Getting Started

Wondering how to get started with psychedelics? It can be a tricky question. Depending on the area of the world in which you live, the legality of it may be something to consider. No matter what, my recommendation would be to first mentally prepare for the experience and decide what you are trying to get out of it. Personally, reading How to Change Your Mind - by Michael Pollan, listening to podcasts, and watching documentaries, and conversing with friends helped me understand what the experience would be like and know that I wanted to try it for myself.

The next issue was procuring the psychedelics. I wanted to use magic mushrooms because it seemed to me like a gentler, shorter, more natural way to begin. I have a friend who knew someone who said they could help me get some, but months went by with nothing to show and I felt uncomfortable following up multiple times. I started studying the process of growing mushrooms.

Reddit pages were invaluable. The r/unclebens and r/shroomery subreddits in particular helped me know what supplies I needed, where to order spores (which is legal in many places), how to avoid contamination, and instructions on inoculating grain, transferring to a substrate, and eventually producing fruit. From the start of research to the first mushroom was about two months. It was a fun and satisfying process to grow, and I became independent.

Before taking psychedelics, I like to set up a safe and comfortable environment. For me, laying down with piano music playing and an eye mask on has been my preferred setting. With smaller doses I've found that walking or jogging in nature can also be amazing. I ensure that I'm in a positive mood, ready to step into the unknown and open to new ideas. This idea of "set (mindset) and setting" is one that you'll hear often during your research and for good reason, it is absolutely essential.