Appreciate all of this! The skeptic part of my brain wonders about the dark side of expectancy bias -- when someone comes to psychedelics with a lot of hope after years of things not working and then the psychedelics happen to not work for them. Could there be a lot of harm in this -- to think you've finally found the holy grail because of the hype, to anticipate relief, and then for it to not work? What could mitigate this, and what can help people keep feeling hopeful if they fall into this category? Thinking of this in terms of psychedelics and theologically/spiritually. (And I'm on the side of hope.. am genuinely curious what to do with this potential snag.)
this is real! and kind of devastating to think about. But here's where a really skilled, empathetic and realistic facilitator can help--with the "set" (mindset) as the participant gets ready for their medicine experience, as well as with profound, probing integration afterward. As one of my mentors says "don't expect the Hollywood Experience of psychedelics. Hardly anybody gets that." I've known folks who didn't have a big juicy felt experience while on the medicine--or who even got very sick--but because of skilled companionship before and after, made the most of that experience, and experienced genuine relief, transformation, liberation. This is the power of good therapy/spiritual companionship--AND the power of the "inner healing intelligence" I've spoken about before in this column, that is a real agent and can be activated even without medicine, or when the psychedelic medicine doesn't act as expected.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful response. It helps rewire and lure my own (beautiful-and-increasingly-small-but-annoyingly-persistent) inner skeptic towards hope. I recently read a book in which the author reimagined God’s delivering presence in Hebrew Scriptures–from God as mighty liberator-warrior to God as mourner, mother, and midwife. I see so much of the mourner-mother-midwife God in this work. It’s the tender remedies that free us. :)
❤️💔❤️🩹❤️ … and the seasons they go round and round … the painted ponies go up and down … we're captive on the carousel of time … round and round and round … in the circle game … — Joni Mitchell
Excellent… Fortitudinous… Compassionate… Vulnerable and Honest. Thanks for allowing me in. You are a blessing. - Dwight Lee Wolter
Appreciate all of this! The skeptic part of my brain wonders about the dark side of expectancy bias -- when someone comes to psychedelics with a lot of hope after years of things not working and then the psychedelics happen to not work for them. Could there be a lot of harm in this -- to think you've finally found the holy grail because of the hype, to anticipate relief, and then for it to not work? What could mitigate this, and what can help people keep feeling hopeful if they fall into this category? Thinking of this in terms of psychedelics and theologically/spiritually. (And I'm on the side of hope.. am genuinely curious what to do with this potential snag.)
this is real! and kind of devastating to think about. But here's where a really skilled, empathetic and realistic facilitator can help--with the "set" (mindset) as the participant gets ready for their medicine experience, as well as with profound, probing integration afterward. As one of my mentors says "don't expect the Hollywood Experience of psychedelics. Hardly anybody gets that." I've known folks who didn't have a big juicy felt experience while on the medicine--or who even got very sick--but because of skilled companionship before and after, made the most of that experience, and experienced genuine relief, transformation, liberation. This is the power of good therapy/spiritual companionship--AND the power of the "inner healing intelligence" I've spoken about before in this column, that is a real agent and can be activated even without medicine, or when the psychedelic medicine doesn't act as expected.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful response. It helps rewire and lure my own (beautiful-and-increasingly-small-but-annoyingly-persistent) inner skeptic towards hope. I recently read a book in which the author reimagined God’s delivering presence in Hebrew Scriptures–from God as mighty liberator-warrior to God as mourner, mother, and midwife. I see so much of the mourner-mother-midwife God in this work. It’s the tender remedies that free us. :)
"it's the tender remedies that free us" -- teary!! thank you dear one <3
❤️💔❤️🩹❤️ … and the seasons they go round and round … the painted ponies go up and down … we're captive on the carousel of time … round and round and round … in the circle game … — Joni Mitchell