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Welcome to Tricycle Day. We’re the psychedelics newsletter that has a spirit. Yep, in January 2023, a disembodied soul chose to reincarnate on Earth not as a human, not as a house cat (must be nice), but as an email newsletter determined to educate the world about psychedelics. Odd choice, but okay. 🫠

People get into psychedelics for all kinds of reasons. But given the way they’ve been positioned in the media lately, getting those sweet, sweet mental health benefits is surely at the top of the list.

Once you've experienced some healing, though, it's normal to wonder… what's next? Many people find themselves called toward something deeper, beyond symptom relief or even self-improvement.

Which begs the question: If I want to explore my spiritual connection with psychedelics, should I change my approach?

We posed this question to our network of experienced practitioners. They share their recommendations after the jump.

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Shift your intention

To deepen your connection to spirit, you certainly don’t have to abandon what’s worked so far. Our guides say it’s more about building upon your existing relationship with the medicine. Summer MacCool explains: "What's served your mental health can also be a gateway to profound spiritual connection. It's less about doing something different and more about expanding your intention."

For example, you might bring different questions to the medicine. Instead of “how can I feel better?” Summer suggests asking, “who am I becoming?” or “what is my soul asking of me now?". Wallace Murray describes this reorientation as "shifting the primary goal from 'fix me' to 'teach me.'"

Then, the foundation you've built through healing work can be a launch pad for spiritual exploration. After all, Jo Ross puts it plainly: "It's all spiritual work. These medicines create deep self awareness, taking us deeper into the truth of who we are, and that is spirit."

Embrace ceremony and reverence

Several practitioners highlighted the importance of creating more sacred, intentional containers for spiritual work. Kathy Gruver notes that "using psychedelics for spiritual connection often feels more powerful in a ritualized setting rather than a clinical one. Setting intentions, meditating, and connecting with a spiritual guide or deity can deepen the experience."

Alexis Gonzalez talks about the transformative power of ceremony: "When you're ready to go deeper, you move from using the medicine to being in relationship with it. This medicine has a spirit. It's alive. And to truly meet that spirit, you have to come to it in ceremony—with reverence, intention, and humility."

This ceremonial approach extends beyond the journey itself. Falcon Stephan suggests creating "more sacred and intentional spaces” and moving “from trying to solve something to simply being present. Lean into awe, reverence, and relationship with yourself, the medicine, and something greater." The shift is "less about doing, and more about being in communion."

Slow down and integrate

Multiple guides recommended reducing frequency and creating more space between sessions to allow spiritual insights to unfold naturally. Wallace suggests: "Instead of weekly microdoses or monthly ceremonies, consider aligning major sessions with solstices, equinoxes, birthdays, or other personally significant milestones."

There’s a good reason to slow your roll. Wallace elaborates: "Slower pacing creates space for subtle lessons to emerge during ordinary days—dream symbols, synchronicities, shifts in relational patterns—that might be drowned out by constant pharmacological novelty." That way, the connecting of spiritual dots can happen as much between sessions as during them.

Tolga Yenilmez reminds us to prioritize integration: "As you open more spiritually, daily integration becomes essential: movement, sound practices, time in nature, and quiet rituals strengthen your capacity to hold and embody the new insights." Kendra Branch adds that spiritual connection "grows when you take those messages and live them out in daily life."

Our take

If you want to deepen your spiritual connection with psychedelics, it helps to start with a spiritual connection outside of them first.

Sure, there are examples of diehard atheists who’ve seen the light of God during a heroic dose. But these dramatic conversions are probably anomalies. More to the point, when that does happen, it’s practically guaranteed to lead to some degree of ontological shock. That’s an inherently destabilizing experience, right?

So, try to find out what spirituality could mean for you. Study different traditions, read ancient scriptures, try out some contemplative practices. This groundwork allows the psychedelic to become a catalyst for gnosis (i.e., firsthand, experiential knowledge) of concepts you've only encountered intellectually.

Plus, once you have that coveted spiritual experience, you'll have a mental framework to make sense of it. And if you’re lucky enough to be part of a practicing community, you’ve even got an outlet to process it socially. How convenient.

Thanks to Auria C. from Kelowna, BC for submitting this week’s question. 🫠

Got a question for our guides?

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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.

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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.