Shawn Ryan: There's A Battle For Your Soul, It's Happening Right Now
Sean Ryan, a former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor turned podcaster, discusses his unconventional life journey including military service, involvement in drug networks in Colombia, struggles with addiction, and recent spiritual experiences involving psychedelic use, exorcisms, and a deepening Christian faith.
Summary
Sean Ryan recounts his remarkable military and contracting career, beginning with Navy SEAL training and deployment to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Haiti, followed by CIA contracting work with Blackwater and other agencies. After leaving government work, he ventured into dangerous territory in Medellín, Colombia, where he infiltrated drug dealing networks for the adrenaline rush, eventually facing police surveillance that forced him to flee within 12 hours.
Ryan describes his subsequent struggles with cocaine addiction and other substance use, which he partially addressed through therapy and his best friend's opioid addiction crisis, which became his motivating purpose. He eventually cleaned up significantly, though continued using some substances until discovering ibogaine therapy, which he credits with helping him quit alcohol and other substances approximately 4 years ago.
A pivotal moment came three months prior to this interview when Ryan took ibogaine again and experienced what he describes as visiting hell—a terrifying, empty void lasting an hour and a half that he compares to an intense spiritual exorcism. Since this experience, he reports supernatural occurrences including nightmares, physical reactions during religious services, and objects moving unexpectedly. He has undergone multiple exorcisms with Catholic priests who diagnose him with spiritual oppression rather than possession.
Ryan discusses his podcast success and concerns about platform manipulation, guest plants, and algorithmic suppression based on his content about terrorism and other sensitive topics. He reflects on his earlier political involvement, endorsing Trump before the 2024 election but becoming disillusioned with him and questioning both major political parties. He criticizes U.S. foreign policy, particularly regarding Iran, and expresses concern about America's potential loss of superpower status.
The conversation explores how his experiences have led him toward Christianity and biblical study. He plans to create a series breaking down every book of the Bible on his podcast and has been baptized as an Easter 2024. Ryan emphasizes the tension between building his business empire and being present with his family, expressing some guilt about the time commitment required for his podcast success. He introduces Glacier, his new privacy and security mobile app business, which he views as solving real problems while remaining personally aligned with his values.
Key Insights
- Ryan argues that podcasters and influencers can be compromised through seemingly innocent circumstances like being photographed with political figures, creating the appearance of tribal affiliation that serves as a form of 'capture' without the subject realizing it happened
- Ryan claims that his second ibogaine experience three months ago resulted in what he describes as witnessing hell—a state of complete emptiness and abandonment lasting approximately 90 minutes, which he distinguishes from typical psychedelic hallucinations as a spiritual realm experience
- Ryan describes being diagnosed with spiritual oppression rather than possession by multiple Catholic priests, characterized by external supernatural events (objects falling, physical reactions) rather than loss of bodily control, which he credits with drawing him deeper into Christian faith
- Ryan contends that life insurance companies canceling sponsorships when he discusses faith-based content reveals coordination to suppress religious messaging, which he interprets as part of a broader battle between good and evil for influence over his platform
- Ryan argues that America's erratic foreign policy toward allies like Canada, characterized by contradictory demands on trade and energy infrastructure, damages diplomatic relationships and makes the U.S. appear unstable to potential adversaries including China
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] You said you think you visited hell. >> I know I did. And it was more real than anything I've experienced. It was the most amount of fear I'd ever felt in my life. My body was contorted. It was doing things that the human body shouldn't do. >> Do you think you were possessed? Because subsequently, you've had several exorcisms. >> Yes. The things that are happening are just undeniable. >> What happened? >> I'll tell you what I experienced. >> Just before we get into all of that, you have lived a remarkable life. I was in a US Navy, went to Iraq, Haiti, Afghanistan, and done some insane [0:31] missions. I mean, you learn a lot…
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