Should you do psychedelics?

A brief guide for the curious

I have long had a deep fascination with psychedelics—and a real sheepishness about the fact that I have been too afraid to try them.

On the one hand, the potential benefits of certain psychedelic compounds such as ayahuasca, psilocybin, and LSD seem immense. Studies suggest that they can help with addiction, PTSD, medication-resistant depression, and more.

Further, I have many friends who say that ingesting these molecules produced the most profound spiritual experiences of their lives. I’ve heard reports of oneness, beauty, and love. Some of my friends even say they’ve made contact with deceased relatives and entities from other realms. Holy shit, I want to check that out.

On the other hand, as someone with panic disorder, I am terrified of the very real potential for a bad trip, and possible lasting consequences. For instance, I’ve heard reports of people feeling as if they were dying. Plus, some of my own earliest experiences with panic were when I smoked weed.

My reservations are compounded by the fact that many psychedelics are currently illegal in most of the U.S., so taking these medicines often involves entering into an unregulated, underground marketplace.

So, what to do? I recently interviewed my old friend Jay Michaelson about all of this. Jay is a truly fascinating dude.

He's a meditation teacher, professor, rabbi, journalist and author. He is also a dedicated psychonaut who is now writing about these issues (and much more) on Substack and working at both Emory and Harvard at the intersection of law and psychedelics. In fact, next week he is hosting a symposium at Harvard Law School about the use of psychedelics in major world religions.

Jay appears on my podcast today. Click to listen or watch. He also recorded a special guided meditation that invites you to recollect a positive "altered state" experience you’ve had in the past.

As always, paid subscribers get a cheatsheet to the episode below. But today I’ve done something extra and written a brief guide for the curious, based on my conversation with Jay.

Where to start if you’re thinking of trying psychedelics? How to find a guide? What books to read? Which drugs do what? And more.

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OK, here we go. Just to say up front, in the spirit of CYA… this brief guide is not meant as an encouragement to break the law.

Step 1: Check your intention

Why do you want to do this? Spiritual growth? An acute issue such as anxiety or depression? Simple curiosity? Per Jay, any intention is fine; it’s just good to get clear on it.