Psychedelic Readiness Index

The Six Assessment Domains

Each domain evaluates a critical dimension of readiness. Questions are scored on a 5-point scale and classified by severity: Hard Stop (absolute contraindication), Caution (requires medical consultation), or Standard (normal scoring).

• 🏥 Medical & Physical Health: Cardiovascular screening, neurological history, pregnancy, liver/kidney function, diabetes, immunocompromised status. Hard stops for cardiac history, seizures, pregnancy.
• 💊 Pharmacological Safety: MAOI interactions, MAO-B/Parkinson's drugs, SSRIs/SNRIs, lithium (hard stop), stimulants, tramadol/serotonergic opioids, St. John's Wort, 5-HTP. Includes washout period guidance.
• 🧠 Psychological Stability: Schizophrenia/psychosis screening (hard stop), bipolar Type I family history, mania, active suicidal ideation, dissociative disorders, personality disorders, trauma readiness.
• 🎯 Set & Intention: Clarity of purpose, emotional stability, relationship to control, curiosity vs. escapism, willingness to face difficult material, journaling/preparation practices.
• 🌍 Setting & Support: Trusted sitter/facilitator, safe physical environment, post-experience support network, emergency plan, legal context, travel/logistics considerations.
• 🔄 Integration Planning: Therapist/integration circle, journaling practice, time off work, somatic processing, community support, follow-up protocol, lifestyle changes.

26 Medicines Covered

The Psychedelic Readiness Index provides substance-specific readiness profiles, safety data, contraindications, drug interactions, pricing ranges, provider recommendations, and tradition/lineage context for each of the following:

1. Psilocybin Mushrooms (Psilocybe cubensis) — Classic Tryptamine
2. Ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi + Psychotria viridis) — DMT + MAO Inhibitor
3. MDMA Therapy (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) — Empathogen
4. Ketamine (NMDA Receptor Antagonist) — Dissociative
5. LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) — Serotonergic
6. DMT / 5-MeO-DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) — Tryptamine
7. Iboga (Whole Plant) (Tabernanthe iboga) — Bwiti Sacrament
8. Ibogaine (Isolated Alkaloid) (Ibogaine HCl) — Clinical Isolate
9. Peyote / Mescaline (Lophophora williamsii) — Phenethylamine
10. San Pedro / Huachuma (Echinopsis pachanoi) — Phenethylamine
11. Kambo (Phyllomedusa bicolor) — Peptide (Non-Psychedelic)
12. Rapeh (Hape) (Nicotiana rustica + ash) — Sacred Tobacco
13. Sananga Eye Drops (Tabernaemontana undulata) — Amazonian Eye Medicine
14. Cannabis (Ceremonial) (Cannabis sativa/indica) — Cannabinoid
15. Salvia divinorum (Sage of the Diviners) — Kappa-Opioid Agonist
16. Yopo / Vilca (Anadenanthera peregrina) — Seed Snuff
17. Lion's Mane Stack (Hericium erinaceus) — Neuroplasticity (Non-Psychedelic)
18. Iboga Microdose (Root Bark) (Tabernanthe iboga (sub-flood)) — Maintenance Protocol
19. Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric) — GABAergic / Muscimol
20. Blue Lotus (Nymphaea caerulea) — Apomorphine Alkaloid
21. Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) — SRI (Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor)
22. Sassafras / MDA (Sassafras albidum) — Empathogen-Entactogen
23. Soma (Theoretical) (Amanita / Ephedra / Peganum) — Vedic Sacrament
24. Cacao (Ceremonial) (Theobroma cacao) — Heart Opener (Non-Psychedelic)
25. Microdosing Protocol (Fadiman / Stamets Stack) — Sub-Perceptual
26. Nitrous Oxide (N2O) — Dissociative (Short-Acting)

Key Safety Features

• MAO-B Interaction Matrix — The Parkinson's drug interaction most people miss. Covers rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl/Zelapar), safinamide (Xadago) interactions with every psychedelic compound.
• Medication Interaction Checker — SSRIs, SNRIs, lithium, benzodiazepines, stimulants, tramadol, St. John's Wort, and 50+ common medications cross-referenced against each substance.
• Hard Stop Screening — Absolute contraindications that immediately flag (cardiac history, seizure disorders, schizophrenia/psychosis, pregnancy, lithium use).
• Washout Period Guidance — How long to taper/discontinue medications before specific experiences, with clinical citations.
• Crisis Resources — Fireside Project Psychedelic Support Line, SAMHSA National Helpline, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

How It Works

1. Select your medicine — Choose from 26 substances, each with a detailed safety profile.
2. Answer readiness questions — 50+ questions across 6 domains, tailored to your selected substance.
3. Receive your readiness score — Color-coded results (Green/Yellow/Red) with specific recommendations per domain.
4. Review safety data — Contraindications, drug interactions, side effects, legal status, and provider recommendations.
5. Plan your integration — Resources for therapists, integration circles, journaling protocols, and follow-up care.

Who This Is For

• Individuals considering a first psychedelic experience who want to assess their readiness
• Experienced practitioners evaluating a new substance or revisiting readiness after life changes
• Therapists and facilitators screening clients for psychedelic-assisted therapy eligibility
• Harm reduction advocates seeking a structured, evidence-based screening tool
• Anyone taking medications who needs to understand pharmacological interactions

Research Foundation

The Psychedelic Readiness Index draws on peer-reviewed clinical research including:

• Carhart-Harris, R.L. & Friston, K.J. (2019). "REBUS and the Anarchic Brain." Pharmacological Reviews, 71(3), 316-344.
• Mitchell, J.M. et al. (2023). "MDMA-assisted therapy for moderate to severe PTSD." Nature Medicine, 29, 2473-2480.
• Johnson, M.W. et al. (2014). "Pilot study of psilocybin for tobacco addiction." Journal of Psychopharmacology, 28(11), 983-992.
• Noller, G.E. et al. (2018). "Ibogaine treatment outcomes for opioid dependence." American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 44(1), 24-36.
• Murrough, J.W. et al. (2013). "Antidepressant efficacy of ketamine." American Journal of Psychiatry, 170(10).

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