In the last few weeks, I have become aware of a disturbing practice employed by one of the more notorious of the “psychedelic shamans” in the US. That practice is, believe it or not, a process in which those who are about to trip are not informed what psychedelic they are given. Now there might be an interesting debate as whether this level of “radical trust” is something that might be beneficial to some small group of psychonauts, I find it alarming in the extreme. Aleister Crowley famously stated, “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law”. Taking that in mind, I guess if folks choose to have no choice in what psychedelic they are about to take, that is, hopefully, free will. For myself I find this risky, and little bit creepy. Below are what I consider to be the risks of such a path. Since I quoted Crowley, I guess I should throw in a quote from Jesus, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
This is a serious harm-reduction concern. The risks are substantial:
1. You Can’t Give Informed Consent
Consent requires knowing what you’re agreeing to. A guide who withholds this information is violating a foundational ethical principle of any therapeutic or ceremonial context.
2. Dosing and Duration Are Unknown
Different psychedelics have wildly different timelines. Psilocybin peaks at 3–4 hours, LSD at 6–8, ibogaine at 12–36. Not knowing what you took means you can’t mentally prepare for the duration, which significantly increases anxiety and panic risk.
3. Drug Interactions Become Dangerous
Without knowing the substance, you can’t assess interactions with medications you take. In particular:
• MAOIs (dangerous with many tryptamines)
• SSRIs (serotonin syndrome risk)
• Lithium (seizure risk with LSD/psilocybin)
• Cardiac medications (relevant for MDMA, ibogaine)
4. Medical Emergency Response Is Compromised
If something goes wrong, emergency responders need to know what you took. Ibogaine carries real cardiac risk and requires specific medical management. An unknown substance can turn a manageable crisis into a fatal one.
5. No Way to Evaluate Source or Purity
An unknown substance equals unknown synthesis quality and unknown adulterants.
6. Psychological Preparation Is Impossible
Set (mindset) is one of the most important determinants of a psychedelic experience. You can’t prepare your set for an experience you don’t know you’re having.
7. It Signals a Guide You Shouldn’t Trust
A competent, ethical guide whether in a therapeutic, shamanic, or retreat context, will always disclose the substance, dose, and expected duration. Withholding this information is a red flag for incompetence, manipulation, or worse.
Don’t do it. The guide’s reasoning doesn’t matter: “trust the process,” “it’s part of the ceremony,” or “knowing changes the experience” are rationalizations that don’t override your right to know what’s entering your body. Be careful out there, there are snakes in the grass.
