• Psychedelic Drugs Welcome Guest
    View threads about
    Posting RulesBluelight Rules
    PD's Best Threads Index
    Social ThreadSupport Bluelight
    Psychedelic Beginner's FAQ

A Guide for Integrative Use

TheBlackPirate

Bluelighter
Joined
Dec 16, 2015
Messages
680
This article is from the website of an LSD vendor. The vendor commissions harm reduction resources with profits. This is beautiful. I thought I should share.

A anonymous LSD vendor said:
A Guide for Integrative Use


The use of psychedelic medicines, also known as psychedelics, entheogens, psychotomimetics, and hallucinogens, is widespread over a large number of populations and encompasses a wide range of uses. These substances have been used for recreation, personal insight, spiritual growth, philosophical wonderings about reality and consciousness, integration of trauma, resolution of depression and anxiety, spiritual practices, and magic, to name a few.

Users come to these medicines from many different backgrounds. Some have their first experiences in a spiritual context, others in a recreational one. Still others experience them in a context that might combine a little bit of both. However, all users eventually may face the questions including: What is responsible use? How do I ensure good, productive experiences rather than destructive ones? How can I integrate my experiences into my daily life? How can I overcome the societal stigma of psychedelic use, regardless of my intention?

These are extremely valuable questions to be asking, especially as we enter a psychedelic renaissance in our global culture. Psychedelic medicines are coming back, and this time we have much more data around their use. In this article, I will be expanding on "Fundamentals of Responsible Psychoactive Use," published by Erowid as guidelines for any person that is considering using a mind-altering substance. I will provide examples in this article for ways that these principles can be integrated into your medicine practice, no matter what approach or relationship you have with them. The principles are as follows (quoted from the aforementioned article):



  • Investigate the health risks and dangers of the specific psychoactive and of the class of drugs to which it belongs.
  • Learn about interactions and contraindications with other recreational drugs, medications, supplements, and activities.
  • Review individual health concerns, predispositions, and family health history.
  • Be aware of relevant laws and penalties.
  • Choose a source or product carefully to help ensure correct identification and purity. (Try to avoid materials with an unknown source or of unknown quality.)
  • Know whether the drug is likely to impair the ability to drive, operate equipment, or pay attention to necessary tasks.
  • Take oneself "off duty" from responsibilities that might be interfered with (job, child care, etc.), and arrange for someone else to be "on duty".
  • Anticipate reasonably foreseeable risks to oneself and others, and employ safeguards to minimize those risks.
  • Choose an appropriate occasion and location for use.
  • Decide how much to use and measure dosages carefully.
  • Begin with a low dose until individual reactions are known and thereafter use the minimum dose necessary to achieve the desired effects: lower doses are safer doses.
  • Reflect on and adjust use to minimize physical and mental health problems.
  • Note changes in health over time that may be related to use.
  • Modify use if it interferes with work or personal goals.
  • Check in with peers and family, and accept feedback about one's use.
  • Track reactions to specific drugs and dosages in order to avoid repeating mistakes.
  • Seek treatment if needed.
  • Decide not to use if the time isn't right, the material is suspect, or the situation is otherwise problematic.


Some of these principles are straightforward and do not need further explanation so I will pass over those. Instead, I will focus on a process-oriented script that anyone can use when considering using a psychedelic.

So you're planning to take a psychedelic. It might be LSD, it might be MDMA. It might be a multitude of different substances. The first question you might want to ask yourself is: Why am I taking this substance? The reason or intention behind using a substance oftentimes helps dictate what substance and kind of dose you might want to take. If the answer is simply to have fun and enjoy yourself, consider using a lower dose (50 to 100 micrograms of LSD, 25 to 75 milligrams of MDMA). Taking a high/full dose of a psychedelic (250 or more micrograms of LSD, 120 or more milligrams of MDMA) opens you up to a much higher degree of variability and unpredictability and can take away from whatever fun you are trying to have. If you are looking to work on some deep questions or problems you would like to address, you might want to take a higher dose but you will also want to look at your setting before doing so. We will discuss this later.

Now you have figured out why you want to use this substance. The next question you might want to ask is: Is this substance safe for me? Do some research about what this drug does in your body, if it has any adverse interactions with other drugs (such as alcohol) and if you have any kind of mental issues that this substance might make worse.

Now you've determined if this substance is going to be safe or not for you to take. If it is safe, go on to the next question. You might then ask: What can I expect from the effects? Do some further research as to what the general effects of this substance are. Read experience reports that are in similar settings as the one you have planned for taking this substance. Can you learn any lessons from what other people have gone through?

Now you have an idea of what the effects might be like based on your dosage and research you may have done. The next question you might ask is what setting will you be taking this substance in? Consider that the location is safe (free of any police or other individuals who might interfere) and comfortable (has all the amenities for adequate survival such as food, water, good music if not in nature and good weather). You might also think about being in a place where you can lie down for a bit if you need to and also have some activities you can do such as art supplies, musical instruments, or flow toys.

The ideal setting changes with the type of trip you are trying to have. For a high dose trip, you will most likely want a comfortable place to lie down, most preferably indoors. Water nearby and a mellow playlist without any stressful music. I personally try to avoid too much music with lyrics, but some lyrical songs can be incredibly touching. If it is one of your first big trips, it might be nice to have a trip sitter, someone that is experienced and will be able to assure you that everything is OK. They can also assist you to get things you might need. This sitter should not be trying to "guide" your trip. They should just be on the sidelines making sure nothing goes wrong. They should not be a person to distract you from your own journey. Keep talking to a minimum until after the experience. Focus on the intention you set, and refer back to it throughout the trip when things get too confusing or weird.

For a medium dose trip, you might have more activities planned while also having a place in mind where you can sit down for an hour or two to ride out the peak. During that time, it would probably feel good to not have to do anything and not have any demands such as dealing with other people or working out any kinds of logistics. Sometimes I like to dose and then take a walk to a beautiful spot in nature where I can just sit and enjoy the bliss as I take in a wonderful surrounding.

For a low dose trip, you can pretty much do anything and go anywhere, especially if you are experienced.

So now you've had your trip. What's next? Before jumping into planning your next trip, consider journaling about your experience. What did you learn? What was difficult for you during this trip? Consider writing about these aspects, especially the parts that caused some cognitive dissonance. Reflect on how you can begin applying those aspects into your daily life. Where are you being called to change? What is your higher self or subconscious asking you to do to live a better life? Where are you not aligned with your Truth?

Once you have gone through this process, which is super important for larger doses, you begin the work in your daily life which is part of the psychedelic experience. Be a leader and an example in your community, showing that taking psychedelics can be, through conscious use, a very healthy tool to improve ones self, increase empathy for others, and be inspirations to others in the community--even those who do not share the same desire to walk the medicine path. This is what the medicine calls us to do.

Love and Blessings to all of you on your travels, wherever they may take you.
 
Top