Dream Perception: An Encounter with the Oracle at Delphi

Jump to Section

Jump to Section

When I tell people I devote a lot of attention to my dreams, I get a lot of the same sorts of questions, and give equally predictable answers.

“You interpret dreams?” Nope.
“Do you work through your dreams in therapy?” Nuh-uh.  
“Then you must be into lucid dreaming?” Noooo, not really.  

Don’t get me wrong: Dreams are rich with symbols rife with meaning, though I think the resonance of any particular image varies considerably from dreamer to dreamer, and even to the same dreamer at different times. People do use dreams in therapeutic contexts to decode their minds’ secrets. I find lucid dreaming fascinating and have spent some effort cultivating it. But when it comes to dreams, none of this is really what I’m on about.

Interpreting dream symbols entails decoding hidden meanings that are relevant to the waking you. Working with dreams in therapy helps the waking self move toward a more integrated, sane manifestation of being in the world. Lucid dreaming involves experiencing waking consciousness in the dream world. In all these cases, the waking self dominates. Most of my interest stems from the experience of the dreaming self–the incredible experience of another mode of consciousness.

Humans have a deep-seated drive to mess with consciousness, to tweak the experience of being. As kids, we spin in circles and roll down hills. I used to tie my mother’s prism to my face so I saw the world in reverse and then walk around the house pretending I was on the ceiling. As adults, we experiment with alcohol, drugs, sex, and all manner of other intensities. Some of us dance ourselves into trance states or participate in sweat lodges, chant until we lose our own voices in the group or marathon run until we break through to the zone where we don’t so much mind the pain. We seek to experience ourselves in new and different ways, to find novelty even in subjectivity.

Why do we have this compulsion to experiment with consciousness? When you manage to not quite be yourself, you gain a remarkable perspective on your existence, one that in turn offers insight into the world you inhabit. Think of the thrill you get when you see your own neighborhood from a plane. Contours of the land around you are revealed, otherwise unseen patterns produced by the grids of streets emerge. From distant points of view, the familiar becomes novel. Now image how much more exciting it is to glimpse your own life from a remove. When you perceive the most familiar aspects of existence–yourself and your world–anew, you invite in the visionary.

There’s another reason why we love to experience ourselves in novel ways: it’s fun! Experimenting with consciousness often takes the form of play. My approach to dream work follows this principle. Dream interpretation and therapeutic approaches insist on attaching meaning to dreams. Why not simply let the experience have its own intrinsic value? Last night, submerged in a very deep puddle, I realized I could breathe underwater. Then I grew to enormous size, like Godzilla, and walked around the city looking for myself in the puddle. How cool is that?

Consider how much effort people put into playing with consciousness. We travel, pay money, break the law, suffer hangovers, confuse our families, employers, and neighbors, or worse. This kind of play can take a lot of work. But it doesn’t have to. You can seek visionary experiences, step far enough outside the ordinary to gain perspective, without any of the costs or potential negative effects of drugs or voyages or sex. Try tapping into your dreams.

How can dabbling with dreams plunge you into play with consciousness? What do I mean when I talk about dreams as a path toward perception, as the title of this piece suggests? Let me tell you a story.

In September of 2012, my spouse and I traveled to Greece. We embarked on a pilgrimage in a Prius, meandering around the mainland and the Peloponnese visiting ancient sites. This was a particularly meaningful journey for me. As a kid, I read the Greek myths over and over again. My sister and I sometimes acted them out. Both my undergraduate and my Master’s degrees involved myth studies: Homer, Ovid, Sophocles, Euripides. I’ve always loved the immediacy of the relationship the ancient Greeks had to their gods (tragedy notwithstanding) and I invoke some of them still, mostly Hestia, Hermes, and Asclepius. Our travels took us to Epidavros, the center of the dream healing cult of Asclepius; to Mycenae, where Agamemnon and Clytemnestra lived in glorious splendor sung by Homer; and to temple of Poseidon in Sounion, perched high on a rocky point above the crashing, wine dark sea. But the most magical place we went was Delphi.

As you may know, Delphi famously housed the Pythia–the oracle at Delphi. This priestess, or sibyl, served as mouthpiece for Apollo; he spoke through her and offered wisdom and prophecy. During the Classical period that produced most of the philosophy, culture, and art that we think of when someone says ancient Greece, the Pythia exerted enormous influence at the highest echelons of power. The men who ran that world consulted her before they started wars, established colonies, or arranged their marriages.

Nobody knows exactly how the oracle did her thing. It is a matter of some debate. Popular theories claim she uttered howling gibberish, high on the fumes of a gaseous vent, and that priests of Apollo then translated these ravings into prophecy. The other side of the debate believes she spoke rationally, delivering her prophecies in a normal voice. It’s not difficult to imagine that history might morph the story to represent a woman who held real power as raving and high, not really making sense unless explained by the male priests of the god of reason. It also seems like that over the hundreds of years that a Sybil served as oracle, her position and methods changed. Though little is known about the actual oracular sessions, the Pythia shows up all over the literature of the time, from Plutarch to the plays. As the voice of Apollo, she perfectly embodies the direct contact Greeks had with their gods.

To reach Delphi we drove south to Metéora–a Greek Orthodox monastery complex built barely conceivable atop soaring sandstone pillars–Erik turned us off the road on a whim to go see a remote prehistoric cave dwelling at the top of a steep, craggy hill. As we rounded a curve in the winding, switchback road, we saw something move in the distance. At first I thought it must be a cat or a goat, but it didn’t move quite right for that. As we got closer, we made out the flapping of wings. Then it took off and we realized what we were seeing: a massive eagle, about an eight foot wingspan, gripping an equally impressive snake it its talons. No doubt to avoid us, the bird took off, doing its best to keep control of the twisting, thrashing serpent. It managed to hold on, but the snake’s substantial size kept the eagle weighted low to the ground. As we jumped from the car to watch, the two, still engaged in their struggle, flapped downhill and disappeared behind a row of bushes. Astounding. How’s that for a symbolically rich vision?

Fast forward to our arrival in Delphi a couple hours later. The setting is visually stunning. Look uphill from the edge of town and you’ll see the sanctuary sprawling across the mountainside. Even from a distance, the size of the grounds is impressive. It takes a long time for the eye to travel over all of it. Ruins of temples and treasuries, toppled statues and stoas, curving paths through massive marble blocks; it goes on and on. Downhill, a vast panorama stretches for miles. A wide, ancient riverbed stretches for miles in either direction, mostly now dried up, reverted to fertile, lush land. In the distance, the massive mouth of the river pours into the Gulf of Corinth, glittering pale blue.  

We eyed the site of the oracle with longing in the early evening light, but we’d planned to stay in town two nights to allow ourselves an entire day to explore the museum and sanctuary. We really wanted to save it. Instead of climbing up toward the entrance, we decided to take a stroll along the road to enjoy the view in the oncoming sunset. An excellent choice. As the temperature cooled and the misty air became tinted with rose and gold, we came upon a surprise: a smaller but still sizable temple complex, about half a mile away from the main site. Puzzled, we climbed down the stone steps into the enclosure (no gate: apparently free to the public) and started to poke around.

We’d stumbled onto the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia. Turns out that during the Neolithic period, the place where we now stood had been a center of Earth Goddess worship. That makes it likely to have predated the Pythia’s scene up the hill. Eventually the Greek gods moved in. Apollo got his big sanctuary and the shrine we’d discovered, now dedicated to Athena, became the place where pilgrims stopped on the way to consult the oracle; Pronaia means “before the temple”.  
In other words, completely by accident, we found ourselves following the path pilgrims traditionally walked to approach Apollo’s temple and consult the oracular Sybil. The posted signs that gave me this information also told me that on the road back toward town–further along the ancient route–we would encounter the remains of an ancient spring where supplicants stopped to cleanse and purify themselves for the sacred encounter. And as we walked back, indeed, there it was, or some version of it anyway.

Purification: the physical cleansing of the body implies clearing of the mind. Preparation for a sacred encounter. I stepped up to where a gush of water poured from rock and cupped my hands to catch the stream. It pooled cool in the bowl formed by my palms and fingers then ran out again over the sides. For a long time I stood still, concentrating on the feeling. The ancient flow of water pooled briefly in the vessel formed by my cupped hands then poured out again, bringing to mind the flow of time pooling in my body which soon, too, would pour out, leaving me in the wake of history. Yet another pilgrim headed to the temple of Apollo, reproducing the movements of so many who had come before me, as others would after me.  For that moment, I felt connected to scores of others who had consulted the oracle. I considered what I wanted to ask the Pythia. And then I closed my eyes and I asked for a dream. My question: how do I meet the mythic and integrate it into my life?

How does one meet the oracle at Delphi thousands of years after the last Pythia disappeared? A dead woman cannot answer questions. But after all, it isn’t exactly the woman I wanted to query. The oracle was, at any given time, a single person. But the succession of individuals who history has not named also all together constitute the oracle. Even for the ancients, then, the oracle was as much an idea as she was an actual person. I cannot encounter the Sybil as an individual woman. But the mythic idea of her remains in my mind. I can meet that.

Awake, I find myself trapped in the stream of time. Worship of Hellenic gods is not my tradition, and even if it was, those practices have long passed. In waking life, those traditions, like the Sybil herself, have faded away. But in the dream world, Apollo’s oracular priestess still serves the temple. That aspect of the oracle that exists as myth–that always did, for the ancients as well–exists in my imagination, and therefore moves through my dreams.

The Sufi mystic Ibn ‘Arabi maintained that imagination is actually one of the senses of perception, just like sight, smell, touch, etc. His main interest lay in perceiving Allah; we can’t really experience the highest in any normal sense, but through devotion and imagination encounters become possible. Aristotle also explored the relationship between imagination and perception in his 350 BCE treatise On Dreams. On the surface, it seems that the perceptions that we get directly from our senses–vision, touch, taste, etc–underlie our interactions with the world. Aristotle thought differently. He posited that we take in the things we perceive with our senses and then build interior worlds based not just on what we’ve seen or felt but also our own priorities, beliefs, and experiences. My grandparents’ house exists as a dilapidated Victorian oak paneled affair that you can visit and walk through. Mostly, though, I interact not with the house you can visit, but with the version I’ve internalized. The grand rooms, gilt mirrors, and stained glass windows that make up the house in my mind is my own reality of the house. Aristotle suggested that our intellect and imagination drew from our interior worlds, not from material reality. He also thought that we moved through that world in our dreams.

Imagine two realities superimposed: actual Delphi, with its tumbled Doric columns, and dream Delphi where priestesses can easily talk with gods. Now, awake, in the mode of consciousness of the person writing these words, I primarily inhabit the first world–historical, material reality. But when my subjective state rests in dream consciousness, I experience an objective reality with different possibilities. But there is a through line between these two experiences of consciousness, of Delphi. That is what allows me to encounter the oracle.

Erik stood by the spring and waited while I watched the water run in and out of my hands.  Then we turned and walked back to the town. In the deepening dark, ready for dinner, we found a table on the edge of a precipitous restaurant balcony overlooking the river valley. Night had enveloped us sufficiently to make seeing difficult, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught the sight of a massive owl alighting onto the railing of the next building, maybe ten feet away. I stared at the spot for a long time, barely able to see its form, but was rewarded when it took off again and swooped away. Owl: the avatar of Athena.

In my dream that night I saw a card, like a Tarot card. An oracle card. The image on the card, a mostly black and white heavy line drawing of a woman, looked Gothic. I’m not sure if the woman was me. Her thick, black hair blew behind her and her red dress billowed out dramatically in the wind. In her outstretched hands she held a heart, simultaneously a romantic, Valentine heart and an anatomical heart. The card was called The Heart.

Morning revealed a blazing hot, heat blasted day. Even in my floppy hat, I found the intensity of the sun overwhelming as we made our way to the site. Along the path that wound up the hill through the sanctuary, I found a shady spot nestled against a weathered, crumbling wall. Curled up on a huge block of marble–a building block of some now defunct structure–I settled in to take a nap. Instead of falling completely asleep, I drifted in and out of hypnogogia. Birdsong and a gentle wind blended with the murmurs of passing tourists. I felt a deep sense of peace, and again I asked the oracle for a dream.

That night in my sleep I was given directions: make a card to match the first. It should contain the color electric blue. The name of the card was My Own Death. The dream also involved me giving a lecture on self reflection, or self reflexivity. I’m not sure what that means. Inscrutable utterances were a specialty of the oracle.

Together these two dreams offered several answers to my question about how to meet the mythic and integrate it into my life. Make cards; use creativity. Take images and ideas from the conceptual, non-material, symbol-rich dream realm and manifest them as material objects in the waking world. Figure out how to visually represent My Own Death, with only the guidelines of electric blue, and the idea of self reflection. Meditate on the experience of consulting the oracle and getting a response via my dreams.

So did I meet the Pythia? Skeptically minded folks, those who tend more toward materialistic points of view, might scoff at the idea of a possible encounter with the oracle. To meet a literal Sybil entails believing in ghosts or gods, to them a silly prospect. On the other end of the scale, the more traditionally religious among us might feel offended by my efforts to practice a tradition that isn’t mine and that arguably died centuries ago. Those of a self consciously spiritual orientation could express a wide range of possibilities for meeting the oracle that vary according to individual belief: that someone could channel the oracle for me; that I could reach her via séance; that the rocks themselves are alive and I could learn to talk to them. Dreams circumvent these arguments. Dreams do not require belief to bring about extraordinary experience. I’m not concerned with making any claims about whether my interaction was “real” or not. It doesn’t contradict or confirm anyone else’s belief. For me the richness of the encounter lies with experience. I performed a ritual of cleansing. I followed a path that pilgrims walked for centuries. I had some cool dreams. My interaction with Delphi was powerful and memorable. For me, that’s what matters.

Humans love to experiment with consciousness in part because playing with how we experience self sparks creativity. When we manage to transcend regular modes of perception, we achieve the visionary experience that so many artists seek for inspiration. When the very act of being seems out of the ordinary (literally extraordinary) we find the urge to express what lives in our imaginations, whether the result is a painting, piece of music, dance, or a set of Tarot cards, or merely takes the form of living a more expressive life. This artful life does not require belief or adherence to any set of proscribed actions. It is a loop in which creatively approaching being in turn produces creativity. We all share the hunger for new experiences of consciousness, for the visionary experience. The door opens every night.

 

Image by Kim Bach, courtesy of Creative Commons license. 

Psychedelic Resources

A Foraging Trip: Where Do Magic Mushrooms Grow?
Eager to learn more about the origin of psilocybin species? Read this article to find out where magic mushrooms grow and more!

How to Make Shroom Tea: Best Recipe and Dosage
A step by step guide on how to brew shroom tea, and why entheogenic psilocybin tea is a preferred method for psychedelic connoisseurs.

R. Gordon Wasson: Author and Mushroom Expert
Learn about R. Gordon Wasson, the “legendary mushroom expert” and popular figure within the psychonaut community.

Shrooms vs Acid: Differences and Similarities Explained
Ever wondered what the differences are between shrooms vs acid, or if you can take both together? This guide explains what you need to know.

Quantum Mechanics, Reality, and Magic Mushrooms
Scientist and author Dr. Chris Becker takes an in-depth approach in understanding how we perceive reality through magic mushrooms and quantum mechanics.

Psilocybin Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to Psilocybin has everything you want to know about this psychedelic fungi from its uses to its legal status.

The Psilocybin Experience: What’s the Deal With Magic Mushrooms?
From microdoses to macrodoses, the psilocybin experience has been sought after both medicinally and recreationally for millennia.

Psilocybin and Magic Mushroom Resources
Curious to learn more about psilocybin? This guide is a comprehensive psilocybin resource containing books, therapeutic studies, and more.

Paul Stamets Profile: Mushroom Guru, Filmmaker, Nutritionist, Scientist
Learn about Paul Stamets, read his thoughts on psilocybin mircodosing, the future of psilocybin, and his recent film “Fantastic Fungi”.

Microdosing Psilocybin & Common Dosage Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivably, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing psilocybin.

Psilocybin Nasal Spray: Relief for Anxiety, PTSD, and Depression
Microdosing nasal spray with psilocybin, is that possible?! Oregan a start-up Silo Wellness believes so and has created this new option for PTSD treatment.

Mazatec Mushroom Usage: Notes on Approach, Setting and Species for Curious Psilonauts
A look at traditional Mazatec psilocybin mushroom usage, and a comparison to the cliniical therapeutic approach, with an examination of the Mazatec setting and species used in veladas.

María Sabina: The Mazatec Magic Mushroom Woman
Magic mushrooms are incredibly popular today. How they became introduced to into American culture isn’t usually a topic discussed while tripping on psilocybin fungi. We all may have María Sabina to thank for exposing the Western world to the healing properties of the psilocybin mushroom.

Guide to Magic Mushroom Strains
Are there different types of psilocybin? Read our guide to learn about the different magic mushroom strains and their individual effects.

Kilindi Iyi: Mycologist, Traveler, Teacher
Learn about traveler and mycologist Kilindi Iyi known in the psychedelic community for his research and exploration of psilocybin.

How to Store Shrooms: Best Practices
How do you store shrooms for optimal shelf life? Learn how and why the proper storage method is so important.

Shroom Chocolate Recipes: How to Make Magic Mushroom Chocolates
This recipe provides step by step directions on how you can make mushroom chocolates with the necessary ingredients. Read to learn more!

Why Do People Use Psilocybin? New Johns Hopkins Study
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicines has just published a new study on psychoactive effects of psilocybin. Read here to learn more.

How-To Lemon Tek: Ultimate Guide and Recipe
This master guide will teach you how to lemon tek, preventing the onset of negative effects after consuming psilocybin. Read to learn more!

How to Intensify a Mushroom Trip
Learn about techniques like Lemon tekking, or discover the right time to consume cannabis if you are looking to intensify a mushroom trip.

How to Grow Magic Mushrooms: Step-by-Step
This step-by-step guide will show you how to grow magic mushrooms at home. Read this guide before trying it on your own.

How to Dry Magic Mushrooms: Best Practices
Read to learn more about specifics for the best practices on how to dry magic mushrooms after harvesting season.

How to Buy Psilocybin Spores
Interested in psilocybin mushrooms? We’ll walk you through all you need to know to obtain mushroom spores. Nosh on this delish How To guide.

Hippie Flipping: When Shrooms and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Explore the mechanics of hippie flipping and how to safely experiment.

Having Sex on Shrooms: Good or Bad Idea?
Is having sex on shrooms a good idea or an accident waiting to happen? Find out in our guide to sex on magic mushrooms.

Gold Cap Shrooms Guide: Spores, Effects, Identification
Read this guide to learn more about the different characteristics of gold cap mushrooms, and how they differ from other psilocybin species.

Guide to Cooking with Magic Mushrooms
From cookies to smoothies and sandwiches, we cover various methods of cooking with magic mushrooms for the ultimate snack.

2020 Election: The Decriminalize Psilocybin Movement
Are you curious if mushrooms will follow in marijuana’s footsteps? Read to learn about how the U.S. is moving to decriminalize psilocybin.

Oregon’s Initiative to Legalize Mushrooms | Initiative Petition 34
Oregon continues to push ahead with their initiative to legalize Psilocybin in 2020. The measure received its official title and now needs signatures.

Canada Approves Psilocybin Treatment for Terminally-Ill Cancer Patients
Canada’s Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu approved the use of psilocybin to help ease anxiety and depression of four terminal cancer patients.

Mapping the DMT Experience
With only firsthand experiences to share, how can we fully map the DMT experience? Let’s explore what we know about this powerful psychedelic.

Guide to Machine Elves and Other DMT Entities
This guide discusses machine elves, clockwork elves, and other common DMT entities that people experience during a DMT trip.

Is the DMT Experience a Hallucination? 
What if the DMT realm was the real world, and our everyday lives were merely a game we had chosen to play?

How to Store DMT
Not sure how to store DMT? Read this piece to learn the best practices and elements of advice to keep your stuff fresh.

What Does 5-MeO-DMT Show Us About Consciousness?
How does our brain differentiate between what’s real and what’s not? Read to learn what can 5-MeO-DMT show us about consciousness.

How to Smoke DMT: Processes Explained
There are many ways to smoke DMT and we’ve outlined some of the best processes to consider before embarking on your journey.

How to Ground After DMT
Knowing what to expect from a DMT comedown can help you integrate the experience to gain as much value as possible from your journey.

How To Get DMT
What kind of plants contain DMT? Are there other ways to access this psychedelic? Read on to learn more about how to get DMT.

How DMT is Made: Everything You Need to Know
Ever wonder how to make DMT? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how DMT is made.

Having Sex on DMT: What You Need to Know
Have you ever wondered about sex on DMT? Learn how the God Molecule can influence your intimate experiences.

Does the Human Brain Make DMT? 
With scientific evidence showing us DMT in the brain, what can we conclude it is there for? Read on to learn more.

How to Use DMT Vape Pens
Read to learn all about DMT vape pens including: what to know when vaping, what to expect when purchasing a DMT cartridge, and vaping safely.

DMT Resources
This article is a comprehensive DMT resource providing extensive information from studies, books, documentaries, and more. Check it out!

Differentiating DMT and Near-Death Experiences
Some say there are similarities between a DMT trip and death. Read our guide on differentiating DMT and near-death experiences to find out.

DMT Research from 1956 to the Edge of Time
From a representative sample of a suitably psychedelic crowd, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who couldn’t tell you all about Albert Hofmann’s enchanted bicycle ride after swallowing what turned out to be a massive dose of LSD. Far fewer, however, could tell you much about the world’s first DMT trip.

The Ultimate Guide to DMT Pricing
Check out our ultimate guide on DMT pricing to learn what to expect when purchasing DMT for your first time.

DMT Milking | Reality Sandwich
Indigenous cultures have used 5-MeO-DMT for centuries. With the surge in demand for psychedelic toad milk, is DMT Milking harming the frogs?

Why Does DMT Pervade Nature?
With the presence of DMT in nature everywhere – including human brains – why does it continue to baffle science?

DMT Substance Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to DMT has everything you want to know about this powerful psychedelic referred to as “the spirit molecule”.

DMT for Depression: Paving the Way for New Medicine
We’ve been waiting for an effective depression treatment. Studies show DMT for depression works even for treatment resistant patients.

Beating Addiction with DMT
Psychedelics have been studied for their help overcoming addiction. Read how DMT is helping addicts beat their substance abuse issues.

DMT Extraction: Behind the Scientific Process
Take a look at DMT extraction and the scientific process involved. Learn all you need to know including procedures and safety.

Microdosing DMT & Common Dosages Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing DMT.

DMT Art: A Look Behind Visionary Creations
An entire genre of artwork is inspired by psychedelic trips with DMT. Read to learn about the entities and visions behind DMT art.

Changa vs. DMT: What You Need to Know
While similar (changa contains DMT), each drug has its own unique effect and feeling. Let’s compare and contrast changa vs DMT.

5-MeO-DMT Guide: Effects, Benefits, Safety, and Legality
5-Meo-DMT comes from the Sonora Desert toad. Here is everything you want to know about 5-Meo-DMT and how it compares to 4-AcO-DMT.

4-AcO-DMT Guide: Benefits, Effects, Safety, and Legality
This guide tells you everything about 4 AcO DMT & 5 MeO DMT, that belong to the tryptamine class, and are similar but slightly different to DMT.

How Much Does LSD Cost? When shopping around for that magical psychedelic substance, there can be many uncertainties when new to buying LSD. You may be wondering how much does LSD cost? In this article, we will discuss what to expect when purchasing LSD on the black market, what forms LSD is sold in, and the standard breakdown of buying LSD in quantity.   Navy Use of LSD on the Dark Web The dark web is increasingly popular for purchasing illegal substances. The US Navy has now noticed this trend with their staff. Read to learn more.   Having Sex on LSD: What You Need to Know Can you have sex on LSD? Read our guide to learn everything about sex on acid, from lowered inhibitions to LSD users quotes on sex while tripping.   A Drug That Switches off an LSD Trip A pharmaceutical company is developing an “off-switch” drug for an LSD trip, in the case that a bad trip can happen. Some would say there is no such thing.   Queen of Hearts: An Interview with Liz Elliot on Tim Leary and LSD The history of psychedelia, particularly the British experience, has been almost totally written by men. Of the women involved, especially those who were in the thick of it, little has been written either by or about them. A notable exception is Liz Elliot.   LSD Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety LSD, Lysergic acid diethylamide, or just acid is one of the most important psychedelics ever discovered. What did history teach us?   Microdosing LSD & Common Dosage Explained Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing LSD.   LSD Resources Curious to learn more about LSD? This guide includes comprehensive LSD resources containing books, studies and more.   LSD as a Spiritual Aid There is common consent that the evolution of mankind is paralleled by the increase and expansion of consciousness. From the described process of how consciousness originates and develops, it becomes evident that its growth depends on its faculty of perception. Therefore every means of improving this faculty should be used.   Legendary LSD Blotter Art: A Hidden Craftsmanship Have you ever heard of LSD blotter art? Explore the trippy world of LSD art and some of the top artists of LSD blotter art.   LSD and Exercise: Does it Work? LSD and exercise? Learn why high-performing athletes are taking hits of LSD to improve their overall potential.   Jan Bastiaans Treated Holocaust Survivors with LSD Dutch psychiatrist, Jan Bastiaans administered LSD-assisted therapy to survivors of the Holocaust. A true war hero and pioneer of psychedelic-therapy.   LSD and Spiritual Awakening I give thanks for LSD, which provided the opening that led me to India in 1971 and brought me to Neem Karoli Baba, known as Maharajji. Maharajji is described by the Indians as a “knower of hearts.”   How LSD is Made: Everything You Need to Know Ever wonder how to make LSD? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how LSD is made.   How to Store LSD: Best Practices Learn the best way to store LSD, including the proper temperature and conditions to maximize how long LSD lasts when stored.   Bicycle Day: The Discovery of LSD Every year on April 19th, psychonauts join forces to celebrate Bicycle Day. Learn about the famous day when Albert Hoffman first discovered the effects of LSD.   Cary Grant: A Hollywood Legend On LSD Cary Grant was a famous actor during the 1930’s-60’s But did you know Grant experimented with LSD? Read our guide to learn more.   Albert Hofmann: LSD — My Problem Child Learn about Albert Hofmann and his discovery of LSD, along with the story of Bicycle Day and why it marks a historic milestone.   Babies are High: What Does LSD Do To Your Brain What do LSD and babies have in common? Researchers at the Imperial College in London discover that an adult’s brain on LSD looks like a baby’s brain.   1P LSD: Effects, Benefits, Safety Explained 1P LSD is an analogue of LSD and homologue of ALD-25. Here is everything you want to know about 1P LSD and how it compares to LSD.   Francis Crick, DNA & LSD Type ‘Francis Crick LSD’ into Google, and the result will be 30,000 links. Many sites claim that Crick (one of the two men responsible for discovering the structure of DNA), was either under the influence of LSD at the time of his revelation or used the drug to help with his thought processes during his research. Is this true?   What Happens If You Overdose on LSD? A recent article presented three individuals who overdosed on LSD. Though the experience was unpleasant, the outcomes were remarkably positive.

The Ayahuasca Experience
Ayahuasca is both a medicine and a visionary aid. You can employ ayahuasca for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual repair, and you can engage with the power of ayahuasca for deeper insight and realization. If you consider attainment of knowledge in the broadest perspective, you can say that at all times, ayahuasca heals.

 

Trippy Talk: Meet Ayahuasca with Sitaramaya Sita and PlantTeachers
Sitaramaya Sita is a spiritual herbalist, pusangera, and plant wisdom practitioner formally trained in the Shipibo ayahuasca tradition.

 

The Therapeutic Value of Ayahuasca
My best description of the impact of ayahuasca is that it’s a rocket boost to psychospiritual growth and unfolding, my professional specialty during my thirty-five years of private practice.

 

Microdosing Ayahuasca: Common Dosage Explained
What is ayahuasca made of and what is considered a microdose? Explore insights with an experienced Peruvian brewmaster and learn more about this practice.

 

Ayahuasca Makes Neuron Babies in Your Brain
Researchers from Beckley/Sant Pau Research Program have shared the latest findings in their study on the effects of ayahuasca on neurogenesis.

 

The Fatimiya Sufi Order and Ayahuasca
In this interview, the founder of the Fatimiya Sufi Order,  N. Wahid Azal, discusses the history and uses of plant medicines in Islamic and pre-Islamic mystery schools.

 

Consideration Ayahuasca for Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Research indicates that ayahuasca mimics mechanisms of currently accepted treatments for PTSD. In order to understand the implications of ayahuasca treatment, we need to understand how PTSD develops.

 

Brainwaves on Ayahuasca: A Waking Dream State
In a study researchers shared discoveries showing ingredients found in Ayahuasca impact the brainwaves causing a “waking dream” state.

 

Cannabis and Ayahuasca: Mixing Entheogenic Plants
Cannabis and Ayahuasca: most people believe they shouldn’t be mixed. Read this personal experience peppered with thoughts from a pro cannabis Peruvian Shaman.

 

Ayahuasca Retreat 101: Everything You Need to Know to Brave the Brew
Ayahuasca has been known to be a powerful medicinal substance for millennia. However, until recently, it was only found in the jungle. Word of its deeply healing and cleansing properties has begun to spread across the world as many modern, Western individuals are seeking spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well-being. More ayahuasca retreat centers are emerging in the Amazon and worldwide to meet the demand.

 

Ayahuasca Helps with Grief
A new study published in psychopharmacology found that ayahuasca helped those suffering from the loss of a loved one up to a year after treatment.

 

Ayahuasca Benefits: Clinical Improvements for Six Months
Ayahuasca benefits can last six months according to studies. Read here to learn about the clinical improvements from drinking the brew.

 

Ayahuasca Culture: Indigenous, Western, And The Future
Ayahuasca has been use for generations in the Amazon. With the rise of retreats and the brew leaving the rainforest how is ayahuasca culture changing?

 

Ayahuasca Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
The Amazonian brew, Ayahuasca has a long history and wide use. Read our guide to learn all about the tea from its beginnings up to modern-day interest.

 

Ayahuasca and the Godhead: An Interview with Wahid Azal of the Fatimiya Sufi Order
Wahid Azal, a Sufi mystic of The Fatimiya Sufi Order and an Islamic scholar, talks about entheogens, Sufism, mythology, and metaphysics.

 

Ayahuasca and the Feminine: Women’s Roles, Healing, Retreats, and More
Ayahuasca is lovingly called “grandmother” or “mother” by many. Just how feminine is the brew? Read to learn all about women and ayahuasca.

What Is the Standard of Care for Ketamine Treatments?
Ketamine therapy is on the rise in light of its powerful results for treatment-resistant depression. But, what is the current standard of care for ketamine? Read to find out.

What Is Dissociation and How Does Ketamine Create It?
Dissociation can take on multiple forms. So, what is dissociation like and how does ketamine create it? Read to find out.

Having Sex on Ketamine: Getting Physical on a Dissociative
Curious about what it could feel like to have sex on a dissociate? Find out all the answers in our guide to sex on ketamine.

Special K: The Party Drug
Special K refers to Ketamine when used recreationally. Learn the trends as well as safety information around this substance.

Kitty Flipping: When Ketamine and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Read to explore the mechanics of kitty flipping.

Ketamine vs. Esketamine: 3 Important Differences Explained
Ketamine and esketamine are used to treat depression. But what’s the difference between them? Read to learn which one is right for you: ketamine vs. esketamine.

Guide to Ketamine Treatments: Understanding the New Approach
Ketamine is becoming more popular as more people are seeing its benefits. Is ketamine a fit? Read our guide for all you need to know about ketamine treatments.

Ketamine Treatment for Eating Disorders
Ketamine is becoming a promising treatment for various mental health conditions. Read to learn how individuals can use ketamine treatment for eating disorders.

Ketamine Resources, Studies, and Trusted Information
Curious to learn more about ketamine? This guide includes comprehensive ketamine resources containing books, studies and more.

Ketamine Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to ketamine has everything you need to know about this “dissociative anesthetic” and how it is being studied for depression treatment.

Ketamine for Depression: A Mental Health Breakthrough
While antidepressants work for some, many others find no relief. Read to learn about the therapeutic uses of ketamine for depression.

Ketamine for Addiction: Treatments Offering Hope
New treatments are offering hope to individuals suffering from addiction diseases. Read to learn how ketamine for addiction is providing breakthrough results.

Microdosing Ketamine & Common Dosages Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing ketamine.

How to Ease a Ketamine Comedown
Knowing what to expect when you come down from ketamine can help integrate the experience to gain as much value as possible.

How to Store Ketamine: Best Practices
Learn the best ways how to store ketamine, including the proper temperature and conditions to maximize how long ketamine lasts when stored.

How To Buy Ketamine: Is There Legal Ketamine Online?
Learn exactly where it’s legal to buy ketamine, and if it’s possible to purchase legal ketamine on the internet.

How Long Does Ketamine Stay in Your System?
How long does ketamine stay in your system? Are there lasting effects on your body? Read to discover the answers!

How Ketamine is Made: Everything You Need to Know
Ever wonder how to make Ketamine? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how Ketamine is made.

Colorado on Ketamine: First Responders Waiver Programs
Fallout continues after Elijah McClain. Despite opposing recommendations from some city council, Colorado State Health panel recommends the continued use of ketamine by medics for those demonstrating “excited delirium” or “extreme agitation”.

Types of Ketamine: Learn the Differences & Uses for Each
Learn about the different types of ketamine and what they are used for—and what type might be right for you. Read now to find out!

Kitty Flipping: When Ketamine and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Read to explore the mechanics of kitty flipping.

MDMA & Ecstasy Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to MDMA has everything you want to know about Ecstasy from how it was developed in 1912 to why it’s being studied today.

How To Get the Most out of Taking MDMA as a Couple
Taking MDMA as a couple can lead to exciting experiences. Read here to learn how to get the most of of this love drug in your relationship.

Common MDMA Dosage & Microdosing Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing MDMA.

Having Sex on MDMA: What You Need to Know
MDMA is known as the love drug… Read our guide to learn all about sex on MDMA and why it is beginning to makes its way into couple’s therapy.

How MDMA is Made: Common Procedures Explained
Ever wonder how to make MDMA? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how MDMA is made.

Hippie Flipping: When Shrooms and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Explore the mechanics of hippie flipping and how to safely experiment.

How Cocaine is Made: Common Procedures Explained
Ever wonder how to make cocaine? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how cocaine is made.

A Christmas Sweater with Santa and Cocaine
This week, Walmart came under fire for a “Let it Snow” Christmas sweater depicting Santa with lines of cocaine. Columbia is not merry about it.

Ultimate Cocaine Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
This guide covers what you need to know about Cocaine, including common effects and uses, legality, safety precautions and top trends today.

NEWS: An FDA-Approved Cocaine Nasal Spray
The FDA approved a cocaine nasal spray called Numbrino, which has raised suspicions that the pharmaceutical company, Lannett Company Inc., paid off the FDA..

The Ultimate Guide to Cannabis Bioavailability
What is bioavailability and how can it affect the overall efficacy of a psychedelic substance? Read to learn more.

Cannabis Research Explains Sociability Behaviors
New research by Dr. Giovanni Marsicano shows social behavioral changes occur as a result of less energy available to the neurons. Read here to learn more.

The Cannabis Shaman
If recreational and medical use of marijuana is becoming accepted, can the spiritual use as well? Experiential journalist Rak Razam interviews Hamilton Souther, founder of the 420 Cannabis Shamanism movement…

Cannabis Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to Cannabis has everything you want to know about this popular substances that has psychedelic properties.

Cannabis and Ayahuasca: Mixing Entheogenic Plants
Cannabis and Ayahuasca: most people believe they shouldn’t be mixed. Read this personal experience peppered with thoughts from a procannabis Peruvian Shaman.

CBD-Rich Cannabis Versus Single-Molecule CBD
A ground-breaking study has documented the superior therapeutic properties of whole plant Cannabis extract as compared to synthetic cannabidiol (CBD), challenging the medical-industrial complex’s notion that “crude” botanical preparations are less effective than single-molecule compounds.

Cannabis Has Always Been a Medicine
Modern science has already confirmed the efficacy of cannabis for most uses described in the ancient medical texts, but prohibitionists still claim that medical cannabis is “just a ruse.”

Related Posts

Ready to explore the frontiers of consciousness?

Sign up for the Reality Bites newsletter and embark on a journey into the world of psychedelics, mindfulness, and transformation. It’s where the curious minds gather.

Become a conscious agent with us.

Featured Partner

Cosmic Melts

Cosmic Melts are the latest mushroom gummies we’ve been munching on. Choose from five fruity flavors, each gummy containing 350mg of Amanita muscaria.
 
Amanita muscaria offers a unique (and totally legal!) mushroom experience, and Cosmic Melts is an ideal entry point for the curious consumer.
Featured Partner

Lab Link Supply

Our go-to source for spores so you can grow your own shrooms right at home. Carrying several of our favorite species including B+, Golden Teacher, Jedi Mind F*ck, Blue Meanie and more. Browse their selection of spores and get started with your home grow.

Our Partners

Welcome to Reality Sandwich. Please verify that you are over 18 years of age below.

Reality Sandwich uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By entering Reality Sandwich, you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.