Dear community,
We have watched the evolution and spread of psychedelics/entheogens over the last few years, and while we are thrilled that there is increasing curiosity, we want to encourage prudence in this budding psychedelic renaissance.
We've seen many avoidable casualties in our community here in Southern California. In concern for our fellow journeyers, we asked our community leaders, educators, integration providers, scientists, researchers, mental health professionals, spiritual teachers, facilitators, and shamans for their sage wisdom on how to guide our us safely through this perilous growth phase.
After over a year of development, we will be releasing installments over the next few months of this evolving guide on different topics to support our community. Please read, integrate, and share these with your novice friends and your facilitators.
Together we can spread valuable information, protect our sisters and brothers from harm, and build a stable foundation for the expansion of these valuable gifts.
In love and service,
Your friends at the Aware Project and InnerSpace Integration
Please continue on to read the beginning of the introduction to the series:
The Aware Project and InnerSpace Integration are happy to provide a platform for this message from the medicine community:
SITTING SAFE
NAVIGATING THE EVOLUTION OF NEOSHAMANISM
Compiled and Edited by Ashley Booth,
Tricia Eastman, and Dr. Joseph Barsuglia
The United States is often referred to as a ‘melting pot’ of cultures and traditions, and this certainly holds true for the burgeoning ‘NeoShamanic’ medicine movement. As the community surrounding this work evolves, a variety of shamanic traditions and medicines are crossing paths in ways that are new to both Western culture and to each other. As we collectively learn how these medicines might work together, and as new safety and medical research becomes available, it is vital that we create ways to integrate, share, and advance this knowledge.
The inspiration for writing this article comes from experience and observations gleaned from across the neo-shamanic global village. In this rapidly growing movement, a flurry of practitioners are moving into the space and more people are seeking these ancient forms of healing. As a result of the increased use and amalgamation of medicines, some have faced significant challenges during ceremonies and in the integration process that follows.
Our goal is not to create some kind of gold standard, but to offer initial suggestions that might function as a starting point for open community dialogue, critical thinking, and self-reflection, in addition to informing those interested in sacred earth medicines. We are all on this ride together, and collective and personal responsibility are an essential part of creating a sound vessel for everyone to journey successfully.
In the coming months, we aim to introduce a number of topics that we will expand upon with the help of the medicine community and integration network.
SITTING SAFE SERIES TOPICS INCLUDE:
Introduction
Part 1: Recommendations to would-be participants
Questions to ask yourself
Questions to consider asking a practitioner
Questions a practitioner should ask you
Part 2: Medicine Pacing
Part 3: Best Practices for Facilitators
Part 4: Ethics and Agreements
Part 5: Trip sitting
Part 6: Healing Communities
Please take care and share...
