When Not to Use
The circumstances - psychiatric, medical, and situational - in which the timing for a psychedelic experience is poor, and why "not now" is often more accurate than "never."
The question of when not to use psychedelics is as important as any other aspect of preparation - and tends to receive less attention. There are circumstances in which the potential for benefit from a psychedelic experience is outweighed by genuine risk, and there are life situations in which the demands of the experience are likely to exceed a person's current capacity to navigate them productively.
Acute psychiatric crisis is the clearest category. Active suicidal intent, an ongoing psychotic episode, a manic episode in progress, or severe dissociative symptoms all represent states in which the further destabilization produced by a psychedelic experience is more likely to harm than to help. These are not permanent contraindications - people in these presentations may, when stabilized, become good candidates for psychedelic-assisted therapy - but they are circumstances in which timing matters.
Medical considerations carry similar logic. Significant cardiovascular conditions, certain medication regimens (lithium and MAOIs in particular carry serious interaction risks), pregnancy, and conditions involving impaired liver metabolism all warrant medical consultation before any use. The pharmacology of the specific substance being considered needs to be checked against any prescribed or over-the-counter medications.
Life circumstances that significantly constrain a person's capacity to integrate deserve consideration. An acute period of intense professional or family demand - the weeks following a major loss, the immediate aftermath of a significant life transition, a period of financial crisis requiring sustained daily attention - may not preclude use, but they do represent a context in which the post-experience processing and integration support are likely to be less available than they need to be.
Some people enter a period of using these medicines as a response to crisis rather than as a preparation-based choice. This is understandable but worth examining with honesty: a psychedelic experience in a destabilized context tends to amplify what is already present rather than resolve it. Ensuring that the circumstances of one's life permit genuine integration is itself a form of preparation.
The general principle underlying all of these is not prohibition but timing: the question is less often "never" and more often "not now."