Thanks so much Pat, for writing such courageous and important words. I am a psychedelic therapist working mainly underground in Vancouver, Canada which is becoming a hub for psychedelics due to our relaxed and open legal landscape. I spent years working with Big Pharma so I am acutely aware of the dangers there. I also have a phD from UC…
Thanks so much Pat, for writing such courageous and important words. I am a psychedelic therapist working mainly underground in Vancouver, Canada which is becoming a hub for psychedelics due to our relaxed and open legal landscape. I spent years working with Big Pharma so I am acutely aware of the dangers there. I also have a phD from UC Berkeley (pre-med Neurosciences) and am a 30 year meditator, so my background allows me to dive into both the mystical/spiritual and the medical nuances of how these medicines work. I am endlessly stunned at how quickly these medicines can heal people (including myself) however I'm increasingly concerned regarding how we can 'integrate' these beautiful altered states into our not-so-beautiful lives. Doing a medicine journey is the easy part. Coming back into our lives afterwards is the truly hard work. It's not simple, easy and nobody has figured this out yet. I know so many people awash trying to integrate their amazing psychedelic experiences into their challenging lives. I know there is a way, however nobody has this sorted yet. So, meantime let's keep mindfully and honestly exploring these medicines because they aren't going away. Increasing numbers of mainstream folks are reaching out for them. All of us who are working in the psychedelic space right now need to collaborate and share data, underground or legal, medical or hippy woo-woo. We are all on the same team so we really need to reach out to each other for mutual support and understanding. There is no room for competition, greed, judgement, manipulation or dishonestly in this space because these substances are just too powerful. Let's keep each other honest. Let's keep each other accountable. Let's questions each other. Let's keep each other in check. Let's be brave enough to speak out when things don't feel right. We must join forces for good in this space. We are working with Kryptonite people, let's step up and behave accordingly!
I love this Naomi. Thank you so much for taking the time to read the article and share your thoughtful take on the space. I completely agree about the different factions. They should work together (however different) to come up with a solution that works for everybody. It shouldn't be rocket science. It should be about helping people, not competing against each other for exposure or market share.
Thanks so much Pat, for writing such courageous and important words. I am a psychedelic therapist working mainly underground in Vancouver, Canada which is becoming a hub for psychedelics due to our relaxed and open legal landscape. I spent years working with Big Pharma so I am acutely aware of the dangers there. I also have a phD from UC Berkeley (pre-med Neurosciences) and am a 30 year meditator, so my background allows me to dive into both the mystical/spiritual and the medical nuances of how these medicines work. I am endlessly stunned at how quickly these medicines can heal people (including myself) however I'm increasingly concerned regarding how we can 'integrate' these beautiful altered states into our not-so-beautiful lives. Doing a medicine journey is the easy part. Coming back into our lives afterwards is the truly hard work. It's not simple, easy and nobody has figured this out yet. I know so many people awash trying to integrate their amazing psychedelic experiences into their challenging lives. I know there is a way, however nobody has this sorted yet. So, meantime let's keep mindfully and honestly exploring these medicines because they aren't going away. Increasing numbers of mainstream folks are reaching out for them. All of us who are working in the psychedelic space right now need to collaborate and share data, underground or legal, medical or hippy woo-woo. We are all on the same team so we really need to reach out to each other for mutual support and understanding. There is no room for competition, greed, judgement, manipulation or dishonestly in this space because these substances are just too powerful. Let's keep each other honest. Let's keep each other accountable. Let's questions each other. Let's keep each other in check. Let's be brave enough to speak out when things don't feel right. We must join forces for good in this space. We are working with Kryptonite people, let's step up and behave accordingly!
I love this Naomi. Thank you so much for taking the time to read the article and share your thoughtful take on the space. I completely agree about the different factions. They should work together (however different) to come up with a solution that works for everybody. It shouldn't be rocket science. It should be about helping people, not competing against each other for exposure or market share.