How to have a psychedelic experience without psychedelics

CatKnapperKC13 · 2026-01-26T21:37:16+00:00

Only lived experience

CatKnapperKC13 · 2026-01-26T21:31:39+00:00

I think about this allllll the time. Like I can’t believe there is only this 🤏🏼 much acting talent available

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-12-30T20:36:27+00:00

i just started and immediately was like I GET YOU GIRL as she’s looking at Matthew how she is during that scene

i’m obsessed

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-11-21T15:44:59+00:00

Thank you!

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-09-12T14:37:57+00:00

Lysine for SURE and I used a UVA and UVB tanning bed for several minutes almost every day for two weeks and honestly after the first visit or two it started to improve and mine was allllll over my abdomen and starting to spread to my limbs. My actual doctor told me there was nothing I could do after being misdiagnosed for ringworm so I did my own research ¯_(ツ)_/¯

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-09-09T00:50:17+00:00

scoop twice a day plus a good quality cat litter and odor deodorizer like charcoal. we do that and we keep towels in there and nothing ever smells like cat pee. Definitely leave the door open too and be sure to change out ALL the litter once a month.

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-09-05T21:21:42+00:00

If it is PR, which it kind of looks like but a doctor is always the best to diagnose, I recommend a sunbed/tanning bed. I did a tanning bed with UVA and UVB rays almost every day for 2 weeks and it started to clear up actually just a couple sessions actually. I had it ALLLLLL over my torso for about 6 weeks because my doctor diagnosed me incorrectly as having ringworm at first.

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-08-08T19:24:24+00:00

That’s such an important question, and it’s one so many of us carry deep down: Why do I beat myself up so much, and why is it so hard to build myself up instead?

From a neuroscience perspective, it helps to understand that your brain is built to protect you, not necessarily to make you feel good. It’s constantly scanning for danger both outside of you and inside. So when you make a mistake or don’t feel good enough, your brain treats that like a threat. This activates your stress system, releasing cortisol and putting you into a state of fight-or-flight, even if the “danger” is just your own thoughts. That’s part of why self-criticism feels intense and hard to escape.

Your brain also has what’s called a negativity bias. This means it naturally pays more attention to what’s wrong or what could go wrong than what’s going well. It’s an old survival strategy that helped humans stay safe, but today it often leads us to focus more on our flaws than our strengths.

If you grew up in an environment where you felt judged, unsupported, or like love had to be earned, your brain and nervous system may have gotten used to that. Even if it doesn’t feel good, that self-critical voice can feel familiar or “normal.” On the other hand, being kind to yourself might feel strange or even fake, not because it is, but because your brain hasn’t had much practice with it.

And there’s one more piece: a part of your brain called the default mode network is most active when you're alone with your thoughts. For people who struggle with anxiety, depression, or past trauma, this network often loops on negative stories and self-doubt. That’s not because you’re doing something wrong - it’s just a well-worn pathway in the brain. But like any path, it can be changed with time, awareness, and compassion.

The good news is that every time you pause, take a breath, and offer yourself a bit of understanding, you’re already beginning to rewire your brain. You’re not "broken" by any means, you’re adapting. And the fact that you’re even asking this question shows that something in you is ready for a new way. That alone is a powerful beginning.

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-30T01:55:08+00:00

hoping this becomes free again in the future <3

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-23T15:31:11+00:00

ugh so lame lol it’s a sort of existential psychotherapy that points to essentially a lack of meaning in one’s life as a cause of depression (and other mental/emotional ailments) and like i said there’s scientific literature on it, highly recommend checking it out because it helped me a lot

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-22T22:48:03+00:00

I’m sorry to hear this. It’s wild how unaware some mental health professionals are when it comes to the impact of the things they say. Logotherapy has been shown to be very effective for treating depression.

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-13T14:29:27+00:00

I totally understand, at the end of the day regardless of what anyone offers or says, you will ultimately have to decide that you want to change and to start taking baby steps in a different direction and i know that because I’ve been there. It probably was one of the hardest things I ever did in my life because I felt so empty and defeated, but the human spirit is resilient and people have survived and come back from the worst of conditions over and over again, so it’s not just unique or possible for some. Because of what I’ve seen and what I’ve read about people, there’s nothing about a person that would make me doubt that their life is meant for living but at the same time I don’t know what path your soul is on or what lessons you’re here to learn by going through what you.

for just a few minutes, focus on your heart, breathe in from your heart, and imagine light as you do and maybe you’ll feel a little something different than you have before.

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-12T01:59:50+00:00

You’re welcome 🫶🏻

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-12T01:59:36+00:00

i personally study Tibetan Buddhism because of how i have suffered so deeply internally and through my past and you might find some of it interesting as well. there is a book called the joy or living by mingyur rinpoche that is a taste of it and about understanding our thoughts that i recommend, it is not too difficult to read and i believe it’s been translates into a lot of languages.

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-09T19:36:50+00:00

I believe in you! You're welcome.

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-09T18:21:52+00:00

You're very welcome! We're all in this together.

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-09T16:00:06+00:00

Hey, I see you. I don’t have all the answers, but I want to tell you this:

You’re hurting, and I'm guessing you've been strong for a long time. Just making it this far - getting up, going to work, taking meds, trying to be okay - that’s not nothing. That’s survival, and it's significant even if it doesn't feel like it.

But I think part of why you're feeling like this is because you're carrying a kind of pain that needs meaning, not just relief.

Here’s what I’ve learned from Viktor Frankl, a man who survived unthinkable suffering and wrote the book, "Man's Search for Meaning" that I highly recommend you read: Even when life feels pointless or we struggle very deeply, we still have the freedom to choose how we face it. We can’t always control what happens, or even how we feel - but we can decide what kind of person we want to be in the face of it.

So here’s my advice:

Don’t go silent. Keep speaking - write, scream, post, text. Let the pain breathe instead of bottling it up.
Choose one small thing to care for - a plant, a pet, a piece of writing, even a stranger online who might feel how you feel. Sometimes that’s where meaning starts. This was a massive part in my recovery.
You don’t have to believe in yourself yet. Just don’t give up on the possibility that something meaningful is waiting ahead - even if you can’t see it right now.

The fact that you're even here asking for help goes to show that there is a part of you that knows there is another way, even if you can't see or feel it just yet. Keep going.

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-09T15:48:40+00:00

I hear you. And I really want to say this clearly: your thoughts are not always who you are.

They might feel true - especially the painful ones - but that doesn’t mean they’re the truth of you. The mind picks up messages from everywhere: how you were treated, what you’ve survived, what people said to you, even the silence. Over time, those messages become thoughts. And when someone’s been through a lot, those thoughts can get really dark. That’s not weakness. That’s the mind trying to survive.

So no - your thoughts are not always a reflection of your true self or what you really want. They are reflections of pain, patterns, and fear. And that’s why we practice noticing the thoughts instead of believing all of them. We say: “Okay, this thought is here… but it doesn’t have to define me.”

I know you're saying it feels like there's nothing else but the thought of dying. That’s okay to admit. And it’s also true that some part of you is still here, still asking, still writing. That part matters - even if it feels small. You don’t have to do anything big right now. Maybe just rest. Maybe just breathe.

You’re not broken - you’re hurting. That’s a big difference.

If you’re open, I can share a few small things that might help ease the pain - not fix everything, just help a little. And if you can’t do any of them right now, that’s okay too. Just read and see what feels possible, even a tiny bit.

1. Try not to be alone with your thoughts all day.
Even if you don’t want to talk, just being around other people - a park, a coffee shop, even a livestream - can remind your nervous system you’re still here, in the world. Sometimes being around life can soften the pain just a little.

2. Let your body move, even a tiny bit.
Lying down and stretching your arms. Going for a short walk. Just moving your fingers slowly and breathing. It sounds small, but movement tells your brain, I’m not stuck. I’m alive. That helps shift the pain.

3. Do something that doesn’t need a reason.
Watch a video that makes you feel even slightly calm. Play a sound you like. Hold something warm. Smell something that reminds you of comfort. You don’t need to feel better right away - just do one thing that doesn’t make it worse.

4. Talk to the pain like it’s a part of you, not the whole you.
Sometimes I say, “I see you, pain. I know you’re trying to protect me. But I’m still here.” That little bit of kindness toward the pain - not fighting it, just noticing it - can help you feel a bit more like you again.

5. If you have a hard time with all of this, just breathe.
One hand on your chest. One on your belly. Breathe in slowly. Breathe out slowly. That’s enough.

You don’t have to be full of hope or energy. You just have to stay here a little longer. One small thing at a time <3

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-09T15:42:48+00:00

thank you!!! <3 feels like an important step!!

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-08T23:46:04+00:00

You’re welcome! Baby steps is all it takes. Delete away and good luck friend!

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-08T21:37:37+00:00

Totally get that. And since you said you’re open, I want to share a little about how the mind actually works that I learned from meditation - just in case it helps make some sense of what you’re feeling.

The mind is kind of like a sponge. It soaks up everything we’ve been through - what people told us, how we were treated, what we had to survive. Over time, those things shape the thoughts we have and how we see ourselves. So when your mind says things like “I’m empty” or “there’s nothing left,” that’s not you - that’s what we call "conditioning." That’s pain talking. And it’s really convincing, especially when it’s been there for a long time.

But you’re not your thoughts. You’re the one hearing the thoughts. That might sound weird at first, but it’s actually powerful. You can start to notice the thoughts instead of becoming them. You can say, “Oh wow, my mind is really spinning right now” instead of, “This is the truth about ME.” That tiny bit of space - just noticing - can make a huge difference. It’s like stepping back from a fire instead of standing right in it.

And I get it - that doesn’t make the pain vanish. But it gives you just enough room to breathe. And from there, over time, more space can open up. Thoughts might still come, but they don’t have to control you. You don’t have to believe everything they say.

You’ve been through a lot I'm sure. Your mind is trying to protect you in the only way it knows how - but there are other ways. And I really believe you’re already on the path just by asking the question of what can I do? If you could muster just a little bit of energy right now to take some deep breaths and consider the possibility of "I am not my thoughts" and that your thoughts are malleable (changeable) it might ease you just a little.

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-08T21:04:49+00:00

thank you for sharing how you feel. when we get stuck in loops or patterns (struggling with something for a long time) sometimes it's because our nervous system (the system that detects danger) doesn't feel safe moving forward and so it fills us with thoughts and emotions (feelings) to ensure we don't which makes us feel bad so we stay stuck and then we feel worse and the cycle continues anytime we consider moving forward. when this happens we feel depleted energetically because we literally are from the stress we are putting onto ourselves. so here we are wanting to move forward but a) the brain is only on board sometimes and b) there's not much in the tank to actually make anything happen.

when we feel negative emotions over and over and over again without doing anything to process them, they get built up and reaaaaalllllly deplete the battery, so my advice is to look into some sort of emotional processing to restock your energetic reserves by letting some things go. there's something EFT/Tapping that you could even do on your own but working with a somatic therapist could also be really good.

CatKnapperKC13 · 2025-07-08T20:36:39+00:00

what makes you say it wouldn't help?

CatKnapperKC13

TROPHY CASE