Interwoven: Psychedelics in Natural Settings

Modern psychedelic clinical settings don’t tend to make much use of natural elements or settings. At most, some nature-based photography or art, a few Himalayan salt lamps, and maybe a plant or two. The clinical setting is effectively engineered to provide a security blanket, ensuring safety and controllability, and encouraging an inner journey. For the treatment of serious mental afflictions, this has its place.

However, making use of natural settings may yield benefits and bear fruit beyond that of the clinical setting. While psychedelics aren’t administered in natural settings in a clinical context, various psychedelic-using Indigenous groups such as the Wixáritari (Huichol) of Mexico (considered the world’s oldest surviving psychedelic-using culture) have a long history of using psychedelics in such settings. Westerners using psychedelics in naturalistic contexts also commonly value and seek out natural settings for their psychedelic experiences.

Our species has spent 99.99% of its existence residing within natural settings, and we are wired to respond favourably to them. Such settings are psychologically and physiologically soothing and restorative. Various sensorial elements of such settings work in synergy. The abundant fractal forms to be found in nature, such as unfurling ferns and tree branches, are one visual aspect of natural settings that has a soothing effect. 

Fractals are repeating geometric patterns that occur at varying scales, and our brains appear inherently attuned to them, with this capacity sometimes conceptualised as ‘fractal fluency’. While visual perceptions of fractal patterns are a classic feature of the effect of psychedelics, perceiving them externally in the natural world tends to be aesthetically pleasant and has a soothing effect, reducing stress and promoting inner well-being. Observing fractals in nature is associated with evoking alpha brainwave activity, which is associated with a state of relaxed alertness.

Other elements of natural settings include phytoncides (organic compounds released by trees), exposure to sunlight and outdoor microflora, and the sounds of nature, such as birdsong, all of which have a soothing or restorative effect. Spending time in areas that harbour greater biodiversity and ecological complexity with a more diverse range of natural features (such as trees, birds, plants, and waterways) has also been linked to greater mental health benefits when compared to areas harbouring less natural diversity.

Natural settings have been associated with eliciting states of ‘soft fascination’ through the sensory elements of such settings, allowing the brain’s executive systems to rest and replenish, in contrast to the directed attention requirements of everyday life (particularly in urban and digital environments). Contact with natural settings can also reduce markers of stress (such as cortisol levels and blood pressure) and is associated with a reduced cognitive load, with the brain not needing to work as hard as it does in urban settings. Contact with natural settings is also associated with reduced rumination and activity in the default mode network, in addition to increased positive affect and reduced negative affect. 

The healing and restorative powers of nature are well evidenced and have long been recognised. Contact with nature can be potent in this regard, with even 5-10 minutes spent in a natural setting improving psychological well-being and lowering anxiety and stress levels. Given the capacity of nature contact to soothe stress, reduce anxiety and rumination, improve mood, and evoke greater mindful present-moment awareness, natural settings may help positively shape one’s mental set going into a psychedelic experience, with anxiety and mental preoccupation both predicting adverse or challenging reactions to psychedelics. Natural settings can also elicit experiences of connectedness and awe.

Mycologist Paul Stamets favours a natural setting for his psilocybin mushroom experiences, valuing “seeing the ocean, hearing the wind and the birds, and to have that expansiveness feeling.” While he sees the value of a controlled therapeutic setting, he suggests that it could function as a stepping stone setting for those who have trepidation about whether they can weather the psychedelic experience, as he feels that having the experience in nature may be “much more beneficial”.

Some psychedelic users will describe shifting to a more child-like state of wonder at the world during a psychedelic experience, like they’re seeing things through fresh eyes, for the first time. This may be partly due to the relaxation of priors during the experience, or the brain’s internal expectation about the world. Tapping into a childlike sense of wonder at the world is recommended before undertaking an ‘awe walk’. The experience of novelty has also been linked to the experience of awe, so being able to experience the world less encumbered by past associations may make one more open to awe. Awe is the emotional experience of encountering something vast that transcends one’s current understanding of the world, where one feels smaller in the presence of something greater.

Psychedelics – particularly the mystical peak experiences they can elicit – have been linked to states of deep awe, and natural settings are also reliable and consistent inducers of awe. Natural settings appear to trigger awe more reliably than built environments, and experiencing awe in such settings has also been linked to a deepened sense of connection to nature. Interwoven with the experience of awe is the perspective of interconnectedness, and a felt sense of our shared place in the wider web of life may be more accessible in nature-based rather than indoor settings. This is suggestive that the use of psychedelics in natural settings may impart a beneficial synergy when it comes to eliciting experiences of deep awe.

While experiences of acute awe can be fleeting, an experience of deep awe can create ripple effects that facilitate a restructuring of perception, values, and identity in the wake of such an experience. Awe yields a broad range of benefits, including deepened connectedness, an enhanced sense of life meaning, and it can kindle pro-social feelings towards others. Awe can also be healing. One study assessed the impact of whitewater rafting among groups of military veterans and at-risk youth diagnosed with PTSD. Above and beyond all the positive emotions assessed, experiencing awe was the strongest predictor of subsequent positive changes in well-being and stress-related symptoms.

One important benefit of having psychedelic experiences in natural settings is that, according to the results of a few studies, doing so predicts greater increases in some individuals' connection to nature following such experiences in comparison to other setting types. Connection to nature has been strongly linked to psychological well-being – particularly eudaimonic well-being, tied to life meaning – while also being tied to a predisposition to value having contact with nature, also acting as a mediator for benefits to mood and cognition yielded by this contact.

One study examining factors influencing perceived personality change under a psychedelic, such as setting type, found that natural settings were associated with a greater number of positive perceived changes, including enhanced connectedness to the world (and to nature), introspection, happiness, positivity, and enthusiasm. Another study reported that having psychedelic experiences in natural settings was among a number of factors associated with less psychopathology and greater well-being and meaningfulness of the psychedelic experience. Using psychedelics with the intent to connect with nature has been associated with greater well-being scores and a greater likelihood of mystical experiences in comparison to a number of other motivations behind usage. 

One study reported that some psychedelic users preferentially seek out natural settings for their psychedelic experiences, while others sought out such settings to self-soothe during challenging experiences. Others reported that the nature-connecting capacity of psychedelics was enhanced in natural settings, eliciting feelings of stewardship towards nature on occasion.

The potency of incorporating elements of natural settings is inferred by one study centred on psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder, where participants were randomised to view nature-themed videos during the preparation session and the “ascent” and “descent” phases of the psilocybin dosing session. It was found that the peak increase in blood pressure following psilocybin administration was significantly less for participants who viewed the nature-themed videos in comparison to those individuals following standard procedures. While it is positive that technology allows for elements of nature to be incorporated into the clinical setting with beneficial effects, the total benefits obtained are likely to be less than those offered by the multi-sensory experience of being immersed in a natural setting.

One of the most consistent findings to emerge from the sum total of psychedelic research yet conducted is the importance of the mystical peak experience occurring under the psychedelic in predicting long-term positive effects in both healthy people and those suffering from a mental affliction. These experiences encompass experiential facets of unity and interconnection, deeply felt positive mood (joy, peace, and love), transcendence of time and space, and a noetic quality – an intuitive belief that what is being revealed has authenticity and validity.

While research has identified a number of factors that influence or predict the occurrence of such experiences under a psychedelic, the capacity of natural settings to evoke such experiences has received far less attention. There is a solid body of literature shedding light on how immersion in natural settings can elicit spiritual feelings and mystical experiences. Natural settings can support meditative, reflective mind states, increase mindfulness, and promote states of absorption and awe, and a more direct perspective of one’s interconnectedness (a core facet of the mystical experience) may be more prominent there. Natural settings may be more inclined to elicit extrovertive mystical experiences (those encompassing outward-focused unity with nature/universe) more than introvertive (inward-focused "pure consciousness") experiences.

Notably, LSD inventor and discoverer Albert Hofmann was inspired by mystical experiences evoked by nature in his younger days. He recounts one vivid experience while walking on a forest path one May morning in childhood. He described everything appearing transiently “in an uncommonly clear light,” shining “with the most beautiful radiance" and feeling an “indescribable sensation of joy, oneness, and blissful security”. This was not a one-off experience, with Hofmann reporting several more of these experiences while immersed in nature. Hofmann’s childhood mystical experiences kindled in him a desire to gain insight into the “structure and essence of matter”, which would put him on a career path of plant and animal chemistry, and his work on ergot fungi, LSD, and other psychedelics like psilocybin. When asked about the optimal context in which to ingest LSD, he stated, “Always use it in nature”.

Mystical experiences occurring in nature-based rather than human-built settings appear more likely to elicit increases in pro-environmental behaviour. Aside from the potential environmental benefits of such behaviours, they have also been associated with psychological well-being.

Different natural settings may also vary in their restorative or therapeutic potential. In a British context, one very rare, precious and little-known habitat which may have the potential to act as a profoundly potent sanctuary of healing is temperate or Celtic rainforest. Immersion in ancient and pristine fragments of this forest has been attributed to healing PTSD by some, suggesting such settings may pair well with psychedelics if used in an ecotherapeutic context. In addition, the effectiveness of therapeutic modalities such as CBT may be amplified in a forest setting in comparison to a clinical setting when applied for the treatment of major depressive disorder. However, if such settings are to be used for healing, it is imperative that they are not harmed in the process.

While natural settings may synergise well with psychedelics and yield a range of potential benefits, taking things a step further, such settings could be interwoven with psychedelic usage in a much deeper way, with the aim of facilitating deeper shifts in connection to the natural world.

One ancient and potent path that can lead to such shifts that makes use of natural settings is that of the vision fast, which involves days of fasting and prolonged immersion in a wilderness setting. Dr Brian Stafford is a former psychiatrist, working as both a trained vision fast guide and also as a psychedelic facilitator. With experience of both modalities, and viewing them both as potent pathways towards deepening one’s connection to nature and evoking ecological awakening, he reflects:

Not everyone can travel or camp or spend 11 days in the wild to engage in these experiences. One of the many gifts of psychedelics is that they can provide a relatively quick and extraordinary shift in consciousness within the course of several hours, a shift in consciousness that can be life-changing and transform the way we experience ourselves in this world.

However, in shorter time frames, extended immersion in natural settings could potentially be coupled with the use of psychedelics in a positive way. An ecotherapist with experience leading groups into nature for extended periods as a wilderness rites of passage guide, Roger Duncan notes the occurrence of a “now well documented “wilderness effect”, the observation that it takes only three days of immersion in wilderness to loosen our connection with human culture and begin to connect with nature. This has been shown to have a significant effect in relaxing the mind and improving mental functioning.”

When considering the elements of setting in the context of psychedelic usage, and if seeking to use psychedelics intentionally to catalyse a deeper connection with nature, there may be some benefit to using them following these three days spent in nature, when the mind has de-cluttered and shifted to a more earthy baseline. As long as vital safety concerns are not neglected, supported psychedelic sessions could potentially be incorporated into such nature immersion or nature-based mindfulness retreat contents, as this may impart a potent and beneficial synergy.

Natural settings could potentially be combined with psychedelic use in a number of ways. There is a growing interest in “hikrodosing”, where small doses of psychedelics are ingested before people go hiking in nature, sometimes in groups. The group format can help ensure safety.

Some people have suggested outdoor ‘walk and talk’ psychedelic therapy in natural settings. This would likely involve lower dosages of psychedelics than what is typically used in clinical contexts to ensure individuals are not incapacitated. Some people prefer the feeling of a more “level playing field” of being outdoors with a therapist in comparison to being indoors in a treatment room. The outdoor setting itself can also form part of the therapeutic experience, and one benefit of an individual establishing a connection to the outdoors as a ‘therapy room’ is the possibility of returning to it by themselves to self-soothe.

Even in stricter clinical contexts where it might not be possible to take people outdoors into natural settings, it still might be feasible to incorporate elements of nature into indoor settings through biophilic design. The inclusion of natural features such as fractals into architectural design has been associated with benefits to well-being.

One step further would be to make use of a hybrid indoor/outdoor setting, incorporating a secure, sheltered structure including biophilic design elements, in a nature-based location with large skylights and windows. This would allow the therapist to titrate the amount of nature immersion according to the client’s needs as the session progresses. The option of more nature immersion may be particularly beneficial and appreciated in the re-entry phase of a psychedelic experience.

Aside from the potential benefits of natural settings for psychedelic experiences, such settings could have benefits prior to or following a psychedelic experience, during the preparation and integration phases. 

Awe walks undertaken in natural settings following a psychedelic experience could bolster the capacity to tap into wonder and connection following a psychedelic experience. 

The practice of Shinrin Yoku (Japanese forest bathing) is an active mindfulness practice conducted in a forest setting, encouraging practitioners to slow down and tune in to the forest setting through their various senses. It has been associated with health and well-being benefits, and could be beneficially applied on either side of a psychedelic experience. 

Simple and time-efficient practices that encourage active noticing of nature, such as journaling about the ‘good things’ one encounters while spending time in natural settings, can shift the way one engages with the natural world in a manner that is conducive to cultivating a deeper connection to nature, unlocking further benefits to mental health and well-being.

Group-based nature restoration actions could be undertaken in natural settings following a psychedelic experience, as a potential means of cultivating connection to others and to nature, while yielding broader benefits to both the individual and the wider environment. Elements of horticultural therapy may also hold promise. Prior to a psychedelic session, individuals could tend a patch of land, weeding, tilling, and amending the soil, as a ritual to mark the preparation of the inner landscape of their psyche, ready to receive fresh insights and experience psychological growth. Individuals undergoing a psychedelic session could also plant a seed and nurture the plant following it, to mark a new beginning, while hopefully nurturing the insights they have received, weaving them into the earth of their being.

In some pioneering research undertaken by Prof. David Luke, he found that the vast majority of survey respondents reported more interaction with nature following their psychedelic experience (a finding reported in other research on ayahuasca), with just over half of respondents reporting gardening more as a result of their psychedelic experiences. If psychedelics do promote more nature-centric lifestyles and time spent in nature, this is likely to have important implications for health and functioning, with a solid and expanding evidence base to show that time in nature benefits our well-being, mood, cognition, working memory, spatial memory attention, visual attention, reasoning, fluency, intelligence, and creativity.

One noteworthy finding from a study examining how elements of setting influenced perceived personality change found that using psychedelics in natural settings was associated with a greater likelihood of individuals considering “humans as insignificant”. Natural settings were the only setting type examined to have a robust association with this theme. While much attention is centred on the capacity of psychedelics to dissolve egos, much less is given to their capacity to inflate them. Could greater use of natural settings help counter this problematic side effect of psychedelic usage?

While natural settings may yield many benefits, they can also pose drawbacks and potential risks. Such settings are inherently less controllable than indoor settings, and factors like inclement weather or temperature changes, wildlife (e.g. mosquitoes), and physical risks posed by terrain will need prior consideration and planning in advance. The dosage of the psychedelic ingested is another important factor to consider. Being incapacitated under therapeutic supervision or in the comfort and safety of one’s own home is one thing – incapacitating oneself in a remote rural location exposed to the elements is quite another, and there are few recent reports of psychedelic trekkers doing this. The constant sensory stimulation associated with natural settings may also pull attention away from inner processing, drawing it into the external setting. 

While this may have its own particular advantages, in a clinical context, the setting is orchestrated to facilitate an inner journey, and this may be important for the treatment of more serious mental afflictions. One potential means of mitigating some of these potential drawbacks of natural settings would be to incorporate an outdoor structure which can be set up to allow a safe and secure refuge if conditions change or if an individual would like to turn their attention more inwards.

Ecotherapy has been defined as a therapeutic practice which “helps people connect with nature to aid in dealing with physical and mental illnesses”. Given the growing evidence base highlighting the capacity of psychedelics to catalyse connection to nature, coupled with the synergy that may result when they are used in natural settings, psychedelics could hold potent and untapped potential as agents of ecotherapy. While the health benefits of natural settings are well evidenced, nature contact is highly undervalued and underutilised as a health-promoting resource, and encouraging more frequent contact with nature has been highlighted as an applied challenge.

An individual’s connection to nature is a strong predictor of the value they place on having contact with nature and their predisposition to spend time in natural settings. Given that psychedelic use in natural settings is more likely to enhance an individual’s connection to nature, usage in this context could help establish a deeper relationship with natural settings, the positive ripple effects of which could carry through to one’s sober waking life. As the application of psychedelics continues to expand, moving forward, it would likely serve us to look beyond the walls of clinics when administering them and ground psychedelic usage more in nature.