In Waves and War Spotlights Psychedelics Helping Veterans Heal Trauma
The psychedelic movement continues to expand into the mainstream, and now, a new Netflix documentary is helping bring an often overlooked group into the spotlight: military veterans living with the invisible wounds of war.
Released on November 3, In Waves and War follows three former U.S. Navy SEALs as they seek healing from trauma using psychedelic-assisted therapy after traditional treatments failed them. What they discover could redefine the future of mental health care for veterans and civilians alike.
The documentary arrives at a critical moment. Countless U.S. veterans return home to lives that may look calm on the outside, yet are overshadowed by PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, nightmares, rage, depression, and emotional shutdown. For some, this suffering persists for years or decades, with heartbreaking consequences. Widely used treatments (talk therapy, antidepressants, mood stabilizers) often improve symptoms only temporarily, or not at all.
This stark difference — surface healing versus deep, lasting, healing — is the emotional and scientific heart of the film.
Netflix Continues Its Exploration of Psychedelic Storytelling
In Waves and War isn’t Netflix’s first psychedelic project. In recent years, the platform has shown a growing willingness to entertain nuanced, science-backed discussions around altered states and mental health. It was in May that 2020 the streaming giant released Have a Good Trip, a star-studded, comedic anthology of psychedelic stories featuring celebrities like Sting, Sarah Silverman, and Anthony Bourdain. We also saw 2022’s adaptation of Michael Pollan’s bestselling book How to Change Your Mind, which dove deep into psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and mescaline, exploring how they are being studied to treat depression, addiction, and existential distress.
But In Waves and War brings something new to the table: an intimate focus on veterans. It’s less about cultural history or psychedelic counterculture and more about confronting trauma, loss, and the desperate need for healing among those who have carried the weight of war back home. It’s removing the noise around what is often a controversial topic, and focusing on the real results.
Three SEALs, One Mission: Healing
The film follows Marcus Capone, D.J. Shipley, and Matty Roberts: three Navy SEALs whose service in Iraq and Afghanistan left physical wounds and deep psychological scars. Their experiences include:
- Ambushes and firefights
- Operation Red Wings in 2005, during which 19 American troops were killed
- Injuries such as the bullet wound that earned Roberts a Purple Heart
- Traumatic brain injuries and repeated concussions
- Persistent nightmares, flashbacks, and emotional disconnection
Their stories are raw, honest, and unfiltered. At a screening hosted by veteran nonprofit Home Base, co-director Jon Shenk shared:
“Marcus was a 13-year Navy SEAL who sustained multiple [traumatic brain injuries] and concussions and was living with the aftermath of that devastating effect on his mental and physical health. He tried every pill and conventional therapy. They discovered this alternative therapy involving psychedelics, and it ended up really saving him.”
For Capone and many like him, the breakdown wasn’t sudden. It was slow, painful, and obvious only after the damage had taken hold. In the film, he reads aloud part of his request for medical retirement:
“My mental condition has diminished. I’ve tried to hide this for the past couple years, but it’s become painfully obvious to the people close to me that I am struggling in many aspects of my life.”
The tragedy, the film suggests, is not just that veterans carry trauma — but that many are left to face it alone.
From Desperation to Psychedelic Treatment
For Capone, hope didn’t appear until his wife, Amber, learned of psychedelic treatments being offered at clinics in Mexico. These therapies used ibogaine and DMT, both natural psychedelics that remain illegal under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act. With few options left, Capone traveled abroad — nervous, resistant, and carrying years of pain.
It worked.
Under guidance and medical supervision, he confronted the emotional roots of his trauma, including the drowning of a close friend and fellow SEAL. Capone later told his wife:
“All of our friends that are suffering — we need to introduce this to them to get them better.”
His experience was not unique. Fellow SEAL Matty Roberts describes his journey this way:
“Mexico beat the crap out of me…But I could feel a connection to everything.”
In a world where many sufferers of PTSD feel numb or cut off from themselves and others, such breakthroughs can be life-changing.
From Personal Healing to Advocacy
Rather than keeping this healing journey private, Marcus and Amber Capone transformed it into a mission to help others. In 2019 they founded VETS (Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions), a nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans access psychedelic-assisted therapy.
The demand has been overwhelming. To date, VETS has funded treatment for more than 1,200 people, including both Shipley and Roberts. But the crisis far exceeds available resources.
As Capone told PBS News:
“We can’t meet the demand. We’re overwhelmed with applications. I’d say we can accept one out of every 10.”
This bottleneck reflects a deeper systemic issue. Often veterans wanting psychedelic treatment often must leave the country, pay out of pocket, and navigate a medical system that hasn’t caught up with emerging science.
Signs of Change on the Horizon
There are hopeful signals that this may not be true forever. In December 2024, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced funding for its first psychedelic-assisted therapy study since the 1960s. The research will evaluate MDMA for PTSD and alcohol use disorder, while other VA programs are also exploring MDMA and psilocybin for:
- Treatment-resistant depression
- PTSD
- Anxiety disorders
Much of this progress has roots in influential research centers like Johns Hopkins University, whose Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research co-hosted a screening of the film in Washington, D.C. The department has been studying psychedelics since 2000 and remains a global leader.
Dr. Virginia Jewiss, who moderated the panel discussion at the event, shared:
“The audience was deeply moved by the story of Marcus Capone and his fellow Navy Seals, the efforts of Marcus’s wife Amber, and the ongoing struggles of our military veterans. We were all stunned and dismayed to learn of the high suicide rates among the military.”
She also praised the film’s:
“creative use of animation to bring the viewer into the psychedelic experience.”
Healing the Root, Not the Symptoms
Throughout the film, one idea repeatedly stands out: psychedelics aren’t simply numbing symptoms — they’re helping people access the emotional and neurological origin of their trauma.
As Capone told PBS News:
“Ibogaine gets to the root cause of what’s affecting your everyday life. Too many treatments put a Band-Aid fix on it…but psychedelics get into your unconscious.”
For veterans who have tried everything the VA can offer, this difference in approach can mean the difference between barely functioning and finally coming home to themselves.
A Documentary With Real-World Impact
In Waves and War is not just another streaming release: it is an emotional, vulnerable, and deeply human look at trauma, courage, and the emerging future of mental health care. By platforming veterans — voices that people across the political spectrum tend to trust — Netflix may help shift the perception of psychedelics globally from taboo to legitimate medical tools.
Whether the film leads to broader policy change remains to be seen. But for now, it stands as a testament to three things:
- The suffering many veterans carry long after war
- The failure of conventional treatments to provide effective relief
- And the transformative potential of psychedelic medicine when everything else has failed
For millions of people struggling with PTSD, that could make all the difference.
