🫠 Ask a Guide Anything

PRESENTED BY SCHOOL OF PSYCHEDELICS 🤝

Welcome to Tricycle Day. We’re the psychedelics newsletter that ages like moldy cheese. No no, the good kind of mold. Ah, never mind. 😒

Age is just a number, they say.

Sounds cute, right? But when the stakes are high, you’d rather not bet your mental health on a platitude. Besides, a competing cliché comes to mind, too. Timing is everything.

So for the concerned parents, curious youngsters, or bold seniors out there wondering if they’re too early or late to work with psychedelics, we asked our network of psychedelic practitioners: Is there an ideal age when psychedelics are more safe (physically, psychologically, and/or spiritually)?

They weigh in after the jump.

FROM OUR SPONSORS

You see the practitioners quoted in this newsletter? You could do what they do.

On Nov 3, the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness is hosting their final Open House before kicking off their next psychedelic facilitator training.

Since 2012, they've trained 34 cohorts to work legally with psychedelic cannabis, mushrooms, ketamine, and natural DMT. They offer both Colorado's state-licensed track and their own psychedelic guide certification for students nationwide and abroad.

Last call to get your questions answered live before enrollment closes.

Register for the November 3rd Open House.

Wait till the brain’s done baking

Several practitioners pointed to neuroscience when discussing age and safety. Summer MacCool explains that “the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that supports decision-making and integration, continues developing until around age 25” and recommends waiting “until this foundation is fully formed.” Otherwise, emotional regulation and impulse control during and after the journey could be more difficult.

Kiki Jacobson reinforces this idea from a research perspective. She notes that people in “late adolescence and emerging adulthood (typically 18-25) would be at elevated risk for psychological destabilization.” That’s because the non-ordinary states of consciousness that psychedelics elicit demand cognitive and emotional resources still developing in younger brains.

Louis Belleau speaks from personal experience: “I began exploring psychedelics at 17, and while it shaped who I am today in positive ways, it also came with risks I couldn't fully understand at the time.” For still-maturing minds, psychedelics can be a double-edged sword.

Readiness matters more than age

Brain development provides a biological baseline, but most practitioners agree it isn’t everything. Ben Askins puts it poetically: “You're safest when your nervous system and sense of self can bend without breaking. Age is less a number than a quality: humility.” The ability to handle a confrontational experience without resisting or falling apart is what ultimately matters.

Wallace Murray agrees: “Psychedelic work tends to be safer once the mind and identity have matured enough to hold complex experience without fragmentation.” Carolina Correa says, “what matters most is readiness and stability; having the internal resources to integrate what may emerge.” People who’ve done personal work through therapy, mindfulness, or other reflective practices often bring more grounding to the experience regardless of age.

The specific medicine, context, and intention matter, too. Kari Roe-LaFramboise adds important nuance: “If you have a teenager who is acutely suicidal, ketamine is a great first-line choice. However, I would not recommend using something like MDMA in a teen.” Different medicines carry different risk profiles, which need to be considered alongside age.

Make sure you’re supported

Psychedelic safety, at any age, depends on context. Kari reminds us that across cultures, “there are rites of passage where medicines are used to mark life transitions from childhood to adulthood. Some traditions use medicines through pregnancy and from birth to adulthood without any issues or problems.” Admittedly, the Western fixation on brain development doesn’t account for this history of safe use across ages.

Kari continues: “These medicines have been used for millennia to connect spiritually from very young ages. Our western society seems to have issues with this despite all the cultures who have proven this to be safe and important.” Granted, these cultures have very different community support systems than most of us do.

Mary Decker summarizes this holistic view: “Safety depends more on emotional readiness, mindset, and support than on years lived. The best time is when your intuition feels clear, your foundations are stable, and you have safe integration support to help you process and embody whatever arises.”

Our take

We agree there’s no magic number.

Neurological explanations aside, emotional maturity seems to be the real measuring stick. We all know someone who’s wise beyond their years and someone else who can’t seem to grow up. These things aren’t always correlated with age.

But if you’re responsible enough to be reading this, that’s a pretty good sign.

For those wondering about the other end of the age spectrum, there's no upper limit. That said, sensitivity to classic psychedelics can decrease with age, especially for women after menopause. (Read more on this phenomenon in our interview with Dr. Erica Zelfand.) Keep that in mind when selecting dosage.

And as Christine Caldwell told us in another interview, it’s also wise to consider the physical toll certain medicines take, especially as the body gets frailer.

So go on, old souls. Prove you can hang by practicing non-judgmental discernment.

Thanks to Kayla R. from Dallas, TX for submitting this week’s question. 🫠

Got a question for our guides?

Reply to this email to shoot your shot. If it’s a juicy one, we may select it for a future issue.

Seeking more personalized guidance?

Our directory of vetted psychedelic professionals is a great place to start your search. Find a facilitator on Maria’s List.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

That’s all for today, Cyclists! Whenever you’re ready, here’s how we can help.

ONE CYCLIST’S REVIEW

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here.

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.