Psychedelics

Psychedelics, psychoactive substances, or entheogens are naturally occurring or chemically produced substances that temporarily alter your brain function in significant ways causing you to ‘trip’. These terms will be used interchangeably throughout this website. A lot can be said about them, but we’ll try to keep it short and sweet here.

Increasing numbers of studies show how these substances can induce life-altering experiences if taken correctly and under the right circumstances.

One of the circumstances that greatly increases the chances of a positive and impactful experience is intentionality: taking them with the intent to increase your self-knowledge and self-love. If you are also involved in other types of personal growth work (preferably in a community), such activities will greatly support you in integrating your trip.

Another factor is to have someone present that supports and guides you through the arc of the substance’s effect.

Last, but not least, there are certain physically and physiologically conducive factors that you can put in place before, during and after the trip. You can read about all of these in Guided Tripping’s soon to be published free e-book Tripping for Growth 101, which you can pre-order here.

We work with Psilocybin, aka Magic Truffles, but Psilocybin is not the only psychedelic used for introspective and therapeutic purposes.

There are differences and similarities between the three most well know psychedelic substances: MDMA, Magic Truffles, and LSD. MDMA is officially classified as an empathogen rather than a psychedelic, but it certainly is psychoactive.

All of them provide increased access to certain areas of the brain and close off others. They open your sense perceptions and neo-cortex which controls higher brain functions. The closing happens most notably in your ‘reptilian’ brain, which controls the fight-flight-freeze-collapse responses we learned about in biology class. This is why e.g. trauma responses or negative behavioral patterns don’t come up as they might normally do when remembering certain events or triggering certain psychological ‘protocols’.

Guided Tripping | Psychedelics

Safety

Given the contentiousness of the topic of taking anything mind altering, you might have some questions around how safe it really is to ingest psychedelics. If ever you want to use a psychoactive substance, whether with or without a Guide, please consider taking some precautions to increase the chances of having a positive and growthful trip. In this section you’ll find the most important factors and considerations. These are substantiated by the research in the library and will be elaborated on in Tripping for Growth 101.

Among other things, there are some contraindications that we would strongly advise you to take heed of. And please realize that, as with any type of drug, there is always a (very small, but real) chance of a “bad” trip and even of lasting negative effects. Using trusted sources and correct doses are major factors in preventing this.

Set and Setting

The importance of setting the physiological, physical, and social scene cannot be overstated. Find an extended time slot and go somewhere comfortable and safe with trusted and positive company. If you’ve been feeling down (or worse), it’s better to postpone. Have a light meal 1 to 2 hours prior to ingestion. Have enough to drink (tea or water), comfy clothes in layers, somewhere soft to sit and lie down, possibly in nature (but that takes a bit more planning).

Set intentions together, make explicit that you’ll take care of each other (if tripping together) or that the Guide will take care of the Tripper (if someone stays sober, which I recommend, certainly during your first experiences). Your appetite may be absent, but it’s nice to have some fruit or other moist, light foods available. Drink enough, but not more than half a liter per hour. Have a play list of relaxing music and possibly something to write or draw or record with.

Addictive?

Contrary to what media and governments have led us to believe for many years, psychedelics do NOT cause dependency. There is no risk of addiction. Taking the same drug again soon after will provide far less intense effects which makes it uninteresting.

This translates into my policy that if we were to work together more often, we will leave at least 6 weeks in between sessions.

Legality

In the Netherlands, psilocybin is legal in the form of Magic Truffles. These can be bought in smartshops all over the country.

In other countries, other rules apply. This website does not contain legal advice. We only urge you to do your research on the legality, purity, and dosage of the substance of your choice.

Disclaimer

In the interest of transparency: although we will do everything in our power to ensure you have a positive experience that spills over into your daily life, we are not responsible for any undesired or unforeseen effects of your trip. We also work under the assumption that the medical and other information you provide during the intake is reliable and that you follow our advice before, during, and after the session. If we decide to work together, we will ask you to sign a small contract in which you state as much.

Contraindications

There are a few contraindications, which means these have proven to significantly increase the risk of adverse physical or psychological effects during and after a trip. If you are considering taking another substance than the ones listed here, please consult a trusted (web) source to check if it will be safe for you. Also, if you have suffered severe emotional trauma, please consult a specialized therapist. However remarkable the results can be, those results rest on taking proper precautions.

  • For Psilocybin, these are:
    1. anxiety
    2. heart problems (hallucinogens.com/psilocybin/dangers-of-magic-mushrooms/).
    3. note: Psilocybin is known to help cure even treatment resistant depression, but we don’t have specific training in this, so currently, within Guided Tripping this would be a contraindication.

‘Bad’ trips

Reports of bad trips almost always have one or more elements of:

  • unchecked purity
  • incorrect dosing
  • cross-ingestion with other substances or alcohol
  • improper set and setting
  • not taking into account one of the contraindications

This is not to say there is no risk involved. However careful you are with purity, preparation and dosing, there is always a minimal chance of having a negative experience. There are ways to relieve the duration and intensity of such a ‘bad’ trip.

Having someone present to remind you that you are safe and just need to keep breathing will certainly help reduce any panic. They can help you open your eyes and keep relating to the physical world (‘reality’) through all your senses.

Also, there are household ‘trip stoppers’ and even over-the-counter products that reduce the duration and intensity of the trip. Calling emergency services is always a back-up option in the unlikely event that you and your companion(s) feel unable to deal with what is going on.

Confidentiality

As a Trip Guide, we have no official capacity that forces us to confidentiality, but we do take your trust very seriously and will not divulge any information about you or your experience to anyone else without your explicit consent. Any recordings will never be shared with anyone but you. Of course, while you can count on our discretion, you can talk with whomever you want about any part of the session.

The Dip

Recreational users often report experiencing a dip in their mood, usually on the Tuesday after the Saturday they went to a party – hence the ‘Tuesday dip’. There are supplements you can take during the week after your trip to make sure this dip is softened and your neurotransmitter levels are back to normal as soon as possible. There are also some specific foods you can include in your diet to mitigate any subtle damage to your body. More information can be found in the library.

Other Psychedelics

While there is exciting research happening around the effects of other psychedelics that we don’t currently work with like MDMA, and LSD, we do believe that information and harm reduction for people interested in their use is very important. Please see our library for links with further information about their effects and safe usage.

Guided Tripping | Info - Safety

Sessions

Allowing yourself to be guided before, during, and after your psychedelic experience will help you to let go more and get more. We’ll get to know each other and explore the themes that are up for you in your life during an intake session of 45-60 minutes. At the end of this conversation we will decide whether to move forward and book a full session. This session has several general phases, which are described below. About two weeks after this main session, we will check back in with each other in an integration follow up where we can explore whatever positive effects occurred for you since the session.

Intake

Before agreeing to guide you on your trip, we need to get to know each other a bit. We will ask you about your desires, expectations and resistances. We’ll explain the effects of the substance and how that applies to your situation, curiosity and intentions.

We’ll check off the contraindications, so we have all the information we need to decide if we will work with you. If so, and if you are also a ‘yes’, we will go over the ‘pre flight check’.

Phases of a session

In total, the session will take about 7-9 hours, depending on the arc of your response to the substance. The session can take place at your place or our practice; preferably somewhere close to or in nature.

We will start with a cup of tea and a check in: how are you doing, what is your intention for the day, do we agree on our role? We can do a small or extended ritual to open the arc.

After ingestion, it will take about 30-60 minutes for the substance to start having a noticeable effect. We can meditate or do body work or just chat. When we don’t know your reaction to a substance yet, you take ¾ of a regular dose, to see how impactful that is. You’ll get the opportunity to ingest the remaining ¼ once the ¾ dose has taken effect.

Once it’s kicking in, we will invite you to enjoy the ride for a good long while. We take notes of the probably pretty cool things you say. An audio recording is made of the whole session, which we will send to (only!) you afterwards. This will allow you to reconnect with the experience whenever you want to.

At some point, we will remind you of your intention and suggest either movement, voice dialogue, constellation work, intuitive touch/massage, Circling, Dreaming, guided meditations, or other processes that seem relevant and conducive to your experience. You are always free to follow our suggestion or not, to bring in your own suggestions, or to be left alone for a bit. We do however ask you to at least consider following our suggestions.

On the off chance that you have anything resembling a “bad” trip, you are in good hands.

Towards the end of the Guided Trip we might take a walk, reflecting on your experience and how you want to move forward with whatever insight about your life or the nature of reality you might have gotten. This is when we will take a more coaching role and we can set intentions, reminders and/or decide on follow-up actions.

When we agree that you feel able to e.g. safely partake in traffic, we will intentionally close the session. Then we will leave or let you go home, whichever the case may be.

Integration and Follow-Up

We want you to make the most of the time after the session. To this end, we’ll give you supplements for the week after your trip to make sure the ‘dip’ effect that can happen is softened and your neurotransmitter levels are back to normal as soon as possible. There are also some specific foods you can include in your diet.

In the days after your session, you may or may not have short experiences of ‘being back in’ or feeling slightly altered. Both are normal.

After your Guided Trip we will speak with you at least once to see how you are doing, what effects the trip has had in your life, and possibly help to re-enliven or build on top of any insights you had or intentions you set.

If outside of that call you feel you need someone to hold some space and listen, or if you think we could offer a helpful perspective, we urge you to get in touch. The space we will have been in together will never be fully closed to us and our care for you extends beyond the front door (and your payment). Even if we are not the people to help you, we will know many trusted experts in various fields and can point you to them.

Flying in for a trip

If you’re coming from abroad, We’re happy to make recommendations on accommodations and help choosing the right stay for you, making budget-dependent suggestions. The advice is to not plan anything on the day after the session except, maybe, to travel home if your sensitivity to crowds is low or, at least, not above average.

Cycles of support

  • Single Cycle of intake, prep, full-day 1-on-1 session, supplements, recording and report, and integration follow up
  • Options after your first Cycle We recommend that everyone begin with a single individual Cycle. After the initial Cycle, other variants of support are possible and can be discussed with your Guide.
  • Additional support If you’re interested in including additional support, like massage, spa, or body work, for example, this can be discussed with your Guide. We do have a wonderful web of practitioners to call upon to support you in whatever way you need.

Pricing

For pricing and further details on our cycles of support, you can get in touch through the contact form:

Guided Tripping | Info - Sessions