The ego can cause problems in a relationship. Using psychedelics can help dampen the ego and allow couples to reconnect. Thinking about using psychedelics with your partner? Read more about how psilocybin can impact your relationship to determine whether or not it’s right for you.
How To Know if Ego is Negatively Impacting Your Relationship
There are numerous ways that ego can negatively impact your relationship (not just romantic relationships, but friendships too). Here are some signs that ego may be negatively impacting your relationship:
- Intense desire to be right
- It is difficult to admit you’re wrong
- You have a hard time apologizing, even when you know you’re wrong
- You don’t know your partner’s love language
- Your partner not meeting your definition of ‘perfect’
- Unhealthy competition
How Does Psilocybin Impact Relationships?
There haven’t been clinical studies on the impacts of psilocybin on relationships; however, there is anecdotal evidence that suggests psychedelics could improve relationships.
Magic mushrooms affect the prefrontal cortex – the area of the brain responsible for mood, perception, thought processes and abstract thinking. While these areas tend to be activated during the use of psychedelics, other regions are dampened. Specifically, the default mode network is the part of the brain that connects us to our sense of self – the ego.
Studies are beginning to provide more clinical evidence to suggest psilocybin has a therapeutic benefit in managing mental health and wellness, specifically depression and anxiety. How does this help us in relationships?
Anxiety is one of the things that can influence one’s ability to see things from their partner’s perspective. When a person is too focused on their own fears, they are less able to accept love from their partners and are more likely to be defensive and experience challenges communicating. Additionally, diminishing the ego and ‘sense of self’ through the use of psilocybin allows you to see things from your partner’s perspective.
People report that with psychedelics they’re able to look at things from a less emotional perspective. They can approach their relationships from a more analytical and rational place which provides them with a greater overall understanding. It allows them to communicate their needs clearly and not from an emotional place. Additionally, they’re less likely to get defensive or feel attacked when their partner expresses their needs.
While most clinical research is focused on a psychedelic dose of psilocybin, it makes sense that similar results can be seen by those who microdose regularly.
Can Psilocybin Negatively Impact Relationships?
While psilocybin can help to facilitate openness and honest discussion within relationships, psilocybin itself is not responsible for the healing. People need to be willing to put in the work to communicate their needs and build their relationship.
It’s also common for unplanned or unconscious feelings to come up during a psychedelic experience. This, along with the encouragement of a deeper dive into your relationship, can result in people deciding the relationship isn’t right.
Using Psychedelics as a Couple – Is it Right For You?
It’s important to acknowledge the necessary work in relationships. Psychedelics will not be a ‘quick fix’ in your relationship – mushrooms are not a replacement for therapy. Even though they’re called magic mushrooms, they are not magic when it comes to fixing issues in your relationship.
What mushrooms can do is facilitate important conversations, bring up new thoughts and perspectives and provide openness to new experiences and points of view. They may provide you with less anxiety, a more positive outlook, more patience, and an increased ability to see things from your partner’s perspective and acknowledge their feelings.
Psychedelic Dose or Microdose?
I cannot say which approach is best for you. Still, I can give you some things to consider when thinking about whether or not to microdose or take a psychedelic dose. A psychedelic dose is likely to lead to a full ego death experience which has numerous benefits, however, can bring up a lot of strong emotions and feel very intense. While a microdose can provide many of the benefits without the same level of intensity.
Whichever you decide, make sure to adequately prepare for the experience and take the time to set intentions with your partner.