(The Aware Project is not associated with the Conclave but is in service to spreading information about responsible use and administration of psychedelic and entheogenic substances)

The following information was originally generated by the entheogenic church, the Temple of Awakening Divinity (T.O.A.D.), which is aligned with The Conclave. The T.O.A.D. has given direct permission and consent for it’s publication and use here:

The following are some general recommendations that we have found useful in assisting new initiates to effectively ground themselves and integrate their experience into their lives. Some of these recommendations may prove more effective for you than others. We invite you to explore them and discover what works best for you. Also, should you discover a specific technique or practice that you find particularly useful in your integration process we invite you to share it with us in order to benefit the wider entheogenic community.

The 5-MeO-DMT experience is extremely powerful and profound. Most initiates find that the experience easily integrates into their lives and organically unfolds over the next several days, weeks and, in some cases, months after their participation, offering unique insights and deeper understandings about the Self, the nature of the Universe, the Divine and the inter- relatedness and ultimate unity of these aspects of the All. In some cases certain challenges may arise in this process, including an extended period of reactivation of the Samadhi state of consciousness. For most, these reactivations (often referred to as the “Gift that Keeps on Giving” or “Night School”) are extremely positive and a natural part of the integration process.

Generally, in most all cases when this occurs, we have found that these fundamental “rules” apply – “Surrender and remember to breathe”. This requires developing deeper levels of trust, presence and relaxation within the Samadhi state as well as a deeper, concentrated and intentional focus on the breathing process itself. This will be further addressed below.

Should you be experiencing any unusual phenomena or specific challenges in your integrative process including reactivation, restlessness, unusual bodily sensations, difficulty sleeping, etc., we invite you to communicate directly with your practitioner or your sponsor for guidance and counsel. Different circumstances may require different approaches to the integration process, however, the following suggestions and techniques should prove helpful to you if any of these issues happen to arise.

Helpful Things To Consider Trying:

1. Acupuncture – We have found, generally, that even one session of acupuncture with a knowledgeable, skilled practitioner can be extremely helpful for grounding. If you feel comfortable, let them know about your experience, or you can explain that you’ve had a “Kundalini Awakening”, are running a lot of energy (Chi and/or Shen) and may need some assistance spreading this energy through your subtle body. This is especially true if you are experiencing any difficulty in sleeping. Be sure to let your acupuncturist know you are specifically looking for assistance with getting a good night’s sleep.

2. Energetic Body Work & Massage - Various forms of deep and gentle massage and energetic body work and massage can assist in further moving and releasing any remaining stuck energy that may still need to be released after the initial session.

3. Hot & Cold Bathing – If you have access to natural hot springs, a hot tub, cold pool and/ or sauna and steam, alternative hot and cold bathing can be a very effective grounding method. Even a piping hot bath, followed by a cold shower can be useful for this. The use of mineral salts in this regard can also be effective in this process for grounding.

4. Grounding Foods – We have found the following foods to be effective in assisting initiates to ground themselves after their entheogenic experience. Whole grains (wheat, rice & others), corn, salt, root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, beets, etc., breads and pasta, grass-fed red meat, cheese and other dairy products are particularly useful for grounding after an experience. Believe it or not, a nice cheeseburger can be extremely grounding. Yes, you heard me right. Organics, natural and the freshest foods are always preferred.

5. Yoga & Breath work – Physical forms of Hatha yoga as well as various focused conscious deep breathing techniques (Pranayama) can be extremely helpful in centering and relaxing into the energetic flow of the opening and expanding of the Samadhi experience. Focus on keeping the breath slow and deep. Belly breathing is a great technique for this. Lay on your back. Place your hands over the navel and breathe such that your diaphragm distends and causes your hands to gently rise and fall. This may take some practice. Once you are able to effectively breathe into the belly, practice breathing in fully for a count of 10, hold for a moment or two, then exhale slowly for a count of 20. Don’t force it. Use a shorter duration of count if need be to start.

6. Rigorous Physical Exercise - Many other forms of rigorous physical exercise can be extremely helpful for grounding your experience into the body. Jogging, running, biking, swimming, weight training, sports, love-making, etc. are all effective grounding tools. We have especially found that forms of ecstatic dance (5 Rhythms, Contact Improv, etc.) are a great way to allow the energy to flow through you while simultaneously expressing and embodying the experience into your being.

7. Touch & Being Held – One thing that has become extremely apparent in this process is, that culturally, as human beings, most of us just do not receive enough loving and caring physical touch in our lives. There is such an intense craving to be held and affectionately touched that we cannot speak highly enough of this method for grounding Source energy into ourselves. If you have a partner and are activating, especially during sleep time, ask to be spooned and gently held from behind with one hand on your heart center and one hand on your belly. Requesting, respectful, loving and supportive touch or to just be held by a friend, sponsor or loved one can provide exactly the kind of loving support and nurturance that one needs to effectively ground the energy of the experience into the body.

8. Ask Someone to Just Hold Space & Listen – Often, just having a friend or loved one present to provide deep listening as a new initiate openly shares aspects of their experience and continuing process; allowing any emotions to flow unrestricted, without the other person feeling the need to “fix” something or offer feedback or advice, can be extremely helpful in the integration process. Simple reassurance in the knowledge that the new initiate is just continuing to process subconscious material from the deep psyche and giving this material room to arise and come out in the presence of another can be extremely healing and beneficial. Be sure to choose this person wisely and request that they just “be a listening” for you and hold space. This can be challenging for some, who may not have the understanding of what you’ve just experienced and may be challenged holding space for intense emotional expressions that may arise. Often the best person for this is the person who sponsored or recommended you for participation. They should likely be the first person you reach out to in this process as they have both a shared experience and pre-existing relationship with you.

9. Herbal Sleep Remedies & Supplements – Two effective aids to sleep that several participants have utilized successfully are the amino acid Glycine and the natural sleep remedy Power to Sleep PM (http://www.miniurl.com/s/1xk) from Irwin Naturals. Recommended dosage of glycine is 3000-4000mg taken a half hour before bed time and can safely be used for any amount of time. Power to Sleep PM recommends two gel-caps taken 30 minutes before sleep. It contains valerian root extract, GABA and trace amounts of melatonin. Please note that high doses of melatonin are not necessarily recommended as, in some cases, it may trigger further activation....which is not necessarily a bad thing. GABA on it’s own can also be very effective to settle the activated nervous system.

10. Time Off / Connecting with nature – On occasion and when possible, taking a few days off from our “default” routine and simply connecting with nature can be extremely beneficial in allowing ourselves adequate time and space to integrate, rest and relax into this new way of being.

11. Coaching & Counseling – In some instances, a new initiate may surface psychic content or issues that call for further exploration, examination and Self Work and may require the assistance of an experienced coach, counselor or guide in order to bring greater understanding and clarity to their lives. Counseling or coaching from a professional who is experienced with our particular Work can be extremely useful in the initiates individual integration process and can serve to assist in guiding the initiate upon their particular Path.

12. Psychotherapy – On occasion the experience can surface deeply held or repressed trauma from a person’s past that needs fuller expression and resolution in a professional therapeutic setting. In these instances seeking professional psychological therapy may be in order to assist in effectively processing this material.

13. Sedatives & Anti-anxiety Medication – In extremely rare instances more potent medication may be suggested to help settle the activated psyche. However, choosing to utilize such medications should always be determined by your doctor and/or a professional psychiatric practitioner. On rare occasion these may include the benzodiazepine class of anti-anxiety medications (such as Valium, Xanax, Klonopin, etc.) or more potent sleep aids such as Lunesta, Sonata or Ambien. If any of these are considered they should be approached with due caution. One new anti-anxiety medication we have been made aware of recently is Buspirone (brand name Buspar), which is non- habit forming and very effective both for its calming effects and to assist with sleep. Once again, consideration of any of these medications should be considered carefully and discussed in advance with your health care provider.

Some Things to Consider Avoiding:

1. Meditation – Various meditation techniques generally serve well to still and calm the rational thinking mind and to rarify consciousness and are definitely recommended for long term integration. However, when activated the contents of the psyche can be highly stirred up and regular meditative techniques can sometimes trigger further reactivation. If the initiate’s intent is to effectively ground themselves, it is recommended to suspend any regular meditative practices until these reactivations settle.

2. Stimulants & others drugs – Any form of stimulants including caffeine, nicotine and other drugs such as cannabis or other psycho-actives (even large servings of chocolate) can stir up the initiates psyche and may cause further reactivation to occur. It is generally a good idea to avoid excessive coffee drinking and/or drug use while grounding and integrating your experience. Some initiates have also reported, that even months following participation their they have been reactivated by using other psycho-active medicines. We recommend reducing your usual dosage on any of these medicines (likely by half) until you are used to processing the frequency of this new level of being. Should you become reactivated when using these substances, we recommend that you just relax, surrender and remember to breathe until the experience concludes.

3. Obsessing & Pathologizing – There is a tendency, when one is continuing to reactivate after one’s initial experience, to obsess on the idea that the reactivation process may not cease or that something is somehow “wrong”. This can, in rare instances, lead to panic attacks or obsessive fear, especially over going to sleep. Generally, when continuing reactivation occurs it is due to contents within the initiate’s psyche needing to process and clear. The best way to do this is to simply relax and surrender into the activation experience, allowing it to unfold without resistance while breathing deeply, slowly and rhythmically in the understanding that the reactivation will indeed pass and will settle and cease in due time. Usually within just a few minutes. Be willing to stay with the process. While continuing reactivation is not necessarily a “normal” condition of the psyche, viewing it as a problem or pathologizing the process merely tends to exacerbate the situation. Recognize this is a powerful transformative process that may need some time to effectively resolve and integrate fully.

Remember, reactivation can serve as a natural and important part of the transformative integration process. Our highest recommendation is to simply allow this process to unfold while relaxing into it. As explained in your orientation, the 5-MeO experience can bring us beyond the edges of our comfort zone, and it is here where true transformation happens. Trust in the natural unfolding of the process and stay present to what it is revealing to you. Journaling your integration experience may also prove very effective for future review.

Once again, should you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to your practitioner or your sponsor for guidance and assistance.

All is One