What is psychedelic integration?
An intentional psychedelic journey can be an intense experience, unlike any other. It might involve a rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows. The unearthing of long-repressed thoughts, feelings, and memories. New insights or perspectives on ourselves and the world around us.
Returning to daily life without intentionally processing a psychedelic journey can be destabilising. It also means missing the opportunity to act on the powerful insights the journey has offered us.
Enter integration. This is the process through which we make sense of a psychedelic experience and its lessons for our lives. It is potentially the biggest determinant of whether a psychedelic journey becomes a catalyst for healing and evolution or fades into a hazy memory. It ideally occurs shortly after a psychedelic experience but you can also integrate journeys that happened months or years ago.
Integration can take many forms. Journaling, talking, meditation, yoga, breath work, dancing, and painting are all examples. If the activity offers an intentional space for reflection and processing, it can be considered integration.
In my practice, I support clients to dive into the depths of their psychedelic experience to access pearls of wisdom that can inform whatever shifts they seek in their lives. This happens through focused sessions where we:
Deep dive into the journey experience to uncover key insights and lessons
Identify and overcome blockers to integrating the journey’s lessons into daily life
Learn practical tips to stay connected to the experience and incorporate its lessons into a daily routine
Share guidance on leveraging the neurologically optimal post-journey period to release old patterns and form new habits.
Integration should be a key pillar of all intentional psychedelic experiences, whether you do this alone or with the support of a professional. To learn more, schedule a chat with me here.
Blog image by Michael Brandt on Unsplash.