Taking a trip or a meditation retreat

[Average Investor]

I was thinking about going for a 1000 mile drive trip and doing a little bit of item sourcing with it. Sleeping in the car mostly and trying to contemplate. Also, I had seen a meditation retreat center near me. Not sure what to really expect from something like that if I went. What should I look for in the facility information? I haven't done any psychedelics either, so maybe that would be a good start? Looking for a good spiritual journey to take and help me get into a more motivated and fulfilling lifestyle. 

[Nahm]

Consider getting daily meditation to an hour each morning for a month or two, then going to the retreat center, and then consider psychedelics from that vantage point. Be careful sleeping in the car! Good luck with your journeys.

[Average Investor]

@Nahm I will do about 1-2 hours daily, but a lot of the time I only get about 20-30 minutes of solid grounded meditation it seems like if that makes sense. I've been building the habit for quite a few months now. Maybe up to 6? Recently tried a guided meditation and had a ton of success with that. I was thinking about trying mushrooms for the first time, but with lsd I know how to test it and everything, so not sure what route to go on those. Also, likely going to try it with friends the first time, then maybe get a hotel room the second time? 

[Nahm]

@Average Investor Be safe and enjoy. Make tea if you go with the shrooms. Start with small amounts either way. It’s hard to say which would be better to do first, the trip or the retreat. Both are a great continuance to your journey either way. 

[Forestluv]

1 hour ago, Average Investor said:

I was thinking about going for a 1000 mile drive trip and doing a little bit of item sourcing with it. Sleeping in the car mostly and trying to contemplate. Also, I had seen a meditation retreat center near me. Not sure what to really expect from something like that if I went. What should I look for in the facility information? I haven't done any psychedelics either, so maybe that would be a good start? Looking for a good spiritual journey to take and help me get into a more motivated and fulfilling lifestyle. 

It sounds like you have established a basic foundation and are motivated to take it to the next level. Go for it.

Regarding a meditation center, I would recommend visiting, if possible, before diving into a retreat. Many meditation centers have orientation for begginners. If that’s not possible, I would visit their web page and fb page if they have one. Read about their mission, read comments from participants and get a feel for the place. Some centers may have informal meditation, yoga, discussion. Others may be more formal and structured. As well, if you write or talk to the contact person, you can get a sense of whether they resonate with you. 

Regarding psychedelics, don’t combine them with a meditation center. Most centers prohibit it and psychedelic energy can throw off sober meditation energy. 

I’d also be clear on your intentions. Using psychedelics the first time could alter the whole tone of your trip. If that intrigues you and you get curious, go for it. I would trip on a light dose in nature. 50ug LSD is well over threshold and offer you a new experience of reality. Yet, it’s low enough that you will still be in control and able to calm yourself down if needed. 

Outside of psychedelics, I would hike, sit and run through nature. Climb trees. Get away from technology, traffic and business. I’d get back in touch with our source in nature. 

I also like to stop for some culture in small cities to get a feel of the vibe. I particularly like art galleries and live music of local artists. I also like getting a feel for the audience, meeting people and learning about their lives. When I travel, I receive insights from both nature and people. The people are not strangers, they mirror me and reveal truth within. Yet, you’ve got to pick a place that will have really cool people. For me, I like eccentric people. Especially odd artists and intellectuals that have traveled the world and have a breadth of experience. I wouldn’t go to a McDonalds or a club looking for them. They hang out in artsy and spiritual places. 

[Average Investor]

@Nahm Cool, I appreciate the advice!  

[Average Investor]

@Serotoninluv Really good advice for the center. I will be sure to look more into them. Was shocked to see a few withing 20 miles or so from me. And definitely not looking to do psychedelics  at the center haha. 

I try and go for a 5-6 mile walk 5 times a week and it is a decent nature scene and has a few cool animals to spot at it. But it would be cool to try something more out of my comfort zone. 

I was going to be hunting for items as part of the trip to see if I could pay for the trip just from finding stuff to resell. But will definitely try and plan it as best as I can to get the best trip possible! Would definitely stay somewhere a few times to shower and what not lol. And appreciate the tip on looking for people. Having a struggle finding people to resonate with locally due to a lack of those types of things it seems like. 

[Forestluv]

@Average Investor Depending on where you travel, there might be Youth Hostels. I’ve met super cool people in Hostels and they are cheap. I tripped the back half of a shroom trip in a hostel. Fun times. Uuummm, I mean the back half of a spiritual experience. . . ??

[Average Investor]

@Serotoninluv I'll plan accordingly and see what I can find for the route. Excited to find you guys on the forum here. Haven't used a forum in about 5 years, but this looks very promising.