Hello
I think that this area of self-therapy while under the influence of psychedelics has / has shown to have a lot of potential...which I guess you have already realised so anyway...
There has been one thing which has completley revolutionized the psychedelic experience (and life in general) for me. This is the genre of music known as 'Psychedelic Trance', 'Psytrance' or 'Goa Trance'.
This is music which is designed to induce a trance / hypnotic state. While this particular style is a recent development thanks to technological / social evolution and increased avaliability of psychedelic substances, the idea goes back thousands of years at least. The forefathers of tripping, e.g. South American & other shamans, have been using persistent, rythmic drumming to induce trance states since before recorded history. Once in this trance, they go on a journey into a shamanic state of consciousness. This is another reality. Some would say it is the realms of the unconscious.
Psychedelic Trance has revived these aincent techniques of shamanism on a global scale.
Now usually I will hear this music at outdoor dance parties but I also make it myself and listen to some at home. Usually these parties are quite small and playing all psychedelic music. Other people there are usually really friendly, though the atmosphere isn't that 'social' because most people are busy dancing / trancing out. The locations are always amazing as well...gotta love NZ.
So anyway the usual procedure is I will see fliers etc. around the place for any trance parties coming up in the next few weeks / months (there is usally around one per month within driving distance of where I live). I will keep this in mind just aknowledging the possibility that I will be doing some psychedelic work at that time. In the days leading up to a party I like to prepare myself for the night ahead. This involves things like eating well, getting a good amount of sleep, maybe a little bit of meditation, reading, and some random creative activities like writing, drawing etc (this is really good). Things like these are important steps for a productive psychedelic session, IMO.
So I'll drive to the party, usually put my tent up and then go and explore the area. Things are still pretty mellow by this stage in the evening, everyone is just chilling, chatting, swatting the bugs etc.
I will usually go and sit somewhere quietly amongst the bushes or by a creek, whatever, just a nice spot, and meditate for a few minutes. Quiet. Still. Breathing. I think getting aquainted with your surroundings before a trip is another important factor. During this pre-trip stage I usually just relax, and become more receptive to the experience I am about to undergo, accepting that it may bring anything, absolutely anything, into my reality, 'good' or 'bad'.
Then I like to head down to the dance area and have a bit of a dance, say hi to any friends I know there etc. Just basically hangin out and undergoing the final relaxation procedures, as in becoming aquainted again with the music, with the vibe.
At some stage in the evening (usually between midnight and 3am) I will pop back to my tent to ingest whatever substance I have chosen for the evening. The psychedelic of your choice more or less, I've found most of them to be very effective.
Then I'll head back to the dance zone. Again just chilling, dancing a little, maybe smoke a bit of ganja during the come-on phase. To me this stage is kind of like lying in bed before you fall asleep and go into the dream dimensions.
And from here the rest is history basically. By dancing in rythm with the Psychedelic Trance music, and again meditating, eyes closed, free thought flow, a full hypnotic / trance is induced. The drugs enhance this...a lot. I find that in the beginning stages of trance it is about the surface 'ego' personality / consciousness moving out of the focus, and emerging into a new consciousness in which many facets of the mind are observable. Memories and thoughts can take on a very different perspective, like 3rd person, while also ultra-1st person. From this elevated state of consciousness I have found it possible to navigate, in great detail, many different experiences, including past memores and long forgotten / repressed events. What I have found amazing is the clarity of correlation that can be drawn between these memories that are shown compared to how I am now.
Anyway, I could go into a lot more detail about my personal experiences with this trance state, but in the end every person will have different techniques and different results so I will save you my preconceptions. I have just explained a few things which I felt are important for the leadup / happening of my own voyages, but obviously these specifics are flexible. Its up to you to make this happen. I just wanted to say that yes self therapy with psychedlics CAN be very useful, productive, life-changing etc. provided a good preperation is practiced.
The Psychedelic Trance music is not required to have a great theraputic session, but I found it to really, really help with getting into a good level of awareness. I had done psychedelics a reasonable amount before discovering psytrance, and until the psytrance, I had not really even experienced what I now view as the essential psychedelic expericnce, the LIFE experience. The trance is about focus and clarity being found in the chaos of this reality.
If you want to hear decent stuff be sure to go to a good party. One that is psychedelic orientated and not over-the-top raveish (though I'm not really sure what the scene is like outside of Aotearoa). Basically if it says psychedelic or goa trance on the flier it should be good. Sure you can also buy the music on CD or record from websites like www.psyshop.com but these are individual tracks and for the full trance experience I prefer a seamless set delivered to you by the excellent DJ's who have selected the tracks in a good order (they are really good at doing this usually).
Anyway I hope I haven't bored you. I know this may sound really stupid if you're not usually into the 'rave' scene, some guy tellin you that you should go do some drugs at a trance party to do a little self-therapy, but I'm just going off my own personal experiences here and I can tell you that psychedelic trance has honestly changed my life, a lot, for the better. Its a guide, a tool...or as I like to think, superhighways to hyperdimensions! Hahahaa....OK, so I'm rambling now, sorry. If you're interested then definatley check it out. Just remember -
-Preperation (Physical, mental)
-Good setting
-Psychedelic trance music
-A known dose of a quality psychedelic substance
-An open and receptive mindset
-Some ganja, if you like it
Have fun. And be sure to watch the sunrise.
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