IJesusChrist
Holofractale de l'hypervérité
- Inscrit
- 22/7/08
- Messages
- 7 482
Since I'm way faster (less busy) than Allusion I'll start this thread:
How do we approach the questions, curiosity, or ignorance of psychedelics by close friends or acquaintances with no experience in the matter? How do we explain the importance, risks, insights, and changes involved in taking them? More importantly, how do we address these topics with an end result of positivity, yet balanced in our explanations?
Mushrooms are the most common that I end up explaining to people, and in the past I did it fairly unbalanced. My approach was almost completely on the safety side without much emphasis on why I took them in the first place, and why I continue to take them. Since my first trip was very rough, I tended to focus on that always being a possibility, but often said "But I'm sure you'll be fine..." I never got the hint that I turned anyone away from psychedelics, but I sure didn't help their cause.
SO! Let us make a comprehensive perspective on how to approach people (of various backgrounds) in explaining psychedelics benefits and risks, and everything in between, shall we?
I'll start:
First thing is first; be unbiased as much as you can. Present things in a way that can be clearly understood, and do not put psychedelics as a cure all (whether you believe this or not). This can result in various problems. Stick to stories you have had, insights you've had, and their result, but I would personally refrain from words like best, most, worst, least, etc...
"What was the best thing that came out of your mushroom trip?"
"One of the experiences I had involved me realizing and accepting a new perspective on..."
Explain both sides of psychedelics, without much detail into bad trips. What happens if you give a lot of detail about a bad trip before someone has ever done them, you are automatically setting their mind up for an increased chance in negativity. If you make the image / memory / imagination of a bad incident on psychedelics, you have now created a place where their mind can wander when / if they get lost.
Explain the good trips in as most detail as you can (again, attempt to be balanced).
"I felt as if everything understood me, and I understood everything. It was a feeling of warmth and love" ... etc
Rather than:
"You feel like the most amazing love in the world is gushing through you" ... etc
Notice how I used "I" in the first example, and "you" in the second example. Subconsciously using the word "you" in explanations of psychedelics I have found is imposing your trip on them. Trying to get them to see what you have seen. Although your intentions may be good and nice, this again is probably a less acceptable route. For what if they don't experience this, they will begin to worry something is wrong, etc. Here we see the importance of one single word! Also, "Most amazing" should be avoided, again for the same reasons - what if they don't feel the most amazing love, then they will begin to worry.
Secondly you should set up your way of explanation to never end on a negative note, this is how I usually attempt to frame psychedelics:
Useful -> Stories / feelings -> good trips -> example -> bad trips (possible) -> how we get bad trips -> good trips -> more stories -> sum up belief of psychedelics.
As an example:
"Yeah I have taken mushrooms."
"Really, what is it like?"
"Well, it changes how I viewed things. ((I Started this with "changes how YOU viewed things - bad me!)) I saw in new perspectives, I gained a lot of empathy. It felt good, felt bad, felt everything, like your emotions get amplified."
"Really, did you hallucinate?"
"I never truly hallucinated, walls breathed, carpets moved, things began moving in waves, stuff like that."
"Isn't it scary"
"It can be, yeah. But you have to realize that you are safe when you get scared. Nothing bad is really happening, just your mind thinks something is wrong."
"Whoa that sounds weird. I don't think I'm going to do them, I might freak out."
"Well, people have freaked out, I freaked out my first time, but it is your set and setting. I didn't take care of my set and setting and I didn't have anyone to talk to when things got out of hand. When I took care of my set and setting it really felt different, at one point I felt as if I was wrapped in a warm blanket of love. I couldn't stop giggling - I really enjoyed that and remember that feeling even now."
"Really? Haha that sounds funny!"
"Yeah it can be funny, I've laughed hysterically before at myself or just random thoughts. I have definitely felt great, great amounts of happiness on psychedelics."
"Maybe one day I will try them then."
"Yeah! You should, they are important. The ability to gain new perspectives is really mind opening."
"Like what?"
"I was able to relate to people more. I could read people better, and their truer emotions. If someone wasn't happy I could tell, even if they tried to hide it. I gained a huge amount of empathy."
"Ok. What about like, people who think they are dieing or whatever or the world is ending?"
"It is definitely possible in higher doses. They can be pretty scary and confronting, but it is sometimes necessary. Many people have been 'reborn' - that is, they believe fully that they have died, but as they come down, they realize they are actually alive. This can be incredibly healing, and people have often found a new motivation to live, new aspirations and inspirations."
"This sounds really incredible!"
Ok I think I'll leave it at that for now! We need to keep this up and full of everyone's ideas and experiences!
How do we approach the questions, curiosity, or ignorance of psychedelics by close friends or acquaintances with no experience in the matter? How do we explain the importance, risks, insights, and changes involved in taking them? More importantly, how do we address these topics with an end result of positivity, yet balanced in our explanations?
Mushrooms are the most common that I end up explaining to people, and in the past I did it fairly unbalanced. My approach was almost completely on the safety side without much emphasis on why I took them in the first place, and why I continue to take them. Since my first trip was very rough, I tended to focus on that always being a possibility, but often said "But I'm sure you'll be fine..." I never got the hint that I turned anyone away from psychedelics, but I sure didn't help their cause.
SO! Let us make a comprehensive perspective on how to approach people (of various backgrounds) in explaining psychedelics benefits and risks, and everything in between, shall we?
I'll start:
First thing is first; be unbiased as much as you can. Present things in a way that can be clearly understood, and do not put psychedelics as a cure all (whether you believe this or not). This can result in various problems. Stick to stories you have had, insights you've had, and their result, but I would personally refrain from words like best, most, worst, least, etc...
"What was the best thing that came out of your mushroom trip?"
"One of the experiences I had involved me realizing and accepting a new perspective on..."
Explain both sides of psychedelics, without much detail into bad trips. What happens if you give a lot of detail about a bad trip before someone has ever done them, you are automatically setting their mind up for an increased chance in negativity. If you make the image / memory / imagination of a bad incident on psychedelics, you have now created a place where their mind can wander when / if they get lost.
Explain the good trips in as most detail as you can (again, attempt to be balanced).
"I felt as if everything understood me, and I understood everything. It was a feeling of warmth and love" ... etc
Rather than:
"You feel like the most amazing love in the world is gushing through you" ... etc
Notice how I used "I" in the first example, and "you" in the second example. Subconsciously using the word "you" in explanations of psychedelics I have found is imposing your trip on them. Trying to get them to see what you have seen. Although your intentions may be good and nice, this again is probably a less acceptable route. For what if they don't experience this, they will begin to worry something is wrong, etc. Here we see the importance of one single word! Also, "Most amazing" should be avoided, again for the same reasons - what if they don't feel the most amazing love, then they will begin to worry.
Secondly you should set up your way of explanation to never end on a negative note, this is how I usually attempt to frame psychedelics:
Useful -> Stories / feelings -> good trips -> example -> bad trips (possible) -> how we get bad trips -> good trips -> more stories -> sum up belief of psychedelics.
As an example:
"Yeah I have taken mushrooms."
"Really, what is it like?"
"Well, it changes how I viewed things. ((I Started this with "changes how YOU viewed things - bad me!)) I saw in new perspectives, I gained a lot of empathy. It felt good, felt bad, felt everything, like your emotions get amplified."
"Really, did you hallucinate?"
"I never truly hallucinated, walls breathed, carpets moved, things began moving in waves, stuff like that."
"Isn't it scary"
"It can be, yeah. But you have to realize that you are safe when you get scared. Nothing bad is really happening, just your mind thinks something is wrong."
"Whoa that sounds weird. I don't think I'm going to do them, I might freak out."
"Well, people have freaked out, I freaked out my first time, but it is your set and setting. I didn't take care of my set and setting and I didn't have anyone to talk to when things got out of hand. When I took care of my set and setting it really felt different, at one point I felt as if I was wrapped in a warm blanket of love. I couldn't stop giggling - I really enjoyed that and remember that feeling even now."
"Really? Haha that sounds funny!"
"Yeah it can be funny, I've laughed hysterically before at myself or just random thoughts. I have definitely felt great, great amounts of happiness on psychedelics."
"Maybe one day I will try them then."
"Yeah! You should, they are important. The ability to gain new perspectives is really mind opening."
"Like what?"
"I was able to relate to people more. I could read people better, and their truer emotions. If someone wasn't happy I could tell, even if they tried to hide it. I gained a huge amount of empathy."
"Ok. What about like, people who think they are dieing or whatever or the world is ending?"
"It is definitely possible in higher doses. They can be pretty scary and confronting, but it is sometimes necessary. Many people have been 'reborn' - that is, they believe fully that they have died, but as they come down, they realize they are actually alive. This can be incredibly healing, and people have often found a new motivation to live, new aspirations and inspirations."
"This sounds really incredible!"
Ok I think I'll leave it at that for now! We need to keep this up and full of everyone's ideas and experiences!
