So I hear this common refrain. “Don’t use psychedelics if you’re at risk. You need to be in a good place in your life! They’re for healthy people, not everybody”

This logic I hear parroted in every discussion about psychedelics and it’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. If you have a great life, why would you take strong drugs that can alter your mind and throw it all away? The hubris that such a hyper successful life as described could be better?

When I took LSD for the first time after being told over and over how dangerous it is because it could even lead to suicide I went “great, it’s either going to make me end all the pain I’m feeling, or I’ll get better”. I didn’t have good set and setting because it wasn’t possible. I took a serious drug because I was literally willing risk death to escape pain and it worked. Because I did this, I got better quickly and I figure I saved YEARS of my youth that a “cautious, sensible” approach would have likely stolen from me. It could have gone bad, but I pushed my chips in anyways.

When I read stories about this, a healthy person who thus can responsibly use psychedelics do shit like this and fuck up at least a year of their life it makes me mad although not at the person suffering, more at this generally this attitude that super healthy and functional people should be taking strong drugs because that means it’s low risk! There’s always risk, which is why you shouldn’t use strong drugs without a strong upside potential.

Imagine being a 'rising star in the medical field', not (by his own admission) doing sufficient due diligence, completely externalizing all his emotional reactions instead of handling them internally, and then saying that 'psychedelics should come with a black box warning of these clear contraindications, as should any articles or books touting their magnificence.' I feel like I just read a story of someone who learned to drive and zoomed around town breaking the speed limit before having an entirely predictable accident, and now wants everyone to know that cars can be dangerous.

Feeling like one is overflowing with enthusiasm and positivity is a common response to psychdelics, indiscriminately foisting it on everyone else is not. It's hard to reconcile this person's impressive career achievements and extensive therapy/psychiatric experience with such a shallow, ego-driven abreaction. All the discourse around psychedelics stresses that it's not risk free, that it's possible to get carried away, and that melting your brain with drugs requires some reflection and time to process the experience.

I feel quite sorry for this person, however ... even the most well-vetted treatments can have powerfully negative effects on some people. Allergies to penicillin come to mind. I had a manic episode comparatively quite late in life (46). It's a stunner all right. Fortunately within the first week it was recognized and I was hospitalized for a week, given meds that got me to sleep, and I've lived a relatively normal life subsequently. All that said, people advocating psilocybin should be well-informed about mania, and prepared to intervene forcefully if mania gets induced.

They buried the lead..

"You may not think it will happen to you. But drug-induced mania and drug-induced psychosis are well-documented phenomena. They should not be dismissed or waved off as fear-mongering. This applies to cannabis, cocaine, alcohol, and even antidepressants."

What I found striking about reading this was the authors perception of themselves before their trip, and their perception of themselves after their trip, and how they seem to be quite self-aware of the difference yet unable to reconcile these concepts of them self which is understandably distressing, but also a little bit perplexing. And this was all triggered by a good trip!!

Feel sorry for the guy, obvs went through something. But as someone who has been on/off antidepressants for 20 years, tried everything under the sun and who has worked in drug policy: the information is there. It’s not hiding. Anyone who thinks any drug is safe is kidding themselves.

People want an easy answer to solve mental health problems. There already is one: sleep well, eat well, exercise regularly. If you can do those three things the mental tools like Cognitive Behaviour Therapy are easier. Also just being kind to yourself is easier if you’ve got a full belly and can feel the warm ache of a long run.

TLDR: this guy is naive at best, don’t listen to him. Go look after yourself instead.

Was he on SSRIs when he took a 5ht2a agonist..?

Do SSRIs interact safely with psilocybin?

In my view, taking psilocybin doesn't seem erroneous. However, there are other errors you made. Allow me to elaborate. You sought communication with spirits as we are fundamentally spiritual beings. We acquire wisdom from humans, animals, and nature, absorbing the knowledge of "existence" which we then portray in our lives, conveying these spirits to other beings around us. This is typically a subconscious endeavor.

We are inherent acquirers of knowledge, primarily tutored by other learners who themselves were also taught by others before us, tracing back to the inception of life and the universe. The physical bodies we inhabit are renewable; the most crucial component is the learning process itself. This is classically referred to as the "spirit," and it can be channeled, like mimicking someone's voice and mannerisms or being conscious of their influence within us (i.e., recollecting what someone is like).

Those who fail to grasp this fundamental concept are the ones deficient in understanding. In your situation, the individuals around you are affected by negative spirits influenced by pharmaceutical profits, such as the demonic spirit of greed, and this basic spiritual understanding doesn't align with their goals. Hence, they have expended an abundance of resources manipulating public opinion against anything that doesn't maximize their profit, using predominantly negative spirits that are unreal. This was not their original idea. It originates from a long series of governing structures like monarchies, dictatorships, lords, corrupt religious bodies, etc., which have evolved in unique ways in the contemporary world.

> I began to wonder if I was being followed and whether I was safe at home.

It sounds like you were being stalked by the greed demon, which portrayed itself through your brother, your therapist, and others in your surroundings. After you freed yourself, the demon desired your return.

Psilocybin exposed the truth to you. The truth is not readily accepted by those who don't abide by it, which is why solutions involving drugs are often discouraged in most religious practices. Recognize that the people around you aren't living in reality. Refrain from engaging in discussions or quarrels with them about it. They aren't to blame. You can help purify them, but be aware they may confront the same issues you did.

Re-integrate into your environment by following societal expectations, but retain the wisdom you acquired. There's no need for excessive efforts. You may also return to pharmaceutical drugs during this period. Once you have re-established yourself reasonably, seek out the following communities and abandon the pharmaceutical drugs if you've resumed:

- A church or a mosque

- A Vipassana retreat and corresponding community

- Other Buddhist communities, Tibetan, Zen, or Thai also provide excellent platforms.

- Tantra community

- Mediums and witches

- Alternative therapists

These communities comprise individuals at varying stages of understanding, so don't be overly expressive. Only share your understanding when it is appropriate to do so. Safely, you can initiate discussion ONLY when someone else does, and don't contribute excessively. Over time, you will surround yourself with higher spirits and be more capable of dealing with negative spirits.

I had a trip where I was laying in bed and sinister polygons on the wall were mindraping me.

Correlation is not causation.