Brain health, in the view of coach Onjae Malyszka, rests on foundations like food, sleep, movement and community, not on any single tool. He tells Jeremy Van Wert how a sudden illness at 22, a later diagnosis of Lyme disease and mold toxicity, and a method called neural retraining shaped his approach. He calls microdosing and plant medicine tools, not cure-alls.
ᛉKey takeaways
- Onjae describes psychedelics, nootropics and herbs as tools in a toolkit, not cure-alls, and says foundations such as nutrition, sleep, movement and community come first.
- He explains that classic psychedelics act on different serotonin receptors than SSRIs, and he notes that research on microdosing is still early.
- Onjae says anxiety can be tricky, because some research suggests psychedelics may sometimes amplify it.
- He credits neural retraining, a practice built on neuroplasticity, with calming a hypervigilant nervous system during his own recovery.
- Onjae argues that healing needs an active role, because taking a daily dose or pill without changing routines can leave a person in the same pattern.
- He suggests unplugging in nature for a few days can itself be a reset.
ᛃ Moments in this one
ᚠWhat a brain health coach does, and why Onjae starts at the root
Onjae Malyszka is a certified psychedelic practitioner in Oregon and a brain health coach. He says he helps people overcome anxiety, depression and cognitive issues without what he calls endless pharmaceutical dependence or numbing life away. His aim is to look for root causes and layer healthy foundations from the ground up.
He describes combining tools such as psychedelics, nootropics, biohacking and other holistic practices, but he stresses that none of them works alone. If the foundations of nutrition, lifestyle, movement, sleep and connection with community and nature are not in place, he says, it is an uphill battle. People often arrive expecting a miracle cure, and he says that is not the case.
Readers who are curious about their own next step can book a private 30-minute consultation with Jeremy to talk through what kind of support fits.
ᚢHow classic psychedelics differ from SSRIs, according to Onjae
Onjae explains that classic psychedelics work on serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, which he says SSRIs do not target. He describes SSRIs as primarily acting on 5-HT1A receptors, which in his view can help a person put up with symptoms but may dull emotions. By contrast, he believes the psychedelic effect can encourage self-reflection and the neuroplasticity to change patterns of thinking.
He is careful about the limits. Onjae notes that research on microdosing is still in its infancy, that there is some evidence in rat models that these compounds can worsen anxiety, and that anxiety in particular can be tricky. He sees more obvious fit for depression and for performance or social anxiety than for generalized anxiety.
Jeremy adds his own view that these medicines are old and deserve respect. Onjae says respect matters, and that his own experiences taught him to approach any such compound with humility. This is a summary of their opinions, not a recommendation, and these substances may be illegal where you live.
ᚦNootropics for focus and ADHD: what Onjae and Jeremy mention
Jeremy says he has battled ADHD-related issues all his life and finds lion's mane helpful in the afternoon. Onjae points to natural nootropics such as bacopa, gotu kola, holy basil and Chinese polygala, and to a synthetic family called the racetams, which he says are no longer patented and have a high safety profile.
He says these compounds act on neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, serotonin, dopamine, glutamate and GABA, and that they can support focus, memory, mood and creativity. He also notes that people respond individually.
None of this is medical advice, and Onjae himself screens for interactions with medications in his coaching process.
ᚨFrom a sudden illness at 22 to a diagnosis of Lyme disease and mold toxicity
Onjae and his wife were living and working from a converted van, designing permaculture gardens for people, when he woke up one day with severe cognitive problems, fatigue, vertigo and migraines. He says doctors dismissed him and ran tests that did not provide the data needed. Practitioners who responded to his social media posts eventually pointed him to Lyme disease and mold toxicity.
He then spent about six months bedridden at ages 22 and 23, struggling to form sentences and recall names. He says he and his wife had to sell the van and move in with his parents, and that he lost the business he had built.
Onjae reports that he eventually received a diagnosis of Lyme disease and mold toxicity, which he describes as chronic inflammatory response syndrome. After seeing more than 20 doctors, he says he had to become his own advocate. This is his personal account, and those living with a similar condition can find peers and support in Thriving Spirits, the Mindful Mutiny community, which offers real conversation, live Fireside Chats and a course library.
ᚱNeural retraining, herbs and food: what Onjae says helped him rebuild
Onjae says he began with the foundations. He changed from a strict vegan diet to a ketogenic one, which he credits with helping the neural inflammation he felt, and he leans on food and culinary herbs as medicine. He also studied herbal medicine, makes his own tinctures and likes to identify plants in the forest.
The part he emphasizes most is neural retraining. At one point his nervous system had become hypervigilant, so that certain smells triggered migraines and fatigue. Using a program called the Dynamic Neural Retraining System, he practiced pairing the trigger with an uplifting memory and imagining being exposed without a reaction. He says this took an hour a day for five or six months, and that the relief carried over to other triggers.
He also says microdosing was one of the tools that helped him clear the fog and think straight again, and that it helped him rebuild self-love. He frames it as one piece, and he says neuroplasticity from such tools may speed up practices like retraining. People who want a place to explore deeper work with support can read about Light in the Mountains, a three-day small-group psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy retreat in the Sierra Nevada led by Jeremy.
ᚲActive versus passive healing, and why unplugging matters
Jeremy compares retraining the mind to walking carefully across a rope bridge, choosing the better path every step. Onjae agrees and says the difference is between taking an active role and a passive one. It is easy to take a daily dose and put it back, he says, but if the routine stays the same, it may only solidify the pattern.
He describes his coaching as a process that starts with a health assessment to rule out contraindications, builds a whole protocol around mindset, nutrition, movement and environment, and runs for 90 days or more. He says the goal is to equip people to become agents of their own well-being.
Onjae also says he does not always start with a big psychedelic experience. Sometimes he suggests going into the woods for a few days, unplugging and perhaps fasting, which he calls a profound reset in itself. If you are wondering whether this kind of work suits you, Jeremy offers a straight read on whether therapy and retreat work is a fit.
Psychedelics and plant medicines may be illegal where you live and aren't right for everyone. Nothing here is a recommendation to use any substance. This is not medical advice, and the health experiences described are the guest's own.
ᚨ Questions people ask
What is a brain health coach?
In this episode, Onjae Malyszka describes his coaching as looking for root causes of anxiety, low mood and brain fog and building foundations in nutrition, movement, sleep, community and nature. He combines that with tools like nootropics, herbs and, in some cases, microdosing.
How do classic psychedelics differ from SSRIs?
Onjae says classic psychedelics act on serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, while SSRIs mainly act on 5-HT1A receptors. This is his explanation, and he notes that research on microdosing is still early.
What is neural retraining?
Onjae describes it as an applied form of neuroplasticity, like meditation and mindfulness 2.0, in which a person builds new associations with a trigger. He used the Dynamic Neural Retraining System for about an hour a day over five or six months.
Are psychedelics a cure for anxiety or depression?
Onjae says no. He calls them tools in the toolkit, notes that they can sometimes worsen anxiety, and says foundations such as food, sleep and community matter most. Nothing in this episode is medical advice.