Is psychedelic therapy, microdosing mushrooms, or mantra meditation more effective for mental health?
A lot of people are looking for breakthrough in their mental health by using plant medicines, psychedelic therapies or microdosing mushrooms. But mantra meditation has been providing the same benefits for thousands of years, and current research confirms it.
Key benefits of mantra meditation vs. psychedelic therapies or microdosing mushrooms:
1. Mantra therapy is free. The mental health industry is HOT right now trying to push roll out psychedelic therapies into the market. It'll soon be a multi-billion dollar industry, because psychedelic therapies can cost tens of thousands of dollars when done by experienced practitioners. There's no cost for ongoing microdosing plant medicine prescriptions.
2. Chanting mantra for meditation stimulates your brain's own good drugs. You don't have to ingest other substances! (which may be questionable, may interact with other medications you're taking, have side effects like nausea etc.)
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If you've been considering microdosing (magic psilocybin) mushrooms for depression & anxiety - or for increasing focus and productivity - I would like to just suggest that mantra meditation and sound-based practices can get you to the very same place of calm clear focus without external chemicals.
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Continuing on the sound and psilocybin and psychedelic theme, one of the things that I've noticed in all of the books and stories and research articles about it is that the sound that is playing during the person's psychedelic journey heavily influences their experience. So what I'm really curious about is how can we have a similar experience based on the endogenous chemicals our own brain is pumping out, instead of the exogenous chemicals of having to take a substance which is a toxin.
"Yes 🙌 we used the same measure they use in psychedelic research for one of our studies and lo and behold, mantra can take us there! 🕉️" - Gemma Perry, Mantra Researcher
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It might be a kind of a controversial subject, but I’m coming out with my personal experience of powerful mantra practices, sound-based practices, helping me to attain consistent, embodied, totally non-chemically induced states of consciousness and awareness and presence that are equal to or surpass the psilocybin experiences that I’ve had. So I don’t know how it happens in the brain, that’s for our neuroscientist friends to figure out, but there is absolutely a correlation there and it is fascinating.
Of course I’m not qualified to give medical advice and would never do so. I know my lane, and that’s sound & mantra!! After 27+ years of exploring the benefits of mantra meditation (and observing thousands of students closely over the years) I can say that the reported effects of a regular sound-based practice very much echo the reported benefits of microdosing.
If you’ve been considering microdosing but don’t want to ingest any plant medicine substances, and would prefer to explore the benefits of a nuanced sound therapy & mantra meditation practice, HMU.
(I will refer you to a LMHT if your issues are outside of my scope as a sound yoga therapist.)
It’s not quite as easy as popping a pill, but it’s super empowering because you’re changing your own neurochemical cocktail with sound & mantra, not reliant on a drug. No shade to those who lean on the plant medicines! They’re an amazing aid to a lot of people. But I’m more of a DIY gal when it comes to my psychospiritual wellness, and the yoga of sound is tried and tested (with ZERO side effects!) so I’m sticking with that as my go-to foundation of whole being health.
Are you a mental health therapist, exploring the boom in psychedelic therapies?
Have I got you curious about adding a skillset? Our 500HR Advanced Sound Training Course covers the therapeutic application of sound yoga thoroughly.
(Pictured are fresh psilocybin mushrooms, which grow wild all over Hawai'i)
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Recommendation: Psychedelic Therapy Movement Educational Must-have:
If you haven't listened to Power Trip, the podcast series by Cover Story - please do!
It's brilliantly done in true crime investigative journalism style, exploring the roots of the modern psychedelic therapy movement.
What I loved most about it is that it's done by someone who benefited greatly from the therapy, but also suffered re-traumatization. It's a great example of a nuanced, complex story of power dynamics, and it reminded me a LOT of the guru cult dynamics I've observed over the years of living in India in āśrams.
Want to explore mantra meditation instead of (or in addition to) psychedelic therapy?
Learn more about sound healing yoga, mantra meditation, and nada yoga here:
- Learn more about our FREE courses and online Teacher Training
- Download and explore the free Mantras for Peace eBook
- Sign Up for our next FREE Online Yoga of Sound event
- More free sound baths and chant experiences of all different types are available at Heart of Sound on YouTube / Sound Bath Playlist
Most of all, we hope you’ll join our global community of chant lovers in dedicating your heart's voice to be an instrument of love and service in the world!🌎
☎️Feel free to BOOK A CALL with us if you're passionate about sound and mantra! We'd love to chat and see if our approach aligns with your interests.
