October 22, 2020

My friend and fellow “biohacker” Luke Storey and I recently had a chance to sit down at his home in Los Angeles, the same home that you may already be very familiar with if you heard my previous epic episode with Luke entitled A Crazy Biohacking Adventure With Luke Storey & Ben Greenfield: Smart Drugs, Sleep Hacking, Infrared Light, Cold Pools & Beyond!

However, rather than discussing supplements, biohacks, nutrition, fitness, and “the usual” topics we so often geek out on, we instead took a deep dive into spirituality, lifestyle, parenting, productivity, the spiritual disciplines, and much more.

In my wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation with Luke, you'll discover:

-What's new in Ben and Luke's lives…6:05

• Ben:
  • Just finished cookbook as a companion to Boundless
  • Struggling with impostor syndrome
  • Upcoming book on spiritual disciplines
  • Fitter than ever due to not traveling on planes
  • Consciousness of diet around wife Jessa began Ben's ancestral approach to nutrition
  • Book: Dietary Cure for Acne by Loren Cordain
  • Always carry high-quality salt and extra virgin olive oil while traveling
• Luke:
  • Whenever possible, sit down to a great meal at US Wellness Meats
  • Working on first book, name to be announced soon
  • 24-year journey of spirituality, biohacking
  • Part personal memoir, part sharing what I've learned along the way
• Difficult aspects of writing the book:
  • Writing while keeping everything close to the chest (tweet snippets as a sneak preview)
  • Organization, gathering data related to the book
  • Knowing when to say “stop”
• Scrivener software

-Why Ben and Luke are drawn to writing books and hosting podcasts…21:20

• They're both storytellers
• Speak to fascinating people you ordinarily wouldn't be able to speak to
• Listeners are enamored with the innate curiosity and willingness to self-experiment

-Living a life without asking, “What now?”…24:55

• C.S. Lewis: “We have a God-shaped hole in our lives…”
• St. Augustine: “A never-ending yearning”
• Blaise Pascal's Pensées
• We're born connected and experience trauma; cut off from God
• Filling that hole with poor substitutes: drugs, porn, etc.
• BGF podcast with Dr. John Lieurance
  • Zen nasal spray
• Book: Awareness by Anthony De Mello
• Remove yourself from potential addictive elements; amazing how it won't affect you
• Scarcity mindset: it's a mentality issue
• Don't need expensive biohacks if you know how to utilize the free things nature provides
• We neglect to appreciate our modern world while enamored with the past

-The need for young men to undergo rites of passage into adulthood…34:25

• Beware of having an “all or nothing” approach; brief excursions into seclusion
• The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook (coming soon)
• Do the hardship before popping the pill
• BGF podcast with Tim Corcoran on Vision Quests
• Need for a conspicuous recognition of passage into adulthood
• Embrace a healthy view of plant medicines

-Ben's experiences with plant medicines…55:30

• Began investigating plant medicines late in life (31 years old)
• MDMA and ketamine
• First ayahuasca ceremony paired with DMT
• No intention or specific purpose until 5 years into the journey
• Did this without informing wife Jessa; began to drift apart
• Quarterly retreat with wife, overseen by a facilitator
• 27-hour experience that cracked the ego; releasing messianic complex

-How Luke changed his perspective on psychedelics…1:05:05

• Would not partake due to previous alcoholism
• Viewed psychedelics as a means of seeing unused potential rather than an escape (when it was addictive)
• Rewiring of the brain after purposeful use of plant medicines
• Ensure no compounds consumed are addictive
• Attachment to peak experiences (not necessarily addiction) is a potential risk
• Must detach from pleasures, embrace self-denial before partaking for any spiritual benefit

-Luke Storey's personal spiritual disciplines practice…1:17:15

• You don't will yourself to a spiritual way of life
• 12-step program (AA) was the gateway to the spiritual walk
• Studied kundalini yoga, meditation while living in India
• Vedic meditation
• Transcendental meditation (TM)
  • BGF podcast with Philip Land on TM
• NuCalm device (discount applied at checkout, 65% off the first month of any new monthly subscription)
  • BGF podcast with Jim Poole of NuCalm 
• Circadia by Fisher Wallace (use code GREENFIELD to get free shipping)
• Sota device for the ear lobes
• BGF article on spiritual disciplines “stack”
• Mindfold mask
• Silentmode mask
• Reishi mushrooms
• Apollo wearable
  • BGF podcast with Dr. David Rabin of Apollo
• Ben's spiritual practice with the family:
  • Abide app
  • Morning journaling: gratitude, one person to pray for
  • Evening journaling: self-examination, how did I live my life's purpose today
  • Family dinner, singing, read Scripture before eating

-Where Luke and Ben see themselves in the future…1:35:50

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Episode resources:

– Luke Storey:

• The Life Stylist Podcast
• EMF Master Class
• Luke Storey's School of Style
• Luke's YouTube channel

– BGF podcasts and articles:

• The Crazy Future Of Medical Biohacking: Skull Resets, Suppositories, Nasal Sprays, Nebulizers, Sound Therapy & More With Dr. John Lieurance.
• How To Go On A Vision Quest & Embark Upon A Rite Of Passage With Tim Corcoran.
• Transcendental Meditation: Cult, Quackery, or Science? With Philip Land.
• How To Simulate A Full Sleep Cycle In 20 Minutes, The Best Stress Biohack That Exists, Vagus Nerve Stimulation & Much More! With Jim Poole.
• A Whole New Way To Deal With Stress, Trauma & PTSD In Just Seconds: The First Clinically Validated Wearable That Helps You De-Stress, Focus, Sleep, Stay Energized & Remain Calm With Dr. David Rabin.
• Ayahuasca 101, Tripping Out On Nutmeg, Magic Mushrooms & More With Dennis McKenna.
• The Most Important Muscle You Own (& Exactly How To Train It).

– Books:

• Dietary Cure for Acne by Loren Cordain
• Pensées by Blaise Pascal
• Awareness by Anthony De Mello

– Other resources:

• High Mineral Sea Salt
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Reishi Mushrooms
• NuCalm(discount applied at checkout, 65% off the first month of any new monthly subscription)
• Circadia by Fisher Wallace (use code GREENFIELD to get free shipping)
• Sota
• Mindfold mask
• Silentmode mask
• Apollo
• Abide App

Episode sponsors:

–Kion: My personal playground for new supplement formulations, Kion blends ancestral wisdom with modern science. Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire order when you use discount code BEN10.

–Joovv: Joovv.com/ben use code BEN.  For a limited time, Joovv wants to hook you up with an exclusive discount on your first order: just go Joovv.com/ben and apply my code BEN to your qualifying order. (Exclusions apply, limited time only)

–Paleo Valley Beef Sticks: 100% grass-fed AND grass-finished. Keto friendly and higher levels of Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Receive a 15% discount off your order when you use my link.

–Organifi Red Juice: Enjoy all the benefits of the 11 superfoods and their micronutrients that help increase resting metabolism, support cardiovascular health, and remove toxins to turn back the hands of time! Receive a 20% discount on your entire order when you use discount code BENG20.

Got a question for Luke Storey or me on anything we discussed in this episode? Drop a comment below, and one of us will reply!

Since the original release of this content, Ben has changed many of his thoughts and practices regarding plant medicine. To learn more, please read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.