Episode 262 - Akshay Nanavati

As a young immigrant to the US, Akshay overcame drug addiction, PTSD from fighting in Iraq with the Marines, depression and alcoholism that pushed him to the brink of suicide.   By falling in love with his demons, he has since:   - Run 167 miles across post-war Liberia to build a school.   - Despite 4 biological defects including a blood disorder that 2 doctors said would kill him in boot camp, he is now a sponsored athlete and have run many ultra marathons, including an 80 mile run around a 0.2 mile loop and a 50 miler around a cul-de-sac during the quarantine.   - Spent 7 days in darkness, isolation and silence where he experienced DMT-induced, psychedelic hallucinations.   - Based on his life experience and years of research in neuroscience, psychology and spirituality, written the book Fearvana, about which the Dalai Lama said “Fearvana inspires us to look beyond our own agonizing experiences and find the positive side of our lives.” All the profits from the book are being donated to charity.   - Explored the most hostile environments on the planet, from mountains to underwater caves to polar icecaps - where he spent one month dragging a 190 pound sled 350 miles in temperatures as low as -40 degrees.   - Volunteered in leper colonies, worked with victims of sex trafficking, taught Fearvana to former child soldiers, done humanitarian work in post-conflict zones and worked with those in extreme poverty.