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Aaron Rodgers has taken some unconventional methods to prepare himself for upcoming seasons, especially from a mental approach. It's hard to argue given the results of his legendary career, including winning four NFL MVP awards and a Super Bowl ring.
Regardless of his relative success, his untraditional antics have often brought on a ton of criticizm. One of his most recent controversies was when he went on a "darkness retreat" during the 2023 NFL offseason.
The method basically shuts off the entire outside world and leaves Rodgers in a dark room for several days to sit alone with nothing but his thoughts.
The veteran quarterback received a ton of criticizm for participating in this unique experience. NFL writer Peter King of NBC Sports asked Aaron Rodgers about the backlash during a recent interview.
Here's what Rodgers had to say:
“Listen, a lot of the things that I’ve talked about that I’ve done, people don’t understand. I think there’s too many people who are judgmental without being curious. I think a lot of those people who had derogatory things to say about it actually are the ones who might benefit the most from some of the things that I’ve done."
Rodgers doesn't seem to mind the critics too much, instead blaming them for judging something they don't really understand. This isn't the first time his unconventional actions were called into question this year. He also appeared at a Psychadelic Science conference to speak with Aubrey Marcus about his opinions and experiences on the controversial subject.
Psychadelics have allegedly played a role in Rodgers' success, so it makes some sense that he was a speaker at the event. He infamously admitted to taking ayahuasca during an offseason with the Green Bay Packers.
He credits his experience to his improved performances immediately following it. Maybe the darkness retreat will produce similar results with the New York Jets this year.
Aaron Rodgers' incredible perormance after taking ayahuasca
Aaron Rodgers admitted to taking the psychadelic drug ayahuasca on a South America vacation during the 2020 NFL offseason and proceeded to rattle off two of the best years of his career immediately following his trip.
Rodgers was named the NFL MVP for two consecutive years in the 2020 and 2021 NFL season. He also won 13 regular-season games each year, helping the Green Bay Packers appear in the NFL Playoffs in both of them.
While it's unclear if the ayahuasca actually had anything to dowith it, Rodgers' claims using it helped change his mindset, directly impacting his performance on the football field.
