Consciousness & Medicine
Mackey Credits LSD-Induced Ego Death at 22 for Whole Foods Vision
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
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"I had experienced an ego death again through psychedelics when I was about 22. I dissolved my ego. I was just part of the one. I realized that at the essence, I remembered it actually. It's like, oh yeah, I forgot. Here it is. And that changed everything because then I was like, I can create to dream. I can create whatever I want to create."
John Mackey revealed that a psychedelic ego death experience at age 22 was the catalyst for founding Whole Foods Market. He described dissolving his sense of self and reconnecting with universal consciousness, which liberated him to pursue entrepreneurship rather than the professional path his parents planned. This spiritual awakening directly preceded his move into a vegetarian co-op and eventual launch of his first natural food store.
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