Yo Yo!
Welcome back, fellow journeyers!
In this episode,
we’re delving into the crucial factors of set, setting, intention and dosage when embarking on a psilocybin journey.
These four pillars are the cornerstones of ensuring a meaningful, safe, and transformative experience.
Your Set: Cultivating the Right Mindset & Heartset
Your mental and heart state,
or your “set,” is just as vital as your physical surroundings.
We’ll discuss how your mind & heartset, emotions, and expectations
can influence the trajectory of your journey.
We’ll also delve into ways to prepare mentally,
from managing anxiety to setting positive intentions.
The Setting:
Before you embark on your psychedelic journey,
it’s essential to set up your environment properly.
The physical and emotional environment in which you take psilocybin plays a pivotal role in shaping your experience.
We’ll explore how to create a safe and supportive setting,
including elements like lighting, music, and the physical space where you’ll be.
This also includes whether you may wish to elect for a 1 to 1 or group setting to journey in and I’ll discuss the differences.
Your Intention Matters:
Setting an intention for your journey can be a compass,
guiding your experience towards personal growth and self-discovery.
We’ll explore the importance of crafting a clear and meaningful intention,
how to do it, and how it can shape your entire experience.
Dosage:
How much should you take?
Setting a dosage that feels right for you is important.
Lets dive in!
Understanding the Power of Mindset & Heartset:
Your mindset is your mental state, and your heartset is your emotional state.
They are both fundamental factors in determining the course and quality of your psychedelic experience.
It’s one of the lenses through which you perceive and interpret the journey.
Here’s a more in-depth look at the elements of your set:
- Emotional State:
Your emotional state significantly impacts the tone of your journey.
If you’re feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed before the trip,
these emotions can carry over into the experience.
On the other hand, a calm and relaxed emotional state can contribute to a more positive and harmonious journey.
- Expectations:
Your expectations, conscious or subconscious,
can shape your experience.
If you anticipate a transformative and insightful journey,
you’re more likely to have one.
Conversely, if you’re filled with apprehension or dread,
it could lead to a challenging experience, but not necessarily.
I always advise you to do your best to let go of your expectations and trust that everything will unfold as it is meant to,
as it always is.
In your trip and in life.
My experience also tells me that sometimes people who expect the worst can have the best experiences and vice versa –
Because often our attachment to an expectation is resistance to another experience,
and the medicine will often show us where we are resisting life.
I once had a friend sit with 5meoDMT,
the toad medicine also known as Bufo,
and as he smoked it he thought to himself “oh no, I’ve finally done it, I’m going to die.”
and then proceeded to have the most profound blissful experience of his life.
So there is no exact science here.
Do your best to be open to any and all experiences. That’s the magic. For the trip and for your life 😉
- Attitude:
Your attitude towards the journey is crucial.
An open, curious, and accepting attitude can foster exploration and self-discovery.
In contrast, a resistant or judgmental attitude might hinder the experience.
Are you in resistance to the experience?
Or are you open, and willing to allow yourself to be guided wherever the medicine wishes to take you,
and whatever it wishes to show you?
Do you have a beginners mindset: Open, available and ready to learn?
Are you choosing to trust the medicine before you sit with it?
Or rather, are you choosing to trust that everything happens as it is meant to,
and therefore anything you experience is meant to occur?
Preparing Your Mind & Heartset:
To set the stage for a meaningful journey, it’s essential to prepare yourself. Here are some strategies:
- Pre-Journey Self-Care:
Engage in self-care practices in the days leading up to your journey.
This can include activities like meditation, yoga, or simply spending time in nature.
Nurturing your mental and emotional well-being before the trip can promote a positive mindset.
In the days leading up to the journey,
avoid eating unhealthy fatty fried foods,
drinking alcohol, taking any other substances, and avoid intake of caffeine and nicotine.
Essentially, you want to be as clear as possible.
The morning of the journey,
you should fast for at least 4-6 hours prior by drinking only water and no food, so that your stomach is empty and your vessel is clear.
Water is definitely ok to drink and you should be well hydrated.
- Acknowledging your emotions:
Spend some time journaling about how you’re feeling. Some journaling questions to consider might be:
How am I feeling?
What am I feeling in my body?
What am I aware of that may come up in this journey?
What am I afraid of?
What do I need?
What can I let go of beforehand?
You can also download our free Trip journal with questions and prompts, available at alexanderwaters.com/haveagoodtrip
If you’re feeling anxious or noticing fears, it’s important to acknowledge those feelings before the journey.
Talk to a facilitator, a trusted friend, or practise relaxation techniques such as taking deep breaths, to ease anxiety.
Unresolved anxiety and fear CAN manifest during the trip, potentially leading to a challenging experience,
however, that is also one of the most beautiful things about mushrooms,
in my experience –
the medicine will help you to address and work through your anxieties and fears, and it’s one of the reasons why many people choose to work with mushrooms.
- Setting Your Intentions:
One of the most effective ways to shape your mindset is by setting your intentions for the journey.
Intentions provide you with a sense of purpose and direction,
guiding your thoughts and emotions during the experience. We’ll explore intention setting more deeply in the next segment.
- Guided Meditation:
Consider practising guided meditation,
breathwork or mindfulness in the days leading up to the journey.
This can help you become more attuned to your thoughts and emotions,
allowing you to navigate them more effectively during the trip.
This can be as simple as putting away your devices and sitting still for 5-10 minutes,
or getting into nature and going for a walk without any digital distractions or music playing.
- Consciously let go of your expectations:
Understand that you are working with a master teacher, a plant with a spirit and wisdom far greater than we can comprehend.
In working with mushrooms, your experience will be smoother if you surrender control to the mushrooms,
if you consciously work to let go of your expectations of how it is meant to go,
and your judgments of what is “good”, and what is “bad”.
All is as it is meant to be. More on that later.
To help you let go of your expectations,
you could write them all out and say out loud:
“I am letting go of my expectations and I surrender to this experience.”
You could then choose to burn the piece of paper or symbolically tear it up.
In conclusion, it can be important to be aware of your mindset and heartset,
and acknowledging and accepting where you’re at prior to your journey
can support it in feeling like a smoother experience.
Setting up your Environment:
Your setting encompasses the physical and environmental aspects of your psilocybin experience.
It plays a pivotal role in shaping the tone and safety of your journey.
Let’s explore the key elements of setting:
- Physical Environment:
The physical space in which you take psilocybin is a critical aspect of your setting.
Choose a location where you feel safe, comfortable, and free from distractions.
It should be a space where you can relax and let go.
Declutter and clean up,
and think about what you might need before the journey.
A water bottle, blanket, sweater, essential oils.
Creating a cozy and aesthetically pleasing environment can contribute to a positive experience.
If possible, choose a setting where you can enjoy total privacy.
Feeling exposed or self-conscious due to the presence of others who are not there to support or be a part of your trip can affect your experience.
For many individuals, nature offers an ideal setting.
If you have access to natural surroundings like a garden or forest,
consider incorporating nature into your journey.
A private airbnb in nature is the perfect place to journey.
- Lighting:
The lighting in your setting can greatly influence your journey.
Natural light during the day or soft, warm lighting in the evening can be comforting.
Harsh, bright lights may feel intrusive or unsettling.
Some people prefer a combination of natural light and soothing,
low-level lighting to create a balanced ambiance.
Consider the time of day to start your journeys.
I feel that the optimal time to start is around midday as the journey is usually coming to an end between 6 – 9pm,
around sunset,
and it can feel very soothing at that time,
as well as the fact that you can go straight to sleep and it’s not super late.
- Music and Sound:
Sound can be a powerful tool for enhancing your journey.
Many people find that carefully selected music can evoke emotions and enhance the overall experience.
Choose music that resonates with you,
whether it’s calming, ambient,
or specifically designed for psychedelic journeys.
Some prefer silence to tune into their internal experience.
I have a range of playlists available for you on Spotify
created specifically for different mushroom ceremonies,
you can find them all online at alexanderwaters.com/haveagoodtrip.
You can also see this link in the notes of wherever you are consuming this podcast.
- Smell:
Smells have a powerful effect on our nervous system and our journey.
Consider burning some incense / palo santo or sage beforehand or during,
and utilising any essential oils that might feel supportive to you.
You can also find a link to my favourite oils,
incense sticks and palo santo / sage in the show notes wherever you are listening,
or go to my website: alexanderwaters.com/haveagoodtrip.
- Safety Measures:
Safety is paramount.
Ensure that your setting is free from any potential physical hazards.
Remove sharp objects or anything that could pose a risk.
Ensure you’re somewhere that won’t require you to drive a vehicle later,
even after the journey.
Have a responsible and sober trip sitter if possible,
who can assist in case of any challenges.
If you’re not going to have someone else present,
ensure you are comfortable with the dose you’re taking,
and let someone know that you’re going to be journeying,
and ask if they can be on standby if you need to call someone.
Whether you need them or not,
this can feel very supportive if things start to feel challenging or overwhelming
to know that you can call on someone who is expecting your call,
if you need it.
By the way, the whole “I think I can fly” and jumping off a balcony
is very much a propaganda based story of what psychedelic journeys are like,
from my experience.
It’s highly unlikely that you will feel anything like this, at all;
and usually the rare stories you hear in the media involves a person
who has an absolute contraindication to working with the medicine including severe mental illness such as delusional schizophrenia.
- Energetic boundaries:
Ensure you carve out time where you have no responsibility to anyone but yourself.
Let anyone who would usually expect you to be contactable,
know that you’re going to be offline for a day.
Download any music playlists onto your phone so that you can put your phone on aeroplane mode.
Notify your housemates or whoever you are living with and ask for what you need from them to create the space for yourself.
If you have children, ensure they are cared for and within the care of someone you totally trust, and let that person know you will be offline also and uncontactable,
even in the case of an emergency (also unlikely).
This is your time, and your space for yourself and your own inner exploration.
This will also help you let go of your responsibilities and roles that you play in your life.
The Role of a Guide:
In some cases,
individuals choose to embark on their journey with the assistance of a trusted guide,
facilitator or trip sitter.
A guide can help the experience by offering emotional support,
guidance, and reassurance,
particularly if challenging emotions or thoughts arise during the trip.
It can also be nice to have someone physically hold you if you need,
and a guide can act as a physical anchor of safety which will often allow you to go much deeper in your journey.
Have a discussion with your guide before the journey and ask them what they’re ok with you asking for,
and if anything is off limits,
so that you know before the journey.
A properly trained guide should prompt all of this for you anyway,
so if you’re just with a friend you may want to lead the conversation.
Some of the things you may want to ask for include:
Grounding touch
Massage
Hugs
Reassurance
Supportive words of love
Help getting to the toilet (depending on dosage!)
Tissues
More water or tea
General holding a loving and supportive presence
You should feel like their only interest is in being present for you and to support you,
without their own agenda.
Decide whether you want your guide in the same room as you,
or in a different room and on standby,
and clarify that you may ask them to leave or come as you feel the need.
If you are sitting in a group ceremony with a facilitator,
they will take the responsibility of curating the setting and supporting you with your mindset,
heartset and intention.
I offer 1-1 Psilocybin journeys online & in person,
as well as private in person group ceremonies and retreats,
and if that is something that you desire you can look at all my offerings via my website. alexanderwaters.com
If you’re someone who is wanting to learn how to support others in their journeys
and be trained & certified to facilitate 1 to 1 and group ceremonies
I am releasing a Psilocybin Mushroom Facilitator training in 2024,
and right now you can sign up via the waitlist on my website: training.alexanderwaters.com/facilitatortrainingwaitlist
What are the differences between a 1 to 1 setting or a group ceremony?
The difference between the two,
besides the obvious,
is that 1 to 1 with a facilitator means all the attention and focus is on you.
Now this can either feel supportive or strange.
A lot of people initially believe that a 1 to 1 journey may be better for them as being in a group sounds confronting in itself.
When you’re tripping you have a heightened sense of awareness,
and if you’re journeying one to one,
consider that as you’re experiencing your trip you will have another person solely there to serve you.
If you’re someone who is a people pleaser or feel the need to ensure other people around you are doing ok,
this could take you out of your trip,
wondering if this person is ok, are you taking up too much of their time, etc etc.
However,
1 to 1 can be very powerful if you actually want the attentiveness and support of your guide,
or if there is a feeling that there are certain things you need to work through mostly alone.
It can also be very supportive for individuals with complex PTSD or other diagnosed traumas
so that you can get the attention and support you need throughout the entire journey.
In a group setting the focus is spread out over the group.
You can feel held in the group and ceremony without necessarily feeling that someone is watching you the entire journey,
and it is also nice to enjoy the group energy –
there is always divine timing with the people that come together in ceremony together
and it’s usual for someone else’s presence from the group to have a meaningful impact on your journey.
For groups I usually work on a ratio of about 1 facilitator to every 4 to 5 participants
to ensure everyone can receive the support they need, when they need it.
Both have their benefits.
Trust your intuition again as to what is right for you,
and remember, you can have more than one journey over your lifetime.
So if you do a 1-1 or solo journey now, you can do a group another time if that feels right,
or vice versa.
Now, let’s explore the concept of intention in greater depth, in the context of a psilocybin journey.
The Power of Setting an Intention:
An intention is a clear and concise statement of purpose,
a guiding principle that directs your mindset and focus during your psilocybin journey.
You are operating with intention at all times, in all moments of your life.
Your focus is somewhere.
The practice of setting an intention, brings your conscious awareness to your focus,
and then allows you to direct it.
Not only is this a powerful tool for journeying with psilocybin but a powerful tool for your life.
Here’s a closer look at the elements of intention:
- Clarity and Specificity:
Your intention should be specific and precise.
Instead of a vague goal like “I want to have a good trip,”
consider a more specific intention like “I seek to understand and heal my past traumas.”
Or even better is to be specific about the exact trauma that you desire to heal from.
I often go into journeys with an intention as specific as:
“I wish to understand everything that is holding me back from experiencing a healthy relationship with women,
and let go of any resentment that I have towards my mum.”
- Emotional Resonance:
It’s important that your intention actually means something to you.
Why is this important to you? - Openness:
Your intention should leave room for spontaneity and discovery.
You can do this by setting your intention,
then releasing any attachments to it unfolding in the way you want.
Understand that there is an intelligence greater than you that is guiding the experience,
so you’ll always get what you need,
not necessarily what you want.
Creating Your Intention:
Setting a meaningful intention is a process that requires introspection and self-reflection.
Here are some questions to support you in crafting a powerful intention:
What aspects of your life or self would you like to explore or heal? Recognize your desires for personal growth and self-discovery.
Why are you here?
At this moment, why are you here contemplating journeying with mushrooms?
Why are you choosing to do this for yourself?
What do you wish to understand about yourself and the world?
What blocks do you have in your life that you wish to explore and understand?
What do you wish to break through?
What do you wish to let go of?
What are you aware of in your life that is no longer serving you?
What new possibilities do you dream of unlocking?
Answering these will support you in further understanding your intention.
Once you’ve done that it’s important to articulate your intention clearly, and I like to even speak it out loud to myself.
Example.
“My intention is to heal my relationship with women
and understand what has been in my way from attracting the type of partner I desire.
I also wish to be shown anything else that will be supportive to my journey at this time.”
In summary,
setting a clear and meaningful intention is a transformative practice that can deepen your psilocybin journey.
Your intention serves as a beacon,
guiding your inner exploration and aligning your mindset and setting to facilitate profound self-discovery and healing.
Dosage
Let’s talk about dosage.
The question that everyone loves to ask and spend so much time on!
How much should I take? Haha
Dosage is an important factor in your journey as the level of dosage can have an impact on the strength of your experience.
A psilocybin journey can usually last anywhere from 3 to 8 to 12+ hours depending on the dosage and the individual.
Each person has a different level of sensitivity to the medicine and the other factors that can impact the duration of the journey are things such as:
What form the mushrooms have been consumed in;
\
whether it is tea, dried mushrooms, chocolate, or lemon tekked,
\ or even mixed into food!
if eaten dried, the body has to break down the psilocybin and convert it to psilocin itself.
In chocolate and depending on the sugar content of the chocolate
and how it was prepared can speed up the digestion of the psilocybin.
“lemon tekked” is a popular method that is to soak the mushrooms in lemon juice
which helps the psilocybin preconvert to psilocin
so the medicine will work quicker and the journey will be
quicker onset, stronger and shorter.
Or in tea, has a similar effect as lemon tekking.
Difference strains of mushrooms have different concentrations of psilocybin in them,
and so this can also impact the intensity of the journey.
It’s best to direct your specific questions around this to the Have a Good Trip Community Telegram channel.
Once again this can all be variable.
The medicine has its way of working exactly as is needed for each journey and person.
My consumption preference is in chocolate for my own personal journeys or if journeying outdoors,
and for ceremonies and retreats I usually serve whole dried mushrooms
as it allows people to connect with the plant itself and have the most organic experience of the medicine.
Psilocybin dosages can vary significantly depending on the type of mushroom,
individual sensitivity, and desired effects.
It’s important to note that dosages are typically measured in grams of dried mushrooms,
as fresh mushrooms contain a higher water content and may require a higher weight for a similar effect.
There is no known fatal level of pure psilocybin for humans,
and it is more likely that someone would experience toxicity from the type of mushroom that they take as opposed to the actual psilocybin content.
The Global Drug Survey of 2021 reported that Psilocybin mushrooms
had the lowest rate of emergency medical treatment out of any substance taken,
with only 0.3% of users seeking emergency medical treatment.
Let’s break down the psilocybin doses:
Microdosing (0.1 – 0.5 grams): Microdosing means taking a very small, almost unnoticed amount of psilocybin, usually every few days.
The goal isn’t to have a full-on psychedelic experience,
but rather to experience subtle improvements like a better mood,
increased creativity, and improved focus.
Over a few months of regular microdosing,
you might observe changes in your mood, a clearer emotional state, and a decrease in feelings of anxiety.
Threshold Dose (0.5 – 1 gram):
This is the smallest amount of psilocybin that makes a noticeable impact.
It brings about slight changes in perception,
like more vibrant colors, a slightly better mood, and a relaxed feeling.
Most people will start to feel “trippy” at 1 gram,
so I would advise not taking 1 gram if you have to work or show up for anything serious!
Typically, this dose lasts around 2-3 hours.
Low Dose (1 – 2 grams):
This is for beginners or those looking for a mild experience.
It brings about effects such as a better mood, heightened senses,
subtle visual changes, and a bit of introspection.
At 2 grams, you’ll definitely feel like you’re on a trip.
Expect this dose to last around 2-4 hours.
Moderate Dose (2 – 4.5 grams):
This is for those wanting a stronger psychedelic experience.
It leads to heightened senses, changes in thinking,
vivid visual distortions, and potential insights.
Taking 3 grams is what I’d consider a standard ceremony dose.
This level typically lasts around 4-6 hours.
High Dose (4.5 – 8 grams):
This is often called a “heroic” dose and brings intense psychedelic effects.
At this level, you might experience losing your sense of self, vivid hallucinations,
and profound spiritual moments.
A high dose needs careful consideration and is best with a trusted support or facilitator nearby.
Expect this dose to last a while, usually 6 to 8 hours or more.
God Dose (8 grams or higher):
A Godly dose of mushrooms is the most intense level of mushroom dosage
and can produce a total dissolution of reality entirely.
This dose would usually last up to 7 – 12 hours.
The largest dose I’ve ever eaten was 12 grams of mushrooms
and many times I had gone completely crazy and was scared that I was not going to “come back”.
The body can react in many different ways to this level of dosage,
including quick changes in your heart rate,
perceived body temperature
and a loss of different functions in the body.
At one point in the journey with 12 grams it felt like my body forgot how to automatically breathe,
so I was having to consciously take each breathe,
and I was experiencing my arms and legs going numb at different points.
It felt like my body was dissolving.
I felt very vulnerable and exposed.
I was initially intending to journey alone but I had a friend on standby
and about 2 hours in I asked him to come over and he arrived at about the fourth hour.
Alongside the intensity of the physical sensations I was having,
I was also having one of the most profoundly expanding journeys of my entire life,
and as I looked back on my journal to prepare for this mini series,
I can see that a lot of the intentions I had were really big
and I was asking to expand and grow through a lot in that one journey; and almost all of my intuitions have come to fruition in my life.
I’m sure if I spoke with a doctor they potentially would label this experience as an overdose based on what I was experiencing in my body.
I’m not sure I personally see it this way,
and also know that I won’t be rushing to take that dosage again anytime soon.
I advise extreme caution in taking dosages this big, especially alone.
Why did I do it?
I felt the call to take a 12 gram dosage by myself.
As a facilitator I feel I have a responsibility to understand the full range of effects
and what can happen during a journey.
If I’m going to be serving people 6-8 grams of mushrooms
(which I do offer at my retreats or in private ceremonies only)
I wanted to know what would happen at a dose double that.
For this reason I have journeyed many times with big doses of mushrooms completely solo and sometimes with someone else present.
It’s important to note also that before embarking on these bigger journeys
I was equipped with lots of tools and resources to help me ground my nervous system and body during challenging times,
as well as all the years of training I’ve completed in the areas of somatics,
trauma and the hundreds of other medicine journeys I’ve been on
AND some very experienced,
understanding and supportive friends who I could have on standby for me and call if I needed.
Once again, I advise caution in taking larger doses of mushrooms,
and also, to always trust your intuition.
Trust your inner guidance, and whatever you choose for yourself,
use the guidelines I’ve shared already.
Even the guide on dosage is just that: a guide.
I’ve had extremely profound experiences with 1 gram of mushrooms and 12 grams.
I’ve had challenging experiences with 12 grams and with 1 gram.
The set, setting and intention will make a big difference,
especially your physical environment.
And most of all your receptivity to the medicine.
A reminder that everything I’m sharing with you is knowledge
and is information here to serve you.
It is not absolute truth, and it is important to let go of needing to control all the variables.
You do not need to be in a perfect state and have ticked every single box before you journey with psilocybin,
but following the guidelines I’ve provided you with,
and making decisions that feel right for you, will support your nervous system to feel safer,
allowing for a deeper surrender in to the experience.
As we continue our journey, we’ll explore what happens during a trip,
and I’ll be offering you essential strategies to ensure a safe and meaningful experience.
