Jessika Lagarde - Healing with Psilocybin (#012)
In this episode of Don't Step on the Bluebells, Amanda Parker interviews plant medicine facilitator Jessika Lagarde about how intentional psilocybin truffle journeys can catalyze profound healing when done in a safe, supported container. She dives into what trauma-informed facilitation looks like and emphasizes the importance of preparation, integration and a holistic approach for lasting transformation. Jessika shares powerful stories of healing and offers advice for those curious to begin exploring psychedelic-assisted healing work.
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"The best way to work with psychedelics is really to put intention and attention into what aspects of your life you feel like you need some changing or you need some help with or where you want to develop more self-awareness."
- Jessika Lagarde
Today's Guest
JESSIKA LAGARDE
Originally from Brazil and based in Amsterdam, Jess is a trauma-informed plant medicine facilitator, Earth keeper, educator, and Women On Psychedelics co-founder. Jess' work is focused on the creation of spaces that amplify avenues for self-expression, self-acceptance, and self-awareness. All of her work is informed by taking action in a way that serves the Earth and our human collective, in hopes of mobilizing inner healing towards outer action.
How to get in touch:
Website: www.jessikalagarde.com
Instagram: @theglobalpaths
Women on Psychedelics: www.womenonpsychedelics.com/
Instagram: @womenonpsychedelics
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Show Notes
In this episode of Don't Step on the Bluebells, host Amanda Parker interviews Jessika Lagarde, a trauma-informed plant medicine facilitator based in the Netherlands. They dive deep into the world of psychedelics, specifically psilocybin truffle journeys, and how Jessika safely guides people through transformative healing experiences. Jessika offers both individual and group psilocybin journey facilitation in the Netherlands, where it is legal. She creates safe, intentional containers for people to explore their inner selves.
Psilocybin can help shine a light on aspects of yourself that have been blurry and amplify emotions, sensations and memories to bring about healing insights. However, it's not a "magic pill" - integration and taking action afterwards is crucial. A macro-dose psilocybin journey involves taking 30-45g of wet truffles (equivalent to 4-5g dry mushrooms). The experience unfolds over 5 hours with preparation before and integration after. It's a very physical, sensory experience. Trauma-informed facilitation involves understanding how a person's history influences them today, and tailoring the space to help them feel safe to be vulnerable. An in-depth intake process is key.
Preparation, intention-setting, and post-journey integration are just as important as the psilocybin experience itself. Integration means translating insights into real changes in your daily life. Psilocybin is non-addictive and can actually help treat substance addictions by allowing people to understand themselves on a deeper level. Indigenous cultures view it as plant medicine, not a drug. If you're curious to learn more, check out the book How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan, the Netflix show Fantastic Fungi, or the educational platform Women On Psychedelics. Jessika's parting advice is to approach this healing modality with "COST" - Curiosity, Openness, Surrender and Trust.
Key Takeaways
- Psilocybin can help amplify emotions, sensations and memories to bring about healing insights, but it's not a magic solution - integration and taking action after the experience is crucial.
- A macro-dose psilocybin journey involves taking 30-45g of wet truffles (equivalent to 4-5g dry mushrooms) and lasts about 5 hours, with preparation before and integration afterward. It is a very physical and sensory experience.
- Trauma-informed facilitation involves deeply understanding a person's background and tailoring the space to help them feel safe to be vulnerable. An in-depth intake process is key.
- The preparation, intention-setting, and post-journey integration are just as important as the psilocybin journey itself. Integration means translating the insights into real changes in daily life.
- Psilocybin is non-addictive and can actually help treat substance addictions by allowing deeper self-understanding. Indigenous cultures view it as plant medicine rather than a drug.
What We Talked About
- Psilocybin is a psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms and truffles that can catalyze profound healing experiences when used intentionally in a safe, supportive container. It amplifies inner feelings and perceptions.
- Psilocybin journeys can provide healing insights for a wide range of issues - addiction, anxiety, depression, terminal illness, emotional blocks, and more. The medicine works intelligently with the body's own wisdom.
- Trauma-informed facilitation is key for a safe and transformative psilocybin experience. The facilitator must create a safe space, tailor the journey to the individual, and guide the process before, during and after.
- Psilocybin journeys are very physical and sensory experiences. They can bring up intense emotions and sensations in the body. Somatic release through shaking, crying, laughing etc. is common.
- Preparation and integration are as important as the journey itself. Careful screening, intention-setting and aftercare help translate the insights into real changes. Integration can unfold over weeks and months.
- Psilocybin is non-addictive and shows promise for actually treating addictions by shifting perspective and allowing deeper self-understanding. Therapeutic, ceremonial use is very different than recreational.
- Approach psilocybin journeys with curiosity, openness, surrender and trust (COST). Working with experienced facilitators and reputable retreat centers is advised, especially in places where it is legal like the Netherlands.
- While one profound journey can create lasting shifts, ongoing inner work and integration are key. Having a regular spiritual practice and support system makes a big difference.
- Indigenous wisdom sees psilocybin as a sacred plant medicine spirit, not a drug. Respecting the cultures and lineages that have carried this knowledge is important as it becomes more popular in the West.
Guest Quotes
- "The best way to work with psychedelics is really to put intention and attention into what aspects of your life you feel like you need some changing or you need some help with or where you want to develop more self-awareness."
- "It's not just a pill or anything that you're going to take and suddenly everything is going to change and magic is going to happen, which has been one of the main concerns I have since all these things psychedelic related have become quite popular in the media. But it's really the way you actually work with the compounds that matter."
- "I try to bridge a little bit of both things...I do the facilitation in microdosing, but also most of my work is actually focused on the macro journeys, which is actually working with psilocybin, mostly specifically here in the Netherlands because it's the only psychedelic that is actually legal."
- "I don't see it as a magic bullet that is basically showing something new about yourself, but rather putting an amplifier on some things that you already know and you just didn't want to acknowledge or you didn't want to look in there."
- "Being trauma informed is actually coming from an understanding...that everyone in our society has a certain level of trauma."
- "Integration is basically translating whatever comes out of your experience into your daily life. And that can, at times, looks like, yeah, behavior change or, I don't know, a career change or like relationship changes."
Resources to Learn More
- Peter Levine - Somatic Experiencing - Scientific (and Modern) Approach to Healing Trauma
- Gabor Mate - Expertise on trauma, addiction, stress and childhood development
- How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan (Book)
- How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan (Netflix Series)
- Fantastic Fungi (Netflix Series)
- Women On Psychedelics Educational platform which Jessika is involved with. This platform shares articles and women's stories about their experiences with psychedelics.
- Big Think YouTube Videos - explains these compounds in short snippets.
- Jessika’s own resources - www.jessikalagarde.com and Instagram @theglobalpaths - provides individual sessions, group ceremonies, and educational workshops both online and in-person in the Netherlands
Terms & Tools to Dig Deeper
- Addiction treatment: The use of psilocybin and other psychedelics to treat substance abuse disorders and addictive behaviors.
- Bipolar disorder: A mental health condition involving extreme mood swings between mania and depression. A potential contraindication for psilocybin use.
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD): A mental health condition characterized by unstable moods, relationships, and self-image. A potential contraindication for psilocybin use.
- COST (Curiosity, Openness, Surrender, Trust): An acronym describing the ideal mindset for approaching psychedelic experiences.
- Ego dissolution: A common effect of high-dose psychedelic experiences involving a temporary loss of one's usual sense of self and identity.
- Guided psychedelic therapy: The use of psychedelics in a therapeutic context, with the support and guidance of a trained mental health professional.
- Indigenous wisdom: The knowledge and practices around psychedelic plant medicines held by native cultures around the world.
- Intention setting: The practice of clarifying one's goals, hopes, and desires for a psychedelic session beforehand.
- Macro-dose: A larger dose of psilocybin, typically 30-45g of wet truffles (equivalent to 4-5g dried mushrooms), that induces a full psychedelic experience lasting around 5 hours.
- Macrodosing: Another term for taking a full psychedelic dose, as opposed to microdosing.
- Micro-dose: A small, sub-perceptual dose of psilocybin that does not cause hallucinations but may enhance mood, creativity, and emotional balance. Typically around 1-2g of dried mushrooms.
- Psilocybin: A naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain types of mushrooms and truffles. It is known for inducing profound changes in consciousness, perception, and emotional states.
- Psychedelic integration: The process of translating insights, lessons, and healing from a psychedelic experience into daily life through practices like therapy, journaling, art, meditation, and lifestyle changes.
- Psychedelic journey: A term for the full arc of a psychedelic experience, including preparation, the acute effects of the substance, and the aftermath. Often used in the context of intentional, guided experiences for healing and growth.
- Psychedelic retreats: Group programs, often in beautiful natural settings, that offer guided psychedelic ceremonies and integration support.
- Psychosis: A break from consensus reality involving hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking. A rare but serious risk of psychedelics, especially in those with a personal or family history of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders.
- Recreational use: The use of psychedelics for enjoyment and leisure, as opposed to intentional therapeutic or spiritual use.
- Somatic experiencing: A body-oriented therapeutic model for healing trauma and other stress disorders. It emphasizes awareness of bodily sensations and involuntary movements to release stuck energy and emotions. Often informs trauma-sensitive psychedelic facilitation.
- Spiritual emergence: A process of spiritual growth and awakening that can be catalyzed by psychedelics, often involving challenging inner experiences.
- Trauma-informed facilitation: An approach to guiding psychedelic experiences that prioritizes safety, consent, and attunement to the unique needs and history of each participant. It draws on an understanding of the nervous system, attachment theory, and the impact of early life stress to create a secure and supportive container for healing.
- Universal life force energy: A term from various spiritual traditions referring to the animating energy that underlies all of life. Some see psychedelics as providing direct access to this energy.Women's circle: A type of group focused on women's healing and empowerment through psychedelic use and other means.
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