Improving Psychedelic Experiences Through Acceptance of the Metaphysical
Improving Psychedelic Experiences Through Acceptance of the Metaphysical
Classic psychedelic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin and dimethyltryptamine (DMT, the active agent in ayahuasca) are serotonergic agonists, drugs that artificially increase your brain’s synaptic serotonin levels. These drugs are currently being investigated to combat a variety of mental ailments such as depression and anxiety as well as death related stress caused by terminal illness. However, psychotherapists, pharmacists and psychopharmacologists agree that psychedelics are not a “magic bullet” that will fix all your problems instantly. To see real change in mental health, psychedelics must be paired with effective therapeutic practices administered by trained psychedelic therapists. These trained professionals can be immensely helpful during psychedelic experiences as they cater to something called existential dimensional well-being.
Psychotherapists, pharmacists and psychopharmacologists agree that psychedelics are not a “magic bullet”
Existential dimensional well-being (EDW) refers to a person’s metacognitive ability to understand their own existentialism and rationalize their existence through the lens of meaning. As one of the most commonly reported effects of psychedelic use is insight into the metaphysical or mystical, special attention and instruction should be given to the mystical and metaphysical elements of the psychedelic journey to prevent existential crisis or psychological harm.
Psychological Flexibility:
Psychological flexibility and Acceptance Based Therapy (ABT) are therapeutic models for the treatment of anxiety, emotional avoidance, and maladaptive emotion regulation. Preliminary evidence from Agin-Liebes, Zeifman, Luoma et al. (2022) suggests that psychological flexibility is a major factor in the success of psychedelic assisted therapy and is further increased through positive psychedelic experience. In addition, recent studies covering both psychological flexibility and mystical experience have indicated that psychological flexibility is a mediating factor in mystical experience and that mystical experience is a mediating factor in treatment effectiveness. Therefore, psychological flexibility is a mediating factor in treatment effectiveness!
The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire is used to measure psychological flexibility in a clinical or research setting and measures several factors relating to emotional regulation and awareness. So, the next time you plan to embark on a psychedelic experience, don’t only consider the “set and setting”, consider your ability to regulate your emotions and be aware of what you are feeling. If you find yourself unable to rationalize and regulate your emotions, consider taking time to improve your psychological flexibility before taking psychedelic medicine.
Navajo Peyote Rituals:
The tradition of accepting the metaphysical before psychedelic use dates to Navajo Peyote ceremonies. During these ceremonies, rituals increased self-attention, affirmed one’s place in the universe, and helped one recognize the existence of something larger than the self. The prelude to these ceremonies was an hours-long process dedicated to the acceptance of the metaphysical, including the acceptance of “mother peyote” or “father peyote” (Sabucedo, 2017). Through referencing the medicine as “mother” and “father”, the participant is made to understand they are partaking in something that gives them life and is greater than themself. They are then instructed to focus inward and be open to the teachings of peyote as their perception warps and expands. Participants are also told, “You may hear the elders speak to you. It is okay if these things happen. You may hear from dead Grandmothers and Grandfathers. This is our way. Do not be afraid” (Sabucedo, 2017). The Navajo attribute major behavioral changes to warning the participant that they will engage with the metaphysical and the acceptance of a being greater than themselves prior to the participant’s psychedelic experience.
Discussion:
Every time we embark on a psychedelic voyage, we embark on a journey into ourselves, a journey into the mystical, and a journey into the unknown. Often this uncertainty is coupled with an extreme amount of perceived danger and provokes anxiety. Through a preponderance of the psychological mechanisms that can improve our experiences, patients undergoing psychedelic-assisted therapy as well as psychedelic enthusiasts can have more empowering and healing experiences. As discussed above, mysticism and metaphysical experiences are mediating factors in the effectiveness and success of psychedelic-assisted therapy, especially when used to treat anxiety and depression. Therefore, by accepting that there is something greater than the self before engaging in the psychedelic experience, psychedelic users can make larger strides in mental well-being. However, it should be said that one does not need to engage in a full Navajo peyote ritual for this effect to occur. Many have found that a simple act, such as a gift to nature, can be the declaration of metaphysical acceptance that we need.
Related: How to Get the Most Out of Your Psychedelic Journey
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