Preparation Guide

The key to a successful Odyssey is

direction and intention.

Just like Odysseus, you can't know what obstacles you'll encounter along the way, but having a strong sense of purpose is essential to overcoming them and making it to your desired destination.

Each of our Odysseys is based on decades of accumulated experience, research and wisdom, and we think that it's worth paying close attention to.

However, this is your Odyssey and you are the captain - so what you do and how you do it is ultimately your decision.

When Where Who &What

Choosing the right time

When you have time to prepare for and digest the experience.
The 8-12 hours you’re tripping is a reasonably small part of your Odyssey.

You’ll want to have time and space in the week before to think about the topic of mortality, and also time afterward to reflect on and digest the experience.

Ideally, you should have at least 1-2 days free after your trip for reflection and down-time.

When you’re feeling okay in your life generally.
We don’t subscribe to the belief that you need to always be in a perfect state of mind to do a trip, but if you’re trying to focus on a specific topic, and things in your life don’t feel great, you’ll probably be distracted.

The exception here is when things aren’t great, in part due to your relationship with mortality.

Choosing your
trip-sitter

Choose someone you trust and feel comfortable around.
They should be the kind of person you’d be happy just sitting with in silence.

Choose someone you have uncomplicated feelings towards.
Ideally, you don't have anything you need to say to them that you haven't.

It’s important that you feel no sense of judgment from them.
Choose someone who doesn’t have any negative feelings towards your use of drugs and who will be very understanding if you behave in a strange or unusual manner - they should be understanding, patient, and relaxed about the whole experience!

Note:
We've provided a separate guide for trip-sitters

Find it right

HERE

Choosing your dosage

Having a large dose of LSD can be amazing for sending your mind to weird and wonderful places, but will likely distract you from a purposeful Odyssey.

With this in mind, find here our general

As always, if you’re unsure, it’s best to start lower to be safe - you can always do this again.

Having a higher dose might make it too difficult to focus on a particular topic, but if you’re experienced, you may know better for yourself.

Dosage Guide

The week before

Priming your mind

Passively journal and think about the upcoming topic

You don’t have to spend the entire week leading up to your Odyssey journaling and meditating, but give yourself some space to express what's on your mind.

Avoid big distractions

Maybe you’ve been meaning to catch up with your ex or go for a few drinks with friends, but know you’ll suffer from confusing feelings or a hangover the next day.

While all of these things might be good and necessary, it’s probably healthy to avoid them in the week leading up to your Odyssey - knowing that you can do them when you have more headspace afterward.

Just treat yourself well!

Try to do stuff that will leave you feeling happy with yourself.

For example, if exercising or going for a coffee with a friend makes you feel good, do that!

Be your own kind, loving, caring, and responsible guardian!

Prepping your food

Plan your food in advance

Deciding on what you should eat, preparing food, or having to order food and deal with the delivery person is a distraction and distress that can be easily avoided.

Plan ahead, what food and drinks you would want and organize it before, so you won't have to worry about it during our Odyssey.

Choose simple, ideally vegetarian food

During a Trip, everything seems more vivid. So we recommend innocent, simple food.

What always seems to work is sandwiches, crackers, and fruit. We also strongly recommend keeping it vegetarian because you might see meat differently during a heightened state of awareness.

Plan to stay hydrated!

Make sure to have lots of Liquids near you, to stay hydrated at all times.

& other stuff

Think about what else you would like to have around during your Odyssey, and make sure you have enough time to get it or prepare it.

This might be:

Comfortable clothes
A Blindfold (for the upcoming phase)
A Flower (for coming down phase)

Mood & Tunes

Watch and reflect on movies or other media that make you think about the upcoming Odyssey topic.

Select movies to watch that will set your mind on the right course in the days before your Odyssey. Watching movies, listening to music and podcasts, or reading books about the upcoming topic can be a great way to do that.

Prepare music for your Odyssey

Music is a very effective way to lead your mind inward during your Odyssey and trigger valuable emotions.

It's usually a good call to avoid harsh or aggressive music, but it's mostly important to follow what is right for you.

There are also plenty of other psychedelic playlists on Spotify.

In doubt, relaxing classical music is a safe bet.

Equipment

You ideally should have speakers and headphones, since you might want to swap between them during your Odyssey.

The day before

Take time to reflect

The day before, take a few hours to reflect on your thoughts related to your upcoming Odyssey.

In whatever way works best for you (writing, drawing, voice recording, etc.) try to record your in-depth answers to the following questions, or others you choose with a similar intention:

What’s your current relationship the upcoming topic?
What would you like your relationship with the upcoming topic to be?
Why are you going on this Odyssey?

Take as long as you need for it to be a proper representation of your thoughts. It’s okay if it's not perfect - it’s only for you, and no one else ever needs to see it. Just try to express what’s on your mind in a way you can understand when you revisit.

This might feel like a lot, but it’s helping set your mind in the right direction for the Odyssey and can serve as an anchor for you before, during, and after your experience.

Treat yourself well

Show yourself love

Take some time to nurture a feeling of loving kindness towards yourself and engage in a positive attitude for your upcoming Odyssey.

If you practice meditation, that’s definitely a good idea. We particularly recommend metta meditation - to channel feelings of loving-kindness towards yourself. However, different things work for different people, and you should do whatever helps you get into a relaxed and positive mindset!

Treat your body well

Avoid anything that stresses you out! We recommend not to consume alcohol, weed, or anything that increases your anxiety or messes with your emotional state - even subtly.

Get a good night’s sleep

Make sure you get a good and long night of sleep. When you are in bed, take some moments before you fall asleep to mentally prepare for your upcoming journey.

The
morning before

Make final preparations

Have a light, simple breakfast
In the morning, before you start your Odyssey, have a light and healthy breakfast. To avoid nausea, don’t eat too much. Enough to feel fed, but not so much that you feel full.

A good rule of thumb is eating until you feel 70% full.

Prepare your physical environment
Prepare everything else in your environment, so you won't have to worry. That could be setting up the right light or making sure your liquids and snacks are close to you.

Reflect on your topic
A conversation with your sitter can also help to get into the right mindset - simply talking about how you feel and what you are looking forward to can be helpful!

If you feel like it, go through your notes from the night before and or your letter to yourself - but if you don't feel like it, don't force yourself!

Start your adventure

Take the substance

When you're ready, take the substance you've chosen - with most psychedelics, you can't re-dose, so this is the only time you're taking it.

Get comfortable & in the zone

Once you have taken the substance, it's time to retreat to your chosen space and get comfortable. If you have a blindfold, this might be the time for it. Meditation and listening to music are good ways to spend the coming up phase. If you're not into meditating, just lying down, sitting comfortably, and letting your mind loose can be just as good!

Set the sails in the right direction!

It is important to direct your mind with intention without forcing anything. Keep in mind, that you are the hero of your Odyssey and that it is up to you to decide where to go.

In case you feel overwhelmed

Remind yourself that you have taken a psychedelic on purpose to feel things and that, once the drug wears off, bad feelings will pass.

At the heart
of your Odyssey

Relax and let your mind surrender to the experience

Never mind if your Odyssey contains audio material, cards, or a conversation - try to completely relax and allow yourself to be fully immersed in this experience as it unfolds moment by moment.

Take your time

Don't rush through it. Try to really be in the moment and savor what is happening. Don't over-investigate each thought, but rather bathe in it. If a particular insight surfaces, feel free to stay with it for as long as it feels right, but also trust the rhythm of your Odyssey. You can also take notes if you really want to, although keep in mind that an Odyssey is not an intellectual class but more of an emotional learning process. So, it's more about truly feeling in the moment, holding onto it, and soaking it all in.

Don't get distracted!

Unless you're genuinely overwhelmed and need to take a break, try to stick with it and stay in your spot until you're finished. Often, when we feel we've really latched onto something, we might think it's okay to take a break, especially if it becomes quite intense. But most of the time, if you stop, it will be very hard or impossible to find your way back to that sweet spot. However, if you feel extremely negatively overwhelmed, it is, of course, a good idea to take a break.

When you're coming down

Take a break

When you realise that you are coming down, it might be a good time to reflect on the last hours or to take a break and have something to eat if you are hungry

Go for a walk

can be a good idea, if you are in nature or near a park. If you are located in a cold/harsh city environment, it might be better to stay inside, but trust your instincts!

If you stay inside, looking at a flower in this phase can be very stimulating.

Having a conversation with your sitter

about your experience can be a good idea, if it feels right to you.

When you're ready to sleep

a warm milk with honey or chamomile tea can help you fall asleep. A glass of wine can also help, but should be enjoyed in moderation! Although, a sleep without any influence is usually the best way to go.

The
After Path

The day after, passively reflect

As you’re coming down, don't try to rush to any answers. Your brain has just been through a lot and needs some time to decompress and absorb.

Even the next day, don't feel like you need to reach conclusions - you have plenty of time to figure this stuff out. If you need to, just casually take notes that you can revisit later.

As you go about your week, continue to think and take notes if you need to but, again, don’t feel like you need to get to conclusions.

Try to give the stuff that you thought about or experienced during your Odyssey an opportunity to settle and passively reflect as you need to.

After one week,
take time to consciously reflect

Around a week after, it's a good idea to earmark some time to consciously reflect on your Odyssey.

To start, it's best to read through your notes from before and after the trip, and then reflect to reflect on the following questions:

Were there any inconsistencies between what your desired relationship with your Odyssey topic you explored and what you unearthed during the trip? Did you recognise any patterns of thinking or mechanisms that might explain these inconsistencies?
Were there any painful moments or tough realizations?
Were there any blissful moments or beautiful realizations?
What are some actions you’re going to take into your life?
How can you identify negative thought patterns or defense mechanisms you spotted in your day-to-day life?
What concepts can you potentially reframe in order to help adjust your mindset?

In the months after,
take action

In the months after, the Odyssey will start to fade in your memory. While that’s perfectly natural, it’s very important that you remain conscious of the learnings and insights you’ve gleaned from it.

If you notice yourself resorting to a defense mechanism you spotted, take time to reflect on that. Don’t let that return to being your default action.

If you recognize yourself being driven by a fearful motivation that you felt profoundly during the Odyssey, again, take time to reflect on that.

Scheduling regular meditation, or moments to reflect on your state of mind, can help you stay on top of demons who try to sneak their way back in.

An Odyssey can help make you conscious of these things, but it’s up to you to remain conscious and to turn that recognition into action.

If you feel like doing another Odyssey on the topic, by all means do, but we recommend waiting 2-3 months between sessions to ensure you’ve properly absorbed the last one.