Heroic Hearts Project

Our mission is to build a healing community that helps veterans suffering from military trauma recover and thrive by providing them with safe, supervised access to psychedelic treatments, professional coaching, and ongoing peer support.

Secondary Objectives:

Research: Help develop and contribute to the growing base of psychedelic research.
Education: Develop research-based products and programs to inform and educate people on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.
Advocacy: Use research, data, and testimonials to counter the stigma associated with psychedelics and to help change the laws limiting access to psychedelics as therapeutics.

Heroic Hearts envisions a new veteran ecosystem where veterans not only have access to safe and effective treatment options including psychedelics but are also empowered to help and mentor others in the community. We strongly believe that Community has the power to solve many of the mental health challenges facing this nation’s veterans.

CONNECT

Facilitate the passage of veterans who are seeking this treatment to reputable ayahuasca and other psychedelic retreats and support their path towards healing with before and after counseling.

INFORM

Increase awareness of the healing potential of psychedelic treatments within the veteran community.

DOCUMENT

Scientifically document the effectiveness of the treatments thereby increasing the pressure on the US government to reevaluate its current restrictive drug policies.

FIGHT

DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO FIGHT FOR A VETERAN’S RIGHT TO HAVE EFFECTIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY.

WHAT WE DO

Heroic Hearts Project offers a proprietary program to veterans who are interested in pursuing psychedelic treatment options. We primarily work with ayahuasca retreat centers due to the powerful effect it has shown to have on healing PTSD. Our program has been designed to ensure veterans get the most out of this valuable opportunity and are set up for success when they return home. We also provide financial scholarships to veterans who are struggling financially. To date, we have provided more than $200,000 in support to veterans applicants.

WHAT IS AYAHUASCA?

Ayahuasca is an Amazon plant mixture generally consumed in a tea like brew.  The ayahuasca tea is made from a combination of the ayahuasca vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) and chacruna (Psychotria viridis). Along with other admixture plants to be included in the ayahuasca, the ayahuasca vine and chacruna are processed, mixed together, added to large pots and cooked over an open fire for 8+ hours.

The DMT in the brew induces altered states of consciousness, usually lasting between 4 to 8 hours after ingestion.  These altered states often allows individuals to revisit and process issues associated with personal traumas and repressed memories in a safe, controlled setting. Many compare the experience to doing ten years of therapy in one week.

The tea has been used in the Amazon for millennia by shamans for spiritual and medicinal properties.  Recent scientific studies have shown that it is potentially a very powerful tool for fighting anxiety, depression, addiction and numerous other mental and physical issues.

VETERANS WHO ARE SEEKING OUR ASSISTANCE SHOULD FIRST READ THE FOLLOWING AND THEN FILL OUT THE APPLICATION.

Eligibility

Important- Due to the massive demand for our program, we are only accepting applications from veterans with combat experience or issues related to military sexual trauma.

Our team reviews each application individually to determine eligibility.

Our decision-making process depends heavily on your answers to the application. We only work with veterans who we believe will work hard to get the most out of the therapy.

Applicants who are able to fund some or all of their journey will be selected sooner. We have found that those who have a stake in the game tend to have better results. This also demonstrates to us that they are willing to work to get to their healing. There are always ways to fundraise locally and we will gladly help with this if you ask.

We prefer sending veterans in at least groups of two. So if you have a friend who is also interested in going, let us know.

If you are currently on SSRI’s or other depression/anxiety medications you will have to be able to work with a trusted physician to help you come off of these substances in a responsible manner. Mixing these medications with psychedelics can be very dangerous and we will not work with individuals who quit cold turkey. DO NOT ALTER YOUR MEDICATION IN EXPECTATION OF GETTING ACCEPTED INTO OUR PROGRAM, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE SPOTS. IF SELECTED WE WILL WORK WITH YOUR TIMELINE.

Our ability to provide financial scholarships is completely dependent on donations which makes it difficult to determine exactly when we will be able to support the next group. As a result, we cannot give you a precise waiting time.

Get a passport. There is no reason not to have one and occasionally slots open up last minute.

What We Provide

If selected into our program, we will provide complete logistical support of your passage to the retreat center.

We also provide sessions with our integration coach who has been certified by the Being True To You integration program. Our coach will help you prepare before the retreat and then provide integration support afterwards.

We typically send smaller groups (2-5 veterans) to the centers in Latin America so you can expect to be at the retreat with civilians who are there for their own healing.

We have relationships with various plant medicine retreats and programs in many different countries. We have vetted these retreats to ensure you will have a quality experience. We only work with reputable centers that conduct their ceremonies respectful of indigenous tradition and are completely sustainable. ‘

We provide everything at cost so we do not make money off of the veterans we assist. As a result, we rely on the veterans we help to give back to our program to allow us continue our mission.

DISCLAIMER: Ayahusaca is not an approved therapy in the US and we do not offer medical advice. Although we strongly believe in our program, we do not guarantee results. Everyone interacts differently with the substance. That being said, across the board we have found that the more work individuals are willing to put in before and after the therapy , the more they get out of it.

We are honored to now be recruiting military Veterans for a series of therapeutic, residential retreats.

THESE SPECIFIC RETREATS ARE FOR VETERANS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME FORM OF HEAD/BRAIN TRAUMA ONLY. PLEASE DO NOT APPLY IF YOU DO NOT MEET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA BELOW.

WHY ARE WE RUNNING THESE RETREATS?

Heroic Hearts Project will be working with the Imperial College of London to study the effects of psilocybin on head trauma and well as the psychological effects on military veterans. We will be looking for candidates who have experience physical head trauma in the form of concussions, or consistent exposure to concussive blasts from explosives during their military experience.

There is increasingly compelling evidence to support psilocybin as an effective treatment for PTSD, as well as a treatment for some chronic symptoms of head trauma. PTSD and head trauma are common issues faced by many Veterans, so Heroic Hearts Project US is committed to both aiding Veterans’ recovery through psychedelic therapy, and to contributing to the evidence pool so that many more people can be helped in the future by these modalities.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The retreats will be held in Jamaica over 7 days (6 nights).

The therapeutic aspect of the retreats will involve the use of psilocybin, a mushroom driven psychedelic that has shown potential to improve mental well-being as well as more complex psychological disturbances.

All participants will be supported with professional preparation and integration training before, during and after the retreats. Heroic Hearts Project US will be funding, coordinating and carrying out all coaching, as well as travel and participation costs for those taking part.

We are aiming for the first retreats to taking part in Autumn 2021 (September/October) with preparation starting at least 1 month before.

AM I ELIGIBLE?

We are recruiting military Veterans who have completed active military service over the last 20 years.

Our priority is to provide this healing opportunity to Veterans who experienced head trauma during their service – this could be from a documented period of unconsciousness and/or repeated exposure to explosive forces.

Secondly, we wish to improve the mental wellbeing of Veterans who are experiencing psychological difficulties. That said, you do not need to have a formal mental health diagnosis in order to participate.

Lastly, it’s very important to us that the Veterans taking part in our retreats receive as much healing  from the experience as possible. For that to be possible, participants must be open to the potential healing effects of psychedelic medicine.

The research study will be occurring during these psilocybin retreats, however, participation in the study is not obligatory.

Please be aware that this form of therapy is not suitable for everyone. We are unable to consider applications from Veterans with:

• heart issues
• blood pressure issues
• a history of psychotic disorders
• a parent or sibling with a diagnosed psychotic disorder
• current use of antidepressant or antipsychotic medicine that you would be unable to discontinue
  • Please do not alter your medication to apply to this program. If you feel you would be interested in ceasing use of your medication in order to attend our retreat, please wait to hear back from us regarding your application, then discuss potential alterations to your medication with your healthcare provider.

Our team will review each application individually to determine eligibility. We will be making participant selections based on who we believe will get the most out of this therapy. Please fill out the application as fully and honestly as possible.

DISCLAIMER

Psilocybin is not an approved therapy in the UK/US and we do not offer medical advice. We strongly believe in the therapeutic potential of these retreats based on the available evidence regarding the therapeutic effects of psychedelic substances, including psilocybin. That said, we cannot guarantee results; everyone reacts differently to psychedelic substances. Every care and effort has been made to ensure that these retreats are as safe and beneficial as possible for those participants who engage fully with the program.

Psilocybin is legal to use in a retreat setting in Jamaica, you will not be committing an offense by taking part.