Besides the enchanting promise of healing, Psychedelics have been romanticized for years through music & art culture, as a gate to elevated states of consciousness. John Lennon, Jim Morrison, or Hendrix, to name a few.

Psychedelics profoundly influenced all-time classics, and shaped the sound of music to this day. Associated with a more experimental sound, new recording techniques, and an edgy atmosphere of sorrealism and transcendence – It was revolutionary. Im all in for innovative, complex, and unconventional directions. Groundbreaking creativity is something to be embraced.

As we all know, ‘Plant Medicine’ was firstly used in a spiritual context and religious practices, mostly by indigenous cultures. The so called psychological exploration is a relatively new addition.

In the western world, before the storm of recreational use, psychedelics were first explored as a potential treatment for mental health conditions, and were used in psychiatric research throughout the 1940s and 1950s.

The assumption that Psycedelic drugs are to be used to heal our minds, remained to this day. In the past few years, we can see the renaissance of Psychadelic research highlighted in many places in mainstream media. Beyond the desire to touch mystical experiences, people are drawn to it in the hope of healing depression, anxiety, addictions, or help gaining better self awareness and inner clarity.

The ideas of theraputic effects of psychedelics for mental-health are divided into two main ones : One is about the development of medications, that are meant to be taken on a daily basis. This path is not so far from the way SSRI are currently used. In fact, there is now a multi billion dollars industry surrounding these Psychedelics, with a number of companies moving it along the FDA pathway, looking for a potential medical approval.

The second option is about fewer, monitored experiences, can be one, two, or three, which are all accompanied by experienced therapist. In this way, some people reported an ability to change profound things in their life after seeing things in a different view for the first time, through their psychedelic trip – such as reframing PTSD, or being able to shake off stubborn addictions.

Then there is also the increase of personal and social use.

There is an ongoing conversation about increased neuroplasticity, and new connections forming in the brain. Even about Psychedelics as our route towards optimal self actualization as humans. There are also interesting claims such as ‘People feeling the light of god shining through them, also in the weeks and months after the end of the experience.’ All sounds pretty fascinating, isn’t it?

But what could this dialogue be missing out on?

First of all, in the case of self-medicating, a micro dose never ends as a micro dose. Rarely. A small taste may open people’s appetite for more. And even if at some point they find their “right mini-dose”, it is likely that they’ll get there after experimenting with their upper limits.

There is also the risk that while you either microdose daily on your own, or taking your daily dose of prescribed Psilocybin based medication (when it will be available), or even when seeing mood improvements for several months after a single experience – since you are now generally feeling good – you are less in touch with your real default mode, and convinced you figured it all out. This conception is risky because while you are walking on clouds, underlaying stuff is still there, and might slowly get worse.

It is not gonna magically super-charge your liver, clean you brain from environmental toxins, strengthen your adrenals or make your immune system function better to fight off viruses & bacteria. It is not gonna improve your gut health either, or do anything about deficiencies. All of these elements are crucial when talking mental-health, and I can’t think a depth solution can come in a form that is not addressing all of the above.

Saying that, I do acknowledge that it aids many people in more ways than one.

All I say is this: If you go back from your Psychedelics to your morning coffee – Something is missing. If there are still toxic metals in your brain – Something is missing. Those things are taking away from your intuition and connection to your true self.

And in that sense, the adoption is not as ground-braking as it is painted to be. The root causes of suffering are still covered up, there is no institutional understanding on how massively influential our body is on our psych, and no one is really taking into consideration what the industrial revolution has to do with it all.

What if you are already doing it – and it feels good? You’re seeing great benefits? You do you. Just be aware of the whole picture. With any sort of mind-lifting hacks, it’s not as easy to get in touch with how things really are. Because you’re getting by. Life’s good. But the underlying problem is still there – and I don’t mean an unresolved trauma. On a biochemical level – your body might be calling for another type of intervention.

It’s really easy to get mixed up in all directions of alternative healing measures. It is tempting to try new things – especially with such a mystical hype. Experiment. Go on a journey. But I encourage you to go down to basics. Which are a rich universe of many varying factors and important details.

Before we go on with mind-altering substances, why not bring back our brain to it’s natural equilibrium? It’s time to bring the power back home.

If we don’t properly and consistently detox and nourish the body, we have a huge missing link. Papayas, Apples, Parsley, Celery, Onions, Cherries, Blueberries, Spinach – are all the purest form of plant medicine. Medicine that can influence our psych in a way that is second to none.