A history of Psy Diaries opinion
SEASON FINALE — Aug 18, 2022
Thank you
...to the viewers
Your support throughout season 1 meant the world... especially the "Nugget and a Noodle" references.
...to my producers
Gio Favretto (and Adedayo Adekunle) did an incredible job making the show look good.
...to the wonderful guests
We were able to get some of the biggest names in the industry and they didn't disappoint. The guests were bold & brilliant, candid & creative... thank you for everything.
---
This was a labor of love. My goal was to help the psychedelic industry (which I think we did) and connect with psychedelic leaders (definitely did).
I'm off to Medellin for an extended break followed by a digital nomad stint. Hopefully there'll be more Nuggets & Noodles in the future.
Speaking of which, one more for the road:
NUGGET: California dreaming
The California psychedelic decriminalization bill was neutered. SB-519, promoted by state Senator Scott Weiner, has been "gutted" of all its important decriminalization components.
NOODLE: MDMA as training-wheels for psilocybin trips
The first few big trips on magic mushrooms can be tough for a couple reasons:
(1) You’re getting familiar with a novel subjective experience
(2) You may have to clean out your closet
A small dose of MDMA alongside may be the solution, and there appears to be a growing trend with underground guides.
I’m hearing of trip sitters adding MDMA to de-risk the first few potentially tough psilocybin trips.
I’ve personally seen what the experience is like: the psilocybin incited its usual introspection, but the MDMA added a pleasant filter to the thoughts and physical sensations.
That filter may make MDMA the ideal “training wheels” for the budding explorer.
July 28, 2022
NUGGET: DEA staying busy
The DEA is being sued for "right to try" access again, and they just backed off their controversial plans to reschedule 5 DMT analogues.
NOODLE: If you can't commit to 5 large trips, don't bother with 1
It’s a process not an event.
Doing it once and expecting a panacea is like going to the gym for one massive workout and expecting to get shredded.
Thankfully, you don’t need to engage psychedelics 2-3x a week. But multiple trips are needed for real change.
Additionally, the first trip can unlock things that REQUIRE more work.
That 1st trip can be the equivalent of spreading Ajax on your bathtub.
It will go to work and loosen up some of the gunk… but you still need to scrub & rinse with water to get squeaky clean.
The follow-up trips are that "scrub & rinse."
I'm still learning on my deep journeys and it feels like the trips feed off each other... like compounding interest.
It's a process of rediscovering yourself, your purpose, and a sense of joy.
So how do we build an elegant structure for numerous trips over the course of months and years?
Something to noodle on...
July 21, 2022
Nugget and a Noodle Special Edition: Trip Notes
Psoirée members often share notes and takeaways from deep trips. The trip notes newsletter is typically members-only, but this special edition is going to all subscribers.
Lena Y.
14 grams — solo
"I see the true nature of psilocybin now. It's not all fuzzy, comfy love and acceptance. It has a cunning, insidious side to it. The image keeps coming up - a snake eating its tail: life and death, euphoria and madness, good and evil"
Read more about Lena's journey here.
Would you like to share your notes, or hear more from other travelers? Join Psoirée here
Ray C.
9 grams — solo
"A sense that a higher dimension being was walking me through a museum tour of my accomplishments over the recent years. A sensation of acknowledgement and recognition for the work, sacrifices, and thoughtful decisions. This was meaningful at a level that’s difficult to describe”
Read more about Ray's journey here.
Andrew W.
3.5 grams — solo
"This process would go on for several hours until I finally experienced my 'eureka' moment. Nearing the end of my 5 hour journey - the Mushroom spoke to me: 'don’t be lazy with your awareness.'”
Read more about Andrew's journey here.
Ready for deep work? Join the community of high-dose explorers.
July 14, 2022
NUGGET: Colorado rocking the boat
There are not one but TWO separate measures for state-wide legalization of psychedelics. Activists have the required signatures and full legalization in Colorado is in play.
NOODLE: The beauty of psychedelic uncertainty
This renaissance has incited a wide scale effort to do a “Matt Damon-in-Mars-style ‘science the shit out of this.’”
The pursuit of knowledge is noble but the psychedelic experience has inherent mystery.
The Heisenberg uncertainty principle shows we can’t know exact position and velocity at the same time.
Similarly, the deeper we go into the psychedelic rabbit hole on one aspect, the more some other aspect gets fuzzy… like a game of whack a mole.
For example: the more we study neural circuitry during a trip, the more we miss out on the subjective experience.
It also seems impossible to figure out the perfect dose, trip frequency, and pre-journey ritual.
For those that have danced w madness on a large trip, myself included, you know that the experience is not only unprovable, it can be tough to even put into words.
Mark Twain said:
“When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained”
Maybe uncertainty IS the solution… that it’s better to forever surf the asymptote.
And perhaps that’s the point of psychedelics:
A reminder of the beauty of the process.
Something to noodle on…
June 23, 2022
NUGGET: How to change the world's mind Michael Pollan is releasing a "How to Change Your Mind" documentary on Netflix in July. It's based on his book (same title) that drastically accelerated mainstream psychedelics.
NOODLE: Be loud about your psychedelic experience
It’s pride month and the evolution of gay rights is a flat-out inspiration.
In 2008, the LEFT leaning President Obama was against gay marriage.
Fast forward to today and gay marriage has federal protection, we have pride parades nationwide, and corporations are tripping over themselves to show support.
All this in just 14 years.
Steve Martin once quipped:
“Be so good they can’t ignore you”
The LGBT community did just that. With their activism, parades, and social media, perhaps decided to also “be so LOUD they can’t ignore you.”
It takes chutzpah to come out: one of the few things in life that’s irreversible.
The psychedelic community could learn from the LGBT community.
If you’re a psychonaut and want to see change… lead by example and take that irreversible leap. Talk about:
(1) your experience
(2) your origin story and the changes you’ve seen
(3) your preferred compound and dosages
(4) the beauty AND the challenges
I get it… it’s hard. I spent years hiding it.
And now that I’m out as a psychonaut… there are some jobs I’ll never get.
And yet 2 things happened:
— I felt a weight lifted
— Others have shared that my story helped them tell theirs
Malcolm Gladwell wrote:
"Sometimes big changes follow from small events, and sometimes these changes can happen very quickly."
YOUR story might just be one of those “small events.”
How can you get comfortable getting loud and telling your story?
Something to noodle on...
June 16, 2022
NUGGET: Psychedelic lemons into lemonade Zide Door, the Oakland church that allows for tax free purchase of magic mushrooms, was busted by the Feds in 2020. They are back up and running, with one difference:
The national exposure from the arrest has led to a 10x growth in their following.
NOODLE: You have a right to explore consciousness
No rules, regulations, or rituals are required when it comes to your mind.
You don’t need a diagnosis, a doctor, or a "dieta." You don’t need a prescription, pre-authorization, or a priest.
Some may want hand-holding, but others won’t... I certainly didn’t.
White, black, brown, indigenous, medical, conservative, liberal… NOBODY gets authority over your consciousness.
The real magic of psychedelics is that they unlock what’s already inside you.
If you use them haphazardly, yes, you may not be ready when you uncover unpleasantness within.
On the other hand, if you approach with intention, in a way that’s meaningful for you, it can unlock profound beauty within:
Curiosity, creativity, calm.
It can help you discover your purpose, your connection to everything, your creator.
So what’s the best way to help the masses explore consciousness?
Something to noodle on...
June 9, 2022
NUGGET: Maryland — more than just crab cakes and football My home state, Maryland, has enacted a bill to fund psychedelic research.
The bill provides free psychedelic treatment to veterans with PTSD and victims of traumatic brain injury.
NOODLE: who gets jurisdiction over magic mushrooms?
Psilocybin is a different thing to different people.
To the party goer, sure, it’s recreational. To the sick, sure, it’s medicinal.
But to the healthy intentional user that goes inward, it’s something much more. It’s not medicine, it’s a portal.
And what you see in that portal fundamentally changes your relationship with reality.
The problem with the medical community is the same as with the person holding the hammer: everything starts looking like a nail.
Mushrooms do heal, so the medical community wants jurisdiction…and who could blame them?
We all love power... plus when the cool new pretty girl transfers to your high school, you want her in your friend group.
But the portal dwarfs the significance of medical assays and clinical trials. Even "Mother Nature" seems to be thumbing her nose at any notion of jurisdiction:
Magic mushrooms literally grow all around us, and you can grow them yourself in a neat little 2 ft container in your living room.
The tech sector is also helping decentralize power: we can now trip remotely "together."
DEA, NIH, FDA, Health Canada, religious leaders, tech designers — does anyone get jurisdiction?
Something to noodle on...
June 2, 2022
NUGGET: 2022 BC British Columbia, Canada has decriminalized all drugs.
There is a fly in the ointment: it won’t take effect for another 18 months and they have a low allowable limit... but, another sign of incredible progress.
NOODLE: There is no such thing as a bad trip
… but there can be a “reckoning.”
When traveling on high doses of psychedelics, you may have some excavating to do.
A face-to-face dance with ALL your fears and insecurities at an embodied and visceral level isn’t exactly the ideal Disney ride.
That type of reckoning can be painful and scary… but so can a trip to the dentist. Both are an important part of your health.
2 things make make the tough trips unpleasant:
You have some rough clean-up work to do: like when Succession’s Logan Roy had dead raccoons in his chimney
While on a large trip you’ll have the adversity skillset of a 10-year old
Unpleasantness + the thin-skin of a child can result in a tough journey
Plus it’s similar to the dentist visit: the longer you wait… the more work you may need.
But just like when that achy tooth is FINALLY fixed and your pearly whites are squeaky clean, the feeling when you’ve completed your mental work on a psychedelic trip… is splendid.
So how do we reduce the fear of tough trips?
Something to Noodle on…
May 26, 2022
NUGGET: Psilocybin spike The wife of Canadian senator, Larry Campbell, spiked his coffee for weeks.
No, she didn’t slip him a mickey… she put a microdose of magic mushrooms in his morning cup of joe, unbeknownst to the Senator.
The ethics: dubious. The results: delightful.
He overcame a 20 year battle with depression and says he hasn’t felt this good in years
NOODLE: Oregon Trail-blazing
I’m on location in Oregon and has me reminiscing on the classic 90's "Oregon Trail" computer game.
This state is a hotbed of public debate on psilocybin in advance of its magic mushroom legalization this January.
Just like with a software "v1.0” launch, the rollout won’t be perfect, but it will be staggering progress.
It may also be a bellwether for the rest of the psychedelic world.
The hottest debate topic:
ACCESS
One example: a submission to the Oregon Health Authority by the “Entheogenic Practitioners Proposal” would allow sacred use, including the allowance for:
religious organizations to produce and deliver magic mushrooms
community peers and volunteers to facilitate deep sessions
I’m not a religious person but might be finding Jesus in the near future.
It feels like the state leaders value access for all… not just the wealthy or those with a prescription.
Accessibility means a program where the marginalized, the sick, and the “healthy-but-dissatisfied” will ALL be able to easily engage.
Will it be a clunky wagon ride for future Oregonians, or will there be a smooth path?
Something to noodle on...
May 19, 2022
NUGGET: needling the NIH US senators Cory Booker and Brian Schatz sent an official letter to NIH to essentially figure out what’s the hold-up with psilocybin?
Keta therapy was assigned breakthrough status in 2016, then legalized in 2019... three years later.
Psilocybin — which has less risk of addiction and arguably more impact on mental health — has been in breakthrough status for 4+ years now, since 2018.
NOODLE: when laws can't keep up
Thomas Jefferson said:
“If a law is unjust it’s not just your right, but your DUTY to break it”
We’re in the midst of a mental health crisis, an addiction epidemic, and we’re JUST starting to see the eye-opening science around psychosomatics (e.g. how much mental health impacts physical health)
It's starting to get to the point where it feels amoral to NOT take the “scofflaw approach” to psilocybin prohibition.
Lucky for us, growing your own mushrooms isn’t difficult, and remote tripping is now a viable path.
Elon Musk, while pondering a future Mars colony, quipped:
"It should be easier to remove a law than create one"
If the process of removing dumb laws remains as convoluted and unpleasant as watching a sausage get made, maybe it’s time for those laws to get the "Jefferson treatment."
Something to noodle on...
May 12, 2022
NUGGET: fed up with the Feds Psychedelic activists protested DEA offices this week. The DEA is blocking the terminally ill from accessing psilocybin despite profound evidence AND “right to try” laws.
The "right to try" laws stipulate that terminally ill patients should be able to try experimental treatments.
The terminally ill, military veterans with PTSD, and the mentally ill... feels like INACTION from the DEA & FDA is harming very vulnerable people.
NOODLE: psychedelic plot twists Some companies in the industry are thrashing as they try to find their business model.
The pressure is building, some feathers are getting plucked, and the industry is a little fractured.
For example we have varying opinions on:
medicinal VS wellness
going through insurance VS growing your own
drug development analogs VS original plants
licensed therapists VS underground guides VS doing it your own damn self
A lot of questions…and it's good to remember we’re all in this together with one immediate goal: end prohibition.
But maybe it’s natural and GOOD that companies are elbowing for space and thrashing a little, like a good 'ole fashioned sibling rivalry.
As the old proverb states:
“Just like iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens his neighbor"
Perhaps corporate tussles, sexual improprieties, and juicy plot lines are exactly what this industry needs.
Something to noodle on...
May 5, 2022
NUGGET: Field Trip gets field dressed Field Trip has split into separate consumer and drug development companies. At first blush this news was disappointing... but maybe a good thing in the long run. Regardless, Field Trip paved the way for this industry and deserves a lot of credit.
NOODLE: manipulating time Deep work with high dose psychedelics can often turn one into an armchair philosopher or physicist... and "time" becomes a popular topic.
Einstein seemed to believe time is an illusion and there are simply an infinite number of “nows.” After the death of a friend, he said:
“People like us know that the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion"
I started playing with the idea after a high dose trip. If time is infinite and non-linear, perhaps there’s a way to manipulate it.
Here’s how I tried: make a habit of sending yourself love into the past. If you do it enough... sooner or later you live in a world where future-you is constantly sending you love now.
Can we exploit the illusion of time by sharing love, energy, or even information between the infinite "nows"?
Something to noodle on...
April 28, 2022
NUGGET: Colorado acting "as-if" A bill is moving through the state legislature that proposes, if the feds move MDMA to any schedule but Schedule 1, it will be immediately legalized and accessible for residents.
NOODLE: a message to DEA, FDA, and Health Canada What’s worse? When the wrong person is imprisoned... or when the guilty party goes free?
Any trial attorney worth his salt will tell you false imprisonment is the greater injustice.
And yet magic mushrooms remain imprisoned by laws based on lies.
John Erlichman, Richard Nixon’s top aide for the War on Drugs, is on record saying:
"Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did. You want to know what this was really all about? Two enemies: the antiwar left and black people.” **
That’s disturbing.
Imprisonment in the US judicial system requires: guilt “beyond all reasonable doubt.” Now that we know we were lied to about drugs, this changes things:
We shouldn’t have to prove that magic mushrooms are beneficial for us. Rather, you should have to prove they’re harmful.
They should be immediately removed from SCHEDULE 1, until you can show “beyond all reasonable doubt” that they have no benefit.
Research results (shown below) might make that a tall task: it shows alcohol as the MOST harmful substance, while psilocybin is the LEAST harmful.
We’re in the midst of a mental health crisis.
Legalize psilocybin now.
Image: harm from various mind altering compounds
** Credit to Dr. Randy Scharlach on his Field Trip podcast
April 14, 2022
NUGGET: magic mushrooms that talk Researchers found the communication of four species of fungi had electrical impulses that were structurally similar to human speech. Their communication closely resembled the vocabulary of dozens of our words.
NOODLE: age limit for psilocybin High doses of psychedelics can reboot the way you see the world. That’s great for those that need a refresh — those that have WAY too many tabs running on their mental Chrome browser. But it may not be so good for those still constructing their reality. Neuroscience has indicated that the brain is still forming through the age of twenty-six. Anecdotally, for many of us, myself included, you finally start to "see the matrix" clearly in your 30s. Perhaps it’s best to let children and even young adults continue to form their neural paths BEFORE those paths get reset with high-dose introspective sessions. Part of the wonder and awe of high doses is they show you a meta view of your construct of reality. If you’re still creating that construct, maybe high doses aren’t appropriate. The upshot? Perhaps a legal age limit of 30 for high-doses of psilocybin. Plus there’s something magical about the anticipation of turning 21 and finally being able to buy a drink. Imagine a world where when you FINALLY turn 30, you get to legally purchase your first large-dose of psilocybin. Something to noodle on...
April 7, 2022
NUGGET: Vancouver mushroom dispensaries It appears some Vancouver citizens agree with Thomas Jefferson's belief: if a law is unjust it is not only your right, but your duty, to break it. Zoomer's Dispensary has inspired a movement and there are now multiple brick-and-mortar storefronts openly selling magic mushrooms.
NOODLE: the path with the most paths "When you come to the fork in the road... take it." Yogi Berra's famous quote is apropos to psychedelics. Which is the better option: make psychedelics accessible for medical use, or create a path for intentional & recreational use? The answer: yes. Which is better: encourage natural plant medicine, or synthetic psychedelic manufacturing? Yes. Which is better: offer sacred experiences for the spiritually inclined, or harm reduction sans cultural rituals? Yes. There's no one-size-fits-all panacea and this burgeoning industry is still figuring itself out, like a newborn gazelle on the African plains. So maybe best to not rule anything out just yet. The big question: which path makes safe psychedelics as accessible as possible? Something to noodle on...
April 1, 2022
NUGGET: a rumored Canada breakthrough Word on the street is the first SAP approval is set to be completed this week. It would mark the first time in Canada's history that patients have had psilocybin access outside of a clinical trial.
NOODLE: avoiding alcohol Psychedelic use changes your relationship with alcohol. It's easier to spot the connection of "when I drink, I feel different for a number of days." Or, as Dr. Jim Fadiman, puts it, "now your body actually gets a vote." The challenge is that alcohol is in fact a wonderful tool to unwind after a long week, or celebrate a win... in that moment. So if we reduce or remove alcohol, it leaves a hole. And, as Yuvel Harari states in Sapiens, you can't just get rid of a myth, you have to replace it. So how do we replace the myth that alcohol is how we loosen our load? Cannabis is great, but not always the best for sharp, quick-witted socializing. Perhaps it's a team effort to replace alcohol... and maybe we can take inspiration from the brilliant menu of options that Sasha Shulgin left us via PIHKAL. Something to noodle on...
March 25, 2022
NUGGET: two companies bite the dust Two psychedelic biotech companies appear to be going the way of the dodo. CoreOne labs has run out of money... and CureMind has halted operations and relieved their employees, despite still holding $10M in cash. Bonus nugget: Hazel Park, MI has just decriminalized psychedelics.
NOODLE: defending the dissatisfied In response to Oregon's groundbreaking legalization a recent study found that the #1 reason Oregonians want to explore magic mushrooms is: To improve their well-being. Psychedelics have incredible use cases for PTSD, mental illness, and a host of other conditions. So the lion's share of funding, policy, and attention seems to be going in that direction. That feels like a missed opportunity. There is a large population of people that are healthy but dissatisfied. No, thankfully, they don’t have PTSD, treatment resistant depression, or crippling anxiety… and yet, they do want help. Many feel lost – like something’s missing. So how do we help the dissatisfied... before they get worse. Perhaps, teach a man to fish. Or in this case, grow. Or maybe simple, accessible, inexpensive tools that help them rediscover creativity, curiosity, and purpose. Something to noodle on...
March 19, 2022
NUGGET: Georgia peach, meet magic mushroom Georgia has gotten into the state-led wave with a new resolution to explore psychedelics. It marks yet another red state that's garnering bipartisan support for psychedelics.
NOODLE: A community-wide control group Is it better to have some people never engage psychedelics? I’m not talking about for medical reasons (e.g. schizophrenia). With perfectly healthy individuals… is it better for society at large to have some people that never go beyond the chrysanthemum? Something happens when you go deep and it can change you, at least temporarily. There’s a phenomenon called de-tribalizing, where, after psychedelics, people pull away from typical constructs and affiliations. It may be that after some trips to the 5th dimension, this de-tribalizing is a stage, a temporary part of the process, then you eventually re-tribalize. I have personally felt paradoxically much more connected, while at the same time less interested in sports, news, and social media. That may sound nice but those are constructs that bring us together. Is it better to live in a society that has some people that never question the nature of our reality? Gun to my head, feels like everyone should have a chance to take a trip with Alice down the rabbit hole. Something to noodle on.
March 11, 2022
NUGGET: the "Sooner state" may become a "Psilocybin state" An Oklahoma state government bill has passed in the House legislature. The sausage is still getting made but if Bill 3414 fully passes, it would legalize psilocybin-based therapies AND significantly lower the punishment for consumer possession.
NOODLE: "sacred" schtick It feels like there's too much talk about “sacred rituals” in psychedelics. The “sacred” elements can be a part of it for some people, sure, but different strokes for different folks. Just like some people are turned off by talk of patents and clinical trials, other people bristle at the mention of sacred medicines and sacred rituals. Of course, high doses can be VERY spiritual, but that spiritual experience is between the traveler and their maker. There’s another word for insisting that people observe sacred customs: religion. Middle class psychedelics needs a middle of the road approach. Many people are engaging psychedelics now and we’ve been talking to the end users everyday on our tik tok. They don’t want to hear about medical assays but they also don’t want to hear about sacred rituals. High dose sessions are actually pretty simple: engage the compounds with respect & intention. So speak to the middle class users in a language they understand. Give them a safe simple solution to support their psychedelic soiree. What does that look like? Something to noodle on...
March 4, 2022
NUGGET: Oregon taps "natural" psilocybin Oregon lawmakers decided their legalized psilocybin programs, starting next January, MUST use naturally produced magic mushrooms. The move was made to prevent influence from Big Pharma, and ends up being tough news for synthetic manufacturers. Keep an eye on this to see if Oregon’s maneuver is a blip, or sets a trend.
NOODLE: psychedelic cohorts. Psychedelic compounds cause very different experiences, there are various use cases, and people around the world have divergent needs. Maybe there’s a way to play matchmaker AND create a healthy ecosystem where biotech companies, clinics, and consumer psychedelics all work harmoniously. Let’s try breaking it out into a few cohorts:
The 1st group: those with PTSD or treatment resistant depression perhaps start with MDMA, to remind them what joy feels like.
A 2nd group: those struggling with anxiety or depression are recommended to keta-clinics to get to baseline.
The 3rd group, those that are at baseline and have experience with altered states, but are feeling dissatisfied with life, travel with psilocybin and LSD.
Finally, a 4th group: those looking to optimize human performance and enhance neuroplasticity… get the full menu: all the above plus others like San Pedro, Ayahuasca, DMT.
A psychedelic ecosystem with precision medicine for all, where every sector in the industry wins, from biotech to guides. Something to noodle on...
February 25, 2022
NUGGET: Ramifications of Oregon legalization Oregon’s decriminalization laws have led to a 60% reduction in arrests, in just ONE YEAR. Less red tape, less wasted resources, less imprisonment... what an amazing development.
NOODLE: Wave function collapse and the multiverse The astounding double slit experiment scientifically proved, through analysis of wave-function collapse, that observation changes the outcome. In other words, what we do with our consciousness can physically change reality. Ok, head's hurting already, but let’s take it a step further: The multiverse theory says every possible gradient of reality exists in parallel, from those that are very different, to realities that are exactly the same except for one superposition electron. It’s a mind-bender, but proponents of the theory include Stephen Hawkins, Neil de grasse Tyson, and Brian Greene. So, putting the two concepts together would mean what we do with our conscious attention can change the reality that we reside in within the multiverse. For instance, if we focus our consciousness on arts & sciences, introspection, non-duality, or psychedelics, are we quite literally surfing over to a different reality? Something to noodle on...
February 18, 2022
NUGGET: A lot can change in 1 year Psilocybin improves mental health for a year. Participants in a new Johns Hopkins study showed a dramatic improvement in depression 12 months after just 1 - 2 high dose magic mushroom treatments.
NOODLE: How do we support the solo explorers? In the name of harm reduction I’ve talked about my solo trips on our TikTok and it has been startling to see how many ppl have come out of the woodwork to share that they also are engaging high dose solo magic mushroom trips. So how can we help them? A guide just isn’t right or doable for some people... but they still need support. These travelers keep telling me they crave dialogue with other explorers, they want help with liftoff & landing, and they’re sick of stigma from non-travelers that don’t get it. How can we help the lone-wolf explorers? Maybe a remote community, a collection of hard-earned lessons, or a digital product that bookends their journey... something to noodle on.
February 10, 2022
NUGGET: One more reason to like Canada Canada has technically legalized psychedelics. Doctors may now request and potentially receive pharmaceutical grade psychedelics to treat their patients. It’s not commercially legal yet (although tell that to dispensaries in Vancouver and DC).
NOODLE: Do psychedelics make you better in the bedroom? Not talking about during the trip... but in the days, weeks, months after. Previous research, such as Dr. Jim Fadiman’s trials in the '60s, indicates that yes… psychedelics do enhance bedroom abilities. Two recent research findings may shed light on why. The first finding was expected: brains on psychedelics have enhanced neuroplasticity… becoming more active and connected. The second finding was a surprise: the part of the brain responsible for the default mode network was much more quiet, kinda like a Tesla at a stoplight. What does that mean for intimacy? (1) A more connected brain may enhance the sensation of sensory inputs during sexual activity. (2) A quieter default mode network means you’re more in the moment, e.g. more present with your sexual partner. In my experience the answer is a resounding YES… intimacy is better, post-journey, and you’re better at it.
February 4, 2022 (Motyka)
NUGGET: It appears Canada has just legalized psychedelics
News is kind of obscured by its technical explanation but doctors may now request and potentially receive pharmaceutical grade psychedelics to treat their patients.
It’s not commercially legal yet, although tell that to the dispensaries in Vancouver and DC... but nevertheless, this feels like a game-changing development.
NOODLE: How to replace the myth that psychedelics are dangerous
Yuvel Harari in landmark book Sapiens explains that myths — aka concepts that aren’t real but we all agree on like religion, idealogies, currencies — can’t be eliminated. They can only be REPLACED.
Nobody has ever died of overdose on magic mushrooms, as you can see below, you are way less dangerous to yourself on psilocybin than on booze.
Image: harm to others and self from various drugs
Then again, if you have some mental demons and it’s been a while since you’ve journeyed, it might fucking hurt.
In addition… when battling those demons on psychedelics you’ll have the resilience-skillset of a 10-year old.
So it might not be be fun. But it might be exactly the deep cleaning you need.
Plus, if you muscle through 1-2 tough trips, they become very rare.
So…maybe the new myth could be that psychedelics are the only way to get a deep cleaning.
Yeah it might hurt — some deep cleanings do — but your mind is worth it.
Something to noodle on...
More nuggets coming soon...