Small Shifts, Profound Change: Integrating Psychedelic Wisdom
There’s plenty of hype that psychedelics can be profound tools for ‘healing’ and personal growth. Yet, what’s often not talked about is the heavy lifting involved called psychedelic integration.
What is psychedelic integration?
It’s the bridging of the insights gained from psychedelic-induced non-ordinary states of consciousness into our everyday waking consciousness through changes in our thoughts, emotions and actions. For example, psychedelics may show you a part of you that attempts to ‘people please’ in relationships and with work. Integration could be where you start to make decisions that feel more in alignment to your values, desires and capacity.
Psychedelics may also show us where we are neglecting our passions and purpose. So, integration could be a shift in how we spend our time and attention in what we choose to do whether it be more time in nature, with family and in activities that bring about our sense of aliveness.
Integration can also be incorporating new habits into our lives that support our vitality such as meditation, reading and exercise. There is no right or wrong way to integrate because it’s a very personalised process based on each individual and their circumstances.
When Should Integration Start?
Often the information we download from a psychedelic journey is so vast beyond comprehension and language, that it can be difficult to know where to start. This is because psychedelics can help to reveal the gap between how we are living and the potential way of being that is more aligned with who we are, as well as our deepest desires and commitments.
There can be a sense of urgency to completely shift one’s life with big changes. For example, if we have experienced many relationship breakdowns in the past, we may have the urge to call all of our estranged friends and family and seek to resolve any lingering disputes. It’s important however, not to make any big decisions and allow the insights and new perspective to build capacity as you land while your mind, body and system reorganises itself. This is why it can be crucial to receive guidance during this process through a counsellor or integration group.
I recall a useful analogy that my therapist once shared with me after a journey. He shared that when a sailboat crosses an ocean and pivots its direction slightly by a few degrees – over time, the territory and destinies that are crossed will be completely different than if the boat had not shifted at all. So, change can be small, incremental and impactful over the long run.
Integration is a Lifelong Journey
In the end, integration doesn’t end. It can take months or even years for a revelation from an experience to click and it may never. Sometimes not everything needs to make sense and that level of acceptance can be part of the integration for someone. So, it can be important to allow space and time between psychedelic experiences, for the parts of you and any wounding that reveals itself to unravel. Therapeutic modalities that explore the subconscious mind and behaviour patterns, such as ‘Parts Work’ and Internal Family System can beautifully complement integration.
Whether you’re curious about psychedelics, preparing for a journey or recently integrating one, we have a team of therapists that can support you through this process.
Meet Chris
Chris helps his clients navigate the way in which their experiences affect their sense of self, relationship patterns and coping strategies with therapeutic techniques, including ‘parts work’ and ‘internal family systems’. He’s also trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy and supports our clients on their journey through our programs with preparation, psychedelic experiences and integration.
