Why I Don't Take Psychedelics In Groups

I have done over 20 psychedelic medicine sessions. Each one has helped me immensely in healing from childhood sexual abuse.

So far, all of my sessions have been one-on-one with a trained guide. At least for now, I don’t have any plans to try psychedelics in a group setting.

When I began taking psychedelics, I was dealing with all kinds of repressed trauma related to sexual abuse. In every early session, I screamed, shook, and let go of other physical manifestations of trauma. This was extremely difficult for me and it would have been ever harder to confront these emotions in the presence of someone I didn’t know well or wasn’t comfortable with.

I also don’t think I would have gained as much from the experiences if I’d had to spend time preoccupied with what others were thinking or worried about intruding on someone else’s journey.

Living in Austin, Texas, I often run itnto people experimenting with psychedelics, particularly ayahuasca. I find it hard to relate to much of what I overhear around these compounds. These discussions often center more on spiritual materialism or “ego-shattering” experiences than on true healing work. Listening to these conversations has made me even more hesitant about doing psychedelics in groups.

One reason people do psychedelics in groups is for the connection and community—it’s said that taking these compounds together can bring people closer. But I believe that psychedelic sessions, much like life itself are solo journeys.

When I take psychedelics alone, it is up to me how, or even if, I choose to make meaning from my experience. In a group setting, i would worry that my experience or the integration afterward would be unduly influenced by others’ thoughts or perspectives.

Another reason people choose group sessions is cost savings; a facilitator can theoretically sit for multiple people, as is common in ayahuasca ceremonies. For me, the potential downsides of a group setting aren’t worth the cost savings.

While I might be in a better place now to try psychedelics in a group now, I still use these compounds to heal and get more in touch with myself. Ultimately, I believe being in a group would detract from that connection.