Psychedelic integration
Harm Reduction & Indigenous Perspective Approach
natural medicine
The use of natural medicines, plant or fungi, is an ancient community practice. It's been safeguarded, protected and revered by indigenous communities around the world, to whom we owe recognition, respect, acknowledgement and support.
With the so called Psychedelic Renaissance around the world, and the increased emergence of psychedelic experiences, psychedelic retreats, and psychedelic guides, it is of the utmost importance to be thoroughly informed, and have an in-depth preparation and integration of expanded states of consciousness. Having specialized support and comprehensive integration can provide and sustain long lasting healing and spiritual development.
Visionary experiences are transformative. They manifest the mind, showing the places where unresolved conflict or pain is stored, but also the places where repressed creative energies are kept. Natural Medicines awaken neural pathways associated with interconnectivity, broader perspective and child-like wonder. This neurochemical environment allows defenses to soften and new connections to be made. It also allows dissociated parts of the self to emerge, and different consciousness states to communicate to one another.
Controlled studies done by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, have revealed that Psilocybin can treat depression, anxiety, existential dread, PTSD and addiction. In those studies, 80% of those who received psilocybin said it was one of the five most meaningful experiences of their lives; 50% said it was the single most meaningful experience of their lives to date.
For those looking into these natural and sacred medicines for personal use, or for those who have had psychedelic experiences, in ceremonial spaces or other wise, but haven't integrated the breakthroughs into their daily life, I offer the expertise needed for the containment and integration of the opening of the mind and heart.
“Ceremony can bring the quiescent back to life; it can open your mind and heart to what you once knew but have forgotten.”
— Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Latin root of the word “integrate” is “integrare,” which means “to make whole.” The work of integration after psychedelic experience requires a wholesome approach. It is important to include body work, connection to nature, art, creative expression, moments of silence, slowing down, meaning making, and community connection to take the breakthroughs and insights into a grounded, life affirming and down to earth change.
My personal approach is psycho-spiritual, which means that I merge best practices from western and ancestral traditions, as well as the use of Dreamwork to relate to the visions that come with expansive states of consciousness.
If you’ve had a psychedelic experience you still need to integrate, make sense of, and my expertise and approach to integration resonates with you, book an introductory call or integration sessions with me.
My approach to integration
why is integration fundamental?
Integration after a psychedelic experience is crucial for several reasons, as it helps to make sense of the insights and emotions that arise during the experience and incorporates them into daily life in a meaningful way. Here’s why integration is so important:
1. Processing Insights and Emotions
Psychedelic experiences often bring deep insights, emotions, or unresolved issues to the surface. Without proper integration, these realizations can remain fragmented, leading to confusion, emotional instability, or even anxiety. Integration provides space to reflect on these experiences, understand them, and begin to work through the emotions they evoke.
2. Turning Insights into Action
During a psychedelic journey, people may encounter profound realizations about their lives, relationships, or personal patterns. Integration is the process of turning these insights into practical changes in daily life. Without integration, these insights can fade or be forgotten, limiting the potential for long-term growth and transformation.
3. Emotional and Psychological Stability
Psychedelics can open individuals to intense emotions, ranging from deep joy to unresolved trauma. Integration helps individuals make sense of these emotions and ensures that they’re processed in a healthy and supportive way. This reduces the risk of emotional overwhelm or psychological distress after the experience.
4. Maintaining Balance
After a psychedelic experience, people can feel disoriented, disconnected, or overly euphoric. Integration helps ground the individual back into everyday life, creating a balanced relationship between the expanded awareness gained during the experience and practical reality. This balance is key to maintaining mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
5. Sustaining Personal Growth
Psychedelics often facilitate powerful shifts in consciousness, but these changes need time and reflection to fully manifest. Integration provides the space for reflection, allowing personal growth to unfold over time rather than dissipating once the experience ends. It supports the longevity of the transformation.
6. Developing New Perspectives
The psychedelic experience often offers new perspectives on life, spirituality, or self-identity. Integration is the period where individuals can reflect on how these new perspectives fit with their current worldview. This can help create a more cohesive understanding of oneself and the world, leading to greater clarity and wisdom.
7. Reducing Risks of Re-traumatization
For individuals who confront past trauma during a psychedelic session, integration is especially important. Proper support during this phase helps to process the trauma in a safe and healing way, reducing the likelihood of re-traumatization or emotional harm that can arise from unresolved experiences.
8. Spiritual Growth and Meaning-Making
Psychedelics often lead to mystical or spiritual experiences, which can open people to new realms of understanding. Integration helps make meaning of these spiritual experiences, allowing individuals to incorporate them into their belief systems and spiritual practices in a grounded, healthy way.
9. Strengthening Community and Support Networks
Sharing one’s experiences with a supportive community or therapist is often a key part of integration. This communal aspect can help individuals feel understood, validated, and less isolated in their experience, offering guidance on how to apply insights to daily life.
10. Preventing Premature Re-entry
Without integration, there’s a risk of re-entering psychedelic experiences too soon, seeking more insights without fully processing previous ones. This can lead to emotional instability or confusion. Proper integration emphasizes the importance of allowing time for reflection and growth between experiences.
In essence, integration after a psychedelic experience is the bridge that connects the expanded awareness gained during the journey with the realities of everyday life. It allows the experience to become a tool for long-lasting healing, growth, and transformation rather than just a fleeting or isolated event.
If you are interest in helping protect the cultures, natural medicines and ecosystems of the indigenous communities that have safe guarded sacred medicines, such as ayahuasca, iboga, mushrooms, peyote and toad, please consider donating.
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