Mike Tyson details why he began hosting the HotBoxin podcast- 'I had no idea they were getting money'

"I love the toad," said Mike Tyson at the start of the first episode of HotBoxin' with Mike Tyson on January 15, 2019. Tyson and his co-host, Eben Britton, were joined by guest Dr. Gerardo Sandoval Isaac, aka Dr. Gerry, a doctor who works with 'sacred medicines' such as peyote, psilocybin, bufo, and yopo.

The podcast was specifically about the mystical power of bufo alvarius, the scientific name of the Sonoran Desert Toad. The venom of this toad contains 5-MeO-DMT (similar to but stronger than both ayahuasca and DMT). It profoundly changed Tyson's life when he first smoked it in 2017.

While discussing the substance, Tyson said:

"I died during my first trip. In my trips, I've seen that death is beautiful. Life and death both have to be beautiful..."

Tyson continued:

"Before I did the toad, I was a wreck... I had low self-esteem. People with big egos often have low self-esteem. We use our ego to subsidize that. The toad strips the ego. It has made me more creative and helps me focus."

Tyson has also said that taking psychedelics opened the door to his spiritual exploration and brought about his career renaissance. He believes that these medicines could help create a more empathetic society.

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Mike Tyson started podcast to heal and inspire

Mike Tyson and co-host Eben Britton started the Hotboxin' podcast the spread awareness. Britton said that they wanted to use their platform to help show viewers that there are other individuals who have dealt with difficult times.

While discussing the topic, Tyson added:

“And trying to find your life’s purpose—that’s what we’re all here for...No one’s trying to show that we’re smarter than anyone else. We’re just trying to learn together.”

Tyson told Hotboxin' guest Lewis Howes that mushrooms have helped him change his perspective regarding how he saw and talked to people. On Howes' The School of Greatness podcast, Tyson said that he wanted to inspire as many people as he could, while healing himself.

Tyson told Joe Rogan:

"I’ve never been the same. It lasts forever, but it only took 15 minutes...When you think you know everything, and then you realise you don’t know anything, then it is a big awakening...You can call it growth or divine intervention."

Mike Tyson recently invested in biotech company Wesana Health, who specialize in medicinal psychedelics.