Next week I will open The Conscious Psychedelic Explorer, a comprehensive program on developing the ability to use psychedelics for insight, healing, and growth.
Ahead of the course, I wanted to refresh and share my intentions for this cohort. This will be the second group, after having run it with the first group over 4 weeks in November last year.
Support
My primary intention for this course is to support others on their path of growth, exploration, and healing, through the conscious use of psychedelics.
It’s something I know and something I’m good at. Psychedelics are a personally meaningful topic for me, having helped me hugely in my own life, so I naturally have an enthusiasm for sharing on this subject and helping others where I can. It’s an area I feel I can help other people in a valuable and meaningful way.
I will offer support primarily by way of video lessons, live calls and a group chat.
The video lessons will run through the core content of the program. My intention with these recorded lessons and the workbook is to create a body of work that can support people who are using psychedelics for years, and hopefully decades, to come. I worked deeply on this and devised a four-part framework to approach work with psychedelics that covers all of the key topics. I call this The Path of the Psychonaut.
It covers two levels of preparation and two of integration; preparing to work with psychedelics, preparing for a single experience, integrating a single experience, and integrating on the path of using psychedelics. You can find out more on the program page, or hear me talk about it with Josh Gonsalves on a recent episode of the Mind Meld podcast.
The framework is cyclical, as the path continues
Community
I also intend to continue building a community of mindful psychedelic explorers. I really enjoy hosting live calls with members of our group and having a chance to interact with people in real-time. It offers an opportunity for a deeper level of learning, and a chance to connect with like-minded others.
I’ve met a few of the first cohort in person, in Switzerland, Amsterdam, and Berlin, as well as those I’d previously welcomed on retreat, and hope that these online connections continue to spread into the real world.
It’s beautiful when a group comes together with a common cause, or of course, common-unity. It was something I experienced growing up, primarily in sports teams and music groups. In both of these, I experienced a sense of kinship and bonding with my teammates or bandmates. When we stepped out onto the pitch, or the stage, we were in it together. We had each other’s backs and would’ve (and often did, in rugby), taken blows for each other if it helped the team and our common cause.
I’ve also experienced this sense of community as an adult in yoga and meditation groups. More recently, a meditation group that I helped to organize for a couple of years in Berlin. Though individual motivations may have varied, what we all shared was the desire to develop in some way. Everyone wanted to be a better person and saw the group as a means of helping realize that goal. We practiced together, and I practiced guiding the group in all kinds of meditation and mindfulness exercises. Like all the other communities I’ve been a major part of, I found some great friends in the process.
This group also had a shared interest in psychedelics, and I’ve organized sessions with most of the regular members at one time or another over the last few years. I’ve sat, I’ve been sat, and I’ve journeyed alongside them. And the nice thing was, I knew everyone had experience in mindfulness, which is a recommendation I offer to anyone working with psychedelics. That is a practice that I’ll bring more of into The Conscious Psychedelic Explorer Community with this next cohort.
Awareness
My deepest level of intention is to do work that contributes to the evolution of consciousness. I believe we are here to learn, and to expand our awareness, and that psychedelics are an invaluable tool that can accelerate this process.
In doing so, I hope to spread positive ripples and benefit humanity with a deeply meaningful contribution.
Join Us for The Conscious Psychedelic Explorer
If you’d like to go deeper in your use of psychedelics for healing, insight or growth, then I invite you to join us.
Whatever your level, beginner or pro, you’re welcome.
You can find information on the course page here.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and contact me or book a call.
https://mapsofthemind.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/joshua-woroniecki-5nwt_aN2E0-unsplash.jpeg13051920John Robertsonhttp://mapsofthemind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MAPS-MIND-LOGO-29.pngJohn Robertson2022-10-11 10:25:242023-09-06 16:18:06My Intentions For The Conscious Psychedelic Explorer
I had a great conversation with Josh Gonzalvez from Mind Meld back in June and it’s been released today!
On the podcast, we talk about the four stages of preparing for and integrating meaningful psychedelic experiences.
I really enjoyed this conversation with Josh, he has such great, friendly vibes and a warm, enthusiastic curiosity that’s infectious and fun. It was a real pleasure, and probably the favorite podcast episode I’ve recorded to date.
If you’re at all interested in my course The Conscious Psychedelic Explorer, and the four part framework I use for it, then this is the episode to listen to today!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
You can watch it on youtube or catch it on your usual podcast app. Find the links here or click on the image below ⬇️
On a side note, we recorded the podcast before I renamed the course, just to clarify.
If you’re interested and would like to take your psychedelic practice to the next level, to develop your understanding and ability to effectively use psychedelics for insight, healing, and growth, then sign up for the waitlist here.
https://mapsofthemind.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mind-Meld-52-Thumbnail-Landscape-1920x1080-1.png10801920John Robertsonhttp://mapsofthemind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MAPS-MIND-LOGO-29.pngJohn Robertson2022-09-29 19:22:172022-12-07 20:50:02The Conscious Psychedelic Explorer | Podcast Appearance on Mind Meld
The cast of characters you trip with is one of the biggest parts of the setting. It’s certainly the most alive, and in some ways, unpredictable.
A helpful metric to consider when choosing your company is psychedelic compatibility.
I define psychedelic compatibility as: The level at which two or more people are able to trip together without problems or conflict.
It might also be understood as the ability for multiple people to successfully journey together.
This can be thought of in the same way that you might consider which friends you travel well with, work well with, or could live with. You might have friends who you love, but wouldn’t want to live with. You might have a friend who’s a bestie and hanging out is awesome, but you don’t travel well together. These are all types of compatibility. This is the same for psychedelic trips.
Contributing factors to psychedelic compatibility include like mindedness, alignment of intentions, expectations, and flexibility or openness.
If there is low compatibility, it may result in mismatched experience and some disappointment from people in the group. I’ll give an example to illustrate how this might occur.
Low Psychedelic Compatibility
Dave and Lisa are friends. They both want to trip and decide it might be nice to do it together. However, they are some differences in how they approach the session…
Dave is looking for an introspective experience. He’s at a bit of a crossroads in his life and would like some clarity on how to move forward.
Lisa is up for a more recreational experience. She’s just moved to a new city, started a new job and generally things are going pretty well. She’s up for letting loose and having fun.
Dave wants to create a setting that lends itself to an introspective experience; soft lighting and music. He wants to use a psychedelic therapy approach, listening to a preset playlist which brings him through emotions, and includes flowing music for reflection.
Lisa wants doesn’t want to choose all the music up front. She wants to be able to choose and change music as she feels like it.
Lisa wants to dance around the room.
Dave finds that distracting.
Dave wants to lie down with his eyes closed.
Lisa finds that boring.
Lisa wants to talk and interact with Dave. Make jokes, silly sounds, explore philosophical topics and look at art.
Dave wants to lie down with his eyes closed.
Dave wants to journal, Lisa wants to cuddle.
Clearly, Dave and Lisa have a low psychedelically compatibility.
Psychedelic Compatibility Can Change
It’s useful to bear in mind that psychedelic compatibility between people isn’t fixed permanently. Whilst Dave and Lisa are not very compatible for their next session, that doesn’t mean that can’t change at a later date. Maybe in the future Dave would like to have a fun session. Or, Lisa will be more open to trying an introspective experience. It can depend on the time of life, so it’s useful for parties to talk before, to check their level of compatibility before going ahead for a session.
Compatibility can be increased if parties talk about potential scenarios in advance that could prove to be a problem. This can improve the ability to successfully navigate differences that come up.
For example:
What if one of us wants to go outside for a walk, and the other/s wants to stay inside?
What if someone really can’t stand the music that is playing?
What if, in a dyad, one person wants to be left alone and the other wants to talk?
Finding High Compatibility
If intentions and expectations are aligned, there is a much higher possibility that groups will be psychedelically compatible.
To reach a high level of psychedelic compatibility, everyone has to be more or less on the same page. This can include things such as intention, expectation, session style, agreements. Here are a few examples:
Intentions:
What are everyone’s intentions for the session? Do they align? Intentions might include: fun, exploration, introspection, emotional release, partying, spiritual exploration.
Expectations:
Is there an expectation that the group will be spending the whole trip together, or that each person will have time to themselves? Is there an expectation that you remain in one place for the session, or that you may be on the move?
Style: Is the session formal or casual? It is highly structured, ritualised even? Is it free flowing? It is inner journey style? Are you doing any activities together? Will you be making art or music? Watching a movie? Will you prepare for any of these? Will you just flow into it and see how it goes?
Music:
Will you listen to a collaborative playlist? Will you select songs as a group together? Does one person play DJ, taking requests? Or will you just wing it? Is everyone cool with that?
How to Assess Psychedelic Compatibility
The way to assess psychedelic compatibility is through honest communication and conversation. If you’re planning to share a trip with friends, you can simply share what are your intentions and expectations for the experience. How does each person envision it going? What is the setting? What is the level of interaction? Are you all in the same room? Is talk to be kept to a minimum? Is communication limited and only use for practical purposes (e.g. things like the level of music, water and tea, blankets, opening windows for air flow etc.). Are you aiming to avoid getting into conversations?
If you’d like a list of questions to run through with a friend before a trip, check out my guide, which you can get by signing up to my newsletter.
I hope you can find high compatibility with your next journey buddy or crew. Best wishes and safe travels!
https://mapsofthemind.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/group-of-women-scaled.jpeg20482560John Robertsonhttp://mapsofthemind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MAPS-MIND-LOGO-29.pngJohn Robertson2022-06-27 15:02:382023-06-04 12:32:15Psychedelic Compatibility: Who Are the People You Are Tripping With?
Taking a high dose of a psychedelic still scares me. This is true even after having embarked upon many high dose sessions. One thing that I’ve found helps me to find a sense of calm is having some kind of structure to the session.
Sometimes for my trips I will have a very minimal structure. Usually, with low or medium doses, I’d be more on the recreational tip; more loose and informal. On the other hand, for higher dose formal sessions, what I might call ceremonies, I tend towards a more formal and structured approach. For these more ritualistic high-dose experiences, I create a service sheet.
Psychedelic Service Sheet
Much like you might find at a ceremony such as a wedding, funeral or other church service, a psychedelic service sheet contains the order of proceedings. It may also include the words of any prayers, songs or readings that are part of the service.
I usually only create a service sheet for inner journeys. As I’ll be lying down with my eyes closed for these sessions, my service sheet is mostly just an order for opening and closing the session.
I really like having a service sheet because it makes the occasion feel special. It is also very practical. It gives me a clear step-by-step run through. Having this clear to do list, or, order of service, helps me to go through specific steps in order to bring about a sense of ease, order, and structure. This helps to create something of a container for the experience. When I’m a little anxious or fidgety before a high dose session, having this clear and simple run through helps me to follow steps one by one and sets me up nicely for my session. It’s similar to some athletes or musicians’ pre-show rituals.
Contents of a Service Sheet
My service sheet will typically contain the steps for my opening and closing rituals, and the prayer that I read aloud as part of my opening. There is also space for me to write my intention, as well as other key details like the location, style of the session, the people present, and the date. It may include some navigation reminders or guidelines, and/or a couple of lines to help me connect to my inner resources. It also has a section for me to fill in the dosage, substance, and start time.
Helps Create the Desired Set
On my service sheet I include things which help to move me into a desired state: feeling safe, relaxed, humble, and open. Here is a quick summary of items that I include and what they help connect me to.
Resources: safety, strength Meditation: calm, open Prayer: humble, open Gratitude: heart opening
They are all, in some form or another, centering practices.
How & What I Use for my Service Sheets
Sometimes I have the sheet printed off on a sheet of A4 paper. More often I will use the double page of a notepad, which I lie open on a flat surface in a designated place. Depending on the setup and space, it may be part of or next to an altar. The pad then remains open there for the duration of the session, and is only put away once the ceremony has been closed.
I typically like to include a sound, such as ringing a bell or making an OM, to both open and close. I also like to light and then blow out a candle as bookends, with the flame symbolizing the journey. When I blow it out at the end I can make a wish and do a little candle magic. This is, by the way, for you cynics, performed every day across the country when children blow out little flames on their birthday cakes.
My Influences
I think the ayahuasca ceremonies I attended in the Amazon were a large influence on me adopting service sheets into my practice. They were easily the most formalized ceremonies that I’d attended. They had a very clear structure to them, with distinct stages, or rounds, of the service. They also included many preselected readings and prayers. I really appreciated that approach and how special it felt. It also added to a sense of containment and made the whole thing feel more safe. I also think the Japanese tea ceremony has influenced my adoption of service sheets, as well as using to-do lists and practicing productivity concepts like ‘masterpiece days‘ and deep work.
Record of Doses and Journeys
Service sheets also work as a handy record. They can be used to look back on previous trips. For practical considerations, having things like doses noted can be helpful for calibrating and titrating your dosage over time. So if you think like ‘oh yeah, that time we tripped at Lisa’s place, that was a good level, how much did we take?’. You’ve got it there in your written records.
If this idea interests you, I would recommend trying to create your own service sheet. If you find it’s not for you, you can go ditch it and go back to your usual approach. Here I will include a few examples of orders that might be included. You can consider them a starting point and take this idea wherever you like. Your service sheet might look totally different to mine.
Examples
Example 1: Group Inner Journeys Style
Once everyone is ready:
Opening Circle (A stick goes round the circle, and everyone shares how they feel)
3 minutes silent meditation
Pass doses round in circle and bless them
Music begins (Inwards, by Tommi)
Take doses
Journey
Playlist Ends
Closing circle
Example 2: Group Dynamic Session
Opening
Ring Bell
Opening Circle
Eye gazing in pairs
Take Dose
Session (modeled on Osho Dynamic Meditation)
Playlist begins
Section 1: Loosening Shaking
Section 2: Activation Free flowing movement & dance
Section 3: Calm Standing or seated meditation
Section 4: Stillness Seated or lying meditation
Playlist Ends
(When participants feel ready to re-engage, they may move to the reintegration room)
Closing
Closing Circle
Give Thanks
Ring Bell
Example 3: MVO (Minimum Viable Order of Service)
Cheers
Take dose
[Session]
Closing joint
Would you ever use a service sheet? Is it too formal for you? Would you prefer a more relaxed approach? For high-dose sessions where things can get a little more out of control, I find a service sheet helps to make myself feel more grounded and ready to embark upon a journey. I believe it might help you, too.
Saying a prayer is one step of an opening ritual which I run through for more formal psychedelic ceremonies. This opening ritual also includes calling upon the support and help of my ancestors, bringing to mind internal resources, stating my intention out loud, and doing a short meditation.
This ritual, and the prayer, is designed to centre me and enter an open state of being.
The Spirit of Prayer
“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.”
– Soren Kierkegaard
I like using prayer because of the spirit in which it is given. A prayer is a humble and sincere request. It is earnest, coming with cap in hand. It’s the opposite of being arrogant or egotistical. That is the state that I think is most helpful to enter a deep psychedelic session, when we may have to give up all control of what we are experiencing and simply surrender.
Psychedelic Spirituality and Efficacy of Prayer
The use of psychedelics in a religious context is not new. They have been used for centuries by different cultures for spiritual, therapeutic, and divinatory purposes. In some traditions, there are rituals where psychedelics are used as an aid to meditation and prayer. Indeed, the West’s introduction to psychedelics, via Sabina and Wasson, was in a ritual context with prayers and incantations.
This makes sense as prayer has been shown to alter perception and mood, reduce anxiety, and have pain relieving, and antidepressant properties. It has also been shown to make similar long-term changes in the brain to that of psychedelic users. In this sense, prayer can also be considered an effective technology, comparable to psychedelics and meditation, and all three may be used as complementary practices.
In this post, I’d like to share four prayers that I have used to open formal personal ceremonies, with a few comments on each.
Four Prayers I Have Used:
Universe, I know not what I ought to ask of you;
Only you what I need;
You love me better than I know how to love myself.
O universe, give to your child that which
he himself knows not how to ask.
I dare not ask for either crosses or for consolations;
I simply present myself before you,
I open my heart to you.
Behold my needs which I know not myself;
see and do according to your tender mercy.
Smite, or heal; depress me or raise me up;
I adore all your purposes without knowing them;
I am silent; I offer myself in sacrifice;
I yield myself unto you: I would have no
other desire than to accomplish your will.
Teach me to pray. Pray yourself in me.
Amen.
I’ve used this prayer for a few formal high-dose journeys now, and will continue to use it. Each of those trips has been significant, both at times challenging but beneficial.
I like using this prayer because it opens me up. It is me acknowledging that I don’t know everything and that I don’t have all the answers. That ultimately I am part of something larger and there is wisdom and intelligence far greater than my own.
In the context of a psychedelic session this brings me to a place of humility and that allows me to be open and receptive. I acknowledge that there may be hardships and that there may be reasons for them beyond my comprehension. This helps bring me to acceptance for potentially difficult things that come up.
This is a personal adaptation of a late 17th century prayer that psychedelic therapy pioneer Leo Zeff used to ask his clients to read (François de Salignac Fenelon Archbishop of Cambray, 1651–1715, AD.). For my adaptation, I replaced the words Lord and Father with the word Universe. This just felt right to me. This is an example of how prayers can also be used as a template and you may adjust and personalize them to your own preferences. The most important thing is that the chosen prayer should be effective in inducing a desired sense of being and state of mind to embark upon a journey. It should be personally meaningful. Much better that than parroting something which just doesn’t resonate with you.
2.
From the blossoming lotus of devotion, at the center of my heart,
Rise up, O compassionate master, my only refuge!
I am plagued by past actions and turbulent emotions:
To protect me in my misfortune
Remain as the jewel-ornament on the crown of my head, the chakra of great bliss,
Arousing all my mindfulness and awareness, I pray!
– Jikmé Lingpa
I found this prayer in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. It’s used in Tibet to invoke the presence of the master in our heart. Something about it just resonated with me and I immediately put it into a document that I keep to collect prayers I might use for ceremonies.
This one stood out to me because it calls upon the compassionate master. Compassion is central to the person I want to be and the attitude I want to engender in myself. I like to see this great master as being the highest version of myself, a deeper level of consciousness, a higher wisdom that is beyond small me. Welcoming a feeling of humility into my session is also strengthening. I like the closing line that calls for an awakening of mindfulness and awareness too.
3.
Om sahana vavatu
ॐ सह नाववतु
Om, may God protect both teacher and student
Saha nau bhunaktu
सह नौ भुनक्तु
May He nourish us together
Saha viiryam karavaavahai
सह वीर्यं करवावहै
May we work together with great energy
Tejasvi Navaditamastu
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु
May our studies be enlightening.
Maa vidvissaavahai
मा विद्विषावहै
May there be no hate among us
Om shanti, shanti, shanti
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः
Om peace, peace, peace
I first came across this classic Sanskrit prayer at a yoga class when I was living in Spain. I had to learn it as we would recite it together as a group at the beginning of every class. After leaving Spain, I continued to say it aloud at the beginning of my meditation sessions.
What I like about this is the use of the concepts of teacher and student. I like that it’s kind of open to interpretation. How I perceive and receive this prayer isn’t static, it changes over time, making it flexible depending on my mental state at the time. What I see as the teacher may be a more expansive consciousness or even the universe as a whole. It may be life, it may be the psychedelic experience, or it can be the psychedelic substance I’m working with.
I also like the three shantis at the end, which in other translations I’ve read to mean removing impurities from my body, mind, and spirit.
All Things Pass All things pass
A sunrise does not last all morning All things pass
A cloudburst does not last all day All things pass
Nor a sunset all night All things pass
What always changes? Earth…Sky…thunder… Mountain…water… wind…fire lake…
These change And if these do not last Do man’s vision’s last? Do man’s illusions?
During the session Take things as they come All things pass
This is one from Tim Leary’s Psychedelic Prayers; a selection of prayers, poems and meditations that are adaptations of book one of the Tao Te Ching. Leaving aside comment’s on Leary as a person, I think this book, mostly written while Leary was visiting India in 1965, is a really cool contribution to psychedelic literature. The collection as a whole is a mixed bag, but there are a few gems in there, including this one, which served as inspiration for the famous George Harrison song.
I find this reminder of the impermanence of all phenomena to be especially comforting when heading into a trip in a difficult moment in life. It is helpful to keep in mind that some of my difficulties may be blown up and I’ll have to face them more intensely. It is this engagement with them, ultimately, that helps me find some resolution. The magnification of problems means having to face them head on, and knowing that they will pass helps to ‘take them as they come’.
Formality and Religious Connotations
Depending on the type of session a prayer may or may not be suitable. Clearly, a prayer suggests a certain level of formality to a session. Personally, I use psychedelics in a different variety of sessions but I will use prayer as part of my opening ritual for high dose inner journeys, AKA psychedelic therapy style sessions.
I know prayers have religious and spiritual links which can be very off-putting for some people. If you are one of those people, you may prefer to do something else or say words with different types of associations. It may just be words to oneself. It may be words of well-wishing. It may be simply reading a quote. The idea is that it helps to bring something to mind and shift our internal state. It’s a type of orientation.
Quotes or Poems Instead of Prayers
If prayers and overt spirituality is a bit much for you then I suggest choosing a meaningful quote or poem. Here are a couple of examples of quotes that I like:
“One cannot discover new oceans, unless one has courage to lose sight of the shore”
– Andre Gide
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure that you seek” – Joseph Campbell
These quotes help to stir feelings of courage in me which can be very helpful when embarking on a journey. They also remind me that I’m an explorer, that I am traveling into unknown and possibly uncomfortable territory.
Making a Selection
In the run-up to formal sessions, I will select which prayer or quote I will use. I will open the file on my computer and just choose one intuitively. There might be something about the theme that seems relevant to me at the time in my life, or for whatever reason, it just seems to fit.
If in a group, it’s useful to consider the worldviews of everyone involved. Spiritual, religious, or ‘woo’ language can be somewhat triggering for some people, having the opposite of the desired effect of centering and calming. Or it might be something else that doesn’t sit well.
Before myself and a friend used these final lines of the Heart Sutra to open a ketamine session. I suggested the line as it evokes the idea of deep long journeys, and we settled on an English translation.
Saying a prayer at the opening of a psychedelic session can help enter into a centred, open and humble state. This can be beneficial before embarking on your journey. What quotes inspire courage in you? What poems bring you to your heart centre? What phrases remind you of the explorer you’d like to be? Put those in a collection, and try reading one at the start of your next session.
