PSA Presents… Adam Butler’s Bi-Monthly Bulletin, Vol. 1
Psychedelics, Universal Truths, and Self-love:
Expanding the Conversation and Exposing the Bullsh*t
By Adam Butler
January 1st, 2026
If ever there was a topic where the concept of “universal truths” would appear to be inappropriate, there is a strong case to be made for the topic of psychedelics. The scope is too broad, too personal, too taboo, and too strange to be able to reach unanimous agreements. On paper, psychedelics seem to be the perfect subject for highlighting differences of opinion and experience. They are either poisonous drugs or divine natural medicine. They will either destroy your brain beyond repair or expand your consciousness past what you could dream of. They are statutorily illegal or a basic human right. They will cast you down into hell or propel you up to heaven. With continued use, you will either become an enlightened psychonaut or a deranged psychopath.
The truth is, there is room for interpretation. Some things, no matter how valuable they might be, cannot be scientifically proven.
Psychedelic experiences have the potential for both significant health risks, as well as health benefits, and encompass everything from endogenous DMT during meditation to candy flipping LSD and MDMA at a rave. There is a large percentage of the population that fully supports the use and exploration of plant-based medicines and synthetic psychedelics, but there are also millions of individuals who are vehemently opposed to compounds they consider to be demonic drugs that will fry your brain and consume your soul. There are old hippies and young policy makers making passionate pleas to push their ideas about how the conversation should go. I welcome the input of all well-intentioned perspectives, and think there is space for everyone’s voice to be expressed.
I have heard many opinions that cover the entire spectrum from “everyone should freely use all psychedelics,” to “under no circumstance do not touch them with a ten-foot pole.” My goal with Butler’s Bi-monthly Bulletin is to not only shed some intellectual light on these topics and foster open and honest dialogue, but also to help bridge the divide between these extreme perspectives. I believe there is a lot more common ground and areas of agreement in the psychedelic space that are not getting reported on. Energy is being wasted on trying to prove the other side wrong.
If I may be so bold, here are several universal truths about psychedelics that we ALL should be able to appreciate and agree upon in order to help move the conversation forward.
Psychedelics are NOT for everyone. As someone who has first-hand experiential knowledge of the transformative and life-saving potential of psychedelics, I know they can help heal the pain and disconnect that many individuals feel. I also know there are many reasons why they are not for everyone. These molecules can be the rocket fuel that your vessel needs to propel itself to outer space… or they can blow us up before we get off the launch pad. There are so many variables when it comes to utilizing psychedelics, but I think there are enough data points to say they can be helpful, and as we see more and more people use them, they can be harmful. It’s not as simple as saying nobody should ever use psychedelics, but it is also not as simple as saying everyone should.
Psychedelics are not a cure-all magic pill. There are many people–including me–who colorfully state how powerful psychedelic experiences can be. All of the beautiful and wonderful things that have been said by Terence McKenna, Ram Dass, Aldous Huxley, and their contemporaries are true… That being said, any potential benefits require a lot of difficult inner shadow work. If you hold up a mirror to the aspects of yourself you’ve run from your entire life, you will see gashes in your psyche that need repair. No amount of DMT, ketamine, or shroom tea will solve your problems or erase your past traumas. They will not fix your marriage or make you lose weight, nor will psychedelics cure your depression. They can be a catalyst that allows you to remember how powerful, unlimited, and connected you are. Psychedelics show you that what you’re looking for is already within you, and always has been, but finding this type of self-knowledge and self-love takes the guts to do the hard work.
The conversation around psychedelics would benefit from more transparency, scientific research, collaboration, financial backing, academic acceptance, access to information, and voices sharing their stories. I think it would also benefit if we had less ignorance, personal ego, false stigma, gate keeping, sensationalizing, and restricted access.
The conversation around psychedelics is growing, getting louder, and not going away. (I think about my wholesome mother getting her hair done while talking about how her son is the author of Butler’s DMT Field Guide and this new bi-monthly bulletin). Psychedelics, and their emergence back into our culture, our consumption, and our daily conversation is going to be a major factor in the next chapter of human history. Hopefully, they will be a meaningful part of a progressive step in human evolution. The relevance, interest, and volume of this discussion are only increasing.
And in case you want to talk about this for hours, here are some rapid-fire truths we can dig into together:
Set (intention) and setting (environment) are crucial to a positive and transformative experience.
Dosage requirements will be different for each person and situation.
Always follow your gut and intuition if something feels off or not right.
Make sure there are no unwanted or unrecognized sexual tensions or energies that may affect your comfort level or put you in an unsafe situation (this applies to all sexes and preferences).
Being in a psychedelically altered state is a unique, subjective, and personal experience that will be different for each person and is a collaborative dance with our consciousness and physical body that only the individual who has gone through the experience can truly understand.
For the first edition of Butler’s Bi-monthly Bulletin, I want to make sure we begin our interactive relationship with the same rawness and authenticity with which I share my personal experiences. I am honored to have your attention and appreciate your interest in being a part of Psychedelic State(s) of America.
The desire to help others comes from overcoming my own mental health battles. I was the overweight, drunk asshole who treated people like shit and lost everything because of it. I destroyed multiple relationships, lost my job, and threatened to kill a man. My depression and anxiety brought me gruesomely close to taking my own life. I did not know how to be comfortable in my own skin. I could not stop the mental chatter that was driving me crazy. Everything in my life had been torched by misdirected passion, crushed by internal pressures, and covered in a putrid plaque composed of self-limitations, societal smut, and both physiological and psychological blockages.
Psychedelics not only helped save my life, they completely transformed it as well. The lessons and experiences I have been exposed to while elevated in a wide range of various psychedelic states has made me a better version of myself. My opinions, combined with trusted information shared with me by others who have walked similar paths, will be expressed in these bi-monthly rants with a desire to expand the conversation, expose the bullshit, and allow for more people to feel comfortable talking about these topics. I still have much to learn on my personal journey and exploration of psychedelics, but I know that there are messages that I can share right now that will help add some data points to the ongoing and growing discussion around these powerful molecules.
As passionate and confident as I am in presenting these points, I welcome any pushback or commentary. If you, the reader, feel there is something to add to this conversation, please reach out to PSA and share your voice. We want to hear from you. The psychedelic space allows for a wide range of philosophies and beliefs when it comes to what place and role they have in our collective past, present, and future. There is room for all of the tearful recollections, emotional outbursts, and contemplative discourses. There are seats on the stage for scientists, researchers, psychonauts, evangelists and those calling for caution. Everyone is welcome. If our true desire and goal is to help and heal ourselves and our neighbors, either with or without psychedelics, then we are all on the same team.
If my words are reaching you at this very moment, it is because the Universe is giving you a synchronistic nod to remind you that you are worthy and ready to receive and resonate with all the love, light, and levity that is available to you. Let’s have open, honest, and respectful conversations about psychedelics and listen with both our heads and our hearts. No one is alone on this path.
With Love.
-Adam-
About the Author:
Adam Butler is a psychedelic philosopher, alchemist of tears, and messenger of love. Adam is also the author of "Butler’s DMT Field: A Brief History, Step by Step Recipes, and Personal Experiences From a DMT Saturated Consciousness," as well as articles including "Sex and DMT: The Path to Transcendent Euphoria" and "The Crossroads of DMT and The Monroe Institute." Adam is now sharing his experiences, insights, and ideas by collaborating with Psychedelic State(s) of America and creating "Butler’s Bi-monthly Bulletin"
The goal of these articles is to help bridge the gap between scientific research and underground exploration of psychedelics, to expand the conversation around altered and elevated states of consciousness, and to have open and honest discussions about self-knowledge, self-love, and remembering how each of us individually can unlock our fullest potential so that we as can collectively take that next progressive step in human evolution.
