How to make the most of a psychedelic experience
When considering psychedelic assisted psychotherapy, it’s important to consider the context of your psychedelic experience. We often hear people talk about the importance that the “set and setting” has for psychedelic experiences. The idea of “set and setting” was first used by Timothy Leary in 1964. “Set” is shorthand for your mindset: How you feel, your mood, your personality, your expectations, your hopes and fears are all important factors in determining the direction of a journey. “Setting” refers to the physical environment that you’re in during a psychedelic experience. Things such as the actual location, the amount of space, sound, lighting, temperature, objects, are all external factors that will have an impact on your experience.
An even simpler way to approach planning an optimal psychedelic session is to think about three W’s: Who, where, and why?
Who?
Feeling safe and trusting who you’re with
It’s important to have good rapport with your therapist already established before your psychedelic experience.
Psychedelics are effective at loosening our usual patterns of thinking so that new possibilities can emerge. However, this loosening effect is largely dependent on the ability to let go and surrender to the moment. The willingness to let go and surrender to the moment depends on trusting that you are safe and in good hands.
Before your psychedelic experience, spend time getting to know your therapist. Inquire about their approach, experience, and credentials so that you feel comfortable working with them.
Compatible company
Find a therapist whose ideas about psychedelics are compatible with your interests. For example, if you are looking to explore your spiritual life, make sure your therapist is comfortable and knowledgeable working with spirituality. On the other hand, if spiritual language is triggering to you, you might want to find someone who has a more scientific outlook and approach.
Group vs Individual
Both group and individual settings can support your psychedelic experience. Consider which context helps you feel most supported and at ease, and aligns with your intentions.
Individual work may allow you to go deeper, be more expressive, and curate your experience more uniquely.
Group psychedelic work can help you work on interpersonal issues and insecurities, and help you cultivate more ease in your experience of being in groups. Most psychedelic group situations include time for members to get to know one another prior to the journey. Take advantage of this opportunity by sharing about what has led you to this moment and how it’s feeling to be here. Creating space for one another’s vulnerability will open up a richer experience for all.
Who will you see after the journey?
Considering who you will see right after your session is also an important piece of your experience. Ideally you’ll want to spend time with people who know you and care about you. It’s helpful to be with people who are able to respect the boundaries you set around how much you want to share about your journey. Since you are not permitted to drive after a ketamine session, exercise care in who you ask to bring you home. A quiet ride in an Uber may be more supportive to you than a free ride with a partner or friend who will have lots of questions or want your attention for themselves.
Where?
Location location location
Location has a major effect on the psychedelic experience. If possible, spend time ahead of your journey in the environment in which you plan to have a psychedelic session. The more comfortable you feel in space, the more profound and enjoyable a session you can have.
Factors to consider and discuss with your therapist about the environment:
Is there enough room?
What is the lighting?
What furniture is there? For example, will there be a couch, can you lie down, would you be comfortable on the floor?
What is the soundscape like? Is it quiet enough or are there distracting noises?
Would you like to add music to the space? Will you have the ability to adjust the volume or change the music?
What is the temperature of the space, can it be adjusted?
What objects are in the room? Are there any meaningful objects you’d like to bring to the space (pictures, books, jewelry, amulets, souvenirs etc. that have special significance to your intentions)? Are there images and symbols that resonate with you or evoke certain feelings?
Why
Stan Grof, a pioneer of transpersonal psychology and psychedelic psychotherapy, describes psychedelics as “non-specific amplifiers” of mental phenomena. Rather than targeting or engendering specific thought patterns or feeling states, psychedelics raise your level of awareness and insight into the issues, patterns, and feelings that are already happening within you.
This means that we have some influence over what gets kicked up during session.
Intention Setting
Intention setting is a simple and powerful practice to include in preparation for your psychedelic session.
Consider what your intentions are for your journey. Spend time identifying one or even a few areas of your life that you wish for the medicine to have a beneficial effect. It can be useful to work on your intentions with your therapist so that you can have a shared awareness of what is important to you.
Another way to invite certain intentions into the room is to bring objects, writings, or pictures that carry significance related to the issue you want to heal. A favorite toy from childhood can be a way to invite connection with your inner child, a spirit of playfulness and aliveness. A picture of a lost loved one can help with processing the loss and grief you may experience. An object connected to a spiritual experience can help re-create the connection you have felt in the past with a spiritual being or tradition.
“Set it and forget it”
Once you’ve established your intentions, a good approach to working with them is to “set it and forget it.” This means you bring your intentions to the session but then let them go. The reason to let them go is so that you can really be with whatever arises in the session. We usually cannot predict how the medicine will speak to our intentions once the session is underway. It usually backfires to be checking on our progress too closely or trying to force something to happen internally. By setting intentions and then releasing them, you allow yourself to stay present and get the most out of what happens in your journey.