Have wanted to try psilocybin and have taken a minuscule dose, but nothing even close to anything like a “vision quest” level. Don’t feel comfortable taking a “therapeutic” dose by myself, or even with my husband close by. But would really like to. Anyone know of places / ways to have a guided trip (without traveling to Jamaica or other formal “quest” locales)? Would love to hear peoples’ experiences, thoughts, recommendations . . .
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I believe psilocybin has been legalized in Colorado, so I’d search there, maybe the Denver area?
I have a friend who went to a freelance guide and for her it was a horrific experience. She went into a state where “nothing is real” and it was utterly terrifying. I think the guide started her on a dose that was far too high for a beginner - my guesstimate is maybe 5g.
Granted, I nowadays am convinced that she was technically right - nothing IS actually real - but to experience that fully without prior experience was too much. Like throwing a non swimmer into the deep end of a pool.
Myself, I’ve experimented with several small amounts. The first two (maybe 1-1.5g each) were very emotional, deeply experiencing the loss of my father. I expected the third (~2g) to be similar, but instead dropped into what I later realized was a non-dual experience (I found that term later after googling “everything is my mind”). It was a very eye-opening experience that stuck with me for months and changed some ways I see the world, but I can’t say it helped “solve” deeper issues. I’m open to exploring further, but it’s hard to find time/space to do it right.
My advice, find a bona fide guide with credentials who is part of a team or organization, and start with a smaller dose to get the feel of the “territory” before going deeper. One doesn’t need to be blasted into outer space to have a transformative experience.
I’m in San Francisco, and the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) here has a program for training psychedelic therapists. They might not be able to explicitly point you to a therapist (even though possession/use is legal here, promotion is a grayer area), but likely can give you useful information or direct you to an organization closer to you.
An alternative to psychedelics is Holotropic Breathwork. It’s available in many locations, and can be somewhat psychedelic just from deep breathing. It’s a group experience which actually works better, with the synergy helping you stick with the work. You take turns with a sitter, and are very much in your own space during the session. I found it physically daunting (basically, aggressive hyperventilation for 20 minutes) but it definitely shifts one’s mind/spirit. I’ve tried this a couple times and even “saw God” which was something haha.
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Before I try anything new, it is always nice to see people who have tried it and experienced positive results. Trying psilocybin in a safe and legal environment has been on my bucket list for quite some time. Some of the famous who have tried psychedelics:
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Aldous Huxley – Used mescaline to dissolve the ego and access a “sacramental vision” of reality; documented these insights in The Doors of Perception, profoundly influencing modern philosophy of consciousness.
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Alan Watts – Philosopher who used LSD and mescaline to experientially understand Eastern philosophy and mystical states beyond intellectual abstraction.
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Allen Ginsberg – Beat poet who credited psychedelics with inspiring Howl and shaping his stream-of-consciousness literary style.
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Amanda Feilding – Advocate for psychedelic research; credits LSD with enhancing cognition and consciousness exploration.
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Anaïs Nin – Author who described psychedelic experiences as revealing the “secret of life,” profoundly influencing her creativity and sense of unity between mind and body.
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Ayelet Waldman – Author who documented LSD microdosing for mood stabilization, productivity, and emotional balance in A Really Good Day.
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Ben Sessa – Psychiatrist and researcher whose personal psychedelic experiences inspired his work in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
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Bill Gates – Acknowledged youthful LSD experimentation, though without detailed claims about long-term benefits.
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Bill Wilson – Co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous; credited hallucinogenic experiences with catalyzing spiritual awakening and later advocated for psychedelic-assisted therapy in addiction recovery.
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Brendon Urie – Musician who used psychedelics to break creative blocks, revitalize songwriting, and launch a new artistic phase.
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Carrie Fisher – Actress and writer who credited LSD with aiding creativity and helping her navigate bipolar disorder.
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Cary Grant – Actor who underwent extensive LSD therapy in the 1950s, crediting it with major mental-health breakthroughs and emotional healing.
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Chelsea Handler – Described ayahuasca as resurfacing childhood memories and fostering compassion and emotional openness.
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Dennis McKenna – Ethnopharmacologist who credits ayahuasca and psilocybin with shaping his research into plant intelligence and psychedelic ethnobotany.
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Douglas Engelbart – Computer pioneer who used LSD and credited it with helping him conceptualize the computer mouse and graphical user interface.
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Francis Crick – Co-discoverer of DNA; some accounts (debated) suggest LSD aided his visualization of the double-helix structure.
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Gabor Maté – Physician and author who credits ayahuasca with helping him process childhood trauma and informing his compassionate approach to addiction.
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George Harrison – Musician who viewed LSD as a catalyst that opened the door to his lifelong spiritual practice.
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Graham Hancock – Author who claims ayahuasca revealed alternative dimensions of reality and reshaped his understanding of ancient civilizations.
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Harry Styles – Musician who used psilocybin during the creation of Fine Line to explore identity and creativity.
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James Fadiman – Psychologist whose psychedelic experiences shaped his work on consciousness and microdosing research.
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Josh White – Founder of Fireside Project; uses psychedelic microdosing for ongoing personal insight and integration.
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Kacey Musgraves – Musician who credited psychedelic therapy with deep emotional healing and creative renewal after divorce.
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Kary Mullis – Nobel Prize-winning chemist who credited LSD with enabling the conceptual breakthrough behind PCR technology.
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Ken Kesey – Author and Merry Pranksters leader who credited psychedelics with inspiring his prose and countercultural activism.
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Kevin Herbert – Early Cisco Systems employee who claimed LSD aided technical problem-solving and creative insight.
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Kristen Bell – Actress who reported psilocybin helped reshape body image and manage depression and anxiety.
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Laura Huxley – Author and musician who credited psychedelics with aiding grief processing and consciousness exploration.
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Matt Metzger – Marine Corps veteran who microdosed psilocybin for PTSD relief and improved well-being.
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Michael Pollan – Journalist and author who credited psilocybin with ego dissolution, reduced death anxiety, and a transformed worldview, documented in How to Change Your Mind.
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Mike Tyson – Boxer who credits psychedelics (including mushrooms and 5-MeO-DMT) with curing depression, reducing aggression, and saving his life.
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Miley Cyrus – Musician who described ayahuasca as emotionally healing and transformative following personal loss.
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Oliver Sacks – Neurologist who said LSD taught him what the mind is capable of, deepening empathy for patients’ perceptual distortions.
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Paul McCartney – Musician who said LSD “opened his eyes,” fostering creativity, compassion, and a sense of higher reality.
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Paul Simon – Musician whose song Spirit Voices was directly inspired by ayahuasca experiences in the Amazon.
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Paul Stamets – Mycologist who credits psilocybin mushrooms with curing a severe stutter and inspiring his life’s work.
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Prince Harry – Publicly credited ayahuasca and mushrooms with helping him process grief and trauma.
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Ram Dass (Richard Alpert) – Psychologist-turned-spiritual teacher who credited psychedelics with catalyzing his transformation and teachings in Be Here Now.
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Reggie Watts – Comedian and musician who credits LSD and mushrooms with expanding creativity, self-understanding, and philosophical inquiry.
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Rick Doblin – Founder of MAPS; credits LSD with inspiring his mission to legalize and research psychedelic therapy.
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Robin Carhart-Harris – Neuroscientist who both studies and personally experienced psilocybin, gaining insight into ego dissolution and brain networks.
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Roland Griffiths – Johns Hopkins researcher whose work in psychedelic science rekindled deep inquiry into meditation and inner experience.
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Sam Altman – Technology executive who described psychedelics as among the most transformative experiences of his life, fostering calm and perspective.
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Sam Harris – Neuroscientist and philosopher who describes psychedelic experiences as providing genuine spiritual insight without religious belief.
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Seth Rogen – Actor who described mushrooms as deeply introspective, leading to major life and career reassessments.
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Stanislav Grof – Psychiatrist who documented therapeutic benefits of guided LSD sessions for trauma, anxiety, and end-of-life distress.
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Sting – Musician who credits ayahuasca and peyote with ego dissolution, insights into mortality, and artistic maturation.
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Susan Blackmore – Psychologist who credits psychedelic experiences with transforming her academic understanding of consciousness.
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Susan Sarandon – Actress who said ayahuasca and mushrooms reframed her sense of self and place in the universe.
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Tao Lin – Author who credits psychedelics with catalyzing imagination, emotion, and access to the unconscious.
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Terence McKenna – Ethnobotanist who claimed psilocybin and DMT revealed fundamental structures of reality and language.
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Timothy Leary – Psychologist who promoted psychedelics as tools for psychological and spiritual transformation.
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Willie Nelson – Musician who credits psychedelic experiences with shaping his worldview and spirituality.
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Thank you for this information. Did not know that so many public-persona people have tried it-- and talked or written about it. Will post if/when I get there. Has long been a bucket list item.