Gavin Slo’s Reviews > The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys > Status Update
Gavin Slo
is 12% done
Intro & ch1, some terminology & guidelines for "voyagers" & "guides". As a voyager you want a good headspace & calm environment w minimal outside influences. Be open to everything, have a selection of music that only contains lyrics at the start & end of the trip (8hr playlist), go outside after the trip. Spend time outside day prior reflecting, be free the whole day you trip, integrate the day after. Sitter tips too
— Aug 18, 2025 07:24PM
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Gavin Slo
is 88% done
Ch22 & the last words. There's a study that shows more long-term effects, and amongst the things I find most interesting are the super low frequency of bad trips (in proper set & setting) & how nearly all effects seem more noticeable a year after the trip than in the first few months. Then more blabber about how scheduling held back research & made these drugs less safe, & a final message to be open & help humanity
— Oct 01, 2025 08:51PM
Gavin Slo
is 85% done
Ch21, long term changes form LSD & mescaline sessions. Decreased anxiety, increased satisfaction & positive emotionality in relationships, better work performance (primarily for productive than financial reasons), more memorable, vivid, & enjoyable dreams, more activity, less fear, more creative expression & religious tolerance, better sex, more self confidence, positive style, dietary, & drinking changes, etc.
— Oct 01, 2025 08:23PM
Gavin Slo
is 82% done
Ch20, 2 ayahuasca reports & one from those hallucinating darkness retreats. The realizations from the first guy on the oneness of good & evil, perseverance, & the constant presence of love for everybody sounded really interesting, and his visions seemed to be so vivid & detailed. But the girl from the darkness retreat I think did a poor job wording her experience, it sounded not beneficial & maybe even harmful
— Oct 01, 2025 07:26PM
Gavin Slo
is 77% done
Ch18&19, ending pt4 & starting pt5. Where psych research is today & can go from now, which it's kinda crazy seeing how there's been no continuation of the AA studies considering how promising those seemed, and then a recap of the guidelines for entheogenic trips from ch1-2. Prepare, be open, pick out good music, have a cozy environment, try to get outside, and integrate seem to be the most important. Have a sitter ig
— Sep 30, 2025 01:42PM
Gavin Slo
is 71% done
Ch16&17, some statistics on those who use psychs. LSD & Psilocybin are the most commonly used, worst trips & best trips were often synonymous, most took for entheogenic or self-healing or exploration, slight gender differences. Some bits about scheduling LSD coming from church going prudes who have never had an actual religious experience, & more suggesting to take these in a proper, helpful manner / context
— Sep 29, 2025 08:24AM
Gavin Slo
is 64% done
Start of pt4, ch15. He goes over microdose reports (~10mcg often taken every 3 days). A lot of people feel a subtle interconnectedness that improves creative output, mood in social interaction, focus, instrument-playing, memory recall, vividness of thoughts, & productivity all without interrupting their daily routine or even sticking out amongst most people.
— Sep 27, 2025 10:08AM
Gavin Slo
is 59% done
Ch14 & end of pt3, he reflects on a whole his time experimenting with LSD, when Ram Dass first hooked him up with psilocybin, the experiences ppl had w music & eyemasks, & the government abruptly shutting everything down despite its safety profile & promise in therapeutic & creative/problem solving applications, in addition to some person thoughts on the matter
— Sep 26, 2025 10:04PM
Gavin Slo
is 56% done
Ch12&13, some accounts on an early group session where participants tried coming up with ideas for children's toys & ways to read a record without damaging the needle & the record (basically predicting CD technology). Then Fadiman recalling taking LSD to come up w magazine ideas or sum, and he ended up taking striking pictures of his wife or something? The book is starting to lose me
— Sep 26, 2025 02:04PM
Gavin Slo
is 52% done
Ch11, some personal reports of architects, engineers, etc. who took psychs for his studies. Compounds like LSD seem to get somebody to visualize the model more vividly, & as a consequence classic solutions that were previously ignored or not thought of become very obvious. They also go through thoughts and outcomes much more rapidly, and most report a sustained change in their thinking & practice
— Sep 25, 2025 10:37PM
Gavin Slo
is 45% done
Ch10, using LSD in a problem solving context. It involves having a facilitator (like a tripsitter but more for rationality & focus than emotionality), taking 50-100mcg in the morning, eyemasks, calm, simple music, usually a group, notepads (no devices) to take notes, finger food, & ample space to lie down/relax. ~3 hours w masks, some time for individual reflection, & eventually group discussion & takeout for dinner
— Sep 23, 2025 09:57AM
