Virginia Beach, located where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Considered one of the best oceanfront vacation destinations on the East Coast, it draws in around six million hard-working people annually.
This vibrant coastal city offers an enjoyable, relaxed atmosphere filled with southern charm. Home to a flourishing local culinary scene, rich history, a variety of arts and entertainment, and family-friendly attractions, there is plenty that keeps locals and visitors entertained and coming back for more.
With all this sun and fun Virginia Beach can seem like the perfect place for a psychedelic-fueled spiritual journey. Still, Virginia is not entirely a place of decriminalization. Currently, all psychedelics, including psilocybin, are still considered Schedule I controlled substances.
With two failed attempts at decriminalization, one for psilocybin and psilocin and the other for all-natural psychedelics, you can still be charged and face a punishment of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $2,500.
Even though the last two attempts at decriminalization failed, there is still hope. Last year, Virginia lawmakers introduced new bills to decriminalize the possession of psychedelics.
The proposed change to the law would amend state drug statute by making possession of “peyote, ibogaine, psilocybin, or psilocybin” by adults 21 and older a civil penalty that only carries a $100 fine. So there is progress being made by local activist groups, and things are looking positive.
With this surge of interest in psychedelics, there has become a desire for knowledge about them and how to best access them—that’s where we, at Psychedelic Passage, come in. Not only are we here to spread the word, but we also want to match people with the perfect facilitator or guide here in Virginia.
Now, before you embark on a journey of introspection and growth, it can be beneficial to understand the process better. Keep reading to learn about the role and importance of a guide. After that, we’ll show how you can get involved and access therapeutic psychedelic support support, right now.
What is The Role of a Psychedelic Guide?
Whether you go with a guided experience or go about it on your own, it is good to have a foundation and a solid understanding of psychedelic therapy. When most hear the word guide, you initially think of a person orchestrating your whole experience, but that is not the case.
Therapists, guides, and facilitators should allow you the autonomy to control your journey, letting you lead the session. After all, this is a process of self-actualization, growth, and self-improvement. Both ‘facilitator’ and a ‘guide’ are synonymous and share the same responsibilities, so for the rest of this piece, we will refer to them as guides.
Guides will use their deep, intimate knowledge of psychedelics and the psychedelic experience they gained from extensive in-person mentoring experiences with international shamans and medicine men and women.
Guides want to help ease you into the experience by making sure you are prepared, as comfortable as possible, and have someone to discuss what comes up from the experience. This great amount of care and consideration is all so you can have a productive journey.
No matter who your guide is or which psychedelic you use, the process of psychedelic therapy can be broken down into three parts: preparation, support during the experience, and integration.
When you work with a guide, they will work side by side with you to create a strong and concise plan of attack. Doing so not only makes the process extremely safe, it allows you to learn and grow the most from the experience.
As part of preparation your guide will start by conducting a health screening. Psychedelics are strong medicines and can interfere with certain medications. They want to ensure that you are physically, emotionally and mentally fit for the journey ahead.
Next, you will set an intention. This serves as a starting point for your journey. Focusing on this one idea throughout the experience will act as an anchor point and also focus your energy on the core problem.
During the psychedelic experience the Guide will create a safe and loving space for you to explore issues or past trauma. Doing this in a controlled manner with a guide allows you to keep yourself safe and can help you take more from the journey.
Next comes the process of integration. During the weeks following your experience, the guide’s goal will be to allow you to retain and implement any lessons you have learned. They will use their years of experience and insight to help you digest and apply any lessons you took from the experience.
This process can take many forms. Whether you are in silent meditation or talk with your guide and friends will all depend on your personal situation and preference. Integration is one of the more crucial parts of the process, and oftentimes this is where the majority of the growth will originate from.
During a psychedelic experience, making the connections and realizations that are needed for personal development and self-realization can be challenging. Given a bit of time and good guidance, a psychedelic experience can become one of the most important events in your life, and the job of your guide is to allow you to retain and implement what you have learned.
Is it Really Necessary to Hire a Psychedelic Guide?
To put it bluntly, working with a facilitator or guide is completely up to personal preference. Many people over the years have had to go it alone, and the worst that will happen is you become overwhelmed and or you don’t pull anything from the experience that you can use to better yourself.
Although if you look through the history of psychedelics throughout a range of cultures, the medicine was always taken with a Shaman or Spiritual guide. This was primarily done as they were the key holders of the medicine and so people got the most out of the experience.
If you ask us, we recommend working with a guide. Not only will they contribute massively to your overall experience, but they also add an extra layer of safety. We’re especially adamant that if this is your first time using psychedelics you should have a guide for the experience.
The magic of psychedelics is that they have a way of stripping down the ego and uncovering repressed fears and traumas. Although this can be a good tool for treating deep-seated issues, it can be a double-edged sword as it often amplifies the emotions attached to them.
Having a person present is not only to soothe you during the experience, but they can also help you make heads or tails out of it. A good guide will draw on their knowledge, using everything they’ve learned throughout their own and others’ psychedelic travels to help.
Where To Find Legal Psychedelic Experiences in Virginia Beach 2023
Despite there being strict laws surrounding psychedelics in Virginia Beach, there remain a few options for engaging with psychedelic medicine: Ketamine clinics and guided psychedelic journeys with Psychedelic Passage.
1. Ketamine Clinics
In Virginia, like many parts of the United States, ketamine clinics are one of the only options for working with psychedelics through our current medical system. Research has shown that ketamine can be highly effective in treating PTSD, depression, and chronic pain.
While ketamine may not be considered a classical psychedelic, such as psilocybin, LSD, or DMT, it still is a very effective medication. It is a miracle when it comes to treating depression. Unlike many antidepressants that take ten to twelve weeks before the desired effect is achieved ketamine works instantly. Which can prove life-saving as it treats depression immediately.
The main benefit that ketamine clinic patients report is that it allows them to create temporary distance from the issue they are working through. This separation allows for a more empathetic and objective view. If you’re interested in finding a ketamine clinic, and are looking for a deeper dive into the topic, check out the pros and cons of ketamine therapy.
2. Guided Psychedelic Experiences with Psychedelic Passage
At Psychedelic Passage, we understand the importance of autonomy in the healing process. With us, you’re in control of every aspect of the process right from the start. Not only do we work with psychedelic mushrooms, but we also will allow you to choose from a wide range of psychedelics. This way, you can go about the process of self-exploration in any way you choose.
We offer a 5-week program designed for personal transformation, with a guide that will help through the preparation and integration processes. We will ensure that you’re equipped with everything you need for your journey, including appropriate expectations and a supportive community.
Find Your Next Psychedelic Journey in Any Major Virginia Beach Area
- Norfolk
- Portsmouth
- Chesapeake
- Hampton
- Poquoson
- Newport News
- Suffolk
- Elizabeth City
- Williamsburg
- Kill Devil Hills
Explore How it Feels to be Connected
With many states and cities moving towards decriminalization or legalization, the amount of people interested in embarking on a psychedelic healing journey is steadily increasing. Let us help you navigate this new psychedelic horizon.
We invite you to speak to one of our psychedelic concierges by booking a consultation. They will help get you started. When used intentionally, psychedelics hold the power to promote healing and personal growth.
If you still have any unanswered questions, please check out our resources page. There you will find all things psychedelic. Here’s to the beginning of a beautiful journey. Have fun, enjoy the journey of self-discovery, and stay safe!
