Are Mushrooms Right for You?

The Risks and Benefits of Ceremonial Psilocybin

There’s a lot of buzz around psychedelics in general, and psilocybin in particular, these days. Its therapeutic value is currently being researched in large-scale clinical studies, and it is touted for its psychological benefits. Those suffering from long-term depression, end-of-life anxiety, and PTSD have been shown to find particular relief in so-called “magic mushrooms.” It makes sense that the magic affects our serotonin receptors and alters or enhances our perception of reality. That much we know, but how they do it and why the effects are so profound and long-lasting are still mysteries.

I deeply resonate with the findings that just a few treatments with psilocybin can permanently alter an individual’s depressive mindset. I was diagnosed in 2012 with depression and PTSD and told I would never have a normal life without medication. Psilocybin has changed that reality. I am med-free, and no longer suffer from the psychological anguish I once did. This is not to say that everyone should go off their meds and seek help from mushrooms; only that the natural world holds medicines that can heal us and, when safely explored, these medicines dispense great power for good.

Safety is a big word when it comes to ceremonial psilocybin. The necessity of safe space, of proper set and setting, figures deeply in whether one has a positive, uplifting experience as opposed to a frightening or negative one. As a person called to shamanism, my biggest job while in ceremony is to observe and anticipate the shifting energies in the space and work together with my guides to keep participants safe. It’s rewarding when everyone comes back at the end of their journeys with delight on their faces, having expanded their heartspace, met their intentions, and gained a new understanding of our interconnectedness with All That Is. It looks a little different for everyone, but in general this is how mushrooms help us grow.

Are mushrooms right for you? If you’ve never tried them, or are trying them again after a long hiatus, or just feel uncertain for whatever reason, it might be a good idea to begin with microdosing. This is a sub-perceptual dose, usually very small, that lets you begin to work with the mushrooms on a very gentle level that doesn’t alter your psyche in any noticeable way. Instead, over a period of weeks, you begin to notice subtle changes like a lessening in anxiety or an easing of depressive symptoms. Colors look brighter, you begin to feel more creative, and you relate to the world in a different way. You may have to shift the dose a little until you find the right level, and then shift it again after some time as your brain adapts. It can be profoundly helpful, and you may find yourself getting used to the idea of relating to psilocybin in a non-anxious way. If and when you decide to undertake a ceremonial dose, your neurons and your psyche are already adapted to the medicine.

If you have any questions about microdosing, ceremonial dosing, or anything psilocybin-related, feel free to connect with me via email, phone call or text.