So, you have reached the point where you are genuinely interested in undertaking a psychedelic journey. 
Now it is time to truly ground yourself and understand what these experiences actually entail, as well as how they should be framed. 

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Preparations for the Journey

Set aside sufficient time for the psychedelic session. This is not something to squeeze in between appointments or on busy days. A large part of the designated day or evening will be spent on the journey itself, and you should also allow time in the following days to reflect on how the experience has affected you. Normally, you can return to work the next day, but it is better to keep the day free in case challenging material emerges.

 

You should always have a clear reason for wanting to undergo a psychedelic session. Curiosity alone is perfectly valid, but you should still consider whether there is something deeper you wish to gain clarity or insight into: 
Is there something in your life you wish to overcome, or something you want to improve? Feel free to write down your intention and bring it to the session. 

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If you do not have a fundamental desire to learn, change, or otherwise challenge your understanding of yourself and reality, you may want to reconsider using psychedelics. People with rigid personality types may resist the process more strongly than others, either during or after the experience. If you fall into this category, it is even more important to have a stable life with strong social support. 

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Social support is crucial. If your partner is very skeptical or anxious, it is wise to address this before planning a psychedelic session. Any unresolved worries — be it a nervous partner or concerns about legality or social norms — will only make the journey more challenging. It is best to address these concerns beforehand.

 

The room where the session takes place should be spacious, sufficiently warm, and have good curtains to allow dim lighting. A nearby toilet is essential. The place should be free from disturbances. Part of our role as psychedelic guides is to ensure this for you. Have a good breakfast, but do not be overly full at the start of the session. If you occasionally take sleeping pills or tranquilizers, avoid them on the day of the session. (Specific rules apply to MDMA.)

Morning coffee is fine, but avoid excessive caffeine. Naturally, you should also avoid all other stimulants leading up to the session. Most antidepressants can be combined with psilocybin, although the psilocybin dose may need to be increased by 30-50% for full effect.

Have drinks available during the session. You rarely need to eat during a psilocybin trip, 
but after the experience, fruit, chocolate, or a meal can be comforting.

Most importantly, you should feel ready for the psychedelic experience. Your mindset and physical condition should feel right. 
Inform your trip sitter if anything feels off on the day. An experienced trip sitter will never be upset about rescheduling. 
There should be no financial or other ulterior motive for the trip sitter to push forward if conditions are not ideal.

It is also important to minimize distractions, such as unfinished tasks or calls you need to make later in the evening. 
Treat the day like a vacation to a remote area with no cell coverage. In other words, your affairs should be in order, 
so your mind is free for the experience.

When it comes to mental preparations, the most important thing is to be open to whatever arises. 
Let go of specific expectations or stories you’ve heard about others’ experiences. 
In short: Be ready to release your grip on everyday reality, your identity, and all preconceived notions about yourself, 
your role in the world, and how you typically feel or behave.

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Conducting the Session

We help you conduct the psychedelic journey according to "best practices" — based on modern research, 
historical experience, and our own expertise. This means the room will be dim, you will wear an eye mask, 
and you will listen to a carefully curated playlist via headphones. (We provide all these materials.)

The day usually begins with a two-hour preparatory conversation. The journey itself typically lasts 4-6 hours, 
followed by a discussion to help you process the experience. If needed, we also provide support during the session itself. We never leave you until the journey is complete and you feel ready to be alone.

 

How Psychedelics Work

Psychedelic substances like psilocybin and LSD do not work like traditional medicines, which produce predictable effects at fixed doses. Instead, these substances help guide you toward the insights and experiences you personally need for your development — helping you become wiser about yourself and the world. Humans often avoid difficult emotions and develop compensatory strategies to keep these feelings at bay, whether they stem from personal or social experiences. These strategies can work for years, even decades, but they always inhibit personal growth.

Science does not fully understand how these substances work. For psilocybin and LSD, we know that activity in the brain’s default mode network decreases, making deeper layers of experience accessible to conscious awareness. 
These layers may emerge as visions, emotions, bodily sensations, or a combination of all three. At the cellular level, psilocybin also promotes the growth of new neural connections (dendrites), allowing neurons to communicate more effectively. MDMA typically allows for the retrieval of difficult memories within a space of compassionate self-acceptance, framing these memories in a more neutral light. Regardless of the specific mechanism, psychedelics help break habitual avoidance and compensation patterns,while opening the door to a vast array of new phenomena, thoughts, and perspectives. This process is not always pleasant, and should always occur in a safe, controlled environment. In addition to knowing the psychological "landscapes" you may encounter, the trip sitter’s calm and reassuring presence helps ensure that everything you experience is safe and normal. 

Never take psychedelics with people you don’t trust or in chaotic environments.

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Altered States of Consciousness

Most people have experienced altered states of consciousness — primarily through varying degrees of alcohol intoxication. Some have also smoked marijuana or tried other substances. You may also have experience with meditation or have encountered unusual states at the threshold between sleep and wakefulness. Generally, the more consciously aware you are of these states and their potential to bring new thoughts and perspectives, the better prepared you are to embrace and make use of the potential in a psychedelic journey.

When it comes to experiences with substances, these are typically states where something external is added: calm and relaxation on one hand, or energy and alertness on the other — or even false confidence. Psychedelics work differently, by pulling aside the veil, allowing what is already within you to emerge and become subject to conscious experience. Therefore, previous experiences with substances do not necessarily prepare you for a psychedelic experience or its potential. The key, as mentioned, is a conscious relationship with these states: Who am I when I drink alcohol, daydream, or meditate? What comes to the forefront, and what fades into the background?

One of the unique aspects of the psychedelic experience is precisely this radical intensification of awareness and attention to what is happening — unlike most substances, which tend to make us less aware of both inner and outer processes. Becoming familiar with the potential in altered states of consciousness is a matter of experience. While you may have extremely clarifying and life-changing experiences the first time you try psychedelics, there is always more to learn about how to fully benefit from these states.

 

Paths the Psychedelic Journey may take

A psychedelic journey can unfold in many different ways, broadly categorized into the sections below. It is impossible to predict exactly what type of journey you will have, but through a series of experiences, most people will encounter all these various landscapes. After numerous client sessions, clear patterns have also emerged, allowing us to get a sense of the likely direction of your particular journey. It is also the case that nearly everyone is surprised by how the experience actually unfolds — both in terms of themes and structure.

 

Clear Insights and Oceanic Consciousness

In this type of experience, your entire being — body, emotions, mind, and soul — can become completely transparent. The same can happen with your relationships with loved ones, the wider world, or reality itself. Oceanic consciousness is often a key part of this experience — the sense of complete boundary dissolution, where you merge with everything and everyone in the universe. These experiences can unfold in stages, for example, one journey might focus on your connection to the Earth’s biosphere, while later journeys reveal your relationship to more cosmic aspects of reality.

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In such experiences, the arbitrary nature of our social constructs often becomes very clear, which can dissolve rigid thought patterns and cemented beliefs about ourselves. You may also receive clear insights into actions you need to take in your own life — regarding relationships, career, life direction, and so on. It can even feel as though the mushrooms or "spirit beings" are revealing some of the universe’s deepest secrets, which at its best can be completely transformative. Often, there is not much to say afterward. What you need to do is already clear, or everything has already "fallen into place" through an inner process that can be hard to articulate. Even so, it may take time to fully integrate the magnitude of the experience. Coming to terms with what is "objectively real" in these experiences versus what might be symbolic is often part of this integration work.

 

"Under the Microscope"

This is typically a more challenging experience. Here, we are confronted with our negative traits — essentially placed under a microscope. At lower doses, this might feel like observing these traits from a distance — though still intensely. At higher doses, we can completely merge with the experience of "being that way," or even simply being that. We are faced so directly with our reality that running away is no longer possible. We can also fully merge with our less functional parts, such as anxiety, specific fears, or memories of traumatic events. At its best, this process culminates in integration with the rest of our self-image, clearing out some of our "locked rooms," thereby freeing up positive life energy.

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Integration of Taboos and Externalized Forces

These can also be very demanding experiences. You may encounter aspects of yourself that you have kept at a distance or refused to see because they are, in some way, taboo for you. Perhaps you have tried to “rise above” certain emotions — such as aggression or various sexual energies. The truth, however, is that a balanced inner life requires a conscious relationship with all types of forces we, as human beings, may come into contact with or be driven by — forces that reside within the vast potential we possess as living beings.

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On such a journey, you may find yourself immersed in the rage, grief, pain, or misery of the entire world — precisely to see, acknowledge, and come to terms with the fact that these are real forces we all participate in and that take hold of us under certain conditions. It’s important to remember that what you experience here does not necessarily reflect “who I truly am,” but rather shows what we, as humans, must accept and maturely relate to if we are to evolve as individuals and as a society.

 

Other Extremes

We can also categorize experiences along other axes: from the intrapsychic and highly concrete (for example, your relationship to work, your partner, or alcohol) to the so-called perinatal — experiences tied to the fetus’s time in the womb — to the more archetypal and transpersonal (those that seem to relate to all of humanity or all life).

While many experiences are highly thematic, sometimes the journey becomes extremely physical. In such cases, you might release decades of stored tension, even resolving specific physical pains or blockages you have carried. At the same time, you may not always understand what is happening in the moment. You simply know it is important — and it often feels good afterward. In practice, most people experience a mixture of everything described above, but it is often possible to categorize the experience along these lines. 

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Occasionally, the primary focus of the experience becomes the relationship between the traveler and the trip sitter. In such cases, the client often experiences regression to earlier developmental stages, as well as various transfer phenomena in relation to the sitter — meaning the sitter’s presence triggers emotional responses and reactions, usually tied to the traveler’s underlying themes.

 

“Standard Experiences”

There is a set of experiences that almost everyone who explores classic psychedelics over time will encounter. Examples include what we call ego death, as well as the process of death and rebirth. Ego death typically occurs when all the layers of who we think and believe we are are peeled away until only pure awareness remains: the experience of simply being present, without being “anything” beyond that presence. Personal history, family, body, gender, and all forms of identity dissolve completely — as do the surroundings. This can be extremely challenging, often raising the question: “Am I then nothing?” This tends to awaken a deep existential fear of annihilation, but once we accept this possibility and surrender to it, we usually merge with everything that exists. The experience then shifts dramatically and becomes something intensely positive and beautiful. Many people’s outlook on life changes fundamentally after such an experience.

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“Death and rebirth” is another type of experience, which can offer firsthand insight into the biological and material cycle of death, decay, and transformation into new life. Some people feel they undergo ritual sacrifice in this context, or they gain profound insight into the relationship between consciousness — the soul — and the mortal body and material world.

Whether these experiences represent insights into real cosmic truths or are purely symbolic is not for us to predefine for you. Each person must find their own interpretation of their experiences — something we are happy to assist with during the integration process after the session.

 

Chronology

It is nearly impossible to predict exactly what type of experience you will have the first time, but as mentioned, we often have an idea based on your stated motivation for seeking a psychedelic journey. If you choose to continue with multiple sessions, you will likely encounter most of these “standard experiences” at some point. It is also common for unexpected themes to arise, blocking further development until they are resolved. This means that even if you have a specific intention and expectation for the psychedelic journey (for example, reduced depression or insights into a particular issue), you may discover other themes that you were not consciously aware of, which must first be addressed before further progress can happen.

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How to get the most from the psychedelic experience

The main key to a rewarding psychedelic experience are surrender and letting go. Surrender to and acceptance of what you are shown, what you feel, and what you experience in your body — combined with releasing the things you are holding onto. Naturally, this is easier said than done when the experience is directly painful, taboo, or challenges your core beliefs about yourself and the world. Perhaps rigid belief systems or ideologies begin to crumble, or maybe you confront things you were taught as a child that you must or must not do — things that prevent you from living with freedom and joy. Our innermost core, from which our unique personal qualities can emerge, is usually covered by layers formed by childhood conditioning, societal norms, and moral standards. Some of this may be worth keeping, but other parts of this psychological inheritance will become clearly unhelpful — both for ourselves and for those around us.

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At the same time, one should not feel "guilt" or that one has not been "good enough" if the outcome of the journey is not as one had imagined. It can take time for the system to relax and surrender. Even experienced "travelers" continually learn something new about themselves, the world, and how best to surrender to the journey, even after dozens of experiences. As described above, there is also an inner coherence between each journey, even though they often appear very different. This variation in content and tone from one experience to another is, in reality, much of what people believe is the difference between various "strains" of mushrooms or between different psychedelics.

Regardless of the isolated outcome, each experience becomes the key to further work. We could compare it to renovating an apartment: Many days are spent on exhausting and unsatisfying work, but these lay the absolutely necessary foundation for the days when everything falls into place, and you can enjoy the fruits of your labor.

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Physical and psychological resistance

Breathing is an important key to the necessary "surrender" to what is happening. By being mindful of it during the journey—especially in the first half, when we are increasingly letting go — we can often notice that we use our breath to hold ourselves back. By becoming aware of this, we can allow ourselves to fall to an even deeper level, and any discomfort we are experiencing dissolves and transforms.

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We also use the body itself to cling to everyday consciousness, thereby preventing ourselves from falling deeper than we (believe we) are comfortable with. Try to be aware of this as well, and whether you are tensing certain muscle groups—or other areas. By consciously engaging these areas, actively using the relevant muscles for a few minutes, and then allowing them to relax, you can fall deeper and gain even more from the journey.

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A small percentage of people have a harder time surrendering to the psychedelic experience (in our experience, a maximum of 5% of clients). Often, this is because the entirely normal need for control is more strongly manifested physically than in the average person. Resistance can manifest as physical discomfort, such as pressure in the chest, nausea, anxiety, or pain in various body parts. This is completely normal and harmless and usually subsides within the first hour. When the "body armor" releases control, one usually experiences great relief and pleasure.

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It can also be a matter of traumatic experiences that are locked in the body or emotions. Meeting these is an important part of the journey: fully immersing oneself in the emotions and bodily sensations, searching through and beyond them rather than fleeing. Breathe into the anxiety rather than trying to breathe it away.

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Dosage and the degree of control during the journey

The start of the journey can sometimes feel confusing, especially if one has not had such experiences before. It is important to know that there is nothing you need to do or try to force; go along with what happens with curiosity, and most importantly—follow the music. Let it awaken emotions and sensations in you.

Many are surprised by how much control and how many choices they have while on a psychedelic journey. You can often choose not to go where "the fire is burning," but generally, all resistance makes the experience more challenging than it would be with acceptance and surrender.

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At higher doses, however, we may feel that we are being taken on a rollercoaster of emotions, sensations, and visions, without access to control over speed or direction. For most people, we recommend a dosage level on their first journey where they still have some control—where, with surrender, trust, and willpower, they can choose to immerse themselves in what is challenging rather than being "dragged by the scruff of the neck." At the same time, the dose should be high enough that you experience more than just amusing colors and shapes, which in themselves are not particularly important. It should not be so high that you "overshoot the mark," especially if you need to release things stored in the nervous system. In such cases, an enormous, cosmic experience might feel pleasant at the moment, but the neuroses will still be there when you return to your ordinary self. What happens in emotions, body, and thoughts is what matters in most therapeutic contexts—the areas where meaning arises.. A state where each individual chord in a piece of music is perceived as something of significant importance to you and your life.

The final dosage is agreed upon together with the trip sitter on the actual trip day.

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The time after the journey, more journeys

Our experience is that most "first-time travelers" who do not struggle with particular issues have a relatively positive experience, even though there can certainly be challenging elements—often closely linked to one or more personality traits. PTSD/CPTSD often creates strong resistance to delving too deeply into difficult material, making psilocybin an excessively demanding and challenging experience for some. In such cases, MDMA is often a better alternative. Where this is not possible, for example, because of certain medications, it is important to know that a psilocybin experience will often be quite demanding, sometimes even in the time after the journey.

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As a general rule, one feels refreshed the day after a session, but if one has gone through intense emotional material, headaches and fatigue may occur—especially in the eyes if there has been a lot of crying. This usually subsides within a day or two after the journey. When it comes to MDMA, one might feel a bit empty and flat for about a week until serotonin levels normalize.

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If one has used compensatory strategies to avoid symptoms such as anxiety, these may become more apparent in the period following the journey. This is not dangerous; rather, it presents an opportunity for genuine processing of these emotions. The general advice is the same as for material encountered during the journey itself: do not run away from the feelings, but welcome them and allow them to be expressed. Take some time each day after the journey to actively bring forth the emotions/symptoms, let them intensify for a few minutes, and reflect on what this does to you and what it means for your life at this moment—before continuing with your day. Keeping a small journal of this work can be helpful. It is also generally a good idea to spend some time each day writing down thoughts and memories from the journey in a continuous form. You will typically find that this helps you better retain the insights gained along the way. If you enjoy painting, drawing, making music, or engaging in other forms of creative work, these can also be excellent tools. Spending time in nature is also beneficial. Take good care of yourself in the days following the journey. A psychedelic experience can be intense, and one may often feel somewhat "pulled out of their old skin" in the days afterward. Social support is also important, as well as potential conversations with a therapist.

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Results

It is not always as simple as having a depression immediately "blown away," anxiety disappearing completely, or the topic one wishes to explore being fully illuminated. Such things do happen, absolutely, but more often, the first psychedelic journey serves as a starting point for further work — or the beginning of a break from what has dominated one's life until now. As mentioned earlier, the experience you have is not random. Therefore, consider the result of this experience as precisely what needed to happen to move forward.

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Follow-up

Many people find it beneficial to follow up their session with microdosing. The most typical protocol involves taking 0.1g of dried mushrooms every third day for about a month, followed by a one-week break. Feel free to consult us for advice and guidance on this, but the most important thing is to find a regimen that works for you.

The timing of a potential new session is also not set in stone. In cases of severe depression, it may be beneficial to repeat the journey after just 14 days, but more often, one feels that more time is needed to process and integrate the material, and that the desire for another round arises naturally. Alternatively, one may simply feel satisfied with the results of the first session, making it unnecessary to repeat the journey in the near future.

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Checklist for Psychedelic Journeys

• Are you taking lithium? (for bipolar disorder)

  • Lithium cannot be combined with psychedelics. Bipolar disorder also increases the risk of negative effects after the trip

• Are you pregnant or breastfeeding?

  • Postpone the journey until after childbirth and breastfeeding

• Are you taking antipsychotic or anti-anxiety medication?

  • Discuss with the trip sitter, who will assess potential interaction risks

• Do you have heart problems?

  • Consult your doctor. If you can tolerate sex and other stimulating activities, you will likely tolerate a psychedelic journey

• Do you have epilepsy?

  • Psilocybin or LSD rarely trigger seizures, but caution is advised. Some people find that regular microdosing of psilocybin increases seizure risk

• Are you taking antidepressants? (SSRI/SNRI)

  • SSRI/SNRI may reduce the effects of psychedelics, but it is still safe. The dose may need to be increased by 30-50% to achieve the psychedelic effect

• Do you need to take medications at specific times, including during the trip?

  • Arrange with the trip sitter so you are reminded to take your medication as needed

• Do you have allergies to food or other substances?

  • Inform the trip sitter

• Have you experienced psychotic episodes in your lifetime?

  • Increased risk of negative effects. Psychedelics are generally discouraged. If you still wish to proceed, the dose should be low, and proper set and setting, as well as control over various factors, is extremely important

• Do you have close family members who have experienced psychotic episodes?

  • Statistically increased risk. Set, setting, and thorough preparation are even more important

• Do you frequently experience panic attacks?

  • Discuss with the trip sitter. Proper preparation and a calm session environment are crucial

• Do you have health anxiety or significant concern about bodily functions such as pulse, breathing, emotions, and sensations?

  • Discuss with the trip sitter, as this condition can make it harder to surrender to the psychedelic effects

  • Proper preparation and a calm session environment are crucial

• Are you afraid of the unknown, darkness, cosmic or spiritual concepts—or do you find intoxication and altered states of consciousness uncomfortable?

  • Discuss with the trip sitter. It is important to prepare for the types of experiences one might have and their typical meanings

• Have you had previous negative or difficult experiences with psychedelics — experiences you found hard to integrate afterward?

  • Discuss with the trip sitter to better integrate these experiences before embarking on a new journey

• Do you have a rigid personality type?

  • Consider why you want to try psychedelics. Feel free to talk with us, and we will guide you as best we can

• Do you generally feel ready for the psychedelic experience?

  • You should feel ready before embarking on a psychedelic journey

• Do you feel that the actual day is the right one to undertake the psychedelic session?

  • Daily condition matters. You should feel that this is the right day

• Do you feel safe in the environment? (room, trip sitter, etc.)

  • The setting should feel comfortable, and you should trust that the trip sitter is the right person to guide you through the session

• Restlessness and nervousness

  • Nearly everyone feels a bit uneasy before a psychedelic session. This is completely normal and usually settles during the initial conversation

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