Starting psilocybin at 50+ -- what older adults experience
423 replies · Harm Reduction
I started using psilocybin at 54 with no prior psychedelic experience. I did extensive research and went in with appropriate caution. Wanted to start a thread for older-adult experiences because most of the community seems to be writing from a 25-year-old's perspective.
The experience at 55 was nothing like what I expected from reading trip reports written by people in their 20s. Much more introspective, much less visual. I think there's more accumulated material -- grief, relationships, career, mortality -- that the experience can work with. The depth was significant in a way I don't think it would have been for my younger self.
Practical notes for older adults: cardiovascular screening is genuinely important. Blood pressure increases are consistent in psilocybin sessions -- at 50+ with any cardiac history or hypertension, medical clearance is essential. Also: if you're on any medications for age-related conditions, do your research on interactions.
The set and setting advice about 'surrendering' is particularly important for older adults in my experience. Those of us with more years of conditioning, more habitual ways of seeing ourselves -- the resistance to dissolution can be stronger. But so can the relief when that resistance finally loosens.
420 more replies — forum posting coming soon.