

This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Stealing Fire" by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here.
What are the risks of psychedelics and other mind-altering experiences? How can you safely access altered states?
Psychedelics and other mind-altering experiences have become increasingly popular, and while they can have numerous benefits, it’s important to understand the potential risks involved. In Stealing Fire, Stephen Kotler and Jamie Wheal explore the four main risks of altering your state of mind.
Read on to learn about the risks of psychedelics and altering your state of mind, according to Kotler and Wheal.
Psychedelics & Altered States in Practice: The Risks
In their book Stealing Fire, Stephen Kotler and Jamie Wheal explore both the benefits and risks of psychedelics as they explore the world of higher states of consciousness. In the book, they explain how you can start exploring altered states in your own life, ending with their methods to evaluate and schedule different altered experiences throughout your life.
In this article, we’ll explain some of the risks of using psychedelics and altering your state of consciousness. Then, we’ll explore how the authors suggest you plan and carry out mind-altering experiences so you can enjoy them safely.
The Risks of Altering Your State of Consciousness
According to the authors, responsible explorers of altered states and psychedelics need to understand the risks, rewards, and ground rules of exploration before diving in. Let’s explore the four main risks: extreme ego inflation, conflating altered insights with practical success, getting addicted to the highs, and completely losing yourself in the experience.
Risk #1: Extreme ego inflation—Altered experiences, the authors say, can dissolve your sense of self and facilitate powerful insights that dangerously inflate the ego—for instance, sometimes people come back thinking they’re the second coming of Christ. To avoid losing yourself in what can seem like divine revelation, remember that your experience isn’t the end-all-be-all and take it with a grain of salt.
(Shortform note: One study found that state-changing substances can cause either ego inflation or ego dissolution. Specifically, the researchers determined that psychedelic drugs correlate strongly with experiences of ego loss, whereas cocaine and alcohol are far more likely to cause ego inflation. As such, you may be at a lower risk of ego inflation when responsibly using psychedelics.)
Risk #2: Time frustration—Altered states distort your sense of time, so it’s easy to forget that, in normal life, it takes time to deliver on the brilliant insights you find. To avoid getting frustrated by this, the authors recommend remembering that you’ll need to work to turn your ideas into realities.
(Shortform note: In addition to the authors’ suggestion above, you can try framing time frustration as an opportunity for growth and self-discovery. As Ryan Holiday suggests in The Obstacle is the Way, roadblocks on the path to your goals aren’t inherently good or bad. What matters most is how you choose to see them. So instead of getting frustrated, use the friction of daily effort to grow more resilient, persistent, and adaptable. In doing so, you’ll strengthen your commitment to your goals, learn what you’re truly made of, and develop virtues that will serve you in multiple areas of your life.)
Risk #3: Addiction—Altered states can feel incredible—specifically, the authors caution that sensations of great ease and joy can become addictive. The authors emphasize the risks of addiction, claiming that some people die chasing these states through extreme sports or lose their minds on psychedelics. The authors recommend remembering that there are no highs without lows, and they say to embrace the grit and grind of everyday life.
(Shortform note: Though altered states and some of the paths to reach them pose addictive risks, note that the classical psychedelics (psilocybin and LSD) aren’t chemically addictive. In other words, you won’t build a substantial tolerance to a substance such as psilocybin, and you won’t experience withdrawal symptoms or cravings after use.)
Risk #4: Over-immersion—According to the authors, the richness and depth of altered experiences lure some people into going too deep, too fast. Some extreme sports athletes die by pushing too far, too fast—while the risk for some psychedelic explorers is that they can lose their minds doing the same. To avoid this fate, remember that the experience means nothing if you come back broken or not at all. So take it slow, and don’t discount the value of sobriety.
(Shortform note: One popular way to ease into psychedelic use is micro-dosing, which lowers your risk of over-immersion. Micro-dosing is a practice wherein you take a fraction of a normal dose in order to acclimate to and see whether the experience is right for you. Over time you can introduce larger doses, eventually working toward full-size “trips” if you deem it to be right for you.)

———End of Preview———
Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal's "Stealing Fire" at Shortform.
Here's what you'll find in our full Stealing Fire summary:
- A modern revolution in the understanding of peak states of consciousness
- The key benefits of accessing peak states
- How some are turning to LSD and other substances to reach a peak state