How To Talk About Psychedelic Experiences In Your Blogs
Writing about psychedelic experiences is no small feat: psychedelic substances are often powerful and can produce incredible, life-altering insights. This guide will provide tips and advice to those seeking to blog about their journey with psychedelics and share the healing impact of their practices.
Write Honestly About What You Know
To get work as a psychedelic writer, you must write about your psychedelic experiences. People who are experienced with psychedelics will appreciate your authenticity and shared connection (but will instantly detect if you are bullshitting or exaggerating.) People who are not as experienced want to hear from those who have already been where they hope to go. Be honest and at least a bit vulnerable and let people hear your voice. Not every psychedelic experience is healing or transcendent. While you might try to make good choices with your psychedelic use, it won’t always be the case. Don’t just write to fit a set psychedelic-wellness-blog pattern.
It’s important that people, especially prospective clients or employers, get to know you through your writing. This isn’t limited to your voice or experiences. In the worlds of psychedelics, who you know and who you’ve worked with are still extremely important. I get well over half my contracts through word of mouth and informal networks of acquaintance. So, if you’re part of your local psychedelic society (which you should be) or have attended a relevant conference or event (such EGA Garden States), write about that too.
Consider Your Intended Audience
It's essential to consider your audience before you start writing about psychedelics. Consider who will read your post — will it be your friends, family members, or potential clients? Depending on who they are, what they know, and how open they are to unconventional experiences, you will want to adjust the language and tone of your post accordingly. Even though psychedelics may profoundly impact personal growth, you don't necessarily want to discuss them in the same way with all groups.
If you're writing for an audience with some knowledge of or experience with psychedelics, you can afford to go into more detail and use more technical language. However, suppose your blog post is targeting skeptics. In that case, it may be best to focus on the potential benefits of psychedelics (in treating depression and anxiety, for example) rather than delving too much into how they work neurologically. It's also wise to use a more scientific approach – cite credible studies when possible – rather than trying to get too 'woo-woo' about it. But also be aware that some audiences will appreciate a more open-minded approach, and will react poorly if you denigrate or mock their beliefs. In other words, be aware of what might bring up resistance in your readers and adjust accordingly.
Use Proper Terminology
While writing about your personal experiences with psychedelic substances, it's essential to use precise and proper terminology. This ensures that the people reading your blog will have a deeper understanding of the concepts you are discussing, enabling them to join in on meaningful conversations about psychedelics. Standard terms include "psychedelic," "set and setting," "psychedelic-assisted therapy," and "psychedelic integration." It's also helpful to explain any terminology you think needs to be more commonly understood.
Giving a glossary or explanation of terms can help further optimize your content for relevant searches. For more complex concepts, like psychedelic assisted therapy, consider a dedicated blog post you can link to to give a longer explanation.
Additionally, keep in mind that words have the power to shape behavior and beliefs and can be misinterpreted by readers. When referring to psychedelic experiences, use language that encourages safe practices for mental health and self-care, such as "self-exploration" or "mindfully experiencing psychedelics." Avoid using language which unduly glamorizes risk-taking activities or overstates the effectiveness of psychedelics as a form of treatment. Be aware of the possible consequences your writing could have on readers and critiques of psychedelic culture while being considerate of individual circumstances.
Discuss the Benefits and Risks of Psychedelic Use in Context
When writing about your psychedelic experiences, discussing the risks and benefits is vital. Depending on the topic, you may want to focus on one more than the other. For example, when advising about using psychedelics for personal growth or therapeutic goals, you may want to emphasize discussing the potential benefits of psychedelics in a dose-dependent manner. However, where recreational use is concerned, it may be appropriate to emphasize discussing risks and how to manage them best. Even clinically supervised use carries some risks, and recreational use can have benefits. Note that both benefits and risks are always worth mentioning.
Talk About the Legal Implications of Psychedelic Use and Possession
When discussing risk, it's vital to consider any legal implications associated with using, possessing, and selling psychedelics when providing information in blogs. Depending on where you live, the laws surrounding psychedelic substances will vary. Advising readers to keep themselves informed on local laws related to the possession, selling, growing, or manufacturing of psychedelics may help protect them from potential fines, incarceration, or civil suits.
It is important to note that the laws surrounding psychedelics are constantly changing, so it is essential to stay up-to-date on the latest information. Sometimes this can be decriminalization, as we've seen in Oregon. But more commonly, we see loopholes closed and grey-market research chemicals scheduled.
It’s important to contextualize your writing in terms of information and harm reduction. While it’s rarely enforced, in many places encouraging others to commit a crime (e.g., using psychedelics) is itself illegal. This would be a good time to remember to protect yourself with appropriate disclaimers and terms of use for your website and anywhere else your blogs are published.
The other things you should remember, and remind your readers of, is that when discussing psychedelic use, it’s important to not self-incriminate or incriminate others. If you are writing about something that’s not strictly legal, always leave out exactly where or when the event occurred. Don’t name other people you were with or participants in a circle without their permission.
Have an open mind and respect other perspectives
When blogging about psychedelics, it's helpful to respect the diverse perspectives and experiences of people with intimate experiences with the substance. By avoiding judgmental or dismissive language, you can create an environment of mutual respect and understanding. Additionally, open-mindedness can foster a safe atmosphere for readers to share personal anecdotes and stories without fear of judgment or belittlement.
That said, it’s important to live and blog in alignment with your values. If you have good reason for thinking that something is inaccurate, harmful, or unethical, you’re not obligated to support it or give equal time to “both sides.” Knowing how to deal with this takes a bit of thought. But a good hint is to consider the possible harms involved. If you discuss both sides of whether or not DMT entities exist, some people might get a bit worked up, but no one is harmed. But talking about “both sides” of whether or not, for example, the Holocaust really happened? That would be deeply offensive and plays into a whole set of profoundly harmful beliefs. (Sadly, such racism is not uncommon in certain psychedelic communities.)
Enough Reading, Go Get Writing!
Anyway, that’s my thoughts on what will help you write about your psychedelic experiences. Applying all of these isn’t easy, as they sometimes can overlap or clash in places. But if you stop, reflect and think, you should be fine.
Are you looking for content for your new psychedelic project, course, or website? If you are, please reach out. First 30-minute consultation is free!
