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Touch can heal. Psychedelics can heal. This much we know.

What’s not as clear is whether this is a 1+1=3 situation, or if these two modalities are better kept separate.

So for today’s newsletter, we asked our network of psychedelic practitioners: Is it safe to combine massage or bodywork with psychedelics? When is that a good idea?

Spoiler: there’s no clear consensus. We share their divergent opinions below.

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Consent is complicated

The biggest concern our guides raised was around consent. When you're in an altered state, your ability to uphold boundaries can be severely compromised. Kathy Gruver, a bodyworker with 35 years of experience, explains: “If you are on any substance, you may not have the ability to communicate things to the therapist. So if they are hurting you, you may not be consciously aware of it or able to stop them.”

Mary Decker shares her concern: “When under the influence of a psychedelic, it can be hard to express limits or recognize when those limits are being crossed, especially since body awareness and intimacy boundaries can easily blur.” Jodie NewDelman adds another layer: “Limitations of capacity for full consent raise the potential for exploitation.”

The vulnerability cuts both ways, too. Kathy warns that “there's nothing to stop [the client] from saying that the therapist did something inappropriate” even if the perceived boundary violation was a hallucination. Things can get messy quickly.

Get the conditions right

Despite the risks, many guides have witnessed powerful healing when bodywork and psychedelics are combined thoughtfully. (Thoughtfully being the key word.) Scott Dean offers a conditional yes: “With a trauma-informed, psychedelic-literate practitioner, gentle touch can support emotional release, help someone feel safe in their body, and anchor the experience somatically.”

John Moos cautions that it “must be done with the highest integrity, trained professionals, and rigorous consent.” Summer MacCool agrees that the combination can be “safe and deeply supportive when held by a skilled, attuned practitioner who understands the sensitivity of the altered state.”

Several guides recommend additional safeguards. Eliza Collins suggests “having a third party like a sitter with you for added safety.” Jonathan Schecter stresses that “the touch should always follow the participant's inner process, not lead it.” Consent can’t be one-and-done. The client should be able to revoke it at any time.

All in due time

Interestingly, several practitioners suggest timing might be more important than technique. Wallace Murray is firm: “No, not during the active journey. The body is already highly sensitized, and external touch can easily overwhelm or redirect the process. Somatic work belongs before or after the session.”

Garet Free loves the day-after approach: “You're still in the afterglow of your journey, so some bodywork is a great way to nurture your body as you transition back to the real world.” Falcon Stephan sees value at the beginning, particularly “at the onset for those who are challenged with getting 'into' their bodies for the experience.”

Joanne DeGarimore makes a distinction worth noting: “Touch can be helpful in particular moments of a psychedelic journey, [but] bodywork and massage would be more of a distraction that might be better saved for after. Now if you're talking microdosing during a regular massage? Game on!”

Our take

Psychedelics and touch is a, well, touchy subject.

For all the reasons the guides already mentioned, we advise extreme caution if you’re getting physical while tripping. Most of all, make sure you trust the person laying their hands on you.

That said, there are situations where pairing psychedelics with particular types of touch makes a lot sense. (For instance, we've looked at how combining psychedelics with physiotherapy techniques may help with chronic pain in our interviews with Jon Clark and Court Wing.)

To be clear, these guys are advocating for targeted interventions for specific conditions, not just throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.

Not everything has to be psychedelic assisted, you know.

Thanks to Kate L. for submitting this week’s question. 🫠

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DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. The use, possession, and distribution of psychedelic drugs are illegal in most countries and may result in criminal prosecution.