Preparation for Psilocybin Therapy
While most of you already have my Guide to Psilocybin Preparation, I wanted to take a moment today and really illustrate what rigorous groundwork looks like. For the purposes of this zany sidequest, let’s assume a few things; your journey is ten days away, and you and your facilitator have already met for a sprawling and comprehensive preparation session during which you discussed your past psychedelic experiences, intentions, trauma, relationships and everything else under our hot, hot sun.
Preparation for Psilocybin Therapy: Days 10 - 8
You wake up excited to somehow squeeze some serious introspection into your regimen as your mushroom journey is only 10 days away. You may have been avoiding this weird, scripted self-advocacy because you’re a little nervous, but you’re comforted by the fact that you’ve promised yourself not to let shame or fear enter the proceedings.
During these first 2 days, you start your morning with work on your altar (profound yes, religious not necessarily). All you do is find a tangible object that you find meaningful—a photograph, a necklace, anempty wine bottle, a letter, whatever. Sit with it for 10 minutes and think about why it’s special to you. Place it on a table and walk away.
In the evening, you find a half hour to let your mind wander a bit—no phones, no TV, no staggering tomes of classic literature. Just you and your body and brain. You might be compelled to journal or stretch or meditate though you really shouldn’t feel compelled to do any of those things. Sometimes sitting with yourself can be as simple as the act implies.
Preparation for Psilocybin Therapy: Days 7 - 5
You continue work on your altar adding one new thing every day. You continue finding time in the evening reserved for your whole self without distractions. Since your session is now less than a week away, you add another twist to your day. Though it may seem a little odd, you actually practice dropping into the medicine.
You and your facilitator have already talked about potential turbulence during the onset of the psilocybin journey. Since you know the experience can begin with quite a thunderous body high, you anticipate that feeling and start the work of accepting it. During these days, you’ll work out for yourself how you’ll find tranquil passage into the medicine. Maybe you’ll land on steady breathing. Maybe you’ll find holding something tactile like a stuffed animal helps.
Preparation for Psilocybin Therapy: Days 4 - 2
You’re just a handful days away from a transformative experience, and the space you’ve carved out for yourself has made you confident and prepared. Your altar is a beautiful diorama of the important things of your life, and though you might not have expected it, those things are helping you practice dropping into the medicine, and you’re feeling more and more comfortable about your upcoming trip.
On day 4, alongside all your other tiny rituals, you add another wrinkle to your groundwork. You actively cultivate your support network. You remind a few key folks in your community that you’re doing a journey soon, and that you’d love to meet up with them next week and talk about the experience. You make sure the person picking you up remembers their duty, and you let them know again that you’ll be very tired and exhausted after the experience. You take one last look at your calendar and make sure you’ve got no responsibilities slated for the day after the session. Finally, you remind yourself that preparation is a shame-free zone. If you haven’t been meticulous about your rituals so far, you don’t beat yourself at all; nah, you give yourself a big old pass and begin on day 4 in earnest.
Two days before the journey, you meet again with your facilitator and together you surface ideas, intentions and apprehensions. They remind you how the day will unfold and all the super powers you’ve cultivated in the last 2 weeks that will undoubtedly help you as you strap on that eyemask and depart for an inward journey. Additionally, you confirm the dose and the strain of the mushrooms, and what kind of ingestion ceremony you want to observe.
Preparation for Psilocybin Therapy: Day 1
It’s the day before your psychedelic spa day, and you’re feeling confident and even a little giddy. You place the final object on the altar, admire its construction and you take a moment and journal about the monument as a whole. What have you discovered about yourself while building this humble little structure?
You practice dropping in one last time, and get to bed early. In the morning, you wake with plenty of time to make your way to the service center. As your facilitator reminded you a few days ago, you never rush anything on the day of the journey. You eat a small breakfast with intention and pack up some of the things from your altar, so you can recreate it in the journey room. You get dressed in comfortable clothes and look around your home. On the way out the door, you catch yourself in the mirror, and you see a human who’s brimming with self-belief. After all, you’ve done the work. You’re well prepared and ready for everything and anything.