Psychedelic Bypassing: When Avoidance is Mistaken for Healing
Psychedelic Bypassing: The many ways the mind can excuse abuse, ignore the darker sides of ourselves, categorize the vast scale of emotions into little boxes of “good” and “bad,” and cast aside anything deemed “lesser than” — all in the pursuit of a more enlightened life.
Last year, during a crowded online seminar on psychedelic microdosing for treating addiction, a few attendees raised caution in the Zoom chat over the dangerously simplistic ways in which addiction was being presented. Within moments, a frenzy of animosity resounded.
“Why are you bringing your negativity here?”
“The presenters are doing great—why not recognize that?”
“If you don’t like microdosing, you can git out!”
I would have been more surprised if I hadn’t witnessed other psychedelic conversations where “negativity” was not welcome and legitimate criticism was deemed “bad vibes.” What did surprise me was how much validation this animosity received, with even the facilitator joining in and scolding the critics — then again, since such critiques threatened his microdosing livelihood, I suppose his animosity made sense.
I noticed a similar, albeit more concerning trend arise in February 2021, when a video surfaced of former 5-MeO-DMT facilitator Dr. Martin Ball boastfully recounting the time he vomited on the face of a client incapacitated by the powerful toad venom. For each objection to Ball’s blatantly unethical behavior, a defense kicked back, spitefully ridiculing the judgmental “snowflakes” and their “low vibrations.”
I’m all for a fair trial. But some actions are not okay, and vomiting on the face of an incapacitated person in your care is one of them. Evidently, many psychonauts disagree.
What is this trend I’m pointing to, this negativity about negativity, this shaming of voices raising valid concerns? This is a trend I’m calling psychedelic bypassing.
Last year, during a crowded online seminar on psychedelic microdosing for treating addiction, a few attendees raised caution in the Zoom chat over the dangerously simplistic ways in which addiction was being presented. Within moments, a frenzy of animosity resounded.
“Why are you bringing your negativity here?”
“The presenters are doing great—why not recognize that?”
“If you don’t like microdosing, you can git out!”
I would have been more surprised if I hadn’t witnessed other psychedelic conversations where “negativity” was not welcome and legitimate criticism was deemed “bad vibes.” What did surprise me was how much validation this animosity received, with even the facilitator joining in and scolding the critics — then again, since such critiques threatened his microdosing livelihood, I suppose his animosity made sense.
I noticed a similar, albeit more concerning trend arise in February 2021, when a video surfaced of former 5-MeO-DMT facilitator Dr. Martin Ball boastfully recounting the time he vomited on the face of a client incapacitated by the powerful toad venom. For each objection to Ball’s blatantly unethical behavior, a defense kicked back, spitefully ridiculing the judgmental “snowflakes” and their “low vibrations.”
I’m all for a fair trial. But some actions are not okay, and vomiting on the face of an incapacitated person in your care is one of them. Evidently, many psychonauts disagree.
What is this trend I’m pointing to, this negativity about negativity, this shaming of voices raising valid concerns? This is a trend I’m calling psychedelic bypassing.
