#013: Healing from Childhood Abuse with Psilocybin | Chris Davis

Psychedelic Stories

In this episode, Chris Davis describes how his experiences with psychedelics have affected his interpersonal relationships and his everyday life. Chris grew up in an abusive home. As a child, he struggled with depression and often considered ways to escape his abusive parents, including suicide. As an adult, Chris compartmentalized many of his childhood experiences but was still profoundly impacted by the abuse. He was fueled by hate and anger for more than two decades but eventually ran out of steam. At the age of 42, Chris found himself at the bottom of a stairwell writing a good-bye letter to his family with intentions to end his own life. Chris’s son found him moments before he planned to pull the trigger. Chris later began a process of trying to work through the damage caused by the years of childhood abuse. He began a meditation practice and improved his physical health through nutrition and exercise.

He eventually learned about the potential mental health benefits of psilocybin and began researching its use. Chris went on to have a number of profound and life-altering experiences with psilocybin. One experience included Chris traveling to another dimension where he met and comforted his nine year old self. In another experience, Chris discovered the reasons he experienced abuse, leading him to let go of his emotional baggage and finding a deep sense of empathy for his father. He likens his psilocybin experiences to decades in psychotherapy and describes them as ineffably healing. Chris also recounts his first LSD experience at the age of 45, during which he was separated from his wife and son, never to see them again. His LSD experience helped him feel greater appreciation for his family and he considers it the most profound experience of his life.

The purpose of the podcast is for entertainment and harm reduction. Please consult a physician and your local laws before considering the use of psychoactive substances or trying anything mentioned in this episode. Please also understand that you may not hold us liable for relying on any information contained on the podcast or our website.

Links:

Waking Up
Sam Harris's meditation app

Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion
A book by Sam Harris

Chris's Story on Reddit

Resources

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