Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms. It is like a key that unlocks the doors of perception in your mind and takes you on a journey beyond the ordinary where colors seem brighter, music more profound, and thoughts swirl to reemerge in new patterns of clarity.
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Benefits Of Psychedelics On Mental Health
Often described as mind-expanding, psilocybin has the effect of dissolving the boundaries to expanded states of awareness. It is a catalyst for exploration into uncharted territory and can open your eyes to the wonders of the universe within and around you. The effect of such an experience is often life altering and ultimately healing.
I began working with psilocybin mushrooms in 2008 and went underground on a quest, a deep personal and spiritual exploration. A psychedelic renaissance was happening in the world when I re-emerged from this period of relative isolation. Psychedelics were in the news, discussed on podcasts and social media, written about in books, blogs, and articles. They were being researched in medicine and debated in state legislatures.
The ubiquitous mushroom has suddenly sprouted up everywhere–on clothing and fashion accessories, household decor and in the health food industry. The image of mushrooms is found in religious art and artifacts dating back thousands of years, and can be linked to the evolution of many world religions. The mushroom has returned.
Over Two Decades
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A major movement has been underway for more than two decades. Psilocybin and other psychedelics have gained widespread acceptance as an alternative to drug resistant therapy and are recognized as a sacred agent in an increasingly chaotic world to clarify the mind and open the heart.
Before becoming a psychedelic guide and integration coach, I apprenticed myself to the mushrooms, the “plant teachers,” for 11 years. During that same time, clinical trials with psilocybin were underway at Johns Hopkins University, NYU, UCLA, and the University of Toronto. Psychedelic research was being conducted in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK. Retreats were becoming popular in Peru, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Colombia.
What I wanted was direct experience–without outside influence. I created my own ceremony to work with plant medicine, and developed practices to anchor the experience in my daily life. I worked through my own shit and bore the shattering of my ego on more than one occasion, which was a necessary part of the initiation on the medicine path. After years of devotion and integration I became a shaman–and continued the deep work. It was many more years before I would guide others in their personal and spiritual exploration with psilocybin mushrooms.
Studying shamanism, expanded states of consciousness, and the therapeutic use of psilocybin mushrooms reinforced my direct experience. The early psychedelic pioneers had experimented on themselves in the same way as I had, and arrived at many of the same conclusions.
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Indigenous peoples in Mexico and Central America have used psychedelics as a sacrament in spiritual, ceremonial, and healing rituals for thousands of years. These native american hallucinogenic plants are considered sacred and are believed to have the power to heal physical and emotional ailments. They have been referred to as “the flesh of the gods,” “body of the earth mother,” “the teachers,” and “little people.” Aboriginal cultures and indigenous communities around the world have passed down their traditional knowledge and use of these psychoactive plants.
Psychedelics Today
The current comeback of psychedelics is most notable in Michael Pollen’s bestselling book, How to Change Your Mind—What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence. It is a well written account of the history, science, and latest research of psychedelics. The book was turned into a well done three-part Netflix documentary.
Today, more people are coming forward to share their experiences. Joe Rogan, Tony Robbins, Mike Tyson, and Prince Harry talk openly about how psychedelics helped them deal with anxiety, anger, grief, and confronting their own demons. Research has demonstrated the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics for mental well being, self-exploration, and personal growth. Psychedelic-assisted therapy has been effective in treating depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and PTSD. Studies show that the use of psilocybin can lead to increased creativity, openness to new experiences, a greater sense of well-being, and positive changes in attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
While the stigma and misconceptions about psychedelics have largely been dispelled, caution and careful consideration are always recommended in their use. The risks can be minimized by proper preparation of mind set, physical setting, and skilled support.
Psychedelics expand consciousness and in effect pull back the curtain on the ordinary limitations of our mind. The expansion of awareness gives deeper insight into the nature of reality and yields a profound connection to our emotions. When the ego goes offline, barriers dissolve allowing us to see ourselves, others, and the world at large more clearly. Clarity of intent at the beginning of the psychedelic experience cultivates the right mindset. Ceremony and ritual create “sacred space,” a setting that is safe physically, emotionally and spiritually. This sense of safety and security allows the freedom to do deep inner work without distraction. A field of possibility opens and miraculous breakthroughs can occur to provide a powerful, life altering experience. Sacred space is the space of transformation, transcendence, and healing.
Support and integration on the other side of the medicine journey is critical. Integration is an important process that anchors the memory of the journey giving it substance and reality. Skilled guidance helps to integrate the experience into the context of one’s life in ways that are meaningful and practical. A guide’s capacity to listen and hold space before, during and after the experience, facilitates a conversation that leads to greater understanding–and positive changes.
A heightened sense of peace and authentic joy bring more smiles, laughter, and ease in daily life. Grounding the psychedelic experience into our everyday lives takes commitment and practice. Psilocybin, used in a safe, sacred way, with an experienced guide, is a powerful ally for personal growth, healing, and transformation.
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I appreciate the work you are doing with this powerful medicine and enjoy listening to you on the HeartMind Summits!