I had the joy of speaking on a panel at the Brooklyn Psychedelic Society over the weekend called "Navigating the Psychedelic Underground." There were a lot of lovely, sincere newbies there. I was grateful to be there because it's always good to be reminded of newbie questions and problems. In fact, if you're new and have a pressing question, I'd love it if you'd post it below in the comments where I can see it. Maybe I can answer it in a future email or video.
Two couples approached me after the talk: two young friends and a romantic couple.
Seems that they've been doing some mushrooms with each other. A few times, nothing crazy. But they were concerned they might not be doing them right because they didn't have guides, therapists, protocols, or anything else. These adorable young people wanted to know how they could do mushrooms better, how to do them 'right.'
Forgive my imperfect memory and my poetic license. The conversations went something like this:
"Are you having a nice time?"
"Yes"
"Is anyone getting hurt?"
"No"
"Do you feel like you can be honest, vulnerable, and supportive with each other?"
"Yes"
Amazing. You could maybe add some casual ritual or ceremony, some journaling or art-making, but it sounds like you're doing this exactly perfectly.
People have been getting high with their friends very successfully for thousands of years. They’ve been getting fantastic results. With the right intention, many of these experiences are wholesome, healing, and enlightening. No rule says recreational use is less than. Don't let anyone tell you that it's inherently debaucherous, addictive, dangerous, or unworthy of respect. That's stigma talking. That's the drug war. That's Dr. Phil.
Spending time with your friends in celebration or contemplation is holy.
For specific people, for specific reasons and ailments, of course, it's good to have professional help. People should make informed decisions, do their homework, and be judicious and discriminating. But the vast majority of psychedelic use in human history, certainly recent human history, has been with friends and family. That makes this a folk art. It's for folks. You're folks, aren't you?
If you start low and go slow, you'll probably be fine. Plenty of folk wisdom about set and setting is widely available. Clean your room, and make sure you're with good people. Say a prayer, light a candle. Have a few agreements about how you'll handle it if someone gets a little squirrelly. Take care of each other with good heart and good cheer.
And hey, you can always show up to the integration circle afterward.
Yes, this is good advice!
I would add the caveat that it depends on the substance as well. I'd be careful whom I invite if I set up a therapeutic space with Molly as it makes you extremely suggestable. I'd also be careful with ayahuasca and drug/food interactions and generally not recommend it for this kind of recreational use. Mushrooms on the other hand are great for this!
btw, this substack with the archive and all is pretty great!
Truth!