Aaron Rodgers reveals how psychedelic experience helped his career
Jan 19, 2020; Santa Clara, California, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) reacts following the loss against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Rodgers had one of the best seasons of his career last year en route to his second consecutive NFL MVP award. While most players his age attribute their success to dietary changes and new workout routines, Rodgers says something a bit less common has helped him over the past two years — psychedelic drugs.
Rodgers joined the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” for an episode published on Wednesday. The interview was centered around Rodgers’ “challenging journey to self love and mental health.” One of the things Rodgers spoke about was his experiences with ayahuasca, which is a plant that contains the hallucinogenic drug DMT. Rodgers told Marcus that he does not believe it is a coincidence that he won back-to-back MVP awards after taking the psychedelic.
“The fear around it is, you’re going to s— yourself, it’s just a big throw-up fest … but the negative framework of it is that is the experience, not the deep and meaningful and crazy mind-expanding possibilities and also deep self-love and healing that can happen on the other side,” Rodgers said, via TMZ. “I had a magical experience with the sensation of feeling a hundred different hands on my body imparting a blessing of love and forgiveness for myself and gratitude for this life from what seemed to be my ancestors.”
Rodgers credits ayahuasca with allowing him to “unconditionally love myself” and that he felt like he was waking up for the first time after the experience. He said using the psychedelic has helped him in all facets of his life.
“To be way more free at work, as a leader, as a teammate, as a friend, as a lover,” Rodgers added. “I really feel like that experience paved the way for me to have the best season of my career.”
The 38-year-old said a prior experience taking mushrooms inspired him to try ayahuasca. The Green Bay Packers star called that day one of the best of his life and said he laid on a beach and “felt myself merge with the ocean.”
During the same interview, Rodgers offered some interesting commentary on the issues he has had with his family.
Rodgers has an incredible 85 touchdown passes compared to just nine interceptions over the past two seasons. If he thinks a plant with psychedelic properties made that possible, Packers fans are probably hoping he keeps at it.