Are you ready to do psychedelics? Do the test!

Knowing whether a plant medicine retreat is meant for you is a deeply personal decision and it often emerges from a sense of inner readiness rather than external pressure or curiosity alone. But how do you know if you are ready inside? How is it possible to distinguish the mixture of feelings that run through your system?

Because we’ve been organizing plant medicine retreats for almost 20 years now, we’ve been having this conversation with so many people. We thought it would be helpful to develop a tool that people can use to help them making the decision whether to join or not. As experts from the field we’ve seen over and over again that psychedelics can be so beneficial for someone’s personal development, if they are ready… But if they are not joining for the right reasons, the beneficial effects are just not there.

Are Psychedelics good for everybody?

Plant medicine can be deeply healing, challenging, and sacred, but it’s not a universal solution or something to rush into. When you’re ready, it usually feels less like “I have to do this,” and more like “I’m willing to listen, learn, and grow, whatever this brings.”

There isn’t one universally recognized or medically approved test that determines if you're ready for a plant medicine retreat, but several facilitators and retreat centers offer screening questionnaires or self-assessment tools to help guide your decision. These are typically designed to assess your psychological, physical, emotional, and spiritual readiness.

Psychedelics are very much linked the mysterious side. Therefore it is true that when you’ve taken the substance, you jump into the unknow. Nobody can know up front what will happen. It takes a tremendous amount of trust. So before you take that leap of faith, and just do it because your friends keep telling you about their wonderful healing journeys, it might be wise to do the test. Psychedelics are not for everyone, or at any moment in your life,.. there are certain risks involved and you want to be informed about the whole story.

 

How do I know if I am ready for psychedelics?

1.    The Inner calling

First of all you should be curious, you should feel a kind of persistent inner calling. Many people nowadays read about the beneficial effects of psychedelics in the media. You hear about it in talk shows and podcasts. Your friends are talking about it. It seems to pop up everywhere. That’s why it is getting your attention. You start to feel drawn to the idea, first just curiosity but then it stays, you get intrigued. The question if this would be something for you keeps resurfacing in your mind and heart.

Logically this new idea brings in a mixture of excitement and nervousness. This is because you cannot control of know the unknown. This is natural to feel, even more experienced psychedelic travellers still have this.

Note: If this idea makes you most of the time absolutely scared and fearful, this is a clear sign you are not ready for a psychedelic adventure. Also if you're feeling pressured by others or acting on FOMO (fear of missing out), it is best to not join a retreat .

2.     Letting go of control

Psychedelics cannot be controlled or pinpointed. The element of surprise, the unexpected is in charge when on psychedelics. There’s no point in trying to control that. The only invitation is to surrender to the experience. You cannot predict what will happen to you, if you’ll feel happy or sad, if it will be difficult or easy, even if you did it already many times before.

So you’ll need to be open to the idea of letting it all happen, letting go of control. Are you ready to face uncomfortable emotions, memories, or truths in service of your growth? If the answer is yes, and you feel this yes inside, that’s a sign you are ready. If the answer is no, you’ve got your answer too. If your answer is maybe, give it more time to let the idea grow inside yourself.

If you’re using it to escape rather than engage with your deeper self, this also might not be the right setting for you. There are other drugs way more suitable for this kind of escape.

3.    A healing or breakthrough experience

I guess that’s the reason that many people try psychedelics. But again, psychedelics cannot be pinpointed (I need a breakthrough, so now I get one), it just doesn’t work like that. As a breakthrough is certainly common to happen in a psychedelic experience, it doesn’t always happen when you think you need one. Sometimes you’ll need to do several ceremonies to really get there, because there is just too much resistance in you or you’re too headstrong. So are you, if needed, willing to go all the way to get your breakthrough or healing? Or are you looking for a quick fix?

And do you understand that the ‘medicine’ for your pain, grief, anxiety, unresolved trauma or depression can be much more difficult to swallow than you ever imagined? Are you still able to feel in those moments of inner despair why you want to heal and what is the true reason why you put yourself through such discomfort?

Maybe you’ve tried conventional approaches like psycho(therapy) and coaching, but hit a wall. You’ve talked endlessly with your coach/therapist, but without any real improvement for your day to day life. When the psychedelic substance makes you feel what’s the root of your problem, can you really be open for that? Can you really be still and listen to what it needs to tell you? Are you willing to try this the best you can, until you are ready to really do so..?

4.    The real work: the integration process

When all of the above did not scare you away, but rather got you more interested, chances are that you are ready. You just need to check one more, VERY IMPORTANT, box: Are you committed to integrate your insights? Your personal growth or healing does not end at the end of the retreat, it begins there!

Say the psychedelics gave you some insights (you really need to take better care for yourself, your health, your family), and during the retreat you felt the truth and weight of these insights and the difference it can make in your life. What are you going to do with later on? Are you willing to make space (extra days off, go into nature, extra selfcare) in the weeks after the retreat because you need to digest the experience? Or do you let your old habits take over very easily (work too much, get irritated, have expectations)? Are you not only willing, but are you also able to make (drastic) changes when required? This does not have to go overnight, especially when it comes to big changes, you can take your time and do it step by step. All it takes is your devotion to serve yourself better than before.

Last, when all of the above points in the right direction it is wise (and responsible) to inform yourself about the potential risks. If you have a medical or psychological condition, to make sure this is no contra-indication to use psychedelics. And, .. to find a retreat centre or personal facilitator that meets your needs. When that’s all clear, you are ready to go on a psychedelic retreat!

We hope these questions and topics could provide some clarity for you. Because we realise that it is of the utmost importance that you are safe and feel supported. If you have questions related to this topic, feel free to contact us.

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FAQ

What can I expect from the effects of magic mushrooms?

On an empty stomach the truffles will usually start to work within half an hour. Initially your body can feel a bit restless, this is when the medicine, which is what we call the little mushrooms, are scanning your body. This feeling generally fades as soon as you have surrendered to the experience. The intensity of the experience comes and goes in waves and continues to do so for about 4 to 6 hours. Some people can experience some nausea in which case deep belly breathing, movement or relaxing tend to ease the feeling of nausea. Further you can experience visions, emotions and insights. Don’t be surprised if radical shifts start occurring in your life.

The psychedelic experience can make you feel all ‘four seasons in one day’, with moments of pure consciousness, intense sadness or fear, gratefulness and absolute bliss. From personal experience we know that it can become quite challenging for a person as fears may arise, but often this is where the self-healing takes off. Our team encourages people to surrender to, or work with the energy that moves through you. We will be there for meeting your needs, before, after and during the ceremony.

Why do people generally attend a magic mushroom retreat?

To liberate themselves from past issues, anxiety, gilt or sorrow. To live their full potential, attract guidance, clarity and vision. To reconnect with their inner spirit from where creativity is born. To improve self-care and gain understanding about their relationships and the interconnectedness of all things. To reconnect with other people, to lay down the masks, to be open and honest, to feel save and supported. To release and reload or to mark an important personal moment.

Are you using truffles or mushrooms in the retreat?

We use truffles. Truffles are sclerotica (mycelium thickenings) which grow underground and are a part of the fungi, just like the fruit bodies (called mushrooms) that grow above the ground. The part that grows underground consists of the same active compounds as the ones that grow above the ground. We use truffles instead of mushrooms because truffles are legal in the Netherlands and mushrooms are not. In our texts we mainly speak about mushrooms and less about truffles, because people outside of the Netherlands are not so familiar with the name truffles.

Can you compare magic mushrooms with ayahuasca?

At our centre we only use the mushrooms, we never use ayahuasca or other plant medicines. Because ayahuasca has gotten a lot of media attention in the last 10 years, many people ask us what is the difference or similarity with mushrooms. Well, the DMT (in ayahuasca) and psilocin (in truffles) are similar molecules. Both are closely related to our bodies own serotonin and function similarly. There are a lot of similarities, but every mind expanding substance has its own character. mushrooms/truffles are, in contrast to ayahuasca, very mild for the body, the physical detox (vomiting/diarrhea) is lesser with mushrooms than with ayahuasca. The mushrooms generally have a more playful and extravert nature, as for ayahuasca you can expect a more introvert journey.

How can I prepare for a magic mushroom retreat?

To get most out of the experience a good personal preparation is necessary. If you are not in the possibility to prepare yourself with care, please do not book a ceremony or retreat at our centre. Make sure you’ve had enough rest, feel relaxed and have a clear mind. Just go with what works for you, also when it comes down to food. It is recommended a week before attending the ceremony to avoid alcohol, drugs, (red) meat, very sweet or fat foods and sexual interaction.

Take time to feel and explore attentively where you stand and wonder what this ceremony can mean for you. Your own attention is what creates the experience. So basically the ceremony has already started the moment you signed up. If you make a reservation and you’ve passed the intake procedure we will send you detailed information on how to prepare best.

What are the contra-indications for joining a mushroom retreat?

Our ceremonies and retreats are meant for people in good mental and physical health. It is not offered as a substitute for medical or psycho-therapeutic care.

Magic mushrooms cannot be taken in combination with anti-depressive or anti-psychotic medication. If you are under these or other kind of medication or doctor treatments you are required to consult your doctor to ask if you can participate in ceremonies where psilocybin is used.

You always need to inform us about your medical or psychological treatment.

Although a life does not always feel perfect and nobody’s life is without challenges, we draw a line where it comes to people who are heavy traumatized, have a tendency to be suicidal or psychotic.

It is important you answer our intake questionnaire with honesty. Sometimes it is best not to use psychedelics, for your own and others safety. If we have questions or doubts about your participation for further questions or ask you to speak to a doctor first.

In general, Contraindications:

– Pregnancy – Schizophrenia – Borderline – Psychosis sensitivity – Severe Blood Pressure/Heart Problems – Brain haemorrhages

Furthermore, the following drugs cannot be combined with psychedelics:

– SSRI, SNRI, TCA and MAO inhibitors (serotonergic drugs) – Lithium – Benzodiazepines (Valium, Oxazepam, XANAX, etc.) – Heart and blood pressure medication – Opoids (tramadol, morphine and codeine)

How can I integrate the experience best?

A psychedelic experience takes time to integrate, therefore we highly recommend to continue to avoid alcohol, drugs, (red) meat and sexual interaction for a while after the ceremony has taken place. Make sure that you don´t have much planned till even a few days after the ceremony, keep life as relaxed as possible. Connect to nature and take good care of yourself. The effects of the ceremony can last for another few days or even weeks. To process the whole experience even can take years. Know, that if you booked a ceremony or retreat, you will receive a detailed info mail about a good integration. If you have doubts concerning your health or well-being afterward, always feel free to contact us.

Our ceremonial facilitator Judith Sudholter has written a blog about the integration process. She organizes online integration circles as well. How to integrate a magic mushroom cermony in your daily life? (magicmushroomceremony.com)