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This is an excellent book, and I second its recommendation. I'd also recommend The Secret Chief Revealed[1], about Leo Zeff, an early psychedelic therapist.

[1] - https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chief-Revealed-Myron-Stolaroff...

"I'm not talking about a sterile windowless room with bright lights and various people walking in and out telling you to do things. More like a therapy setup, similar to how they're experimenting with MDMA. Someone who knows what they are doing guiding things, helping you explore your mind."

Indeed. I highly recommend reading "The Secret Chief Revealed"[1], about Leo Zeff, a pioneering psychedelic therapist. His "clinic" was not a hospital with whitewashed walls, but more like a cozy apartment (it might have even been his apartment.. I don't have the book on hand myself right now). Here's an excerpt from the book that I wrote down. It doesn't talk about the setting much, but reveals some of his approach:

"Zeff did not like to refer to psychedelics as "drugs" rather "medicine". It could be used properly or improperly, just as morphine or antibiotics. Working as a Jungian therapist Zeff believed he was there to basically assist his clients in finding their own solutions, more of less waiting it out. With LSD the solutions came much quicker, often with a single trip. In therapeutic use of LSD Zeff had his clients agree to a basic set of rules: 1. they would not leave the house or place where the trip was taking place without his permission, 2. they agreed that there would be no physical harm or violence to them, him or anyplace they were, 3. reiterate the security agreement - they must agree that they will never reveal to anybody else where and with whom they had the experience without his prior approval, 4. there would be no sex during the experience, 5. the client had to agree to follow Zeffs directions no matter what, the client had to agree to follow his commands without question and have faith in him. Prior to taking the medicine they would then read a prayer aloud. The clients were asked to bring in photographs of family and important people and places in their lives as well as personal articles which would stimulate a therapeutic conversation which would take place prior to the effects of the medicine. Once the medicine took effect the client would lie down, put a cover over their eyes and headphones on so that they could listen to music.

"Music was played the entire time during the experience. Zeff believed this to be very important. This is one area in which I wish the conversation/text had delved deeper. The music which was considered so important is barely discussed other than to say that it was always on. It is mentioned that the music would very based upon the clients tastes, the impression I get is that classical or jazz were the main genres."

Here is the beginning of a much more recent account of psychedelic therapy (I encourage reading the full article[2], as it is excellent), the methodology of which is clearly influenced either by Zeff or other early psychedelic therapy pioneers:

"When Mettes arrived at the treatment room, at First Avenue and Twenty-fifth Street, Tony Bossis and Krystallia Kalliontzi, his guides, greeted him, reviewed the day’s plan, and, at 9 A.M., presented him with a small chalice containing the pill. None of them knew whether it contained psilocybin or the placebo. Asked to state his intention, Mettes said that he wanted to learn to cope better with the anxiety and the fear that he felt about his cancer. As the researchers had suggested, he’d brought a few photographs along--of Lisa and him on their wedding day, and of their dog, Arlo--and placed them around the room.

"At nine-thirty, Mettes lay down on the couch, put on the headphones and eye mask, and fell silent."

[1] - https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chief-Revealed-Myron-Stolaroff...

[2] - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/09/trip-treatment

I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about something I rarely hear mentioned to newcomers:

It's very common for one's first or early psychedelic experiences to be really special.. more powerful, more magical, more intense than any later experiences. A lot of people wind up chasing that magic later without success.

Don't squander the opportunity. Prepare yourself well. Think of it as a trip to another planet which you'll only get to take once. Think carefully about why you're going, where you'll be, when you'll go, what you'll bring, how you'll travel, and who you'll travel with. These could make or break the experience.

It's also important to try to bring back and integrate what you learn from your trip. Try to record what you learn in some way: write it down, paint it, draw it, sing it, something... even if you're exhausted afterwards. Like dreams, psychedelic insights are so fleeting. If you don't get them down soon you could easily lose them.

Check out The Secret Chief Revealed[1] and The Psychedelics Explorer's Guide[2] for some more detailed recommendations on preparing for and making the most of your experience.

[1] - https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chief-Revealed-Myron-Stolaroff...

[2] - https://www.amazon.com/Psychedelic-Explorers-Guide-Therapeut...

⬐ ramblerman

I'd like to counter this with the opposite advice. Don't read up and create expectations of anything. Like people meditating and wondering when their 'chakras' will activate.

Know just 2 things:

- setting is crucial, pick a place where you are comfortable and won't be disturbed, and people there are very close

- mindset, be in a good mood! if you are stressed or recently lost someone, hold off.

If you get scared of something, move towards it. Don't run, as soon as you accept it, it will vanish.

I don't mean to bash OP but I absolutely disagree that you need to feel this sense of urgency, or importance to capture it all. Just enjoy yourself.

⬐ stinos

A lot of people wind up chasing that magic later without success. Don't squander the opportunity. Prepare yourself well

Hear, hear, this is solid advice. How I'd wish somebody would have told me that when starting with all that magic. Problem still being: I likely wouldn't have listened anyway, thanks youth for screwing me over again :P So looking back what I'd really wish now is that I would have waited until I was somewhat more adult and wise, and would have properly prepared myself.. Not that I'm not happy with the good side of what the experiences teached me, but in hindsight I could have avoided much of the bad side of it.

"Was this person insane in the first place? No, I lived 4 years of my life with this guy and he was one of the smartest, most intelligent people I've ever met."

Intelligent people can have mental issues. They can be really good at hiding them too -- both from other people and sometimes even from themselves.

I've read over and over again of people living together for decades, and one day they find out that the other person is a serial killer or an abuser or some other sort of criminal, and they had no idea, even after living their whole lives with them. People are really good at deceiving each other, and often the people closest to them are just in denial, and either overlook or make excuses for behavior and signs that sometime look worrisome in retrospect or when seen by people who aren't so involved.

Psychedelics, especially at large doses, are certainly not without risks. Some people just aren't ready to face what they might reveal. Many people also don't treat them with much respect, viewing them merely as party drugs or sometimes even destructively. There are ways to use them constructively, and ways of maximizing the chances of having a productive experience and of integrating what one learned during that experience back in to one's ordinary life.

For specific recommendations on maximizing the positive potential of psychedelics I'd recommend reading "The Secret Chief Revealed" and "The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide":

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chief-Revealed-Myron-Stolaroff...

https://www.amazon.com/Psychedelic-Explorers-Guide-Therapeut...

Ketamine is itself a psychedelic.

With all psychedelics, it's very important to integrate the insights you gain during the experience back in to your ordinary life, or they are likely to fade.

It's also important to use psychedelics constructively: with a constructive intention, with an experienced sitter that you trust, in a safe setting. There are lots of other things one can do to prepare. I'd recommend reading "The Secret Chief Revealed" and "The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide".[1][2]

[1] - https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chief-Revealed-Myron-Stolaroff...

[2] - https://www.amazon.com/Psychedelic-Explorers-Guide-Therapeut...

Amazing book to answer that question:

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chief-Revealed-Myron-Stolaroff...

It might not be legal or sanctioned by the mainstream psychological community yet, but it's definitely an option (if you can track down a therapist willing to do it).

Psychedelic therapy has been practiced virtually since psychedelics started to be widely used in the mid-20th century. In the 1950's and 60's, LSD and other psychedelics were used therapeutically. In the 1980's, efore MDMA became known as a party drug, it was used therapeutically. Indigenous people have traditionally used psychedlics in a sacramental context in which goals and results could arguably be seen as therapeutic.

When these drugs were made illegal, the above-ground therapy stopped, but some therapists dared to continue their work despite great risk to themselves. To give just one example, a book called *"The Secret Chief Revealed"[1] chronicles the work of one such underground psychedlic therapist, Leo Zeff, who led hundreds of therapy sessions with MDMA.

Today the practice of psychedelic therapy continues, and there are even university programs that teach it. It's still mostly underground, but is starting to rise aboveground and becoming a real option as research in to psychedelic therapy gets positive results and positive media coverage, as more doctors and patients become aware of it, and as the so-called Psychedlic Renaissance grows.

[1] - https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chief-Revealed-Myron-Stolaroff...

By the way, two good books that go in to much more detail on what makes for a good trip are:

The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide[1] and The Secret Chief Revealed[2]. The latter was written by a therapist who conducted hundreds of therapy sessions with MDMA.

[1] - https://www.amazon.com/Psychedelic-Explorers-Guide-Therapeut...

[2] - https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chief-Revealed-Myron-Stolaroff...

If you are interested in this sort of thing, I'd strongly recommend "The Secret Chief Revealed",[1] which goes in to detail on the playlist selection for psychedelic therapy and many other related topics. It's a truly excellent book on the subject.

[1] - https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chief-Revealed-Myron-Stolaroff...

For a little balance to this sordid, lurid, and sensationalistic account of psychedelic therapy, I'd recommend reading "The Secret Chief Revealed"[1] and Cary Grant's own accounts of his LSD experiences.[2]

An excerpt from the latter:

  "I learned may things in the quiet of that small room. I learned to
  accept the responsibility for my own actions, and to blame myself
  and no one else for circumstances of my own creating. I learned that
  no one else was keeping me unhappy but me"

[1] - https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chief-Revealed-Myron-Stolaroff...

[2] - https://spectregroup.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/cary-grants-th...

⬐ dominotw

> I learned to accept the responsibility for my own actions, and to blame myself and no one else for circumstances of my own creating. I learned that no one else was keeping me unhappy but me

Do you really need LSD to come to such mundane conclusions. It looks like something my uncle would post on his fb wall.

⬐ hutch34

I can say that the difference between reading or studying quotes such as these (which I did, and still enjoy doing) and actually looking at myself without bias and accepting those artificial hurdles that I had placed on myself with the aid of LSD was astounding.

The best way I can describe it is that it was a positive, insightful, and compassionate change in my entire perspective rather than just 'Yes, of course my actions are my only limitation.'

The extreme substance abuser can be told by the most caring and compassionate friends and family how they can better themselves, they can be strong-armed and forced to go through rehab, they can even seek out their own counselling by professionals, but none of this may stick or actually remove those harmful actions or desires as much as entire change of perspective and reflection on themselves with complete acceptance. They have to really, truly find it for themselves, rather than just be told.

I think the most helpful and profound difference between regular counselling and basic self-help practices for myself and the experiences that I had while on LSD, was the fact that I experienced the 'ego-death', and looked at myself objectively, rather than with all of the baggage and strings I had attached to the negative things that I was drawn to. I was able to shed my insecurities by understanding what was important to myself, rather than what was important to those around me (even those who had my same interests in mind).

⬐ paloaltokid

Are you living with this conclusion in your own life? Informing all of your decisions? I would venture that the answer is no.

⬐ icebraining

Has Cary Grant? How do we know?

⬐ vertex-four

I will note that these conclusions are neither mundane nor universally correct. They certainly fit in with certain ideology which Hacker News and the startup scene like, but I could never lead a fulfilling life without the input and love of others and, equally, my devotion to them - and I am not solely talking about family and romantic partners.

On the other hand, there are indeed certain things which are my domain alone. But if I fulfilled these - had a house, a dream job, security of income - I would still be unhappy without others around me, which is not under my control, nor should it be.

⬐ PhasmaFelis

What do you gain, personally, from running down methods that worked for other people? Apparently some people _do_ need LSD to come to such "mundane" conclusions. Does that make them less valid?

⬐ PhasmaFelis

What do you gain, personally, from running down something that works for someone else?

⬐ 77pt77

> It looks like something my uncle would post on his fb wall.

And he would probably do it with an inspirational picture in the background. With this guy you don't even get that.

This just adds to my observations regarding people that say LSD and other psychedelics give you insight.

I disagree, they make you feel like you've achieved insight when in reality you've achieved nothing.

It's all fake.

⬐ filoeleven

> This just adds to my observations regarding people that say LSD and other psychedelics give you insight. I disagree, they make you feel like you've achieved insight when in reality you've achieved nothing.

Many empirical studies were done in the brief span between the (re)discovery of psychedelics and their subsequent ban. The research has existed since the 1960s. We are finally at the point where some new research is being allowed, and the results are lining up nicely with what the older studies reported. The majority of people who go through a properly guided psychedelic experience consistently rank it as one of the most important experiences of their lives. Follow-up studies have shown that the positive effects are tangible and frequently lasting. If the insight were illusory, you'd have only the patients talking about it while the psychologists reported that there's nothing meaningful going on there. This is not how it went down.

I'm at work so can't track down references online, but there are several chapters in the book The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide by James Fadiman that describe in-depth a number of studies, with lots more referenced in the bibliography. Fadiman was one of the psychologists doing studies until psychedelics were outlawed.

There was recently an end-of-life study done in somewhere in Europe, I believe, which gave a large dose of psilocybin (in a comfortable setting with psychologists present) to terminally ill cancer patients who were having trouble coming to terms with their own death, and all of the depression etc. that comes with that. The outcome was highly successful, with most patients reporting a higher quality of life afterwards. One patient is interviewed in the documentary DMT: The Spirit Molecule, AFAIK available for streaming on Netflix. You can readily see that she isn't faking her new positive outlook on what's left of her life.

This comment is already too long. The point is, if you think there is nothing going on there, you clearly haven't looked into the research at all. It's possible to take LSD and not get much of anything out of it, just like it's possible to miss the depth in any experience. However it is undeniable that in the proper setting, with the proper mindset, psychedelics can be used to gain personal insight (and more importantly the ability to act on that insight to change one's life for the better), to deal with past psychological trauma, cure drug addiction, and to enhance creative problem-solving among other things. As more research avenues open up, the body of evidence will only grow.

Two quick references for further information:

http://www.heffter.org

http://www.maps.org

⬐ drumttocs8

I think you might benefit from some empirical evidence...

⬐ AnimalMuppet

I believe that 77pt77's point is that, when you're on something like LSD, you can't trust that the empirical evidence has any objective validity. Yes, you had an experience, and it seemed to you to be a profound one. You gained something that felt to you like insight. But any correlation between that and actual insight about yourself may be coincidental.

⬐ 77pt77

You got my point completely. The 5 people that down-voted my comment apparently didn't.

Apparently this is a very sensitive subject here.

⬐ lovemenot

There seems to be a dichotomy between those who say that a psychological achievement is no achievement in reality and those who've experienced times where the basis of this or that psychological state has been fundamentally undermined. The latter are more prone to question the reality of any subsequent experience.

⬐ underwater

There is a big difference between posting a motivational quote on Facebook and internalising it to the extent that it sounds like Cary Grant did.

⬐ None

None

⬐ 77pt77

> "At the age of 53, after three unsuccessful marriages, either something was wrong with me or, obviously, with the whole sociological and moralistic concepts of our civilization."

Talk about a loaded assertion.

> "Any man who experiments with something that cannot benefit himself, or add to his happiness, and that of his fellow man in turn, is a fool and a menace to society."

Really?! No wonder this guy was miserable. It must be terrible going through life having to endure his company.

⬐ kbd

That excerpt from Grant is in the original article...

It is possible in more countries than you might expect.

I strongly recommend reading The Secret Chief Revealed,[1] for a taste of how this has been done even in countries where prohibition rages, like the US.

You would also profit from following the links. reading up on, and perhaps contacting the various people and organizations listed in the Wikipedia article on Psychedelic Therapy.[2]

[1] - http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chief-Revealed-Myron-Stolaroff/...

[2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_therapy

If you are interested in this question, I recommend listening to the following recording of a talk given by Alicia Danforth, research assistant to Dr. Charles Grob (who ran the psilocybin research study mentioned in this article).[1] She goes in to quite a lot of detail as to exactly how they conducted their study, and what measures they took to help prevent bad trips.

As supplementary reading, see the Erowid page on Dr. Charles Grob,[2] a book called The Secret Chief Revealed by Myron J. Stolaroff (about a famous psychedelic therapist),[3] and The Psychedelic Experience FAQ.[4] The book and FAQ have lots of great suggestions for having positive, constructive trips.

One of the key things you can do to increase the odds of having a good trip is having a trusted, experienced guide or sitter. To that end, I recommend the following sitter guidelines: [5][6][7][8]

[1] - http://www.matrixmasters.net/archive/Playalogues/131-Danfort...

[2] - https://www.erowid.org/culture/characters/grob_charles/grob_...

[3] - http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chief-Revealed-Myron-Stolaroff/...

[4] - https://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/faqs/psychedelic_experi...

[5] - http://csp.org/nicholas/A59.html

[6] - https://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/guides/guides_article2....

[7] - http://www.maps.org/gateway/%5B55%5D181-197.html

[8] - http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v09n1/09124mar.html