🍄 Can you hear yourself think?

Earlier this year I was mid-solo-session when the building fire alarm went off.

Sudden, loud, confusing. Not the best vibe.

Heart rate up. Thoughts scrambling.

Was something actually on fire? Was I gonna have to evacuate tripping in my slippers?

I made a note of the time. Then I tried to remember: Has this happened before? Was it fine then?

It had happened before, and after checking my space and a couple of long minutes, the alarm stopped. Probably just someone’s burnt toast.

But I remember something: how hard it became to listen in that moment. Not just to sounds and the music, but also to myself.

It's had me thinking about how much can get in the way of us connecting with ourselves and others, both inside and outside a psychedelic experience. How much noise actually gets in the way of listening: in sessions, in life, in integration?

Whether you’re on mushrooms or just trying to hold a deep conversation, a lot can interfere with your ability to really hear what’s going on.

So here’s a map I put together: seven types of noise that can distort the signal.

7 Types of Listening Noise

1. Physical Noise

External sounds or environmental distractions.

Examples: alarms, traffic, construction, a buzzing fridge, people talking in another room.

2. Physiological Noise

Body-based interference.

Examples: hunger, headaches, exhaustion, needing to pee, temperature discomfort.

3. Psychological Noise

Mental distractions, anxieties, or preoccupations.

Examples: deadlines, money stress, looping thoughts, “I should be doing something else right now.”

4. Semantic Noise

Confusion caused by words themselves.

Examples: lyrics in songs, misunderstanding a term, complex jargon, euphemisms, different meanings across cultures or subcultures.

5. Emotional Noise

Unprocessed emotions that blur what you’re hearing.

Examples: grief, shame, resentment, jealousy, feeling unacknowledged.

6. Relational Noise

The dynamics between you and whoever you're with (tripsitters or co-pilots).

Examples: distrust, resentment, unresolved tension, fear of judgment.

7. Narrative Noise

The story in your head that interprets everything before it can land.

Examples: “This means I’m failing,” “I’ve already dealt with this,” “This is probably nothing,” “I’m doing this wrong.”

Why This Matters in Psychedelic Work

Psychedelics often open the channel, but they don’t clear the static.
They can even amplify the noise before they help us hear through it.

You think you’re hearing your inner voice, but it’s actually your inner critic in disguise.
You think the music is guiding you, but you’re stuck in the hum of your own expectations.

Being aware of these types of noise gives you a map. I hope it helps you troubleshoot and quieten down all the interference.

And I hope that it makes you a better listener. To others, to the medicine, and to yourself.

What kind of noise gets in your way the most? And how do you quiet it down?

Hit reply, I’d love to hear what helps you really listen.