Chapter 14

The Psychedelic Guide
^.
ith the coQmtwc mind suspended, the
subject is in a heightened state of suggest- ibiUty. For initial sessions, the guide pos- sesses enormous power to move consciousness with the sUghtest gesture or reaction.
The key here is the guide' s abiUty to turn off hir own ego and social games, power needs, and fears — to be there, relaxed, solid, accepting, secure, to sense all and do nothing except let the subject know hir wise presence.
A psychedelic session lasts up to twelve hours and produces moments of intense, intense, intense reactiv- ^^^^^^^^^ ity. The guide must never be
J J bored, talkative, intellectualiz-
The guide does .^g^ 5/ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^ not impose hir j^^-^^g ^^^^g ^^^^^^^ of swirling
own games on mindlessness. The guide is the the VOy^qpC. ground control, always there to "''''''^^ receive messages and queries
from high-flying aircraft, ready to help navigate their
course and reach their destination.
Timothy Leary ^_
The guide does not impose hir own games on the voyager. Pilots who have their own flight plan — their own goals — are reassured to know that an expert is down there, available for help. But if ground control is har- boring hir own motives, manipulating the plane towards selfish goals, the bond of security and confidence crumbles.
Ethics
To administer psychedelics without personal experience is unethical and dangerous. Our studies concluded that almost every negative LSD reaction has been caused by the guide's fear, which augmented the transient fear of the subject. When ^^^^^^^^^^ the guide acts to protect hirself, s/ -ri^ auildc YWSt
he communicates hir concern. If r0(T\3\Y\ V3i'35\VdN
momentary discomfort or confusion 56n5iti\/6 3K^d
happens, others present should not intuiti\/6lv
be sympathetic or show alarm but relaxed for
stay calm and restrain their "helping general hours
games. " In particular, the "doctor" ^ difficult
role should be avoided. aSSlgnm^t for
The guide must remain passively ITlOSt
sensitive and intuitively relaxed for WsStCtTlcrS.
several hours — a difficult assignment j|^||||||||||||^^
for most Westerners. The most
certain way to maintain a state of alert quietism, poised in ready flexibility, is for the guide to take a low dose of the psychedelic with the subject. Routine procedure is to have one trained person participating in the experience, and one staff member present without psychedelic aid. The knowl- edge that one experienced guide is "up" and keeping the subject company is of inestimable value — the security of a trained pilot flying at your wingtip; the scuba diver' s security in the presence of an expert companion.
64 Your ^rain fe God
Experience Required
The less experienced subject will more likely impose hallucinations. The guide, likely to be in a state of mindless, blissful flow, is then pulled into the subject's hallucinatory field and may have difficulty orienting hirself. There are no familiar fixed landmarks, no place to put your foot, no solid concept upon which to base your thinking. All is flux. Decisive action by the subject can structure the guide' s flow if s/ he has taken a heavy dose.
Rewarding New Profession
The psychedelic guide is literally a neurological liberator, who provides illumination, who frees voyagers from their lifelong internal bondage. To be present at the moment of awakening, to share the ecstatic revelation when the voyager discovers the wonder and awe of the divine life- process, far outstrips earthly game ambitions. Awe and gratitude — rather than pride — are the rewards of this new profession.