Hey Reader!

As one of the resident experts on psychedelics within my friend group and family, I'm often asked to describe the psychedelic experience.

What does it feel like?

What do you see?

Is it scary?

The psychedelic space is at an interesting point today.

Older generations still cling to beliefs molded by the propaganda fed to them while also seeing so many stories and studies demonstrating the healing potential of psychedelics.

With that in mind, answering these questions about the psychedelic experience is a tall task when you consider the fact that a widely accepted characteristic of the experience is that it's "ineffable".

Ineffable simply means that it can't be described in words (don't feel bad if you didn't know what the word meant - I didn't either until reading it in articles about psychedelics 😅)

Attempting to describe my own experience would capture only about 20% max of what the actual psychedelic experience feels like.

Many great writers like Aldous Huxley have given us very eloquent and detailed reports of their own psychedelic trips.

But these personal experiences tell us little about what to expect in general.

Luckily, some interesting frameworks exist to explain and categorize the psychedelic experience.

One of my favourite ones was created by the psychedelic advocate and Harvard professor, Timothy Leary.

Leary is a controversial figure, but he undoubtedly made great contributions to the space.

His model called, 'The 5 Levels of Psychedelic Experience', describes the psychedelic experience at various levels of intensity.

Here's a quick breakdown:

Level 1​
Imagine standing on a hill, looking out over a gorgeous landscape. This level is like that. You're still you, but everything just seems a bit brighter, more vibrant. This is the type of feeling you might get from a microdose.

Level 2​
Now, instead of just looking, you're walking through that beautiful landscape. You're connecting, feeling, and maybe even dancing with the world around you. It's a light, joyous level, characterized by amplifications in mood. In terms of visual effects, you may start seeing geometric shapes, subtle kaleidoscopic effects, etc.

Level 3​
This is the level where things may begin to get wild. Imagine white-water rafting or paragliding. Your senses are buzzing, and reality is taking on a whole new shape. It's vibrant, dynamic, and utterly captivating. It's at this level where the word 'ineffable' may be used. You may start to uncover these deep realizations about yourself and relationship to others and the world around you. At this stage, you may start seeing fractals and experience synesthesia (merging of senses - e.g. music causing you to see shapes/colors).

Level 4​
Ever thought about exploring the mysteries of the deep ocean? This level takes you there. It's intense and can transform the way you see the world. You might even meet some otherworldly beings on your voyage. It's profound and should be approached with a good amount of respect. You may encounter entities at this level and begin to see reality melt away before you. This stage is also often characterized by feelings of unity and connectedness with everything around you.

Level 5​
This, is the deep end. The final frontier. It's about letting go and becoming one with the cosmos. It's pure, raw experience and can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. It's at this stage where you have the experience of dissociation or 'ego death'. People describe intense feelings of wonder and being in a state unbounded by space and time.

Although this is a pretty solid framework for categorizing psychedelic experiences, you shouldn't take it as gospel.

Individual experiences are so unique that trying to fit yours into a defined box will always be nearly impossible.

With that said, the 5 stages give a pretty comprehensive idea of what a person could expect to experience during a psychedelic trip.

I've given a quick summary here, but Leary's definitions for each level go into much more detail and even outline the substances and doses typically used to reach each level.

In coming issues, I'll be introducing a few more frameworks that could be of use as you begin or continue on your journey with psychedelics.

That's all for now though!

Until next time!

Riaz

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