Anyone else experienced a psychedelic experience while sober?
Hey all! Long time lurker, first time posting.
I was wondering if anyone has had an altered conscious/spiritual experience while sober. Particularly during a Shamanic Trance Dance.
I did a Shamanic Trance Dance on a retreat a few years ago, where I experienced and remembered a 'past life', so to say, it was complex and healing but I wont bore you with the details. This was the most spiritually profound experience I had ever had at this point, and the most altered state of consciousness.
I had this experience before I had any psychedelics, a few years later I tried psychedelics and my Shamanic trance dance experience was wildly psychedelic. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? Is there a link between the two?
Thank you for reading :) x
Edit: here is my experience in detail in case anyone is interested (it's my first time typing it out in such detail so it's quite reflective too)
Tw: abuse + domestic violence
Okay so I'm unsure of if you know about a shamanic trance dance but I'll explain anyway. shamanic music (mainly drumming) is played while you are blindfolded. You start with the breath of fire and find a flow into the music.
The facilitator was fantastic and spoke very clearly about what it entailed and how intense it can be. One thing she said that I will always remember is 'where ever you end up, YOU can get yourself through it'. I am aware that a few people tapped out of the session mid way through as they were unable to sit with whatever came up.
And here's my experience:
I began with the breath of fire which, as time went on became increasingly more difficult to do. I felt a feeling I can only describe as pure discomfort building in my chest and radiating to my head and through my belly to my feet. The thought floated through my mind that maybe I can't do this. But I carried on, through the discomfort.
I started on the floor and at this point I was still on the floor but hunched over with my head close to the floor. I saw nothing but pure darkness. I know I was blind folded but it was more than that, the darkest darkness I have ever seen. I began to experience a flashback from a time when I was around 10, and my mum's boyfriend at the time was being physically abusive to her. I was on the floor still, crying, begging him to stop, absolutely terrified for my mum's and my life. The part of my brain which was still in the present wanted to stop, take off the blindfold and sit the dance out. This part of my brain wanted to protect that young girl in the flashback from the many occasions similar to these ones. But then I heard the facilitator in my head, say them words again 'where ever you end up, YOU can get yourself through it'. And my determination kicked in. While breathing heavily and determined, tears still running down my face, I began to get to my feet. With every inch I rose, I felt a tightening and deepening sensation in my chest, my head began to feel lighter despite my body being weighed down. I began to feel stronger. When I finally got to my feet and stood tall, the darkness dissipated and the most beautiful white light showered me. I began to feel this incredible childlike joy, like I had never known fear, sadness or any horrors of the world. The white light, without changing form, became a caregiver, like the caregiver I never had, someone so receptive to my needs, so safe and so comforting. I put out my arms to be held by this light like a baby does, and the warmth felt like being submerged into a bath.
That's when I was suddenly transported to a past time, I was in the middle of a snowstorm, fields of snow for all I could see, there was nobody in front of me, but behind me I had a whole army. A army looking similar to that which is portrayed as viking. I was wearing similar clothes, with a battle axe in my right hand. That's when I realised I was leading these people. The determination I felt while I was rising to my feet at the beginning of the dance did not leave me. I felt fierce and resolute. Absolutely unstoppable. I marched in this vision for a little while, before it changed. The next vision, I was in a club, similar to a warehouse but one I have never been to before. The room was packed with people, and the music was booming. Strobes of red, to pink, to purple to blue illuminated the room. Through the strobes people were dancing. Every single one of them lost in the rhythm of music, unbothered by the sweat that soaked them. I felt unity, unity like I had never felt before. Unity, love and a sense of belonging.
It is worth mentioning that at this time in my life, I felt lost. I felt like I hadn't 'found' myself and was called to such a healing retreat like ecstatic dance. I had not done any drugs at this point in my life (except weed), and wasn't massive into the rave scene. I had been to mainstream raves and listened to mainstream dance music, but I knew I was craving a deeper connection to life, however that might look.
The final vision was much calmer, I was in a clearing in the forest, with morning sun shining through the trees. I was bare foot (a rarity for me at this time in my life), and calm. Calm like I had never felt, all the stress, panic and pondering I had done for the past few years melted away. Somehow, I knew, despite current feelings of despair, the best was yet to come. I knew my path was leading me to where I needed to be. I knew I'd find the community id been longing for, and I was excited for new experiences I didn't know I'd have.
4/5 years later and here I am. Fully involved in the underground rave scene, experiencing parties similar to the ones in my vision, with the overwhelming sense of community and love. I'm barefoot whenever possible, I spend the majority of my time connecting with nature. And although I'm still discovering my path, I feel much more certain about my positioning in life. I feel healed from much of my past, although it's an ongoing journey. I'm more emotionally, mentally and spiritually open than before and I look forward to my future, because I trust the universe will lead me to where I need to, and want to be.