Solo journeying with psychedelics
by Nick Palmer
While solo journeying is seen by many to be one of the ultimate goals of the psychedelic journeyer, it should probably not be attempted until one has attained a certain level of experience.
Photo by Danny Lines on Unsplash
When you are ready to go solo, be sensible about it. Know the source of your medicine and test it with a reagent test, let someone else know when you are doing it and where, and don’t act out of any sense of desperation.
For the solo journeyer, set and setting are more important than ever. Be in comfortable, familiar surroundings with access to phone reception. Make a note of your dosage before you begin. Consider any pre-existing conditions you may have, and any medications you have been taking or have recently stopped taking. Don’t journey in the immediate aftermath of any kind of trauma, including relationship breakdowns and bereavement.
Animals can be great companions for the solo journeyer too, although dogs are more likely to react to any perceived distress on your part.
Prepare some fruit and have water and herbal tea available before you start - fruit seems for most people to be the most palatable food during a journey, and food can help to ground you (being grounded in a psychedelic context basically means having a feeling of stability and confidence). The natural sugar contained in fruit is also a factor - your brain will consume a lot of your body’s stored sugars during a psychedelic journey. Lollies containing glucose are
also a good idea.
Give yourself plenty of time to recover before having to go back to work, make a long drive home, look after children or other dependents, etc. Make sure you can remain where you are for the entire duration of your journey, preferably until the following day.
Doing solo journeys in nature is probably only a good idea if you are familiar with the area. If you intend to sleep in a tent or swag, make sure they are in good condition, and that you will be warm and comfortable. Also, if you plan on travelling solo for the first time, we recommend you have a trusted sitter or friend accompany you quietly and unobtrusively (and remain sober) just in case. In this scenario it would be just as wise to have a list of your medications and health conditions on hand in case they need to alert emergency services.
This is an excerpt from a soon-to-be-released harm reduction guide written by the team at PATCH - the Psychedelically Aware Talking Circle Hub. Another excerpt (“Am I ready for psychedelics?”) can be read here.
Nick Palmer is an APS committee member, APS Tasmania Chapter Lead, and founding member and secretary of psychedelic harm reduction and advocacy group Psychedelically Aware.
Disclaimer: This article provides information for educational purposes only. Psychedelics should be treated with caution and respect. The APS does not advocate breaking the law. If you are new to psychedelics, or would like to learn more, we recommend checking out our FAQ and our resources page.
