The Psychedelic Frontier

Mary Casanave Sheridan is a psychedelic coach and guide. She helps individuals explore psychedelic realms for self-discovery, healing and growth. Through this column she aims to answer reader questions, dispel myths and disinformation around psychedelic substances and their potential, creating a more empowered and well-informed public.

Q: As a practitioner of psychedelic experiences, how do you determine or decide when a person is ready or equipped for these experiences?

A: This is an important question with multiple important factors to touch on.

The journey toward psychedelic experiences is intensely personal. Ideally, it’s a path charted by the inner knowing of those who feel called to walk their realms. Recognizing personal readiness is an important step on that path, and is a task ultimately only the individual can make for themselves. Those feeling the pull toward this work will ultimately feel within themselves an intrinsic knowledge of their readiness to face the realms when the time is right. The amount of preparation, time to research, adjust and consider and satisfy all the personally required pieces needed to take the step varies greatly between individuals, and isn’t something that anyone else has the right or responsibility to determine.

As a guide, my role is not to act as gatekeeper, granting or denying access, but to walk alongside those who are drawn to this path, aiding their understanding and readiness. Sometimes people come to me fully informed and prepared, even experienced. Other times individuals are seeking education, counsel or other assistance in their process before being fully prepared to take a psychedelic journey. But regardless, they will solely be the ones to tell me when it’s time. The individuals themselves, armed with their inner wisdom and thirst for growth, are best positioned to recognize when they are prepared to embark on this journey. My service, thus, is to offer an environment of acceptance and non-judgement, and direct them to trusted resources or be one myself, where each seeker is supported in their unique pursuit.

That said, it’s important to recognize that my guidance may not resonate with every seeker, and know that not every ready, interested and willing client is appropriate for me to take on. Not every soul’s journey will align with the support I offer, and this is a natural part of the process. We must honor individual needs, perspectives, worldviews and the guiding principles of each seeker, and they may not align with mine.

Yet, it is not within my purview to assess readiness as if it were a matter to be quantified. My dedication lies in carving out a journey that is both safe and nurturing. Part of this determination of match is employing a diligent screening process, including contraindicated medications, health conditions or life situations, having reliable support systems in place, and securing resources for integration post-experience. It is my responsibility to identify potential risks and openly discuss them. This conversation fosters informed choices and transparency — cornerstone principles of our ethical framework. Our dialogue, therefore, revolves around fortifying this preparation, highlighting the principle of autonomy that underpins these exploratory endeavors.

At the heart of it all, the choice to step into the world of psychedelics, whether guided or solo, remains with the individual. I feel strongly about acknowledging that not every journey requires a guide. Emphasizing the significance of informed and autonomous decision-making, not every journey necessitates a guide and we recognize most do not have one, in our Western culture. Our role as practitioners is to extend support, knowledge and empowerment, aiding each journeyer in navigating their path with compassion and respect without judgement of what it looks like.

Selecting a guide or practitioner to accompany or guide you on these journeys is as much about trust and alignment with their methodology as it is about resonance with their values and spirit of understanding. It involves finding someone whose presence and guidance feel supportive, safe, and insightful, honoring the potential of the psychedelic experience. And, choosing a guide or practitioner for these experiences should never replace autonomous decision making or informed consent and decision-making every step of the way.

—Questions are encouraged at mothermarymyco@gmail.com and free 30-minute consultations for further discussions can be made through her website, https://myco.vision.

This article appears in Source Weekly May 30, 2024.