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Oky's avatar

Hello. I just saw your interview at a very opportune time for me... I have been using many different kinds of psychedelics, without incident, for years. I have even been able to guide and keep others safe while I myself was still under the influence - reminding friends to stay hydrated, take breathing breaks, and even had to remind one that we are still bound by the laws of physics and that they cannot, in fact, fly...

Perhaps through these experiences my ego had gotten the best of me, and I thought that I was somehow immune to the powerful mind-expanding effects these substances can sometimes have on people.

Then, during my most recent trip, I experienced complete ego-dissolution for the first time. I forgot who I was as a human person and felt that I had transcended into another realm where I was a god - a Being that is simultaneously both a part of the Universe and one with its entirety. It was beautiful and surreal, but it was not so beautiful for my husband, who had to convince "god me" that I could not, at that moment, simply get in the car, drive to the nearest airport, and fly to another country (which at the time I suddenly had full intention of doing).

Surprisingly, I can remember the experience in great detail and have been hashing it over and integrating all I can through daily reflection. Probably the most important lessons I have learned from this experience are those of deep respect and reverence towards these substances as well as the need for harm reduction education and practices.

I will tell you right now, despite how scary the experience was, both my husband and I have no plans of discontinuing our relationship with psychedelics. Long before this particular situation where my life may have been put at risk, psychedelics had *saved* my life by lifting me out of a deep, recurrent depression (I was first diagnosed with Major Depression presenting with self-harming behaviors as a teen). Psychedelics allowed me to learn to love and care for myself, to appreciate Life, to explore my creativity, and to reconnect with the Eternal Sacred. They are an integral part of who I am today and of my spiritual practices.

Nevertheless, we are now acutely aware of the potential risks and have been developing a safety plan so that we, along with our friends and family - many of whom also use psychedelics for spiritual, recreational, and medicinal purposes, can approach our use in a more mindful way that is centered on harm reduction and shared responsibility.

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P. David Stockhausen's avatar

I am sorry for your loss. Like you I’m all for being a dissenting voice that’s trying to bridge gaps between the echo chamber and the rest of the world. I work as a counselor and see far too many practitioners and therapists who shouldn’t be doing the work they’re doing. I think we all need more education and training around harm reduction. Thanks for sharing your story and your work.

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