Psychedelic Integration - How To Make The Most of Visionary Experiences In Your Life

Psychedelic integration is the process of understanding and incorporating psychedelic experiences into day to day life.

Without doubt, you can have outstanding insights and revelations during a psychedelic journey. Even spontaneous healing and life changes can happen.

However, in many cases, the amazing thoughts and knowledge that you gained during the time you were in an altered state fade over time. This is because we are conditioned to see these experiences as specific events and moments in time and then we go back to our boring jobs, dysfunctional relationships and numbing habits.

In the societies that traditionally use psychedelics, such as in the Amazon and Mountains in South America, there is a network of support for those who have learned from psychedelic experiences. The curandero or shaman usually lives among them and many of the community are experienced and available for guidance.

For societies that are relatively new to psychedelic exploration (or rather that are re-discovering it), such as most of the Western “developed” world, it’s a different story. For example, many people are now travelling and taking part in Ayahuasca ceremonies. Their experiences range from beautiful and mystical through to dangerous and traumatic (often due to makeshift “shamans” cashing in on the trend). However, even those who have a great experience often end up back at home, with it all seeming like a faraway dream.

This is a real loss, as integrating the experience and meanings is equally as important as the journey itself. In fact, having a powerful, mystical experience and then not integrating it effectively can actually be worse than remaining blissfully ignorant. Going back to your same old life without anyone to talk to about it or anything actually changing can increase frustration and despair at the state of the world etc. This can lead to unhelpful coping mechanisms such as becoming angry and isolated.

For most westerners that have taken part in visionary experiences, a good option is to work with a practitioner that understands both their way of life and the substances or plants that they have used. This is really important, as one might be tempted to seek out a native curandero for the integration work. While this could be beneficial, it’s important to bear in mind the differences in context that the cultures use the plants for.

For example, a traditional, indigenous practitioner might be seeking help with lifting a curse, removing a sorcerers arrows from their spirit or resolving issues within the community. However, Westerners tend to explore psychedelics for emotional healing, personal growth and spiritual development (and of course recreationally, which is a different matter entirely). This is why it makes sense for a Westerner to work with a practitioner with a similar cultural background to themselves for psychedelic integration work.

There could be many aspects that require integration following a profound psychedelic journey or series of journeys. These might include:

• Releasing the emotional imprints from old, stored trauma that was highlighted by the medicine. This can include resolving ancestral patterns, as much trauma is carried through due to the process of epigenetics and psychedelic journeys often highlight this

• Guidance on voicing or expressing what was experienced, which can enable new levels of creativity and reaching new depths of innerstanding, possibly leading to more intuition, consciousness and self trust

• Creating new habits that are supportive of the more conscious understanding and enable gentle movement towards a new way of life, without shattering the way they live currently. While it can be desirable for some people to make huge, bridge burning shifts in their life, for many others, a gentler approach, without creating a “massive disturbance in the force” can work better. Looking back, the results can be the same, with a less painful transition

• Reconciling what has been learned with your existing relationships. Most people will still have, and wish to have many of the same people in their life. It can be hard when you have experienced the entirety of space, time and concurrent realities in an instant and they haven’t.

There is now a steady rise in psychedelic integration practitioners, which is well needed as we rediscover the powerful healing potential of these medicines. Practitioners of many physical, mental and emotional modalities are stepping into this field.

Personally, I love working with people on integrating psychedelic experiences in their life. I use cutting edge emotional processing techniques such as Matrix Reimprinting and EFT Tapping to support people on their journey. I also have 27 years of experience using psychedelics in my life, with profound and positive outcomes.

Please note that I never source or suggest specific psychedelics for people. I offer my services as a psychedelic integration as a safe and supportive way for people who have made their own decision to explore psychedelics to integrate their learnings and make positive changes in their life.

Like many of the users of this platform, I believe that we are on the edge of amazing changes in our reality and I feel that the resurgence of psychedelics in our culture, along with appropriate integration, is an important part of it all.

I’d love to hear what you think.

[picture sourced from depositphotos.com with full usage rights]