Disclaimer: This article is for harm reduction purposes only.
The following is a basic guide for those who want to use psilocybin for self-exploration and self-understanding. There are some guidelines we can take to prepare our bodies and minds to increase the probability of a helpful experience. Although these steps do not guarantee for a pleasant journey, it will eliminate many of the factors that could contribute to the experience becoming uncomfortable or unhelpful.
So let’s start with the absolute basics. The etymology of the word Psychedelic comes from the ancient Greek language. ‘Psykhē’: meaning mind, or soul and ‘dēloun’: meaning to make visible or reveal. And that is exactly what psychedelics do, they reveal the deepest parts of ones psyche in the most extraordinary way. They can be very helpful in the process of better understanding ourselves, our complexes and vast mental challenges that we endure.
Set and setting: Set and setting are two fundamental concepts for psychedelic experience preparation that need to be carefully considered before any journey is taken. Set, is the mindset that we go into the experience with. Psychedelics can amplify the mind so we want to be calm, open and accepting of anything that may come up. Whatever comes up is there for our growth, healing, and understanding, we want to be ready to embrace it with love and acceptance. Some things may be uncomfortable or confronting but ultimately can offer the potential for extraordinary insight from a novel perspective. An equanimous mind is key to not judging or intellectualising the experience. ‘Set’ can be prepared for many months before the journey is taken.
How can one prepare to be in such a mind set?
Meditation, quiet reflection, listening to a guided meditation or gentle relaxing music, yoga, or deep breathing leading up to and before the experience can really help to bring a peaceful mind to the voyage.
The more calm and clear ones mind is, the easier the medicine can settle in and become symbiotic with the explorer.
Setting: Is the environment where we will be sitting. When under the influence of psychedelics, we become very sensitive to the surrounding environment. The setting should be as comfortable as possible. If indoors (highly recommended for high dose), the room should be clean and free from clutter, soft lighting and a cosy atmosphere provide a comfortable and inviting space for the ceremony. Having a comfy couch or bed with pillows and warm blankets makes for a very safe space, feeling safe is very important. You can get as creative as you like with this and it is highly encouraged to do so. Your ceremony space should feel very inviting and sacred. Having a toilet near by is a must.
Music: Another essential part for the psychedelic journey to be more inward focused is a playlist of music. The playlist should run for close to five and a half hours and move through different stages. It will act as a guide, a place for the voyager to focus their attention as they move into, and through the experience. It takes away unnecessary rumination and expectation. The mind is able to detach from the steady stream of thoughts that flow in normal waking state, and is allowed to be present with the music, from moment to moment. This meditative effect creates a much more observant mind which is a critical element of the therapeutic process and allowing the experience to unfold unrestricted and flow with ease. The brains auditory cortex system is in an altered state which allows far more complexities and intricacies to be heard and perceived in ways completely novel to the sensors. The sounds can resonate throughout the entire body as the voyager merges with the vibrations and the emotions they create. A high quality set of headphones and a thoughtfully curated playlist are essential to optimise this very important aspect of the experience. It is good to just flow with the music and not judge it. If the sounds become uncomfortable maybe skip the song or have a break for a minute. Try not listen to the playlist to much before the journey as familiarity can take away from the experience. But it is important to briefly listen to the playlist to make sure it is suitable (Playlists here). The music may be very unfamiliar sounding and is intentionally designed this way to allow the mind to be in completely new territory. Familiarity can bring the mind to associated thoughts and memories which if possible, is better to be avoided.
Intentions: We need to go into the experience with clear questions, clear intentions for entering into the sacred space. Write down your intentions on a nice piece of paper or journal and have them close by. Its good to read over them a few times before the ceremony and then again when ceremony begins. Sometimes it is good to have a re-read during the ceremony to remind the subconscious if we have not seen any clarity on the set intentions. If we don’t receive clarity, this is ok as we always receive what we need and maybe the time is not right for those intentions. Whatever comes through is what we have to work with.
Meditation: Meditation is the best tool to prepare for a journey. Focusing the mind on the breath and away from thoughts allows the experience to flow with ease. It is only when we try to intellectualise the experience that it can become confusing and disorientating. There are many types of meditations and an abundance of free tutorials online or retreats that can be attended. Find a practice that works for you and practice it as far before the journey as possible. Getting into a regular routine is highly encouraged and can improve your ability to remain calm and just flow with the unfolding journey. It is a highly effective tools to bring a positive experience. We want to be observant and try not to rationalise or grasp on to what is happening, just to accept and let the wisdom of the mushrooms guide you to where you need to be.
Commitment: It is very important that we set a strong commitment in our mind to allow the process to unfold as it will. We must have courage, trust and surrender to the unknown journey we are about to embark on. Having nerves before the ceremony is all very normal, they will settle in time. Trust, trust, trust.
Ceremony: Creating a ceremony or ritual for the whole process is highly encouraged. Placing pictures, deities, tapestry, burning incense, lighting candles prior, playing Om chanting or calming music, doing some yoga, practising meditation are effective ways to commit to the voyage ahead.
A Sitter or Guide: Are highly encouraged for new explorers. Someone who has had both good and bad experiences is helpful as they will understand the process deeply. It is important that they are just there to make sure your body is safe while you enter the inner realms and that they give you space to express whatever you need to. They should not get involved or interfere with your journey unless you are needing assistants as it can be very distracting.
On the day: Fasting for at least 4–8 hours beforehand is good to relieve the chance of nausea and allow for better absorption of the mushrooms. Eating healthy on the days leading up to the ceremony is highly encouraged. Having water or electrolytes for the session is good to stay hydrated. Some fruits and a simple healthy meal for after the journey are welcomed treats so it is good to plan for this prior. The more we prepare, the better the experience. Eye shades are great for making the journey more introspective. Having a fully charged music player and headphones with spare batteries or that it is fully charged. Over ear noise cancelling headphones are highly encouraged as they infinitely enhance the experience. Make sure the playlist is fully downloaded just in case internet connection cuts out. Try and foresee any interruptions that may occur and eliminate them where possible. We will be stepping out of our known reality for a little while and anything that brings us back to that before the mushrooms wear off, can be highly distracting. Having a journal or computer to write down thoughts after the voyage is great for capturing insights ready for integration. Art supplies can be great just in case you feel inspired to express your creativity. Having a flower or other interesting objects close by for viewing if we need a break from the experience can make for a highly interesting moment. Phone should be turned off or on airplane mode once the journey begins, we really don’t want our mind being distracted away from the experience.
Dosage: The most common type of magic mushroom is Psilocybe cubensis. The dosage looks like this:
0–1g Threshold dose — Very mild effects, maybe slight visuals closer to the 1g, very manageable
1–2g Light dose — Mild effects, you may notice patterns and fractals in your surroundings, feel a heightened sense of euphoria and music takes on a whole new experience.
2–3.5g Medium dose — Its good to be in a safe space at this amount, you may start to lose your sense of balance and time, visuals can become much stronger.
3.5–5g High dose — Amount where ego dissolution or mystical experience can occur. This is the amount administered in clinical trials and can be very transformative.
5g+ Heroic dose — Where things start to really get interesting. Only for the experienced voyager
Studies have shown that stepping up through the above stages make for longer lasting positive effects. Be patient and learn how the medicine works and flows in and through you. Once you are comfortable and learn complete openness and surrender, then try higher doses if you feel the calling. Make sure to leave a good amount of time between ceremonies to really absorb the experience. This can take anywhere from 3 months to many years. Psilocybin is a powerful substance and a great teacher when used in the right way with the right knowledge and patience. There is no need to rush into another journey until we have spent some time understanding what has come up in the last journey, and made good attempts to integrate what we have learned. Without the integration, the journey can lose its potential.
The Journey: After some quiet preparation for the sacred ceremony, it is nice to say some words of gratitude and thanks to the medicine and ask for protection and love from the essence of all consciousness, your guides and any other energies you want with you on the voyage.
The mushrooms can be chopped up finely and mixed in tea or orange juice, try just half a cup of fluids to keep the stomach empty. It is good to weigh the dose to know what to expect although the strength of the mushrooms can vary a bit. Once ingested you can lay down or sit, whatever you find more comfortable. Eye shades can be put on or eyes closed and playlist started. We want to try and stay meditative and trust the music as it is now your guide and key to the flow through the voyage. The playlists above have been very thoughtfully curated to reflect the stages of the journey as we move through the experience. It is good to just let go, trust and listen to the sounds. As the effects start to come on, it can sometimes feel uncomfortable. This will pass, it is good to just relax, let go of expectations and surrender to the experience and know that you are getting exactly what you need. It’s good to keep the eye shades on as long you feel it is good for you. If you feel like getting up and having a dance at anytime, then do so. Moving the body gets all the endorphins flowing and feels good after a long sit. Looking in the mirror can be a nice moment and bring about profound self love as we connect with the deeper parts of ourselves. Feel free to follow your inner guidance throughout the journey, try not to resist what is coming up naturally.
Timeline once the psilocybin has been ingested:
0–20mins Onset — May start to feel slight effects
20–1hrs Assent — Effects will be getting stronger
1–3hrs Peak 1–2 — We are fully in the experience now
3–4hrs Peak 3 — Slow decent as effects start to wear off
4–5hrs Decent — Normal function will start to return
5–6hrs Mediative — Back to baseline
Post session: It is great to write about the experience and capture any insights that came through. We want to be gentle with ourselves and allow it all to sink in. Having a full day for reflection following the experience is a great way to really absorb the insights and start to interpret them (More so with larger doses). For the days following we can sometimes feel a nice after glow as the medicine and experiences are still with us.
Integration: Most of the healing that comes from these experiences is after the journey is over. How we integrate the insights that we have learned is key. Sometimes things can come up that we are not comfortable with or have an aversion to, but we need to embrace these insights and work them into our daily being. Embrace the shadows. For deep mental challengers, it would be advised to work with a psychedelic integration therapist or psychologist who understands the psychedelic process.
The closer you follow these steps, the higher the potential for healing and an enjoyable experience will be. It is very important that we see these substances as sacred medicines for healing, spiritual growth and self exploration. We need to treat them with much respect and in return they will care for us and guide us to where we need to be. The more you delve into these incredible substances the more you will start to develop your own style, your own ritual, your own ceremony and preparations . Please share your experiences with those close to you so we can continue to change the stigma of psychedelics. We can all start to heal ourselves and find peace in our hearts, our minds and extend this to out extraordinarily beautiful human family.
Recommended readings:
The Door of Perception — Aldous Huxley
The Psychedelic Explorers Guide — James Fadiman Ph.D
How to Change Your Mind — Micheal Pollen
Psychedelic Psychotherapy — R. Coleman
Consciousness Medicine — Francoise Bourzat
The Psychedelic Experience — Timothy Leary Ph.D, Richard Alpert Ph.D, Ralph Metzner Ph.D
Realms of the Human Unconscious — Stanislav Grof
The Joyous Cosmology — Alan Watts
The Essential Jung — Anthony Storr
Modern Man in Search of a Soul — Carl Jung
Be Here Now — Ram Dass
The Power of Now — Eckhart Tolle
Much love and blessings on your inner explorations dear brothers and sisters
