Each one of our minds has a mental architecture — the personality we have constructed in order to survive the world. Written into the neurological pattern of our default mode network, we can cling to these psychic knots in our brains, reinforcing them with self-critical ruminations or patterns of interactions with others. We’re trapped in these old ways of being, out of fear of being humiliated, embarrassed, or hurt.
Psychedelics have been known to deconstruct these self-sabotaging mental structures, but it is in the intentional work we do following the medicine that allows the new etching to become a well-traveled path. There is integration to do right after a psychedelic session and in the weeks and months that follow.
Through psychedelics, people often obtain a piece of insight but fail to knit this piece of insight into larger patterns in their lives. Rachel Harris, author of Listening to Ayahuasca, writes that people often go for a few sessions of therapy, but not enough folks pursue long-term psychotherapy to sustain changes in their mental architecture. In our modern-day culture of consumerism, hierarchy, bureaucracy, injustices, and other traumas, it's easy to forget what we have learned.
The psyche is particularly malleable in the initial weeks following a psychedelic experience. It is considered a window of fruitful opportunity for working with a therapist. Working with Angela Leong, who specializes in psychedelic integration, can help ensure that these insights take root and transform into lasting change. Once old patterns are interrupted, new connections are rapidly being made, new ways of seeing the world, and new ways of being all need to be spoken into the reality of your consciousness.
Your therapist could walk you through a drawing of a vision you had seen/experienced while traversing through the altered state of consciousness.
You could dialogue with the figures or entities you had met within the psychedelic state.
You can dialogue with the people which came to your mind's eye.
We can tie the visions, emotions, and symbols you saw or experienced into your life narrative and receive guidance on identifying the patterns. Our Psychedelic Integration and Somatic Therapy services provide structured, supportive pathways to weave these experiences into your personal growth.
The more aspects of the experience we integrate, the richer the process. To explore more integration practices, see our blog Balancing Inner Realms: 6 Paths to Psychedelic Integration. The more you continue to make your teachings salient and accessible in your mind, the richer your life becomes. If you’re ready to begin this process, book a session with us today.