This week on Discover the Difference, hosts Jamie Reid and Gabe Erle sit down with retired Navy SEAL Diego Ugalde. Diego, who calls himself a “psychedelic pathfinder,” shares his journey of treating PTSD through psychedelics. Curious about what that means? So were we! Tune in to hear Diego’s heroic story and learn how he now helps other veterans treat trauma using psychedelics.
Show Highlights
1:16 – Diego shares how his life trauma, experiences, and the people in his life led him on the path to becoming a paramedic and eventually a Navy SEAL.
10:52 – Diego answers the question, “How did you decide to become a Navy SEAL?”
15:03 – Since he was young, Diego was unaware of his deliberate behavior to always appear happy. He explains how smiling can change one’s outlook and behavior.
19:02 – Diego tells us about the long journey to becoming a SEAL, which took him 10 years.
31:57 – Diego describes what it was like to go before the boards and be told he didn’t belong there. He was told he wasn’t going to be a SEAL, so to finish his contract, he became a corpsman with the Marines for the remainder of his duty.
34:13 – After transitioning out of the military, Diego became a bartender, singer in a rock band, and then worked as a paramedic. He talks about his desire to become a paramedic rescue man and how he eventually returned to his drive to become a SEAL.
38:30 – Diego explains what it means to be a psychedelic pathfinder to heal post-traumatic stress and how he discovered its healing power. He admits that psychedelics allowed him to know the truth about his past and who he is.
43:45 – Listen to the advice Diego gives to someone who may have fears about trying psychedelics.
44:40 – Diego advises those going through emotional turmoil and wanting to be happier, but uncomfortable addressing their fears: “Only through the fears is where that ultimately, not only disappears, but you transcend it. It becomes a strength and a power for you.”
50:53 – Diego talks about finding one’s identity through facing fears. He emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s full story to achieve success in the next phase of life.
56:53 – Diego is now helping people with PTSD through his organization, The Trident Approach.
1:00:10 – Diego describes how someone who is suffering can access this world through meditation, holotropic breathing, sweat lodges, psychedelics, and vision quests. He then explains how to integrate these discoveries into life.
1:07:34 – Diego gives a glimpse into the future he foresees, with psychedelics becoming legal, similar to marijuana.
1:13:23 – Diego answers some rapid-fire questions.
1:14:47 – Diego shares with listeners what is coming up for him.
1:16:33 – Diego reflects on his life and shares the advice he would give to his younger self.
1:17:45 – Diego tells us what he thinks makes him different from everyone else.
