If you’re planning to participate in a psychedelic journey with substances like psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, ketamine, ayahuasca, DMT, san pedro, peyote, mescaline, or other substances - whether alone or with a guide - feel free to use these tools to get the most out of your experience. Please note: as I mention in the interview, these tools merely reveal the map, NOT the territory - this means that it can show you how to view or what to look at in your life, but can’t tell you what to do/change. This is where it can be immensely helpful to have a guide or a therapist to help you navigate this map, and to create action steps that can lead to sustainable change after a psychedelic journey.
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There were other hard times that week, which led to other breakdowns and fears of not belonging. But each time I shared my struggles with my dear friends within the Zendo Project community, I was met with deep acceptance and shared struggles. It reminded me that no matter how expertly put together and badass someone might appear from the outside, we all struggle with belonging and worthiness. It was the reminder I needed that I can arrive exactly as I am, even when - or maybe especially when - sleep-deprived, stressed, and completely obscured by imposter syndrome. This community can hold me exactly as I am. I don’t have to feign happiness or confidence. It’s a place where I can show up, wounds and all, and still feel loved.
Read moreDon't settle for a one-size-fits-all psychedelic therapy experience
Imagine a wine sommelier who tells you which wine would pair best with your meal … except for psychedelics. You tell the sommelier what results you want, eg:
a reduction in anxiety/PTSD/OCD
to be less afraid of death/dying
a way to reconnect with my romantic partner
to be kinder to myself
to find a healthy way to feel anger
to let go of the past
Ego Death via Ketamine Intramuscular Injection Part III: Integration
I told my friend about my sojourn into the ketamine machine, fear’s temptation and surprisingly easy denial, and the overarching sensation of accompaniment on some grand journey to return to the default world with the holy grail of healing, and finished the tale by saying, “but I don’t know if I got anything out of it.” His laugh still warms my ears, “you mean to tell me that you went to the core of all of existence, and in the nothingness, felt like your purpose is to heal, and you don’t think that means anything?!”
Read moreEgo Death via Ketamine Intramuscular Injection Part II
The doctor injected me with 80mg of ketamine intramuscularly. Similar to anesthesia, I started counting to see how high I could get before being transported to an altered reality. I got to 37. Apparently the doctor asked me at the 3-min mark if I wanted the booster dose, but I have no recollection. I was already lightyears away from the room and any semblance of this individual, corporeal life.
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