the sitters s.o.p.

[olympus mon]

there doesn't seen to be too much information on a sitters/caretakers responsibility while over seeing a persons journey. much of their duty's are simple common sense and personal preference so lets focus on the real reason they are there. WHEN THINGS GO SOUTH.

personally i really don't like having sitters and never have but had to concede to the notion because of the current emotions and traumas ayahuasca seemed to spotlight on my recent journeys. they are very heavy and quite difficult. with that being said i do have access to 2 people that i love and trust very much but neither have;
A.- taken ayahuasca or dmt, and
B.- ever had a bad trip themselves. they have both "tripped" on mushrooms and lsd but to what degree i cant verify. i would have to guess they have never been in the deep waters.

no, these generous friends of mine are not what i would exactly choose but beggars cant be choosers and above all else i know they care for me deeply.

for my own knowledge and future sitters reading this-
what words of advice and caution do you have for a sitter when the shit hits the fan? what should they do/say and more importantly what should they NOT do?
gracias amigos
OM'

 

[ms_manic_minxx]

I always grill people after I sit for them to see how I was either helping or hindering the experience (and if I share the sacrament, I AM SITTING FOR THEM!!).

In the case of smoking DMT:

It's very easy to tell when people are incoherent, disoriented, and need attention (especially if you have experience freaking out ). Often, I gently hold my friends as a mother holds a child, and usually gently rub their backs in a soothing way. If they seem troubled, I will gently remind them that everything is very quick and it is passing, that they are okay, that vitals are okay. Most people having total breakthroughs do not recall my words at all, but sense the presence and the vibes and absolutely love it.

Of course, the sitter does not want to be obstructive. One thing I keep a very close eye on is body movement. If a person is anything other than still, it's like a yellow light/standby. You can tell the medicine is starting to kick something up inside when the body starts to move. I watched my one friend struggle but not freak out, and I sat by him closely. When his face showed signs of certain discomfort, I knelt behind him and simply put a hand on his chest. It's all very intuitive. When he came to, he thanked me so much and said it was literally the perfect thing at the perfect time.

Go with your gut feeling. Physical, reassuring contact is so important. Definitely talk with the person you are sitting for about the possibility of being touched to ground/comfort, make sure it is all cool.

I have held people while they screamed and cried and tried to crawl under various pieces of furniture. Physical touch is SO important.

In the case of Ayahuasca:

Be ready to leap to your feet, pass the bucket, or guide people safely to the washroom. I'm sure other kinds of grounding touch could be useful, but I have never been in a situation where any freakout was so extreme.

One time, with Ayahuasca, I was completely overwhelmed and screamed for my roommate. She had next to no experience tripping, but she is a yoga teacher; she sat beside me, held my hand, said wise and calming yoga things she would say during a yoga class, and, it was perfect.

It is not necessary that a sitter has tons of experience tripping: it IS necessary that your sitter be absolutely cool, calm, and confident while you are in a delicate state. I have another friend who gets really upset and afraid for people when they freak out, possibly even more than the person freaking out gets afraid. That is just atrocious.

It's also important for the sitter to understand the effects of the medicine, and that the person taking the medicine be absolutely clear with the sitter about any potential drug interactions, etc., so the sitter truly knows you are having a psychologically challenging ride and are not in any real case of physical danger (especially in case of fear of dying).

THIS IS A GREAT THREAD IDEA!!! A potential sticky, IMHO.

 

[olympus mon]

thank you ms. minxx for sharing your wisdom. your way is so soft and gentle im quite sure the art of sitting comes naturally to you.

from my own rough ones' i remember thinking that there was nothing anyone could tell me that would shut this off but if i could just hold someones hand it would have been a huge help. a loving back rub would have done wonders. i recall noting of how i could be of assistance to someone if they ever found themselves here and touch was key.

ive often wondered about smells. there are a few smells that just remind me of peace and tranquility. i sometimes rub some amber oil on my wrists before a challenging event in life such as public speaking. when i get a whiff its like a mini affirmation that all is well, and im fine and perfect in this moment. maybe that could help during a tough journey too.