Psychedelics, Surfing, and the Pursuit of a Spirited Life

Takeaways from my most recent Psilocybin Journey on Gili Trawangan

This past weekend a friend and I headed to Gili Trawangan, a small island roughly 3 hours from Bali by boat. On this island there are no motorized vehicles. Horses, bicycles, and our own 2 feet were the only sources of locomotion.

Gili T is home to several magic mushroom shacks that serve up delicious psychedelic shakes. Before I dive into my trip, let’s review what psilocybin, the psychoactive chemical in magic mushrooms, does to humans:

Psilocybin has been shown to tamp down the ego center of the brain, known as the claustrum (1). Decreased neural activity in this part of the brain allows people to feel an increased sense of connection to everything around them. Ego dissolution often leads to mystical experiences, which have been shown to help patients overcome battles with major depressive disorder. Just 2 sessions of psilocybin assisted therapy, have been shown to relieve major depressive disorder, with effects lasting at least 1-year (2). The scientific community has very little data on psilocybin, so to provide some meta data (for scientific purposes only), I have described my most recent psilocybin experience. You’re welcome science.

At around 4pm, I drank the shake, hoped on my bike, and began exploring Gili T. Over the next 30 minutes the psychedelic effects began to take place. I felt an incredible connection with the earth. The energy of the sand entered my body though the toes, then rushed throughout the rest of my body, a sensation like skateboarding barefoot on a freshly paved road. My shoulders rested further back, melting away from my ears, my arms hung low by my sides and my chin was raised, creating room for my heart to expand forward, through my chest towards the ocean. I understood deeply, in this moment, the connection between the body and mind. It became obvious to me that the mind is not something contained strictly between the ears, but rather the entire body determines the mind.

Additionally, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for mother earth. It is incredible how well she treats us. She nourishes us with sunlight, fruit, saltwater and fresh air. This is all we need for a spirited life.

Next, we hoped on our bikes and headed inland through the jungle. The change of scenery made it seem as though I had entered a completely different universe. Surrounded by palm trees and horses, my giggles became uncontrollable. I had no idea it was possible to laugh so hard or smile so wide.

We then got spit out on the east side of the island where we jumped in the clear blue water and admired the mountainous backdrop of Lombok, a nearby island. At this time, we noticed the sun beginning to set, so we headed back to the west side. On the bike ride back, I felt an immense connection with every stranger we passed. Seemingly every local would shout “Mojo! Mojo!” as I rode by. I got the word ‘Mojo’ tattooed on by right bicep, to honor my late high school lacrosse coach, Kyle Kirst, who to this day, has inspired me to live a spirited life.  

The connection with those around me was accompanied by pride to be a human. The strength of the human spirit was profound in these moments. I also felt a sense of responsibility to share these feelings with the world, and an openness that would allow me to do so.

On the west side of the island, we sat on the beach, smoked a cigarette, and experienced the beginning of the sunset. We chatted about life, with a particular focus on things we are grateful for. I felt an overwhelming sense that I was in the right place, at the right time, pursuing the right ambition (surfing). This thought brought about a rush of tears. When the heart opens, tears flow.

As the sun slid closer to the horizon, I swam out to sea. My paddling began slow and smooth. However, as time went on, I began to level up, becoming stronger and stronger with each crashing wave. Feeling the energy of the wave pass through me triggered a response of strength and power. I felt the antifragility of the human body in action. As the environment becomes tougher around us, we become stronger within. As the sun inched closer to the horizon, I stood atop a coral reef, just my head above the water entranced in a state of being. In a true state of being, there is no past or future, the current moment is all that exists. I understood the reality that tomorrow never comes. During this sunset, I saw a purplish color that I never knew existed. My theory is that something about the psychedelic experience allows us to perceive wavelengths outside of our typical ROYGVIB light spectrum.

With the sun below the horizon, I swam to shore and arrived at a roaring bonfire on the sand. I complimented the stoker of the fire; Ivan, and we quickly became friends. Ivan was born and raised on Gili T. In Ivan’s 24 years of life, he has never left Gili T. “Why is that?” I asked.

“Because I chill.” Ivan noted. Despite having never left the island, Ivan told me that he managed to have 2 sons.

Sunrise and Sunset.

As the fire roared, the moon became illuminated and its reflection glisten on the water. My friend and I were joined by a group of British girls as we admired the moon, stars, and fire. The stars reminded me just how small we are in this universe. Maintaining a cosmic perspective diminishes the potency of our earthly worries.

At this point in the night, the psychedelic effects had worn off, but the insights gained will stay with me for life. Days after, at the time of this writing, I continue to feel an increased sense of openness and a reduction in any overarching anxiety (which was low to begin with).

Okay, that’s my best shot of putting into words something that is literally impossible to put into words. Hope you enjoyed!   

1.     https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811920304663?via%3Dihub

2.     https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02698811211073759