Breathe

The other thing I'll add, is that sometimes insight is enough to make permanent change. For very deep fears though, that shit takes time.

I second this. This is exactly what I was saying. Integration means facing the fears you were made aware of during your trip. If you have social fears, then, tada! Time to make some friends, join some groups, talk to people, go on dates, etc. Psychedelics do not take those fears from you on their own. Think of psychedelics just making you aware of your "stuff". It's up to you to work through it. Integration also means getting off your bum and doing the things that your heart desires. Most people do not pursue the things they actually want. Most aren't aware of what's holding them back, usually some form of belief or fear or just laziness in general. Again, psychedelics just offers insight into these mechanics and offers clarity into one's true desires. Often times people don't know what they actually want. If one is conflicted (incompatible desires), psychedelics can offer insight into which is more valuable. Other times people just need to get out there, experiment, and figure out what they like and want. It's up to us to learn about our place in life, what makes it worth living, etc. Life experience is what's called for, not psychedelics (although, nothing wrong with indulging or experimenting with them). I am pro psychedelics. I've been using them for a LONG time and still do. At this stage in my journey, though, I am very aware of their limitations. There is no substitute for life.

That is scary for Europe. Damn.

He seems to be running on a platform of "anti-wokeness". Same as the GOP in the US. Canada would best learn from the US and how we got to where we are now. Canada take heed

Doing psychs is not facing your fears. It's just doing psychs.

I would say that it depends. If you have social fears, like the OP mentioned, then sitting in your room tripping balls isn't going to help with that. Depression is usually some form of feeling stuck, trapped, or hopeless. The past sucks and there's no point in moving forward. Anxiety also comes with the territory. So, there's the feeling of being stuck and crippled with fear. Self-loathing is another symptom. All of things combined can be overwhelming and extremely difficult to walk through alone. Fear has to be faced, not wished away with psychs. To beat the flavor of depression that I mentioned, it takes an extraordinary amount of determination. The problem is, there's no really anywhere to go because nothing seems worth pursuing. But as the OP mentioned, you can have insight into the mechanics of mind on psychs. That's cool, just doesn't always lead to healing. But to answer your, LSD was my goto. I don't do well with mushrooms or DMT.

I tried psychedelics for years to treat depression and got nowhere with it. What I really needed was love, healthier habits, and enough stability so that I could work through all my shit without a veil of misery. Psychedelics don't address the underlying cause so just keep that in mind. Treating depression is really difficult to do on your own. I think for most that some form of community for stability and professional help for guidance and support is needed. Keep fighting the good fight. Wishing you the best.

Ok, so it's clear that there has been an underlying strategy in the gutting of democracy for a long time. It is a well-executed coup. What is also clear is that Trump is not the mastermind. He's too impulsive and doesn't think ahead. When watching him talk about tariffs it doesn't seem like there's any strategy there. Trump is just reacting. Which makes me wonder, is anyone on Trump's team actually backing his executive orders? How would any of these tariffs benefit even the oligarchs? His back and forth with the tariffs is creating fear and turbulence in the local economy. Why is he upping tariffs, then dropping them? There can't be strategy here. Just listen to him talk, he's just like, "It's not fair how they're treating us." FAIR?!! What a child. Canada is like, "Bro, we don't have fentanyl here, the border is secure, WTF else do you want from us?"

I was reading the "cat in the hat" book, eating cucumbers, and then it dawned on me. I haven't gone on a journey in a while. I went to my goodie jar and realized that I had a problem.

That could be. Will def keep that in mind.

That is absolutely not what he is doing. That's like saying seeing Hitler as totally negative is confirmation bias.

It is very much the US's war. Trump is effectively telling Putin he can go fuck the rest of our allies in Europe. Our trading partners, those who have our backs against our enemies. Then there's China, the next superpower in line. We need all the help we can get to prevent economic collapse. We just fucked ourselves. We just said, "Dear Putin, we don't mind if you destroy our economy if you let us suck your dick."

I mostly just pay attention to journalists these days just because the go deeper. The guardian isn't bad. CNN and BBC just to get a quick overview current events.

JK, there's a lot of this going on right now...

Well said

Mushrooms are good for that. LSD lasts a long time so it can suck if you're dealing with a lot of heavy shit. Mushrooms are shorter, but the emotional processing is more intense in my experience. But yeah, ditto what Leo said.

I don't do mdma much but I find it nice to take it when I come down from an LSD trip. It's super nice. I find it wasteful to take both at the same time, the mdma just overpowers the LSD. I wouldn't worry about the seratonin stuff unless you struggle with depression. The comedown is kinda lame and you can feel like shit the first couple of days after. MDMA is a special treat but it is just recreational. Don't believe the nonsense about it having spiritual significance. It's popular with party kids for a reason.

All I can really say is that I understand why someone would act the way that he did. I don't claim to be right or know what's best. We're both have biases and I see nothing wrong with that

That's just an interpretation of the facts

Yep. Had one for years. Still expensive as fuck. I've been dealing with a serious health condition for 12 years. There are different types of people aren't there? The kind that don't want to pay taxes to help others. The kind that have been brainwashed into believing that social programs are a bad thing. The kind that don't want dems to take their guns. Etc. You can't expect everyone to be aware of their own biases or blind spots or to have emotional intelligence. We live in an unconscious society riddled with propaganda that values profits over people. I'm not saying anything is right or wrong. All I am saying is that I understand because of where our society is at right now. I don't support Luigi. Like I said, I understand the anger and frustration that comes with dealing with health issues and the exploitation by the healthcare system. Blue Shield of CA was my provider from 2015 to 2023 (the years that I was able to afford it). Thank god my work pays for my insurance now. In 2023 I was paying over $600 per month for mid grade health coverage. I was an expensive buyer. Even they denied me a brain scan when I was barely able to function. I am very lucky to be alive.

@Elliott Until we root out corruption in the government and replace it with a system for the people I won't be mad at the occasional pitch fork uprising. Not an effective long term solution but it's one way to raise awareness.

I don't think they've lost their minds. People are just fucking over it. You can only exploit people for so long before they rise up and express outrage. I'm not saying it's a great strategy but what else would you expect from people who have suffered immensely or have lost loved ones to greed and neglect?

I'm reading this now. The author backs what was written in the guardian article that you posted.

It's a fucking cult

@MsNobody I can't even deal with conservative friends or family much less in the dating arena. I've lived all over, finally found what works best for me. I only wished I moved to Portland sooner before the cost of living went sky high.