Preparation for a Journey
Hello! Dr. Lee here. Welcome to the Preparation part of our website! Believe it or not, the journey has actually started. A guided journey begins when you choose to take it, not when you’re here at the clinic.
There are some important legal disclosures we’re required to make, and they’re found at the bottom of the page. This includes things like laboratory testing, and information about our emergency and firearm policies.
More importantly, we’re here to discuss the preparation phase of psychedelic facilitation! Preparation is like homework before the test. It helps you feel confident for your session, and helps you get more out of the entire experience.
There is no way to prepare perfectly. The most important thing is to put effort into your preparation.
Key Parts of Preparation
1. Know What Psychedelic Facilitation Is.
2. Set an Intention and continue to work on it. Intention setting is best done over time, and recorded using pen and paper.
3. Meet with your facilitator
Psychedelic Facilitation and 'Turning Inwards'
There are hundreds of ways to use psychedelics. At Space, we use a process called guided facilitation. We do this for a reason! The evidence that doctors use to validate psilocybin generally follows this method. While it isn’t the only way to heal using psychedelics, we feel strongly that this structured method is the best for folks trying to improve their mental health.
It is a slow, considerate method that emphasizes preparation, integration and effort. A guide, or facilitator, will work with you before, during and after your session.
Psychedelic Facilitation includes the concept of ‘turning inward.’ This means to engage deeply with your intention under the influence of mushrooms. To accomplish this, we use music, and a client might cut off aspects of their normal sensation in order to deepen the feeling. This includes things like a weighted blanket, or a blindfold.
By cutting the rest of the world out and letting the effects of the mushrooms build, you make a little psychedelic cocoon for yourself. This allows you to focus exclusively on your intention. All the other things in the world- job, family, home; all of it is for later. For a few hours, focus on yourself and your goals.
Pictured is a client and a facilitator. The client is under the effects of psilocybin, and is ‘turned inwards.’ The facilitator is supporting the client using supportive touch.
Sessions at Space last six hours. We generally take mushrooms within 15 minutes of arrival and mushrooms usually take 15-45 minutes to take effect. Sometimes, a booster dose is given. The first hour is notably challenging, as physical and mental changes often occur and can feel intense.
How do you think your session will go? Do you foresee any parts that will be difficult for you? These are good questions to ask yourself during preparation. If you can identify an issue and work on it, you may be able to have a more productive session. Sitting in one place for six hours with a blindfold on is not normal, and frankly a fair number of people have a tough time.
If you think you’ll have a tough time with ‘turning inwards,’ make sure to talk to Dr Lee or your facilitator!
Intention Setting
A productive session involves intention setting. That is an evidence based statement! Intention setting is at the center of formal, goal-driven psychedelic work.
The following quote is from Professor Giordano, a researcher at Georgetown that had a formal facilitated psilocybin experience, but did not prepare or set intentions. They recorded their journey using a camera phone. During their journey, they felt brilliant! They felt like they were making progress and having important realizations. Two days after their session, they reviewed the footage.
“It was garbage. Totally unusable. It was garbled and did not leave much for interpretation,” said Professor Giordano.
“For a lot of people, [tripping] is a novel experience—they get caught up in the experience, rather than channeling it into the intention. Put another way: “Your mind can wander.”
-James Giordano, Professor of neurology and biochemistry at Georgetown University Medical Center.
I’ve had many conversations with clients in preparation that are drawn to psychedelics but don’t have a clear intention…yet. Setting intentions is an evidence-based practice!
When people book an appointment, what I try to tell them is that they should be prepared to have a frank conversation about their intentions with their facilitator by the time they have their preparation session. If you can tell your facilitator a one to two sentence summary of your intentions during your call, then you’re in a pretty good spot!
JOURNALING AND RECORDING
I tend to find that people have a lot of big, vague fuzzy ideas about what they want from their session. That’s part of the reason I’m so gung-ho about journaling during preparation and integration.
Journaling turns fuzzy ideas and vibes into actual words and actionable ideas. Journaling makes psychedelic work more productive. Journaling is an essential part of integration after the session, and I think it really helps with preparation as well.
INTENTION SETTING EXERCISE: LIST-MAKING
If you’ve talked to me (Dr Lee) on the phone, this will be familiar to you. This exercise is a way to organize your thoughts so that you can narrow down your complex mental health situation into a few fairly narrow intentions.
We cannot fix an entire lifetime with one psilocybin session! But, I feel confident that you can reach some of your goals by applying the principle of intentionality.
Protocol:
1. Grab a pen and paper. Recording and psychedelic work are a classic combination, like peanut butter and jelly. An element of recording makes the entire process more productive.
2. Make a list. Write down everything that could be considered ‘an intention.’ At this phase of the process, let yourself go crazy. It’s ok if you come up with 20 or 30 things- that is very human, and part of the process.
3. Condense your list. Are several of these ‘intentions’ really saying the same thing? Can you combine some of these intentions into a greater over-arching goal?
4. Arrange your list. It’s almost like ranking the things you’re dealing with. Is one of these intentions speaking louder than the others? Is one of them something that you think about very often? Perhaps one intention is at the core of your issues. There are many ways to adjust your list of intentions.
5. Live your life and revise your list. Intention setting is best done over time. As you go through preparation, you’ll probably change your list and adjust the order of things and that is natural and good.
Intention Setting Video
Below is a video about intention setting between two doctors. Do not try to attempt to do it all! Look for 1-2 takeaways that have meaning to you.
Finding Our Clinic
You can see a super tall bamboo grove from blocks around. That’s our neighbor.
We have a groovy painted fence that looks like a psychedelic clinic would be behind it. There’s a driveway and parking lot RIGHT AFTER the fence. If you are at the bamboo you’ve gone too far and you need to go around the block.
Advice for the Day-Of
- Have a light breakfast. I do not recommend meat. I do not recommend caffeine.
- Don’t drink too much water. Getting up to pee is distracting during your session, and psychedelics make you feel like you need to pee.
- Chew mushrooms thoroughly. It prevents nausea. Your dose should take you at least 10 minutes to finish. If you are someone that regularly experiences nausea, please inform your facilitator or Dr. Lee so we can make arrangements for you
- Wear comfortable clothing. We have slippers here that are cleaned after every use
- You will be lying still for 6 hours. Consider your needs. Some people need pain medication. Other people get distracted by needs like chapstick and lotion. Try to anticipate what you will need to be comfortable for 6 hours
- Turn your phone on airplane mode once you get here
- A lot of people have bad sleep the night before due to nerves. Sleep quality is not tied to session quality.
- Embrace nervousness. You are changing and that is okay.
Integration Plan
Before your session is a great time to start thinking about integration. Integration is the process of using your psychedelic journey to make changes in your life that are meaningful and positive. Your facilitator will schedule an integration session with you, but it’s important to think about what you want to happen after your session.
Most people feel better after doing drugs. I call it the happy hangover. If you don’t have a plan for integration, you’ll probably end up back at your baseline shortly. Sorry!
Every client should evaluate their relationship with therapy. If you have a therapist in your life, scheduling a session for the week after a psychedelic experience is logical. If you don’t have a therapist, you should think about it! Therapy is a strategy that’s repeated time and time again in research. Therapy + psychedelics are more effective than either alone.
After your session, write down everything that happened from beginning to end. Do it as close to your session as possible, not necessarily the day of, but as soon as you’re feeling up to it. You might not remember everything and that’s okay. The major themes from your journey should be accessible to you, and that’s what we should focus on.
List the Major Themes of Your Journey. What came up over and over again? Often this is related to the intention we set, but psychedelics have an X Factor, and we love that. What came up for you?
Push Yourself to Change. The good feelings from a journey can be a revelation alone. But the real gift is the lasting change you can achieve with a fresh perspective. I want everyone to view the journey as a beginning- what physical and mental changes will you make now that you’ve journeyed?
Call Dr. Lee! Integration with the doc is free. He’ll give you homework though, so watch out.
Laboratory Testing
All product within the Oregon legal psilocybin system is lab tested by batch for purity, species, and potency. Below are the results for some our growing partners.
Policies and Disclosures
Psilocybin Client Bill of Rights
Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) Division 333, Chapter 333 detail the
language and rule requirements of the Client Bill of Rights. The Client Bill of
Rights and these instructions may be found on the Oregon Psilocybin
Services (OPS) Forms webpage.
Clients receiving psilocybin services in Oregon have the following
rights:
To choose their facilitator and request an opportunity to receive psilocybin
services from an alternate facilitator. Facilitators and service centers may
decline services to a client for any reason.
To be treated with dignity and respect while receiving psilocybin services.
To receive competent and equitable care consistent with values, policies,
and practices that ensure all people, especially those who have been
historically marginalized based on race, ethnicity, religion, language,
disability, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, social class,
intersections among these communities or identities, or other socially
determined circumstances are considered in the development of social
pathways to health equity.
To be free from physical, sexual, psychological, and financial abuse before,
during, and after receiving psilocybin services.
To make decisions without coercion or undue influence.
To be informed of the known benefits and risks associated with psilocybin
services.
To refuse psilocybin services prior to beginning an administration session.
To privacy and confidentiality regarding participation in psilocybin services.
To refuse to release any information to third parties, except as required by
law. Information may be required to be released by law when a client
initiates a complaint, when communications reveal an intent to cause harm
to others or disclose that a minor may have been a victim of abuse, or when
responding to an investigation by Oregon Health Authority.
To a full and accurate explanation of the costs associated with receiving
psilocybin services before receiving those services.
To store personal belongings securely while receiving psilocybin services.
To access their client records after providing reasonable notice to a
facilitator or service center and to correct information that is inaccurate.
To request a private space in which to receive psilocybin services.
To be monitored and supported by a licensed facilitator for the duration of
psilocybin services until it is safe for the client to leave the service center.
To receive psilocybin services from a licensed facilitator for the duration of
those services, except in cases of emergency.
To access service centers, therapy rooms, and psilocybin services that are
welcoming and accessible to people with disabilities.
To have access to a clean, single occupancy restroom for the duration of
psilocybin services.
To discuss this Bill of Rights with licensed facilitators and service center
operators without facing discrimination or retaliation.
To report violations of this Bill of Rights to the Oregon Health Authority, or
other appropriate governing body, without facing discrimination or retaliation.
To withdraw or alter my consent to receive psilocybin services at any time
prior to beginning an administration session.
To withdraw or alter my consent to release information.
To receive information regarding culturally and linguistically responsive
services offered to support client safety.
To be fully informed of a service center’s policies on possession of firearms
and other weapons on the licensed premises.
To make complaints to the Oregon Health Authority regarding psilocybin
products and services.
To receive prior notice of any service center licensee representatives who
may be present in the client administration area to assist with operations.
Firearm Policy
Firearms are strictly prohibited at our clinic. If you are known to have a firearm on your person it is grounds for immediately ending your session, without refund.
Emergency Response Policy
FIRE EVACUATION PLAN
In case of a fire that cannot be managed easily
-Employees will contact owner Dr Lee if he is not present
-FIRE EXTINGUISHER located in first floor kitchenette
-For a fire that cannot be controlled easily, employees will gather all clients and exit the building
and assemble in the gated parking lot.
-Our building is easy to exit with no hazards; no stairs or elevators, and an egress on both sides
-Emergency response services will be called after exiting the building
-A service center employee will account for all persons that were in the building and record
missing persons
SHELTER-IN-PLACE PLAN
In case of a storm or conditions that do not allow travel
-Employees will contact owner Dr Lee if he is not present
-Employees will gather all clients and exit the building and assemble inside the building
-All persons will be moved into interior spaces in the first floor away from windows
-All windows, vents, shutters to be closed
-Ventilation system will be monitored and shut down if necessary
-Employees will monitor the news and weather until conditions improve and allow travel
POWER OUTAGE
What to do in case of a power outage
-Employees will contact owner Dr Lee if he is not present
-Note that our risk of being affected is mitigated due to a solar panel array (deposit paid 11/14,
installation late December)
-Actions during a power outage depend on the length of the outage and the environmental
conditions
-If weather conditions are mild and the service center stays between 60-74 degrees,
administration sessions can continue for up to an hour.
-If weather conditions are hot or cold and clients desire it, then transportation will be arranged to
assist clients to leave the facility
MEDICAL EMERGENCY PLAN
-Employees will contact owner Dr Lee if he is not present
-Emergency contact will be obtained for all clients and persons
-For non life-threatening situations, a decision will be made using the best available information
between the owner, any employees, the facilitator, and the client. Outcomes can include
continuing with the facilitation session, going home with emergency contact, or transport to a
hospital
-Any non life-threatening medical situation should be documented as much as possible.
-Basic first aid, and de-escalation techniques for reactions to psilocybin can and should be
performed at the clinic
-For life-threatening emergencies, 9-1-1 will be called right away.
-A full report including the person’s name, age, DOB, and the situation should be given to
ambulance dispatcher
-For trained employees, resuscitative
Facilitation Price and Payment Disclosure
The state of Oregon requests that the exact amount paid to the service center and facilitator are given to each client. We’re putting it here!
Private Facilitation
Total Cost $925
Amount to Facilitator $560
Amount to Space Clinic, LLC $275
Cost of Mushroom Product $90
Tax (15%)- Paid to State of Oregon $13.5