Now It Can Be Told! (Again) Secret Medicine of the Global Elite! Increase Intelligence! Boost Longevity! Improve neuroplasticity! Enhance athletic performance!
That clickbait headline is both true and radically false. Scientific evidence accumulates that the claims are true, but LSD is certainly no secret. Psychotherapists discovered as long ago as the 1950s that it can purge repressed memory all the way back to birth trauma. Studies suggest it triggers a cellular purge too, with benefits to health and longevity.
However, it remains prohibited as a dangerous drug with no approved medical use; too famous to be a secret, too vilified to be accepted as a medical breakthrough. As a result, official public information about how to use it safely and therapeutically is essentially unavailable. The drug is somewhat available as a street drug, but of dubious quality, while fentanyl and meth are ubiquitous, especially among the poor. The renewal of interest in therapeutic use of the psychedelics has led me to try to address the lack of public information by offering some practical guidelines or rules of thumb.I am not advocating that anyone use psychedelics. For some people they are notoriously worse than useless, at least outside a professional psychiatric context. However, for most people the psychedelics can be a safe and effective way to pursue ecstasy. These comments are addressed to those who already use psychedelics or are interested in reducing the potential harm associated with their misuse or inexpert use, or, more to the point, in maximizing their benefit.
None of the guidance will be a surprise to anyone who has read the classic texts in the field, Stanislav Grof's Realms of the Human Unconscious, and LSD Psychotherapy, published in 1976 and 1980. The former is packed with interesting details from actual sessions and, in my opinion, is still the best introduction for anyone interested in using LSD for self-therapy, a map of the territory one proposes to explore.
Birth trauma can be described as the deepest (and presumably universal) layer of post-traumatic stress. On the 'stress' model, the therapeutic process can be described as 'learning to relax.' The goal is a ground or rest state, of minimal unnecessary arousal or zero alarm: in other words, total relaxation. (The classic sources for this 'thermodynamic' model are Selye, The Stress of Life; and Benson, The Relaxation Response.) In computational terms, one could compare the psychedelic purge of memory to a restart which terminates hung processes and empties RAM caches, or to the recovery of corrupt or inaccessible files on a hard drive, the functional equivalent of clearing a computer of un-needed data in working and long-term memory respectively. The PTSD model and the computational model are mathematically related: note that both elevated baseline arousal and excessive memory storage are costly.It was already clear in the 1950s that the LSD effect is a compelling piece of evidence for the dependence of thought on states of the brain, which is to say for the computational model of consciousness, and that any such model must account for it in a general sense. At least it was clear to most scientists; a minority thought that the LSD effect showed the opposite, that thought is not dependent on brain states. Lending plausibility to their argument, a detailed explanation of the sensory and memorial effects was beyond the capability of first-generation computational (or 'cybernetic') models.
However, by the 1990s a new generation of theory and models not only explained how global sensory effects such as synaesthesia (e.g. 'seeing sounds') were possible, in effect they transformed recovery of repressed memory from an anomalous or at least controversial observation to an empirical fact of great theoretical interest. While that history may be fascinating to some, it is irrelevant to this practical advisory, and so further discussion is confined to Part 2 of this presentation, Theoretical perspectives on LSD research: from cybernetics to complexity theory
Where the typical recreational 'trip' involves congenial setting elements such as nature or music, and goals of ecstasy, mirth, joy, and so on, Grof's recommended technique for purging memory entails higher doses, reclining with eyeshades and stereo headphones for the first four or five hours, and in general diving into the kind of 'bad trip' against which novice users are often warned.
The extreme sensory restriction can be compared to an enforced type of meditation. The benefit of this 'interiorization of the experience,' as Grof calls it, is that any unusual or alarming state will have to be recognized as the product of one's own mind. Moving through the purge of birth trauma material can take ten to "scores" of high-dose sessions. During these 'meditations,' subjects must attend to uncomfortable moments of fear and vividly remembered suffering. Speaking generally, the psychedelic meditation consists of paying attention to whatever the process brings up.
One might say that the three rules of LSD therapy are:
Simply watching the breath is a traditional meditation technique. Buddha said: "Let your short breaths be short breaths and your long breaths be long breaths." Each breath in requires muscular effort. Each exhale is an example and a model of relaxation. Benson asserted that relaxation is learned and compared its deliberate practice to walking down a flight of stairs to a lower arousal baseline.
The techniques of meditation involve the simplification of thought by restricted input and focus, for example on the breath, posture, mantra, or visualizations. Psychedelics more-or-less force one to pay extra attention to one's thought processes, while increasing the effectiveness of meditation techniques. Observations like the quote from the Buddha can be treated as empirically valid or useful theory-fragments which need little translation because they share the scientifically valorized therapeutic goals of relaxation, clarity, and free capacity.
Psychonauts have long turned East not for a touch of the exotic, but for practical reasons. For example, one could say that Grof's standard protocol utilizes Shivasana (the dead man meditation pose, or reclining supine) without entailing worship of Shiva (the Hindu god.) If a team of anatomists and physical therapists were to devise from scratch a movement or stretching regimen to maximize health and longevity, it would undoubtedly include something like hatha yoga or t'ai chi. But why reinvent the wheel?
The quote from Buddha about breath is both practical and scientifically sound: any degree of PTSD entails inappropriate baseline arousal and a sympathetic global response (that is, contraction or tension.) This will cause interrupted, restricted, shallow, or fast breathing: just by watching the breath one can observe one's own level of PTSD or physical tension, at least in principle. In meditation, becoming aware of the history of how one has withdrawn or contracted awareness in the face of various injuries, insults, and so on re-establishes connection with that region of awareness. With psychedelics, old insults and injuries are amplified into awareness, so subjects are forced to confront memories, sensations, and regions of awareness which they have learned to avoid.
The flow of physical sensation and visions which accompany the purge of memorial material can be facilitated and accelerated by a variety of rapid breathing techniques or breath-of-fore, historically borrowed from pranayama, the yogic science of breath. Patanjali in his yoga sutras says that the ten-thousand nadis (channels) are cleared with pranayama. During psychedelic sessions, breath can be used aggressively during periods of strong or disturbing physical sensation. One can visualize breathing into areas of pain, darkness, coldness, constriction, and so on.
Where the novice recreational user is typically encouraged to avoid uncomfortable material, the self-therapist or prepared therapeutic subject will begin to actively search out and breathe through it. Examples of this kind of breathwork, which is effective even without psychedelics, can be found on Youtube by searching for Grof's holotropic breathwork or rebirthing. From personal experience I have concluded, like others before me, that pranayama is the golden road through the very real challenges of LSD therapy.
Timothy Leary, the LSD evangelist, once wrote that LSD is fundamentally a relaxant. Possibly he was attempting to shock, since its reputation is as a uniquely profound stimulant, but the comment reflects its use by experienced users and, significantly, therapists.
According to Grof's protocol, after some hours of sensory restriction and reclining, during which the subject experiences the peak of the drug effect, the session continues and completes the therapeutic purge by the deliberate employment of techniques such as bodywork, yoga and stretching, hot soaking, music, and pranayama.
With the insight that LSD and the other psychedelics can fruitfully be combined with relaxation techniques, it is possible to make some recommendations about creating ideal conditions for auto-therapeutic use of LSD.
Be prepared. The ideal subject will have practiced meditation and have some background in yogic stretching (hatha), and in particular have practiced pranayama, including use of the syllable or mantram AUM or OM, which is the natural product of vocalization with one's mouth going from open to closed. One breath-of-fire technique is to mix short periods of accelerated breathing with vocalization.
Appropriate setting is extremely important. Grof's sessions can be described as containerized, that is, private. Shamanic practice often involves group ceremony or ritual which containerize various forms of ecstasy and celebration, and the music festivals where young people often have their first experience with psychedelics (and their urban counterparts, raves) are containers of a sort. Many experienced recreational users prefer wilderness for their sessions.
One sensible tactic which emerged during the 1950s is to begin with a small dose and increase in subsequent sessions until a comfortable working level is established. It should be recalled that Grof's subjects who took dosages of 200 mcg. (and more) practiced sensory restriction for several hours, even though they had the most expert assistance. One of the most useful points in Grof's books is his discussion of the need to prepare subjects for the sheer intensity and strangeness of the potential effects of LSD. A deliberately therapeutic approach to the introduction of psychedelics can at least soften the potential shock. I would compare this to teaching a child to swim; it generally works just to toss one into the deep water, since humans float and swim instinctively. Mostly. But sudden full immersion can be frightening and therefore counterproductive if the goal is a happily swimming child.
This is not to deny that psychedelics are reliable producers of spontaneous ecstasy, or that they may be interesting or useful in sports, coding, wilderness camping, various kinds of talking therapy, and so on. From a therapeutic point of view, however, and with all due respect to set and setting, instead of intensifying a music or sports experience, the goal is to intensify relaxation. A design for an optimal introduction to psychedelics would combine small-to-moderate dosages, soaking in a hot tub, the practice of pranayama, bodywork, and stretching.
The value of hot soaks can't be overemphasized. Soaking induces a whole-body relaxation which the LSD amplifies. pranayama can be very useful during , and soaks can be alternated with periods of stretching, body work, and self-massage. The introduction of LSD as a relaxant rather than as an unpredictable ordeal makes the penetration of deeper layers of repressed material more comfortable.
In short, meditation is not the goal as such, meditation is a technique or an attitude. "The goal of meditation is pure consciousness." This is equivalent to the therapeutic goal of the totally relaxed state, which is the ideal state for playing music, or giving a child one's total attention, for example. Pure consciousness is, as the saying goes, just your ordinary, everyday mind.
The therapeutic approach—backed by robust scientific models—says (in part): first let's take out the trash. And there is more trash than is generally recognized. There are other ways, as Grof points out, but psychedelic therapy is based on the insight that LSD can act as an aid to relaxation, and the combination of LSD, pranayama, and hot soaking is peculiarly efficient. The act of relaxation itself, as Benson established, is a learned and conscious process.
So, the rules of thumb:
One could fairly characterize this list as a translation of Grof's psychiatric protocol into a recommendation for home use. But even without professional supervision, it is a far more ideal introductory procedure than the common one of taking psychedelics in large crowds at music festivals.
According to Grof holotropic breathwork alone is sufficient to evoke and clear birth trauma, suggesting that the combination of moderate dosages and relaxation techniques represent a range of potential treatment modalities which would be easier to implement than the high-dose model. Preliminary reports on the positive effects of microdosing on neuroplasticity and metabolic function also imply that the psychedelics may have a wide range of medical uses. (Part 2 contains some suggestions about making psychedelic therapy more efficient, which will mainly be of interest to therapists and experienced practitioners.)
If I were running a business which promised instant results from a single LSD experience, as proprietors are doing with psilocybe in some jurisdictions, I would acknowledge that Grof typically employed "ten to scores" of high-dose sessions to complete the therapeutic process. One session which introduced clients to intensive relaxation techniques (pranayama, soaks, yoga etc.) would equip clients with the tools to begin using psychedelics therapeutically on their own. Pranayama in a home bathtub is highly effective. Perhaps it goes without saying, but the amount of relief and pleasure experienced in the course of psychedelic therapy is so great that it makes any transitory re-experiencing of suffering worthwhile.
LSD is capable of profound therapeutic benefits, but it follows that it has deep effects scarcely imaginable to the novice user. It should not be approached carelessly:
Serious emotional disturbances triggered by ingestion of the drug and lasting months or even years are not uncommon among persons who approach self-experimentation with LSD casually and take it under poor circumstances. This should not happen in the context of supervised LSD work. Individuals with serious emotional problems that border on psychosis should be screened out in advance, unless the therapeutic team is willing and equipped to work through all the problems that might be activated by administration of the drug, and bring the therapy to satisfactory completion. (Grof, LSD Psychotherapy)
Part 2 documents(for those interested in such things) how developments such as complexity theory (cf. Zurek ed.) and Edelman and Tononi's neural group selection theory improved the scientific explanation of the LSD effect so significantly that a re-evaluation of the entire field is required. The golden age of psychedelic medicine should be at hand.