“The human capacity for delusion knows no end.”
A teacher of ours once shared this – not in the context of medicine work, but it continues to echo through our own work with surprising relevance.
Working with plant medicine can open astonishing realms of insight — but without a grounded practice of self-inquiry, it can also quietly reinforce the ego. The altered states we enter through the medicine can be profound, beautiful, and at times bewildering. Without the pillar of critical self-reflection, it’s easy to misinterpret what we receive… or to build entire narratives around a partial truth.
One of the strongest foundations we’ve personally relied on is the yogic path, which teaches us to examine the stories we tell ourselves, to question our identities, and to hold reverence without bypassing reality. It has given us powerful experiences of Divine Consciousness while keeping us humble through introspection. And perhaps most importantly, it helps us remember that even deeply moving spiritual experiences can be co-opted by the stories of the mind — the ego’s need to feel special, chosen, or superior.
Which brings us to one of the most common refrains in medicine circles:
“The medicine showed me…”
In our experience, much of what the medicine shows us is the contents of our own minds. Often, these are truths buried in the subconscious — unexamined stories, emotional residue, memories or archetypes — that rise into the light of awareness because the medicine creates a space where self-judgment temporarily softens.
Sometimes, this is the miracle: We are finally able to look at something we’ve been unwilling or unable to face, because it no longer feels so threatening. But that doesn’t mean every vision is a directive, or that every insight should be acted upon immediately.
Discernment — real, practiced discernment — is a vital skill for anyone walking this path.
The ability to sit with what you saw (or believe you saw), to resist the pull to make meaning too quickly, and to slowly integrate your insights over time – these are all key parts of the work.
Without this pause, it’s easy to give your power away — to the medicine, to a facilitator, or even to a story that feels spiritual but is quietly rooted in old wounds or unmet needs.
We absolutely believe that medicine work can bring forward Divine revelations. But those revelations still need to pass through the filter of your own discernment and grounded autonomy.
This is especially important if the vision feels big — like a message about your purpose, the identity of your “soulmate”, or a past life vision that makes you feel like you need to recreate your entire identity. Before you act on that vision, let it steep. Let it live in you for a while. See what still holds true weeks or months later.
And know this, too: some of the deepest truths don’t arrive in fireworks. They unfold slowly. They stay with you because they resonate at a soul level — not because they were loud or cosmic or wildly beautiful, but because they were real.
This is the work. And if you’re preparing to enter ceremony— especially for the first time, or with a new facilitator — we’d be honored to support you in cultivating a foundation of inquiry, intention, and clarity.
👉 Book a Preparation Guidance Session to receive grounded and practical guidance that honors your unique needs as you walk into this sacred work.
