One of three podcasts I recorded this month has just gone online 🙂
I really enjoyed this sit down with Will and Kaylee from Wild Entheology. In the show we discuss practical methods of discovering and developing a personalized approach to using psychedelics and the value of finding what works for you. I also talked about my upcoming course for psychedelic explorers: R/Evolution.
Enjoy!
Last week I had the great pleasure of speaking as a guest on three psychedelic podcasts in three consecutive days.
The first of these thoroughly enjoyable conversations was with Leia of the Psychedologist. We first connected earlier this year when Leia wrote my favourite guest post of this year’s PSYJuly: How to Survive the Psychedelic Renaissance, and it was a real joy to connect with her again for the show.
On the show, we discussed considerations for long term psychedelic work, and I spoke a bit about my upcoming course, R/Evolution. Leia will be taking part in the course and I’m thrilled to have someone with her experience take part. I am really excited about this first group, we already have some great people on board and I’m excited to see where it goes 🙂
See the podcast and show notes on Leia’s page here.
Enjoy!
On November 1st, in just over three weeks, I will open the course portal for R/EVOLUTION.
R/EVOLUTION is a deep dive course for psychedelic explorers. If you’d like to find out more about the core information or sign up, visit the course page. Here I will share more of a behind the scenes blog post.
I am excited to say that after having done a soft launch, we already have the first members of our first cohort signed up and on board. I have ‘soft launched’ over the last week by emailing an early version of the course page to previous clients, those who filled out the feedback form, and my mailing list, and adjusting and editing the course page based on their feedback. I am really excited to see the first group for this course beginning to come together. This cohort will be a key part of what I see as a co-creative group experience.
One aspect that I want to bring to R/EVOLUTION is the group experience aspect. Connecting with others is something that many people on the psychedelic path have difficulty with, for obvious legality and stigma reasons, and a few people who were generous enough to give early input mentioned that this aspect of the course would be very appealing and go some way to making the course a meaningful experience.
One of these early contributors even mentioned that they feel like integration is like a solo sport, and this is something that resonated with me. I remember often feeling like a total outsider after my first psychedelic experiences ten years ago. I was fortunate enough to have one friend who also had his worldview thoroughly shaken to talk with, though at the time, I had never heard of the term ‘psychedelic integration’, let alone had a framework or guide. I fumbled through and found my way, leaning heavily on meditation as a support and finding some semblance of community support in meditation groups or gatherings in the places I was living. Though I have found my way, I can see how beneficial it would have been to have had a dedicated group or community that I could share my experiences with and learn from through those years. I think it would have supported my growth massively.
The theme of community comes up again and again in psychedelic integration because support is so crucial on a path of growth. Also as humans we are social animals and have a desire to connect with others.
Even in Buddhist tradition, which is often seen as having a very solitary practice, community, or Sangha, is one of the three key supports, or ‘refuges’ – the other two being the Buddha and Dharma.
In R/EVOLUTION, we will have a series of live zoom calls to give participants a chance to connect with other members of the group. Each call will have a section for small group sharing and connection exercises. Depending on the number of people who attend each call, we may split into smaller and go into breakout rooms for exercises. I tried to fix the dates based on availability of the first signups, but alas it is very difficult to coordinate across different peoples schedules, so I’ve just done my best and tried to include a mix of days so most people can at least attend one. The calls will be recorded and available to people who can’t make them live, and there will be another opportunity to connect through a private Signal group.
The Signal group will offer a place for members to ask questions and share difficulties and learnings as they go through the course. It will also be a space to allow any members to set up peer led calls in addition to the calls I will be hosting as part of the course itself.
Although I hope the group and social aspect will be a big aspect of the course, another key aspect will be that of the individual. The core content of the course will be delivered in audio lessons and associated homework exercises, and I am designing the course in a way that facilitates a personal experience for each participant.
No individual is the same, and I’ve found that developing a personalised approach is the best way to work with psychedelics. Whilst frameworks and structures can be extremely helpful, I believe they are best used as a basis or starting point for exploration, experimentation and customisation.
Throughout the lockdowns of the last year and a half, I’ve spent a lot of time developing and refining my own protocols by way of practice and feedback. The middle section of the course will guide people through the process of doing this themselves, and I will be offering my own protocols and rituals as models and templates to give people ideas.
The templates will be bases or starting points for people to work from and develop their own customised approach. The level that people deviate from the suggestions given is entirely up to them.
I hope that course participants will share their own ideas and customisations with each other too, building something of a repository of knowledge, and together making a contribution to the field of psychedelic exploration.
I hope to create a space of learning, with an atmosphere of genuine warmth and comradeship. It’s also vital to me that community members are respectful of each other, as this is important with the type of openings that psychedelics can bring about and that I hope to facilitate.
I love the feeling of being in a group which has a special bond and I hope we are able to create that by bringing together people who have a shared love of psychedelics, and offering opportunities for connection and bonding. I have found that psychedelic work is especially conducive to forming special bonds and I hope that will be true here too.
I also want members to feel supported and heard, to have a space to share both their learnings and their struggles too. Walking the psychedelic path is no easy feat. For that reason, resources, support systems and finding the others will also feature in the core material too.
Though I have many lesson outlines and a couple folders of material and ideas, I have not yet finalised any lessons. It makes the most sense to tailor the information to those who will actually be using it, so I will be refining the course content based on the input of those who will be taking part.
As such I will be creating a lot of the course content throughout the month of November. When the portal opens on the 1st November, I will have the first few lessons uploaded, so that people can begin, and I will then be creating the rest of the course and finalising lesson plans and recording the audios and uploading them to the course portal as we move through the month. By the 30th, all 30 lessons will be uploaded. This will allow the fastest people to work through the material at one lesson a day, and the rest to go at their own pace. On a personal level, not having everything done beforehand is about leaning into trust, creating something unique and inspired, and developing my creative flow.
I am quite excited about the 29th lesson, which will be decided on by the group. I will be accepting ideas and listening to feedback for the weeks before then, and as we approach that day I will put it out there to the group to decide. I will then do my best in creating a lesson on the specified topic, or perhaps even try to make it something of a group creative collaboration. I will feel into that with the group as it approaches but I’m excited about this as I’m not aware of anything like this already out there.
Over the last couple weeks my main focus has been building the main infrastructure for the course, such as the course platform, payments system, setting up my home recording studio, and some marketing and outreach. With most of that now taken care of, my focus has begun shifting back to the course content itself.
One of my main challenges right now is that I have too much that I want to pack in and I’m already feeling like the 30 lessons isn’t enough. That is a nice problem to have, and I will see this as an exercise in condensing information as succinctly as I can to the most fundamental principles. I believe that this will lead to each lesson being relistenable and I am aiming to create a course that people can repeat and still make big gains.
Each audio lesson will end with an exercise. These will be a mix of journaling, guided meditation, and awareness or out-in-the-world practice exercises. Currently my thinking is that for some of the lessons, I will offer two or more exercises and people can choose which one they want to do. This fits in nicely with the personalised approach theme that will run through the course and explorers will be able to re-run the course and do any alternate exercises in the future. For those that aren’t sure which one to do, or if nothing in particular calls, I will offer a suggestion as a default first option.
I am beginning to brew with anticipation and excitement for this experience. As I was setting up my microphone in my home work space yesterday, I reflected on the fact that creating this course will require me to draw upon the vast majority of my professional experience from the last decade of my life. Having studied broadcasting, I worked in media, spent years in education as an English teacher, and then transitioned to workshops and facilitation work in psychedelics.
It really feels like this is how I can best offer my unique gifts to the world at this moment in time. With most of the administrative and organisational work to be taken care of by the end of the week, I am especially excited to shift my energy to the content and finalising and recording a few of the first lessons.
If this course interests you, I invite you to take a look at the R/EVOLUTION page, and if it is calling you, join us!
As I write this, there are still some early bird tickets left 😉
What is the meaning of psychedelics?
Well the word ‘psychedelic’, as most psychonauts know by now, was invented by the British psychiatrist Humphrey Osmond. Osmond first coined the term in his correspondence with famous psychedelic enthusiast and scholar Aldous Huxley. He derived the word from the Greek words, psyche, meaning soul or spirit, and delos, meaning reveal or manifest. So the literal translation is ‘mind manifesting’, or ‘soul revealing’. In this original form it was used strictly to describe drugs which gave particular effects, those which have now been discovered to act on specific serotonin receptors in the brain (5-HT1A and 5-HT2A) such as LSD, psilocybin, mescaline and DMT.
Of course the word has grown and broadened in terms of its use and psychedelic has gone on to be used to describe not only drugs but also music, arts, films, and literature. The word can be used to describe pieces of art which have been inspired by the use of psychedelic drugs.
Visual artworks may resemble visual attributes typical to the experiences, such as bright colors and kaleidoscopic patterns. Another interpretation, notable in films and literature, is that the piece demonstrates or exemplifies a type of mental or cognitive experience, such as non-linearity, or circular themes or narrative. It may also be that it is simply confusing and hard to follow. This meaning of the word converges with the word ‘trippy’, which is often used as a synonym for the word psychedelic.
It could also be that the way in which the artwork is viewed or perceived is not necessarily fixed, that it is open to multiple interpretations. This meaning reflects an aspect of psychedelic states, in which users may be able to see things from different angles or various perspectives. The offering of new perspectives is often what is appealing to many people.
I also like Anton Newcombe’s definition of the word psychedelic. Newcomb, from the band The Brian Jonestown Massacre, has had his share of experience, and I once read on wikipedia that his understanding of psychedelic is that it simply means ‘mind expanding’. This broadens its potential use, and really anything could potentially be considered psychedelic. This could refer to travel or other such mind opening experiences.
Psychedelics can induce induce profound alterations of human consciousness, emotion, and cognition. This can result in incredibly deep and profound experiences. These experiences bring up questions about the fundamental nature of reality. And these questions ultimately turn into matters of spirituality. Because of this I often think the term psychedelic can be used to describe anything which brings up those deep philosophical questions. Who are we? Why are we here? What is our purpose? Any type of deep experience which brings up those questions, be it a near death experience or a film, could also be described as psychedelic.
I find it very interesting that people discuss the meaning of the word psychedelics when psychedelic substances themselves bring up questions of meaning. Experiences can be tremendously meaningful to individuals. They can help us assign meaning to events in our lives, and our entire journeys as humans, individually and collectively. They can create meaning, or push us to ponder if there is any meaning.
There’s not really any strict definition on what the term psychedelic means and I think it’s very fitting for the word to be open to many interpretations. Even the category of substances is debated, and these days it is also sometimes used to describe other substances such as MDMA and ketamine, which are also known as non-classic psychedelics, or now even a new term, ‘clinical psychedelic’, recently coined by Ben Sessa, on Twitter.
What does psychedelic mean to you? Let me know!
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As I begin to get feedback from readers about what they would like to explore next on their psychedelic journey, one thing I’ve noticed is that quite a few people want to take higher doses. People are interested in experiences of ego dissolution or oneness. I understand this perspective because it’s something I would like to explore myself more too. Something myself and my readers have in common 🙂
One of the problems with exploring high doses is that the experiences can be very intense and difficult to handle. This can make people apprehensive about doing it, especially on their own, which they might feel comfortable doing on lower doses. In this post I’d like to look at possible solutions to this problem.
One possible solution, which is a common piece of advice, is to start on low doses and slowly work your way up, increasing the dose that you take on each subsequent session.
This is a generally good tact, however, many of us don’t have the time or the inclination to be doing sessions that often to steadily work our way up. Maybe we only have the time to do a single high dose session once within the next year, and we want to be sure that one counts.
If that’s the case, and we only have one session planned, this isn’t much of a solution. In which case, there are a couple of other options.
One option is to attend a psychedelic retreat. Psychedelic retreats are typically run by experienced guides and offer a held space for people to explore higher doses and more intense experiences that they would not otherwise feel comfortable doing. I am a co-founder of one such retreat company, and I think it’s an excellent place for newcomers to have their first high dose psychedelic experience.
The context provides a structured container, a safe space and built-in preparation and integration. The level of support and information is as good as it’s going to get, and I would say it’s the best way for someone to have their first psychedelic experience; on site, with professionals. It’s also an excellent way for a beginner to learn about taking psychedelics.
For other, experienced users, it can be nice to try psychedelics in a different setting, and a group retreat context can add a different dimension to the experience for those who have mostly used psychedelics alone or with friends. Many people report that the group dimension is one of the most beneficial and healing aspects of the entire experience.
However, retreats are not always the most attractive, or especially these days, convenient option. Our retreat company has not actually been able to facilitate any retreats since the start of Corona, though we do hope to return next year. Retreats are also a more expensive option because of all the costs that go into organising and running them.
If you’ve already been on a retreat, you may want to explore psychedelic trips outside of that context, and without all the extra travel costs and logistical concerns involved. It may also be that you’ve not been on a retreat but already have some psychedelic experiences yourself and retreats don’t appeal to you right now. In this case, you may consider organising your own session.
Journeying outside of a retreat setting will, likewise, be a different experience. Your own home or apartment might well be the most psychologically safe space for you, which would make it an excellent choice to go on a deep exploration. Other people may also like to explore tripping in natural environments. The most important thing when exploring high doses is to have a safe, comfortable and controlled environment, where journeyers are able to lie down.
If organising your own high dose session, it can be very beneficial to have a tripsitter or facilitator. Having a tripsitter can be reassuring and help ease feelings of anxiety and nervousness. Having one can help one approach the session feeling more comfortable, as they know someone will be there to watch over them and ensure their physical safety, and offer reassurance for them in any challenging moments. That kind of support can go a long way in a session. It might be as simple as a reminder that they are safe and what they are going through is a temporary experience. That though it may be challenging, it will pass.
The question is then about finding a tripsitter. With the current legal status of psychedelics, that is of course very difficult as you cannot just search people openly online and hire someone. In this case your options would be to see if there’s anyone you know who could do it. If going this route, the ideal candidate would be someone who has their own experience with plant medicines, and is generally able to hold space and has the attributes of a good sitter.
It might be a friend who already has some experience with psychedelics or a member of a local community. The most important thing is that you are able to trust them. If deciding to work with someone for the first time I would recommend that you spend at least a few hours talking with that person beforehand so you have some familiarity and basic level of relationship with them. You should feel open to sharing with them and its important for the sitter to have a non-judgemental stance. You also want to talk about more logistical things such as music, setting, and what kind of role the tripsitter will have. You might also want to come to some agreements, which can also be not as ground rules, for the session.
If a high dose experience is something you know that you would like to explore but are currently unable to, ask yourself what would it take for you to be able to do that. What would you need to do to accommodate that?
This might mean opening up to someone close to you about your intention, with an honest request for help in your endeavor. You needn’t necessarily ask someone to sit you as a favor, as that would be quite a big favor to ask. You might ask if they would consider it, and explain that you could do something for them in return. You could explain that it’s something you would really like to do and that you’d really appreciate it if they would consider doing that for you.
Do you know anyone who might be a possible person that you could talk to? What might you be able to do for them that would make it a win-win deal? You might even ask your friend that very question. Of course you can explain that there is no pressure and that you are just exploring your options, and if it doesn’t work out then no worries.
Unless you are using mushrooms, or have tested your substance, I would caution against going for high doses, just for the fact that you don’t know exactly what you are taking. Pure LSD is non toxic, meaning that you can’t physically overdose, but unless you have drug tested it, you can’t be sure. The same is true of ketamine and 2cb. If wanting to go for higher doses with them the only reasonable thing to do would be to make sure it is tested well for purity.
Ideally, you’d grow your own mushrooms, then you can be sure of their source. Then on higher doses, even if you think you’re dissolving or dying (a not uncommon experience), you can be reassured that you are not, and can go ahead and allow yourself to dissolve and surrender into that experience of (ego) death.
If lack of a reliable source is a problem, an option that you might consider is traveling to the Netherlands. Psilocybin truffles are legal there, and easily bought in shops. If you take care of most of the logistics such as accommodation and food, you could hire a tripsitter privately. If traveling there for this kind of experience, you might decide to go for two sessions in a row stepping up your dose, going from a low dose on the first day to familiarize yourself with effects, and stepping up to a high dose on the second day. Personally I think this is a pretty solid approach for someone who doesn’t have any psychedelic experience but would like to try a high dose.
Last year I had one of my highest doses with psilocybin truffles. It was an incredible experience, and I was fortunate to be able to have a friend tripsit for me. I’m grateful that I was able to have that experience, but it’s not always so easy. I would like to have another high-dose experience but to be honest tripsitters are not so easy to come by and it’s not always that easy to just ask a friend to take out the whole day to look after you.
Until we have decriminalization or legalization, organising high dose sessions will continue to be a problem. If you have any solutions or things that you have found to help with this issue, I would love to hear from you. And otherwise I wish you best of luck, safe and wondrous journeys.
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