Coffee

Ep. 36 | Gladio Pt. 1: The Architecture of Manufactured Fear

This episode begins a multi-part series exploring Operation Gladio as a framework for understanding how political crises, fear, and narrative control have shaped modern events. Serving as a foundational primer, this installment introduces the problem–reaction–solution model and examines how moments of instability have historically been used to guide public perception and justify major political and policy shifts. In future episodes, this framework will be applied to modern case studies before tracing its origins back to the documented history of Operation Gladio, Cold War-era destabilization campaigns, and real intelligence operations that influenced the modern world. (0:00) Introduction and episode overview (7:01) The Hegelian dialectic and political manipulation (14:25) Upcoming topics and importance of questioning narratives (16:37) Sponsor: Wind and Sea Coffee