38. MDMA Therapy & the Love Drug: Opening Hearts Before Minds

In this Valentine’s Day edition of The High Guide, host April Pride dives deep into her favorite psychoactive substance: MDMA. Often misunderstood as just a party drug, MDMA’s true power lies in its therapeutic potential to foster empathy, emotional connection, and inner healing. You’ll learn about MDMA’s evolution from couples therapy sessions to club culture and back to clinical studies—plus, how to safely dose, sequence with other psychedelics, and navigate the emotional landscape it unlocks. This episode is packed with personal stories, listener insights, and practical trip tips to support your journey with empathogens. Whether you're new to MDMA or rekindling your connection with the “love drug,” this guide opens the door to deeper compassion—for others and yourself.

🔵 Key Takeaways

-MDMA is an empathogenic substance—different from traditional psychedelics—and fosters emotional openness and connection.

-Its therapeutic use began in the 1970s and resurged in PTSD research today, despite a Schedule I classification.

-MDMA therapy can be a wise first step before psilocybin—open your heart before you open your mind.

-Always test black-market MDMA, dose conservatively (start with half), and be aware of its temperature regulation effects.

-Safe use includes proper sequencing, hydration, and avoiding harmful consumption methods like snorting.

Learn more about this episode, including guests and resources on substack:https://aprilpride.substack.com/p/mdma-therapy-love-drug

Hosted by April Pride

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37. LSD Microdosing: What Women Need to Know Before Their First Drop

In this candid, creatively unfiltered episode, host April Pride returns with a new bonus series exploring entheogens—starting with LSD microdosing. From personal anecdotes to government mind control experiments, April invites listeners into a cultural, historical, and deeply personal unpacking of acid’s past and present. You’ll learn what LSD microdosing is, how to do it safely, and what to avoid. This primer is equal parts poetic and practical—ideal for curious, health-conscious women ready to take that first mindful drop.

🔵 Key Takeaways

-LSD was originally derived from ergot fungus and has a complex, dramatic history tied to madness, mysticism, and medicine.

-Microdosing involves 20 micrograms—about 1/5 of a typical trip dose—and can enhance mood, creativity, and connection.

-LSD’s history includes CIA-backed experiments (MK-Ultra), hippie counterculture, and 21st-century therapeutic revival.

-Not safe for everyone—those with mental health conditions or cardiac issues should consult a doctor first.

-Must-watch: “Wormwood” and a 1960s video of a woman on live TV describing her acid trip.

Learn more about this episode, including guests and resources on substack:https://aprilpride.substack.com/p/lsd-microdosing-for-beginners

Hosted by April Pride

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36. Music for Tripping #7

Music for Tripping #7 concludes the Psyched Audio series. The intention for this psychedelic audio journey is to move forward and away from people and patterns that no longer serve us. After living through the pandemic we have a better understanding of why toxic people and repeated self-sabotage should be extracted from our lives. 

Learn more about this episode, including guests and resources on substack:https://aprilpride.substack.com/p/music-for-tripping-7

Hosted by April Pride

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35. How to Handle a Psychedelic Comedown with Intention and Care

After the peak comes the pause. In this episode of The High Guide, host April Pride invites cannabis content creator Alexa Jesse to share her candid experience navigating a challenging psychedelic comedown on New Year’s Eve. Guided by integration coach Ariel Ojeda, Alexa reflects on migraines, embodiment, and why mushrooms can reveal where you’re not showing up for yourself. From micro-festival vibes to tearful releases, this is a grounded guide for anyone exploring plant medicine for healing—not just highs. Expect nuance, laughter, and a few hard truths about what it means to actually integrate.

🔵 Key Takeaways

-Psychedelic comedowns often highlight what still needs healing—and offer insight when navigated mindfully.

-The body sometimes resists even when the mind is open: nausea and headaches can reflect deeper energetic misalignment.

-Setting (and cleaning!) your space beforehand helps reduce anxiety and encourage presence.

-Revisiting trip music in a similar sensory environment can help with emotional embodiment.

-Boundaries—especially with oneself—are a powerful form of integration.

Learn more about this episode, including guests and resources on substack:https://aprilpride.substack.com/p/navigating-a-psychedelic-comedown

Hosted by April Pride

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34. Music for Tripping #6

Music for Tripping #6 was composed on a modular synthesizer. This audio could also be titled 'Music To Come Down To' and was composed by Tim Held, host of Podular Modcast. In 2019, the Podular Modcast host was inspired to compose this piece after tripping with friends. As the title suggests, the piece was made to listen to as your psychedelic trip winds down. Music To Come Down To is your soft landing to IRL.

Learn more about this episode, including guests and resources on substack:https://aprilpride.substack.com/p/music-for-tripping-6

Hosted by April Pride

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33. How to Use Psilocybin Therapeutically: Lemon Tek, Tea, and Trauma Healing

How do you make a mushroom trip easier on your body—and more meaningful for your mind? In this episode, host April Pride is joined by trauma-informed facilitator Liv Vasquez and tripper Meryl Montgomery for a deep dive into therapeutic psilocybin use. You’ll learn how to prep your body, set your mindset, and choose an ingestion method that supports your intention—from lemon tek to tea to easing into a macrodose. This is a masterclass in the power of plant medicine to unlock healing, gently. Whether you're exploring psychedelics for emotional release, spiritual insight, or as an alternative to antidepressants, this episode guides you with clarity, care, and lived experience.

🔵 Key Takeaways

-Lemon juice can accelerate and intensify your trip—learn how to lemon tek safely

-Therapeutic macrodosing isn’t just about visuals—it’s about clarity and emotional closure

-Psilocybin tea is gentler on the gut and offers ceremonial grounding

-The right facilitator offers guidance, not control—your intuition still leads

-“Marie Kondo of the mind”: how psilocybin helps clear old trauma with gentleness

Learn more about this episode, including guests and resources on substack:https://aprilpride.substack.com/p/therapeutic-psilocybin-use

Hosted by April Pride

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Music for Shroom Trip #5 was composed by Andy Reichel to provide a soundtrack to “love myself the most!” Why not spend a time under the influence of potent plants giving yourself the love you deserve? 

Featuring music to Trip to composed by Andy Reichel, Composer, and Monster Planet collaborator.

After listening to this episode, you will have a better understanding of…

• Why loving yourself is the first step on your path to finding true love
• How to manifest a life beyond your wildest dreams 

Sponsored by Patchwerks is where anyone of any skill level can play into their interest in electronic music by finding the right Instruments and audio equipment. Patchwerks is here to help you make and explore your own adventures in sound. All are welcome! Visit Patchwerks Seattle showroom at 4129 Stone Way North, or shop and browse online anytime at patchwerks.com.

WEB getsetset.com

IG @getsetset

YOUTUBE @getsetset

EMAIL [email protected]

Created & Hosted by April Pride 

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31. How Psychedelic Integration Helps Women Heal Pandemic Trauma

When the world shut down in March 2020, many of us—especially women—were left alone with our fear, our patterns, and our pasts. In this episode, April Pride explores how the collective trauma of the pandemic resurfaced old wounds, especially for those with a history of trauma. Through candid stories and expert insights, this conversation highlights how psychedelic integration can help us understand and release the trauma our bodies still carry. Listeners will walk away with grounded tools, emotional validation, and a sense that they’re not alone. If you're ready to reconnect with your body, reframe your story, and finally face those “fucked years,” this episode is for you.

🔵 Key Takeaways

-Pandemic trauma triggered PTSD symptoms for many—especially women with past trauma.

-Psychedelics like psilocybin can help access and release repressed memories in a safe, supported way.

-Integration practices like tapping, sensory grounding, and adult reparenting can neutralize old triggers.

-Women are more likely to use psychedelics to address trauma, especially birth-related and sexual trauma.

-Lower-dose cannabis and psychedelics can reduce nightmares, reframe trauma, and foster deep emotional healing.

Learn more about this episode, including guests and resources on substack:https://aprilpride.substack.com/p/psychedelic-integration-pandemic-trauma

Hosted by April Pride

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30. Music for Tripping #4

Music for Tripping #4 is the soundtrack to move us through the end of the pandemic, allowing us to embody a new reality led by positive emotions instead of negative ones. Composed by audio creator Tim Held, this is a psychedelic journey intended to help you process trauma even when not under the influence of psilocybin and other plant medicine. 

Learn more about this episode, including guests and resources on substack:https://aprilpride.substack.com/p/music-for-tripping-4

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29. Trust the Trip: A Real Guide to Psychedelic Integration

In this episode, host April Pride unpacks the often-misunderstood process of psychedelic integration through a rich dialogue between music, mindset, and medicine. You’ll meet composer Andy Reichel and creative entrepreneur Colton Winger as they explore how soundscapes and intention-setting shape a psilocybin journey. With support from psychedelic facilitator Natasha Lannerd, Colton opens up about fear, control, and childhood trauma—and what it really means to surrender. This episode invites listeners to examine their own relationship to safety, transformation, and the rituals we create for healing. Expect immersive storytelling, sound psychology, and soulful honesty on what it means to trust yourself in altered states.

🔵 Key Takeaways

-Psychedelic integration is the real work—blending altered insights into your everyday reality

-Music, especially improvisational compositions, can act as a guide through internal terrain

-Even seasoned psychonauts face fear and resistance—surrendering is a practiced skill

-Facilitators help frame your experience with clarity, compassion, and continuity

-Set and setting still reign supreme: your mindset, environment, and intention shape the trip

Learn more about this episode, including guests and resources on substack:https://aprilpride.substack.com/p/trust-the-trip-psychedelic-integration

Hosted by April Pride

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