Hi Reader,
Welcome to this week's edition of the Maps of the Mind newsletter.
🎄 Ghosts, Psychedelics, and the Spirit of the Season
It’s been a few weeks since I last wrote. I hope this finds you well.
As we move into the heart of the holidays, I wanted to send a quick message with season’s greetings, and a little reflection inspired by the spirit of Christmas… and psychedelics.
👻 Scrooge and the Three Ghosts
In Charles Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts. They show him what he’s lost, what he’s missing, and what could happen if nothing changes. He wakes up transformed — more connected, more generous, more alive.
I couldn’t help but notice the parallel with psychedelic work.
🕯️ The Ghost of Christmas Past
This ghost shows Scrooge scenes from his earlier life — where he started shutting down emotionally, choosing money over love, isolation over connection.
He’s shown the moments that shaped his present loneliness.Psychedelics can do this too.
They take us back — to wounds, to turning points, to small choices that became big patterns.
It’s not always easy, but it’s a chance to understand, forgive, and sometimes, to rewire.
🎁 The Ghost of Christmas Present
This ghost shows Scrooge how things are, right now.
The Cratchit family is struggling. His nephew is celebrating without him.
He sees what he’s missing by staying closed off.
Psychedelics often crack us open to the present in the same way. They make us feel more, notice more, and connect more deeply with what’s around us.
Sometimes painfully so.
Sometimes beautifully.
🕸️ The Ghost of Christmas Future
The final ghost shows Scrooge where he might end up: dead, alone, forgotten.
It’s a wake-up call.
He sees that if nothing changes, this is the path he’s on.
While psychedelics aren’t fortune-tellers, they can help us glimpse our trajectory.
They give us space to ask:
What kind of person am I becoming?
What kind of future am I creating, day by day?
🌀 A Psychedelic Season
Even without any substances, this season is its own kind of ceremony.
December invites us to reflect on what’s behind us, where we are, and what might lie ahead.
The year ending. A new one beginning.
A natural time to pause, to feel, to choose.
So whether you’re in the medicine space or simply riding the holiday energy, I hope you can give yourself a moment to ask:
- Where have I been?
- Where am I now?
- Where am I heading?
And:
- What do I want to do differently?
❤️ Warm Xmas Wishes
I also want to say, if you’re feeling disconnected this Christmas, you’re not alone. This time of year can bring up a lot.
So this is just me sending warmth.
I hope you’re able to spend time with people you care about, and if not, I hope you still feel the thread of connection through this note.
I hope we can all carry a little generosity and kindness into whatever space we find ourselves in. Whether it’s with others, or within ourselves.
Wishing you peace, love, and just enough weirdness to keep it interesting.
Merry Christmas 🎄
Did this bring up anything for you? Hit reply to share your thoughts, I read all replies.
📚 Microdoses of Wisdom
“Hell is the truth seen too late.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“To love or have loved, that is enough.”
— Victor Hugo
🎵Psychedelic Supplements
A soothing one from Nils Frahm's Wintermusik...
A remake of Xmas Carol I'll be putting on this year, cause Bill Murray...
And one from Sufjan's Xmas album
❤️ Love and mettā to you all 🎄
John
John Robertson
Psychedelic Facilitator & Educator
Webdelics' Top 100 Psychedelic Thought Leaders and Content Creators 2025
Maps of the Mind
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