Friday's Five ✋ #383
Renaissance
Happy Friday! ☀️
In what appeared like a mean and manic week for the world, I disappeared into a deeply profound and peaceful experience that I will never forget. On Sunday, I arrived in the outskirts of a small town in The Netherlands to attend a week-long psychedelic retreat. Having never done recreational drugs (safe for some pot 25 years ago which wasn’t for me), I’ve been curious about psilocybin as a medicine to expand the state of consciousness. The retreat was centered around two psilocybin ceremonies and enriched by morning movement, meditation, transformational breathwork, time in nature, and integration circles. We were a group of 16 people from around the world, supported by 4 facilitators during the week and up 8 facilitators and musicians during the ceremonies. I’m still processing and in a ‘soft landing’ phase and I am spending an extra night in a small hotel in the countryside. What I can say is that this has been one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had and I’ve never felt more connected to my body, my past, my present, and my future.
Today, I feel deeply at peace.
What I’m reading 📖
If you would like to read more about the clinical and non-clinical uses of psilocybin, this is a good start.
What I’m listening to 🎧
Beck’s ‘Sea Change’ is one of my all-time favorite records and it was the soundtrack of my week. ‘Paper Tiger’, in particular is such an amazing song. The rhythm section with the bass line and drums get me into a zone right away. But it’s when the strings come in that the track completely gets me. So opulent yet so peaceful, I’ve imagine a flock of birds dancing in the air to the movements of the string arrangement.
What I’m watching 📺
This week, my phone was in my room and I didn’t watch anything. But I just remembered the Michael Pollan the Netflix series ‘How to Change your Mind’ so I will be watching it when I return. Here is the episode about psilocybin.
What I’m thinking about 🧠
Live from the heart, and the head will follow.
– I wrote this note down after the first ceremony.
What else?! 💯
One of my favorite new artists of the past years is Sam Fender. The band’s new album ‘People Watching’ is out today and I’ll wait a few days before giving it a listen once I return to normal life.
Thanks for reading, have a great weekend!
David
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