3 Tips for Talking about your Psychedelic Experience
You had an amazing, healing, transformational, or just plain fun psychedelic experience. You think to yourself--
“My mom would really benefit from this… she has so much tension to release!”
or “My brother-in-law should use this to alleviate his chronic pain and get off the pills”
or even “Everyone needs to try this!!!!”
But talking to the uninitiated is intimidating and, frankly, doesn’t always go well. Suddenly you’re the crazy one of the family starting every story with “This one time on mushrooms…” (don’t do it!).
People change their minds about taboo topics when they have a positive personal connection. For example, growing up super religious I didn’t know what to think about homosexuality until I actually had gay friends and experienced genuine joy for them as they found partners… all the theory & dogma I had rolling around in my head went out the window when I truly saw that love is love. Fast forward from the '00s to now, I’ve been working on my Boomer parents very slowly over the years to nurture an open mind to plant medicines, overcoming the decades of anti-psychedelic propaganda that shaped their formative years. What's most important (and, by the way, most effective) is that you show your loved ones the wonderful you that psychedelics help you to be.
How do we share our psychedelic experiences with people who don’t “get it”?
1. Share the lesson, not the story. What is the most important takeaway from your psychedelic journey? Was it a reminder to relax, be present, and connect with nature? Was it an opportunity to be playful and free again? Was it a chance to release tension or an old thought pattern that’s been holding you back? Explore ways of sharing what really was important (the “lesson”), without it being about what substances got you to that moment (the “story”). Does it really matter that psychedelics were involved? How can you transmit the essence of your experience?
Bonus: Figuring out how to share the lesson without the story is also a powerful integration technique to help YOU get more clarity on the value of your experience.
2. Move slowly. For some people, you really do want them to know about your psychedelic experience. You want them to have the same incredible results you are experiencing. You see how they could benefit. Beware becoming an evangelist! Remember, there is no rush. Share concrete resources (such as books, news articles, or scientific studies) that introduce the topic slowly over time. Ask if they’ve been following the news on the topic. Invite their curiosity. Respond to their questions and concerns with neutral, informed answers, or enthusiasm about finding the answer if you don’t know. Target topics that are most likely to connect with them personally – Veteran support? End of life care? Undoing decades of government propaganda? Microdosing?
Eventually they’ll ask you about your experience, and you can decide at that time what feels safe (to you) or useful (to them) to reveal. I often start by sharing how my best friend recovered from suicidal ideation by using mushrooms, which made me a champion of the movement, before I reveal anything about my own personal journey.
3. Find a safe crew. For now, use of these substances is still largely stigmatized, and it’s not ideal to speak about them too loosely. Sharing in an un-supportive environment can actually lead to a loss of your power. Yet in traditional cultures, the sharing of visionary or healing experiences with the broader community was an integral part of the experience.
Invest in people who are on a similar path as you, and set aside intentional time with them to share AND listen. Beware letting these conversations be dominated by “drug talk” or swapping epic stories. Just because a person also uses psychedelics doesn’t mean they are actually on your path. The value is in sharing about deep inner experiences, your hopes and visions for the future, and curiosity about your journey as it unfolds.
