Psychedelic Integration & The Mind/Body Connection
By Shiri M. Godasi
Our body is host to our soul, or our psyche. Psychedelics heighten the mind-body connection through permeating the unconscious and raising it to consciousness, bringing awareness to various psychological and physical mechanisms that we were previously unaware of. On a daily basis the unconscious orchestrates our personality, directs our actions and creates our reality. This has a biological, anatomic explanation:
Our body is ultimately a representation of our unconscious mind: all involuntary physical bodily functions are unconscious actions – with the exception of breathing. When we think about our mind as the harbor of psychological processes, we think about it as stemming from the brain. But here is what it really looks like: the brain along with the spinal chord make up the central nervous system. The peripheral nervous system – which is made up of nerves that branch off the spinal chord and extend to all parts of the body – is the system that communicates data to the central nervous system. The peripheral nervous system is further divided into the somatic system – which controls voluntary actions; and the autonomic system – which controls involuntary actions – or unconscious mechanisms. Thus we can deduce that the body, mind and psyche are connected – they are not separate.
Though our e-motions – or energy in motion – are thought to generate and process in the brain, they are in fact a product of the interaction between the brain’s limbic system, reticular activating system, as well as the autonomic nervous system. Feelings are held in and manifested throughout the body in the nervous system.
Many people are disconnected from their bodies, typically due to common fast-paced life stressors, as well as previous trauma. As traumatic emotions are stored in the body as energy, individuals who have suffered from traumatic events are challenged to synch with their body - and with the intensity of those emotions. This disconnection can result in a myriad of outcomes like physical conditions (anything from skin diseases to asthma to being overweight), mental health conditions (including anxiety, depression, panic attacks and dissociation) and behaviors like addictions or compulsive eating. We consciously (or unconsciously) disregard and dismiss our body - perhaps even abuse it - and take the miracle that it is granted.
In psychedelic integration, as we become aware of psychological, physical and spiritual imbalances, we have an opportunity to form a healthy, conscious relationship with our body. One way to view this relationship is of that between a parent and a child: personalizing the body to be like a kid can help us empathize with and understand some of our unconscious psychological processes and behaviors we display towards it. For example, if we have a negative thought/regard such as “my body is weird”, this thought plays out as an internal voice that the body - or the child - hears loud and clear. And what the child hears is disapproval, rejection and shame; and internalizing them in feelings of confusion, sadness, guilt and anger - all toxic energies that are like poison to the body, causing deterioration and disease.
Art by Luke Brown
Physical awareness: to increase the connection with our body-child and kickstart the process of healing through integration of psychedelic insights, we begin by becoming aware of our body and paying close attention to all of the ways it is communicating with us through any and all physical sensations like tingling and numbing, pains and aches, temperature fluctuations, hunger and satiation, heaviness and lightness, bowel movements, feelings of fogginess and clarity, tightness and spaciousness, and lack of energy and vitality. If the body as a child could talk, this is its language; and when it speaks, we are called to presence and listening to all the subtleties to try and understand what it is our child needs in this moment. In the initial phase of integration, there might be some active housekeeping like processing trapped emotions and memories, adjusting eating habits and physical activity regimen, and upping our Self-care routine.
Forming new habits: As we start listening, we might discover that our body-child is requesting more care and attention than we are able to/willing to accommodate. Like any parent, we might start feeling torn between those needs of the child and life’s demands. In this case, starting with one or two small adjustments - like beginning the day with a tall glass of lemon water, taking a multivitamin, taking a 15-minute walk twice a week, cutting out sugar, or stretching before bedtime - can make a big difference. Once this habit has been integrated into your lifestyle, you might feel apt to improve that habit, or introduce another. Slow and steady wins the race is a rule of thumb in integration - small steps translate to profound transformation and sustainable life upgrade.
Reframing our relationship to our body: as we continue to attune to the body-child, we will begin noticing the different thoughts, stories and behaviors that are harming our body and cause it to be out of balance. Becoming aware of these negative loops is the first step towards change: instead of feeding your body-child with poison, nurture it with love. Adjust negative thoughts by reframing them into positive affirmations. Example: My body is weird ---> my body is unique. Doing this repeatedly will reprogram your brain to view yourSelf in a positive light, prompting you to treat your body with acceptance, compassion, appreciation and gratitude. This is how we reclaim, acknowledge, accept and and love all the bits and pieces of our truth - essentially embodying psychedelic integration as we continuously move towards wholeness.
Integration strategies to increase mind/body/psyche connection:
1. Make a list of at least 10 positive affirmations about your body. If you are having a hard time, wave a magic wand and think about the most optimal state of physical well-being you are aspiring to attain. Examples of positive affirmations:
My body is strong
I love my body
My body is healthy
My body protects me...
Read these affirmations in the morning and before bed time.
2. Using post-it notes, spread positive physical affirmations around your home: the places you spend time in (desk, restroom, car), routes you pass through the most (morning routine like the dresser drawer, the shower door, the kitchen counter), or on heavily-used items (the coffeemaker, your laptop). You can also use white board markers to write the affirmations on mirrors, windows and glass doors.
3. Use your phone to set periodic reminders as a prompt to attune with your body. You may choose to add to the reminder a positive affirmation that you can read. When the reminders go off, take three long inhales and exhales, which each breath repeating the affirmation and sending love to your body.
4. While sitting in meditation - or throughout the day when noticing a physical sensation of any type - take a moment to attune with your body and focus on the sensation. Ask your body: what are you trying to tell me? And listen. Practice listening for 5 minutes, and notice any other sensations in the body - follow them slowly to reveal more messages from your psyche.
