Shawn Ryan: There's A Battle For Your Soul, It's Happening Right Now

What happens when the relentless pursuit of adrenaline leads to losing your soul in the process? Shawn Ryan reveals the hidden psychological toll of ambition, the dark side of psychedelics, and the ultimate price of true alignment. Shawn Ryan is a former U.S. Navy SEAL, CIA contractor, and the creator of The Shawn Ryan Show, one of the most influential and widely watched independent podcasts. After transitioning from elite military service and dangerous covert operations into media, he has built an expansive platform known for raw unfiltered conversations. *In this episode, he explains:* ■ *The Adrenaline Trap:* How former elite operators often suffer from severe post-service depression because normal civilian life cannot replicate the neurological highs of combat. ■ *The Psychedelic Nightmare:* Why an intensive ibogaine treatment designed to optimize his mental state instead opened a terrifying portal to the spiritual realm and severe supernatural oppression. ■ *The Cost of Alignment:* Genuine personal transformation demands going through a shedding phase, in which you consciously step away from profitable ad deals, social networks, and short term incentives to stay true to your values. ■ *The Illusion of the Herd:* Authentic, lasting achievement relies entirely on nurturing a unique voice anchored in personal belief, while imitating results in creative paralysis. ■ *The Ultimate Priority:* Chasing ambition eventually demands sacrificing family time, demonstrating that no amount of business success can make up for absence in your children's lives. 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:18 What Made Shawn Ryan? 00:03:29 What Separates a Navy SEAL From the Rest of the Military 00:06:00 What Really Happened During Operation Red Wings 00:08:35 How Becoming a Navy SEAL Changed Him 00:09:45 Are Podcasters Being Compromised by Planted Guests? 00:18:16 Did He Endorse Trump? 00:20:10 Has His Opinion on Trump Changed? 00:21:11 How the Military Feels About Deployment to Iran 00:22:21 Would America Be Better Off If Democrats Had Won? 00:29:10 Why the 2028 Election Matters to Him 00:32:39 Why He Deletes Podcast Episodes 00:37:12 Ads 00:39:38 Why He Moved to Colombia After Contracting 00:39:49 Did He Get Involved With Drug Networks in Colombia? 00:41:55 What Happened With the Police in Colombia? 00:46:40 Was Colombia Enough to Make Him Get Clean? 00:47:38 The Turning Point That Changed Everything 00:49:47 Why Going to Therapy Was So Difficult 00:50:53 Why He Turned to Psychedelic Therapy 00:54:05 What Is Ibogaine and Why Did He Take It? 00:57:07 The Hell He Experienced During Ibogaine 00:59:53 What Happened During His Psychedelic Experience 01:00:50 How That Experience Changed His Life 01:08:14 Ads 01:09:41 What Is an Exorcism and What Actually Happens? 01:11:53 How His Experiences Affected His Family 01:19:31 Had Supernatural Things Happened Before? 01:21:42 What He Thinks About Sponsors Walking Away 01:34:44 What Is Glacier and Why Does It Matter? *Follow Shawn Ryan:* YouTube: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/DoJWKmI Instagram: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/AKYL4qQ X: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/Fofoug4 Glacier App: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/APvONfo - (20% off for the first 3 months) *The Diary Of A CEO:* ◼ Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/ ◼ Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/BWjLTZK ◼ Shop The Diary Of A CEO collection: https://thediary.com/collections/shop ◼ Get email updates - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/5IB1H6E ◼ Follow Steven - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/AGU9QP4 *Sponsors:* Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett Ketone - https://ketone.com/STEVEN for 30% off your subscription order

Steven BartletthostShawn Ryanguest

Oct 1, 20261h 39mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: October 1, 2026
Duration: 1h 39m
Channel: The Diary of a CEO
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

What happens when the relentless pursuit of adrenaline leads to losing your soul in the process? Shawn Ryan reveals the hidden psychological toll of ambition, the dark side of psychedelics, and the ultimate price of true alignment. Shawn Ryan is a former U.S. Navy SEAL, CIA contractor, and the creator of The Shawn Ryan Show, one of the most influential and widely watched independent podcasts. After transitioning from elite military service and dangerous covert operations into media, he has built an expansive platform known for raw unfiltered conversations. *In this episode, he explains:*
*The Adrenaline Trap:* How former elite operators often suffer from severe post-service depression because normal civilian life cannot replicate the neurological highs of combat.
*The Psychedelic Nightmare:* Why an intensive ibogaine treatment designed to optimize his mental state instead opened a terrifying portal to the spiritual realm and severe supernatural oppression.
*The Cost of Alignment:* Genuine personal transformation demands going through a shedding phase, in which you consciously step away from profitable ad deals, social networks, and short term incentives to stay true to your values.
*The Illusion of the Herd:* Authentic, lasting achievement relies entirely on nurturing a unique voice anchored in personal belief, while imitating results in creative paralysis.
*The Ultimate Priority:* Chasing ambition eventually demands sacrificing family time, demonstrating that no amount of business success can make up for absence in your children's lives.
00:00:00 Intro 00:02:18 What Made Shawn Ryan? 00:03:29 What Separates a Navy SEAL From the Rest of the Military 00:06:00 What Really Happened During Operation Red Wings 00:08:35 How Becoming a Navy SEAL Changed Him 00:09:45 Are Podcasters Being Compromised by Planted Guests? 00:18:16 Did He Endorse Trump? 00:20:10 Has His Opinion on Trump Changed? 00:21:11 How the Military Feels About Deployment to Iran 00:22:21 Would America Be Better Off If Democrats Had Won? 00:29:10 Why the 2028 Election Matters to Him 00:32:39 Why He Deletes Podcast Episodes 00:37:12 Ads 00:39:38 Why He Moved to Colombia After Contracting 00:39:49 Did He Get Involved With Drug Networks in Colombia? 00:41:55 What Happened With the Police in Colombia? 00:46:40 Was Colombia Enough to Make Him Get Clean? 00:47:38 The Turning Point That Changed Everything 00:49:47 Why Going to Therapy Was So Difficult 00:50:53 Why He Turned to Psychedelic Therapy 00:54:05 What Is Ibogaine and Why Did He Take It? 00:57:07 The Hell He Experienced During Ibogaine 00:59:53 What Happened During His Psychedelic Experience 01:00:50 How That Experience Changed His Life 01:08:14 Ads 01:09:41 What Is an Exorcism and What Actually Happens? 01:11:53 How His Experiences Affected His Family 01:19:31 Had Supernatural Things Happened Before? 01:21:42 What He Thinks About Sponsors Walking Away 01:34:44 What Is Glacier and Why Does It Matter? *Follow Shawn Ryan:* YouTube: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/DoJWKmI Instagram: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/AKYL4qQ X: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/Fofoug4 Glacier App: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/APvONfo - (20% off for the first 3 months) *The Diary Of A CEO:*
Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/
Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/BWjLTZK
Shop The Diary Of A CEO collection: https://thediary.com/collections/shop
Get email updates - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/5IB1H6E
Follow Steven - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/AGU9QP4
*Sponsors:* Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett Ketone - https://ketone.com/STEVEN for 30% off your subscription order

SPEAKERS

Steven Bartlett
host
Entrepreneur and host of The Diary of a CEO podcast.
Shawn Ryan
guest
Former US Navy SEAL and CIA contractor, host of The Shawn Ryan Show.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of The Diary of a CEO, featuring Steven Bartlett and Shawn Ryan, Shawn Ryan: There's A Battle For Your Soul, It's Happening Right Now explores shawn Ryan on influence ops, addiction, psychedelics, and faith warfare Shawn Ryan recounts his path from Navy SEAL training and deployments to CIA contracting, highlighting how elite environments can create both resilience and an addiction to adrenaline.

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