Ayahuasca Integration (and psychedelics in general)

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Ayahuasca Integration (and psychedelics in general) | Mijal Schmidt ~ ATTMind 183

It is quite common to hear these days that integration is essential to both optimizing the benefits and reducing the potential harms of our psychedelic experiences.

However, what exactly does integration mean; what is it for; what does it take; what does it look like; and when is it complete?

It is these questions that we will explore in this episode of the podcast, with a special but non-exclusive focus on ayahuasca experiences. Our guest is Mijal Schmidt.

Mijal Schmidt is a clinical psychologist, with a masters in psychoanalysis and musicology. She has been working in the clinical field for over 15 years, and as an integration psychotherapist for over 5 years. She collaborates with different international organizations such as ICEERS as an Integration psychotherapist and was just appointed as the Clinical Director at Nectara. Her experimentation with master plants for personal exploration around 10 years ago, and in her own words…

“The closeness with traditional practices from México and Perú have opened up perceptual dimensions in me which continue to inform my clinical practice and feed my everyday life. In this regard I’m a blend of traditional teachings and contemporary theoretical approaches which help me broaden the understanding of how to bridge these knowledge and produce possibilities with the people who look to integration to making sense of their work with master plants.”

This interview presents a rather robust exploration of what psychedelic integration is and the specifics of what an ayahuasca integration requires. We talk about the importance of good preparation, and what that looks like; various integration practices and activities; the most common challenges in integrating ayahuasca experiences, including integrating HUGE experiences and difficult experiences; the integration of experiences of exogenous material, e.g. entities or absorbing other people’s processes; and how to know when we have successfully completed our integration.

We also explore the difference between psychedelic integration and psychotherapy; learning to accept what is happening in our journeys, even when we don’t like it or want it or think it’s what we are supposed to be experiencing; as well as how to support someone in a post-psychedelic crisis, and when to intervene for their own safety.

Enjoy!

p.s.

You can connect with Mijal directly via her email, [her first and last name] at gmail.com. Or by connecting with her via Linked In. If you are interested in the services of the ICEERS Support Center, you can request a free session with them here.

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Episode Breakdown and Timestamps

(0:00) Opening
(1:05) Introduction and Guest Bio
(4:53) Patron Thanks
(6:07) Interview Begins
(7:13) Mijal’s integration history in private practice and through the ICEERS Support Center
(16:40) Best practices in preparing for a psychedelic journey
(22:36) Preparing for ayahuasca specifically
(28:56) The term “intake” vs “ceremony”
(29:57) What an ayahuasca experience is, and what we might find
(37:22) Considering the integration of experiences of exogenous material, e.g. entities or absorbing other people’s processes
(44:05) The importance of acknowledging Mystery
(50:40) What, exactly, is psychedelic integration?
(58:10) Various integration practices and activities
(1:02:21) We need to be care about when, and who we talk to about our psychedelic experiences
(1:12:13) Be careful acting on what ayahuasca tells you, unless it’s getting you out of danger
(1:14:52) How to know when you have successfully integrated your ayahuasca experience
(1:18:53) The most common challenges in integrating ayahuasca experiences
(1:24:20) Integrating HUGE ayahuasca experiences
(1:30:09) Learning to accept what is happening in our journeys
(1:34:49) The feelings you think are in the way, are the way
(1:26:23) Supporting someone in post-psychedelic crisis
(1:41:53) When to intervene in someone’s post-psychedelic crisis
(1:48:57) Follow-up links and social handles
(1:51:12) Outro