Be Your Own Psychedelic Therapist ($)

Only you can interpret your dreams. Why should psychedelics be any different?

“Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself.”
— Swami Vivekananda

Preparing for a voyage might mean having some idea of what to expect, laying the groundwork, getting in shape, or considering the details. A psychedelic trip is all of these, and your experience will be determined by how you prepare for it.

A psychedelic trip is a blind date with yourself. The less rigid you are and the less entitled you feel, the better the result. You’re not committed on a blind date, but you are committed to a long-term relationship with yourself. This does not make for a relaxed night out.

Is it safety or change that you want? Are you here for fun or growth? Growth is rarely fun. Change only comes with risk. If you’re looking for change, then you need an explorer’s frame of mind.

Set and Setting

To get the most out of your experience, don’t focus on set and setting. By the time you’ve reached the point of arranging for these, the results are locked in. Aside from ensuring safety, set and setting arrange the pillows.

You're obliged to ensure your safety in any situation. Know who you’re working with, know everyone’s intentions, know who is providing backup, and perform due diligence.

In my many altered state experiences, set and setting played little role in what transpired. Most pleasant situations went nowhere and did nothing. The most effective experiences were either unpleasant or did not fit on the comfort scale.

To use a business analogy, your investment carries risks and offers a return. Set and setting are issues of risk. Once safety is assured, your return on the experience is determined by who you are now and who you’re prepared to become.

Intention

“Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.”
— Liberty Hyde Bailey, horticulturist

Intention is portrayed as what you're aiming for, but it more accurately reflects what’s led you to this point. It often reflects what you can’t do, not what you will do. More important than your intentions are how you’re prepared to change.

Intentions take you to your boundary. Do you intend to watch comfortably or engage with the dragons at the gates? There is no right answer. More importantly, the landscape will change as you enter it. Most usefully, what do you intend to do when you fail?

See intention as a decision to act, not an expectation. In psychedelic trips, as in dreams, what you intend won’t make any difference. It’s what you’re committed to that you’ll experience. What counts is not what you want, but what you offer.

Preparation

“The preparation phase includes and surpasses the concept of set and setting… and can be summarized as ‘how you are, where you are, and who you are with.’”
— D.M. Tripson, from The Psychedelic Experience: Preparation and Integration

When we say “psychedelic trip,” we’re talking about a journey of exploration. Most people are unschooled in exploration. Most of what we’re taught discourages innovation.

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If you’d like my help in making your own preparations, book a free call using this calendar link:

https://www.mindstrengthbalance.com/schedule15