How to shroom properly
From Lex, the queer classifieds app, comes the question…
Important Preamble
This is a legally tetchy subject. Let me begin by naming that psilocybin mushrooms have been decriminalized in the part of California where this question hails from. For those of you who aren’t in a location where this is legally viable, I am straightforwardly not recommending shrooms.
Moreover, I am no expert in this matter. There are plenty of other resources available online. I recommend you check those out. Still, when a question crosses my path and I’m offered the ability to answer, I consider whether I have something to add. In this case, I do.
Psychedelics, especially mushrooms, can be beautifully transformative. My friend has a metaphor about the states of being: sometimes you're like clay and sometimes you're like baked earth. You can build on solid steady ground. By default, that's what a sober mind is like. But tripping shakes things up, it makes our concepts and our experiences more like the wet clay, more malleable and ready to be shaped in a new way.
The Good Trip and the Bad Trip
With newness comes variance. Trips can come in all shapes and forms, but for the sake of simplicity, I’d like to bring us to a binary: the good trip and the bad trip. I’ll discuss what both of those might look like, then go into ways that lead you toward the good one and help you when it comes to the bad one.
There are many wonderful experiences one can have while on psilocybin. A feeling of euphoria, pretty colors, laughter, a love of nature and a sense of connection. These are great. Having a heart-opening, love-receiving trip can be like resetting your state. A factory reset where you’re rebooted, all the malware is gone, and what’s running you is beauty. The change brought from this ripples out for weeks and months to come, a positive spiral of unfolding.
There’s another kind of “good trip” where you take that love and connection sensation and you bring it inward. That which has been stuck comes unlocked. You can feel what you didn’t previously have space and capacity for. And because things are so very wet clay, it’s possible for lasting change here. It’s possible to truly be with some deeply uncomfortable stuff, to then let it go, and to experience the catharsis of freedom. That all sounds like a bunch of poetry, and it is, but if you’ve dipped your toes into the waters of healing, I expect it’ll resonate.
So that’s the “good trip”. It’s what I hope and wish for you. The former is easier to manage, an opening into receiving what’s here. The latter is a higher risk state, where you summon things that might be hard to manage, and it’s quite possible that it tips you into a “bad trip”. Let’s talk about that.
When I say bad trip, what I really mean is entering into a dysregulated state. Falling into a negative spiral. In my experience, this looks like taking whatever anxiety or worry I have and amping it up significantly. The body sends signals of some kind of distress and the mind will interpret it into the shape that is most readily available.
For me, this has looked like:
Becoming convinced that my friends hate me, seeing texts from before the trip where they say I can reach out, and then still being convinced that I shouldn’t message them because they hate me.
Having visual hallucinations of being surrounded by people laughing at me.
Suddenly finding myself entirely unable to communicate or even be in the same room as my partner who was tripping, as our energies were magnetically repelling each other
Now, I found each of those experiences nourishing in their own right. What a fascinating, amazing mirror it is to have your unconscious amplified back to you. Oh yes! It turns out that I do really worry about being hated. Oh yes! I do feel like a crowd is watching and laughing. Oh yes! There was a lot between that partner and I that I’d been ignoring. That is rich dark soil, material that can be composted and used toward my growth. However, in the moment, it sure is dang unpleasant and scary.
How to Prepare
Shrooms are generally considered a gentler psychedelic than some others. They lean toward “good trips”, and this is a kindness. Still, if you’re going to do a trip, there’s plenty you can do to orient and prepare.
Intentionality
Intentionality is important. You, original reader, sound like you already have an aim: a desire to heal, a desire to release blocks. Take time to get clear on that.
Active Querying
This can look like journaling, sitting meditation, taking long walks, or talking with friends. Here are some angles to ask after…
How do you know there's a wound? Do memories come up? Are there repeating patterns? Is there sensation in your body that corresponds to it?
Be sure to feel into your desire too, looking at not just what's off, but what's wanted. How would it feel to not be carrying this? How would you like yourself to move in the world?
And then be sure to get curious at every stage with what comes up, with what you don't know, with what's confusing, unknown, or seemingly impossible.
These questions are based around the intention of a desire to heal or release a block, but there are any number of other intentions you could do querying around.
There’s also simply sitting down with yourself and asking, “What wants my attention? What needs me? What do I want?”
Make a Commitment
There’s the classic phrase in psychedelic culture: buy the ticket, take the ride. If you take shrooms, you can’t simply stop taking shrooms. It’s an exercise in surrender. You can do the prep I’m describing above and below, but when it comes right down to it, all you can do is accept (or not accept) what’s happening. And whether you accept it or not, it’ll still take as long as it takes.
There’s something important about this. It places the weight of your choices right there at the beginning on saying yes. Are you willing to go with the unknown? Are you willing to experience whatever arises? Is your intention for this trip a desire strong enough to carry you through? If the answers are yes, then you’re much more likely to have a “good trip”, in the sense of it being pleasant, and in the sense of being able to receive the gift that comes with a possible “bad trip.” The aim here is to enthusiastically consent to the whole experience.
Preparing your Vessel
All things equal, it's better to do a trip when you're thriving vs struggling. You can take mushrooms on little sleep after a stressful week, and it may be good and wholesome, but that's the energy you're bringing in with you. I recommend deliberately taking care of yourself in the leadup. Some things to aim for..
Getting lots of sleep and being well-rested
Moving your body, exercising and stretching
Going outside and soaking up some sunshine
Drinking lots of water and eating foods that leave your body feeling good
Having a nice conversation with a friend and a hug or three
Completing any major to-dos or pending tasks
Clearing your schedule for the day before and after
Planning the Trip Itself
There are some ducks to get in a row before you go.
The company: Who you trip with is really important. You can be strangers, acquaintances, friends, lovers, family - it doesn't matter what the relationship is, only how you feel in the connection. What is your shared energy? How do you feel near them? You will influence each other, so you want someone you feel safe and comfortable with, someone you're willing to let see you be vulnerable. It’s usually preferable to have them be sober, taking on the role of tripsitter, vs tripping together. Talk with this person beforehand to express any of your concerns and to establish what kind of care and contact you’d like during, especially for if/when things get challenging.
The setting: Be somewhere you’re comfortable. That might be your home, or a friend’s house, or somewhere out in public. In general, nature is really good on mushrooms. Be prepared to be surprised: if you’ve never liked the outdoors before, you might during. Make a few plans for alternate locations and how you’ll get there if your preferences change. Be sure to stock water, snacks, and soft things.
The activities: Set yourself up with lots of easily accessible options. I recommend journaling materials and art supplies, as well as music and videos.
Navigating the Rough Waters
Things get hard. This is true with shrooms and without shrooms. We can do all the prep in the world, but shit still happens. Sometimes there’s struggle to face. When that happens, I recommend the following orientations.
Acceptance: Being able to truthfully say, "This is how it is. This can be here, exactly as it is, for as long as it wants. AND yes, even as that's true, something else in me hates that it is this way, and that's okay too. It can all be here."
Compassion: Everything within us, even the toxic snarling jagged bits, is worthy of love. Everything makes sense from its own perspective. Every bad behavior is trying to get something good, even if it's doing it poorly. And there is an immense power to being able to say to yourself, "I know. I know it hurts. I know you wish it was different. It must have been so hard for you. I'm here."
Awareness: Remembering that this moment will pass. Remembering that you are not your thoughts. Remembering that you're not even your state. You are the awareness of this moment. Each moment passes. And you are still here. You are okay in your not-okay.
Body regulation: Deep breathing. Patting thighs bilaterally and rhythmically. Rocking side to side. Self-massage. Stretching. Intense emotions are labeled verbally and impact our perception, but they're first felt as energetic sensation. If we adjust the body's state, thought and perception follow.
Remember too that being knocked asunder doesn’t mean being knocked forever. One wave does not make an ocean.
For when all else fails, I recommend having an emergency net. For me, this is my Xanax prescription. I almost never need this (in daily or non-daily life), but having it in my back pocket gives me the courage to go into situations I might otherwise be afraid of. This won’t end a trip, but it acts as a soother to intense overwhelm. If you qualify for a prescription, I recommend talking to your doctor about this to simply have the option.
Final Notes
This article has been premised on the belief that you’ll be tripping with shrooms by taking a full dose (whatever that is; do your research) of psilocybin. That’s only one option. Many others do a thing called microdosing. This gives a much smaller, milder experience, and it’s one that I’m not well-versed with. I’d recommend looking into it. Generally speaking, it’s wise to start small and go larger from there.
If I were to give an arbitrary recommendation to the original reader, who wants to do shrooms for healing, I’d suggest this: prep for two weeks with intentionality, active querying, commitment and preparing your physical vessel. Then, take a weekend retreat in the woods with a trusted friend you’ve negotiated the scenario with. Microdose on Friday and Saturday, and after all that, if it still feels right, then do a full dose on Sunday, planning to return home and take Monday off from work.
All of this is my advice, someone who is not you, dear reader. This is advice from someone who is not terribly familiar with psychedelics, nor a trained professional. Do your own research. Trust your own knowing. Act with care. Your body, your mind, and your experience are your domains to do with as you will. May these bits of wisdom serve you in your journey. Go forth with love.
