The journey begins when you commit to the journey. Way before taking the medicine.
In the days or weeks leading up to a psychedelic journey, something starts to stir.
It might be subtle—a dream, a strange emotion, a flicker of resistance. Or it might arrive all at once, like a mix of excitement and fear.
This is completely normal. In fact, it’s often the first sign that the medicine is already working energetically.
Because psychedelic therapy isn’t just about the moment you take a substance, it’s a process. A ritual. A threshold.
And like any meaningful threshold, it asks something of you.
Preparation is not just about packing a bag or changing your diet. It’s about reducing the external noise so you can hear the quiet one within. It’s about beginning the conversation with your deeper self before the medicine turns up the volume.
Over the years, I’ve guided more than 1000 people—entrepreneurs, creatives, leaders, seekers—through this work. And what I’ve learned is this:
How you prepare shapes what you are ready to receive.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the inner and outer work of preparing for a psychedelic journey, so that when the time comes, you can meet the experience with clarity, openness, and trust.
Most people focus on the journey itself.
The setting. The music. The intensity.
And while those elements matter, the real alchemy begins long before you ever close your eyes.
In psychedelic therapy, your state of mind (set), environment (setting), and support system are just as important as the substance itself. They shape how the experience unfolds—and more importantly, how it integrates into your life afterwards.
Without proper preparation, the experience can feel confusing, overwhelming, or incoherent.
People often emerge from a powerful ceremony feeling cracked open, but unsure what it all means for their lives.
With the right preparation, however, the journey becomes coherent.
There’s a sense of safety in the body. A clarity in the mind. A deeper capacity to trust whatever comes.
The depth of your journey is often limited by the depth of your preparation.
If you want to receive the full gift of the medicine, show it that you’re ready.
Create space. Set intention. Begin listening.
In the next sections, we’ll walk through exactly how to do that, starting with your inner world, and then the outer.
→ Looking for a checklist? You can get that here..
Before the music begins, before the first effects take effect, there’s already a subtle unfolding happening inside you. The medicine may be external, but the journey is entirely internal. And how you relate to yourself in the days leading up can open or close the door to what’s possible.
This is what I call building the inner container—cultivating the mindset, presence, and emotional readiness to meet whatever arises with humility and grace.
Your intention is not a goal. It’s not about controlling the outcome.
It’s a compass. A prayer. A direction.
Good intentions are open, humble, and rooted in truth.
They might sound like:
Try sitting with these journal prompts in the days before your journey:
Your clarity here doesn’t guarantee what will happen.
But it does open a doorway of relationship between you and the deeper intelligence that the medicine can reveal.
If you still need help clarifying your intention I’d recommend you continue reading Setting Intentions That Actually Transform Your Journey
Many people notice that things start moving even before the ceremony.
You may feel more emotional. Old memories may resurface. Dreams may intensify. Unexpected fears or doubts can show up.
This is not a sign that something is wrong.
It’s the beginning of the unfolding.
Instead of pushing it away, meet what comes with curiosity:
Learning to stay with your experience and leaning into it with curiosity, is one of the most valuable skills you can bring into the journey.
The world you’re stepping into is subtle, intuitive, and nonlinear.
To hear it clearly, you’ll need to turn down the noise.
This might mean:
This slowing down isn’t being lazy or indulgent.
It’s part of the work.
You’re not just preparing for a psychedelic experience.
You’re cultivating a relationship with your vast inner world and the guide within.
While inner preparation sets the tone for your emotional readiness, outer preparation creates the container that holds the experience. Think of it as the ground beneath your feet—the physical, relational, and logistical support that helps you feel safe to surrender.
Many people overlook this part, but in my experience, it makes a profound difference. When your outer world feels stable and intentional, your inner world has permission to open.
This isn’t about strict rules. It’s about creating spaciousness, clarity, and respect for the process.
Here’s what I often suggest:
This is a sacred time. Treat it with care..
Use this checklist the day before your ceremony or session to feel grounded and ready:
Optional:
This is a deeply personal, often vulnerable process. Protect it.
Here are a few ways to do that:
You’re allowed to create sacred space around your transformation.
And the clearer your external world is, the easier it is to turn inward with trust.
No matter how much you prepare, you can’t predict what the medicine will reveal.
Some journeys are soft and spacious.
Others are intense, emotional, or wildly unexpected.
Some bring visions, insights, or peace. Others bring discomfort, grief, or stillness.
There is no formula.
And that’s part of the beauty.
This work is not about controlling the outcome.
It’s about learning to be with whatever arises—fully, honestly, and with as much humility and compassion as possible.
You might feel elated. You might feel cracked open. You may not understand what happened until weeks later. That’s okay.
What matters is your willingness to:
Here’s something I often remind clients of:
You don’t need to understand it all in the moment.
In fact, trying to make meaning too soon can pull you out of the experience.
When we start analysing or explaining, we shift from the intuitive, feeling-based right side of the brain into the logical, left-brain mode. And while that has its place later,during integration,the ceremony itself is not the time for figuring it out.
Trust that what’s important will stay with you.
Don’t interrupt hours of deep inner work just to write it all down or try to communicate every insight to your guide.
Just be in it. Let it move through you. Let it work on you.
The mind may not grasp it, but the soul does.
So prepare. Show up. Then let go.
This is where you begin working in harmony with the medicine.
We often think the psychedelic journey begins when we take the medicine.
However, the truth is that the ceremony begins the moment you commit to it.
From that point on, something shifts.
Life begins preparing you.
Old emotions rise to the surface. Patterns show themselves more clearly. Synchronicities appear. And you’re invited—again and again—to slow down and listen.
This is the heart of the work:
Not just altered states, but altered relationship—to yourself, to the present moment, to what’s calling you forward.
Preparation isn’t a task to tick off a list.
It’s a threshold.
It’s the first moment you say:
“I’m ready to meet myself more fully. I’m willing to feel what’s true.”
And when you honour that, you enter the journey with depth, respect, and openness.
So whether your session is in a week, a month, or simply a dream for the future, start here.
Start now.
Because of how you show up before the journey…
Shapes everything that happens after.
→ Curious about working together? Explore 1:1 Psychedelic Therapy & Integration here
→ Not sure if you’re ready? Read: Is Psychedelic Therapy Right for Me?
→ Want to go deeper? Read: The Complete Guide to Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Portugal
A practical, heart-centered guide to help you arrive ready—inside and out.
💬 Want to go deeper?
→ [The Complete Guide to Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Portugal]
→ [Is Psychedelic Therapy Right for Me? 5 Signs You’re Ready]
Read the latest insights and stories on the power of psychedelic-assisted therapy and holistic personal development for leaders and entrepreneurs.
