Issue #16 Things are about to get trippy
What can we learn from psychedelics?
Not too long ago, mainstream media often portrayed psychedelic drugs as a direct path to the psychiatric ward. Today, however, perceptions of these substances have changed dramatically as hidden insights come to light and researchers are once again able to study them.
What scientists are learning is that psychedelics, when used mindfully, can offer significant mental and physical health benefits. Studies around the globe are revealing that psilocybin (magic mushrooms), LSD, DMT, Ayahuasca, and even MDMA can help people overcome addiction, heal from PTSD, depression, and anxiety, conquer chronic pain and even make peace with death.
In my own experience, psychedelics have been profoundly healing. They’ve helped me feel a deeper connection to the earth and all living beings while also enabling me to observe and understand myself with greater compassion. In the near future, it’s entirely possible that treatments like guided psilocybin therapy for depression or magic mushrooms prescribed alongside a cancer diagnosis will become mainstream. While I don’t believe this is a cure-all solution & I understand there are still challenges, I do see this as a huge step forward for humanity—moving away from potentially harmful pharmaceuticals with their myriad side effects and toward more natural solutions that promote longer-term healing.
Practice: Microdosing
Microdosing first started gaining popularity in Silicon Valley about 15 years ago and involves taking a tiny little bit (about a 10th of a full dose) of a hallucinogenic drug on a specific schedule for a period of several weeks or months. Microdosers tend to find their overall mood and motivation is boosted, have fewer niggling health issues and feel more inspired & connected to others. The two most popular dosing protocols are; Stamets Stack (after famed mycologist Paul Stamet) combining 1 part psilocybin, 1 part lions mane and 1 part Niacin taken for 3 days with 2 days off in between & the simpler method a dose of about 0.25mg of psilocybin once every 4 days. Have you every microdosed? How did it make you feel?
Read: Trippy by Ernesto Londono
Trippy is a great blend of investigative journalism and personal storytelling. The author explores his own experiences of trauma and depression while delving into the world of medicinal pyschedelics (mostly Ayahuasca), taking you along on a wild ride through the Amazon to meet the colourful characters of what is becoming a bourgeoning (and complicated) industry. We get to meet some genuine shamans alongside the wellness grifters and opportunists. He paints an evocative picture of the medicine journeys and the people whose lives are forever changed - for better and for worse. It’s a well-balanced and overall really readable book that left me feeling well informed.
Listen: Holotropic Breathwork for altered states of consciousness
Can you enter into an altered state without ingesting any psychedelic substances? Many people claim to have experienced powerful hallucinations by getting ‘high on your own supply’ through holotropic breathwork. In this podcast, you can learn more about the ins and outs of this practice and hear some stories of personal transformation. It’s not necessarily safe to practice alone so best to go to a class or workshop if you want to try it.
Watch: How to change your mind
I loved this series on Netflix based on the book of the same name. Michael Pollen curiously explores several types of psychedelic drugs over the course of 4 episodes, charting their history in society & then delving into how they are currently being studied and used. It’s inspiring to hear people’s stories of healing and growth and see how scientists minds are being blown daily! Just reading the comments on this Youtube video will give you a glimpse into the impact psychedelics are making in people’s lives.
Know: Running 500 miles on LSD & Mushrooms
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
I stumbled upon this interesting story on Tiktok recently and had to share it! There is a man in the USA who is currently planning to run 500 miles across the mountains of Colorado to Moab on a daily cocktail of LSD and mushrooms. Dante Liberato is an ultra-runner who has already run a 100 mile race on LSD and now has a film crew poised to capture his next challenge as part of a documentary. His reasoning is that psychedelics are far greater performance enhancers than caffeine & other stimulants because they help with mental resilience & focus & change the perception of time. I am following along on Tiktok curiously.
Drink: AmaMagic Shot
There are many ways to consume *mushrooms*, but almost all of them will taste awful. If you’re a purist, a tea is going to be most clean and effective option, but if you are looking for a tasty solution for a small -medium dose, I have one. Developed by South Africans, this is not vegan-friendly, but could potentially be adapted to your dietary requirements. To a shot glass, add some Amarula cream liquor (if unavailable, Baileys will do). After grinding your chosen mushrooms into a rough powder, mix your dose well into your shot glass. Drink your shot & finish off with a slice of biltong as a tasty chaser.
Follow:
Here are some of my favourite follows for psychedelic content - from the fun and trippy to the deep and spiritual or the purely educational.
@psychedelicsuk, @the_psychedelic_doula, @psychedelicstoday, @the_flyingsage, @fieldtriphealth, @microdoseguru, @psychedelicassociation, @lornalianatribe, @tripwhip, @getmicrodosed, @trippypark, @eathaart, @MetaTrip420, @trippydipart, @uonvisuals
Believe:
“I see the psychedelic experience as a birthright, and we can’t have a free society until people are free to explore their own mind” - Terrence McKenna
Thanks for reading Issue #15 - my last of 2024! I wish you all a wonderful festive season filled with connection & celebration. I am super excited to grow SW in 2025 & I hope you’ll come along for the ride! Join the Facebook Community or follow me on Tiktok or Instagram so you don’t miss anything.
Thank you for introducing me to the Mind Love podcast!!!