How to Use Mushroom Medicine at Home

Applying plant medicine ceremonially the way it was intended

As a Dutchy, culture taught me magic mushrooms and truffles are for partying. That was the paradigm around the turn of the century. However, recent studies point out that entheogens, such as psilocybin mushrooms, are a highly potent tool for trauma healing. The problem, however, is that Western culture doesn’t have a framework for plant medicine use. After extensive shamanic practice and literary research, I have constructed my own ceremony and hereby make it publicly available.

Set and Setting

Set and Setting encompasses the mindset and surroundings in which you perform an entheogenic journey . Both are key aspects of ceremony and highly influence the efficacy of the healing practice.

The intention (Set) of the practice is paramount. The proper use of plant medicine is to heal (hence we name it so). A so-called “bad-trip” only occurs when mushrooms are used for anything but medicine. When used recreationally, and the medicine tells you to process trauma, the user will undoubtedly resist the effects, resulting in an uncomfortable, unexpected, and unfortunate outcome. It's imperative the intention is healing.

When you have the right intent, you can focus on the Setting variables that make up the ceremony. With who do you partake in the ritual? Is it a familiar and safe environment? At home or yonder? Time of day? Warm or cold? Shamanic healer present or not?

The amount of variables is infinite, but what is most important is that it's a safe and comfortable.

The ideal for most people is to do it: at night, at home, and on your own. You can’t be disturbed for the duration of the trip. At best, take a highly trusted friend with you who can sit with you in sobriety.

Key Components of Ceremony

To a novice onlooker, the ceremony itself might appear superfluous and superstitious. After all, in most Western culture, the ritual has been completely eliminated from our daily lifes. But it couldn’t be further from the truth. Prayer, smudging, music, etc., emphasize the holiness of the medicine and increase the power of the intention and enhance contact with spirit.

1. Prayer
   Before intake, smudge the mushrooms and the room. The smoke clears the air and emphasizes holiness. The mushroom is a strong entity and wants to communicate to you through love. Smudging (Palo Santo) respects this powerful spirit. You can chant, sing, use your own prayer, and/or build an altar. Whilst smudging I always say (specific to my trauma):
   “Big incantation. Big Spell. Release me from this dark magic.”
   But choose whatever is intuitive and proper for you.
2. Darkness
   In a dark room there is less distraction for the brain, making it easier to settle in the trip (and possible visuals). With the lights on it is simply not going to work. Do it at night in a place where you can lie down comfortably. Eyes closed.
3. Candles
   The candle stands symbol for life. It breathes and expires. You are alive, spirit is alive. Candle light will enhance the trip. Avoid electric light. Spirit can also communicate through the light of the candle, so it is another tool to go in.
4. Music
   Music heavily influences the trip. Loving music feels great, darker music can trigger old traumas. Not that dark music is bad, but you need to be comfortable with it. Music has a strong healing power, and whilst tripping, spirit can communicate through it. I prefer using FIP Radio France (CET).
5. Spirit
   The healing force of the mushroom, spirit, is a living entity. Establishing a great connection with this wonderful presence is key for deep healing. You can relate to, talk to it, praise it. Spirit operates behind the light and music. At least that is my experience. If you trust the mushroom, the lessons it wants to teach you, and can let it happen; then you’re all set up for a grand trip.
6. Body
   In my experience, the best trips are lying down on a soft floor under a blanket, nice and cosy. Trauma is in the body. Medicine always wants to make my body move like a TRE session. There are blockages in mind and muscle the body needs to wriggle out of. These can emerge as large contractions with big reliefs, before the next one starts. Freedom of movement is key, so it’s best done in shavasana position. Allow whatever your body needs to do.

Final Word

Applying ceremony to plant medicine is very avant-garde in the West. I advise anybody to incorporate and experiment with ceremony. With the proper intent, a healing ceremony can be a very powerful tool in trauma treatment. But everybody is different, so construct the ritual around your own needs.

Be responsible, mindful, and honest. Don't blindfully copy.

If you like this content. Please hold the clap 👏👏👏 button. Read more on this topic? Check my next article on Mushroom Ceremony and How to Apply Singing.

Blessings.

Resources

1. Sacred Mushroom of Visions: Teonanácatl — Ralph Metzner, 2005
2. Hallucinogens & Shamanism — Michael Harner, 1973
3. Love and Spirit Medicine—Shonagh Home, 2013
4. Magic Mushrooms: The Bad Trip—Shonagh Home, 2023
5. Maria Sabina, Spirit Woman (YouTube documentary, 1979)