Latest news with #UnseenWork:HealingBehindtheHighlights
USA Today
3 hours ago
- Health
- USA Today
Former Kansas City Chiefs opponent reveals journey into alternative recovery
Former Kansas City Chiefs opponent reveals journey into alternative recovery This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Robert Gallery, a retired offensive lineman who played eight seasons in the NFL and was selected with the second overall pick by the Oakland Raiders in the 2004 NFL draft. The conversation explored how psychedelic therapy is helping him heal from PTSD, depression, and family issues. On Wednesday, June 18, at Psychedelic Science 2025—the world's largest psychedelic conference, Gallery will be joined by fellow NFL standouts Jordan Poyer and Jon Feliciano, who will headline a keynote conversation titled Unseen Work: Healing Behind the Highlights. "As my career ended and I was trying to figure out who I was as a person in the next part of my life, issues started popping up that I thought were just part of normal life, but then they got very intense, as far as my rage and depression. Then it turned into suicidal nightmares, suicidal ideation, and to the point where I was abusing alcohol to help cope with it," said Gallery. "I was having issues, times remembering my kids' names or trying to get words out, just the mental issues of things. I hit my head often during my career, but that's who we were. It was our job, and I didn't think much of it, so I got to rock bottom and reached out for help. It was actually through my workers' comp case that I had a brain scan, and that gave me the answer to why these things were going on. I had a ton of brain damage on that scan, and that started my healing journey. I went all in to try to heal my family. After a couple of years of trying all the modern medicine-type treatments, such as the hyperbaric chamber, IVs, different medicines, and all these different things, I wasn't any better." Galley listened to a podcast featuring former college football player, retired Navy SEAL Marcus Capone and his wife. They talked about their organization, VETS (Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions), and their use of Ibogaine, which healed him and helped him get through tough times. "Long story short, three weeks later, I was in Mexico with a group of special ops veterans going through Ibogaine and DMT (Dimethyltryptamine), and it was the changing point of my life. I came out of it cognitively, much better, emotionally, came back with zero suicidal thoughts and ideation, no anxiety, just I was 100% a different person, and so that became my real journey with plant medicine." Said Gallery. "Since then, I've done a ton of work and experienced other plant medicines. I've done Ibogaine a total of three times. That's the medicine for me. Ibogaine was the catalyst, and it has worked for me, getting me into this lifestyle. I was not the person who would meditate on breathing things. So it has changed my life, how I live my life, how I think, opened my mind to new things, how I think as a person, overall, the type of person I am, and how I live my daily life." In his playing career, Gallery battled in the AFC West, often against the Kansas City Chiefs, and earned a reputation for fighting in the trenches as an offensive lineman. He continues to fight hard off the field for athlete safety and health through his foundation and by raising awareness. "I started the foundation' Athletes For Care', I've done a ton of outreach to and had people reach out to me since seeing my story. I have encountered different people within, whether they were college students or professionals, and I'm not talking about higher-ups in the NFL. Still, I'm talking people that work within these programs." said Gallery, "The openness to healing is much more than I thought it would be; I have people who have great relationships that I've worked with at the professional and collegiate levels, who have either reached out to me or congratulated me on finding something that brought healing, and who have been open to discussions. So I think that's been a pleasant surprise for me and will continue to grow. We will see; I'm not here blaming the NFL or the University of Iowa for my brain damage and all the things that I've lived through; this is not me going after them. This is about healing and helping others heal and myself heal."
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Kansas City Chiefs rival discusses support for alternative therapy
Former Kansas City Chiefs rival discusses support for alternative therapy This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Jordan Poyer, a former All-Pro and Pro Bowl safety who played twelve seasons in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, and Miami Dolphins. The conversation explored how psychedelic therapy is helping him heal from alcohol abuse in his family. On Wednesday, June 18, at Psychedelic Science 2025—the world's largest psychedelic conference, Poyer will be joined by fellow NFL standouts Robert Gallery and Jon Feliciano, who will headline a keynote conversation titled Unseen Work: Healing Behind the Highlights. "I grew up in a small town in Astoria, Oregon. I had a white mother, I had a Polynesian stepfather, who came into my life when I was two, and I never met my birth father, who is African American. I grew up in a predominantly all-white school, with maybe two or three African Americans at the school. I look back, and even at a young age, I had questions about the reality of the world that I was living in." Poyer said, "I was pretty sheltered in high school; parents didn't let me go out much, so I got to college, and that's when a lot of my drinking problems started happening. I just met friends who I'm still friends with, but we're just doing the wrong sh**, and my mother is a recovering alcoholic, my father, who is an alcoholic, and my real father, he's been in and out of prison his whole life for alcohol. So it was kind of an excuse for me always to drink; whether I played well or played badly, we drank. That flowed with me, and I played 12 years in the NFL." Poyer became an impact defensive player with the Buffalo Bills after signing in 2017. He earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. He was part of many battles against the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC crown. "I met my wife probably in my fourth year in the league. And it was at this time that I got injured, the first time I got put out for the season. Not sure where my career was going. I signed with Buffalo in 2017 when my career took off. But at the same time, I was very lost in my own identity, not knowing who I was outside of the football field, and that started to spiral out of control. I started receiving accolades, "said Poyer," and I didn't know how to handle it. My wife was pregnant, and we had just had a baby. So I used alcohol as a crutch and went down many, many holes of darkness with alcohol to the point that I was losing my wife and my daughter, and I finally decided to make a decision and go to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). It was during the year of COVID-19 that I got sober and started going to AA. I started seeing and hearing cool stories, but I continued to fuel my curiosity; there's something deeper here. It was two and a half years after I was sober from alcohol." New Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers went viral during his 2023 keynote about his thoughts on Ayahuasca, which heavily influenced Poyer's journey. "I heard Aaron Rodgers on a podcast talking about his Ayahuasca experience. This was again when there was so much separation in the world. They were trying to divide white people from black people; the politics were red and blue. Whatever narrative they were trying to divide us with, I never understood, and I wanted to understand what's going on in this world," said Poyer, "The story that Aaron was talking about on his Netflix show, many people wrote him off as crazy. A lot of people wrote him off as whatever. It resonated with me, and I wanted to dive deeper into what he was talking about. So, I went on my first plant medicine journey in early 2023, down to Costa Rica, which changed my life. It changed my perspective on everything. Give me more clarity on who I am, how I need to move, and why I'm here. Since then, I've gone to the Amazon. I'm going back in July, bringing my mother with me. My mother's been in the plant medicine world with me now. My brother is doing the same." Poyer was adamant about spreading the word on the positive effects of psychedelics and the usage not being illegal in the NFL. He played last season with the Miami Dolphins, finishing with 98 total tackles (51 solo) and three passes defensed for the year. "Well, it's not getting negative tests, on drug tests, and so there's really nothing that they can do about it or say about it. I was pretty open in my last couple of years about my idea of at least raising awareness around psychedelics because I can't unsee what I've seen. I can't unfeel what I felt, to the point where I couldn't pretend like nothing's going on in the world", said Poyer, "This is a responsibility of mine, to have these conversations and to use the platform that I've been able to cultivate through football, through where I thought that was my identity, The the ego part about me, and use that platform to help now raise the collective awareness. The real game is out in the world. When you take what you've learned and integrate what you can know into every situation, breath, and step of your life. I don't think the NFL world has enough or even wants to have enough information to where they would see it in some way, I'm sure, for younger players. But towards the end of my career, I stopped giving a f***. This sh** bigger than football, that's how I feel."
USA Today
2 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
Former Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl opponent opens up about healing from personal trauma
This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Jon Feliciano, a recently retired offensive guard who played ten seasons in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. The conversation explored how psychedelic therapy is helping him heal from PTSD, depression, and family issues. On Wednesday, June 18, at Psychedelic Science 2025—the world's largest psychedelic conference, Feliciano will be joined by fellow NFL standouts Jordan Poyer and Robert Gallery, who will headline a keynote conversation titled Unseen Work: Healing Behind the Highlights. "I grew up in a physically and mentally abusive household, and my whole life, I was just focused on making it to the NFL. Make it to the NFL, and my life would be great. Things would be fine. You make it to the NFL and realize things will only get worse now that you have money. Now, everyone's trying to dig in your pockets. The family aspect gets worse," said Feliciano, "My mother's calling me, threatening me to go to ESPN and say, 'I'm on drugs' or do stuff like that. Then I ended up losing my best friend, my second year in the league, who was like my brother, who knew everything about my life, and the one person I could always lean on." The veteran offensive lineman was feeling the stress and strain of family problems while playing in the NFL and was looking for ways to cope. "Up to that point, I didn't smoke, I didn't drink, I didn't do anything. When he passed away, I got into a real bad phase with alcohol and marijuana; I was having suicidal thoughts, just became a shell of myself," said Feliciano, "It wasn't until I watched the Joe Rogan podcast. Rick Doblin (Founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) was on it, and it opened my mind to other methods of healing. So, I started micro-dosing mushrooms. And then the big thing for me was DMT (Dimethyltryptamine), sitting in my room with the thought, 'Why do I feel this way?' How can I be better for my wife and my daughter at the time? That was my introduction, and I started doing DMT probably two or three times a year. And for me, DMT has been my lifesaver." On February 20, 2025, Feliciano announced his retirement from the NFL. He notably recalled his experience playing against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII as a member of the 49ers. "The Super Bowl, honestly, if it weren't my ninth year in the league when I went to Super Bowl if it was earlier on in my career, I believe it would have been a lot mentally. Still, I was in a mindset where I could enjoy every minute," said Feliciano. "People always ask me, like, leading up to it, did it feel different? I was like, No, the only time it felt different than a regular game was standing on the sideline right before the game started when, you know, they had, like, I think it was like Post Malone and someone else singing and, staring across the Chiefs again, me, and Jordan (Poyer) had a long history with the Chiefs, was standing across from them again. The only thing that was, the only time it felt different, was just right before the ball was kicked off." Feliciano revealed the atmosphere in the locker rooms regarding conversations on the use of psychedelics. "There wasn't a conversation you could have in the locker room then. I brought it up to some guys, and everyone looked at me as if I were crazy. There was one other Buffalo (Bills) guy with whom I had gotten to do DMT with me. We ended up doing it every year before training camp, just to set our mind right." said Feliciano, "But the stigma of psychedelics, that's something that you didn't want to have on you being in the NFL, in the locker room, especially if the trainers here, or gets back to upstairs, people, they're gonna, think you're a drug addict or something. So you kept that on the down low. I will say that over the last couple of years, I feel like that has changed, whether it's because of the Aaron Rodgers (Netflix) documentary or it might have just been because I was in San Francisco."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Former Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl opponent opens up about healing from personal trauma
This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Jon Feliciano, a recently retired offensive guard who played ten seasons in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. The conversation explored how psychedelic therapy is helping him heal from PTSD, depression, and family issues. On Wednesday, June 18, at Psychedelic Science 2025—the world's largest psychedelic conference, Feliciano will be joined by fellow NFL standouts Jordan Poyer and Robert Gallery, who will headline a keynote conversation titled Unseen Work: Healing Behind the Highlights. Advertisement "I grew up in a physically and mentally abusive household, and my whole life, I was just focused on making it to the NFL. Make it to the NFL, and my life would be great. Things would be fine. You make it to the NFL and realize things will only get worse now that you have money. Now, everyone's trying to dig in your pockets. The family aspect gets worse," said Feliciano, "My mother's calling me, threatening me to go to ESPN and say, 'I'm on drugs' or do stuff like that. Then I ended up losing my best friend, my second year in the league, who was like my brother, who knew everything about my life, and the one person I could always lean on." The veteran offensive lineman was feeling the stress and strain of family problems while playing in the NFL and was looking for ways to cope. "Up to that point, I didn't smoke, I didn't drink, I didn't do anything. When he passed away, I got into a real bad phase with alcohol and marijuana; I was having suicidal thoughts, just became a shell of myself," said Feliciano, "It wasn't until I watched the Joe Rogan podcast. Rick Doblin (Founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) was on it, and it opened my mind to other methods of healing. So, I started micro-dosing mushrooms. And then the big thing for me was DMT (Dimethyltryptamine), sitting in my room with the thought, 'Why do I feel this way?' How can I be better for my wife and my daughter at the time? That was my introduction, and I started doing DMT probably two or three times a year. And for me, DMT has been my lifesaver." On February 20, 2025, Feliciano announced his retirement from the NFL. He notably recalled his experience playing against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII as a member of the 49ers. Advertisement "The Super Bowl, honestly, if it weren't my ninth year in the league when I went to Super Bowl if it was earlier on in my career, I believe it would have been a lot mentally. Still, I was in a mindset where I could enjoy every minute," said Feliciano. "People always ask me, like, leading up to it, did it feel different? I was like, No, the only time it felt different than a regular game was standing on the sideline right before the game started when, you know, they had, like, I think it was like Post Malone and someone else singing and, staring across the Chiefs again, me, and Jordan (Poyer) had a long history with the Chiefs, was standing across from them again. The only thing that was, the only time it felt different, was just right before the ball was kicked off." Feliciano revealed the atmosphere in the locker rooms regarding conversations on the use of psychedelics. "There wasn't a conversation you could have in the locker room then. I brought it up to some guys, and everyone looked at me as if I were crazy. There was one other Buffalo (Bills) guy with whom I had gotten to do DMT with me. We ended up doing it every year before training camp, just to set our mind right." said Feliciano, "But the stigma of psychedelics, that's something that you didn't want to have on you being in the NFL, in the locker room, especially if the trainers here, or gets back to upstairs, people, they're gonna, think you're a drug addict or something. So you kept that on the down low. I will say that over the last couple of years, I feel like that has changed, whether it's because of the Aaron Rodgers (Netflix) documentary or it might have just been because I was in San Francisco." Psychedelic Science 2025 —the world's largest psychedelic conference, produced by MAPS, is taking place June 16–20 in Denver, Colorado. This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Ex-Chiefs Super Bowl opponent Jon Feliciano on healing from trauma
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NFL Standouts Bring the Conversation on Psychedelic Healing to Psychedelic Science 2025
Jordan Poyer, Jon Feliciano, and Robert Gallery join Aubrey Marcus to share candid stories of healing, brotherhood, and the work they are doing now. Attendees will explore the emotional and neurological impact of elite competition—and discover how psychedelics are reshaping sports medicine, identity, and mental health. Unseen Work builds on Aaron Rodgers' breakout appearance at PS2023, accelerating a cultural shift as more athletes step forward to share their healing journeys with psychedelics. DENVER, May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Psychedelic Science – the premier global gathering for psychedelic research, medicine, policy, and culture hosted by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) – unveils Unseen Work: Healing Behind the Highlights, a keynote program that brings three NFL standouts to the center stage on Wednesday, June 18 at 3:15 p.m. in Denver, Colorado. Professional athletes have long pushed the boundaries of human performance. Now, many are pushing the boundaries of healing. From chronic pain and traumatic brain injury (TBI) to post-career identity loss, a growing number of sports icons are turning to psychedelic-assisted therapy to rediscover purpose, resilience, and healing beyond the game. Jordan Poyer (Free agent, former Miami Dolphin/Buffalo Bills), Jon Feliciano (San Francisco 49ers), and Robert Gallery (retired Raiders All-Pro) will share raw, first-person accounts of that journey in an intimate conversation, moderated by Aubrey Marcus, author, podcaster, and founder of wellness brand Onnit. The growing visibility of athletes in the psychedelic space was catalyzed in part by NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who made headlines after speaking openly at Psychedelic Science 2023 about how ayahuasca 'unlocked a whole new world of healing' for him. His willingness to go public inspired a wave of athletes to explore—and share—their own journeys. Unseen Work continues that cultural shift, bringing a new generation of NFL players to the keynote stage to speak candidly about their journeys. The session will also premiere a two-minute documentary trailer capturing the athletes' recent ayahuasca ceremony in the Amazon rainforest—a behind-the-scenes look at vulnerability, brotherhood, and self-discovery far from the spotlight. For most of my life, I thought toughness meant hiding pain. But psychedelics showed me something different, they helped me face what I've been carrying for years and start to truly heal. This journey isn't just for athletes. It's for anyone who's ever felt like they had to fight their battles alone.— Jordan Poyer, Former Safety, Buffalo Bills What Attendees Will LearnAttendees will gain an inside look at the emotional, physical, and spiritual toll of elite competition, along with evidence-based insights into how psychedelic therapies—including ayahuasca, psilocybin, and MDMA—are being used to treat TBI, PTSD, and identity loss among athletes. The session also tackles locker room stigma, league politics, and how psychedelics are opening new doors to post-career purpose, community, and healing. Visit to view the full schedule, register for workshops, and explore hotel and travel options. Workshop spaces are limited and available on a first-come basis. About Psychedelic SciencePsychedelic Science 2025 (PS2025), hosted by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), is the world's leading psychedelic conference. Returning to the Colorado Convention Center in Denver from June 16-20, 2025, this five-day event brings together a global community of scientists, therapists, policymakers, cultural leaders, and advocates to explore the forefront of psychedelic research, therapy, and culture. Facilitated by Superfly, known for producing iconic events such as Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, PS2025 will feature expert speakers; hands-on workshops; community events with art, music, and mindfulness activities; and scholarship opportunities to support broad participation. Since its inception in 2010, the Psychedelic Science conference series has fostered knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and community-building within the psychedelic ecosystem. Join thousands of attendees as we explore the transformative potential of psychedelics and shape the future of mental health, policy, and cultural understanding. For more information and registration details, visit and follow us on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. ABOUT MAPSFounded in 1986, MAPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana. MAPS' conference flagship, Psychedelic Science, has been the leading convening of the psychedelic community since 2010. MAPS incubated Lykos Therapeutics, a drug-development public benefit company, and the Zendo Project, a leader in psychedelic harm reduction. Since MAPS was founded, philanthropic donors and grantors have given more than $150 million to advance research, change drug policy, and evolve education in the field of psychedelics. CONTACTmedia@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
