GREEN BAY — Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers appeared on the Aubrey Marcus Podcast Thursday, where he discussed mental health and psychedelic drug use.
Rodgers started out by talking about being true to himself, his athletic development, and figuring out what it means to be alive. Things then turned more holistic, when he spoke about holistic medicine and psychedelics.
Rodgers talked about his first time taking a psychedelic drug, calling it a "major ego death."
"It was all about a major ego death. It was going to the depths of my soul and hearing and feeling all that self-criticism, all that doubt, all that judgment that I placed on myself," Rodgers said.
Rodgers said he then was able to make peace with his self-criticism, doubt and judgment.
Prior to Rodgers' back-to-back MVP seasons, the Packers quarterback tried a psychedelic called ayahuasca. He credits that experience, in part, for his successful seasons.
"I really feel like that experience paved the way for me to have the best season of my career," he said. "I laid there afterwards on my mat and then opened my eyes and it felt like I was opening my eyes for the first time."
Rodgers also credited the psychedelic for teaching him how to love himself, and others, unconditionally. That, he said, is the greatest gift he can give his teammates.
"I mean obviously it's important I play well, and show up and lead and all that stuff. They won't care about what you say until they know how much you care," Rodgers said.
Another portion of the podcast was about masculinity/femininity, and how Rodgers believes society needs to redefine the definition of masculinity.
"Calling in the divine feminine to balance our lives out, and to raise up the women in your life, and to give them a platform to speak and to lead and to set the trajectory for the next generations," Rodgers said. "We aren't whole as fully masculine... we have to have the poet side come in, and the feelings."
Rodgers said he spent most of his life repressing his feelings, and emotions, but being vulnerable and sitting with them, allows him to be alive.
"To be alive is to feel all those emotions. The highs, the elation, and the joy... the sadness, and the regret, and the frustration," Rodgers said. "That's what I hope I can continue to take to my teammates and our sport, is to open opportunities to have deep and meaningful conversations."
Watch the full YouTube clip below.
This article was written by Julia Marshall for WTMJ.
