The trip of a lifetime

Way back in 1995, my first day at university, my next door neighbour in halls of residence, Bazza, asked me if I wanted to go backpacking at the end of our four year degree. As a mature student, he was thinking a bit further ahead than the 2 for 1 offer at the student union that evening! After graduating in 1999, we set off with our backpacks.  The first stop was a complete shock and assault to every sense, Mumbai. We travelled across the middle of India, trekked in Nepal, picked tea in the Malaysian highlands, partied through Thailand, learnt to scuba dive in Koh Tao, stopped off at Singapore, lived in Australia, went skydiving in New Zealand, ending up in America.

That year spent travelling was transformative in more ways than one. I learnt that I could survive with about eight items of clothing and 2 pairs of shoes for a whole year! Oh, how times have changed, I pack more now for a weekend away. As it was before mobile phones, I spent a lot of time being alone with my thoughts and feelings, and not constantly being distracted by a small screen. I do wonder if this laid the foundation for me being comfortable in my own company and with silence. I met truly wonderful people, realising how kindness connects us all, and made lifelong friends.

The year backpacking exposed me to so much of the world. I had such freedom. All I had to think about each day was what to eat and where to sleep. It opened my eyes to life. I’m so grateful to Bazza that first day at university planting the seed. Trips like that are meant to be once in a lifetime.  But what if you get another crack at it….

You can imagine my surprise when earlier this year. Bazza said he would be interested in coming along on a psychedelic retreat with me to the Netherlands. I have been reading and researching into the psychotherapeutic benefits of psychedelics such as psilocybin (otherwise known as magic mushrooms) in helping people with mental health conditions, such as OCD, PTSD, eating disorders and depression. It is said that a guided and faciliated psychadlic trip can equate to years of talking therapy.

Psychedelics affect on our brains can help us experience an altered or elevated state of consciousness, not dissimilar to a spiritual experience, creating a deep sense of connection with the world. Other benefits of using psychedelics include increased openness, love, appreciation for art, imaginative ideas, higher creativity, positive mindset, gratitude, expanding or awareness of self and nature of life itself. And the effects do not wear off but can be  lasting as they change some of the neural pathways in the brain that keep us stuck.

Psychedelic such as LSD were outlawed and criminalise by the American government in the 1960s, as they were seen as a direct threat to the government’s political and economic focus at the time, often manifesting as public resistance to the Vietnam war and military in general. In fear of losing control the government scramble to protect their power by implementing the  “Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act” in 1970.
However, psychedelics have been around millions of years. Neanderthal man ingested psilocybin in mushrooms, which provided evolutionary benefits such as improved eyesight, which helped devlop our species. Indigenous people have been using psychedelics in shamanic style ceremonies for thousands of years.

After the Covid pandemic, I was hungry to live life, aware of how many peoples lives were snatched from them too soon. I asked a few people if they wanted to come with me on the retreat, most people were nervous about drugs, or frightened of going into the deep, dark depths of their own mind. Bazza had never experimented recreationally with drugs at university. The closest he had gotten was taking a toke of a spliff that was passed to him, so it was a great, but welcome surprise of my old travel companion is up for another life changing trip.

I’m excited to experience something completely out of the ordinary. I know first hand the immense power of our bodies and minds and what they can achieve if tapped into. The Hypnobirthing course I did when first pregnant was revelatory. More recently I had a powerfully moving experience  at a breathwork session. I would love to be able to help clients deepen their self development work with micro dosing. In order to do that, I first have to experience it myself. I am ready to surrender to the mind altering power of plants. I look forward to trying to share the experience – if I can find the words and vocabulary to explain my trip.

See you on the other side.