Strategies Joel Marks - Aug 25, 2021
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Strategies Joel Marks Aug 25, 2021
OVERVIEW 1 Introduction 3 1.1 What are psychedelics? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1.2 What is a “bad trip”? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1.3 Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1.4 Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1.4.1 Set (mindset) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1.4.2 Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1.5 Before you start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1.5.1 Smudging with sage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1.5.2 Rose water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2 Shamanic use 7 2.1 Use as a psychedelic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3 Modern use 9 3.1 Use as a psychedelic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 4 Pharmaceutical psychedelics 11 4.1 DMT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 4.1.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 4.1.1.1 What is it (chemical) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 4.1.1.2 Safe use and LD50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 4.1.1.3 Where is it from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 4.1.1.4 What does it look like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 4.1.2 In practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4.1.2.1 How much to you take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4.1.2.2 What is it like to take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4.1.2.3 How long does it last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4.1.2.4 Day after . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4.1.2.5 Are there any after-effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4.1.3 Personal development and notes about shamanic use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4.1.4 Sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4.1.5 Research and articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4.1.6 Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4.2 LSD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4.2.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 4.2.1.1 What is it (chemical) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 4.2.1.2 Safe use and LD50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 4.2.1.3 Where is it from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 4.2.1.4 What does it look like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 i
4.2.2 In practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4.2.2.1 How much to you take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4.2.2.2 Taking LSD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4.2.2.3 How long does it last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4.2.2.4 Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 4.2.2.5 Are there any after-effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 4.2.3 Personal development and notes about shamanic use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 4.2.4 Sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 4.2.5 Research and articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 4.2.6 Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 4.3 Mescaline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 4.3.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 4.3.1.1 What is it (chemical) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 4.3.1.2 Safe use and LD50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 4.3.1.3 Where is it from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 4.3.1.4 What does it look like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 4.3.2 In practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 4.3.2.1 How much to you take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 4.3.2.2 What is it like to take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 4.3.2.3 How long does it last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 4.3.2.4 Day after . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 4.3.2.5 Are there any after-effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 4.3.3 Personal development and notes about shamanic use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 4.3.4 Sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 4.3.5 Research and articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 4.3.6 Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 4.4 Psilocybin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 4.4.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 4.4.1.1 What is it (chemical) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 4.4.1.2 Safe use and LD50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 4.4.1.3 Where is it from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 4.4.1.4 What does it look like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 4.4.2 In practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 4.4.2.1 How much to you take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 4.4.2.2 What is it like to take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 4.4.2.3 How long does it last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 4.4.2.4 Day after . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 4.4.2.5 Are there any after-effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 4.4.3 Personal development and notes about shamanic use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 4.4.4 Sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 4.4.5 Research and articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 4.4.6 Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 5 Entheogens 27 5.1 Amanita muscaria mushroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 5.1.1 Use as a psychedelic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 5.2 Ayahuasca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 5.2.1 Page coming soon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 5.3 Bufo (toad) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 5.3.1 Page coming soon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 5.4 Eboga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 5.4.1 Page coming soon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 5.5 Peyote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 5.5.1 Use as a psychedelic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 ii
5.6 Psilocybin mushrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 5.6.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 5.6.1.1 What is it (chemical) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 5.6.1.2 Safe use and LD50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 5.6.1.3 Where is it from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 5.6.1.4 What does it look like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 5.6.2 In practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 5.6.2.1 How much to you take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 5.6.2.2 What is it like to take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 5.6.2.3 How long does it last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 5.6.2.4 Day after . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 5.6.2.5 Are there any after-effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 5.6.3 Personal development and notes about shamanic use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 5.6.4 Sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 5.6.5 Research and articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 5.6.6 Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 5.7 San Pedro (Huachuma) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 5.7.1 Page coming soon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 5.8 Here is a heading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 6 What will I experience? 33 6.1 Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 6.1.1 Purging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 6.1.2 Temperature, shakes or shivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 6.1.3 Light and colour sensitivity, tracers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 6.1.4 Intense inner light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 6.1.5 Pain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 6.1.6 Feeling overwhelmed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 6.1.7 Body dysmorphia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 6.2 Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 6.2.1 Time dilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 6.2.2 Dissociation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 6.2.3 Psycho-therapeutic insights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 6.2.4 Past lives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 6.2.5 Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 6.2.6 Generalised fear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 6.2.7 The void . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 6.2.8 Out of body experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 7 Skills 37 7.1 Mindfulness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 7.1.1 Starting a meditation practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 7.2 Breath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 7.2.1 Mindfulness of breath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 7.3 Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 7.3.1 Posture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 7.3.2 Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 7.3.3 Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 7.3.4 Hydration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 7.3.5 Avoidance of other psychoactive compounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 7.3.6 Mantras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 7.3.7 Sing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 7.3.8 Music, sound and rhythm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 7.3.9 Spiritual and energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 iii
7.3.10 Tapping into your inner strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 7.3.11 Why love works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 8 Integration of the experience 41 8.1 Deciding to make changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 8.2 Taking action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 8.3 More to come. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 9 Finding help 43 9.1 Psychedelic integration therapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 9.2 Where to find help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 10 Frequently asked questions 45 11 Glossary 47 12 Known issues 49 12.1 Interactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 13 Changelog 51 14 Contributing to Strategies 53 14.1 Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 14.2 Academic oversight team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 14.3 SMEs (subject matter experts) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 14.4 Technical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 15 Credits 55 15.1 Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 15.2 Academic oversight team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 15.3 Credit and thanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 15.4 Logo attribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 16 Info 57 16.1 Project goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 16.2 Technical standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 16.3 Technical goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 16.4 Online longevity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 16.5 Data loss and obsolescence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 16.6 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 16.7 About the author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 16.8 Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 17 Legal 61 17.1 License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 17.2 Avoiding censorship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 18 Privacy 63 18.1 Privacy and tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 18.2 Third parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 18.3 Maintaining your privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 19 Style: Plot examples 65 19.1 Mermaid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 19.2 Some more plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 19.3 Transparent ellipses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 iv
19.3.1 csv file basic import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 19.4 PLOT work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 19.4.1 Different colour on Y axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 19.4.2 Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 19.4.3 Stack graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 19.4.4 other. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 20 Style: Template 75 20.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 20.1.1 What is it (chemical) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 20.1.2 Safe use and LD50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 20.1.3 Where is it from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 20.1.4 What does it look like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 20.2 In practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 20.2.1 How much to you take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 20.2.2 What is it like to take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 20.2.3 How long does it last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 20.2.4 Day after . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 20.2.5 Are there any after-effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 20.3 Personal development and notes about shamanic use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 20.4 Sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 20.5 Research and articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 20.6 Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 21 Style: Formatting cheatsheet 79 21.1 Whitespace guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 21.2 Whitespace guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 21.3 Heading styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 21.3.1 Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 21.4 Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 21.5 Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 21.6 Directives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 21.7 Note/admonition styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 21.7.1 Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 v
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Strategies a guide to preparing for, navigating and integrating psychedelic experiences The psychedelic experience can be challenging. It may give us insights of beauty and fascination that can change our world for the better. This book is for anyone considering psychedelics for healing, personal growth or exploration. • What psychedelics do, their uses in ancient ritual and recent applications in psychology and medicine • Learn about psychedelics and plant hallucinogens and how they are prepared and used • Find out about any dangers and how to stay safe • How to prepare for a psychedelic journey • What experiences you may have and challenges you might face • Skills and concepts that will help you before, during and after the journey • Integration and further study Support the project! Would you like to hear about Awakening Mind retreats and news? Join our email membership group today to stay up to date. Could you contribute? We aim to translate, expand and refine this documentation to create the most useful resource possible. Find out more about contributing. = Page under construction Strategies documentation is hosted by Readthedocs and sponsored by the Awakening Mind project to encourage a safe responsible approach to entheogens. OVERVIEW 1
Strategies 2 OVERVIEW
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Tip: Do you need immediate help? If you are here because you are having trouble coping after a psychedelic experience and seeking help, please skip to finding help. Adverse reactions While it is difficult to overdose on psychedelics, they must still be treated with care. • Information about specific drug interactions can be found on each drug’s page. • General and psychiatric advisories can be found at known issues. 1.1 What are psychedelics? Psychedelics are a class of drugs that have a similar function and effect to the neurotransmitter serotonin. They trigger ‘psychedelic experiences’ characterised as an altered state of consciousness that may include changes to thought patterns as well as changes in perception of hearing, seeing and the body. The main psychedelics are DMT, LSD, psilocybin and mescaline. While LSD is entirely man made, most other psychedelics can be found in nature being produced by fungi or plants. Psychedelics are not without risk, but have been found to be non-addictive and generally less dangerous than other commonly consumed drugs such as coffee and alcohol. The psychedelic experience is known in the west as a ‘trip’ whereas shamanic traditions will characterise it as a ‘journey’. These altered states are too vast and complex to fully describe in a book and too shockingly real to prepare for if you have never experienced it. In some way, the only thing you can do is take a leap of faith. Nothing said in these pages should be considered as forming a canon or orthodoxy in preparing for or mapping psychedelic space. Certain approaches to psychedelics have a record of producing helpful expe- riences, other approaches do not. For example recreational use in the context of parties and mixed with other drugs can rapidly become problematic. Use in a western therapeutic setting or a shamanic setting allows for more challenging aspects of the experience to be processed and integrated. Please consider Strategies as a starting point for exploration and learning. 3
Strategies 1.2 What is a “bad trip”? A bad trip is a psychedelic experience that we do not like. This may be a range of emotions we would rather not feel, or images from our past, fear or any combination of factors. Experienced users of psychedelics, such as Terrence McKenna, considered bad trips to be a fundamental part of the learning process. Studies have shown that psilocybin users will experience bad trips 10% of the time. Any user will eventually experience a bad trip if they take doses strong enough for their experience to be considered a journey (i.e. not recreational). In the context of therapy or spiritual learning we do not think in terms of a bad or a good experience, but rather an educational journey. Some parts of that journey can be ecstatic, and some parts uncomfortable. News media have had a varied and troubled relationship with drugs, and psychedelics in particular. Much of what has been published has been written from perspectives that have changed over time, varied across the political spectrum and between countries. There have been many emotive stories written about so- called ‘bad trips’ where someone has spoken out against their experience or has very occasionally been hurt. The concept of a bad trip has been embedded in the public mind as a dangerous aspect of a recreational drug. Older traditions take a different approach that reframes psychedelics as a powerful medicine and the mental experience as a challenge that is navigated rather than resisted. Having a self-care routine or regular spiritual practice in the everyday world both informs our experience when we journey and gives us a set of tools to help us. Most of the skills listed here are sourced from deep and ancient spiritual traditions. 1.3 Perspectives When talking about psychedelic experiences it is difficult to present them in a meaningful way without using an interpretive framework. For the purpose of this book, some of the author’s perspectives will show through. 1. Thinking of psychedelics as powerful medicines that have spiritual, psychological and physical heal- ing properties 2. Nothing in the psychedelic experience will hurt you physically 3. All experiences can teach us something about ourselves or the world 1.4 Preparation In the early days of psychedelics c. 1960, researchers and therapists discovered while using LSD that the experience of a journey was influenced by the mindset of the participant when they took the psychedelic, including the place and context. If there was an expectation that the experience would be bad, it was much more likely to be bad, if the expectation was good, the outcome would be more likely to be good. Similarly if the context was stressful, this could also lead to a poor experience. This became known as “Set and Setting”. There are many ways to create a set and setting that will increase your chance of having a good experience. 4 Chapter 1. Introduction
Strategies 1.4.1 Set (mindset) Your ‘set’, or mindset, is your attitudes, assumptions, methods, worldview and philosophy. This is the “set” that will help you put your experiences in context. It is said that your current mindset may affect your journey. If you are preoccupied with negative thoughts you may be challenged by them during the journey. This is not always a reason to avoid the journey as it is quite normal to feel a huge range of emotions in everyday life and also to experience fear just before taking a psychedelic. Setting your intent Setting an intent changes the way we approach a journey. Without intent your mind is likely to move in the direction of the strongest currents. With intent comes focus. As we journey, we may consciously or subconsciously reprocess our past experiences and beliefs in the context of the psychedelic experience. Intent will give us a sense of purpose and meaning when the going is tough, and it is possible that we will have insights around that point of focus. An example of an intent might be: “I would like to learn how to be kinder to myself” or “I would like to know how to become a better partner in my relationship” or “I would like to have insight as to whether the job I do is the right one for me” . . . there are an infinite variety of intents, but it helps to be not too specific and to remain open to all learning that comes to you. Do not remain too attached to your intent, it might be that your journey teaches you something unexpected. The most basic example of intent is ‘an attitude of enquiry’. Attitude of enquiry By approaching psychedelics with the desire to learn, we change our attitude to the ups and downs of the journey. Whether we are enjoying the moment or feeling aversion to it, if we are approaching with curiosity we are able to take a mental step back. While this is not something that is easy to cognitively achieve during the experience itself, approaching it with both intent and enquiry can help us change our perspective in the moment of experience. It is the move from “Why is this happening to me?” to “What can I learn from this?” Owning the experience Now we have set intent and attitude, we are taking responsibility for our own experience. This sense of ownership changes our mindset again, from being a passive consumer of an experience, to being a curious, active and responsible participant. 1.4.2 Setting For many people a medicine journey is most rewarding when it is done with others in a spiritual setting, with a guide or shaman leading the ceremony. By participating with others we normalise our own experience as we are aware of the range of experiences happening to people around us. We are more likely to feel safe knowing there is a ceremony leader or guide. We are able to ask for help and afterwards we can talk to others about the things we have seen or felt. Taking a psychedelic alone is not advisable for a person who is new to the experience or new to the par- ticular psychedelic being taken. Setting up a room or medicine space Be comfortable, be safe. . . Select a room or place where there is no chance that you will be interrupted by anyone who does not know you are on a medicine journey 1.4. Preparation 5
Strategies • Ensure you have access to drinking water and a toilet. A flannel and towel may help in case you feel nausea • You may become light sensitive so make sure you are able to close blinds or curtains • Rose water is frequently used by practitioners to change or improve the nature of a journey, as is incense • You might wish to select a play-list of ambient, peaceful or spiritual music to play quietly Some people prepare a room with hangings or throws that remind them of why they are there. This might be a favourite photograph of a county scene or it could be a mandala or spiritual symbol. If you come from a spiritual tradition and you are comfortable with it, you may wish to bring something from it, such as a cross or a Buddha. 1.5 Before you start Say some words that show your respect for the medicine and the experience you are about to have. This is possible, whatever your spiritual or philosophical background. An example might be “thank you for this medicine, I am open to its teaching.” Say some words that evoke a sense of peace within the space you will be using, such as “thank you for this place we are in, for its shelter and warmth, may we be peaceful here.” Say some words to honour the people who have gone before you. “Thank you to our ancestors and all who have shown us the path of truth and light; thank you to our great spiritual teachers.” 1.5.1 Smudging with sage Smudging is the act of clearing your personal energy field using smoke, usually from dried Sage. It is done by drawing the sage around the edge of the body, under the feet, the front and the back. It is easier if someone is there to help. 1.5.2 Rose water When you are journeying you will be sensitive to light, colour, sound and smell. Rose water is used by shamans to help put you in a peaceful state of mind. 6 Chapter 1. Introduction
CHAPTER TWO SHAMANIC USE text 2.1 Use as a psychedelic 7
Strategies 8 Chapter 2. Shamanic use
CHAPTER THREE MODERN USE text 3.1 Use as a psychedelic 9
Strategies 10 Chapter 3. Modern use
CHAPTER FOUR PHARMACEUTICAL PSYCHEDELICS This is some introduction text 4.1 DMT DMT 12 16 2 ChemSpider 5864 IUPAC name 2-(1H-Indol-3-yl)-N,N-dimethylethanamine Contents • Overview – What is it (chemical) – Safe use and LD50 – Where is it from – What does it look like • In practice – How much to you take – What is it like to take – How long does it last – Day after – Are there any after-effects • Personal development and notes about shamanic use 11
Strategies • Sustainability • Research and articles • Videos 4.1.1 Overview Text goes here 4.1.1.1 What is it (chemical) Info 4.1.1.2 Safe use and LD50 Info 4.1.1.3 Where is it from Info 4.1.1.4 What does it look like Info 12 Chapter 4. Pharmaceutical psychedelics
Strategies 4.1.2 In practice 4.1.2.1 How much to you take Inhalation A standard dose for vaporised DMT is 20–40 milligrams. In general, this is inhaled in a few successive breaths. DMT can be inhaled using a bong, vaporising pipe or even an e-cigarette. Care must be taken not to burn the DMT. 4.1.2.2 What is it like to take DMT vapour has a chemical taste a little like burnt plastic. 4.1.2.3 How long does it last Duration total: around 30 minutes Method: ONSET PEAK OFFSET AFTER EFFECTS vapourised 5 - 20 seconds 10 - 15 minutes 1 - 5 minutes < 10 minutes Tip: Onset is so rapid that it is hard or even impossible to maintain awareness of your surroundings. It is important to take measures to remain safe such as having a trip-sitter with you throughout. 4.1.2.4 Day after There will be few if any after-effects, even a couple of hours after the taking DMT. However the content of the trip may be vivid enough for you to be thinking about it for a few days. 4.1. DMT 13
Strategies 4.1.2.5 Are there any after-effects Info 4.1.3 Personal development and notes about shamanic use Info 4.1.4 Sustainability Info 4.1.5 Research and articles Info 4.1.6 Videos Info 4.2 LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide 20 25 3 Contents • Overview – What is it (chemical) – Safe use and LD50 – Where is it from – What does it look like • In practice – How much to you take – Taking LSD – How long does it last 14 Chapter 4. Pharmaceutical psychedelics
Strategies – Effects – Are there any after-effects • Personal development and notes about shamanic use • Sustainability • Research and articles • Videos 4.2.1 Overview Information here should be taken as advisory only and should be used in conjunction with other sources. LSD was first made by Albert Hofmann in 1938 from lysergic acid, a chemical from the fungus ergot. It was sold as ‘Delysid’ by Sandoz Laboratories. Its properties as a hallucinogen were discovered in 1943. 4.2.1.1 What is it (chemical) 4.2.1.2 Safe use and LD50 Drugbank can be used to check for drug interactions as well as [https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/ lsd_interactions.shtml] Advisory: not for use with: • Lithium / Tricyclics • Ritonavir / Indinavir Decreased effects if taken with SSRIs. Risk for addiction or dependency is very low. Risk of overdose is very low. LD50 of LSD in mice is about 50mg/kg. This would mean a human weighing 50kg would have to take 2.5g, or 5000 times an average recreational dose. General advisories for psychedelics apply See here for details. Always take with a trip-sitter. The effect of any drug varies widely from person to person. You should buy an Ehrlich’s reagent testing kit for your LSD. Recently 25i-NBOMe has been sold as LSD. 25i-NBOMe is toxic and has been known to cause deaths. Throw away any product that fails the test. 4.2. LSD 15
Strategies 4.2.1.3 Where is it from LSD is made in laboratories. If purchased on the street it will come from an illegal lab that will not necessarily have quality or purity testing. 4.2.1.4 What does it look like LSD is most often distributed as a liquid in a small, opaque bottle with a dropper or the liquid is dropped onto paper squares as part of a perforated sheet. It can also be found in a more concentrated format known as a micro-dot. 16 Chapter 4. Pharmaceutical psychedelics
Strategies 4.2.2 In practice 4.2.2.1 How much to you take A single dose of LSD may be between 40 and 500 micrograms — an amount roughly equal to one-tenth the mass of a grain of sand. Threshold effects can be felt with as little as 25 micrograms of LSD. It is hard to know how much to take as each batch may have a different potency. It is important to try lower doses of your batch first to gain some understanding of how strong it is. High potency LSD may provide one recreational trip from a single drop, or a single square dissolved onto paper. A micro-dot is often stronger. LSD can also be snorted or taken by IV. 4.2.2.2 Taking LSD If using a liquid dropper, place a single drop on the back of your hand and lick it off. This way you can see how much you are taking. The liquid tastes somewhat chemically, perhaps metallic, but it is not unpleasant. If it a micro-dot or paper square, place it under the tongue and keep it there for as long as is comfortable, perhaps 10-15 minutes before swallowing it. It does not usually taste of anything. 4.2.2.3 How long does it last Duration total: between 5 and 10 hours 4.2. LSD 17
Strategies Method: Method: Tabs Liquid ONSET ONSET 20 - 60 minutes 20 - 60 minutes PEAK 1 - 2 hours OFFSET 1 - 2 hours AFTER EFFECTS 1 - 8 hours 4.2.2.4 Effects The trip will vary from person to person, also according to the set and setting. It is possible to have deeply spiritual or insightful journeys. Some people report intense visual effects. LSD can cause pupil dilation, reduced or increased appetite, numbness, weakness, nausea, elevated blood sugar, goose bumps, heart rate increase, jaw clenching, perspiration and saliva production. In common with many psychedelics, users may experience extremes of body temperature and tremors or shivers. 18 Chapter 4. Pharmaceutical psychedelics
Strategies 4.2.2.5 Are there any after-effects There are not often any effects the next day although LSD can leave some people feeling intense tiredness. This will pass in a day or two. 4.2.3 Personal development and notes about shamanic use LSD is considered an entheogen as it may trigger spiritual or mystical experience including egoless states. It may also produce deep personal and therapeutic insight. Some research has seen LSD as having a role in cures for addiction as well as long term depression. LSD has also been influential in both music and art, especially in the late sixties. It is also known that a number of influential designers, coders and entrepreneurs used LSD to encourage mental flexibility and creative thinking. 4.2.4 Sustainability There are no sustainability issues. It can be made anywhere and is easy to transport. 4.2.5 Research and articles [coming soon] 4.2.6 Videos [coming soon] 4.3 Mescaline Mescaline 11 17 3 ChemSpider 3934 IUPAC name 2-(3,4,5-Trimethoxyphenyl)ethanamine Contents • Overview – What is it (chemical) 4.3. Mescaline 19
Strategies – Safe use and LD50 – Where is it from – What does it look like • In practice – How much to you take – What is it like to take – How long does it last – Day after – Are there any after-effects • Personal development and notes about shamanic use • Sustainability • Research and articles • Videos 4.3.1 Overview Text goes here 4.3.1.1 What is it (chemical) Info 4.3.1.2 Safe use and LD50 Info 4.3.1.3 Where is it from Info 4.3.1.4 What does it look like Info 20 Chapter 4. Pharmaceutical psychedelics
Strategies 4.3.2 In practice 4.3.2.1 How much to you take Info 4.3.2.2 What is it like to take Info 4.3.2.3 How long does it last Duration total: around 30 minutes Method: ONSET PEAK OFFSET AFTER EFFECTS vapourised 10 - 15 seconds 10 - 15 minutes 1 - 5 minutes < 10 minutes 4.3. Mescaline 21
Strategies 4.3.2.4 Day after Info 4.3.2.5 Are there any after-effects Info 4.3.3 Personal development and notes about shamanic use Info 4.3.4 Sustainability Info 4.3.5 Research and articles Info 4.3.6 Videos Info 4.4 Psilocybin Psilocybin 12 17 2 4 ChemSpider 10178 IUPAC name [3-(2-Dimethylaminoethyl)-1H-indol-4-yl] dihydrogen phosphate Contents • Overview – What is it (chemical) 22 Chapter 4. Pharmaceutical psychedelics
Strategies – Safe use and LD50 – Where is it from – What does it look like • In practice – How much to you take – What is it like to take – How long does it last – Day after – Are there any after-effects • Personal development and notes about shamanic use • Sustainability • Research and articles • Videos 4.4.1 Overview Info 4.4.1.1 What is it (chemical) Info Psilocybin is currently being manufactured for research purposes. It is highly regulated and not commonly available. Most users will take dried or fresh psilocybin mushrooms. 4.4.1.2 Safe use and LD50 Toxicity The toxicity of psilocybin is low In rats, the median lethal dose (LD50) when administered orally is 280 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), approximately one and a half times that of caffeine. When administered intravenously in rabbits, psilocy- bin’s LD50 is approximately 12.5 mg/kg.[49] Based on the results of animal studies, the lethal dose of psilocybin has been extrapolated to be 6 grams, 1000 times greater than the effective dose of 6 milligrams.[50] The Registry of Toxic Effects of Chem- ical Substances assigns psilocybin a relatively high therapeutic index of 641 (higher values correspond to a better safety profile); for comparison, the therapeutic indices of aspirin and nicotine are 199 and 21, respectively.[51] The lethal dose from psilocybin toxicity alone is unknown at recreational or medicinal levels, and has rarely been documented—as of 2011, only two cases attributed to overdosing on hallucino- genic mushrooms (without concurrent use of other drugs) have been reported in the scientific literature and may involve other factors aside from psilocybin.[6][d] 4.4. Psilocybin 23
Strategies 4.4.1.3 Where is it from Info 4.4.1.4 What does it look like Info 4.4.2 In practice 4.4.2.1 How much to you take Info 24 Chapter 4. Pharmaceutical psychedelics
Strategies 4.4.2.2 What is it like to take Info 4.4.2.3 How long does it last Duration total: around 30 minutes Method: ONSET PEAK OFFSET AFTER EFFECTS vapourised 10 - 15 seconds 10 - 15 minutes 1 - 5 minutes < 10 minutes 4.4.2.4 Day after Info 4.4.2.5 Are there any after-effects Info 4.4.3 Personal development and notes about shamanic use Info 4.4.4 Sustainability Info 4.4.5 Research and articles Info 4.4.6 Videos Info 4.4. Psilocybin 25
Strategies 26 Chapter 4. Pharmaceutical psychedelics
CHAPTER FIVE ENTHEOGENS Also know as “entheogens”, “sacred plants”, “visionary plants” and “plant medicines”. 5.1 Amanita muscaria mushroom Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a basidiomycete of the genus Amanita. It is also a muscimol mushroom. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine and birch plantations, and is now a true cos- mopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees. Arguably the most iconic toadstool species, the fly agaric is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, and is one of the most recognisable and widely encountered in popular culture. Although classified as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are extremely rare. After parboiling twice with water draining—which weakens its toxicity and breaks down the mushroom’s psychoactive substances—it is eaten in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Amanita muscaria is noted for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituents being the compounds ibotenic acid and muscimol. The mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the indigenous peoples of Siberia and by the Sámi, and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on possible traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in other places such as the Middle East, Eurasia, North America, and Scandinavia. 5.1.1 Use as a psychedelic Avoid unless you are with a native shaman that is extensively experienced with use of Amanita muscaria. This mushroom requires special preparation in order to be safely consumed. It is not in common use as an entheogen in European countries outside of its use in native cultures. 5.2 Ayahuasca In progress 27
Strategies 5.2.1 Page coming soon 5.3 Bufo (toad) In progress 5.3.1 Page coming soon 5.4 Eboga In progress 5.4.1 Page coming soon 5.5 Peyote text 5.5.1 Use as a psychedelic 5.6 Psilocybin mushrooms N,N-Dimethyltryptamine 12 16 2 Contents • Overview – What is it (chemical) – Safe use and LD50 – Where is it from – What does it look like • In practice – How much to you take – What is it like to take – How long does it last – Day after 28 Chapter 5. Entheogens
Strategies – Are there any after-effects • Personal development and notes about shamanic use • Sustainability • Research and articles • Videos 5.6.1 Overview Text goes here 5.6.1.1 What is it (chemical) Info 5.6.1.2 Safe use and LD50 Toxicity The toxicity of psilocybin is low Psilocybin comprises approximately 1% of the weight of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms, and so nearly 1.7 kilograms (3.7 lb) of dried mushrooms, or 17 kilograms (37 lb) of fresh mushrooms, would be required for a 60-kilogram (130 lb) person to reach the 280 mg/kg LD50 value of rats.[6] 5.6.1.3 Where is it from Info 5.6.1.4 What does it look like Info 5.6. Psilocybin mushrooms 29
Strategies 5.6.2 In practice 5.6.2.1 How much to you take Inhalation A standard dose for vaporised DMT is 20–40 milligrams. In general, this is inhaled in a few successive breaths. DMT can be inhaled using a bong, vaporising pipe or even an e-cigarette. Care must be taken not to burn the DMT. 5.6.2.2 What is it like to take DMT vapour has a chemical taste a little like burnt plastic. 5.6.2.3 How long does it last Duration total: around 30 minutes Method: ONSET PEAK OFFSET AFTER EFFECTS vapourised 5 - 20 seconds 10 - 15 minutes 1 - 5 minutes < 10 minutes Tip: Onset is so rapid that it is hard or even impossible to maintain awareness of your surroundings. It is important to take measures to remain safe such as having a trip-sitter with you throughout. 30 Chapter 5. Entheogens
Strategies 5.6.2.4 Day after There will be few if any after-effects, even a couple of hours after the taking DMT. However the content of the trip may be vivid enough for you to be thinking about it for a few days. 5.6.2.5 Are there any after-effects Info 5.6.3 Personal development and notes about shamanic use Info 5.6.4 Sustainability Info 5.6.5 Research and articles Info 5.6.6 Videos Info 5.7 San Pedro (Huachuma) In progress 5.7.1 Page coming soon 5.8 Here is a heading With some more text 5.7. San Pedro (Huachuma) 31
Strategies This is a heading without visibility in menu/toc With some more text 32 Chapter 5. Entheogens
CHAPTER SIX WHAT WILL I EXPERIENCE? The psychedelic experience can be challenging, but not everyone will experience the same two phenomena as negative. For each person that has experienced something they would describe as difficult, another person may have navigated a similar experience with detachment or even enjoyment. Every person’s experience of the psychedelic realm is different, and every psychedelic journey is different. The range of experiences is too great to create an exhaustive list so this chapter serves only as an introduction. Previous consistently good or challenging journeys are not predictors of your next journey. 6.1 Body 6.1.1 Purging After taking an entheogen, feelings of nausea are common. This will pass for most, however Ayahuasca will make almost everyone vomit (this is known as purging). Because entheogens are usually taken on an empty stomach, the purge is not really vomit. Whatever entheogen you have taken, the purge is seen to be a method by which the medicine deals with embodied energy that needs to be released. Some shamans say this can be trapped negative emotion, or it may be toxins in the body. It is also possible to purge from the bowels (i.e. needing to defecate). This may be an uncomfortable experience in a group setting, as the urge can be sudden, and access to a nearby toilet is therefore important. Having said this, it is much more common to vomit (and all you need for that is a bucket near you). In a group setting it is sometimes the case that the need to purge is felt by everyone at more or less the same time. Many entheogens are best taken after a period of detoxification, avoiding meat, dairy, spices and additives as well as intoxicants. Ayahuasca in particular requires great care to diet in the week before taking, and has a number of known (and sometimes dangerous) interactions with prescription and over-the-counter medication. 33
Strategies 6.1.2 Temperature, shakes or shivers This is a normal part of taking any psychedelic. The shakes and temperature changes are because the medicine is a central nervous system stimulant. You may shake or shiver and possibly feel unusually cold. This will pass in time and is not related in any way to medical conditions. It may be replaced with feeling hot and flushed. This may settle down after a while or it may continue throughout the journey. As with all these experiences it will pass given time. 6.1.3 Light and colour sensitivity, tracers Colour sensitivity is often the first thing that happens after taking an entheogen. Colours are intense and beautiful. Input from your eyes may experience any number of changes, often enhancing perception. As your eyes move, you may see tracers from points of light like candles, as if time is slowing down. 6.1.4 Intense inner light Experiencing intense light while you have your eyes closed has been associated with opening the ‘third eye’, or activity of DMT in the pineal gland. As with many aspects of the psychedelic experience, there are more questions than answers, but it is important to remember that this light is actually happening inside your mind, so there is no chance of any harm coming to your eyes. 6.1.5 Pain The action of the medicine can sometimes bring our attention to pain or stress in the body that was already there, or to something that we have been ignoring in our everyday life. The changes in our muscle tone as a result of taking a psychedelic can cause discomfort. It is important to accept the experience as much as you can, as resisting it will cause the muscles and body to stress, which will increase the discomfort. Using breathing and meditation can help with this. 6.1.6 Feeling overwhelmed This can be an intense and burdensome set of feelings in the body or mind. In the body they manifest in a number of ways, in the muscles or skin, in the stomach, back or abdomen. It can be a range of feelings that are hard to describe other than to observe that it just seems like ‘too much’. It can be a sense of exhaustion. In the mind, there are too many variations to generalise, but getting caught in a thought loop is something that some people have experienced, others may have challenging or difficult intrusive thoughts or visions. There may be a feeling of mistrust of the whole process. 6.1.7 Body dysmorphia This can be an experience that goes alongside dissociation. You may experience a range of phenomena. Your limbs or fingers may feel elongated. You might have a sensation of space or energy inside you. You may feel taller. 34 Chapter 6. What will I experience?
Strategies 6.2 Mind 6.2.1 Time dilation Under the influence of psychedelics, the mind can experience time differently. Sometimes time will appear to slow down, as if the brain is processing more quickly than in everyday life. If you are in a difficult part of a journey or in some distress, this sensation of time slowing down can make it appear as if your experience is going on longer than it actually is. 6.2.2 Dissociation This is the sensation that your mind is no longer connected to your body. It can happen to anyone at any time without the need to take a mind altering substance. This is especially true of anyone who has undergone hypnosis, gone into a trance state, been in drum circles, gong baths or other music therapy, deep meditation or breathing exercises. There are many ways to experience the separation of body and mind. Often there is a sensation of unusually deep relaxation. The limbs and head may feel too heavy to move. This may extend to a sensation of paralysis although in reality you are able to move. You may start to view your body from a different perspective: perhaps from above the body looking down. You may just have the sensation that you are in a different lighter version of your own body, floating above the heavy ‘you’ that is on the bed or chair. 6.2.3 Psycho-therapeutic insights Taking a psychedelic will change the way your mind processes your experience of your own personal history. We may have aspects of our past that we find very uncomfortable. Things, people, places, emo- tions and experiences we have not let go of, or have not forgiven or have just not had time to consider. Unprocessed emotions in particular may come to the foreground. 6.2.4 Past lives Some people believe in reincarnation. Other theories suggest that we can access all ideas and experiences from the past, as if they remained constantly available to us. You may not believe that you have had past lives, however it is possible that you will relive a set of memories that you experience as absolutely real, but not your own. You may have an instinctive intuition that these are your memories. Sometimes the memories are pleasant, but they can also be difficult, even traumatic. Try not to be afraid, these memories are not good or bad, they just are Try not to get attached to the experience, remember you are not your thoughts or your experiences, you are something bigger. Try to hold the experiences in love rather than resisting them. Be an observer. What can you learn about yourself or the world around you through this? 6.2. Mind 35
Strategies 6.2.5 Entities Without speculating what they might be, it is possible to generalise and say that under the influence of psychedelics you may see things that you consider to be conscious, alive and to have intentionality. They might be people, animals, therianthropes (half-person, half-animal), they may not look like organic life- forms at all. Sometimes we have an instinctive reaction that an entity we meet is malign and this can be very frightening. Remember to approach these experiences with love. 6.2.6 Generalised fear This will be a familiar feeling but magnified. It might be that a small situation gets blown out of all proportion in your mind. It may just be the fear of being alone, or the fear that you cannot get through the experience. Remember your perceptions are changed. Go back to your breathing and use your skills to centre yourself. 6.2.7 The void Often this is experienced as a place where any thought can be manifested into reality. It is the creative void. It is sometimes black, empty and without features. It can be experienced as a profoundly lonely place and frightening place, or it may be that you experience it with joy and excitement. 6.2.8 Out of body experience The sensation that you are not in your body. You may see yourself in the room. You may find yourself flying or walking in places you recognise. You may meet people. Sometimes people see places they have never seen before, maybe not even Earth. 36 Chapter 6. What will I experience?
CHAPTER SEVEN SKILLS 7.1 Mindfulness Mindfulness is the process of bringing one’s attention to the present moment. To meditate is to focus one’s mind. This can be done in a number of ways, for example with the aid of chanting, mantras, in silence, while sitting or walking. Mindfulness meditation is a practice, which is to say it is something that is done repeatedly. It is both a mental and a physical discipline that has a good evidence base for providing both health and psychological benefits including reduction of symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is sometimes the case that the present moment we are focusing on during meditation contains discomfort. It may be an intrusive thought or worry, or it may be a physical sensation, for example a sore muscle. Mindfulness, over time, becomes an embodied state. When we sit in the same posture we use for medi- tation, our body remembers that we are about to meditate. The mind follows the body and this principle helps us in the psychedelic experience because even if we are feeling overwhelmed, assuming a meditative posture will help settle our mind. By becoming mindful during a journey, we use the same techniques while experiencing discomfort that we learn during our normal meditation practice. 7.1.1 Starting a meditation practice You can benefit from quite short amounts of regular meditation, and there are a number of free online courses and apps to help you start. • Search online for free MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) courses • Join a local meditation group • There are some free courses available on the Insight Timer website or app 7.2 Breath Breathing techniques bring our attention to the breath. There are many benefits to doing a breathing exercise when you are journeying. • Mindfulness. To follow a breathing pattern is to pay attention to one thing. It is a form of mindful awareness • Taking responsibility. To take control of our breathing is to remind us that we are not a victim of the experience but a participant 37
Strategies • Parasympathetic nervous system response. When we slow our breathing the body responds by slow- ing the heart rate • Oxygenating the blood. During a journey a lot is happening in your head and your brain uses the most energy in the body. Oxygen changes your body chemistry allowing energy to flow. 7.2.1 Mindfulness of breath Mindfulness of breath is the Buddhist practice called Anapanasati, a meditation technique. We are mindful of the breath and the sensations of breathing in the body. We do not attempt to control the breath in any way, we simply observe it. We may start our meditation by taking three or four deep breaths, but then we settle into our normal pattern. • Pay attention to the sensations of the breath at the mouth, across the lips, at the nose and throat. For example the cooler air as you breathe in and the warmer air as you breathe out • Pay attention to the rhythm, notice the slight pause between the in-breath and the out-breath • You may count your breath, one in one out, two in two out, etc. up to five or ten before restarting Abdominal breathing In a comfortable sitting or lying position, place one or both hands on the belly. Breathe in from the belly, expanding the abdomen first, then when your belly has expanded allow the breath to fill your chest lifting your rib-cage. Be aware of the breath, but do not force it. Breathe out naturally and repeat at a pace that feels comfortable. Four-count breathing 1. Inhale for a count of four 2. Exhale for a count of four This will bring a sleepy person back to wakefulness or will calm anxious breathing. Nostril breathing 1. Get yourself into a meditative position, for example sitting upright but comfortably 2. Using your thumb, close off one nostril and inhale fully and slowly 3. Now use a finger to close off the other nostril and exhale fully and slowly 4. Now switch which nostril you inhale from and which you exhale from 5. Do this a few times 7.3 Body 7.3.1 Posture The body and the mind work together. When we have fear, it is in our mind but it can be seen in our body: We will clench up, cross our arms and legs and may even curl up. Our breathing may be shallow and fast. The opposite of fear is seen in the body as an open posture, a tall but relaxed spine and an open neck. Our breathing is deep and calm. We can use our body to lead our mind out of dark places by giving it different signals. Adopting a meditative position on a cushion or chair with arms resting gently on your legs and palms up and open is a good posture to release fears. 38 Chapter 7. Skills
Strategies 7.3.2 Movement If you feel stuck in your journey, try moving your body. This might be anything from a gentle walk to dance. If you have had a strong dose, you may experience poor coordination or altered vision. If so, remain seated and try moving your arms around instead. 7.3.3 Yoga Yoga gives us many stretches that can be done from a seated position or a yoga mat. Learning some of these stretches may give you a means to move your body when in a deep journey that prevents you standing up with ease. 7.3.4 Hydration A psychedelic journey can last a number of hours. Take a wise approach to drinking water. If you are purging, you may become dehydrated. Take water in slowly. In principle, it is good to avoid food and drink during your journey as it will interrupt or shorten it. Eating and drinking may trigger a purge. Your body will know what it needs and part of the journey might be to tune into this knowledge. 7.3.5 Avoidance of other psychoactive compounds Any substance that you take into your body will have an effect on you, however there are common sub- stances that are psychoactive such as coffee, that are best to be avoided on the day of your journey and for a few days before if possible. The same would also be true of any prescription or non-prescription drugs. 7.3.6 Mantras Mantra is an ancient Sanskrit word for a sacred utterance, be it a phrase, sound or just a word. It may be repeated, unspoken, sung, chanted. The concept of the mantra appears in Western traditions also, often as prayers. The simplest mantra is the Hindi mantra “Om” which is a word defining the oneness of all reality and all that is beyond reality. I was taught “I love and trust myself” by a shaman working with plant medicines. If you have a mantra that you start to use in everyday life or in your meditation practice, it will be easy to come back to it during your journey. 7.3.7 Sing If you are in the right environment, consider singing. You might sing a mantra, or a song you find beautiful or relaxing. Our mind is sensitive to sound and can interpret it and associate emotions with it. You will find examples of this in adverts on TV and movies. Singing also changes our breathing patterns and can become a form of meditation. 7.3. Body 39
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