The Psychedelic Diaries, Vol III: Five tips to prepare for a macrodose
“A man is worked upon by what he works on”
—Frederick Douglas
Intentional psychedelic use, with proper “set and setting,” is very different from recreational use.
Your mindset and the physical setting of the trip will heavily influence the experience.
As I became better at curating set and setting, the monthly macrodose trips started to change me.
It took time, but friends and family started to notice. They were curious what led to the changes and asked if I’d help. I began helping others and started guiding.
The Copilot
With a nod to McConaughey in Interstellar, I named it the Copilot experience.
The physical body won’t move much during a macrodose, but traveling will most definitely occur.
When copiloting the journey from your “cockpit,” you’re ultimately on your own, even if someone is there literally holding your hand.
It’s a journey into your own mind and there is a universe in there.
With that in mind, I crafted tactics with two goals in mind:
- Safety
- A satisfying experience
The state of your mind and body as you enter the “Stargate portal” will dictate the tone of your trip. Thus the goal is to get your mind and body in as good a state as possible.
Here are 5 ways to do that:
1) A rested body
Live like a monk for a few days before the journey.
Avoid alcohol, drugs, and junk food.
Get as much sleep as possible and surround yourself with people that are positive influences.
2) A calm mind
Part of the trick to having a mystical experience is letting go just as the medicine is kicking in.
If your mind is racing, or if you’re trying really hard to have a mystical experience, you may not be able to go deep.
Try meditating for 5–10 minutes once a day for a few days beforehand, and meditate right before consuming the medicine.
3) Movement
This is the most important thing you can do to coax a satisfying mystical experience. It’s also fun and easy.
After consuming the medicine there will be 20–30 minutes before it kicks in.
Use that period to act like the 10-year-old version of you at a Friday night sleepover with your best friend.
Run around, raise your arms, dance, jump, sing and shout.
Do anything to get moving, have fun, and get endorphins flowing.
4) A really good playlist
Build a curated playlist of songs that will last roughly 4 hours.
For the first 1–2 hours, add pleasant songs with very few lyrics.
Hour 2–3: simple nature sounds.
Hour 3–4: songs that compel you to dance.
See more detailed guidance here.
5) Concept totems
It’s nice to have a few safety mechanisms in place. But there’s no lifejacket when you’re in your mind.
Use concept totems — lifejackets for the mind — if you lose your way.
Here are three. Write them down right before consuming the medicine:
A) The funniest thing you can think of
What moment or thing made you laugh the hardest from your recent past?
Condense the concept into a short phrase (<10 words) and noodle on it for a minute or two.
B) An intention
What do you want to get out of the trip?
Develop a simple intention and write it down. Less is more — keep it to fewer than 20 words.
I recommend the format of, “By taking this medicine, I will…”
A few examples:
- …see my career path
- …understand my purpose
- …let go of my fears
- …connect with my ancestors
C) One word
Create one word as the theme of your trip then repeat it over and over.
The one word is also good if you find yourself in your control panel and want to self-incept yourself with a healthy concept.
I did this to myself in an early trip and it changed the trajectory of my life.
I found myself existing in my subconscious and was able to plant my one word, gratitude, by repeating it over and over.
It was as if I planted the seed of gratitude in my subconscious, then watched as the concept bloomed in my waking conscious.
A profound mystical experience can be one of the most satisfying and enjoyable experiences of your life.
It’s good to remember, however, that intentional psychedelic use is work.
Treat it as such, with focused preparation beforehand, and give yourself the best chance of a meaningful experience.
See Volume IV here: Seven realizations from macrodosing