by MADELINE FERGUSON

One commonly reported effect of many psychedelics is an unbounding love and openness toward others. It’s quite lovely and the good news is, it doesn’t always take a psychedelic substance to get you into that headspace.

There is a meditation discipline called a Loving-Kindness Meditation that is said to help bring about an openness to yourself and others in your life.

This practice is beautifully described by meditation.org, “in open-hearted non-reactive, nonjudgmental presence—we can see into the nature of the anger or grief for whatever it is. And in the seeing, in the embracing of it, in the knowing of it, as we have seen, it attenuates, weakens, evaporates, very much like touching a soap bubble or like writing on water. What emerges in such moments is nothing less than loving-kindness itself arising naturally from extended silence, without any invitation because it’s never not already here.”

For those who have experienced psychedelics, particularly MDMA, that loving feeling naturally arising sounds all too familiar.

This type of meditation can take many different forms, it can be short and simple or longer and more complicated with the help of a guide or app.

For those new to a Loving-Kindness practice you can keep it simple with three steps. But first you must prepare by finding a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed. You’ll also want to make sure you are comfortable enough to sit for at least eight minutes. Then, just close your eyes and drop in.

First, you think about something you really love. It could be your life partner, a pet or sibling. You really give yourself time to feel what those loving feelings feel like in both your mind and your body. You learn the feeling and capture its essence.

Next, you think of something or someone you generally feel more neutral towards. Put those loving feelings onto that person/thing. Learn what it feels like to genuinely love something you first felt neutral toward.

The final step of a loving-kindness practice is to take those loving feelings and “feel” them towards either yourself (if you are working on gaining self-esteem or self-love) or someone you are having difficulty with.

The practice is supposed to help you cultivate kind and loving feelings toward situations or relationships in your life where there is tension or struggle. There is a bit of an afterglow effect when you start practicing this type of meditation, similar to the long term effects of a psychedelic trip.

If you’d like to try out a Loving-Kindness practice there are plenty for free on Youtube or you can try an app like Calm or Insight Timer (free).

Get out there and cultivate love and kindness!

For more information on entering the psychedelic space without the use of plant medicines, check out the rest of the series here.

Entering The Psychedelic Space Without Medicine: Meditation

How Medical Cannabis Reduces Symptoms of Epilepsy

Challenging Myths: Cannabis