How psychedelics impact intimate relationships is a topic seldom discussed, but wholly embedded into the aftermath of a psychedelic experience. On this episode, hosts Nicholas Levich and Jimmy Nguyen explore the intersection that weaves together psychedelic healing and relationship dynamics.
They explore what it means to support your partner or loved one during their psychedelic healing process, while also supporting yourself and maintaining your sovereignty. How do you hold a conscious space for them while protecting your own?
Our hosts share personal anecdotes and stories about past client experiences. How have psychedelics been shown to affect relationships, both platonic and romantic? How can you navigate the emergence of a new identity while balancing your relationship to others?
Later, they discuss which substances are most likely to cause a sense of connectedness, and under what circumstances they should be avoided. They also share questions to ask yourself when determining who to share a transformative psychedelic journey with.
This episode is part of the Psychedelic Passage Podcast X Blog series. For an in-depth analysis of the anecdotal evidence and scientific research that supplements this conversation, check out “How Psychedelic Therapy Can Change Relationship Dynamics”.
Episode 42- How Psychedelics Impact Intimate Relationships
Nick: Welcome to the Psychedelic Passage podcast. My name is Nick Levich. I am here with my co-host Jimmy Nguyen. Thank you so much for joining us today.
This week we have a juicy topic. We are talking about how psychedelics impact in particular intimate relationships. This topic is important to discuss because for starters, a lot of us are in some sort of intimate relationship-
Either with another human, ourselves, but this comes up a lot and oftentimes couples are interested in either journeying together or perhaps one person wants to journey, the other person is not sure.
And so, there’s this dynamic at play between how psychedelics impact the relationship dynamic, like I said, especially as it relates to more intimate relationships. And so, do you have anywhere in particular that you want to start this one, Jimmy?
Jimmy: Well, I think no matter what, there’s a correlation between the exploration of the self and how that relates to the exploration of how you relate to others. In this episode, we’re going to specifically talk about intimate relationships because those are the most palpable usually, oftentimes you have–[crosstalk]
Nick: And the most significantly impacted, I think.
Jimmy: Sure, I agree because of the parallels like the vulnerable nature of it the same as psychedelic experiences. I think regardless of whether you’re using psychedelics or not, any pursuit of internal healing, personal growth-
Any opportunity that can potentially change or shift your perspective, your values, your beliefs can impact your intimate relationships. It just so happens that psychedelics become a really tangible outlet for those types of exploration.
Nick: Yup.
Jimmy: And I also think that the involvement of your partner or your spouse or somebody that you’re involved in an intimate relationship with, it really depends on the context. Like if you’re in an intimate relationship with somebody but maybe you’re just starting or it’s new or they’re not, let’s say an emotional supporter to you like that.
The first thing that I would say is that you as a journeyer take a note of agency around the level of involvement of folks in your life as it relates to your process. And this is really true with intimate relationships.
I often see potential journeyers really wanting the involvement and the support of their partner and spouse, and then their partner or spouse has reservations or hesitations or the other side where the journeyer wants to do their own thing and then the partner and the spouse is wanting to be really involved.
So, this requires communication and this requires some alignment in expectation and people’s roles and what’s needed, even before you move into a psychedelic experience.
How Psychedelics Put a Spotlight on Your Relationships
[00:03:09] Nick: Yeah, so I think we should just straight up tell people that this typically unfolds one of two ways. Either it brings your relationship closer together or you– [crosstalk]
Jimmy: Or it crumbles, [chuckles] seriously.
Nick: Yeah. And so, there’s not really an in-between here. It’s funny, psychedelics give us an opportunity to deepen, to truly, truly deepen our relationship with our partner.
And they can also pull the blinders off and reveal to us that we have actually unconsciously entered into the wrong relationship and likely due to our own shock, shame, and trauma, that we repeated a pattern or a cycle and ended up with someone that, lo and behold, maybe isn’t the healthiest. I’ve seen this happen.
I have helped people through journeys and they divorced their partner months later. And that doesn’t guarantee that this is going to happen. My take on it is that was going to be the outcome either way. This just accelerated it. But it’s a delicate thing. When people think that psychedelics are going to magically fix their relationship, that’s not how this works.
Jimmy: Yeah. I want to be really clear to support what you’re saying is that it’s not the psychedelic that’s really doing any of this stuff. Psychedelics are, as we’ve used terms before, nonspecific amplifiers.
They can create different perspectives on existing things, challenge our beliefs. There’s a whole neurological component to it as well, and so what I find is that psychedelics can reveal things. You have to choose whether you want to look at it and how it applies to your life. And so, this is very clearly related to intimate relationships.
The social conditioning episode that we chatted about comes up for me. What do we believe about relationships and what partnerships should be like and what’s involved there or expressions of love. Is it transactional? Is it a person that meets my needs? Is it a person that meets all of my needs? Physical, attractiveness, spirituality.
Nick: Emotional.
Jimmy: Emotional, mental health support, all of that. What I find with folks is there’s kind of this push and pull type of dynamic that happens when one person enters into a psychedelic experience. No matter what you come through, that experience shifted in some way, shape or form.
Nick: No question about it, it’s going to happen.
Jimmy: It’s going to happen. Now in integration, you could cycle back and just ignore everything and go back to square one. That’s possible, but more than likely there’s some type of a subtle shift or a subtle change there.
What I find is that that can be very polarizing to the partner because either the partner is then wanting that same type of change, taking action toward that same type of change or it may reveal that people’s beliefs and ways that they want to live their lives and their values are different and so–[crosstalk]
Nick: Or it triggers their own inadequacy or lack of willingness to accept to do their work and so–
Jimmy: Talk about that for a little bit because this mirroring thing is really, really important. Can you talk about that so that people understand?
Balancing Personal Growth & Relationship Dynamics
[00:06:37] Nick: Yeah. One of the things that I’ve seen in couple dynamics that unfolds quite frequently actually, is one person is struggling and then deciding that they’re going to do a journey.
And the partner goes, “Well I don’t know much about this, I’m not sure if I believe in this.” And then here’s the kicker. What if you change? I like you the way you are.
Jimmy: What if I lose you? [crosstalk].
Nick: Right. What if you come out of this a different person?
Jimmy: What if you come out, you don’t need me anymore?
Nick: Right. And so that is a fear response. That is a fear response. But it doesn’t mean it is or isn’t valid, but it is a fear response. And it basically prevents the partner from being able to support the journeyer fully because they’re wrapped up in their own sh*t and this is when mirroring turns into triggering.
Jimmy: Mm-hmm. I’ll give another example of this. When somebody moves through an intentional psychedelic experience as a part of their prep process, they’re just going through their life content, their baggage, all their stuff.
They’re, like, really doing a deep dive introspectively. That can either be very encouraging for a partner, whether they’re going through a psychedelic experience or not, to engage in a similar process of self-discovery-
Or it can be very polarizing and pressuring to somebody like, “Oh, man, this wasn’t something that I needed to do to be successful in this relationship, a month ago. But now my partner is doing this, which means that I got to go through my baggage and look through my stuff and decide.” [laughs] Do you know what I mean [crosstalk] this process?
Nick: Because here’s the thing, intimate relationships are all about depth. It’s about vulnerability. The depth comes from vulnerability. If you’re both comfortable at this depth in your relationship, I’m using my hands for those that are just listening.
But if you’re both at this comfort level in the depth of your relationship and then one person starts going deeper but you’re not capable or willing to meet them there, there’s now friction. One person wants to go deep in the relationship, but the other person’s like, “I don’t have the capacity to do that.”
And so you can see how things can get jarred or shaken up a little bit from these experiences. Now I want to be clear, I’ve also seen the flip side, where a husband is feeling very severed from his heart and unable to give his wife or partner the love that he desires. And then they come out of the journey and they go, “Holy sh*t, I love my partner.
I want to call her right now and express my love.” That’s the flip side of what comes out of this. It unclogs that emotional constipation opens up our heart and gives us this ability to actually let the love flow again.
Jimmy: Or identify where the space and where the gaps are.
Nick: Right.
Jimmy: They can help you to identify where the dissonance and distance is within your relationship and you got to name it to claim it. You know what I mean? If you have an idea of– I stole that from my– I think my therapist and I worked on that together.
[laughter]
Jimmy: But if you can at least identify, “Oh, we’re actually really close and aligned on these three or four things. But we’re really far off on this particular thing.” Then it helps you to decide, okay, “What can I do to get closer to that?”
I want to make a distinguishing point for folks that you don’t have to be in the exact same place of your process in order for you to align with your partner–[crosstalk]
Nick: Or to support each other.
Jimmy: Or to support each other. You can be at different places, you’re likely to be going through different challenges and different things. The way that I think about it visually is, are you growing in parallel to each other or are you growing in diverting directions?
Nick: Yeah, the other way to think about it is like, are you supporting each other in your respective growth? It doesn’t have to be the same growth, it doesn’t have to be the same rate, it doesn’t have to be the same trauma. It’s just a willingness to support each other, knowing that you’re both trying to step into this new and improved version of yourself.
Jimmy: It doesn’t even have to be the same way. Let’s say one partner goes through a psychedelic route and then the other partner is going through workshops and self-help things and books and exercise. Maybe they’re on a medication that they feel is exactly right for them.
And so, it doesn’t mean that you have to be prescribing the same process to each person what it means– The way that I think about this, it’s the exact tenets of holding sacred psychedelic space, creating supportive, nonjudgmental containers for each other-
Where you can be honest and vulnerable about the shit that you’re dealing with and have somebody hold it for you in a way where you feel like you can express yourself and move through that. I feel like every relationship could benefit from that.
Nick: Yes. Simple in concept, challenging in practice.
Jimmy: It’s really hard to do. [chuckles]
Nick: Because that safe, supportive, nonjudgmental space requires that you’re not being triggered by whatever they’re working through or expressing or needing support around. And that’s usually where things get sticky in these relationships is one party gets triggered for one reason or another.
Jimmy: Yeah, conversations of codependency kind of come up for me here. What needs are you self-fulfilling versus seeking something or some of the external to fulfill for you? I’m speaking from my own life experience here. [laughs] I don’t got this shit figured out either.
So, you can see why this combination of things, your values, beliefs, perceptions change, your wants and needs change, your definition on what a fulfilling relationship looks like can change, your–[crosstalk]
Nick: Your feelings of worth change. And all of a sudden, you want more from your relationship and your partner and are they able to give it?
Jimmy: So, you can see why it’s one of two things that either brings people closer together or it really, really pushes people apart. And I also have a lot of compassion for folks who go through really challenging breakups, relational dynamics, things like that, especially when it involves other people, kids, extended family.
Nick: I have to tell you though.
Jimmy: Yeah.
Nick: The clients that I have seen and supported through the breakup process post-journey, it’s messy, but the most amazing thing happens after. They’re free and oftentimes end up in much, much healthier relationships-
Not only with themselves but then the potential for a truly healthy intimate relationship because it’s pretty obvious when it’s not a healthy relationship from the start.
Jimmy: Or maybe not obvious to the people who or in the relationships. [laughs]
Nick: No, no, no, but as a supporter, there gets to be a point where it’s like, “Oh, yeah, they’re just incapable of providing you what you need here.” And I’ve seen this play out with clients on a number of different occasions.
Jimmy: Or there’s likely a time or a situation where you know, but you’re choosing consciously or unconsciously to make that compromise or make that bend of, “Oh, this is something that I actually need to feel loved and I’m just going–” [crosstalk]
Nick: Stick with that.
Having Sovereignty Over Yourself Improves Your Relationships
[00:14:32] Jimmy: [laughs] I think that there’s also a conversation here about ownership and sovereignty to have meaning that if you are an individual making your own choices about your body, your personal growth, your-
Nick: Mental health.
Jimmy: -mental health, your inclusion or use of psychedelics, then that goes all the way around. People are entitled to their opinions and thoughts and beliefs because this radical sovereignty is super important in this psychedelic work.
What this also means is likely you need to take inventory on what needs you are, I said this earlier, but fulfilling within your own sovereignty and what things you are kind of putting on other folks to complete for you. And so, I find this really interesting dynamic with folks who go through a psychedelic experience and it impacts their intimate relationships.
It’s kind of this dual thing where the more you reclaim your own power and your sovereignty, it also opens up access and pathways for you to relate and connect with people in deeper ways. It’s a little hard to explain because sovereignty doesn’t mean like, “I don’t need anybody ever.” Sovereignty means, I’m my own human and I’m my own individual and I call the shots in my life.
Nick: And I’m going to take ownership for the stuff in my life that I do like, don’t like, want to change, etc.
Jimmy: And imagine how powerful it would be if two sovereign people connected and got together in an intimate relationship. There’s a lot of layers here as far as relationship dynamics and what causes us to seek certain partners, what needs we have in certain stages and things in our life. We’re not going to pretend to have all of the answers for you.
What we will say is that psychedelics will bring this stuff up. [laughs] It will bring all of this stuff up and you choose what to do with that material.
Nick: One of my favorite parts about psychedelics as a tool as it relates to intimate relationships is that I find that it’s very help– The psychedelics help the journeyer discern what’s theirs versus what’s maybe their partner’s or someone else’s.
It helps untangle some of those webs and because of the shifting of perception and awareness, you go, “Oh, I’m this way in a relationship because of this. That’s actually my sh*t, that’s not theirs.” Or it could be the reverse.
I feel like this is in a relationship and now I’m seeing it’s because of their X, Y, Z. There’s almost this untangling process that I see a lot where the journeyer starts to separate out and discern where these different dynamics originate from in a relationship.
Jimmy: Mm-hmm. I even see that when people are deciding whether to journey together or not. A lot of times there’s relationships of all different types of status and they’re looking at it together and they’re like I think we should journey together.
And then after some conversations with the facilitator, maybe realizing that their content is different. When we talk about, are you willing and able to give yourself and your process the full undivided attention? Or will you be worried, concerned, or caring for your partner or your spouse?
Then there’s a lot of folks who actually decide, I think it’s probably 50-50, but then there are some folks who are like, “Oh, actually it probably does make sense for us to journey separate.” Maybe I journey one day and the other one is around, present or not. And then the other person journeys the next day or two completely separate experiences as well.
And so just remember these psychedelic experiences are yours, your life experience is yours. And so, you decide to what extent the involvement, presence, participation of your partner, spouse plays into that.
[00:18:36] Nick: I’m curious if you see this dynamic as well, but I’ve certainly seen that a willingness to take ownership of your own stuff. If both partners are willing to do that, it typically does help the relationship.
I think it’s funny, at least in Western culture, we want to fix the relationship together but sometimes we have to go inward and figure out what the hell is going on within us before we can come back and involve another human in that process.
Jimmy: What comes up for me, as you say that, is what I see sometimes, a little unrelated to what you were asking, I sometimes see one partner being the driving force behind the whole thing and then the other partner feeling like they’re kind of along for the ride or getting pulled into it-
Or maybe some of these fears or, “Hey, my partner is really, really gung-ho about this, or pretty set on us doing it together.” Hopefully, at some point through the process, the other partner is like, “Oh, actually I kind of have reservations around this.” Or, “I’m just not sure.”
It’s so, so, so, important for you to know that you have your own choices and decisions around psychedelics and even that process alone. Let’s say you are very misaligned on each of your intents and drive to engage in a psychedelic experience.
That probably highlights a lot of stuff that you should work on in your relationship, whether it’s communication, whether it’s identifying your needs, whether it’s being more vocal, whether it’s the sovereignty, autonomy thing that we’re talking about. But, yeah, I agree with you.
This is kind of what I was touching on about sovereignty versus interrelating, where the more you focus in on your own stuff, the more likely the more you are able to show up in your relationships.
And we see this in parent-child relationships, we see this in people wanting to show up better in their communities and in their work and all that stuff. Well, of course, it’s the same in intimate relationships.
Nick: It’s like the unconscious way of working through a trigger is to blame the other person. And the conscious way of working through a trigger is to determine what within you is still wounded and unhealed. That’s the dynamic that psychedelics can be very supportive in.
Jimmy: And that’s next-level sh*t what you’re talking about because the main criteria for most folks getting into a relationship is, does this fulfill my needs?
Nick: Right.
Jimmy: And that could be very shallow needs or that could be very deep needs. So, [laughs] it really, really depends.
Nick: Sure. There’s one other dynamic that I want to just call out because I see it a lot, which is one partner is committed to a journey and the other partner just cannot wrap their mind around what psychedelics are, how it works. It’s not that they don’t support it, they just don’t get it.
And I think that’s okay. I think you can support someone in their desire to do something without wanting to do it yourself or fully understanding what it is that they’re doing. There just once again has to be a discussion around it.
Jimmy: Yeah, we’ll talk about suggestions and recommendations on how to foster an important environment and container around this. As you were talking about that, I suspect that there is a really good opportunity to get to the root on the why around behavior, fears, apprehension, and things like that.
There could be a person who just doesn’t get it but really hit it in there. There’s the fear that you’re going to change and leave them.
Nick: Right.
Jimmy: There could be the person who just doesn’t get it because they truly just don’t get it. Or they just have their own belief around psychedelics, which is totally fair and valid. But you can see how it’s the same action for two very wide-ranging reasons.
I hope that there’s this opportunity to foster those types of conversations and that dialogue. But here’s what you’re saying in practice, if you’re the person journeying and your partner and spouse is not supportive, doesn’t get it, maybe they’re more aloof-
How much of that do you take personal? Are you then like, “Oh, this person is just not supporting me. They must not love me.” Or, “Maybe they’re not supporting me because they’re also bewildered and confused and not sure what’s going on.”
Nick: Right.
Jimmy: Or they’re not ready to look at their own internal process. So, there can be a lot of different motivating factors behind how people show up in this decision-making process.
But this is an important and sacred process anytime that you are using a medicine or a sacrament for the pursuit and discoverments and betterment of yourself. And this affects the people in your lives, this affects your community.
Nick: Yeah, no question about it.
The Importance of Open Communication Before Using Psychedelics
[00:23:49] Jimmy: So, one of the big pieces of advice is, you all got to talk about this before you make any decisions on psychedelics. Having open conversations. Hopefully, you have the relational skill set to set nonjudgmental containers, have open communication to be able to speak freely about your needs, your fears, your emotions, your concerns.
Nick: And if not, it’s a good time to start because trying to deal with this after the fact is not the time.
Jimmy: Mm-hmm. Not in a real lifetime. Like you need to have probably many and several ongoing conversations around this because it’ll continually evolve- The needs, your perspective around this, your feelings around this will change over time as you get closer to deciding whether to journey or not.
I also think that this raises a lot of conversation around what your needs are, what your support expectations are. Do you want your partner spouse to be involved in this or is this just a thing like, “Hey, I’m going to do this, I’m just like letting you know. Are they your emergency contact? Is somebody else your emergency contact?”
So, you get to paint your own canvas here on what this looks like for you because it may not be your spouse or your partner to be the sole one on your support team. Maybe you have a series of friends. But hopefully, you have a therapist, hopefully, you have a coach or the nutritionist like what have you a spiritual teacher, whatever.
So, just think about the suite of care that you have around you that will also take a lot of pressure off of your partner or your spouse and not be that sole main person there.
Nick: Yeah, and I just think it’s important that regardless of whether they’re your main support or not, they are going to be on the receiving end of your shifts. So, there has to be an acknowledgment that you doing your own inner work is by extension going to affect those around you, especially the people you spend the most time with, which for a lot of us is our intimate partner.
Anecdotes on Psychedelics & Interpersonal Dynamics
[00:26:06] Jimmy: One of my favorite clients– I think every client is a favorite client of mine [chuckles] [crosstalk] the way that I say it, they live in the Midwest. She was moving through a very, very meaningful process, and then afterwards she was experiencing shifts in mood-
Like a lot of highs and lows, like a lot of euphoria and gratitude and thankfulness, and then also just deep processing of feelings and emotions.The partner and the spouse really wanted to support this person during these highs and lows. And then also admit it, this is a little destabilizing.
I don’t know if I’m going to be able to show up at the breakfast table, what mode I need to be in to support my partner or spouse. It took a lot of conversation for them to arrive at a place I’m like-
“What do you even need during this process? Is this okay? Do you time? Do you need solutions? Do you need comfort? Do you need time separate? What does this bring up in me when I see you suffering like that? What do you want my role to be in it?”
And so, after a lot of conversation, after normalizing this, because there was also this other element of my client allowing this to happen and recognizing that this is actually a part of their process because they’ve been bottling things up for so many years in their life.
So, okay, of course, this stuff is going to get out. They then were able to find common ground on how to navigate that and making an agreement that if she needed direct support or whatnot, she would ask, but otherwise just kind of let her do her thing. So, this is just an example in practice.
Nick: I mean what you’re describing is establishing new rules of engagement because what’s happened is for a lot of folks, your relationship dynamic is unconscious. It’s not something that’s given a whole lot of conscious thought.
And then you go through a psychedelic experience, and all of a sudden stuff that you may have been totally unaware of comes flooding into your awareness. And then you got to go back and engage with this person.
But Pandora doesn’t go back in the box. You can’t unsee what you saw. So, you almost have to establish a new way of engaging with this person and because it requires another person to partake, they are either open to that or not.
Jimmy: Yeah.
Nick: It’s a very funny interpersonal dynamic.
Jimmy: Mm-hmm. The other thing that’s important in my anecdote about my client is that this is not related to just the confines of the ceremonial space. Stuff can come up in preparation.
Nick: Totally.
Jimmy: Stuff comes up during the integration process. If you heard our past episodes, ebb and flow, they’re very dynamic and so need change and shift and evolve over this time. People’s vulnerability, people’s resilience, the content that they’re working through, changes over time. So, just know that this is a really, really dynamic process.
It does take a little bit of thought and care, I think, but it’s actually all of the same things that are required for a building block of a really healthy relationship.
Nick: Exactly.
Jimmy: And so, you’re either going to see your deficits and the gaps, or you’re going to see, “Oh, here are the things that actually work really well.”
Nick: And maybe a mix of both.
Jimmy: Yeah, I had another client who was like going through the throes of the process. We’ve had many ceremonies together.
They’re like, “I don’t know if this partner is for me, I don’t know if this partner is going to be able to support me in my way because they move through their process like this.” Sweeping under the rug, very cognitive, very all that. And they’re like, “Well I’m over here doing this. I didn’t weigh in on any judgment about that at all, I just validated.” “Okay, here’s how you’re feeling.”
A month later they come back and they’re like, “This is the exact person for me because they actually see me in my process and though we move through things differently. What I actually need is validation that I’m not crazy, that I’m actually going through a process that’s meaningful.
And, wow, now we can actually hold space for each other in a much different way.” And so a 30-day difference between those two, very, very polar opposite.
Nick: But they had to learn a new way of engaging together.
Jimmy: Yeah, yeah.
Nick: And that’s the key. If there’s a willingness for both parties to explore that, amazing things can come out of it. But if one party is unwilling, it gets tough real, real, fast.
And that’s usually where you see the hard stops, is like one person is just unwilling or incapable. Like sometimes we’re up against our own conditioning, our own programming, our own trauma, and there is an incapacity to be able to do that.
Jimmy: Mm. Yeah. One of the things you want to share with folks about this topic, I feel pretty fulfilled in my rant for this week.
[laughter]
Jimmy: But I just wondered if there’s anything else you want to bring into our space here.
Nick: Well, there’s, I guess, an old adage that communication is the most important thing in a relationship, and if you didn’t believe it before, it applies 10x when you introduce a tool like psychedelics into the mix, because it’s going to amplify every little subtle thing, whether good or bad. Maybe not good or bad, healthy or unhealthy is perhaps a better way to put it.
And so, when you introduce this proverbial gasoline onto a fire that’s already burning, you’re going to see everything, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And the only way to navigate this is to communicate.
Empathogens & Knowing When to Use Them
[00:31:58] Jimmy: Mm-hmm. I have another piece of advice that piggybacks on what you were saying and I am a culprit [chuckles] of this very recently, but you want to be really thoughtful and mindful on the decision of doing psychedelics with somebody that you are just entering into a new relationship with.
The whole pursuit of psychedelics, regardless, in a recreational context, ceremonial context, a clinical context, these are deeply personal, intimate things.
Nick: You’re in an extremely vulnerable state when you’re both altered on psychedelic medicine.
Jimmy: Yeah, so first dates are probably out. You want to get to know this person a little bit. You want to be able to have a feeling of trust and openness and you don’t have to have it all figured out. But I think building the bridge and the bonds of some type of relationship– [crosstalk]
Nick: A foundation.
Jimmy: A foundation is really, really important. The other thing too, this is even more important when you are working with substances that elicit–
Nick: Empathogens.
Jimmy: Exactly, interpersonal connection. So, those are–
Nick: MDMA, MDA.
Jimmy: MDMA, some of the Shulgin molecules, like 2C-B
Nick: 2C-B.
Jimmy: And things like that.
Nick: Yeah.
Jimmy: That can also really enhance your connection with somebody. However, it can be really hard to discern “Is the love that I’m feeling for this person because of the MDMA, or because of the experience that I had, or because of this person?”
And so just a little bit of food for thought for folks who are engaging in psychedelics and wondering, “Oh, is this something that I want to do with a newer relationship or whatnot?
Nick: Yeah, that’s a great piece. I’m glad you mentioned that. And it’s especially true with things like MDMA. I mean, I forget what the saying is, but it’s like the MDMA festival connection where you meet someone and you just want to get married but you’re both just met and you’re just rolling on MDMA, and you don’t know any better.
Your hearts are both wide open, but there’s no foundation. It’s like two humans colliding in a festival or a Burning Man or whatever and you hear these stories and they get married on-site or at Vegas or whatever and a month, a year later, it’s like, it probably wasn’t the best idea.
Jimmy: And, look, there’s a world where that really works also with folks. But these things take time to cultivate, to build a foundation, to verify the character of folks. And so, it’s the same on if you chose to do psychedelics with a friend or a friend group. Like if I had a brand-new friend group and we’re all talking about dosing together, I’d just think about it.
I would just think about it a little bit, like-“Can I be my authentic self around this person, around substances that do alter my emotional state and my state of consciousness?” So, I hope that you all have felt supported with some information and some dialogue here around this conversation.
Nick: It’s a nuanced topic, like they always are, but I think that’s really the purpose of our platform is to address the nuanced nature of these questions because it’s hard to give black-and-white answers, and it’s not fair to the listeners to simplify it to a place like that.
Jimmy: That’s why we’re the It Depends podcast.
Nick: Yeah, exactly. We might have to retitle it. [Jimmy laughs] Oh, my goodness. Well, thank you all, for joining us today.
You can download and stream episodes of the Psychedelic Passage podcast on all major streaming platforms, whether it’s Apple Podcast, Amazon, Spotify, IHeartRadio, or wherever else you listen.
If you like the show, we would always appreciate a rating and a review, as well as just sharing with your friends, family, loved ones, anyone that you think would benefit. And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us.
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We’re here to answer questions and meet your transformative healing needs. We’re always adding new educational material on our resources page to support you on your psychedelic journey. As always, stay safe, be mindful, and radiate love.
