Psychedelic Experience Agreement & Code of Ethics
Center for Medicinal Mindfulness & Psychedelic Sitters School
&
The Alchemy of Serenity, LLC/TAOS Aromatherapy, LLC
As representatives of the psychedelic community we choose to exemplify safe psychedelic experiences. Safety allows for depth, healing, and awakening and is a universal right for all people in psychedelic spaces. The purpose of this agreement is to clarify expectations and appropriate behavior before we have a psychedelic experience together and to help elicit the safest spaces we can create for psychedelic healing purposes. The Alchemy of Serenity, as well as our facilitators, educators, staff members, students, and community members all agree to comply with this simple safety agreement. This is an evolving document, and intentionally kept simple and short. For additional information, to provide feedback, to ask questions about the purpose or reason for a guideline, or for a copy of the Safe Community Policy, please email safecommunity@medicinalmindfulness.org.
Discussing the principles of the Psychedelic Experience Agreement before personal medicine experiences with friends and allies is strongly encouraged. The number one way to reduce harm is through prevention. Please be an advocate for safety and intentional use in your community.
First and Foremost
1. We affirm that this agreement can only be made in a sober state, and we agree that once any medicine is taken, even if the medicine hasn't activated yet, we will not change the agreement until we are sober again, even if we all agree we want to. We agree to not break or change this agreement even if God/the Divine/the Universe/Truth tells us directly and without a doubt to change it or break it.
Preparation and Support
2. Before we begin, we agree to complete a simple safety assessment, to be truthful about and discuss our current psychological state and life circumstances. We affirm that we are ready for the experience we're choosing to have.
3. We agree to speak at least once before the psychedelic experience for intention setting, safety assessments, and preparation support and at least once after the experience for a safety check-in and integration support. If this is part of a professional service, the full cost of the entire protocol is outlined before we begin.
4. We agree to have back-up support in the form of a trusted emergency contact and to share the contact information with the facilitator or group. We agree to seek immediate professional support for any significant medical or mental health emergency.
5. We agree to keep confidentiality and not share details of our experience with others except in situations that require significant intervention to prevent harm or where reporting is legally mandated, such as child or elder abuse, suicidality, or self-harm.
Consent & Physical Safety
6. We agree to respect each other's boundaries, treat each other with respect, and to keep each other safe. We agree to fully comply with all safety requirements of the host and the space.
7. We agree to have a conversation around consensual touch before the medicine is taken. Touch is always consensual. Consent about something not discussed cannot be given after a medicine is taken. Permission is always requested and affirmed before touching. We agree that touch is never sexual in a psychedelic therapy session.
8. We agree to designate a specific location that represents the boundaries of the experience and to not leave the confines of this safe space until the completion of the experience. We agree to not bring into or do anything dangerous or harmful in the psychedelic experience space. We agree to immediately return from using the bathroom to the designated experience location.
Psychedelic Medicine Safety
9. We agree to only use clean medicine that is tested, accurately measured, and responsibly sourced. We agree to be educated about the medicines we use and their legality. We agree to only use the medicines all participants consent to use, and to not bring any other medicines into an experience without permission.
10. We agree to only use medicines that we know are personally safe for us to use physically, mentally, psychologically, and spiritually. We agree to only use as frequently as it is safe to do so, to be educated about safe frequency of use practices, and to be open to non-judgmental feedback regarding the observed effects of our use by our trusted allies and community.
11. We agree that anyone imbibing a medicine will not drive, or engage in any behavior that requires sobriety to ensure safety, until the following day, or only until it is safe to do so.
Conflict Prevention & Resolution
12. We agree to be mindful of externalizing our inner experiences and to be aware of our projections and transference (both positive and negative) that we may place on each other, the experience, the facilitator, or the medicine. We agree to discuss our perceptions and factually assess them, and to check in around feelings of safety or lack of safety if we become anxious or paranoid.
13. If a conflict or significant disagreement occurs, we agree to engage it compassionately, skillfully, and maturely, and to comply with any community consent agreements related to conflict resolution practices. These agreements are outlined in the Safe Community Policy for the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness and Psychedelic Sitters School.
Professional Standards
14. The sitter/guide/therapist/shaman (facilitator) of any experience agrees to share their training and expertise through a disclosure statement, and they affirm to have adequate supervision, training, and the experience necessary to facilitate the psychedelic journey. Fees are clearly outlined, willnot change, and are in alignment with the skill, training, experience level of the facilitator. and to similar services within the facilitator's locale.
15. The facilitator agrees to only work within their scope of training and expertise, such as only doing body work if they are trained to do so, or only working with specific clinical concerns (e.g., trauma, PTSD, and other significant mental health issues) if they are trained to do so.
16. Facilitators agree to comply with an appropriate code of ethics and code of conduct, and to share this code with clients who request it. Facilitators and trainers of the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness and Psychedelic Sitters School agree to the professional code outlined in the Safe Community Policy.