What Do Psychedelics REALLY Feel Like?
by MADELINE FERGUSON
Often the thought of trying psychedelics for the first time is met with some fear or anxiety. Understandably so, it’s still stigmatized by much of the United States and scare campaigns made their mark on so many middle and high school-aged kids.
There are a lot of considerations you should make before deciding to partake in psychedelics, things like mental health and family history of mental health are a good place to start. You will also want to learn about the different psychedelic options and research which one feels best for you.
Check out these articles for an overview of different hallucinogens and their effects.
Whether you are feeling drawn toward hallucinogens for healing, connection, religion, recreation or a creative boost, the psychedelics available to us have endless possibilities in all areas of life. But, never the less, it is natural to have some anxiety about your first trip.
Unfortunately, many people fear psychedelics because of government campaigns and school programs trying to convince people LSD will melt your brain or mushrooms will get you stuck (in fact, they do quite the opposite). While it is important to understand what you are getting into, how you are getting it, and creating a safe space for yourself, it is nowhere near as scary as the US Government wants you to believe.
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To help illustrate this point, I asked people from all walks of life what psychedelics are really like for them and how they have impacted their lives. While I protected these folks’ identities I want readers to know that these humans use psychedelics for many different reasons, from trauma healing to finding connections.
The Person Who Healed From Body Image Problems & Low Self Esteem
“While the experience of all psychedelics is a little different, they’re all amazing. One thing that I’ve found really describes the experience is picturing your mind like a two-lane highway, but psychedelics (during a trip and after) expands it to a massive 4 lane highway. Opening up so many new lanes of thinking.”
The Person Who Learned To Value Friendship & The Healing Power Of Art
“The use of psychedelics has greatly expanded my human experience. This includes expanding my consciousness and the loss of ego. They have given me much greater respect for the wonders of life and its connections with the universe. They have directly influenced the ways I have chosen to live a more fulfilling life.”
The Person Who Healed From Trauma And Found New Meaning
Here is a quote from a piece about an ayahuasca trip from Shelise Ann Sola. You can read her full account of the experience here, but this line is incredible.
“It’s a pretty cool realization knowing there are other forms of intelligent life traversing the galaxy. Even cooler knowing that we have access to those places through altered consciousness and clear intentions.”
The Person Who Grew Out Of Their Shell And Into Themselves
“Being raised in a very conservative household I was led to believe taking psychedelics would completely fry my brain and send me to some completely altered state of consciousness where I had no grasp on reality. After witnessing people taking multiple types of psychedelics at different points in my life, I decided to try them for myself. Let me assure you it is nothing like what I was taught growing up, the experience was much more peaceful. During my experiences psychedelics provided me with an altered perception of reality, no question about that. However, unlike I was led to believe earlier in life, a psychedelic trip offered clarity and an alternate way of looking at a given situation, not some out-of-body experience. While tripping, I would find myself in situations where I might have previously gotten frustrated or angry, however, while in my psychedelic altered state I simply saw the situation in a different light and chose to accept it and move on, resulting in clarity and empathy toward others and toward the environment that I was in. As I age I continue to use psychedelics in moderation. I find that small doses of psychedelics can help me reduce depression and anxiety I may be feeling.”
The Person Who Learned To Open Their Mind
“Before I ever took psychedelics, I was nervous. I thought they would give me massive hallucinations and that I would be lost in a completely different world because that’s sort of what we’re taught. But in reality, tripping feels like a change in the way I perceive ideas and the world around me. Everything becomes more vivid and alive. Simple things can become confusing at times, but also hilarious. Laughing on psychedelics is one of the best feelings. And after a trip, psychedelics leave me feeling refreshed and with more of a sense of mental clarity.”
These are just a few of the many experiences people have with psychedelics.
The potential for healing and connection is so real and will only continue to grow as stigmas drop and research continues to prove the effectiveness of these magical plants and substances in helping the world heal and evolve.
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