While I firmly believe that a psychonaut's quest can be aided by the company of companions, there is value in undertaking a psychedelic journey alone so long as user is experienced and comfortable with the intensity of a trip. Others can be a great source of strength. They can help one another through a difficult trip, for certain. However, free from distraction, one's journey will gain depth and the psychonaut can venture to places, within the mind, where others cannot follow. In tripping alone, one gains a greater sense of connection to the experience. The knowledge that he or she carries back concerns the "self" and has considerable impact on he or she views his or her place in the world. Simply put, traveling upon the oceans of the mind and through the deserts of the soul with no one but oneself has different rewards and a greater potential for self-discovery than group tripping.
Taking these substances alone can be great but it should only be done by an experienced user. I continue to believe that the vast majority of bad trips are not actually bad but they can still be unpleasant. Someone who uses psychedelics with friends has a support structure around them to help if his or her trip turns dark but a lone psychonaut must know how to cope without aid. With a bit of experience, one can develop strategies to avoid or diminish the negative aspects of a difficult journey. The best thing one can do is always try to go where the trip wants to go. These drugs are powerful and fighting them is futile. If one tries to resist, he or she will become frustrated and waste valuable energy and time trying to do the impossible. If things have already gotten unpleasant for the psychonaut, he or she can try taking some simple steps to change the feel of the trip. Going into another room or changing things like the music, lighting, or even a seat can greatly improve the perception of the experience. The specific action that a psychonaut proforms is unimportant. The thing that matters is that he or she knows how to take that action when it is needed.
Using psychedelics by oneself has some differences from group usage. Without other people around, there is less to tether the psychonaut to the sober world. One can more easily focus on the trip, its visuals, and the thoughts and feelings which they will bring. When strange emotions manifest the user can face them without the fear of judgement (in reality, companions likely wouldn't judge, but that may not be apparent in the moment). The cavern of the mind can be more fully experienced without the need for commentary or explanation. The user and the experience may become one entity existing and existing again within itself. There is no longer any need for the psychonaut explore because he or she is the stranger and strange land. The mental monsters needn't be tamed or slain by the psychedelic hero because he or she is both the warrior and the beast. The lessons learned become lessons known because the user is both the student and the teacher.
The oneness of a solo psychedelic experience is the source of its value. This state of mind leaves one with the feeling that he or she is both nothing and everything. The lone psychonaut can reach the core of consciousness where only the self exists. He or she understands that everything around them is only his or her perception of stimuli. The distinction between reality and unreality breaks down because he or she understands that oneself is the center of all things and everything else is a perceived "other". Whether this "other" is real or unreal makes no difference within the mind. This revelation can change the way one approaches life. It increases the value and impact of fictions. It reduces the pain of loss. Most importantly, however, it teaches one that he or she must always question his or her experiences and memories, lest he or she confuse the solid and the intangible. If one knows that perception does not accurately represent the solid world around them, he or she is forced to always seek verification and, as a result, misunderstandings are limited, lies are exposed, and the thirst for knowledge is increased.
Peace.
This was another installment of my continuing series of Philosophy of Use posts. If you liked this little essay, please feel free to visit my page for more similar content.
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