Psychedelic Preparation And Integration
In recent years there has been a renaissance in research using classical psychedelics to assist psychotherapy as well as MDMA for therapy and fear regarding terminal illness. In particular there are a wide range of clinical trials using psilocybin, LSD, MDMA and to a lesser extent DMT and Iboga. The positive results of the clinical trials, along with documentaries such as How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan, have encouraged more and more people to experience psychedelics and MDMA, both legally in countries which permit their use, and illegally in the UK. Often such experiences are not simply in a therapeutic or recreational context, but are intended to lead to an expansion of consciousness, mystical experiences, transformation and personal growth.
In the UK psychedelics and MDMA are still listed as Class A drugs, and I am not encouraging people to use these substances illegally. But I work within a Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration Model (PHRI), (1) recognising that many people are experimenting with plant medicines, (ayahuasca and psilocybin and mescaline) as well as manufactured drugs such as LSD, ketamine and MDMA (not a classical psychedelic, but an empathogen and entactogen).
PHRI emphasizes valuing everyone’s autonomy and personal rights, respecting their values and preferences, and working to help them expand their options and engage in thoughtful individual decision-making and goal-setting. Recognising this reality, I recently qualified with the Psychedelic Health Professional Network, completing a one year Professional Certificate in Psychedelic Practice. Click Here I am therefore offering preparation sessions for people who are intending to engage in a psychedelic experience at a legal retreat, for instance in Central or South America, Spain, Portugal or the Netherlands. I am also offering integration sessions on your return from such retreats.
In addition to completing the academic training in 2024, I personally have experienced ayahuasca on many occasions in the Amazonian region of Peru, with the Shipibo shamans, as well as San Pedro (mescaline) in the Andes and psilocybin (via truffles) in the Netherlands.
Preparation:
Academic studies have found seven predictors of challenging experiences: no preparation, negative mindset, no psychological support, disagreeable social environment, dose too large, major life event prior to experience, and disagreeable physical environment (2).
Set and setting have long been recognised as key. 'Set' refers to the mindset, or mental state, of the individual undergoing the psychedelic experience. It includes factors such as emotional state, expectations, intentions, and psychological preparedness. A positive and open mindset can lead to more profound and constructive experiences, whereas anxiety, fear, or negative thoughts might influence the journey in a challenging way. I will work with you to help establish a receptive and welcoming mindset before your psychedelic journey.
'Setting' is the environment of the experience itself, a retreat, a music festival, a clinical trial, at home, in a forest etc etc.
Integration:
Recent academic work has produced a synthesized definition of integration (3). Integration is a process in which a person revisits and actively engages in making sense of, working through, translating, and processing the content of their psychedelic experience. Through intentional effort and supportive practices, this process allows one to gradually capture and incorporate the emergent lessons and insights into one's life, thus moving toward greater balance and wholeness, both internally (mind, body, and spirit) and externally (lifestyle, social relations, and the natural world).
It also involves bridging the gap between the altered state of consciousness experienced during the psychedelic session and the challenges, aspirations, and goals of daily existence. Through integration, one can reflect on one's experiences, extract meaningful lessons, and find practical ways to incorporate these newfound understandings into one's thoughts, behaviours, and relationships. When the experience has been properly integrated, there should not be any adverse effects left over, even if the experience itself was difficult.
One of the frequent issues arising after a psychedelic experience is ontological shock, if it has led to a fresh insight into the interconnectedness of all matter and thought, or, in the case of some traditions, one’s ultimate relationship to God. Such an experience can produce a metaphysical paradigm shift in the cognitive makeup of its experiencer resulting in an existential crisis regarding how to live in the day-to-day world.
Therapeutic integration has the aim of resolving certain symptomology, either pre-existing or a result of the psychedelic experience. Ontological integration has the aim of resolving metaphysical, spiritual, or philosophical questions arising from the experience regarding conceptions about existence, self/ego, meaning of life etc.
- Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration: A Transtheoretical Model for Clinical Practice in Frontiers in Psychology, March 2021 Ingmar Gorman, Elizabeth M. Nielson, Aja Molinar, KseniaCassidy and Jonathan Sabbagh doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645246
- Extended difficulties following the use of psychedelic drugs: A mixed methods study. PLOS ONE 2023, Jules Evans, Oliver C. Robinson, Eirini Ketzitzidou Argyri, Shayam Suseelan, Ashleigh Murphy-Beiner, Rosalind McAlpine, David Luke, Katrina Michelle,
- Ed Prideaux https://doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pone.0293349
- Psychedelic integration: An analysis of the concept and its practice. Frontiers in Psychology, August 2022. Geoff J. Bathje, Eric Majeski, and Mesphina Kudowor DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.824077
- Aixala, M. Psychedelic Integration: Psychotherapy for Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness Synergetic Press, 2022
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