The difference between intentions and expectations in psilocybin therapy

How setting intentions and letting go of expectations can help you trip better.

Image by Sergei Tokmakov from Pixabay

What does it mean to set an intention before psilocybin therapy?

Before my clients have a facilitated psilocybin experience, I guide them in considering their intentions. In the context of psychedelic therapy, I like how in their podcast, Dr. Steve Thayer and Dr. Reid Robison describe an intention as “loosely held hope”. An intention is not a goal or a predetermined outcome, but the wish for an internal shift that can help you live a more fulfilling life that’s aligned with your core values.

When setting an intention or intentions, it helps to ask yourself the following questions:

• What’s going on in my life right now that’s troublesome or robbing me of peace of mind?

• What’s an issue that I’ve been struggling with?

• In what ways or in which areas of my life do I feel stuck or blocked?

• What about myself or how I react to life would I like to improve on?

• How would I like to think, feel or behave rather than how I am currently thinking, feeling or behaving?

  
  

Setting an intention requires that you do the work of reflection and inquiry. The process of intention setting itself increases self-awareness as you’ll have to engage in deep reflection and questioning in order to articulate and clarify your intention. Because a therapeutic psilocybin experience is very structured, the medicine is able to do more for you when you’ve put in the effort yourself ahead of time to live more consciously and raise your awareness.

How expectations can get in your way

Author Neil Strauss describes expectations as “premeditated resentments” and this can certainly apply to psilocybin therapy too. Expectations are not the same as intentions. An intention is a desire you have for a positive internal change within yourself, whereas expectations involve wanting specific experiences during a facilitated psilocybin journey, or demanding specific outcomes.

People often develop expectations after reading articles or talking to others about psilocybin therapy. Concepts like the “mystical” or “peak” experience can create expectations around seeing or hearing God or dead loved ones, and terms like “ego dissolution” can create a false belief that one needs to completely lose one’s sense of self for a trip to be effective. Some people expect to feel euphoria or have visual hallucinations and may feel disappointed if they don’t. People who have had previous psychedelic experiences may anticipate having similar experiences at their subsequent facilitations and be let down or overwhelmed when they experience something completely different.

One of the most common expectations that people have about a therapeutic psychedelic experience is how “unconscious” they will be. While levels of lucidity vary, when using psychedelics, most people are still conscious during the entire experience. Unlike mind altering substances like alcohol or benzodiazepines which can have a numbing effect and can leave you feeling “checked out” when consumed in large quantities, psychedelics like psilocybin increase awareness rather than dull it so you are very much present for the entire experience even though you are in an altered state.

The problem with bringing expectations into your journey is that you might end up feeling restless and impatient for them to be met and disappointed if they aren’t, which can leave you feeling shortchanged after.

So how can you minimize the impact of expectations before psilocybin therapy? I find it helpful to remind myself:

• I will get exactly the experience I need at this moment in time.

• I will let go of all expectations and trust the mushrooms and the process completely.

• Just as the content of my mind is everchanging, so is the content of each psychedelic experience.

• Even if nothing “happens”, I know there is something to be discovered and lessons to be learnt.

• Good, bad, or ugly, I am getting exactly what I need.

Expectations can also be problematic when someone holds preconceived notions about instantaneous resolution of their difficulties. Psilocybin therapy is an opportunity for awakening, and integration after a journey is where the real magic happens. A facilitated psilocybin experience is the chance to step outside the box of your own conditioning for a while to discover new ways of being. It is not a panacea for the challenges of being a human living a human life, but a gradual process of personal discovery, healing and growth.