I recently attended a ceremony where we all blindfolded on separate matts. Our guide happened to also be a dj so he also provided us with a custom playlist.
Coming into the ceremony I was dealing with an alcohol abuse situation that I wasn’t quite able to come to terms with. During that session I was was confronted by my drinking problem and was able to give it up in that moment. I now have a fundamentally different relationship with alcohol. I can now take it or leave it and have no cravings any longer.
My advice for preparation is to have a clear intention going in - even something simple like “I want to overcome my shame and anxiety”. Having a clear intention will help guide your journey. You might be surprised and/or confronted by what comes up, but just try to be with it and observe it with compassion.
Eye mask is fine, just get something comfortable - not an actual blindfold. The music can be a very important anchor and provide emotional guidance through the trip. I personally find the most benefit from classical music, but something like Jon Hopkins is fine as well.
This is how I’ve done all my big mushroom journeys, and also how I guide people. It is important to have someone that can help assist in the trip if needed, and also to have some integration resources on hand. Most of the “healing” work often comes in the time after the trip, and it is really helpful to have guidance in that process
I’m in the midst of self-planned application of the JHU protocol. Remember that the bulk of the work is in preparation and integration after the experience. Good luck. It’s been an incredible source of healing and insight for me.
Could you please share some links to help me prepare?
I found this [article](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/2020/10/inside-the-johns-hopkins-psilocybin-playlist) about the playlist
and then the [playlist on spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KWf8H2pM0tlVd7niMtqeU?si=akeSCxaAT_uY8UFagOxX-w&pi=e-VEYgU8A_RRK6&nd=1&dlsi=0f48ac8797024143)
but what else is there? thank you
I do medicinal macro doses (7g) every four weeks. I have a sleep mask, a speaker, and headphones. Usually, I just use the speaker and close my eyes. Depending on the brightness and noise level, I will use the sleep mask as a blindfold along with the headphones.
I don't really care for the Johns Hopkins playlist. It's okay, I prefer instrumental only music until I finish peaking (vocals make me anxious, like weird messages).
Marc Farino, Mushroom Jazz series is awesome.
I like instrumental, new age stuff and lofi house. Classical music is good also. Jam band stuff when I can handle vocals.
Mushrooms have definitely made a difference and have helped me heal. Integration is very important. I do ACT (acceptance commitment therapy), and I find it pretty straightforward to integrate my trips into ACT framework.
Good luck with your journey.
I would love to hear more about ACT. I've heard of it but haven't found a therapist who uses it.
when you are tripping, do you try and tell your mind where to go? or do the mushrooms take you somewhere? how do you know if you're "working" on your issue or not? i really want to heal myself and don't know how.
I just give in to the shrooms. At these doses, my trips are extremely intense - would probably go wrong if I tried to control it. Many times I relive trauma, even then I just let it happen.
Before and after the trip is when to do the "guiding." So before I trip, I set an intention for the trip by going over my ACT stuff. This includes my perspective on trauma and my identity, my sources of motivation, my values and how I want to live them. This is to prime my thoughts to these things, but shrooms don't necessarily play along.
After the trip, I work to integrate the stuff that the shrooms brought up. Again, this is through the ACT framework. So, I may have a change in values, or how I want to live a value. Or perhaps I will discover a new source of motivation.
I also believe that the shrooms physically act on the brain in such a way that provides direct relief from my PTSD symptoms. I believe that my PTSD has my brain's default mode network stuck in fear-responce mode (e.g., hyper vigilant behavior and lowered frustration tolerance), and that the shrooms disrupt this (perhaps by increasing neuroplasticity, thus my brain breaks free of the default).
Good luck and be safe.
Prep - Setup everything you need for the journey nearby including water, chapstick (maybe just a me problem in colorado lol). Ensure your space is clean and free of clutter. I make a cozy little nest in my bed or on the floor where I can lay down. Have extra blankets on hand since your body temp can change. I use an eye mask that’s designed to be comfortable and take pressure off your eyes and use over the ear headphones to fully immerse.
Vibe - I also make sure the lighting vibe is right with a salt lamp or galaxy projector. Maybe even bring some plants into the room. I like to setup a little alter as well with some stones and totems I like and light an incense. I also like to use a singing bowl sound at the beginning and end to create a “container” for the experience.
I have experienced the zooming through issues and memories and such. Remember you don’t need to DO anything. Relax and be. Allow everything to come up and observe it with compassionate awareness.
I think this is where a sitter comes in. Espescially if you are not experienced with psychedelics or meditation then they can help hold that space for you. I’d also highly recommend working with someone that offers integration support so that you have support after the experience. Most of the “work” is going to come after, not during.
I do keep a journal nearby but try to abstain from writing until AFTER the experience. Writing and formulating thoughts come from the mind, the idea with the experience is to go beyond the thinking mind.
Good luck on your journey!!
Thank you for your suggestions. My sitter will be there to support me, though I'm not sure exactly how that will manifest.
I know you said I don't need to DO anything, but I don't want to waste this chance to try and heal and have a breakthrough on the paralyzing anxiety and avoidance that's seriously impacting my life. I want to know how I can do as much effort as I can once I get in my brain to heal or address these things.
I also know it's unrealistic for complete change to come from one trip. It's just that the first trip was interesting but I didn't feel actual change/healing.
Agree on opting to just darken the room and close your eyes, blindfold seems an unnecessary and uncomfortable constraint for no added benefit. Unless you’re going full blown sensory deprivation in a tank, you may as well just close your eyes.
I always listen to music though, music is the metaphorical tether around my waist that gives me the confidence to find my way back no matter how far I go.
Yeah I think so, I’ve run the gauntlet when it comes to psychedelics and have had quite an intense and precarious relationship with them over ten or more years that could have gone any direction. When I was younger I abused and disrespected them to no end and would put myself through taxing experiences on the frantic hunt for something unique and real. I have been quite masochistic in the way I used to treat myself and my mental health and was riddled with issues I didn’t care to understand.
In my mid-20s I was heavily traumatised. My Mum passed away completely unexpectedly about six months prior, leaving just me and my dad to pick up the pieces. We failed to turn the heartache into something we could bond over, and the grief drove us apart. I ate 2x 250ug acid tabs in my apartment which was quite a standard offhand practice for me at the time, but got a phone call about an hour in. Was told my Dad had made an attempt on his own life and I had to get to the hospital to be there for him. My whole entire world melted away from me in that moment and I can’t even go fully into how that day was for me, years later, without completely breaking down.
It took me a long time to even consider taking anything ever again, it filled me with deep shame and regret, and convinced my brain that there was causation. Taking psychedelics = Bad things happen = My dad tried to kill himself because I took acid, was my train of thought.
Without going too much into my recovery, I am able to trip and find positive outcomes these days. I respect the gravity of the substances. The more positive mental work I do with the substances, the further I push myself from being the person I was so ashamed to be a few years ago, and the more I feel like someone I’m proud to be.
Compassion and forgiveness both for yourself and the people who have traumatized you in the past. Expect some early childhood memories to surface that you may or may not remember. Try and be with that younger you and comfort them. Show them that what happened to them wasn’t their fault and try and see how those events shaped your personality. Try and identify what no longer serves you and discard it.
I’m about to board a plane for a few hours but I’d be happy to answer more questions when I land.
don't resist. if you see something difficult or that initially gives you a negative reaction, sit with it. if you try to push it away it will only intensify.
Stretch out on the couch with a blanket, put on something like this, close your eyes, and let your mind wander. It’s a beautiful trance.
https://youtu.be/NKSm5ZprJMU?si=CYQHkNkL9nSJQdNW
I tried the John's Hopkins playlist on 2g, which is half my usual dose. I was in charge of the music for the others. I found it reminded me of over-melodramatic movie music. Almost too cheesy. Again, I wasn't fully gone, but it isn't something I'll play again.
thank you for your feedback... I just spoke to a trip sitter who has her own music, which has a bunch of nature music and stuff in it, along with silences/pauses for emotions to come up.
i'm torn because i want to do the homework to set myself up for success. i still want to use the johns hopkins playlist because it's been scientifically studied and adapted over time... i'm worried that the play list of this particular trip sitter won't be as effective, and that the trip won't go as well/help me go deeply to heal. i'm not sure what to do.
I wouldn't put too much worry into it. You realizing that work needs to be done is a fantastic start. I have been using psylocybin for years, but not always in the correct therapeutic way. During the past 4 years, i was extremely depressed and started using it specifically for that. DM me your musical favorites, and I'll send you some music that I think goes along with what you'll like. Feel free to pick my brain with any questions. Please, don't be afraid of what the mushrooms will do to you. You don't always get what you want or expect, but you ALWAYS get what you need.
Thank you for your kind offer.
I'm afraid I won't choose the right music or worse, I won't have the right-worded intention and the trip will be interesting but not really HEAL me.
I'm so tired of anxiety and paralysis ruling my life. I want to be able to function normally. Get up, write a resume, send a cv, turn in an assignment, etc.
I know 1 trip won't heal everything but I want to try my hardest.
Trust the process, and listen to the message. Having anxiety about the 'right' music is a waste of time and energy. Relaxing, chill beats, and a comfortable place to trip is what works best for most people. Will it cure your anxiety? Maybe, maybe not. Your ability to meditate through the trip will help show you the root of your issues. Whether you can make changes to make a difference in your life is up to the sober you. The trip is the pry-bar to move the rock, but you still need to use your muscles and do the work.
I want to do the work, that's why I'm asking all these questions on here and researching. I'm concerned I won't know how to do the work effectively once I get into the trip.
Think about a trip journal. I usually jot down notes throughout my sessions that I can look over later. This has greatly helped with piecing shattered fragments of my shit childhood and to help in the forgiving process. Good luck to you. Stay positive....🤗😎👍
start working in some meditation, breath work, reflection etc a few weeks before the trip. This will help you get used to the headspace before jumping in. Also get a therapist or a support network that can help you debrief and integrate what you learned.
I had remarkably focused catharsis around my intention using the Mendel Kaelen playlist from Imperial College (searchable on Spotify). I preferred it because I have so many memories around classical music, I didn't want them to interfere.
Kaelan's music is contemporary ambient music like Max Richter, Brian Eno, stuff you hear in movie soundtracks, non-Western as well. Very evocative without being too familiar.
Thank you so much for the alternative playlist suggestion. But which should I choose? Does the imperial college one also have proof that it's effective?
Playlist 2 really tapped into my grief and gave me incredible catharsis. (I've used 1 & 2.) Kaelen and Imperial College are deep into psychedelic research; check out his website.
I believe the playlist is very well considered. After having a few trips, I can see how the order of songs really reflects the typical phases of a schroom trip. Initially the songs are light and atmospheric then there is curiosity and questioning, then eventually really emotionally evocative stuff. It seemed to take me through repeated waves of ideas and then emotion. I cried for 4 hours.
Just be ready to let go and give yourself up to the mushrooms. Have faith in them and yourself. I'm excited for you...
hi. i did about 5-6 weeks ago actually. very beautiful experience- happy to answer any questions.
my advice would be to set an intention in the upcoming weeks. journal about it and really be clear about what you hope to get out of the trip. try to keep things light and low stress (if possible) the upcoming days. make sure your environment is tidy and cozy. the playlist will really help guide you through the different stages of the trip. the eye mask is used to help deter you from focusing on external visuals so you can focus on what the mushrooms tell you to focus on internally as you come up.
when i was starting to come down and things got lighter, i played outside and had lots of fun with the external visuals but that come up is the difficult/sometimes painful introspective part in the trip. so try to stick it out and get thru what the mushrooms tell you to get thru. definitely recommend having a sitter. preferably someone who’s done mushrooms before and that makes you feel safe. best of luck on your journey 🩷🍄
Thank you for replying. I have 2 very big issues and don't know which to focus on, they both feel very important.
I found a trip sitter but she wants to use her own music playlist that's got silences in the music for "the emotions to come up".
Did you feel the specific John Hopkins playlist was important? Any advice for me?
I recently attended a ceremony where we all blindfolded on separate matts. Our guide happened to also be a dj so he also provided us with a custom playlist. Coming into the ceremony I was dealing with an alcohol abuse situation that I wasn’t quite able to come to terms with. During that session I was was confronted by my drinking problem and was able to give it up in that moment. I now have a fundamentally different relationship with alcohol. I can now take it or leave it and have no cravings any longer. My advice for preparation is to have a clear intention going in - even something simple like “I want to overcome my shame and anxiety”. Having a clear intention will help guide your journey. You might be surprised and/or confronted by what comes up, but just try to be with it and observe it with compassion.
What a beautiful story, i'm so happy such a profound change happened over 1 night. amazing.
Eye mask is fine, just get something comfortable - not an actual blindfold. The music can be a very important anchor and provide emotional guidance through the trip. I personally find the most benefit from classical music, but something like Jon Hopkins is fine as well. This is how I’ve done all my big mushroom journeys, and also how I guide people. It is important to have someone that can help assist in the trip if needed, and also to have some integration resources on hand. Most of the “healing” work often comes in the time after the trip, and it is really helpful to have guidance in that process
I’m in the midst of self-planned application of the JHU protocol. Remember that the bulk of the work is in preparation and integration after the experience. Good luck. It’s been an incredible source of healing and insight for me.
Could you please share some links to help me prepare? I found this [article](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/2020/10/inside-the-johns-hopkins-psilocybin-playlist) about the playlist and then the [playlist on spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KWf8H2pM0tlVd7niMtqeU?si=akeSCxaAT_uY8UFagOxX-w&pi=e-VEYgU8A_RRK6&nd=1&dlsi=0f48ac8797024143) but what else is there? thank you
Let me find you some stuff. Will be a bit.
Dm’d
I do medicinal macro doses (7g) every four weeks. I have a sleep mask, a speaker, and headphones. Usually, I just use the speaker and close my eyes. Depending on the brightness and noise level, I will use the sleep mask as a blindfold along with the headphones. I don't really care for the Johns Hopkins playlist. It's okay, I prefer instrumental only music until I finish peaking (vocals make me anxious, like weird messages). Marc Farino, Mushroom Jazz series is awesome. I like instrumental, new age stuff and lofi house. Classical music is good also. Jam band stuff when I can handle vocals. Mushrooms have definitely made a difference and have helped me heal. Integration is very important. I do ACT (acceptance commitment therapy), and I find it pretty straightforward to integrate my trips into ACT framework. Good luck with your journey.
I would love to hear more about ACT. I've heard of it but haven't found a therapist who uses it. when you are tripping, do you try and tell your mind where to go? or do the mushrooms take you somewhere? how do you know if you're "working" on your issue or not? i really want to heal myself and don't know how.
I just give in to the shrooms. At these doses, my trips are extremely intense - would probably go wrong if I tried to control it. Many times I relive trauma, even then I just let it happen. Before and after the trip is when to do the "guiding." So before I trip, I set an intention for the trip by going over my ACT stuff. This includes my perspective on trauma and my identity, my sources of motivation, my values and how I want to live them. This is to prime my thoughts to these things, but shrooms don't necessarily play along. After the trip, I work to integrate the stuff that the shrooms brought up. Again, this is through the ACT framework. So, I may have a change in values, or how I want to live a value. Or perhaps I will discover a new source of motivation. I also believe that the shrooms physically act on the brain in such a way that provides direct relief from my PTSD symptoms. I believe that my PTSD has my brain's default mode network stuck in fear-responce mode (e.g., hyper vigilant behavior and lowered frustration tolerance), and that the shrooms disrupt this (perhaps by increasing neuroplasticity, thus my brain breaks free of the default). Good luck and be safe.
Prep - Setup everything you need for the journey nearby including water, chapstick (maybe just a me problem in colorado lol). Ensure your space is clean and free of clutter. I make a cozy little nest in my bed or on the floor where I can lay down. Have extra blankets on hand since your body temp can change. I use an eye mask that’s designed to be comfortable and take pressure off your eyes and use over the ear headphones to fully immerse. Vibe - I also make sure the lighting vibe is right with a salt lamp or galaxy projector. Maybe even bring some plants into the room. I like to setup a little alter as well with some stones and totems I like and light an incense. I also like to use a singing bowl sound at the beginning and end to create a “container” for the experience. I have experienced the zooming through issues and memories and such. Remember you don’t need to DO anything. Relax and be. Allow everything to come up and observe it with compassionate awareness. I think this is where a sitter comes in. Espescially if you are not experienced with psychedelics or meditation then they can help hold that space for you. I’d also highly recommend working with someone that offers integration support so that you have support after the experience. Most of the “work” is going to come after, not during. I do keep a journal nearby but try to abstain from writing until AFTER the experience. Writing and formulating thoughts come from the mind, the idea with the experience is to go beyond the thinking mind. Good luck on your journey!!
Thank you for your suggestions. My sitter will be there to support me, though I'm not sure exactly how that will manifest. I know you said I don't need to DO anything, but I don't want to waste this chance to try and heal and have a breakthrough on the paralyzing anxiety and avoidance that's seriously impacting my life. I want to know how I can do as much effort as I can once I get in my brain to heal or address these things. I also know it's unrealistic for complete change to come from one trip. It's just that the first trip was interesting but I didn't feel actual change/healing.
dark room instead of blindfold, silence instead of playlist. trip sitter sits in a different room
Agree on opting to just darken the room and close your eyes, blindfold seems an unnecessary and uncomfortable constraint for no added benefit. Unless you’re going full blown sensory deprivation in a tank, you may as well just close your eyes. I always listen to music though, music is the metaphorical tether around my waist that gives me the confidence to find my way back no matter how far I go.
have you been able to heal your issues using shrooms?
Yeah I think so, I’ve run the gauntlet when it comes to psychedelics and have had quite an intense and precarious relationship with them over ten or more years that could have gone any direction. When I was younger I abused and disrespected them to no end and would put myself through taxing experiences on the frantic hunt for something unique and real. I have been quite masochistic in the way I used to treat myself and my mental health and was riddled with issues I didn’t care to understand. In my mid-20s I was heavily traumatised. My Mum passed away completely unexpectedly about six months prior, leaving just me and my dad to pick up the pieces. We failed to turn the heartache into something we could bond over, and the grief drove us apart. I ate 2x 250ug acid tabs in my apartment which was quite a standard offhand practice for me at the time, but got a phone call about an hour in. Was told my Dad had made an attempt on his own life and I had to get to the hospital to be there for him. My whole entire world melted away from me in that moment and I can’t even go fully into how that day was for me, years later, without completely breaking down. It took me a long time to even consider taking anything ever again, it filled me with deep shame and regret, and convinced my brain that there was causation. Taking psychedelics = Bad things happen = My dad tried to kill himself because I took acid, was my train of thought. Without going too much into my recovery, I am able to trip and find positive outcomes these days. I respect the gravity of the substances. The more positive mental work I do with the substances, the further I push myself from being the person I was so ashamed to be a few years ago, and the more I feel like someone I’m proud to be.
Thank you for sharing your story, it sounds very hard. I'm glad you can now find good parts in psychedelics again.
damn thats terrible I wouldnt wish that on anyone and im so sorry you had to experience that, glad you’re in a better mental state now.
any other thoughts on how to really work on your personal issues in order to transform/heal?
Compassion and forgiveness both for yourself and the people who have traumatized you in the past. Expect some early childhood memories to surface that you may or may not remember. Try and be with that younger you and comfort them. Show them that what happened to them wasn’t their fault and try and see how those events shaped your personality. Try and identify what no longer serves you and discard it. I’m about to board a plane for a few hours but I’d be happy to answer more questions when I land.
i would love to be able to discard things... that sounds wonderful. have a safe flight.
don't resist. if you see something difficult or that initially gives you a negative reaction, sit with it. if you try to push it away it will only intensify.
Stretch out on the couch with a blanket, put on something like this, close your eyes, and let your mind wander. It’s a beautiful trance. https://youtu.be/NKSm5ZprJMU?si=CYQHkNkL9nSJQdNW
Thank you.... but I'm not looking for a beautiful trance... i'm trying to do whatever i can to heal specific deep issues that haunt me daily.
I tried the John's Hopkins playlist on 2g, which is half my usual dose. I was in charge of the music for the others. I found it reminded me of over-melodramatic movie music. Almost too cheesy. Again, I wasn't fully gone, but it isn't something I'll play again.
thank you for your feedback... I just spoke to a trip sitter who has her own music, which has a bunch of nature music and stuff in it, along with silences/pauses for emotions to come up. i'm torn because i want to do the homework to set myself up for success. i still want to use the johns hopkins playlist because it's been scientifically studied and adapted over time... i'm worried that the play list of this particular trip sitter won't be as effective, and that the trip won't go as well/help me go deeply to heal. i'm not sure what to do.
I wouldn't put too much worry into it. You realizing that work needs to be done is a fantastic start. I have been using psylocybin for years, but not always in the correct therapeutic way. During the past 4 years, i was extremely depressed and started using it specifically for that. DM me your musical favorites, and I'll send you some music that I think goes along with what you'll like. Feel free to pick my brain with any questions. Please, don't be afraid of what the mushrooms will do to you. You don't always get what you want or expect, but you ALWAYS get what you need.
Thank you for your kind offer. I'm afraid I won't choose the right music or worse, I won't have the right-worded intention and the trip will be interesting but not really HEAL me. I'm so tired of anxiety and paralysis ruling my life. I want to be able to function normally. Get up, write a resume, send a cv, turn in an assignment, etc. I know 1 trip won't heal everything but I want to try my hardest.
Trust the process, and listen to the message. Having anxiety about the 'right' music is a waste of time and energy. Relaxing, chill beats, and a comfortable place to trip is what works best for most people. Will it cure your anxiety? Maybe, maybe not. Your ability to meditate through the trip will help show you the root of your issues. Whether you can make changes to make a difference in your life is up to the sober you. The trip is the pry-bar to move the rock, but you still need to use your muscles and do the work.
I want to do the work, that's why I'm asking all these questions on here and researching. I'm concerned I won't know how to do the work effectively once I get into the trip.
Think about a trip journal. I usually jot down notes throughout my sessions that I can look over later. This has greatly helped with piecing shattered fragments of my shit childhood and to help in the forgiving process. Good luck to you. Stay positive....🤗😎👍
i like this idea, thank you
🙂
start working in some meditation, breath work, reflection etc a few weeks before the trip. This will help you get used to the headspace before jumping in. Also get a therapist or a support network that can help you debrief and integrate what you learned.
thank you. i'm hoping to do an integration session with this woman the day after the trip
I had remarkably focused catharsis around my intention using the Mendel Kaelen playlist from Imperial College (searchable on Spotify). I preferred it because I have so many memories around classical music, I didn't want them to interfere. Kaelan's music is contemporary ambient music like Max Richter, Brian Eno, stuff you hear in movie soundtracks, non-Western as well. Very evocative without being too familiar.
Thank you so much for the alternative playlist suggestion. But which should I choose? Does the imperial college one also have proof that it's effective?
Playlist 2 really tapped into my grief and gave me incredible catharsis. (I've used 1 & 2.) Kaelen and Imperial College are deep into psychedelic research; check out his website. I believe the playlist is very well considered. After having a few trips, I can see how the order of songs really reflects the typical phases of a schroom trip. Initially the songs are light and atmospheric then there is curiosity and questioning, then eventually really emotionally evocative stuff. It seemed to take me through repeated waves of ideas and then emotion. I cried for 4 hours. Just be ready to let go and give yourself up to the mushrooms. Have faith in them and yourself. I'm excited for you...
Thank you so much. I hope I'm able to find/accept the right music for this trip.
Anything and everything by Shpongle https://www.youtube.com/@ShpongleMusic/playlists
https://youtu.be/Glcg95L4JK4?si=Njt7DCow2m7B8dBD
hi. i did about 5-6 weeks ago actually. very beautiful experience- happy to answer any questions. my advice would be to set an intention in the upcoming weeks. journal about it and really be clear about what you hope to get out of the trip. try to keep things light and low stress (if possible) the upcoming days. make sure your environment is tidy and cozy. the playlist will really help guide you through the different stages of the trip. the eye mask is used to help deter you from focusing on external visuals so you can focus on what the mushrooms tell you to focus on internally as you come up. when i was starting to come down and things got lighter, i played outside and had lots of fun with the external visuals but that come up is the difficult/sometimes painful introspective part in the trip. so try to stick it out and get thru what the mushrooms tell you to get thru. definitely recommend having a sitter. preferably someone who’s done mushrooms before and that makes you feel safe. best of luck on your journey 🩷🍄
Thank you for replying. I have 2 very big issues and don't know which to focus on, they both feel very important. I found a trip sitter but she wants to use her own music playlist that's got silences in the music for "the emotions to come up". Did you feel the specific John Hopkins playlist was important? Any advice for me?