Embracing Novelty in All Ways - “Let’s Do this Differently.”
I've been working openly & devotedly in the microdosing space since 2020, and in the healing arts field for almost three decades. I’ve supported tens of thousands of people in their healing and growth, and in many ways feel like I’m only just now ready to begin doing the work I showed up here in this lifetime to do. I’m more excited than ever this year and the potential we have collectively before us, and grateful to feel so ready, prepared and resourced to be of service to a public that is open & drawn to empowered, sovereign and natural healing.
Simultaneously - when I poke my head up from my clients, close colleagues and microdosing community - I’m presently more disenchanted than ever with the dominant narratives I’ve seen focused upon and amplified in the psychedelic field — a continuation and replication of the same fear-laden clickbait and puerile, simplistic framing designed to gain eyeballs, followers, engagement and attention.
Since we only ever have control & influence over our own thoughts and actions, in response I have doubled down on investing energy & thoughtfulness into three things.
Lately I have been asking myself each day:
What am I doing? Seriously. Every day asking, what is it that I am trying to accomplish, and how much of my day am I spending investing time and energy into that? Grounding and centering myself in my client’s and community’s experience - their healing, their growth, their connection to the world - is the way I focus and channel my time, thoughts and energy.
How am I doing it? If you’re in this field to contribute to human healing, growth and evolution but using fear tropes to do it, this, to me, is in energetic conflict. The human mind does not differentiate; when people see “psychedelics can kill you!",” this is what they remember. And this is unhelpful to the field, unhelpful to opening minds, unhelpful to the creation of a thoughtful, reflective society. I want to share what I do - sure! - I love it, it’s my life’s work, and I think openly and authentically sharing our work is tremendously important at this pivotal moment. But HOW we share must be aligned with the medicine’s message - nature’s message - which is not creating more fearfulness, more judgement, more outrage.
Who and what am I amplifying? Psychedelics & earth medicines are profound amplifiers and messengers. Those of us who hold and work within this space must be aware we are a mycelium in and of ourselves - the communication and energy we put out in the context of our work ripples out across our culture. I am very conscious of not only what I say, but how I say it. I don’t say provocative or divisive things to gain followers or court the algorithm, instead I try to speak in a way that makes nature and my teachers proud of me. I try to be conscious that who and whatever I like, share, follow, redistribute and leverage is also authentic and aligned so that I’m not perpetuating and continuing to prop up imaginary systems of hierarchy and authority, or contributing to fear and misinformation.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard quite enough from all the various self-appointed town criers in the field… the pontificating class who has never once set foot in the arena or the real, gritty, heart-breaking, magnificent, truly brave work that is healing and space-holding. I’m so hungry to hear instead about the work and inventions of the quietly devoted, grounded, experienced, wise medicine keepers who are creating, contributing and supporting people in novel ways, building new sustainable systems, helping people attain lasting healing, and access remarkable growth. There will always be bad actors among the human species, and there will always be people who make it their self-anointed role and mission to police and critique others, however: Each and every one of us has under our control what and who we choose to amplify, read, quote, position as authorities, acknowledge as experts, quote in the media, re-post, follow, and share. And - together, collectively - this is what will define our field. I would much rather invest my precious life force and time here dedicated to sharing and amplifying the effective & good work of colleagues, using our mycelium as a force for positivity, learning, sharing, and leaning into our human potential than rewarding inconsequential clickbait with my attention.
The media loves to platform the Town Crier: the outing of the creepy ‘shaman,’ the shady mushroom company, the celebrity toad scandal, the *Nature-Might-Kill-You! (*based on just my opinion) declaration from the Authority in the White Coat. But that doesn’t mean we need to take the bait and allow these narratives to define our field by repeating it over and over again and giving it free real estate in our lives.
It’s On Us: In the coming months we’re going to have a tidal wave of curious, seeking beginners brand new to psychedelics looking to all of us to define how they may be in relationship and benefit from them. What an opportunity we have! Are we going to hold earth medicines as just another drug, prescription or pill option we dole out carelessly, or will we take the opportunity to create real, lasting, meaningful, positive societal change? Will we encourage self-responsibility, personal empowerment, curiosity and a relationship with the medicine, or will we perpetuate structures of corporate gate-keeping, fix-me mentality, and systems of authority & control?
It’s On Us: We’re also going to be training, mentoring and welcoming many new faces professionally into the field who, again, will be looking to us to teach and model how to be a professional in this field. Do we share and collaborate with one another, or do we leverage, copy and compete? Are we able to partner, trust one other, and be in reciprocal relationship? Do we stay solid and grounded within our true scope of experience & ability, or has a psychedelic-amplified ambition taken us over our skies? Are we willing to change our minds with new understanding, course correct as necessary, and remember that the basis of science is inquiry, not opinion? Everyone who is new to the space will be watching us carefully, looking to us to learn ‘how to be’ in this work, watching to see not just what we say… but also how we say it.
My hope is that scientists in the field can get back to the roots of scientific inquiry, which is that: Inquiry. Curiosity. Beginning with a question, not the answer. Expressing what they know to be true, not making preemptive statements based on conjecture, opinion, personal bias, fear of competition, highly circumscribed knowledge or limited experience. When you don’t know very much about a subject, it’s more fair and aligned to say “I have no personal experience with this, therefore the jury is still out” rather than spreading misinformation to a public who listens to you and credits you as an authority based on your academic credentials and institutional affiliations.
When I work with a new client, welcome a new community member, or mentor a new guide in the field, above all I want them to be proud of this work, reverent of the work, protective of its sacredness and more-than-humanness. It makes me want to hold and communicate the work in a way that affirms and promotes all of those qualities.... To set this timeless, ancient and eternal work above and apart from the ugly, crass ordinariness of a culture in decline - to shield and protect it from a world that would market it alongside Ozempic and ketamine nasal sprays to enrich the shareholders of pharmaceutical companies.
Instead, I bow to Nature and enrich future generations by healing in this one.
To be sure, nature need not ‘prove’ itself to us, nor will the medicine carry the blame if we manage to fu*k this up - that will be on us. Nature is endlessly benevolent, showers her gifts upon us, holds out what is possible for us, and nudges us toward it. We have long been her favorite child of Earth. But it is up to us to take her hand. We have an incredible opportunity here in 2025 to begin to write a new story of Healing, to do it differently this time. Let’s try.
