Psychedelics can also really
open your eyes to new possibilities and are great for
gaining insights into your life.
Often times you'll end up wanting to install many new healthy habits like meditation, journaling, exercise, visualization, reading self-help books, etc.
Both will help with the negative symptoms you mentioned above, don't just see them as a magic pill, or sedative, this overlooks most of their potential.
First, be sure to do some
education & research, maybe read medical studies of the benefits, and read some trip reports of your substances, good and bad ones.
Read about the chemical, the dosages, side effects, complications, how often to take it, and what to expect from it, so that you'll be least overwhelmed during the experience.
www.psychonautwiki.org
Studying & practicing principles of human psychology is crucial as well, most trip reports show that often people simply don't know how the mind works, and so most ppl end up using these incredible substances as an escape from inner demons and to find relief. Psychedelics open you to your subconscious mind, both your inner demons as well as your highest potential.
You might be surprised at where they take you if you let them show you how much you're loved, and you truly are, pinky-promise.
So look into studying things like happiness, anger, depression, addiction, the ego & the self-identity, self-deception, what thoughts are, and even nonduality and enlightenment.
This will build the foundation to ground your trips! Very important. In the beginning, you might use them just to prevent the worst, but later on, there's so much more waiting for you!
Setting up a daily meditation habit will definitely help tons with preventing bad trips.
Please
trip in a safe setting, not at a party. Only take the substance by yourself at home when you're just starting off.
While tripping, don't get seduced by the phenomenon & emotions. S
ee these phenomena as reflections of your own subconscious mind.
Don't take them too seriously, but most importantly, enjoy the ride! :)
After coming back down
take time to integrate!
I.e. spend all of Saturday doing the trip, and at the end of Saturday night/Sunday spend most of that time relaxing and integrating all the lessons that you learned.
Sometimes a trip can be so powerful that you will need an entire next day to just sit and integrate and reflect on what it means for your life.
So journal about it and watch how your mind adjusts automatically over the course of the week after your trip.
And the week before you do any psychedelics, try
unaddicting yourself from stimulation as much as possible. This lets you be honest with yourself about how you're using these substances. This in and of itself will be huge growth, and even if you stop taking psychedelics, you'll be like: "Oh look! It's so nice to be clean of bad food, bad TV, and bad other stuff." Huge!
Be careful with cross-tolerance, and wait at least 2 weeks, not more than once a week. This removes all the tolerance you built up after mushrooms or LSD for example.
This rule also makes sure that you aren't kidding yourself/only escaping from a shitty life. That's gonna be regressing you not growing.
You wanna be having the trip, come back to your everyday life, and then be in love with your everyday life more than ever before!
Start with small doses, avoid pills, take pure powdered form, don't use research chemicals too much, stick with the classic proven psychedelics that work, and use drug-testing kits on every badge of new substance that you have. (Magic Mushrooms/ Psilocybin, LSD, Ketamine, or DXM, DMT, Mescaline/Peyote, Ayahuasca, Iboga 2C-X Series)
Make sure you're in a good mood the day you're tripping!
The substances will amplify your mood.
The day of,
make sure that your life is put together as much as possible; clean your house, laundry, dishes. Don't have work the next day, a big project due or some important appointment pressuring you. Set aside the entire day, so you can prepare for it and don't have to be rushed with integrating. Also, hide dangerous objects in your house, kitchen knives, weapons, etc.
Tuck them away safely and stock your fridge with food and drinks so that you don't have to cook or go to the grocery store tripping. Have a vomit bucket near you!
Then
set a serious trip intention. What do you want out of the trip? Make sure to surrender to the experience, but still set a strong intention.
Examples: depression, suicidal thoughts, psychological problems like fear around money, social anxiety, marriage problems, etc.
Insights can stay with you for life, the experience always passes.
Meditate prior to doing the trip!
For a nice calm state of mind, it'll slow your breathing, and your heart rate and allow you to focus on your intention more.
Then you can honestly say to yourself: "I've thought about this. I've planned it all out. My whole day is planned out. I've meditated. I know what I'm doing, I'm conscious.
I'm not using this as some escape, or to run away from a relationship that I don't want to be involved in right now."
Consume the substance on an empty stomach, don't rush the process, and have the whole day. Consuming around noon time is the best.
When you're starting to feel any fear or panic set in because you feel like you're going down some negative thought spiral...
Simply remind yourself:
- Always fully surrender to the experience
- The trip is going to pass!
- Relax the body. Open your whole body up! (Don't cross your legs or arms)
>>> your body can control what your thoughts are doing and the emotions you're feeling
- Start breathing steadily, calmly, slowly
- No wacky phenomena are "real" (They're just visual or auditory sensations of thoughts in your mind)
**This is why it's really good to be an experienced meditator.
And lastly, again, do not mistake psychedelics as a shortcut only, they can be for a while, but primarily,
use them as a catalyst for falling in love with life!