When speaking of psychedelics with newer ears, and especially when experiencing them for ourselves, it is important to do research and have proper education for the experience itself with an emphasis on set, setting, preparation and integration.

Psychedelics allow us to get in touch with a state of consciousness that is beyond the ordinary. We must do so in safe ways using strategies and practices in entering those spaces. Although many psychedelics hold within them gifts of insights, we must still be aware that this is not without risks.

We must become aware that we are getting in touch with sacred ancient technology that dazzles both scientists and spiritual seekers alike, and we must give it the respect it deserves.

We need to do both research and soul searching prior to an experience, and ideally work with someone who can support us on our journey into and beyond the experience. Knowing what the psychedelic or plant medicine is, where it came from, how it may interact with us, if we have any contraindications from other medications, interaction with our past mental states, and so on, are key elements to maximizing benefits and avoiding harms. We must become aware that we are getting in touch with sacred ancient technology that dazzles both scientists and spiritual seekers alike, and we must give it the respect it deserves.

Preparation and Integration

The psychedelic experience itself has potential to turn the volume up on what you are currently experiencing within you, at times some parts of your personality traits can be shown stronger which on the light side can be useful in cultivating a deeper self awareness, but the shadow side is that at times it can be a very challenging experience. Psychedelics are “non-specific amplifiers” and we must be mindful that the experience is an inner journey that we have to embrace regardless of how wonderful or challenging it is.

Preparation prior to an experience will assist in your mindset and intentions as well as adding in some grounding practices, special diets and more. The more inner work we can do leading up to an experience, the further along in our process we can go with the catalyst of the psychedelic experience. Good preparation is essential in this.

The integration time after an experience is a critically important piece of the whole journey. In short, integration is usually held with a trained coach or therapist or support community to truly process and understand the experience and implement the newfound understandings into one’s mind, life and even community over an extended amount of time to bring about positive transformation.

Beyond personal integrity with psychedelics, we need to be mindful how we think and speak of them as well. We need to include in our conversations topics like; honoring the medicine and the ancestors, its indigenous roots, it’s sacredness, traditional ceremonial usage, the culture behind the medicine, and the communities (of people, animals, and plants) that have been negatively impacted by having these sacred medicines boom in popularity.

Every medicine has a different story, and these extraneous factors will be very different between say MDMA, ibogaine, and 5-Meo-DMT, but it is absolutely worth it to understand the larger picture of these substances as we take our steps towards them and become part of their story too.

In understanding and respecting a psychedelic’s history on this earth, and knowing the impact of the experience both internally and culturally, we can ensure that the Psychedelic Renaissance will be grounded in respect, and our own experiences maximally beneficial and minimally harmful to self, community, and planet.

Getting Support

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