💧 Treating body dysmorphia with psilocybin

Happy Thursday, and welcome back to The Drop In! Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, you’re likely experiencing feelings about the election. Everything is polarizing. Now is the time to log off indefinitely and go outside. Touch some grass. Hug a tree! Smoke some flowers and read a book. Revel in the tactile beauty of life we’re still free to enjoy. 

On the topic of politics, journalist Mattha Busby broke news about Massachusetts’ rejection of Question 4, a measure to legalize psilocybin therapy and decriminalize psychedelic plants. You can read it here.

Moving on, today’s featured story is about what liberation looks like in the context of psychedelics. In a conversation with Charlotte James, founder of Psychedelic Liberation Training, we explore her approach to education, how cannabis is a gateway to plant wisdom, and how healing doesn’t happen alone. She’s one of the most brilliant thinkers in the psychedelics space, and this interview, written by Preeti Simran Sethi (another brilliant thinker), serves as an exploration of many mind-nourishing topics. You can find the interview below!

If you keep scrolling, you’ll find stories on how psilocybin can help treat the elusive roots of body dysmorphia, a guide on Psilocybe cubensis doppelgangers, what you need to know before taking 2C-B, and how to dose with ketamine. 

If you want to get your mind off of politics this weekend, we’re hosting a Tripping for Couples workshop. And no — you don’t have to be in a partnership to attend! You can learn more about it here. See you there.

Solidarity ✊🏽,

Mary Carreón
Senior Editor

Together With…

This Solves the #1 Problem With Growing Your Own Mushrooms

Growing mushrooms is a LOT harder than YouTube videos would have you believe. The biggest issue?

Mold contamination.

You have to be 100% sterile ALL. THE. TIME. Even just a little tiny slip-up will destroy your entire harvest, and you won’t even know it until weeks later. Speaking from a lot of personal experiences, trust us when we say this is a wee bit frustrating.

Then along comes North Spore with the most elegant solution to the perpetual thorn in the side of all would-be mushroom growers:

SHROOMTEK GROW BAGS!

These things are great. Everything’s already set to go, right there in the bag. 

You never need to expose your substrate to your dirty hands or the bazillions of microbes floating through the air in your house. ShroomTek even comes with a free Spore Boostr that supercharges your spore syringe by germinating your spores into liquid culture. All you need to do is inject your boosted spore syringe into the substrate through the ShroomTek’s air-sealed port. That’s it. Visit their website and watch the videos on the ShroomTek page to learn more!

Best of all, they work for ALL mushrooms.

Use the code DOUBLEBLIND10 to save 10% at checkout!

Start growing your own shrooms today with North Spore’s ShroomTek Grow Bags.

Our Latest

Researchers may have discovered a trippy new ally to help people let go of the obsessive self-criticism and distorted self-image underlying eating disorders. Body dysmorphia comes with a uniquely dysfunctional pattern of brain activity. One that can seemingly be re-balanced by a single 25mg dose of psilocybin. Is this the antidote to Instagram?

Last call for ‘shrooms! We still have a couple of weeks of mushroom season, so this is your last opportunity to forage your own medicine. Just be aware, there are many Psilocybin cubensis doppelgangers out there. Before you go out foraging, read this so you can identify toxic look-alikes

We’ve all been there. The microdose wasn’t a microdose. The edible wasn’t labeled right. And now gravity seems to have gone sideways and you’ve been staring at a vortex in your ceiling for at least 4000 years. Fortunately, you astral projected yourself through the vortex and time traveled to precisely this moment NOW, here, in your inbox so you could read this article and know exactly what to do when you get too high

& More Must-Reads

• Drug-fueled innovation is typically associated with Silicon Valley, but its true history goes much deeper Some of the most influential, culture-shaping ideas of the modern world emerged from mind-altering self-experimentations by 19th century intellectuals. Discover how drugs made the modern mind (some of the old ads in this article are hilarious. )
  

• Next time you’re looking for fuel for your psychonautic adventures, instead of needling friends to give you the number of the guy who knows a guy, maybe you should just check Instagram?  Since the bust of major dark web sites, drug dealers are moving onto “clearweb” platforms like social media sites. Read about how DoubleBlind’s senior editor bought an ounce of mushrooms on Instagram (and you can too!).
  

• In Saudi Arabia, possession of drugs gets you a prison sentence or public flogging. Selling them can result in the death penalty. To nobody’s surprise, the Saudi psychedelic community is skittish and scarce. Meet the Saudi woman reframing psychedelics as medicines in the Muslim world.

Join Us

Ever thought about taking psychedelics with your partner? Whether you're a curious or seasoned tripper looking to explore new dynamics, journeying with a lover can open doors to connection, intimacy, healing, and so much more. But diving into this kind of experience takes more than just good vibes — it calls for real preparation. Done right, it can be intimate, transformative, and even joyful. Done without care, it can bring up emotions that need careful navigation.

If you're ready to unlock the magic of tripping as a couple, this online workshop is where you start. 

(This workshop is for both solo learners AND couples)

It’s happening Sunday, November 10, 2024 at 3pm EST.

Register for the workshop here.

Learn with Us

💊 Sasha Shulgin, the legendary psychedelic chemist, 2C-B “One of the most graceful, erotic, sensual, introspective compounds I have ever invented.” Read our deep-dive on this incredible psychedelic.

💑 Prep for our Tripping for Couples workshop next week with some light reading: Sex on Acid, MDMA, Shrooms & More.

🐸 If burning your skin so you can put dabs of frog venom on the wound and puke your guts out for 20 minutes while your face puffs up sounds like a good time… you’ll love our article on Kambo! Get the inside scoop on this cleansing, sense-sharpening Amazonian medicine.

🧪 The German Renaissance scientist and medical doctor Paracelsus coined the phrase “the dose makes the poison”. This is especially true with ketamine. Read this comprehensive guide to dosing with ketamine.

DoubleBlind Digs

Here are today’s recommendations to help you live more psychedelically… 

1. Good sex matters. The Tenuto 2 is a life-changing penis vibrator designed for both partners' pleasure. Stronger erections. Deeper, fully-body, soul-stretching orgasms. Sex you will remember. Save 30% now.*

2. Feel like you need to escape and reconnect with the source of inner divinity that remains forever untouched and unphased by politics? (you’re not alone…) Beckley Retreats have one of the most highly regarded, supportive, and beautiful psilocybin retreat centers in the world. Check them out here... you deserve it. 

3. We could all use a little more resilience right now. And Xula has you covered. They have a whole suite of high-end, stress-reducing tinctures with CBD, cannabinoids, and medicinal herbs. Support your nervous system here.

4. In emotionally charged times (like now, maybe?), it can be easy to drown your sorrows in alcohol. It’s a culturally condoned coping mechanism. Try BonBuz instead. It’s a relaxing alcohol alternative that soothes the nervous system without poisoning yourself. You’ll love it (we do!).

Together With…

Botanical Support for Psychedelics

Whether for ceremony or celebration, Allies Botanicals' organic tinctures are your trusted companions in the psychedelic space. Support your body and mind before, during, and after your journey. Use code FollowPlants to save 15% on your first order.

Watch Now

What would happen if you were in the DMT dimension for an hour? Check out our thought-provoking conversation with Holly Regan on groundbreaking DMT research, the ethical landscape of psychedelic journalism, and the role of media in cultural change. Watch it here.