What a wonderful, thoughtful piece. You hit the nail on the head with the idea of mainstreaming mindfulness and putting it "back on the employee." It sure can feel like the only path out is from within when there are so many forces actively destroying communal paths. I especially liked bringing it back to Ram Dass's ultimate insight that practice in community works.
Thank you David. Yes, that man had some great insights. And he put them forth with a great sense of humor. His appreciation for beloved community and "spiritual family" is very heartwarming and inspiring.
Kailey, what a fantastic piece of writing. I really enjoyed your perspective on the flip side, which might be just doing the work. We all achieve breakthrough different ways. I have considered psilocybin many time over the past couple years, but ultimately have decided against it each time, thinking the results of my work will eventually get me to that elevated state. Thank you so much for your insight!
Thanks so much, Jean. Yes, that's why I think Ram Dass had some really useful insights that he came to years back. There seem to be many paths up the mountain, so to speak. But with the hype and positive slant around psilocybin in the media right now, it's very seductive. Psilocybin is like taking the direct escalator up to the top of the mountain - potentially too fast and possibly scary quite a few of us. But "doing the work", or taking the slower meandering route allows for picking wildflowers and looking under rocks and all that good stuff along the way.
Kailey, thank you for sharing your story. It got me thinking about the amazing podcast Cover Story which talks about the very troubling patterns occurring underground and aboveground in the psychedelics space with all the attention on the studies. Not to take away from the promise for a vast amount of people, but I really suspect its not the solution for all based on anecdotes on the podcast. People are still extremely sensitive to them and we don't know why yet and I worry it's getting missed.
I low key have a theory that some people who might be HSPs (see Elaine Aron's Highly Sensitive Person) are just not built to process strong stimulating drugs. Because we are more than stimulated by default to begin with. Not a bad thing, just different! She's basically said this with regards to caffeine. I can't imagine HSPs handling psychedelics well. It's really hard to know for sure if one is a HSP, but I wish there was a way to see if there's correlation between being HSP and just not being great for psychedelics.
Thanks Nicole. Definitely agree with you about HSPs needing to be really discerning and conscientious. Sensitivity is a gift and (speaking personally) some days feels like a liability in a really loud and overwhelming world. Especially when there is such a tantalizing argument being made in the media, that kind of energy and momentum from the outside world can lead to over-riding or disreegarding the quieter voice of intuition.
Excellent insights, Kailey. I’ve never been drawn to anything that would provoke an altered state but think there’s a place for them to treat depression, anxiety, etc. I don’t think they’re a good “escape route” or solution to life’s pain or turmoil
Nicely written. They were never my thing, and the few experiences I had just heightened my anxiety. Seems like there are healthier, less risky choices.
Thank you so much for speaking on this! The mainstreaming of psychedelics and mind-altering substances as a pathway to recovery has always made me somewhat uncomfortable (although I'm not totally against it). I appreciate you sharing both sides, as I mostly read about the benefits particularly in the conversation about healing trauma, which I find very interesting. I also think there's something to be said about the commercialization of Ayahuasca, as it raises some serious questions about cultural appropriation and who should be holding ceremonies. Seeing clips of ceremonies being shared as social media content was concerning to say the least...
What a wonderful, thoughtful piece. You hit the nail on the head with the idea of mainstreaming mindfulness and putting it "back on the employee." It sure can feel like the only path out is from within when there are so many forces actively destroying communal paths. I especially liked bringing it back to Ram Dass's ultimate insight that practice in community works.
Thank you David. Yes, that man had some great insights. And he put them forth with a great sense of humor. His appreciation for beloved community and "spiritual family" is very heartwarming and inspiring.
Kailey, what a fantastic piece of writing. I really enjoyed your perspective on the flip side, which might be just doing the work. We all achieve breakthrough different ways. I have considered psilocybin many time over the past couple years, but ultimately have decided against it each time, thinking the results of my work will eventually get me to that elevated state. Thank you so much for your insight!
Thanks so much, Jean. Yes, that's why I think Ram Dass had some really useful insights that he came to years back. There seem to be many paths up the mountain, so to speak. But with the hype and positive slant around psilocybin in the media right now, it's very seductive. Psilocybin is like taking the direct escalator up to the top of the mountain - potentially too fast and possibly scary quite a few of us. But "doing the work", or taking the slower meandering route allows for picking wildflowers and looking under rocks and all that good stuff along the way.
Well said Jenn
Kailey, thank you for sharing your story. It got me thinking about the amazing podcast Cover Story which talks about the very troubling patterns occurring underground and aboveground in the psychedelics space with all the attention on the studies. Not to take away from the promise for a vast amount of people, but I really suspect its not the solution for all based on anecdotes on the podcast. People are still extremely sensitive to them and we don't know why yet and I worry it's getting missed.
I low key have a theory that some people who might be HSPs (see Elaine Aron's Highly Sensitive Person) are just not built to process strong stimulating drugs. Because we are more than stimulated by default to begin with. Not a bad thing, just different! She's basically said this with regards to caffeine. I can't imagine HSPs handling psychedelics well. It's really hard to know for sure if one is a HSP, but I wish there was a way to see if there's correlation between being HSP and just not being great for psychedelics.
Thanks Nicole. Definitely agree with you about HSPs needing to be really discerning and conscientious. Sensitivity is a gift and (speaking personally) some days feels like a liability in a really loud and overwhelming world. Especially when there is such a tantalizing argument being made in the media, that kind of energy and momentum from the outside world can lead to over-riding or disreegarding the quieter voice of intuition.
Holly and yourself are brilliant and it shows in your writing. Thank you for stretching my brain and my heart!
Thank you Tess!
Excellent insights, Kailey. I’ve never been drawn to anything that would provoke an altered state but think there’s a place for them to treat depression, anxiety, etc. I don’t think they’re a good “escape route” or solution to life’s pain or turmoil
Nicely written. They were never my thing, and the few experiences I had just heightened my anxiety. Seems like there are healthier, less risky choices.
Thank you so much for speaking on this! The mainstreaming of psychedelics and mind-altering substances as a pathway to recovery has always made me somewhat uncomfortable (although I'm not totally against it). I appreciate you sharing both sides, as I mostly read about the benefits particularly in the conversation about healing trauma, which I find very interesting. I also think there's something to be said about the commercialization of Ayahuasca, as it raises some serious questions about cultural appropriation and who should be holding ceremonies. Seeing clips of ceremonies being shared as social media content was concerning to say the least...
So insightful
Beautiful writing! Thank you so much for sharing Kailey – this really resonated with me. I love your sense of humour as well. Don't be a stranger! 💕