Psychedelic Preparation
Psychedelic Preparation
Welcome to the World of Psychedelics!
Psychedelic preparation is as individual as you are, and should be tailored to your individual needs.
When preparing for a psychedelic experience it is beneficial to consider the following topics:
Dosage
Depending on your tolerance level, Finding your ideal dosage can be tricky, it’s best to start with a low dose to determine how the medicine will affect you, especially if you are not working with a psychedelic professional. Additionally, certain medications can drastically affect your psychedelic experience, and in some cases can be dangerous. Antidepressant and ADHD medications may dull or mute your experience and prevent you from going into a deep psychedelic space.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness can be achieved through different methods, and vary depending on what resonates with you personally. You can practice mindfulness by eating healthy, journaling, meditating and exercising. If you can do all of the above, great! If not, do what you can and allow yourself space to grow in the areas where you feel challenged. Giving yourself permission to recognize areas of growth is extremely healthy and beneficial to your overall well-being and part of the process.
This is also a good time for self-reflection and consideration as to why you are taking this psychedelic journey. During this process you may develop an intention for you experience. If not, that's okay. You can simply ask the medicine to give you the guidance and healing you need. Stating your intention and asking for help with healing and guidance is okay, too. Sometimes we think we know what we need, but in reality what you actually may need may be completely different.
Keep in mind that we all start our healing processes in different places, and no matter where you choose to start yours, know that this is where you were meant to be at this point in time and space.
Set and Setting
If you have completed all, or some, of the mindfulness practices above, your “mindset” should be ready to go. Have your intention, and/or ask for help with healing and guidance, in the forefront of your mind before your experience.
Being in a safe, comfortable environment “setting” is extremely important. The space that you have your psychedelic experience in should be clean and free of clutter. Energy matters! Who you share your space with during your journey is also very important. Make sure that it is someone that has high vibrational, positive, clean energy. When you are using psychedelics, you are energetically open, like a fully-bloomed flower. Any low, vibrational negative energy can affect you.
Psychedelic Experience
Relax and surrender! Let the medicine take you on a journey of self-discovery and healing. It is possible that you may have an out of body experience, relive old memories, have your perceptions of space and time distorted, or feel a oneness with the universe. Whatever the experience, again, it is essential that you surrender to it.
A psychedelic experience can have its challenges. If you have unhealed trauma it may come to the forefront and you will have to work through it. Working with a shaman/facilitator can be very beneficial with assisting you during your journey to help you process and release trauma. Trauma, whether it is conscious or unconscious, can come up during your psychedelic journey at any time.
Integration
Once your experience is over, it’s important to integrate your experience into your daily life. Without integration, all of the effort that you have put into this process will not be fully utilized. Revisit your mindfulness practices and use them to help you implement the information that you received during your journey. Some of the information that you received can be hard to process due to the nature of the message, and the implications on your life. Working with a psychedelic therapist/counselor can be very beneficial.
Self-improvement and integration is a process, not an event. The practice of integration can take days, weeks, months or even years but in the end, you will live a happier more fulfilled life. Enjoy your journey!