How to have a shamanistic/spiritual journey with psilocybin?

I realize with many psychedelics, the one thing that seperates recreational use from entheogenic use is setting, intent and technique (physically and mentally). Is this also true for psilocybin mushrooms?

I see a lot of potential in these types of 'plants'/fungi and would like to use them for personal development and spiritual development. I know with Salvia Divinorum, there are many non-western techniques the indigenous tribes in south america use to reach a state of divination, healing and growth (which is significantly different than much of the western-use of this plant).

If anyone has any input they would like to share regarding psilocybin mushrooms and using it as a tool, rather than a trip, please reply.

Thanks!

 

Psilocybin containing mushrooms have been used for shamanic/religious/ceremonial/ritual,etc purposes for probably thousands of years. The Mazatec natives of Mexico are one such group. Wasson's discovery of their ritual use is what basically brought the knowlegde of the mushrooms to western cultures.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Are there any "techniques" used to achieve or undergo ritual use?

For example, with Salvia Divinorum one may go into the experience with a set intent, asking what they want of the experience and what to learn from it. That, along with complete darkness and silence (as well as the quid method, the preferred method by mazatac shamans). Seeking and asking for knowledge from the spirit of the plant, ska maria pastora.

Or is there less to mushrooms? What would be an optimal setting for its use?

 

If I remember correctly the Mazatec are the same peoples that have traditionally used Salvia. They only do it at night, like you said complete darkness is best for visual insights or sometimes with a fire. Manly times family members do it togather. Most often they take it as a cure for some physical illness or insight into a mental or ethical problem. Generally try to open themselves to the spirit of the mushroom and let it communicate with them and teach them. Some cultures refer to certain ethnogens as teachers. Sometimes the shaman sings, chants or speaks. It is fairly similar to the pattern of uses of the San Pedro cactus in Peru and Ayahuasca in other parts of South America.

 

dose.
of course intent and expectation, personal and cultural, play crucial roles in determining the type of experience, but with psilocybin i believe it to be very dose related.
dose can mean the difference between recreational tripping and a shamanistic or even religious experience.
on moderate doses, only those with the inclination towards those things will experience a little bit of it. but you up the dose enough and everyone will begin to deeply question and transform themselves for the duration of the peak, fun or no fun.

the famous mazatec shaman maria sabina healed her dying sister when she was young, by eating 13 pairs of large fresh mushrooms. more than 3 times the usual dose taken as described by her in her biography. she succeeded in removing the sickness and then had visions of her father and grandfather who told her that she came from a line of healers and that she would also be a healers.

i myself realized i was jesus christ on a big dose of mushrooms. i didnt stopped believing until the effects the of the drug wore down and i realized it was completley insane and i was lucky i kept my mouth shut, because i was ready to share my revelation first with my family, and then with the world. my faith had been so powerful i believed i could perform miracles, insane i tell you... be careful with high doses!

phx- like you said darkness and silence.. very important. another one might be either to do it alone, unless your companions are into it the same way you are, then it will help.

 

meditate, dont think, what you can know now, will come to you.

Youll see its like two different flows of visuals the one im talkin bout damn it is like seeing the heavens gateway. It tells you things if you want to know, you dont figure em out. And sometimes what you figure out by thinking will look like heavens gateway , no its satan, the attractive satan.

Be careful about going far into the spiritual trip and coming back and start thinking too much, its not impossible to figure out you are jesus christ like last poster said lol. But then , just goin back up in the elevator, you realize, we are all jesus christ ;p

hahah jesus is the man

 

I always use my psychedelics as a tool. I actually find mushrooms and mescaline way too hectic for my liking if I use them any other way.

This is what I focus on when I am tripping-

1) make sure there isnt a lot of immediate bullshit in my life/psyche. i will meditate for a few days before to clear up if i am doing a strong trip.
2) make sure the environment is quiet, comfortable, clean.
3) relax the body. the way i like to do this is by flexing and holding the muscles in my feet for a while and releasing them, and working my way up the body.
4) focus on breathing/clearing the mind
5) intend to get in touch with higher energies

If there is some type of meditation practice you like to use anyway- pranayama, or NEW, for example, it will center you when you do it while tripping. Also, it's easy to get distracted by cool visuals and stuff- that's not the point for me. I tend to ignore them and focus on the inner experience instead.

I've never not learned something important by tripping this way.

 

PHX- i feel good when i read posts or meet ppl who are focused on its potential rather than entertaining abilities.... I have only done mushrooms so far.. not countign 2 blotters.. which jsut gave me mushrooms slight feeling of comping up which lasted for 8 hours - good enough fora deep conversation i had. Mushrooms helped me alot, with lifestyle, social behavior, constant developing... and many things... I think theres no techniques that wil lead u to the heaven.... Its not mushrooms it s the character All u need, good , quiet, place for a day, happy and calm mindset adn intend to think alot.... and if u cosntatnly read stuff and become more informed about things.. just food for thought. information loading would help. Good luck. and also i would suggest to expirience these amazing propertes with dosages no less than 10- and more...

 

i have a friend who did that on only 1 hit of acid.. only he actually did tell all his friends and family and now he is a completely different person, it is no fun.
then again i took 7.5 of the same batch... my system did NOT like that, i was stone cold sober in 8 or 9 hours... however coming to naked in one's living room wrestling one's father tends to straighten one's head out..

 

hah, if it comes to famous person. Last time while i was doing 10 garmms and we had two new guys intorduec to shrooms one on 4 and other on 7... i was tripping and talking non-stop about "everything" and explainign everything they asked and adding my own thoughsa bout life and moral and personal development, so after i finish. one guy looks at me and says.... Are you Einstein ? )))

 

I too realized that I was Jesus at one point during a 15 gram trip, and it precipitated a very drawn out thought process (which I can't remember) that ultimately led to me saying out loud (after not saying one word for well over an hour and a half) "Dude, there's no way there's a god." I wish I could remember it, it was the most beautiful proof ever, totally airtight...but alas, perfection cannot last. At least not for us mortals.

Best way to have a spiritual trip? Best bet is to go to the groups of people who venerate it as a gift of the gods and treat it as such culturally and socially. The first time my friend and I went to trip we were going to sit in total darkness with just a candle, but my mom ended up being called off that night and I didn't want to risk her smelling it and coming down and having to explain to her what was going on...kind of a buzzkill, doncha think?

I don't feel I have any control over shrooms, so my advice would be to put yourself in a spiritual mood and take more than you think you can handle. Actually, don't do that, that's bad advice...well, do that, but be smart about it - have a friend with you. Or friends.

You're only going to have a shamanistic journey if you are at heart a shamanistic person.

 

Hehe neuronaut smart guy, and smart advice.. i will try candle trip for sure in next 3-4 months.. but next week we are tripping on 10-12 grams of shrooms under my personalyl made trance mix of best trance i ever heard for coming up and a lsit of 200 philosophical quotations of famous intelelcts of our civilization including buddah, confucious, eisnten, and many more.

 

http://taz4.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=2092