The war on drugs was successful in spreading fear-based information about psychedelics to the masses, forcing the promising research to come to a screeching halt. Now that clinical research for psychedelics is resurging and regaining momentum, it’s crucial that the information that is spread about these substances is backed by data and shared intentionally.

Psychedelics are at a critical and pivotal point in our history. These substances that have the potential to induce massive healing can also be harmful when not practiced safely under the care of a clinician or trained practitioner. Much of the fear around psychedelics comes from this major detail – proper care is required in order to access the power of these medicines. 

Psychedelics Then and Now 

But let’s take a moment to understand the origin of psychedelics. Traditional medicine ceremonies date back thousands of years to many indigenous cultures across the world. Medicine ceremonies were practiced as teachings and a way to connect to the land, ancestors, spirit, and self to evolve and honor life and all that supports it. Many of these cultures believed that healing went far beyond the physical planes of our reality. These ceremonies were meant to connect us to humans, non-humans, and the cosmos. 

Though these beautiful healing ceremonies still hold their place in indigenous cultures today, they are not the image we have of psychedelics as a whole. When synthetic substances such as LSD and MDMA made their way into recreational settings in the 60’s, psychedelics took an entirely new meaning in society. The use of these drugs recreationally can lead to increased impulsivity, leading to poor decision making in uncontrolled settings. This brought them (and others) to being place on the controlled substances list and research being condemned.

Now, years later, there is the potential for a redo but the stakes are much higher as people are waiting for the other shoe to drop in support that psychedelics are too harmful. These substances currently await on the balance beam as clinical trials rage on to prove their clinical efficacy.

Psychedelic education stands on the frontier of the fight for legalization of these substances. Proper education allows for more access to information which can lead to more funding for clinical trials, more support of the powerful work that is going on in the field, more acceptance for psychedelic-assisted therapy, and ultimately, more buzz about this topic that not that long ago was off limits. 

People are coming out of the psychedelic closet to share their stories of healing and hope to those who are struggling with crippling mental illnesses like PTSD and major depressive disorder, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The Potential for Recreational Misuse

The potential for misuse is pretty high when it comes to psychedelics (see what I did there?) First and foremost, since they’re still illegal, this makes this conversation a bit grey to discuss. 

As of right now, there is no “safe” way to obtain these substances unless participating in a clinical trial or partaking in an indigenous ceremony with a recognized church.  I’ll help you read between the lines and point out that any of these substances accessed off the streets cannot and should not be trusted – and this education is essential as the buzz continues to protect people from trying to DIY their psychedelic healing.

Assessment and Accessibility

Not every psychedelic is a fit for every person. The importance of assessment in this field is also crucial. Access to these medicines varies across the board, for example substances like magic mushrooms, aka psilocybin, might have greater accessibility since it’s a naturally occurring plant. Although it might be the most accessible, it doesn’t mean it’s a perfect fit for everyone. 

Education around which medicine journey is a good individual fit thus becomes an important subject of conversation in the psychedelic world. Since these medicines aren’t all fun and games, it’s important to know as the individual about to embark on the journey what to expect before, during, and after and further decide if this medicine is a good fit or if they should explore other options. 

Set, Setting, and Integration

We live in a world in which we use drugs and pharmaceuticals to band-aid our symptoms so we can participate in our lives. Our mindset has thus become less focused on the long-term plan and more focused on instant results. 

As psychedelics enter the mainstream, it becomes obvious quickly that they don’t follow the same construct. In fact, the psychedelic experience has much less to do with the experience at all and is more focused on how it can be integrated into our lives when we’re off the medicine. 

This different approach to healing requires a different approach to preparation and education as well. It’s no longer someone prescribing a substance to rid you of your problems within a week or two and you just have to follow the instructions on how to take them, but rather a deep dive into the etymology of where the problem started and a potential path to how you can integrate this knowledge to access deep healing. If you’re following, this is a lot more work than simply reading the side of the prescription bottle. 

There’s also the component of set and setting, which is your intention or mindset ahead of the psychedelic experience and the setting you do this in. This extends far beyond the physical realm and more than just doing psychedelics in a pretty room or cool facility. Set and setting require a certain balance of curiosity, intention, surrender, grounding, and openness in order to prepare for what the medicine and subconscious might reveal during the journey. 

Relaying this preparatory information to people carefully can make a massive difference in the experience that they have, and as you can see, is also complicated. Set, setting, and integration is not a one-size-fits-all process. It’s highly individual and puts a lot of pressure on practitioners to help their patients get it right. It requires a collaborative and intuitive approach between practitioner and client to understand exactly what someone is hoping to get out of their practice and how they can best be supported in the process. 

A well-trained practitioner, facilitator, or healer is expected to provide the resources and support necessary to help individuals who practice psychedelics under their care as a way to mitigate risk. They should be ready to help them prepare for the journey, safely execute the journey, and integrate the journey and any difficult experiences that came up as a result. This process can last up to 90 days and when done effectively, can bring about real healing and change. It’s not uncommon for facilitators to only focus on ceremonies, therefore having trusted peers that assist with preparation and integration alongside them is imperative to the ethical practice of psychedelics.

The more you can educate on the importance of the curation of ceremony and integration, the more likely that this will become a natural thought when someone is considering using psychedelics, rather than an oversight. 

Feel to Heal

Psychedelics have this unique component to them that we’ve never tried collectively before, and that’s showing you what you need to feel emotionally in order to heal it. 

The more people can understand the inner workings of their brain, neuroplasticity, how to change old thought patterns, how to feel and release emotions, and so on, the more collective healing that will result. There are several hundreds of years of undoing over generations that this process involves, so teaching people to have grace and compassion for themselves and others is critical in a time where we’re helping people to overcome some of their toughest battles.

Educating the Masses and Reducing the Stigma

The mental health industry has grown its roots alongside traditional pharmaceuticals. The normalization of now household name drugs such as Lexapro, Zoloft, and Prozac have helped millions of people discuss their mental health without fear of backlash. As psychedelics such as MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine make their way into the playing field yet again, the same acceptance of these drugs can help bring awareness of them across the population.

Educating people on safe-psychedelic use is another way that we can promote the importance of mental health. At the end of the day, mental health treatment is going to come in all shapes and sizes and psychedelics may not be for everyone, much like their counterparts, but it’s important that they are a possible option for anyone seeking their wisdom and guidance.