Taking Magic Mushrooms with Family

[LessIsMore]

TLDR: Looking to see if people have experience with or advice on doing magic mushrooms with their families for therapeutic purposes.

 

Dear community,

For several years I've been very committed to furthering my understanding topics related to spirituality and the use of psychedelics as a method to that end.

My first experience with magic mushrooms was 5 years ago and even though the set and setting to that experience wasn't with the intention of furthering understanding, I would say it was a very intrigued or even meaningful experience.

Two years ago I started considering psychedelics for personal development and I've been using magic mushrooms occasionally since then. During these trips I had multiple significant experiences, including the realization of oneness earlier this year. A couple of months ago, I had, what I now call to be the most meaningful experience in my life (on 2CB). I could look at my own life with compassion and love, the way friends and family would when looking at me. In a way, I could see myself through their eyes and suddenly all their words of love and encouragement made sense, more so than they ever did. It was as if the burden of my life fell from my shoulders. This was accompanied by realizing that it was within my power to create the life I would want to live, to give my life purpose and to work to the improvement of myself and others. To take it upon me to lead myself and others to a place in which I see good. The character of this experience in general was very, very humbling and powerful at the same time.

I am lucky to live in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where magic mushrooms are easily available and where the usage of substances such as MDMA (and other compounds) is not frowned upon (too much). This is why I've had many experiences with various substances during my time in college and I've always felt forthright to talk about this with my parents and family. Even though they would still frown upon some of these substances, or be close minded towards their potential, I always felt the need to normalize the usage of consciousness altering compounds in general.   

Back to the experience I had a few months ago: the result of this experience was that I had a conversion with my family about the significance of my experience and that it was very meaningful for me. Their reaction was mostly being intrigued by my story, not sure what to make of it, accompanied with some remaining caution (because 'drugs'). Building on this, I had another experience on magic mushrooms a few weeks ago during which I concluded that the most important work I could do is work towards more understanding and love within my family, and the way to do this would be to use magic mushrooms during the holidays. The nature of realizing this 'next step' was interesting in itself, but I'll leave that out of scope for this post.

Of course, there are many reasons why I think psychedelics could help my parents and family heal, both on an individual level as on a collective level. I don't want to get into the particularities. There are no serious mental disorders or health conditions at play, just a pile of family and relationship drama which has compounded over years and years. Talking doesn't help a lot any more and on some nihilism and close-mindedness have crept in. If I want to have a shot on improving the situation, I would need a stronger method to combat close mindedness. Having had positive experiences with magic mushrooms, I am convinced psychedelics could do the trick.  

I'm currently 29 with a sibling of 27, and my parents are early 60s. My own motivation for taking this step is the realization that life is short. If I'm lucky, I can enjoy the company of my parents for another 10-20 years and I want to make the most of those, both for myself and for my parents.

My question to the community is if there are any people out there who have attempted a similar thing before, and what their experience has been. In order to make this work I would need to muster the most convincing argument I ever made. How was this for you? What was the dose administrated? What are some of the pitfalls and risks? How could these be mitigated? How was the experience for members of your family? Was there lasting change? How was the aftermath? Any other advice to give?

One last thing to note, which I thought recently. Ancient nomadic tribal societies are suggested to have been using psychedelics for rituals and feasts collectively, I'm quite positive this would have a strengthening effect on family relationships. Considering this then, isn't it strange then in our western modern world we live more and more compartmentalized and detached from one another? Maybe psychedelics will be the family therapy of the future. 

Much love,

LessIsMore

Edited December 14, 2020 by LessIsMore

[Guest SirVladimir]

34 minutes ago, LessIsMore said:

Of course, there are many reasons why I think psychedelics could help my parents and family heal, both on an individual level as on a collective level. I don't want to get into the particularities. There are no serious mental disorders or health conditions at play, just a pile of family and relationship drama which has compounded over years and years. Talking doesn't help a lot any more and on some nihilism and close-mindedness have crept in. If I want to have a shot on improving the situation, I would need a stronger method to combat close mindedness. Having had positive experiences with magic mushrooms, I am convinced psychedelics could do the trick.

Okay. Look. Psychedelics are healing. They're a key to Shangri-La, actually. Freaking El-Dorado. Atlantis. Fuck, I love scripted masturbation. But I don't like the sound of this paragraph. It sounds like rationalizing of an ego as to why to 'give its parents psychedelics' and punish them for their close-mindedness under the cloak of 'waking them up.' I'm further convinced by this: You say in order to make this work I would need to muster the most convincing argument I ever made. Bad idea. In an ideal case, you wouldn't need an argument at all. Alright? This work isn't about persuading someone by logic. Their consent ought to resonate on a deeply intimate emotional level, not be decided from a position of rational exhaustion. Please, don't treat them like NPCs just because they haven't had mystical experiences. Despite being unaware, their whole life has been a mystical experience, and, in fact, from a spiritual stance, they are already perfect and enlightened, for they are consciousness, and you ought to love them unconditionally. Your motivation to do this is noble, and you are a gallant knight for pursuing it, yet canter not with your sword risen: Speak with them face to face, strip yourself of rationality, be emotionally naked, be so pure in telling them the real intention - and if they decline, that's perfectly fine, you've done the most you could. This coming out will be, most likely, emotionally grueling, and you'll want to use every good argument in the world before committing to it.

My first-ever post on this forum was about a desire to change people. Ironic, isn't it? This cute little thing called nonduality is actually a finely-edged circuit: By flipping the switch in yourself, you're automatically flipping the switches in everyone else. You're taking the entire world with you. Even a freaking bird - a tiny fella who chirps every morning outside your window - is suddenly woke as fuck. How come? He's perfect. So are your parents. I wouldn't have the courage to speak this while being dismembered in a jungle, but deep down I'd know the truth and eventually surrender. But if I were to bring my parents to the table; invite them on a trip, I'd do so from a position of complete unshacklement from desires. I'd tell them how unconditionally I love them, that this decision must come from within them, and I'd spill the beans. Also, the first trip should remain on a very light dose. 

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Maybe psychedelics will be the family therapy of the future. 

 Yup. Earth will be a gorgeous when this becomes a norm. But until then, we gotta play the cards we've been dealt.

[LessIsMore]

Thank you for being so direct about this. I do see the point you are making and I would like to thank you for (re)aligning my rationale with the one I had initially. 'The most convincing argument'  is not made with concepts but with love, that I recognize. I also recognize that I personally need to grow more if I don't want to fall back into old patterns of wishing something being different. Thanks again, your advice is well taken.

 

[Brahman]

I have definitely had the same thought but I agree with Sir Valdimir to a certain extent. I think people becoming educated about psychedelics is great and theres no reason not to suggest to offer some resources you've found helpful and interesting. But it's got to be their own choice and their own journey to decide they want to do it. Making it into a persuasive manipulative act even in the slightest way will not end well or bring about the healing people need. You can't force someone to change they have to decide to do it themselves. Same goes with spiritual healing in all ways including through psychedelic therapy. You can however offer resourses, videos /etc they may find interesting and help to spark an interest. 

 

Another idea is to start a lot smaller. Try watching some ram dass lectures together (or anybody else you like), try meditation nights once a week, try yoga sessions together (yoga with Adriene is great for all ages and levels), maybe even schedule a retreat for a week with the family (I went on one in Thailand with my father and it really brought us closer and opened him to spirituality). Then after a lot of that maybe see if they seem to fancy the idea of psychedelics. 

[Bodhitree]

I wonder if it is wise to go into this with much in the way of expectations or goals. It seems to me you may all have very different experiences, and what you take away from it could vary.