Psychedelics, healing, and the wisdom of the body

This is the first in a 3-part reflection on healing, trust in the body, and why B’Etzem is rooted in an inside-out approach.

In B’Etzem, we explore many different ways to access deep healing states, all from the inside out. No substances, no force, just a deep trust in the body’s innate wisdom. This conversation is a perfect example.

Over lunch recently at one of my retreats, a participant asked me what my thoughts were on healing with psychedelics.

I thought, “Oh boy, here we go, opening up this can of worms.”

We had just finished an intense morning of discussion and introspection, and were settling into lunch when she asked me that question. It turned into a long conversation that ended up taking most of our mealtime. At a certain point, I gently redirected us back to the purpose of the retreat: to explore a different form of work that can benefit our systems and show the power of other ways of creating profound shifts in our inner worlds.

Back to my opinion on it…

It’s a little scary to be so vulnerable and share my opinion on something that’s such a big hype right now. People are desperate for healing, and many have heard incredible stories of transformation. My thoughts are not based on personal use, but they’re still strong opinions. That feels vulnerable — because who am I to speak about it? My goal is to tread carefully, respect people’s choices, and offer my personal perspective.

I’ve long had a hunch that the kinds of inner states people describe when using psychedelics — the openness, the insight, the sense of expanded awareness — can also be reached through certain inner practices, without any external substance.

Until a client made a certain comment, it was only a suspicion. After a particularly deep Focusing session, she told me she felt like she had just gone on a trip or attended a cacao ceremony.

Hearing that resonated deeply. I’ve had many Focusing sessions where the deeper I go, the more “trippy” it feels — almost otherworldly — to be in such a deep place of connection with what’s going on inside. Focusing taps into healing brainwaves, yet at any moment I can return to full presence because nothing is overtaking me.

In B’Etzem, we intentionally create this kind of inner depth without relying on anything external. Because you stay in full control, you can slow down, speed up, or pause completely depending on what your system can handle in the moment. The transformation happens from the inside out — in a way that feels safe to integrate.

I first experienced this myself in my very first Focusing session. After trying many other somatic modalities that didn’t quite fit, I felt like I had finally come home. I could be with parts of myself in such a deep way that real transformation happened — without anything external forcing it.

And if that’s possible from the inside out, it raises an important question:
​Why do we feel we need something outside of us to get there?

This is one of the core skills we cultivate in B’Etzem — the ability to drop into these “otherworldly” states while staying fully present, in control of the pace, and resourced enough to integrate the shifts.

In the next email, I’ll share how life itself gives us enough material for growth and what two wars taught me about pacing and safety in deep work.

If you’re ready to bring this way of working into your own practice and into your own life I’d love to have you join us for the upcoming Zoom training September 8-11 (Lakewood and Israel dates coming soon).