I have read on here often that it is important to start off the trip with good intentions. Smile, thinks thoughts of love, etc.

So I just vaped about 12mg (kind of messed it up and started draw too early so i could only hold in part of it) after 20mg sublingual harmalas (also both probably not done properly). I tried to smile and think "love" to myself, which I had not done in my previous trips.

This did seem to keep the visions in a "friendly" tone at the start but after awhile my mind just held on to the thought "love, love" in a desperate attempt to keep it that way instead of actually looking at what was going on. Because of this I was just thinking and didn't actually get to "see" most of the trip. It just left me feeling like I had missed most of the experience because I was holding on too tight.

On my previous trip I don't know if I had just absorbed more dmt so this kind of thinking was blown away or if I just didn't have a simple enough thought in mind to be able to hold onto.

Anyone have any experience with this?

Thoughts of love is to love as a picture of cake is to cake.

or something

Intentions should be those kinds of things in the background. They are the things you think about it going into the experience, but once you're there, I would suggest you maintain full focus on the actual experience at hand, and not on preconceived notions. If hyperspace wants you to feel love, it won't require any trick of the imagination. Staying focused on an abstract thought like that will only distract and thereby detract energy from the experience to be able to flourish.

Thank you, that makes a lot of sense.

I have found it impossible to ‘hold on’ to anything. Each time my mind has tried to latch onto something it feels so distant it is useless and the worry of this things to get darker and darker because of it. Manifestation of our mind but trying to ‘direct’ or otherwise control the experience seems to be futile and not a fight you can win.

I'm reminded of this.

Check the links at the bottom of the first post (if you haven't seen it already!)


Positive programming goes far beyond mere thought. Sound, scent, images, vocalisation. It's a skill, an art, a technology...

Safe journeys!

I dont tell people to necessarily have positive intentions besides the intention to heal and learn. But maybe they want to work on something very dark - what if their intention is to heal trauma from being raped for example? That is a great intention to work on healing, but is a bit dark.

Before any ceremony I like to first say something I am grateful for - start the day with gratitude. Then I like to state the intention for the day - usually healing or learning focused, but can be a light or dark subject. Whatever needs to be worked on the most. In my opinion - when you are sick or depressed is when you need ceremony the most, so I dont wait till I am in a perfect place to do ceremonies.

Once I state the intention, I let go of it, because maybe the medicine has a different idea of what I am supposed to work on... I dont want to miss out on a lesson or healing just because I am attached to my intention! At the same time - if I find my mind wandering, or if I seem to be aimlessly daydreaming and want to refocus more on the ceremony - then I return to my intention. Intention can be an anchor of sorts for the ceremony to help you stay focused, but shouldnt be something that you are attached to if other lessons come up.

I also say that if anything dark or scary comes up in ceremony - embrace it. It is an opportunity to heal or learn about something. Usually the dark and scary ceremonies can be the most healing and liberating in their own ways - but if you avoid something because it is scary or dark you can miss out on an opportunity to heal that darkness. The only way to bring light to the darkness is to first embrace the darkness - otherwise you are just sweeping things under the rug and repressing yourself.

This is really good advice. I like to focus on breathing and a mantra(s) until I feel calm enough to enter hyperspace but after that, everything is pretty much up in the air for me. I think it is great to have good intentions to help induce a positive trip but you don't want to get so caught up in it that you miss everything you came to see in the first place.