I must strongly warn that my texts are not intended as instructions for any therapies or anything else! If you suffer from any mental problems or traumas, I warn against experimenting with psychedelics or with states of expanded consciousness in general! Regarding working with these substances or with states of expanded consciousness, please always refer only to experienced therapists and sitters!
And I also have to emphasize that from an official point of view, I am neither a psychologist nor a therapist, nor a “coach”, nor a holotropic breathwork facilitator, nor a trained sitter, nor anyone similarly qualified. I have no officially recognized and formally completed education, certificates or certifications in these areas. Nor am I a shaman, a curandero, a “medicine man”, a “magician”, or anyone who works with altered states of consciousness in any existing tradition. I do not claim any of these titles and they do not concern me in any way.
I must also strongly warn that I am no “spiritual teacher”, no “guru” and I definitely cannot help you to be “enlightened”, “ascended”, “to reach high vibrations” or anything similar. I also definitely cannot help you to get “better future lives”, “more positive destiny” or what ever of this kind. I also do not try to create any “spiritual teaching” on my own.
The only reason I write and publish these texts is the fact that I have gathered many practical experiences in this field over the years, which I want to offer to you in this way as a contribution to the discussion on these topics. If I were to consider any label suitable for myself in this regard, I would only dare to identify myself as a “psychonaut” – in the sense in which Albert Hofmann and Terence McKenna understood this word.
Just like in our books, I must warn here that psychedelic substances, which will be mentioned in some of the texts, are currently still officially labeled as “highly addictive substances with absolutely no medical use” and are burdened with the threat of various punishments. The goal of my texts is definitely not to try to promote their uninformed and irresponsible use!
On the other hand, it is generally well known that people use these substances and at the same time, it is true that their use has been more or less decriminalized in various states, regions, or cities in recent years, so more and more people are trying them. That is simply the reality. And it seems that experiences with these substances are very common, especially among young people. They are sometimes considered to be something “normal” that “everyone should try”. Unfortunately, the information about how to use them properly is still insufficient. This often leads to very inappropriate use, which can easily cause serious problems for people, because these are substances with a strong effect on the psyche. My effort is therefore to improve the information about this issue and to warn against irresponsible behavior.
It is clear from the latest development in the world that views on these substances are changing rapidly. Official and regulatory-approved scientific research has been carried out at various universities and clinics for several years already. And their results clearly and repeatedly show that if these substances are used properly in a therapeutic context, they can be incredibly helpful in treating many psychological traumas.
It seems, therefore, that it is only a matter of relatively short time before psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy becomes a common part of clinical practice. It looks like in the US, official therapy supported by the substance MDMA will be available to a limited extent even this year (2021). And the research on the treatment of depression with psilocybin has been labeled by the American authorities as a “breakthrough therapy”, which indicates the intention to introduce it into practice as soon as possible.
First psychedelic clinics are already emerging around the world, and there is talk of the need to change anti-drug laws. Therefore, let us hope that we will soon see a much more realistic and scientifically based approach to these substances than what official institutions demonstrated in the 60s and 70s of the last century. But it is up to the responsibility of each of us to no longer repeat the mistakes of the 60s, when there was massive uninformed abuse of these substances with various negative consequences. It is necessary for us to find a similarly “sacred” relationship to them and to the states of consciousness they evoke, as we see in all old cultures. I would like to contribute to this with the texts in this book.
Thank you for your understanding.