Tim Ferriss: How to Learn Better & Create Your Best Future

Tim Ferriss’ Process for The Four Hour Body

• Explored new, very old, and orphaned ideas
• Interviewed experts in various fields 
  • Asked about what nerds are doing on weekends or at night
  • Asked about what rich people are doing now that might become widespread in the future
  • Looked for areas where people were cobbling together awkward solutions
• Studied extreme cases to inform the mean 
  • Examples: racehorses, bodybuilding, high-​​level athletes, billionaires, rich people
• Assumed practitioners would be ahead of scientific papers 
  • Coaches and athletes’ performance often lead to peer-​​reviewed exercise science papers, but with a lag time of at least 3–5 years

Tim Ferriss’ Approach to Structured Thinking

• Both structured and unstructured thinking

• Some exploration was a structured practice, while other ideas were allowed to naturally surface
  Tim Ferriss on Writing and Routines

• Tim Ferriss has a habit of capturing almost everything in writing

• Wrote The Four Hour Body as a “choose your own adventure” book
• Used a program called Scrivener for gathering research and drafts
• Gathered data from various sources, including Evernote
• Writing schedule: 9 PM to 4 AM, when the rest of the world is inactive
• This schedule worked well for him, but it’s challenging for maintaining a social life
• Some creators need space and lack of distractions to be productive
• Writers often find ways to avoid writing

Anecdata and Case Studies

• Many discoveries begin as case studies or case histories
• Most knowledge about human memory comes from one patient, HM, who had his hippocampi removed for epilepsy
• Not all research will receive funding for randomized control trials (RCTs)

Self-​​Experimentation and Scientific Literacy

• Important to not fool oneself and be able to read studies well
• Becoming literate in scientific studies provides a significant life advantage
• Peter Attia’s “Studying the Studies” blog series is a helpful resource

BPC 157

• Gastric peptide synthesized for injection into tissue for healing or improvement
• Lacks published data, but has anecdotal evidence of healing injuries faster
• Unlikely to have a controlled trial due to lack of financial incentives and career risks for researchers

Supplement Fails

• Experimenting with supplements can lead to failures and negative side effects
• Example: Trans-​​resveratrol caused joint pain and was discontinued

• Example: Bulbine Natalensis spiked testosterone levels but caused a crash and testicular pain after 7–10 days of use
  Supplement Fails and Experimental Fails

• Discussing the idea of a “Supplement Fails” podcast

• Importance of being cautious with injections and potential infections

Platelet-​​Rich Plasma (PRP)

• Can be useful for certain types of injury or repair
• Risks include potential infections from injections

Slow Carb Diet

• High adherence rate and effective for many people
• Can be done on a reasonable budget
• Includes the infamous “cheat day”
• Works well for maintaining energy levels and performance in various activities

30 Grams of Protein Within 30 Minutes of Waking

• Counterintuitive but effective for many people
• Helps with appetite suppression and thermic effect of food
• Can lead to a net decrease in daily calories consumed

Time Restricted Feeding and Intermittent Fasting

• Some people lose muscle mass when not done correctly
• Important to monitor body composition and hydration levels
• Fasting can be effective when done properly

Ketosis and Metabolic Psychiatry

• The impact of diet on mental health is becoming more widely recognized
• Specific diet protocols can be used to treat mental health issues
• The connection between mind and body is important to consider in overall health

Power of Places

• The role of places in personal and professional growth
• High-​​density areas can provide valuable networking opportunities
• Examples: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Ottawa (Shopify), Pittsburgh (Duolingo)
• Consider moving to a high-​​density area for a period of time to grow and build capabilities

Volunteering and Networking

• Volunteer at events with interesting speakers and attendees
• Be proactive and go above and beyond in your volunteering role
• Producers of events will notice your hard work and dedication
• This can lead to invitations to join meetings, plan future events, and recruit speakers
• Build your network by being professional, on time, and easy to work with
• High performers will notice and appreciate these qualities

In-​​Person Networking

• Focus on the uncrowded channel of in-​​person networking
• Attend conferences and interact with humans in the hallway
• Approach panelists and moderators after events
• Moderators are often overlooked and can provide valuable connections
• Be genuine and express your interests and goals

• This can lead to introductions and opportunities in your desired field
  Building Networks and Asking Questions

• Approach networking by genuinely connecting with people

  • Focus on developing deeper relationships rather than collecting contacts
  • Avoid trying to connect with famous people for the sake of social validation
• Ask yourself important questions to examine your motivations 
  • Example: “If I could never talk about this, would I do it?”
• Collect and revisit powerful questions 
  • Questions can help with self-​​inquiry and personal growth
  • Example: “What would you do if you knew you were going to fail?”

• Journaling can help refine the questions you ask yourself

  • Helps to cross-​​examine and stress test your beliefs and certainties
    Exploring Psychedelics

• Tim Ferriss’ first experience with psychedelics

  • During his undergraduate years at Princeton
  • Initially a psychology major with a focus on neuroscience
  • First tried mushrooms recreationally 
    • Consumed a large amount (over 5 grams)
    • Experience was bizarre, nonlinear, and unlike anything he had experienced before
    • Led to a curiosity about the compounds and their effects on the brain
• Wrote a paper in 1998 or 1999 
  • Examined potential similarities between REM sleep and LSD-25
  • Looked at patterns of neural activity
• Professor Barry Jacobs 
  • Worked on serotonergic systems
  • Studied cats, as they sleep a lot and are interesting to study
• Tim Ferriss’ interest in psychedelics 
  • Driven by the unknown and the potential for growth in understanding
  • More interested in areas that baffle most people examining them

Animal Research in Neuroscience

• Tim Ferriss struggled with the idea of animal research 
  • Specifically, the process of injecting retroviruses into rats and then bleeding them to death to avoid bruising of the tissue
  • Decided he couldn’t do it and transferred out of neuroscience

• Andrew Huberman’s laboratory

  • Shutting down mouse work
  • Prefers to work on humans, as they can give consent and house themselves
  • Animal research is tough for any sentient being, but there is a place for it in scientific research
    Personal Experience with Psychedelics

• Suffered from major depressive disorder and extended depressive episodes

  • On average, three to four episodes a year, lasting a few weeks to a few months
• Noticed an afterglow effect from higher dose experiences with mushrooms (psilocybin)
  • Antidepressant or mood-​​elevating effect lasting far longer than the half-​​life of the substance
• Had a scary experience that led to stopping the use of psychedelics 
  • Revisited the idea in 2012–2013 after witnessing the transformation of a girlfriend through Ayahuasca
• Approached psychedelics systematically with safeguards and proper supervision 
  • Personal outcome: from three to four depressive episodes per year to one every two years

Exploring Meditation and Psychedelics

• Started Transcendental Meditation ™ during a period of acute stress 
  • Described as a “warm bath for your mind” that helps with relaxation and anxiety
• Began examining how to approach taking psychedelics in a logical sequence with proper protections and safety assurances 
  • Took copious notes over the span of ten-​​plus years

Funding Psychedelic Research

• Initially funded early-​​stage science, such as Adam Ghazali’s lab at UCSF 
  • Research on software to attenuate or reverse age-​​related cognitive impairment
• Committed to funding psychedelic research once financially able 
  • Saw potential in the field due to limited funding and high leverage

• Crowdfunded for a Johns Hopkins pilot study on psilocybin for treatment-​​resistant depression

  • No negative blowback, and support from others in the field
  • Realized that the perception of psychedelics did not match the reality
  • People want solutions for mental health issues, even if it involves psychedelics
    Tim Ferriss on Psychedelics and Mental Health

• Tim Ferriss has been a strong advocate for mental health therapeutics, including psychedelics

  • Believes they can challenge much of what we assume to be true about treating mental health
  • Attracted to the field because it’s uncrowded and high-leverage
• Ferriss has funded various projects and initiatives related to psychedelics 
  • Crowdfunding for the Hopkins Treatment Resistant Depression Pilot study
  • Ferris UC Berkeley Journalism Fellowship in partnership with Michael Pollan 
    • Provides funding to journalists focusing on psychedelics as their beat
    • Aims to shape and inform national and international discourse on the topic
  • Harvard Poplar: first dedicated team focused on law, policy, and regulation related to psychedelics from a legal perspective
  • Developing curricula for Yale, Johns Hopkins, and NYU to train psychiatrists in administering psychedelic-​​assisted therapies

Future of Psychedelic Therapies

• MDMA-​​assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of trauma is likely to become legal within the next 12–24 months in the US 
  • Due to the efforts of Maps​.org, Rick Doblin, and others
  • Important for the future of other psychedelic therapies, such as psilocybin for alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder

• Ferriss emphasizes the importance of breaking down the process of changing national policy and reclassification of compounds

  • Focus on the critical few and execute the plan in a logical sequence
  • Avoid trying to do everything at once, which is a common weakness in the psychedelic ecosystem
    Sisa Foundation Outcomes

• Using the same filters and approach as in startup record

• Looking for high leverage, uncrowded bets with limited downside

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

• Non-​​invasive technique
• Can inhibit specific brain areas or stimulate at particular frequencies
• Enhance neuroplasticity
• Potential synergistic effect with psychedelics
• Monotherapy for depression, anxiety, substance use disorders

Metabolic Psychiatry

• Ketosis and ketogenic diet effective for some patients with chaotic conditions
• Interested in off-​​the-​​beaten-​​path tools that raise interesting questions

Meditation Practices

• Tim Ferriss does 10–20 minutes in the morning
• Concentration practice with a mantra or guided meditation (e.g., Waking Up app by Sam Harris)
• Spending time in silence, in nature, without distractions
• Extended water fasts in nature

Reentry After Time in Nature

• Pre-​​during-​​post approach
• Putting better systems in place before going off the grid
• Ensuring the house doesn’t catch on fire while away

• Implementing policies and rules in advance
  Nature Retreats and Mental Health

• Nature retreats can help with mental health and well-being

  • Provides a break from daily routine and stressors
  • Allows for reflection and recovery
• Importance of easing back into daily routine after a retreat 
  • Avoid jumping straight back into a busy schedule
  • Gradually reintegrate to maintain benefits from the retreat

Mentors and Learning from Others

• Mentors can be friends or people you admire 
  • Can be older or younger than you
  • Important to choose people who embody areas of life you want to emulate
• Learning from others can come from various sources 
  • Teachers, coaches, or even strangers
  • Requires self-​​awareness to know what areas to work on

• Example: Matt Mullenweg, founder of Automatic

  • Exemplifies a calm temperament in chaotic situations
  • Can serve as a mentor for maintaining emotional balance
    Balancing Inward and Outward Learning

• Inward learning: meditation, nature, psychedelics

• Outward learning: learning from others, paying attention to others
• Balancing mind allocation across the year and day

Yearly Mind Allocation

• Past Year Review (PYR) on New Year’s Eve 
  • Analyze positive and negative experiences from the past year
  • Create a “do more of” and “do less of” list
  • Schedule important activities for the upcoming year

Weekly Mind Allocation

• Create a weekly rhythm to focus on certain types of tasks 
  • Monday: administration tasks
  • Schedule physical activity after lunch
• Avoid cognitive switching and task switching

Social Media and Time Management

• Time spent on social media can be detrimental to productivity
• Deleting social media apps from the phone can help with time management
• Importance of scheduling time for important activities

Cockpunch: A Creative Project

• Aims to make the creator less precious about their brand
• An investment in long-​​term mental health and career flexibility

• Experiment with fiction writing
  Tim Ferriss’ Cockpunch Project

• Started as a way to explore creativity and fundraise for early-​​stage science

• Combines interests in Web Three, NFTs, illustration, and visual arts
• Raised almost $2 million for science, distributed through grants
• Project led to reconnecting with old friends, learning new technologies, and exercising creative muscles
• The Legend of Cockpunch: a fantasy world-​​building exercise in the form of short stories 
  • Takes place in the realm of Varlata
  • Narrated by the 7^th Scribe
  • Features eight primary houses with anthropomorphized rooster characters
  • The Great Games: a combat competition between the houses, nicknamed “Cockpunch”
• Project brings Tim Ferriss peace, contentment, and delight

• Demonstrates the importance of giving oneself permission to explore and challenge the impossible
  Psychedelic Research and Funding

• Rapidly changing field of early-​​stage psychedelic science

• Foundations doing good work in the field: 
  • Riversticks Foundation
  • Beckley Foundation
  • Scise Foundation
• Scise Foundation supports various projects, from basic science to sophisticated imaging studies and phase three trials for MDMA-​​assisted psychotherapy

Tim Ferriss on Sharing Personal Struggles

• Discussed near-​​suicide in college 
  • Dark secret, never told parents or close friends
  • Decided to write about it after an encounter with a young man who lost his brother to suicide
  • Realized sharing his story could help others struggling with mental health
• Importance of discussing mental health and personal tribulations 
  • Helps others feel less alone in their struggles
  • Encourages open conversation and support