The 5 Types of Psychedelic Users

Welcome to the Psychedelic Blog. I write about the Impact of Psychedelics on Grieving, Relationships, Culture, and Death. This week, I’m diving into the five distinct types of Psychedelic users.

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Intro

A decade ago, Psychedelics were still a fringe curiosity. Adventurous souls jetted off to Peru or Costa Rica to drink Ayahuasca—and couldn’t wait to tell everyone they knew about the experience upon returning. Magic mushrooms were still just drugs people experimented with in college. Ketamine clinics started cropping up as off-label treatments for depression & anxiety. And as for MDMA? Couples weren’t exactly ritualizing it just yet—it was still firmly rooted as a festival drug, with its true potential waiting to be discovered.

Oh, how the times have changed. Today, millions of people are integrating Psychedelics into their lives. With this surge in scale, the ways and reasons people use them have become increasingly diverse. Over the past six years, I’ve immersed myself in this movement—writing about it, learning from it, and actively participating. Drawing on this knowledge & experience, I set out to explore the different groups using Psychedelics, the pros & cons of each, and where this growing wave might ultimately lead us. Spoiler alert: the future looks incredibly promising.

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Photo by Levi Guzman on Unsplash

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1. The Traditionalist

I have a lot of love for this group. They are the purists, the guardians of ancient wisdom. They were communing with Ayahuasca long before a few celebrities turned it into a household name. For them, MDMA or LSD doesn’t cut it—if it isn’t naturally occurring, it’s not on their radar. Plant medicine is their go-to. They grow their own mushrooms, of course. Paul Stamets is nothing short of an icon. Their wardrobes are brimming with white henleys. They give the kind of hugs that feel like a genuine connection. These folks are earnest, affable, and deeply committed to their path.

Ironically, Traditionalists are conservative when it comes to Psychedelics, but progressive on most other issues. They adhere to strict traditions, which highlights a curious contradiction: they champion modern thinking in many areas but cling to ancient practices when it comes to plant medicine. This approach exposes a fallacy—while tradition holds immense value, the Psychedelic movement must evolve. The key is striking a balance: learning from the past while integrating modern logic & science. Strictly replicating Indigenous methods from ten thousand years ago isn’t just impractical & unscalable—it’s unsafe. Many of those ancient societies didn’t account for things like undiagnosed mental health conditions.

That said, the Traditionalist is a vital voice in the broader conversation about how to approach Psychedelics. They are stewards of knowledge, grounding the movement in authenticity and respect for its origins. Their emphasis on reverence and intentionality ensures we don’t lose sight of the sacred. While the movement must evolve, it must also avoid losing its roots. Traditionalists offer a crucial counterbalance, reminding us to tread this path with care, respect, and a sense of responsibility.

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2. The Self-Optimizer

Think Tech bro meets Finance bro, rolled into one hyper-efficient package (I’ve been both in past lives, and yes, we really are the worst). This group is all about hacking their way to the top. They’re the ones doing Ketamine nasal spray at Soho House on Saturday, then microdosing LSD to knock out the board slides on Tuesday. They’ll drop thousands to attend "performance retreats," where they’ll sit with Ayahuasca alongside fellow CEOs & entrepreneurs. Everything they do—even their spiritual pursuits—revolves around one thing: getting ahead.

They’re loyal listeners of the Diary of a CEO podcast and genuinely believe Joe Rogan knows Psychedelics inside & out (spoiler: he most assuredly does not). Books like Good to Great & Atomic Habits adorn their bookshelves. They geek out over nootropics, biohacking, and anything that promises to optimize their performance. For this group, Psychedelics aren’t about healing or self-discovery—they’re tools to supercharge their careers, incomes, and lifestyles.

It’s easy to criticize this group, some of which is well-deserved. But if we’re being honest, scrutinizing them reveals our own resentment cloaked in self-righteousness. Who are we to dictate why someone embarks on their journey? Plus, here’s the twist: many of these folks—though not all—end up "waking up." They might dive into a DMT experience hoping for business insights, only to confront the uncomfortable truth that they’re living a lie. Psychedelics have a way of showing us truths we’d rather avoid.

So yes, their initial intentions may be self-serving, but the journey doesn’t always end there. Many leave these experiences as better, more grounded people, with contributions to society that extend far beyond the number of zeroes in their W-2. And if the medicine can transform even the most single-minded self-optimizers into forces for good, who’s to say that’s not a win?

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3. The Microdoser

This is the fastest-growing—and by far the largest—cohort of Psychedelic users. Many people may never summon the courage to dive into a full-blown Psychedelic journey. But they might notice a friend radiating optimism, only to find out they’re microdosing. They overhear a story about a married couple who, after microdosing Psilocybin, rediscovered passion & started having sex daily. A cousin starts painting again after years of creative block. An old high school friend gets off lifelong SSRIs, starts microdosing, and finally feels truly happy.

This is how change at scale happens. This is how fashion trends spread, how new diets take off, and how Psychedelics gain mainstream acceptance. Humans are deeply social creatures. When we see others benefiting from something—especially something as low-risk as Psilocybin—we want in. In 2024 alone, millions of people started microdosing Psilocybin, and those numbers will grow exponentially in 2025, 2026, and beyond. The wheels of change are in motion, and there’s no stopping them now.

Of course, not everyone sees this as a purely positive development. Traditionalists argue that these are sacred spiritual medicines, not meant for recreational or habitual use. But this critique often ignores the counterfactual: alcohol. Let’s be honest—humans are pleasure-seekers. The choice isn’t between microdosing Psilocybin and doing nothing at all. It’s between microdosing or pouring a few glasses of wine every night.

And if that’s the choice, I’ll take the culture of mushrooms over the culture of alcohol any day. So would the hundreds of thousands of families whose lives are torn apart by alcohol each year. I embrace the microdosers—not just for what they are, but for what they’re not. They’re not winos. And that alone feels like a step in the right direction.

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4. The Healing

Of all the modalities I turned to after losing loved ones at a relatively young age, none were as transformative as Psychedelics. It’s crucial to note, though, that these spiritual journeys weren’t standalone fixes. They were part of a broader commitment—changes to my diet, a rigorous physical training routine, and giving up alcohol. No modality is one-size-fits-all. In our “Ozempic culture,” where everyone is searching for the magic pill to make life easier, it’s worth emphasizing: that’s not how it works. Psychedelics are no exception. They’re hard work—requiring intention, fasting, the courage to face the unknown, and, most importantly, integration. It’s the entire process, not just the journey itself, that drives real change.

Veterans, many of whom have endured unimaginable trauma, fit squarely into this cohort. For them—and for countless others who are struggling—Psychedelics like Ayahuasca, DMT, Ibogaine, 5-MeO-DMT, Changa, Samadhi, MDMA, Psilocybin, and Ketamine offer immense promise. In any truly advanced society, making these modalities legal & accessible should be the bare minimum.

But there’s a risk here. These profoundly effective tools could be co-opted by “therapy culture,” where the focus becomes an endless loop of self-exploration, making life revolve solely around one’s own subjective experience. Psychedelics aren’t meant to trap us in our own healing—they’re meant to free us from it.

The real work begins after healing. Once we’ve addressed our wounds, the focus must shift outward: how do we show up for others? How do we contribute to something larger than ourselves? This is where Psychedelics truly shine. They’re not just new tools for personal transformation—they have the power to reshape us culturally, to fundamentally change how we relate to one another and to the world.

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5. The Aware

All paths can lead to “waking up,” but not everyone who communes with Psychedelics will reach this state of awareness. Some won’t do the work. Others may have a challenging trip and choose an alternative path. Many will return to the destructive behaviors they initially sought refuge from. Life has a way of pulling us back into old patterns. And bad habits—like a soft bed—are easy to slip into and incredibly hard to climb out of.

But for those who stay the course, do the work, and resist the temptation to make the experience solely about themselves, life takes on a different hue. They navigate their existence with a sense of lightness, more blissful & present, and laser-focused on what truly matters. Imagine a society where even 5% of the population operates with this heightened awareness. That small percentage could solve major problems, dismantle outdated systems (like our archaic drug laws), and improve the ones we depend on (like education—still teaching children memorization in an age of AI is, frankly, absurd). Awareness spreads like ripples, and the cumulative effect can transform cultures.

Skeptics might dismiss this as overly optimistic, even idealistic. But history offers precedent. Ancient Greece & Rome are prime examples of civilizations changed for the better by leaders & thinkers who regularly communed with Psychedelics. The Eleusinian Mysteries, a cornerstone of Greek culture, involved Psychedelic ceremonies that influenced some of the greatest minds of their time. It’s not outlandish to believe that today’s Psychedelic movement could similarly shape a brighter future.

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Closing Thoughts

The Psychedelic movement is no longer a fringe curiosity—it’s a cultural shift with the potential to reshape how we heal, connect, and evolve as individuals and as a society. From the Traditionalists honoring ancient wisdom to the Self-Optimizers chasing performance and the Microdosers spreading change through small, consistent steps, every cohort contributes to this unfolding story. And then there are the Healing and the Aware, who remind us of the deeper purpose of these journeys: to mend our wounds and rise above them, cultivating a presence that serves others and uplifts the collective.

The real promise of Psychedelics lies beyond personal transformation; it’s in how they help us rebuild our connection to one another and inspire us to create a better world. Whether you’re seeking healing, clarity, or awakening, these experiences aren’t just about what happens within—they’re about what we carry forward. If even a fraction of us can embrace this potential, the ripple effects will be profound. This isn’t just a movement—it’s the start of a revolution in consciousness, and it’s only just beginning.

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I joined TAP Integration as an Investor & Advisor because I believe the true, lasting impact of Psychedelics lies in what happens after the experience. Integration is where the magic unfolds. Follow us on LinkedIn for exciting updates & insights!