Luminous Psychonauts - Next Level Skills for Healing and Discovery

psychedelic retreat nature integration holotropic japan

From Trip to Transformation - Living Your Truth

By Geoffrey Paul

In the end, it's altered traits, not altered states, that matter."

Huston Smith

A good hit of acid, a few grams of shrooms, a toke or two of DMT and the highest of truths enlightened masters are ours!

But what happens after the trip?

Eventually the sweet afterglow fades, we start slipping back into the same old patterns that keep us stuck in the patterns we hoped psychedelics might have helped us transform.

Something triggers us and the truth that we are all one vanishes. The clarity starts to blur and we begin to feel distant from the profound truths that seemed so obvious and simple seem beyond us..

We can fall into self judgement, faced with the enormous gap between what we know and how far we are from living that truth.

Shamanic cultures get it— kids are prepapredfor these mind-expanding experiences through the organic way in which lives what the the plants have taught them. The default mode of living in harmony with nature and going with the flow of life informs how they think, talk and act. Preparation is a gradual process that provides the platform for launching into the divine.

In our modern world severed from natural rhythms and heart centered values integrating cosmic wisdom intoner daily lives can be very challenging. The sudden awakening to the innate love and divinity of all things can can cause disharmony in our minds programed with concepts that rather than unify, aim to define and divide, to consume rather than cultivate and take rather than give.

Five years ago when I became aware of the psychedelic renaissance there was very little modern literature available on best practices for psychedelic exploration. Frustrated I dived into shamanism which helped a lot but wasn’t a great formy western educated mind.

Fortunately places like Johns Hopkins and Imperial College London's Centre for Psychedelic Research made huge strides in developing protocols for the Western mind. Yet, their reach is limited, and follow-up support is often too short.

Being Research projects aimed at inexperienced subjects using rigid systems, with maximum of two doses per subject and rigid parameters to ensure good scientific standards they are not ideal for the already free thinking psychonauts.

There is evidence both anecdotal and in respectable studies that small incremental changes in a wide range of parameters including world view, meaning of life and empathy occur across time occur with use of psychedelics.

In contrast The Hopkins-Griffiths protocol involved administering psilocybin, (only 2 and 3 grams of cubensis equivalent) twice over 2 months, to participants who undertook a program of meditation and other spiritual practices. Let’s explore the findings:

  1. Psilocybin-Occasioned Mystical-Type Experience:

    • Participants in the study reported mystical-type experiences with psilocybin.

    • At the 14-month follow-up58% and 67% of volunteers rated the psilocybin-occasioned experience as being among the five most personally meaningful and five most spiritually significant experiences of their lives, respectively.

    • 64% indicated that the experience increased their well-being or life satisfaction.

    • 58% met criteria for having had a ‘complete’ mystical experience1.

  1. Trait Changes:

    • The enduring positive changes in traits were assessed at 6 months after the psilocybin sessions.

    • Compared to low-dose, both high-dose psilocybin groups showed large significant positive changes in several traits:

      • Interpersonal closeness

      • Gratitude

      • Life meaning/purpose

      • Forgiveness

      • Death transcendence

      • Daily spiritual experiences

      • Religious faith and coping

      • Community observer ratings2.

In summary, the Hopkins-Griffiths protocol, combining psilocybin with meditation and spiritual practices, led to enduring positive changes in psychological functioning and prosocial attitudes/behaviors for participants. The percentages mentioned above reflect the impact on participants’ well-being and personality traits.

I’ve been there. After a 1000 ug acid trip on a beach in Goa 35 years ago it took me years to ground my self. Fortunately what had been the most enlightening experience yet also totally destabilizing propelled me on journey to understand how I could live the beauty of what had been revealed to me, without what i though at the time was a cheatsheet to wisdom.

As we know psychedelics are powerful medicines that can open doors to the essence of spirituality , gift us with profound insights, divines truth and a taste of unconditional love, yet how do we begin to truly those ideals ?

TRIP PREPARATION AND INTEGRATION SUPPORT

man and woman holding each others hands
man and woman holding each others hands

BREATHWORK

HEALING

MEDITATION

A good hit of acid, a few grams of shrooms, a toke or two of DMT and the highest of truths enlightened masters are ours!

But what happens after the trip?

Eventually the warm afterglow fades, we start slipping back into the same old patterns that keep us stuck in the paradigm we used psychedelics to escape.

Something triggers us and the truth that we are all one vanishes. We begin to feel distant from the profound truths that seemed so concrete start to fade.

We can fall into self judgement, faced with the enormous gap between what we know and how far we are from living that truth.

I’ve been there. After a 1000 ug acid trip on a beach in Goa 35 years ago it took me years to ground my self. Fortunately its what propelled me in my journey to understand how I could live the beauty of what had been revealed to me.

As we know psychedelics are powerful medicines that can open doors to the essence of spirituality , gift us with profound insights, divines truth and a taste of unconditional love, yet how do we begin to truly live those ideals in our daily lives?

Shamanic cultures get it—they prepare their youth for these mind-expanding experiences through community support and living in tune with nature. They know preparation is a gradual process that provides the platform for launching into the divine.

In our modern world severed from natural rhythms and heat centered values integrating cosmic wisdom intoner daily lives can be very challenging.

Five years ago when I became aware of the psychedelic renaissance there was very little modern literature available on best practices for psychedelic exploration. Frustrated I dived into shamanism which helped a lot but wasn’t a great formy western educated mind.

Fortunately places like Johns Hopkins and Imperial College London's Centre for Psychedelic Research made huge strides in developing protocols for the Western mind. Yet, their reach is limited, and follow-up support is often too short.

Being Research projects aimed at inexperienced subjects using rigid systems, with maximum of two doses and rigid parameters to ensure good scientific standards they are not ideal for the already free thinking psychonauts.

That inspired me to develop “The Way Luminous Psychonaut”, a system for experienced and committed psychonauts who's goal is to become the change they want to see in the world.

Pulling on more than 3 decades of psychedelics use, meditation, yoga, breathwork and energy healing I’m here to help you create your own protocol.

I’ve combined the wisdom of ancient cultures with modern scientific practices. With ongoing support, I can help embark on a deeper journey of self-discovery and healing.

The Way of Luminous Psychonaut is about you shining your inner light onto your world.

It's about living the truth of your psychedelic explorations and enhancing every role you play in life. This a way for you to begin to really grow, to be more filled with gratitude, creativity, compassion, empathy, resilience , peace, vibrance joy and love.

Discover what spiritual based cultures have know for millennia. Spiritual practice and altered states are a synergetic set that can accelerate real growth more quickly and more safely than either tool alone.

Here are the cornerstones for transforming you trips into real positive life changes. When skillfully applied these practices will take you from an explorer to a discoverer and miner of gems of lived wisdom.

MEDITATION

At the core of every legitimate spiritual path lies some form of meditation.

The Griffiths Hopkins Protocol developed by John Hopkins University's Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research clearly showed that a spiritual practice grounded in meditation and psychedelic therapy resulted in more and longer lasting positive trait changes than either modality alone.

Not only is meditation key, I dare say a required skill for intentional use of psychedelics but an essential element in general well being for all humans.

I'm here to help you make it a habit like brushing your teeth, you won't want to leave home without having done it!

Meditation helps create a space between life dramas so instead of getting stuck in the story we can witness it passively seeing for the game it is. Rather than leave us dispassion it empowers us dive into life free of fear and create the screenplay of our dreams."Psychedelic experience is only a glimpse of genuine mystical insight, but a glimpse which can be matured and deepened by the various ways of meditation in which drugs are no longer necessary or useful. If you get the message, hang up the phone. For psychedelic drugs are simply instruments, like microscopes, telescopes, and telephones. The biologist does not sit with eye permanently glued to the microscope, he goes away and works on what he has seen."

Alan Watts

Though Alan Watts's take may seem quite extreme I found that for myself and clients with a mature daily meditation practice they need far lower doses to reach deeper states that are more readily integrated. Personally even lower does of cannabis especially edibles can bring about experiences and change that non meditator friends in psychedelic communities often find difficult to believe.

BREATHWORKBreathwork, a powerful practice with numerous benefits, is particularly effective in preparing individuals for psychedelic journeys and assisting them during difficult stages of their trips. This technique goes beyond relaxation and health benefits, as it also provides an energy boost. One notable form of breathwork, known as holotropic breathwork, is specifically designed to increase the likelihood of having a transcendental experience before embarking on a psychedelic session. Moreover, it serves as a post-trip tool for gaining insight into different aspects of their experiences in a safe and effective manner. By incorporating breathwork into their journey, individuals can enhance their overall psychedelic experience and navigate through challenging stages with greater ease. The practice of breathwork offers a holistic approach, promoting both physical and mental well-being in preparation for and recovery from transformative psychedelic experiences.

Holotropic Type Breathwork

  • Induces altered states of consciousness without the use of drugs.

  • Facilitates spiritual exploration and self-healing.

  • Aids in expanding awareness and personal growth.

Wim Hof Method (WHM)

Boosts immunity.

  • Improves sleep quality and reduces stress.

  • Enhances sports performance and aids in workout recovery.

    Physiological Sig

  • Provides rapid reduction in anxiety and improves mood.

  • Has a calming effect on the nervous system.

  • Effective for managing insomnia and pain.

Breathwork Technique: Box Breathing Benefits and Specialties:

  • Offers stress relief and improved focus.

  • Can be used in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

  • Enhances overall well-being.

Breathwork Technique: Heart Coherence (HRV) Benefits and Specialties:

  • Regulates heart rate variability (HRV) for emotional balance.

  • Supports emotional resilience and mental clarity.

I hope this format meets your needs! If you have any other requests or need further information, feel free to ask.

How can I begin to describe my time with Poveda... It was simply life-changing! I always imagined that Bali would be a breathtaking destination, but thanks to Poveda, I was able to not just experience the culture, but have once-in-a-lifetime memories. I got so much more than I ever anticipated from my holiday.

- Alice Bloomberg

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