Music and psychedelic therapy
Psychedelic therapy is almost always done in combination with music. Some even say that psychedelic sessions are essentially music therapy with psychedelics like psilocybin or MDMA as a potentiator. We don't entirely disagree with that last point; music is incredibly important! During the introspective phase of the psychedelic therapy There's no speaking, but the music becomes the guide. The music acts like a boat you step into, allowing yourself to be carried downstream. There's no need to steer, because the music takes care of everything during the introspection.
In this article, you'll learn why music plays such a significant role and which songs are popular during psychedelic sessions and ceremonies. Marcel also shares his personal experiences and describes what he experienced during the trip.
Top 5 psychedelic therapy music
Music is personal, and not every song works equally well for everyone during a psychedelic trip. The top 5 below is therefore a personal preference that also happens to work for several of our clients. Some songs offer peace, depth, or even a lot of emotion. A good song can carry you away with the music, and from that can sometimes arise experiences with a story or certain insights. Below, I've listed my personal preferences and experiences in the form of a top 5! The psychedelic experiences below are real experiences of mine (Marcel).
5: Trøstesang - Gjermund Larsen
Information about the music
Gjermund Larsen's Trøstesang, released in 2019, is a powerful Norwegian track perfect for use at the end of psychedelic sessions. The track has a Norwegian/Celtic/Irish sound.
Psychedelic experience
This music appears on our playlists after the peak effects have subsided. It has a different effect on me every time, but generally, it feels like the destination is in sight. It gives me the strength to continue enjoying the music. This song doesn't evoke a lot of visuals, but sometimes I can vaguely see landscapes with grass and mountains in it.
4: Deep in the Glowing Heart - Jon Hopkins
Information about the music
Jon Hopkins' "Deep in the Glowing Heart" is from 2021 and is part of his album "Music for Psychological Therapy." While the album contains several beautiful songs, we choose "Deep in the Glowing Heart" as our favorite!
Psychedelic experience
Often, when this song comes on relatively early in the trip, warm feelings well up. Whether this is due to the title or the music itself, I don't know. This song has multiple layers, and the sounds don't seem to be coming from familiar instruments. During my psilocybin experience, it felt and looked like I was flying high with hundreds of birds.
3: Echo Inside - Peter Kater
Information about the music
Peter Kater's "Echo Inside" is from 2016 and is a calm track for psychedelic sessions. The track is quite long at 8:59 minutes and features piano and ambient sounds.
Psychedelic experience
This song came on the playlist early in the session. Before this song, I was experiencing a lot of physical unrest, like a flu-like feeling, and a surge of emotion. It seemed like every piano key evoked a new feeling. The tranquility of this song caused my consciousness to spiral upward, and my body simply had to do what it was doing. From then on, I was above my emotions and body, and the trip could truly begin!
2: The End - Harry Gregson-Williams & Lisa Gerrard
Information about the music
The song "The End" was released in 2018 and was used in the film "Men on Fire." The song has various facets: peace, sadness, and a meditative feel.
Psychedelic experience
During one of the first of my 170 trips, this song gave me the feeling of something crawling on my body and trying to get inside. I tried to stop it, but it grew stronger and stronger. Finally, it managed to crawl through my skull and into my brain, restoring the emotion of sadness. I hadn't felt sadness in a long time, but now waterfalls came out of my eyes without knowing why.
A little later, I realized that by suppressing my grief, I had forgotten my lost loved ones, and that the tears were there to remember them. Shortly after, during the quiet middle section of the song, a ceremony unfolded where I returned my forgotten loved ones to the universe. The universe accepted these deceased ones in a beautiful ceremony, filled with light and energy, where the souls were recycled into a new, unrecognizable part of the universe. It was a beautiful farewell, with the tear becoming a reminder of the good times we had together.
1: Standing as One - Peter Kater
Information about the music
Peter Kater's "Standing as One" is from 2014 and is a beautiful track for psychedelic therapy with MDMA or psilocybin. Composed by R. Carlos Nakai, the track is quite long at 8:25 minutes, similar to "Echo Inside.".
Psychedelic experience
During my own psilocybin trip, I was able to find a switch during this song that allowed me to alternate between imagining what I thought of the song and feeling what it did to me. The switch between imagining and feeling always started with goosebumps and a tear. However, the feeling was very positive.
Spotify list of frequently used music
Many of our clients ask us to share the playlist we used during their psychedelic sessions. In most cases, this music is stored locally on offline devices that will continue to function even if there's a power outage, the internet isn't working, or something goes wrong with the streaming service. This way, we can always support the psychedelic session with music. To share the music we used, we've created a playlist on Spotify. The following songs are used for MDMA therapy, psilocybin therapy, and for magic dance. They're in random order, but you might find songs from your own psychedelic session to help you reflect.
New psychedelic therapy playlists
We try to create a few new playlists every year for our psychedelic sessions and truffle ceremonies. It's also nice for returning customers to have variety in the music. We rarely use vocals in plain language to keep the experience as pure as possible. Want to listen to the new tracks? Follow us on Spotify or book a session with us!
More than psychedelic music
Besides music, there are other important aspects, such as preparation and integration. At Triptherapie, we naturally pay a lot of attention to these. During the psychedelic session, personal support and guidance are invaluable. During psychedelic therapy, we also try to influence the other senses, in addition to music, using aromatherapy and colored lights. During sessions with higher doses of psilocybin or LSD, the senses can merge, which is called synesthesia. In the somewhat outdated blog post from 2019, we explain what synesthesia means and how psychedelics can cause it.
Register with Triptherapie
Before someone starts using psychedelics, it's essential to identify any contraindications. Psychedelic use is unsafe for various people, particularly those taking certain medications and medical conditions. By completing the intake form, we can check for known contraindications.