Psychedelics

Christine** reconnected to her psychedelic experience.

Christine used psilocybin (magic mushrooms) with her boyfriend on vacation. During this experience, she had a sense of being a divine part of the universe, connected to all life. The experience made her want to keep the insights (be kinder, more patient, and find work aligned with your new perspective) she experienced for the rest of her life.

Christine started slipping into the same old patterns after returning home. She felt frustrated with herself and life in general because she could not make those memories of feelings of compassion and connectedness part of her real life.

I worked with Christine to help her incorporate elements of her experience into her daily life. Using meditation and breathwork, Christine could reconnect to that psychedelic experience. She wanted to do something that would “make a difference.” We talked about how to make intentional, mindful changes in her life rather than sudden, reactive changes she might regret later.

Over a few months, Christine thought out and planned to become an environmental lawyer, motivated by the sense of connection to all life. The transition went smoothly and fulfilled that impulse she experienced from psilocybin. Regular meditation helps her to continue to build on those insights.

Andrew’s psychedelic experience opened the door to his past.

Andrew** always had some anxiety lurking in the background, but he still met his life goals by pushing his anxious feelings aside. Trying LSD with some friends changed things for Andrew. Although he couldn’t recall all the experiences, LSD set off an avalanche of uncontrollable panic, causing him to have trouble focusing, making him call in sick to work, and triggering anxiety that kept him from leaving his house and socializing.

Because Andrew didn’t remember any specific events during his LSD trip, we explored his childhood and adolescent years. We began to realize that LSD wasn’t the catalyst for the anxiety. The psychedelic only revealed what he’d been pushing down all these years, making it impossible to ignore them any longer.

Andrew disclosed that an older brother died as an infant, causing his parents to be very protective and denying him freedom growing up. We talked about his lack of confidence in doing things for himself. He began to work on increasing his self-confidence, reminding himself of all he had accomplished whenever he experienced self-doubt.

Over time, the anxiety began to recede. Andrew believes that it was LSD that brought these feelings to light so that he could finally address them, rather than continuing to ignore them for the rest of his life.

Psychedelics can point you in new directions.

Imagine you’re sledding down a hill. You’ve taken the same path down the mountain a hundred times. The blades on your sled have dug deep grooves into the snow, making it hard to change direction and take a different path down the hill. Imagine a fresh blanket of snow covering your sled tracks – making it easier to change direction and create a new path.

Taking a psychedelic in a safe environment can be like a fresh blanket of snow. When we repeat the same thought patterns throughout our lives (“nothing ever works out for me, I’m not good at anything, I won’t succeed”), they become engrained in our brains. As the expression goes, “Neurons that fire together, wire together.”

The more often we repeat a particular thought pattern, the harder it becomes to break it. Taking a psychedelic temporarily increases neuroplasticity, and forming new habits and thought patterns become easier for a short time.

Indigenous cultures have used psychedelics for millennia to promote healing and spiritual growth. In our modern culture, MDMA (Ecstasy) and psilocybin (magic mushrooms) are two psychedelics under study for treating mental health conditions. Once legal, I am prepared to immediately incorporate these medicines into my practice because they can produce life-changing results.

Planning and preparation make the experience better.

In the psychedelic community, we discuss the importance of set and setting in any psychedelic experience. Set means your mindset and how you feel. What would you like to get from your psychedelic experience? Are you expecting a spiritual awakening or self-exploration, or are you just looking for a good time? What we expect to happen during a psychedelic experience greatly impacts what we end up experiencing.

Setting includes everything outside of yourself. Where are you? Who is with you? Do you feel safe with them? What music is playing? Being in a safe space with people you trust greatly increases the odds that you’ll have a secure, positive experience. I also always recommend that at least one person remains sober and can provide support when needed.

I provide psychedelic preparation and planning for people interested in using psychedelics in a way that minimizes risks and maximizes the potential for a safe, positive experience. We will discuss your intentions and prepare for any foreseeable challenges. Whether you plan to go away to a retreat or festival or use with friends, we will talk openly and honestly without judgment about how I can support you in planning the optimal set and setting to increase the odds of a safe and productive journey.

Integration improved the benefit of psychedelics.

I also provide integration services following a psychedelic experience. As with Christine, we may have profound insights into a psychedelic, but it’s not always so easy to integrate them into everyday life.

Psychedelics can give you the experience you need, not the experience you want, and they can be very difficult. However, I don’t believe in “bad trips.” The psychedelic experience can be challenging, but as with Andrew’s story, they usually bring our awareness to something already there so that we can heal.

* Please note that I do not provide illegal substances or referrals to providers who do. Messages requesting illegal substances will not receive a response.

** Names changed to protect client confidentiality.