To Trip or Not to Trip
- Kris J. Simpson
- 7 days ago
- 16 min read
Are psychedelics necessary?
I wasn’t very impressed; what appeared to be sunspots drifted across my field of vision as I sat in a chair with my eyes closed. They distracted me from what I was trying to see—colourful geometric patterns, and if I was lucky, perhaps some encounters with entities.
After taking a deep breath and exhaling, I asked myself, “What do you see?” as I tried to guide myself through this journey into darkness I had embarked on. My pseudo-guide’s voice was drowned out by a song I first heard as a teenager, which my mind linked to breakup heartache, now stuck on auto-play, looping over the chorus repeatedly; nothing short of torture. I felt like Riley in the Disney movie Inside Out, who had an annoying and repetitive jingle stuck in her head. I think my mind was doing everything it could to keep me stranded [but safe] on the Island of Ego.
“Let go, let go”, I silently told myself, “what do you see? Go deeper, deeper.” I followed the prompts and let my mind slip into a trance, hoping to see further, all the while with my eyes closed. I was surprised when the first vision appeared. It looked like columns of flames, but in monochrome—no colour. I felt as though I could walk into the flames, and it had a maze-like quality. As soon as I tried to see into the maze, they disappeared. I realized I was fighting to break down a filter my mind had imposed, restricting my ability to see further.
After relaxing into it and relinquishing more and more control, I regained my vision, but this time it was a massive fiery sun—still in monochrome. The view blurred and blended into darkness until linear beams of light burst out. It resembled an eye with a pupil, but in the form of a black hole, encircled by a ring of bright light, making the iris appear as an accretion disk, and I felt myself being drawn towards its centre, with my body stretching beyond recognition. Strangely, it also brought a blissful feeling.
Like the sun was breathing in and out, it disappeared again and then returned with bright white beams of light. Suddenly, I felt myself entering the sun, and the light reversed and radiated from my chest in a semi-circular pattern. At that moment, it felt as if I had been struck and frozen, unable to feel my body, completely disassociated, and not a single thought crossed my mind as an energetic wave swept over me. I wasn’t sure if I still existed. It literally took my breath away. Paradoxically, I was gone, yet very much present.
The bright light continued to emanate from me—beyond bright and powerful. The intensity overwhelmed me, and I began to cry, mouth open, no sound, eyes closed, without tears. The vision dissipated, and I came back into consciousness, pausing for a moment, feeling both overwhelmed and afraid, then returning to the vision of the sun, experiencing the same extraordinary feeling which is difficult to describe. It wasn’t happiness, peace or joy; it was a feeling I had never felt before, and have never felt since.
This all happened on a Monday morning, and no, believe it or not, I hadn’t taken any hallucinogenic drugs; I was simply meditating.
It was such a remarkable experience that I immediately wrote down the details, wanting to share them with a friend of mine who is an energy healer, because sharing them with anyone else might require too much explanation, not about the experience but to convince them that I had not lost my mind.
I had been meditating fairly consistently for 15 years by that point, but I had never experienced anything like this. On that particular day, I focused on looking beyond what felt like an illusory yet restrictive force field in my mind, and I was able to break through it with my sight, even though my eyes were closed. I understand there are a few delusional claims in that sentence, but what can I say? That’s what I saw.
Perhaps that field is a protective mechanism, created by the Ego, to preserve and foster a sense of identity. This survival mechanism would be very beneficial from a natural selection standpoint, if not entirely necessary, not just for survival but also for navigating life alongside others who also have a strong, protective sense of identity.
It took a paradoxical directive to move forward while also surrendering. I managed to briefly break through to the other side, as Jim Morrison of the Doors sang on their debut album in 1967. But since this experience, that magical door has stayed closed for me. I’m not upset about it, and honestly, I’m not sure if I need to go through it again, since just knowing what was on the other side was really all I needed to know.
My possibly once-in-a-lifetime meditation isn’t quite unlike those who have experienced psychedelic trips, which involve different levels of Ego dissolution: the diminishing or, if you’re fortunate—and perhaps for some, unfortunate—a complete, although temporary, elimination of what it feels like to be you.
So, the question is, if you're curious about reality and what secrets it might be withholding, or maybe you want to overcome an addiction, anxiety, depression or another mental health condition:
Are psychedelics necessary to experience an altered state of consciousness?
Do we need to use drugs to explore another dimension and detach from our sense of Self?
Or do we already possess everything needed to achieve higher states of enlightenment within ourselves?
If you’re familiar with my writing, then you will know the answer is yes, and no, a harmony of the opposites. Let me explain.
During a psychedelic trip fueled by hallucinogenic substances such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), or a more natural compound like psilocybin (magic mushrooms) one may experience altered consciousness, sensory distortions, emotional intensity and almost certainly a high level of unpredictability, hence the terror that one might experience while on a “bad-trip”.
These substances don’t come with the customary warning labels like prescription drugs; rather, it’s assumed that you take them at your own risk, which, fortunately, notwithstanding the possibility of psychological injury, some of these substances have a high margin of safety and are not considered addictive, since who in their right mind would want to go on routine terror-trips.
Of course, the medicine [or poison] depends on the dose and will be experienced differently based on what is called the “set” and “setting,” which should be given careful consideration before experimenting with psychedelics. "Set" includes your mindset at the time and the mental preparation you do before taking the drug, while "setting" encompasses where it takes place and who will be present, which will influence the overall vibe.
Terrence McKenna, an American philosopher and ethnobotanist (the study of humans’ relationship to plants), advocated for what he called the “heroic dose” for complete ego dissolution, which required you to eat 5 grams of mushrooms on an empty stomach and sit in a dark room to witness your Self disappear. I don’t believe Terrence believed in titrating dosages; rather, he recommended jumping off the cliff and into the abyss.
With transparency, although I have quite a bit of experience with meditation, I don’t have much experience with hallucinogens, as I didn’t consider the “set” and paid limited attention to the setting when I dabbled in them, since my experiences were recreational. Yes, I was still seeking to lose my sense of self, but my goal was to temporarily escape into the darkness of self-indulgence, not to seek enlightenment. I have since decided that form of having “fun” was blinding me to what lies on the other side, and for many years have been the sober explorer, so I’ll be approaching this from a somewhat biased perspective, but I believe I can explain both points of view without too much bias. If you want to read more about my meditation experience, you can read it here.
For those of you who haven’t sat down with friends for a cup of repulsive-tasting mushroom tea, or taken a trip to Costa Rica to spend time with a Shaman who will not only guide you through an eight-hour journey through the jungle of your mind, but also provide you with a bucket so you don’t make too much of a mess of yourself as you exorcise your demons through the not-so-flattering act of vomiting, let’s discuss a few of the psychedelic compounds and as Dr Suess said: “Oh,the places You’ll Go” when you take them.
First of all, let’s discuss the organism that is distinct from plants and humans, belonging to its own kingdom called Fungi: The magic mushroom, or the active psychedelic compound it contains: psilocybin.
This is the first psychedelic I want to discuss, as it shows the most promise from a medicinal point of view. After years of prohibition, research on psychedelics for therapeutic use at universities has recently regained momentum, and psilocybin is on its way—at the time of writing—to potentially being the gold standard treatment for mental health issues like depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and addiction.
So far, the results of these trials are staggering. In a smoking cessation pilot study using psilocybin combined with CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), 80% of long-term smokers achieved abstinence at 6 months, far surpassing other treatments, which typically have under 35% abstinence rates. Multiple trials using psilocybin-assisted therapy to treat MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) resulted in large decreases in depression symptoms for two-thirds of participants up to 12 months post-treatment. It has also been used in a trial for terminal cancer patients, where a double-blind study showed that a single high dose of psilocybin could provoke profound mystical experiences of spiritual significance, creating positive changes in attitudes and mood for those obviously needing it the most.
What is not surprising, given my experiences in meditation and the correlation it has with psychedelic experiences, is the personality changes that a large dose of psilocybin can produce, particularly in openness to new ideas and emotions, which is related to the openness trait of the Big Five personality traits and linked to increased creativity and curiosity. Nonetheless, these are overdue breakthroughs in managing the widespread neurosis that many modern people encounter at least once in their lives.
This marks a revival in the study of psychedelics that began in the 1960s, but unfortunately, the research was mismanaged by an eccentric Harvard faculty member named Timothy Leary, who is best known for his motto: "Turn on, tune in, drop out."
Those ‘who have written about his life have stated: “He is often called the "high priest’ of the 1960s counterculture for his passionate advocacy of LSD, psilocybin, and other psychedelics as tools for personal transformation, spiritual growth, and societal change.”
Leary was conducting psychedelic experiments with Harvard students, which led to him being fired in 1963, making national headlines, and unfortunately triggering a backlash that eventually resulted in the criminalization of LSD and psilocybin, as well as shutting down all related research. President Nixon allegedly described Leary as “the most dangerous man in America,” possibly fearing that if American youth followed his advice to turn on, tune in, and drop out, it would undermine their efforts to persuade young men to fight and die in the jungles of Vietnam in the name of patriotism.
It would be a few more decades before regulatory approval was granted to continue researching psychedelics, led by the late Roland Griffiths from Johns Hopkins, thankfully in 2000, with the first landmark study released in 2006.
Another well-known figure who experimented with LSD in the late 1950s was Bill W., the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, the 12-step program that has helped millions of people worldwide overcome their addiction not only to alcohol but also to various drugs, gambling, sex, and even food.
He described the experience positively, “it helped him re-experience a kind of spiritual awakening similar to the “white light” or “hot flash” moment that had helped him overcome his own alcoholism in 1934.” He worked with a psychologist and a spiritual advisor at the Los Angeles Veterans Administration Hospital for his LSD therapy, which also helped him with the long-term depressive disorder he suffered from.
Other hallucinogenic drugs used to treat mental health issues include ketamine, a dissociative drug (which temporarily disconnects you from your environment and sense of self) commonly used in anaesthesia and popular recreationally within the rave scene. This allows patients to detach from their trauma, providing a different perspective—one they might not be able to perceive while firmly rooted in their sense of identity.
It works differently than psilocybin or LSD, which are serotonin agonists, because it mainly affects the brain's glutamate system to promote neuroexcitement, leading to neuroplasticity or the formation of new neural connections. This contrasts with GABA, the inhibitory neurotransmitter affected by alcohol, which may enhance social bonding but can also cause social issues for those who over-indulge. That said, I don’t think there will be any upcoming inebriation trials to help with mental well-being. In conclusion, ketamine provides faster initial results but does not appear to have the same long-lasting effects as psilocybin.
Another drug that is associated with the electronic music scene is MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), commonly known as “Ecstasy” or “Molly”. Like ketamine, it isn’t considered a classic hallucinogenic psychedelic drug like psilocybin or LSD, but is being used in talk therapy, since this drug increases trait openness without sending you to another planet, allowing you to enhance social connections by increasing the bonding hormone, oxytocin, along with being a massive serotonin booster, making the treatments an empathic experience, however, it does come with a lesser margin of safety, with side effects including elevated heartrate and blood pressure and the dreaded comedown depression and anxiety users experience when the drug is leaving their system.
The two lesser-known and less commonly used psychedelic compounds are not synthesized in a lab; instead, they are referred to as “plant medicines”.
DMT, which comes in two forms — DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) and 5-MeO-DMT (5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) — is found naturally in many plants, including the Amazonian brew called ayahuasca, which was mentioned earlier. 5-MeO-DMT is also found in the secretion of a toad species, Bufo alvarius, and is inhaled using a vaporizer. Like psilocybin and LSD, it is yet again a serotonin agonist.
On a side note, it’s not surprising to me that the psychedelics currently being studied are associated with the serotonergic system rather than another neurotransmitter mechanism, such as the dopaminergic system. Serotonin, the neurotransmitter linked to feelings of calm, focus, and emotional stability, and one of the oldest neurotransmitter systems in evolution, works with and opposes another neurotransmitter, dopamine, which is associated with feelings of pleasure, excitement, and anticipation. They work in tension with each other, with one acting as the gas and the other as the brake, metaphorically speaking: serotonin keeps us at peace in the present moment, while dopamine suggests that happiness is just a few more hoops to jump through.
Because in the Western world, where materialism is like a religion for many, serotonin would just slow us down; instead, lifestyles demand more and more dopamine, leading to an epidemic of anxiety and depressive disorders, which are correlated (but not limited to) imbalances of serotonin.
Another interesting point is that these compounds’ mechanisms of action simply harness our own biology to promote healing and awareness. The main idea is that we already have the necessary components within us, so it’s about cultivating these mental states — whether through external substances we swallow or inhale, or by practicing techniques like meditation and focused breathing to achieve the same goal. But for some, I worry that the latter option might not be effective; more on this later.
DMT has been called the “spirit molecule,” as described in the documentary and book by Rick Strassman featuring Joe Rogan, the well-known comedian and podcaster, who appears to advocate for DMT after many personal experiences using the compound. He describes these experiences as “like being shot through a rocket to the centre of the universe. It often feels like breaking into a great white field of geometry or encountering otherworldly entities, including ‘machine elves.’”
DMT is not for the faint-hearted, as it is the most powerful of all the hallucinogens, with 5-MeO being the most intense, capable, albeit temporarily, of erasing your identity completely, simulating an NDE (Near Death Experience).
Its effects come on within seconds, and then you’re gone, up, up, and away into another dimension you didn’t know existed. What seems like a lifetime for the person who just inhaled toad secretions clocks in at only about 10–20 minutes earth-time.
John Hopkins is researching what has been called the “God Molecule” as a potential treatment for antidepressant-resistant patients, offering a shorter duration for the mystical experience compared to psilocybin, since each dosing session lasts 4–6 hours. The risks are higher with this compound, as the danger of psychedelic injury is considerably greater with DMT than with psilocybin.
The other psychedelic compound, also found naturally in a shrub from Africa, is called Ibogaine. It comes from the shrub Tabernanthe iboga, which works very differently from other more common psychedelics because its mechanism of action affects multiple pathways, essentially rewiring the brain. Although studies are limited, they have shown some success in treating opioid addiction, with anecdotal reports claiming that only one treatment is needed, although that treatment is usually a gruelling and intense 12–24 hours long.
The issue with this compound, and why I don’t think it will ever be studied as extensively as psilocybin or DMT, is the cardiac risk. For some patients who are not properly screened, it can cause cardiac arrhythmias, and there have been reports of fatal cardiac events.
If one wishes to explore psychedelics, they will need to navigate the legal barriers if doing so recreationally here in North America. However, there are many options to investigate in Mexico and South America for those who consider themselves brave early explorers of what I believe will be the next frontier of mental health treatment — offering a competitive alternative to traditional psychoactive medicines like antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, especially for those who are treatment resistant.
Still, it would be wise to proceed with caution since individuals with a potential for schizophrenia, a mental disorder with a 70–80% genetic component, or bipolar disorder, should be careful with these substances because, although rare, long-term side effects like psychosis could occur — particularly for those who weren’t properly screened, weren’t prepared, or lacked the support needed during a psychedelic experience.
I should note that although I have been focusing on the benefits psychedelics may offer for treating mental health disorders, that is not the only reason someone might want to experience their effects. Since presumably pre-history, humans have had a deep desire for spiritual insight, a yearning to understand where we came from, why we’re here, and where we’re headed when we leave this world.
And there are some ancient artifacts suggesting that we may have been using psychedelics to open “The Doors of Perception,” also the title of Aldous Huxley’s book where he famously recounted his own psychedelic experience.
“Researchers suggest that “early humans in Africa and Europe may have ingested psychoactive mushrooms for thousands of years. North African cave art from 5000 BCE depicts what are believed to be ‘magic mushrooms,’ and archaeological evidence of psilocybin use in Mesoamerica dates back to as early as 1000–1500 BC”.
Not surprisingly, the oldest archaeological evidence of meditation is also ancient, with some researchers putting it between 5000 and 3500 BCE, starting in the Indus valley.
I would imagine that these ancient people experienced something very similar to what modern individuals feel when they take psychedelics or when they meditate: access to an unfiltered view of both external and internal perception, freeing them from the bond of the Self, which was built on the foundation of their biology and then constructed layer by layer from their filtered experiences. These experiences were later translated into language so the narrative could be shared and internally replayed indefinitely.
It’s our DMV (Default Brain Network), which is the source of inner chatter, often highly critical. During both meditation and psychedelic trips, the parts of our brain that make up the DMV can decouple and show a significant decrease in activity, allowing us to detach not only from reality but also from our sense of self, the story we tell ourselves, although internal, still using language as the mode of communication.
If it is our inner voice that ruminates over past regrets and future worries, which we identify as I and Me, and that keeps us stuck, closed-minded, and limited, then not only can psychedelics drown out the inner monologue, but meditation — albeit through a gentler approach that gives the meditator more control over their experience — can do so as well.
With meditation, you can walk through the door, but it doesn’t close behind you as it can with psychedelics, forcing you to face whatever lies beyond that door without the option to turn back if it becomes too frightening. Paradoxically, to integrate fear, you must submit to it; you can’t run away from it. You need to run into it, but meditation allows you to face it at your own pace.
After you have seen what many trippers and meditators would call “the truth”, or the unfiltered version of reality, it might be difficult to go back to seeing things the way you did, and perception is the game changer — how we see the world is who we will be in the world. So, for those feeling stuck, this might be a way to detach from their patterns and gain a new perspective on themselves and the people around them.
So, back to the question that inspired this writing: To trip or not to trip.
Are mind-altering drugs essential to experiencing a sense of oneness, the interconnectedness with all existence, increasing empathy and humility, understanding what it feels like to be someone else, and recognising our smallness in the universe? Are hallucinogens the key elements for viewing reality from a new perspective — breaking free from habitual patterns that cause us suffering?
For some, the answer is yes.
If you tend to score low in trait openness, favouring a more narrow and practical way of thinking, and preferring predictability over novelty most of the time, your strengths in many real-world situations could turn into weaknesses if your goal is to gain a new perspective. As Iain McGilchrist, Scottish philosopher and psychiatrist, points out, you might rely too much on your left-brain hemisphere, with most of your focus on understanding the explicit, rather than what the right hemisphere excels at: understanding the implicit and the abstract.
In left hemisphere states, what is gained and maintained through control is valued more than what could be expanded by surrendering and letting go. When knowing what we know and knowing what we don’t know is preferred over knowing what we don’t know we don’t know.
If you find yourself more in this mental space compared to the alternative, then removing your free will and leaving you with no other option but to be thrown into the unknown might be necessary. In fact, it could be the only way since you will never expand your mind if you’re always the actor, director and producer of your own show.
In comparison, because meditation still allows you to participate in the journey, if you’re willing to surrender control, it can be a viable option, if not before ever trying psychedelics, but certainly after, as it will be necessary to continue with a practice that allows you to continue your exploration. Although many psychedelic advocates proclaim that a one-and-done is all that is necessary, I am very skeptical of that claim.
Some like myself were forced into humility, powerless and brought to their knees, compelled to turn inward to find a way out. Suffering drives us to act, and there is purpose in suffering, but for others, curiosity might be enough to motivate them on a path to spiritual discovery.
Meditation was my path, and I describe it as viewing the world through a child’s eyes again, with awe and wonder. It involves shedding your old self and being reborn. It is a magical experience and the only method I know to find peace. And for others, psychedelics could serve as the catalyst that creates a pathway for a lasting meditation practice.
My point: there is more than one path to consider, but for the student who wants to see what the master sees, there is a long road ahead.
You will discover what we all find when we let go and look inward, dissolving the ego. No matter the method — meditation, psychedelics, pharmaceuticals, mysticism, assisted or unassisted self-inquiry, or if you were the unfortunate, fortunate soul who had a near-death experience — it’s that we are small parts of something greater. That everything is energetic and interconnected. It brings up feelings of fear and joy, but most of all, the most powerful feeling of ecstasy one could ever know. Even if it’s only felt momentarily, it can change your outlook on life forever.
If our divine universal purpose is to develop enough humility to sense the sacred and the wisdom to see the whole beyond the parts, then there are ways to find this place. However, it is a place of infinity, and after pulling back the veil, there is much to uncover — enough to fill a lifetime.
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