Podcast Summary: Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast – Ep 595

Title: The Man Who Saves the World? (feat. Gabe Polsky)

Date: January 22, 2026
Hosts: Matt McCusker & Shane Gillis
Guest: Gabe Polsky, filmmaker

Overview

This episode features filmmaker Gabe Polsky, director of the documentary The Man Who Saves the World?, which follows Patrick McCollum—a man who may or may not be the prophesied figure destined to unite the Amazonian tribes and, possibly, save the world. Matt and Gabe dive deep into the documentary’s creation, the eccentric life of McCollum, the pressures and quirks of documentary filmmaking, indigenous prophecies, the addiction to cataclysm in human culture, the value of optimism, and spiritual experiences through psychedelics—all with the show’s trademark irreverence and humor.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Gabe Polsky and His Documentary

• Matt praises The Man Who Saves the World? as one of the best documentaries he’s seen, emphasizing its brevity compared to the typical six-hour docuseries. (00:06–01:15)
• Gabe clarifies this doc is about Patrick McCollum—distinct from other similarly titled works (00:27).

Notable Quote:

“I thought your documentary was honestly, fantastic... It’s about a guy who, by the guy alone, could have been... What's his name?” – Matt (01:32-01:49)

2. The Story of Patrick McCollum: Fact, Fiction, or Prophecy?

• Synopsis: Patrick McCollum, a peacemaker with a shockingly wild resume, is identified by Amazonian elders as the central figure in a centuries-old prophecy. Initially skeptical, he’s repeatedly approached over years and ultimately tries to fulfill their vision of uniting indigenous tribes to save the Amazon.
• Gabe details his own skepticism, hiring a PI to verify McCollum’s stories, including his relationships with celebrities like Jane Goodall. (03:36–04:05)
• McCollum’s Life: Former carney, jewelry designer for movie stars and presidents, married a prostitute, compared to Forrest Gump for his mythic, unbelievable life story (04:49-05:16).

Notable Quote:

“This guy's an artist. This is crazy... I hired a private investigator to look into this guy. He was saying he's best friends with Jane Goodall, and I didn't really believe him... [She] said this guy's the most fascinating guy she's ever met.” – Gabe (03:36–04:05)

3. Making the Documentary: Process, Challenges, and Insanity

• Process: Gabe spent about three years, on-and-off, filming McCollum—sometimes even sleeping over at his houses in California and New Mexico (08:23–08:26).
• Pressure: The uncertain narrative (would the prophecy ever be fulfilled?) fueled anxiety and a sense of existential insanity (09:22–09:36).
• Independence: No major platforms wanted to bankroll the doc; investors thought the story was "too weird," so Gabe did it solo (09:45-10:27).

Notable Quote:

“Pitching this story to like Netflix and HBO... it's just so far out and so weird. They're not making this kind of stuff... even going to investors, they're just look at me like, 'What the hell are you talking about?' This is too weird. You're crazy.” – Gabe (09:45-10:27)

4. The Smallness of World-Changing Movements & Uniting Tribes

• Gabe describes attending gatherings for the prophecy: small, sometimes anticlimactic, but with the potential to create ripple effects, comparing them to the humble beginnings of Jesus’ sermons or the podcast itself. (12:18–13:39)
• Matt and Gabe agree on the value of contagious optimism, as exemplified by McCollum—though sometimes bordering on delusion (14:04–14:19).

5. On Positivity, Negativity, and Mental Health

• The conversation turns philosophical: the power and necessity of positive thinking, even (and especially) when it feels forced.
• Matt wonders what cultural structures (like religion) are left to sustain people’s morale; both agree the “art of positivity” is overlooked in education and daily life (16:21–16:49).

Notable Exchange:

“It's such a fight to stay positive, you know? But it's so important.” – Gabe (15:18)
“There's nobody... there's like no emphasis put on the responsibility of not being a gigantic bummer.” – Matt (15:34)

6. Childhood, Identity, and the Influence of Sports

• Revealed: Gabe played hockey at Yale, which surprises Matt (19:39–20:03).
• Hockey Commitment: The immense early morning commitment, scholarships, and financial aid (20:09–21:20).
• Discussion transitions to talent, athleticism, and Gabe’s previous doc In Search of Greatness—challenging the idea that greatness is all about physical prowess (21:28–23:40).

“Most of the greatest athletes... they're actually, like, worse than the average athlete's strength and speed... [Wayne Gretzky] just crazy thought. He thought faster. The same thing with Tom Brady...” – Gabe (22:37–22:50)

7. Performance, Creativity, and Finding Flow

• The importance of fun, experimentation, and freedom in sports and comedy. Matt shares an anecdote about needing to loosen up on stage (24:39–26:23).

“Just go have fun. Stop being... such a simple, such a dumb thing. But I... went on after that and had a blast... I was doing a disservice to everybody else by being so self centered.” – Matt (26:10–26:23)

8. Loving Yourself (Or Not) and the Value of Doing for Others

• Both agree that the cultural push to “love yourself” is practically impossible; it’s easier (and more effective) to help others instead (29:09–30:15).
• “Keeping score” in relationships is poison; the healthiest approach is to simply "be it" and not tally up emotional debts. (32:24–32:33)

9. Judgement, Empathy, and Growing Past Insecurity

• Matt shares how COVID heightened his knee-jerk judgment and social antagonism—until he made a conscious effort to wish others well and see everyone as “someone’s kid,” which brought more peace (35:25–36:16).
• They reflect on the evolutionary roots of insecurity (“sizing up the competition”), but agree it makes you feel worse (37:00–37:47).

10. Banter, Family, and Comedy’s Cutting Edge

• Light-hearted stories about growing up in large families, the role of ribbing and teasing, and how Matt honed his comedic style around the dinner table (39:01–39:55).
• On poking fun publicly: It’s fine with friends; less OK with strangers.

11. "Polsky’s Law" and The Paradox of Appearances

• Gabe outlines his belief: “Everything you see is the opposite” (“Polsky’s Law”), e.g., outwardly happy people could be sad inside, physical deficiencies breed greatness, etc. (43:29–44:09)
• They riff on facial and behavioral analysis, referencing current trends in social media “face reading.” (45:48–47:44)

12. Psychedelics and Spiritual Experiences

• Ayahuasca/Mushrooms: Gabe discusses his experience (seven times) with ayahuasca, describing it as opening portals to other dimensions rather than providing clear answers. (48:31–51:42)
• Therapeutic Use: While some endlessly chase healing with psychedelics, he’s seen real positive changes, mostly “shaving edges” off negative patterns, albeit slowly.
• Matt draws comparisons to high-dose mushroom experiences—describing them as removing the “football helmet” of your own awareness for truly new introspection (54:40–55:46).

“It feels like... your own frame of awareness is like a football helmet you can't take off. And [mushrooms] just like, take it off. And I got to, like, look at it. And I was like, dude, I'm nuts.” – Matt (54:40–54:57)

13. Facing Cataclysm and the Role of Indigenous Wisdom

• They connect indigenous prophecies (from Gabe’s doc) to contemporary crises: humanity may need to return to core values and wisdom to survive technological and environmental threats (62:11–62:59).

14. Spirituality, Religion, and Coping with Mortality

• Discussion of how modern societies may lack vital meaning structures; psychedelics can offer a glimpse, but even Jung said we need a sense of something greater to cope with midlife and mortality (57:25–58:20).

15. Documentary Release Details & Gabe’s Next Moves

• Upcoming Screenings: SF, Oakland, Boulder, Austin (65:24–66:14)
• Distribution Strategy: Rolling out doc via “tour” style events before wide release.
• Gabe’s Focus: Mainly this film for now; more projects to come.

Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps & Attribution)

• “This guy's an artist. This is crazy... I hired a private investigator...” – Gabe (03:36–04:05)
• “Pitching this story to like Netflix and HBO... it's just so far out and so weird.” – Gabe (09:45-10:27)
• “It's such a fight to stay positive, you know? But it's so important.” – Gabe (15:18)
• “There's nobody... there's like no emphasis put on the responsibility of not being a gigantic bummer.” – Matt (15:34)
• “Most of the greatest athletes... they're actually, like, worse than the average athlete's strength and speed...” – Gabe (22:37)
• “It feels like... your own frame of awareness is like a football helmet you can't take off. And [mushrooms] just like, take it off. And I got to, like, look at it. And I was like, dude, I'm nuts.” – Matt (54:40)
• “Everything you see is the opposite of what you see. You know, what you think.” – Gabe, explaining “Polsky’s Law” (44:13–44:25)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:06 – Documentary intro and Gabe’s motivation
• 03:36 – Investigating Patrick McCollum’s wild credentials
• 08:23 – The practical grind of documentary filmmaking
• 12:18 – Reflections on world-changing movements and prophesied “chosen ones”
• 15:18 – The value (and struggle) of optimism
• 19:39–20:09 – Gabe’s hockey and college experiences
• 22:37–23:40 – Insights from In Search of Greatness: mental creativity over physical prowess
• 29:09–30:15 – Loving yourself vs. doing for others
• 35:25 – Matt’s personal experiment in seeing humanity as “other people’s kids”
• 43:29–44:09 – “Polsky’s Law”
• 48:31–51:42 – Ayahuasca, psychedelics, and spiritual perception
• 62:11–62:59 – Indigenous prophecy, saving the world, and “the original order”
• 65:24 – The documentary’s release path

Tone and Style

• Engaging, self-deprecating humor and camaraderie.
• Willingness to explore existential and philosophical issues, but never without a playful, conversational approach.
• Open, curious, sometimes skeptical tone regarding “chosen ones,” spiritual experience, and the state of the world.

Conclusion

This episode blends deeply personal and cosmic questions—What does it mean to be the “chosen one”? How do you stay positive or even sane in a crazy world? Should we take indigenous prophecy more seriously?—with light-hearted banter, stories of athletic shortfalls and comedic insecurities, and a thread of genuine curiosity about what it means to grow, relate, and maybe, possibly, help save the world.

Recommendation:
Check out Gabe Polsky’s The Man Who Saves the World? at its screening tour, or see it via wider release later in the year.

End of Summary.