One of the reasons many people come to psychedelic-assisted therapy is after hearing things like, “It’s like 10 years of therapy in one day!” and hoping for a quicker fix. In fact, that’s also why we often try new therapies like EMDR or ART, for example.
This is completely natural – it makes sense that we want our suffering to end sooner rather than later. Yet losing patience on our path can lead to even more unnecessary suffering.
In many ways – if causes and conditions are ripe – accelerated progress can happen, and I’ve seen it be true and felt it to be true myself at times. But we often forget what happens in the long run.
One of the things people forget to consider is, if it’s like 10 years of therapy…what is it like after 10 years of therapy? Or even after even 5 years of really GOOD therapy? Or 1-2 year for that matter.
One thing we therapists don’t usually hear from our clients is, “Hey, I’m finally cured! Thanks and BYE!”
Sure, several days or weeks after a potent journey, a client might say something like, “It seems like my anger is just gone.” or “I don’t have that same level of anxiety anymore.” But that doesn’t mean it never comes back.
When it comes to psychedelic-assisted therapy, there’s often an afterglow after sessions that can last for a while, but even though it doesn’t necessarily go back to baseline, it does tend to fade some over time.
Once, when the Dalai Lama was asked if still experienced anger, he said, “Yes, I do. But now it comes and goes more quickly.”
So even people with very dedicated practices (4+ hours a day to be specific re: HHDL) continue to work on managing their emotions.
Despite many examples of it being healthy and wise to expect that our habitual thoughts and patterns may recur (albeit often with progress), I often hear people lamenting – even after a very potent or mystical session – “Why am I still having these thoughts/feelings? I thought I was over it.”
We can feel a deep sense of disappointment or disillusionment. Or even that we’re beyond help.
Or we may even feel like we just need more and more sessions and become over-reliant on them (a psychological addiction).
There is danger in having expectations for a quick fix. Urgently repeating sessions over and over without proper preparation and integration can eventually result in more psychological distress, anxiety, destabilization, or even trauma from the experience.
Another danger in expecting quick fixes – particularly when dealing with psychedelics – is that it can bring a lot of insights and emotional experiences to the surface temporarily, but without proper integration and ongoing therapy and support, underlying issues can stay unresolved.
So the insights gained from psychedelic experiences and from effective therapy need to be integrated into daily life to be truly effective and beneficial.
This, my friends, requires time, reflection, and often the help of a trained professional or wise mentor. Did I say it takes time?
Patience with all types of healingis so important. Otherwise, we can thwart the healing process altogether!
Buddhism emphasizes the importance of patience in our spiritual practice. It’s one of the six paramitas (the six perfections). So thousands of years ago, the Buddha identified that impatience can get in the way of progress. Fortunately, there are many teachings within Buddhism that help us cultivate patience.
One way to increase our patience is to remember the impermanent nature of all things – even suffering. This recurrence of old patterns? It will stop too. This helps us remember that all healing is a gradual process that unfolds over time.
Recognizing our interconnectedness, interdependence, and interbeing can also help us be more patient through understanding that spiritual progress depends on many factors that will come together in their own time.
We can also realize that there’s a common humanity in acknowledging the reality of suffering as a part of the human experience, and that there’s nothing inherently wrong with us if we’re experiencing it.
(Check out more ways to cultivate patience in the full episode!)
Patience isn’t about passively waiting. It’s more about understanding that spiritual growth and healing is a lifelong journey, and each step, no matter how small, is significant – and staying engaged in our practice over time.
As Yoda said, “Patience you must have, my young Padawan.” (nd if Yoda said it, it’s truth;)
You will learn:
// Why it’s important to not give up hope if our old patterns recur
// The dangers of a quick-fix mindset (they’re sneakier than you think)
// Common misunderstandings about the speed at which psychedelic-assisted therapy and other therapeutic approaches can work
// Why advanced methods of therapy or psychedelic substances alone won’t make the difference
// How integration needs to happen beyond a few online sessions of group sharing
// Why true lasting progress requires time and patience (and often, the help of a skilled professional or wise mentor)
// How to cultivate patience on the path
Resources:
// Episode 63: Being Human Is Hard – The First Noble Truth
// Episode 107: Equanimity in Everyday Life
// Episode 161: Healing vs Curing
// Episode 209: Ripening and the Inevitability of Our Awakening
// I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a review on the Rebel Buddhist Podcast on iTunes by clicking here
// If you want to dive deeper into this Soul-level work and create a life of more freedom, adventure and purpose, head over to JoinFreedomSchool.com. It’s got everything you need in one place to build a foundation for a lifetime of self-exploration and freedom.
// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics.