Psychedelic Integration Lessons Through “The Five Invitations”
Psychedelic Integration Lessons Through “The Five Invitations”
Working intentionally with psychedelics can mean lots of different things to different people.
I see a lot of discussion about what psychedelics afford: a refresher, holistic wellness, emotional release, existential discovery, etc.
I work as a psychedelic guide and integration coach at Pivot Psychedelics, and we often hear individuals wondering “What does psychedelic integration look like?”
One helpful resource I use to describe psychedelic healing is actually a non-psychedelic, non-psychotherapy book: The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully
Author Frank Ostaseski is an experienced hospice care provider and Buddhist teacher who boiled his learnings about life and death from his 30+ year career into one book.
I’ve found the Five Invitations invaluable to my own psychedelic integration journey and that of Pivot clients.
The Five Invitations
To start, let’s dive into the book and its invitations:
- Don’t Wait
- Welcome Everything, Push Away Nothing
- Bring Your Whole Self to the Experience
- Find a Place of Rest in the Middle of Things
- Cultivate Don’t Know Mind.
We’ll explore what each means for psychedelic integration and healing.
1. Don’t Wait
When people are sick or approaching death, they become aware of an ever-present truth that’s often hidden in contemporary life: every moment is precious.
Everything, including our lives, must end. So why not live fully?
Don’t Wait is a call to embrace all that life offers and, luckily, we don’t have to wait till we’re on our deathbeds to recognize this truth.
Psychedelic Integration: One amazing thing I witness from clients time and time again is that they can let go of things that don’t serve them. They can embrace Don’t Wait and see it benefit them over and over.
The call is often to take inventory of one’s life (e.g., habits, relationships) and see what needs to be strengthened, loosened, or lost:
The result is often more fulfillment, less dread, and a sense of joy from just “being” alive.
2. Welcome Everything, Push Away Nothing.
There’s suffering everywhere in the world (Buddhist teachings call this “Duḥkha”.)
One simplified equation for suffering is:
Suffering = pain + resistance
Pain is largely something we cannot control. If you twist your ankle, it will hurt. If you lose a family member, you’ll likely be sad.
However, resistance (the second component of suffering) is something we control. It describes our default reaction and our continued judgment and opposition.
The more we can embrace and accept whatever life brings, including death, the less we suffer.
Psychedelic Integration: In both preparation before a psychedelic journey and in aftercare, I see clients who can embrace Welcome Everything, Push Away Nothing move through their healing with more grace.
When we assume a position of openness and curiosity, we’re much better equipped to engage fully and process challenges. Is there a better technique for psychedelic journeying?
3. Bring Your Whole Self to the Experience
Bringing your genuine, whole self to every experience is the call of this invitation. And the results are abundant.
When we embrace all parts, even our shadow sides, a few amazing things can happen:
- We address the root of issues.
- We see our inner critic and self-judgment.
- We leave behind anything that robs us of peace and contentment.
Psychedelic Integration: When we bring the whole self to the psychedelic experience, things go a lot smoother. We free ourselves from confusion, rejection, and other internal demons.
Further, we can actually lean into discomfort and see what it can teach us.
When we embrace ourselves, we also embrace others. Individuals usually gain a sense of “interconnectedness” both within themselves, as well as to others, the world, the cosmos, etc.
4. Find a Place of Rest in the Middle of Things
The putative antidote to suffering in the West is more things.
The messages are all too common:
- Take this vacation
- Buy this device
- Achieve this level of success
The fourth invitation encourages us to explore our ever-present reality, without altering external conditions. Turn inward, come to know your experiences more fully, and feel the peace that abounds.
People who are told they’re going to die often find great relief and gratitude after the initial shock of the news.
Why?
Because they realize they can exist as they want and feel a sense of rest in the present.
Psychedelic Integration: Psychedelics invite, even compel us into the present moment. The present is stripped of our blockages and constructs. This can be profoundly revelatory and scary at the same time.
This window during and after a psychedelic experience can create space for us to recognize our inner wellness and the ability to rest.
5. Cultivate ‘Don’t Know Mind’.
A ‘Don’t Know Mind‘ is open and curious about all sorts of things. It’s free from expectations, norms, biases, and judgments. It has a much wider vision of what’s possible.
Hospice patients who embrace this mindset usually live their final time with more gratitude and less resistance.
This final invitation can open us up to all that life can offer. It encourages an open mind and an open heart for all experiences.
Psychedelic Integration: Individuals on psychedelics and after a psychedelic experience can sense common day things with a sense of awe and wonder. Some of the most amazing insights come from the seemingly banal parts of life: running water, a fallen leaf, a child’s laugh.
While psychedelic integration can involve goals, checklists, and activities, a key component in healing is cultivating a healthy mindset. A ‘Don’t Know Mind’ is so helpful in integration because it helps us meet experiences with more grace and awareness.
Integration in Practice
While these Five Invitations have a lot to teach us about life, I understand and appreciate a regular response:
“Those things are easier said than done.”
Fair enough.
Here are some practical ways individuals can integrate the Five Invitations into their psychedelic healing:
#1 Don’t Wait
- Set a few goals and put them somewhere you will see every day (on your fridge or as a reminder on your phone).
- Journal or talk with a friend about what needs to be strengthened, loosened, or lost (e.g., work, relationships, habits).
#2 Welcome Everything, Push Away Nothing
- Remember: Suffering = Pain + Resistance
- When you feel pain, allow yourself to feel it.
- When you sense the onset of resistance, ask instead “What does this have to teach me?”
- Journal about one experience in your day that was both challenging and an opportunity to learn.
#3 Bring Your Whole Self to the Experience
- Remember we are all interconnected.
- When you’re around others, can you wish them wellness the same as for you? Can you wish for them love, peace, and happiness? This usually leads to the same things within us.
#4 Find a Place of Rest in the Middle of Things
- Life moves fast, but we can find rest in each moment.
- Do one “mundane” activity each day without distractions like your phone or TV. Some examples:
- Walking
- Cutting vegetables
- Yoga
#5 Cultivate ‘Don’t Know Mind’
- The goal is to welcome in wonder and curiosity – this usually boils down to awareness.
- Journal about times you were “aware” – moments, challenges, ecstasies, job tasks, bites of food.
Happy journeying!
Visit Pivot Psychedelics to learn more.
Related: Integration: The Trip after the Trip
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