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Music is medicine. Anyone who's ever had their whole world rearranged by the perfect song during a journey can attest.

But curating a supportive soundtrack for a psychedelic experience isn’t as simple as throwing your favorite summer bops into a queue. So this week, we lobbed the question over to our network of experienced practitioners: How can I create the perfect playlist for my psychedelic journey?

They share their best suggestions after the jump.

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Match the music to your intention

The one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work when it comes to psychedelic playlists. Angela Balboa says "it depends on the medicine and your intent. The playlist for a MDMA session with a partner (maybe more energy, flow, and even vocals) might be very different from a 5-MeO journey (expansive, tonal, supportive of surrender, no vocal language)."

Wallace Murray brings in the therapeutic perspective: "There is no perfect playlist; only one that is in right relation to your intention, context, and inner landscape. From a psychodynamic view, music acts as a container and a co-therapist; it carries an affective tone, evokes memory, and facilitates emotional release."

If your intention is to deepen your connection with the natural world, Louis Belleau offers a different approach altogether: "Music can powerfully shape a psychedelic experience, but so can silence, wind, water, and birdsong. If you have access to nature, let the forest and the birds be your soundtrack."

Follow the arc of the journey

Many guides recommended structuring your playlist to mirror the natural progression of a psychedelic experience. John Moos breaks down the phases: "At the beginning, you want something mellow and regulating that sparks curiosity. At the onset, you want something that builds with the energy of the medicine. At the peak, you want something that helps you stay in an expansive and curious state."

Oxana Kirsanova has her own formula: “Begin with gentle, grounding music; transition to deeper, more expansive tracks during the peak; and close with calming, integrative sounds." Jo Ross consciously dials the intensity, "starting with more gentle songs,” building to “a peak in the middle,” and gradually bringing “the intensity down until you are being held in gentleness."

As usual, Ben Askins puts things more colorfully: "You're building a mythic arc for ego dismemberment. Front-load safety, middle-out into shadow, and end with surrender—not resolution."

Stick with the unfamiliar

Generally, our practitioners agree on avoiding music that carries personal baggage or linguistic distractions. John recommends music that "is unfamiliar to the client so that they don't have associations or connections" to it and suggests avoiding "words or languages that the participant speaks."

Mary Decker recommends choosing "music you don't listen to often to keep it sacred and set apart.” She adds that "instrumentals or vocals in unfamiliar languages are best to avoid shaping your thoughts." Katie Simons agrees, with a caveat. She favors "songs that are not tied to lots of memory or message, unless that's what you want to move through."

Of course, there are no hard and fast rules, even around lyrics. Kari Roe-LaFramboise believes "some music with words specifically and sporadically placed can be incredibly powerful” if they support “the purpose of the journey.” And Summer MacCool reminds us that ultimately, making a playlist “isn’t about perfection; it’s about resonance.”

Our take

The fundamental question isn't really what songs to choose. It’s what role you want music to play in your journey. That is, do you want it actively shaping your experience, or is its role to hold space without interference?

There’s a whole spectrum here. At one end, you have the icaros of Shipibo ayahuasca ceremonies. These medicine songs are used to invoke spirits and directly shift energy. At the opposite end, some modern practitioners advocate for "non-directive" soundscapes that won't manipulate emotions at all. Most approaches fall somewhere between these extremes.

Just know, if you do opt for emotionally evocative songs, there’s a good chance they’ll be permanently imbued with magic powers personal significance. Years later, hearing that one special track can transport you right back to the visceral sensations and feelings from your trip. (Devi Prayer, anyone?) Stash that one in your integration tool kit.

And a final thought: don’t sleep on silence. Although it’s often quite confrontational, it may be the most honest soundtrack of all.

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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.