Psychedelic Integration
Dr. Coleman does not endorse the procurement or use of illegal substances. She cannot provide information on where or how to procure these substances. Dr. Coleman will not sit with you during your psychedelic experience.
What is integration?
Integration is actually the key to psychedelic experiences. This is where the real work happens, and sustainable changes take place. If there is not a focus on integration, psychedelic journeys can become another cool experience or may even create some fear, confusion, or uncertainty in your life. As part of integration, planning for the other aspects that are crucial to support a meaningful psychedelic experience should be considered, before the journey actually takes place. This preparation is key to the whole process. If you have never experienced psychedelic medicine you may not know how to prepare or you may have had experiences previously, but didn’t have the proper preparation and that may have negatively affected your journey.
What about preparation before a journey?
If you are planning to embark on a psychedelic journey Dr. Coleman can support you in preparing for experience so that you can get the most out of it. Preparation includes a number of different aspects, all of which will be addressed and explained during your preparation call(s). When partaking in psychedelic healing there are three essential elements to consider; (mind)Set, Setting, and Dose. If you are choosing to do a guided journey you may get support with preparation from the guide/facilitator, but there are some additional things to consider with guided or facilitated experiences. Safety is key and this is meant to cover both physical, mental, and emotional safety, because it plays into all three aspects, set, setting, and dose. If choosing to work with a facilitator, make sure you take the steps to ensure the person and setting are safe and that you can trust the person and facility. Dr. Coleman can support you in ways to determine safety when deciding to work with established sites and guides.
What is Set?
Set. More completely stated, mindset. Mindset is important to focus on prior to taking psychedelics and also after the experience. Dr. Coleman will take the time to dive in with you and address concerns, fears, and questions you might have around the medicine and the experience. Together you will discuss the importance of having intentions when working with the medicine and how to create these. With all psychedelic experiences, the medicine shows us what we need to know, so really working on being okay with letting go of the intentions that we create is also important. It is important to create a mindset of acceptance and trust around knowing that whatever comes up is exactly what is supposed to happen and not being attached to what we want the experience to look like. In addition, Dr. Coleman will give you some specific guidelines and techniques to cultivate the optimal mindset pre and post journey.
What is Setting?
Setting. The physical environment is very important and can heavily influence your experience. Dr. Coleman will discuss with you the things to consider when deciding to do a solo journey, one with friends, or with a guide/facilitator. One way is not better than the other, but there are different things to consider for each scenario. Physically setting up your environment and choosing a location is crucial as well. Inside versus outside, laying down versus sitting up, etc. You will discuss all the things you may need in and what to have available before you begin your journey in order to feel comfortable and supported. Discussing with friends or guides what your intentions are and what may come up for you is important so that you feel safe dropping into the experience. Having a plan for support if you have a challenging experience should also be determined and discussed beforehand. Elements such as temperature, clothing, furniture/blankets/pillows, eye masks, headphones, and access to bathrooms all play a role. Thought also needs to be paid to food and diet, as some psychedelic medicines suggest a cleansing period prior to your journey.
How do I know my dose?
Dose. Dose can be tricky if you have never had a psychedelic experience or if you have never done a specific medicine before. It is always better to start low and work your way up. If working with a facilitator, make sure to discuss dose prior to the session so that you are aware of the plan and know what dose you will be taking. It is important to know what you are taking and the dose every time you have a psychedelic medicine experience.
What about after the journey integration?
Even if you have not done preparation with Dr. Coleman, she can support you in post medicine integration. Integration can take place immediately and also over the course of days, weeks, months, and years. Integration really is the process by which we take the insights, lessons, visions, feelings etc. from our medicine experience and anchor and incorporate them into our daily life to benefit ourselves and our community. Every psychedelic experience will be different and there are an infinite number of experiences that are possible. As a result, integration will not always look the same and should be tailored to the experience that was had. The focus is on being able to find themes and meanings in the medicine experience and translate those into meaningful changes and tangible actions in your life. Unless this step is taken, the experience may be profound, but is unlikely to be truly transformative. A person may need one or more integration sessions and is variable per experience. Integration occurs through a variety of methods such as art, music, writing, movement, meditation and more. Dr. Coleman can support you through this transformative process, which is the key to healing.
How do I prevent a “bad trip”?
When people refer to a “bad trip” it is often the result of poor preparation, lack of integration, or both. There are challenging journeys that may be uncomfortable and feel difficult, but that does not equate to “bad”. Having support during that time is extraordinarily helpful, but also getting support afterwards to make meaning of the experience can transform the interpretation and feelings associated with it. Often the most challenging journeys are the ones that provide the most insight and healing if we choose to explore it and do the proper integration. If you have experienced a challenging journey or are struggling to make meaning of your experience, or have residual anxiety or fear, please reach out. It is never too late to integrate and heal.