If you or someone you love is in crisis, get help now.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, 24/7 https://988lifeline.org
SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357, free, confidential treatment referral, 24/7 https://www.samhsa.gov
Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1 https://www.veteranscrisisline.net
Emergency: call 911
Go deeper.
The research, books and voices behind The Pursuit of a Warrior Heart.
This book is a sword, and every edge on it was sharpened against Scripture and solid research. If you want to know the why behind the tools, start here. These are the men and women whose work shaped every phase.
THE VOICES BEHIND THE BOOK
| Dr. Andrew Huberman | Dr. Chris Palmer | Dr. Anna Lembke |
| Trevor Moawad | Dr. Georgia Ede | Dr. Nora Volkow |
| Dr. Gabor Maté | Dr. Bessel van der Kolk | Dr. Bruce Lipton |
| Dr. Stephen Porges | Dr. Bruce K. Alexander | Dr. Judson Brewer |
| Dr. Christine Porath | Dr. Wendy Wood | Viktor Frankl |
| William James | Earl Nightingale | Carl Jung |
| John Maxwell | Dr. Joe Dispenza | Dr. Jordan Peterson |
| HeartMath Institute |
The Holy Bible (NIV)
The final authority and primary source of the book. Anchor passages include 2 Peter 1:3–11, Romans 8:28, Psalm 51, Romans 5:2–5, 2 Corinthians 1:22, Joel 2:25–26, Romans 12:2, Psalm 32:8, Hebrews 4:12 and 4:16, Lamentations 3:22–23, Psalm 46:10, Exodus 14:14, Philippians 4:6–8, Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:10, Isaiah 26:3, John 15:1–8 and Daniel 1.
METABOLIC PSYCHIATRY AND THE BRAIN
Dr. Christopher Palmer — Brain Energy (2022)
Harvard psychiatrist, McLean Hospital. Mental disorders as metabolic disorders of the brain. Phase V.
Link: chrispalmermd.com
Dr. Georgia Ede — Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind (2024)
Harvard-trained psychiatrist. Co-authored the first inpatient study of the ketogenic diet for treatment-resistant mental illness. Phase V.
Link: diagnosisdiet.com | The 2022 inpatient study
Dr. Andrew Huberman — Huberman Lab
Stanford neurobiologist. Protocols on sunlight, cold exposure, dopamine, exercise and BDNF, sleep, and the physiological sigh. Referenced throughout.
Link: hubermanlab.com
Dr. Anna Lembke — Dopamine Nation (2021)
Stanford psychiatrist, Medical Director of Stanford Addiction Medicine. The pleasure-pain balance and the dopamine reset. Phase IV.
Link: annalembke.com
Dr. Nora Volkow — National Institute on Drug Abuse
Director of NIDA. Brain-imaging research on dopamine and addiction. Phase IV.
Link: NIDA Director's page
ADDICTION, TRAUMA AND THE BODY
Dr. Gabor Maté — In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts; The Myth of Normal
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk — The Body Keeps the Score
Trauma is stored in the body. Phase VI.
Link: besselvanderkolk.com
Dr. Bruce Lipton — The Biology of Belief
Dr. Stephen Porges — Polyvagal Theory
Dr. Judson Brewer — Brown University Mindfulness Center
MIND, HABIT AND PERFORMANCE
Trevor Moawad — It Takes What It Takes
Dr. Christine Porath — Mastering Civility
Dr. Wendy Wood — Good Habits, Bad Habits
USC habit researcher. About 43% of daily actions are habits cued by environment. Phase III.
Link: USC book page
Viktor Frankl — Man's Search for Meaning
William James — The Principles of Psychology (1890)
The father of American psychology. Habit and "act as if." Phases III and VI.
Link: Read free (Project Gutenberg)
Earl Nightingale — The Strangest Secret
Carl Jung — 1961 letter to Bill Wilson
The shadow, and spiritus contra spiritum, the letter that helped shape Alcoholics Anonymous. Phase VI.
Link: Read the letter
John Maxwell — The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
HEART, COHERENCE AND WELL-BEING
The HeartMath Institute
Dr. Joe Dispenza
Dr. Jordan Peterson
Clinical psychologist. On alcohol as a short-term fix that costs you long-term.
KEY PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH
Loh, Tseng, Wei & Li (1976), PNAS — "β-endorphin is a potent analgesic agent."
Beta-endorphin was 18 to 33 times more potent than morphine in this animal study. Phase IV.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.73.8.2895
Boecker et al. (2008), Cerebral Cortex — "The Runner's High: Opioidergic Mechanisms in the Human Brain."
Brain scans showing endorphin release after a two-hour run. Phase IV.
Yano et al. (2015), Cell — "Indigenous bacteria from the gut microbiota regulate host serotonin biosynthesis."
Gut bacteria drive much of the body's serotonin production. Phase IV.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2015.02.047
Fung et al. (2019), Nature Microbiology (UCLA)
Turicibacter sanguinis senses and transports serotonin. Phase IV.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-019-0540-4
Sleiman et al. (2016), eLife
Exercise raises BDNF through the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate. Phase VII.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15092
Sundar et al. (2021), International Journal of Molecular Sciences — "Oxytocin and Addiction: Potential Glutamatergic Mechanisms."
How oxytocin may reduce addiction-related behavior. Phase IV.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22052405
Heim et al. (2009), Molecular Psychiatry — "Lower CSF oxytocin concentrations in women with a history of childhood abuse."
Childhood maltreatment linked to lower oxytocin. Phase IV.
https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2008.112
van Amsterdam & van den Brink (2025), Journal of Psychopharmacology
Sugar triggers the brain's dopamine reward center, like addictive substances. Phase IV.
https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811251319454
Elbers & McCraty (2025), Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health — "From Dysregulation to Coherence."
HeartMath narrative review on trauma, stress and coherence. Phase VIII.
https://doi.org/10.1177/27536130251408821
STATISTICS SOURCES
Overdose and suicide statistics cited in the book and on this site are drawn from the CDC and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), 2024 data.
DISCLAIMER
The Pursuit of a Warrior Heart and the Warrior Society support, but do not replace, medical or professional treatment. Always consult a qualified physician before changing your diet or supplements, or before stopping alcohol or drugs. Withdrawal can carry serious medical risk. Getting help is not weakness. It's what warriors do.