Relating Skillfully With Ancient Allies

Plants and fungi with psychedelic properties offer an opportunity to re-connect: with ourselves, our wholeness, each other, and with our shared world. These allies have been helping human beings for thousands of years, curtailed by the rise of the “dominator culture” as Terence McKenna describes in Food of the Gods, and more recently driven underground by years of colonization and vilification. Indigenous communities kept the ember of relationship with these teachers burning, and in this last century, the western world has taken notice of these ancient, sacred practices. As the “psychedelic renaissance” gains momentum, now is a good time to reflect on how we might foster a right relationship with these medicines rather than repeat mistakes of the past.

One of the challenges in re-incorporating this medicine into western experience is that many will proceed with the same mindset that created the separation from ourselves, others and the natural world. Ancient and traditional cultures approached these medicines with reverence, as a sacrament. It was central to the spiritual, psychological, societal, and cultural life of the community. The “developed” world’s relationship with natural medicines has been quite different- one of subjugation, synthesizing, distilling, reducing plants to a compound and making that compound more precise, powerful, and as a result, dangerous. This “power over” mindset is also at the core of the west’s problematic relationship with Indigenous communities.

The language used in association with drugs reveals a lot: we get high, take acid, use psilocybin, do ayahuasca, grab a beer, get our hands on some weed; we do a shot, hit a pipe, pound or slam drinks, shoot up. Language matters. It points to how we view our relationships. In the case of medicines, get/take/use language implies a relationship of acquisition, of servitude, of objectification, of violence.

Language is the lens through which we see the world, and it drives our behavior. Examining the words we use and thus how we unconsciously think about things is useful in all areas. In emotional and mental work, it can be helpful to realize that if I say “I am sad”, I am much more prone to become lost in the sadness, to lose the sense that I am not my thoughts and feelings and that these are passing mental states, not me; “I’m experiencing sadness” or “There’s some sadness showing up” or even the more colloquial “I’m feeling sad” allows me to experience the sadness without losing myself. On the societal front, we call sentient beings with ears and eyes and desires and emotional lives “it”, making the unimaginable suffering in the modern animal “agriculture” system more palatable and turning down the dissonance between the “animal loving” people we identify as and the cruelty we support with our dollars. Even spiritual seekers in the “dominator culture” aren’t immune as we seek to “get” enlightened.

A mindful, intentional, healing relationship with plant and fungal teachers calls for a different language: one of receiving, sitting with, being taught by, cooperating with. It deserves and demands respect and humility. The gifts of realizing the sacred nature of this relationship can’t be overstated: a world of inner freedom, more harmonious connections with others, insight into life’s most challenging questions, even a peek behind the veil of reality await. This is certainly not true for everyone, but approaching these allies with reverence increases the likelihood of true transformation exponentially. 

Of course, we can change the way we speak about medicines, psychedelics in particular, without shifting our internal orientation, just like we can merely pay lip service to the idea of setting an intention each time we engage with the medicine. But changing the words we use is a start, and our hearts are listening; just as the dominator culture language shapes a “taking from” approach to medicine, a reverential, respectful language contributes to “communion with.”

Many choose to relate with medicines in ways outside of ceremonial, intentional, therapeutic work. Recreational “use” tends to focus on pleasure, novelty and social interaction, with heightened states of consciousness sometimes leading to insights, creativity, and positive take-aways. These ways of relating to psychedelics have their place and can sometimes lead to profound experiences. I’m not here to prescribe my approach for everyone, merely to point out the increased risk to self and the psychedelic movement at large when these powerful medicines are consumed without proper care.

Both on my own path and in my work, I have seen the incredible shifts that these medicines catalyze when worked with wisely. With that frame, recreational use may be somewhat like buying a Ferrari to drive around school zones- an interesting experience, but so much potential is left on the table. 

At my first Ayahuasca ceremony, I was told that if I wanted this to be a life-transforming experience, that I would need to transform my life; otherwise, this would just be an experience. How we integrate what we learn and experience through these teachers is as important as the experience itself. Isn’t that what this is all about? Are we more free from having developed a relationship with the medicine? Do we love more deeply? Are we better at this humaning thing?

The primary victim of a dominator culture relationship with powerful psychoactive substances is of course the individual and the culture itself. In the view of many in the psychedelic community, entheogens seem to have blanket immunity to abuse potential. While psychedelics’ tolerance profile, an unapproachable lethal dose level, and no risk of physical addiction make them much safer when compared with other medicines, they are certainly not immune to abuse. Psychedelics can and do factor into chemical dependency (continued use despite negative consequences), psychiatric issues, and things just getting worse. Unethical behavior by those of us entrusted to serve these medicines, real life decisions based on unprocessed material from psychedelic experiences, coming to rely on psychedelics to be a social lubricant or necessary to enjoy social experience are all ways in which an unskillful relationship with psychedelics can manifest. 

An ayahuasquero friend of mine uses the metaphor of a debit card versus a credit card transaction to distinguish the kinds of relationships we have with substances. An Ayahuasca ceremony- or sitting with psilocybin in a ceremonial way- is like a debit card transaction- you pay upfront with your dieta, with your preparation, facing and working with blockages, traumas, shadows, and you gain the release, the insight, and the freedom that results. Alcohol, caffeine, and recreational drug use, including psychedelics, tends to be more of a credit card transaction- you get the buzz, the perception of more energy, lower social inhibition, interesting experiences, etc. and then you pay the bill with hangovers, sleep issues, and mood dysregulation, for example. 

People can chase psychedelic experiences for years, distracting them from the inner work that their higher self longs for. So much alleviation of suffering and potential for healing is left unrealized. And whether we like it or not, each of us in the psychedelic community is also its ambassador, and our relationship with these medicines colors the perception of others- people who themselves could possibly benefit, potential allies in the movement to decriminalize and legitimize psychedelics, and society at large.

The blanket war on drugs is eroding and seems to be evolving into a less tyrannical phase as more and more people appreciate the benevolent efficacy that entheogenic medicines offer. Psychedelics are able and stand ready to help heal some of the deepest wounds our species carries, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, and end of life burdens, to name a few. Some would argue that a significant shift in consciousness will be necessary to navigate the existential threats now facing our species, and psychedelics are potent catalysts for these shifts. If you believe that, then there’s a lot riding on the psychedelic renaissance. 

How will the now engaged forces of capitalism and medicalization impact the future of psychedelics? Certainly breaking the stranglehold of disinformation and ignorance which has been the calling card of governmental policy during the last several decades is a good thing. Many will be open to this source of healing who never would have considered it before. Scientific research, putting these medicines into the “toolkit” of skilled therapists, and increasing accessibility certainly seem like good things. But what effect will trying to distill these medicines into a pill to “take” have? What will be the side effects of efforts to maximize profit? We’ll see; the genie is out of the bottle. I hope that voices calling for a skillful relationship with plant medicine, for integrity, and for remembering the sacred will be heard.

As the “psychedelic renaissance” gains momentum, each of us have the opportunity to impact our sphere of influence with how we relate with, think about and talk about psychedelic medicines. Treating these ancient allies with reverence is the most important thing we can do.