Truffles and alcohol: why we ask for 48 hours
It is one of the questions we are asked most often: can I still have a glass of wine before a truffle ceremony? The short answer is that we ask for no alcohol in the 48 hours beforehand. Here is why, and what that means for the days either side.
The rule we work with
For a ceremony we ask you to leave alcohol, drugs and caffeine alone from 48 hours beforehand. It is also in the preparation email you receive a few days before. No coffee either, which for most people turns out to be the hard part.
Why 48 hours
What happens during a ceremony depends largely on three things: your set, your setting and the dose. Set is the state you walk in with, and that is exactly where alcohol lands.
An evening of drinking works through into your sleep, your mood and how clear you are the next day. Arrive on a short night with a dull head and you start the journey from a different place than if you were rested. That does not make the experience dangerous. It makes it murkier than it needs to be.
So our preparation is not really a list of prohibitions. The point of it is rest and clarity: alcohol left alone in the days before, decent sleep, lighter food than usual, and the following day kept free. More of that is under preparing for a ceremony.
What about medication?
Alcohol is one thing, medication is another. Some drugs amplify the effect of psilocybin, some dampen it, and a few combinations carry a serious risk. That is why we ask about it during the intake call, every time.
What we will never do is advise you to stop taking your medication. That is a conversation with your doctor or psychiatrist, not with us. Which drugs need particular attention is set out under risks and contraindications.
Can you drink afterwards?
The day itself closes with a meal together, so that you have properly landed before you go. After that it is mostly a matter of taking it easy. We would advise against planning anything demanding for the next day, and a heavy night out falls under that.
The days after a ceremony are often as valuable as the day itself. Things fall into place, and that happens more easily with a clear head. Around three weeks later we call you to talk through how it has been since.
If you are flying in
Worth knowing if you are travelling here: the 48 hours covers the flight and the night before as well. An airport beer the evening before you arrive is inside the window. Not a disaster, but it is the kind of thing people only realise afterwards, so we would rather say it beforehand.
In short
- No alcohol, drugs or caffeine from 48 hours before a ceremony.
- The reason is your starting position: rested and clear makes a difference.
- Medication is always discussed in the intake. Never stop your own medication for this.
- Take it easy afterwards. The days after matter as much as the day itself.
Not sure how this applies to you? The intake call is exactly the place to ask.