Putting aside competing cosmologies, I think time, practice, and experience can bridge some of the gaps between these approaches. In many disciplines of asceticism, achieving liberation goes through a process which includes hardships like dietary restrictions, facing the cold, and solitude. For example, spending time in solitude is part of spiritual development in traditions as far apart as Tibetan monks, the Inuit, and Christians. Walsh explains that the reason for this practice is “to allow attention to be redirected inward away from the distractions of the world”. It teaches concentration, quiets the mind and increases sensitivity to one’s inner world. “Those who face themselves in solitude soon come to appreciate just how restless and out of control the untrained mind is”, he explains. According to this approach, being out of control is our basic state, and staying calm and safe calls for training of the mind.
The anthropologist Tim Ingold defines knowledge as skill rather than information. Seen like this, the growth of human knowledge and wisdom through the generations lies not in passing on specific information (i.e. worldviews) but in the “education of attention”. If this is our focus, indigenous shamans, Tibetan monks, meditators, cold plungers, and psychonauts are not so far from each other. Whether it’s with plants, other people, yourself, a molecule, or elements in the environment, trust and relationships take time to cultivate.
In an interview with Paul F. Austin for The Psychedelic Podcast, Ryan Duey discusses some similarities between psychedelics and cold exposure. Cold exposure is a technique of, well, deliberately exposing the body to cold temperature for a short time, to gain physical and psychological benefits. The safest and most sustainable approach is to “start low and go slow”. Duey says that cold exposure “is like a gym for your nervous system”: by exercising it consistently and gradually, you learn to let go. Rather than fighting the cold, you learn to use your breath and give in to the cold. So, if we go back to relationship and trust – this time with the cold yourself – you learn to hand control over to a non-cognitive part of yourself. Alan Watts calls that part “the you that grows your nervous system, rather than the you that uses the nerves to decide, think and act.”
The neuroscientist Andrew Huberman explains that in order to be able to trust and let go, you need to be in a safe environment, which corresponds to having a good set and setting. As ‘cold’ is a personal thing, you need to find that sweet point where it’s cold and scary, but you’re still able to stay inside the water – and leave at your own choice. Like with large doses, starting too cold might earn you a cold shock, so it’s better to start easy and move to lower temperatures as you practice and get more comfortable. According to Huberman, “it is a skill that carries over to situations outside of the deliberate cold environment, allowing you to cope better and maintain a calm, clear mind when confronted with real-world stressors.” So by training from a position of autonomy and self-control, we can accept what arrives without going mad, and remain cool (pun intended) in the face of adversity.
In the psychedelic case, there can always be surprises, which explains why even trained shamans risk losing their minds. So, while practice does not make perfect, can we approach them in a safe manner? With most psychedelics, if you did not take too much (which is a personal thing), there are ways to dive more into or away from the experience. For example, sitting still and concentrating, eyes closed or staring at some point, you can go deeper and deeper. If you feel too uncomfortable for any reason, opening your eyes or looking away may suffice to get you out of there. When you feel ready, you can start concentrating again in order to dive back into the experience and maybe stay a bit longer.
For sure, this sort of training already demands a certain amount of skill, like controlling your attention to a level that permits shifting between these states, and trusting yourself that you can navigate them safely. Training and harm reduction begin long before ingesting anything. Many factors should be taken into consideration, so it’s best to begin by asking some questions. Am I in a safe environment? How much do I want to take, and why? Am I ready for this today? All of these questions are context-dependent, so they should produce different answers based on different days, places, seasons and other circumstances. Reflecting on what happens after the trip is also important. Am I physically and mentally available to interpret and integrate a meaningful or challenging trip? Do I have any experience? Am I mature enough? Do I have enough training and skill? If you are not entirely sure, why not start low and go slow?
Annabelle Abraham | Community Blogger at Chemical Collective
Annabelle is one of our community bloggers here at Chemical Collective. If you’re interested in joining our blogging team and getting paid to write about subjects you’re passionate about, please reach out to Sam via email at samwoolfe@gmail.com
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I feel this essay was well explained. Thank you for the open minded dive into some of the different cultural & possible expectations, experiences and explanations.