Many BB readers are already familiar with magic mushrooms and various psychedelics: some have read our articles, some have tried them in practice, and some have gone on trips. Personally, I have experimented with them on several occasions — one Halloween in particular was memorable — and I enjoyed the experience very much. So I was interested to learn about a Santa Monica-based startup called Reality Center, which seeks to expand consciousness and aid in healing through digital psychedelics. It's a unique combination of pulsing light, sounds and vibrations that replaces traditional drugs.
Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, is experiencing a renaissance in pop culture not seen since the 1970s. Despite its federal illegality, its mind-altering abilities are showing promising results in the treatment of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. I recently learned that Los Angeles residents at cocktail parties have begun sharing stories about their experiences with microdosing mushrooms as readily as they discussed cannabis a decade ago.
Oregon legalized the use of psilocybin mushrooms in 2020, and Colorado decriminalized it as of January. However, recent attempts to provide similar options to California residents have yet to succeed, although several cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Cruz have passed resolutions effectively decriminalizing hallucinogenic mushrooms.
For Los Angeles residents, this means that experimenting with psychedelic substances requires either breaking the law or traveling to one of the aforementioned places where mushroom cultivation has become more readily available.
This made the idea of a legal psychedelic experience in Southern California (even in a «sensory wellness» format) particularly appealing, though the $249 price tag for a 60-minute session made me wonder. Could a drug-free experience like this be worth that much? Especially when compared to the price of magic mushrooms on the decriminalized market? According to Shelby Hartman, co-founder and editor-in-chief of DoubleBlind, a magazine devoted to psychedelics, the price for an eighth of an ounce of dried psilocybin mushrooms — enough for a full-blown trip — is around $40 to $50. That means traveling to Denver and eating mushrooms can cost about the same as a digital trip.
If it really is possible to alter consciousness the way magic mushrooms or other psychedelic substances do, especially in multiple sessions (the company claims the effects accumulate), then the therapeutic or recreational results could justify every dime spent on such an experience. I decided to find out from my own experience.
I signed up for an hour-long session (using a promo code for new clients and saving $50) through the Reality Center website and filled out several documents, including a medical waiver (confirming no implanted medical devices, photosensitivity, or epilepsy). The second document resembled a New Age-style questionnaire that asked about my goals for the session, astrological sign, and disliked color.
A few days later, I found myself on busy Second Street in Santa Monica, where the entrance to the mind-expansion space was between a hostel and a hot yoga studio. I noticed four other adventurers already waiting outside.
Tarun Raj and Jonathan Chia led us into a darkened space with several rooms. (Raj is an artist and inventor, Chia is a U.S. Army veteran; they founded the company with Benji Tucker and Don Estes.) The largest room in the Reality Center resembled a fancy fitness space decorated like a high-tech recording studio: massage tables stood in the center, a psychedelic screen on one side, and an impressive array of audio and video equipment topped by a computer screen on the other.
«We do a kind of neurobiological DJing», Raj said when someone pointed out the similarity of the equipment to a DJ rig. He explained that the job of the person controlling the process (a so-called «reality manager») is to use various sensory inputs to «trigger» the mind and body, immersing them in a near-meditative state. This approach is based on Estes' theory of sensory resonance, which suggests that the autonomous nervous system can be «rebooted» by synchronizing all the major sensory mechanisms — visual, auditory, and vibratory.
The four other participants I came with were preparing to begin their experience in this room, which, according to Chia, can accommodate up to eight people at a time.
Smaller spaces were prepared for different scenarios. One space was for vocal analysis (creating a visual imprint of the voice to reinforce intention), another for post-session integration, a third for a couples experience («like when couples get a massage together»), and a fourth for a Wavetable experience. It was in the last room that I was to wait for the session to begin.
«We do a kind of neurobiological DJing», Raj said when someone pointed out the similarity of the equipment to a DJ rig. He explained that the job of the person controlling the process (a so-called «reality manager») is to use various sensory inputs to «trigger» the mind and body, immersing them in a near-meditative state. This approach is based on Estes' theory of sensory resonance, which suggests that the autonomous nervous system can be «rebooted» by synchronizing all the major sensory mechanisms — visual, auditory, and vibratory.
The four other participants I came with were preparing to begin their experience in this room, which, according to Chia, can accommodate up to eight people at a time.
Smaller spaces were prepared for different scenarios. One space was for vocal analysis (creating a visual imprint of the voice to reinforce intention), another for post-session integration, a third for a couples experience («like when couples get a massage together»), and a fourth for a Wavetable experience. It was in the last room that I was to wait for the session to begin.
Chia, who became my «reality manager», asked me to take off my shoes and glasses and lie down on the massage table with the water mattress. He told me that the mineral-laden liquid inside the mattress was designed to mimic the human body. As I prepared for the journey, Chia shared a bit about his experience.
As a war veteran, he initially tried to cope with PTSD through drugs and alcohol. His journey to inner peace began when longtime friend Raj introduced him to the healing practice of reiki. Flash forward to January 2022, when Reality Center was co-founded with Tucker and Estes.
The session began with Chia leading me through some simple breathing exercises. He then suggested that I imagine myself in one of my favorite places-I imagined a wooded, moss-covered valley near my home in Vermont, surrounded by people important to me (in my imagination, I saw my family dressed in white, like in the season one finale of American Family). «You are rooted like a sequoia tree» — he said calmly into my headphones, «strong and reaching for the sky».
After that, things quickly went to the next level. With my eyes closed, I could «see» the pulsing lights just a few inches from my face — bright and swirling colors. The singing, tinkling of bells and the powerful noise of the waves increased in my headphones as they rattled and vibrated around me. At times I heard soothing words, «We find one coal. We blow it gently, and it grows brighter. From it we make fire again…»
Halfway through the session, I felt as if a parachute halyard, to which I had not realized I had been connected all my life, had suddenly been torn away. I felt like I was hurtling through space as the waves sounded in my ears and ripples fired up my optic nerves. I felt like a grain of sand passing through the sieve of reality, dissolving at the edge of a vast ocean.
I was one with the swirling fractal rainbow aura at the center of the universe, and for a moment I thought I was watching my DNA double helixes form from the cosmic soup of nothingness. Hot tears came to my eyes — tears of gratitude and peace, as if I had been able to peek behind the curtain and see where my insignificant self was in this universe. Eventually, the sounds, pulsing light and vibrations began to fade away. When I came to my senses, Chia encouraged me to take a few deep, centering breaths.
Halfway through the session, I felt as if a parachute halyard, to which I had not realized I had been connected all my life, had suddenly been torn away. I felt like I was hurtling through space as the waves sounded in my ears and ripples fired up my optic nerves. I felt like a grain of sand passing through the sieve of reality, dissolving at the edge of a vast ocean.
I was one with the swirling fractal rainbow aura at the center of the universe, and for a moment I thought I was watching my DNA double helixes form from the cosmic soup of nothingness. Hot tears came to my eyes — tears of gratitude and peace, as if I had been able to peek behind the curtain and see where my insignificant self was in this universe. Eventually, the sounds, pulsing light and vibrations began to fade away. When I came to my senses, Chia encouraged me to take a few deep, centering breaths.
When I sat up, everything around me became as clear as it would be after a good therapy session. Although Chia assured me that only 56 minutes had passed since I took off my shoes and glasses, it felt like I had spent hours here. As I left the Reality Center, I noticed the sun shining brighter.
Was it just me, or did the abstract pattern on the elevators really resemble the fractals I had just seen? And was it the humming sound of passing cars synchronized with the barely perceptible vibrations in my solar plexus?
Some of these sensations may have been placebo effects, but even after a week, I continued to see things that reminded me of that moment when I looked out into the universe and saw it wink at me. I felt it in the hummingbirds flying by the window, heard it in the gurgle of the dishwasher, and felt it in the vibration of the cell phone in my pocket.
So, yes, this trip was worth its money. Here are a few reasons why it might be interesting for you too.
It's legal
This is perhaps the most important perk of the digital psychedelic experience. Even if you're in a place where psilocybin is decriminalized, its status as a Class I drug at the federal level makes it out of reach for many. But in the case of digital psychedelics, that's not a problem. Unless you live in a place where music and lights are banned, then you have more worries than psychedelics can solve.
It's affordable
The cost of my session was one of the highest: 60 minutes on Wavetable's «water bed». Shorter sessions are also offered for less. For veterans who need it, sessions can be free. Chia said the center has provided free treatment to 250 veterans and their families since it opened.
It is safe
The duration of a drug trip depends on many factors. When taking magic mushrooms, you get the effect for 4-6 hours. In case of digital psychedelics, the sessions last for about an hour, which is convenient for people with busy schedules, making it easy to incorporate into daily life.
Conclusion
I was surprised at how similar the digital journeys were to the ones I remember from college. I especially remembered the visual effects and the insight that comes when you realize that we are but dust specks in a great cosmic game.
The digital psychedelics offered at the Reality Center can be useful even for beginners. This technology gives people an idea of what to expect in a psychedelic experience, especially in terms of visuals. For those who have not tried anything similar, this experience can be an eye-opening experience.
With the growing popularity of magic mushrooms and their legalization in the culture, the value of the Reality Center may lie in the fact that it not only helps one look inside themselves, but also opens up new horizons.
This is perhaps the most important perk of the digital psychedelic experience. Even if you're in a place where psilocybin is decriminalized, its status as a Class I drug at the federal level makes it out of reach for many. But in the case of digital psychedelics, that's not a problem. Unless you live in a place where music and lights are banned, then you have more worries than psychedelics can solve.
It's affordable
The cost of my session was one of the highest: 60 minutes on Wavetable's «water bed». Shorter sessions are also offered for less. For veterans who need it, sessions can be free. Chia said the center has provided free treatment to 250 veterans and their families since it opened.
It is safe
The duration of a drug trip depends on many factors. When taking magic mushrooms, you get the effect for 4-6 hours. In case of digital psychedelics, the sessions last for about an hour, which is convenient for people with busy schedules, making it easy to incorporate into daily life.
Conclusion
I was surprised at how similar the digital journeys were to the ones I remember from college. I especially remembered the visual effects and the insight that comes when you realize that we are but dust specks in a great cosmic game.
The digital psychedelics offered at the Reality Center can be useful even for beginners. This technology gives people an idea of what to expect in a psychedelic experience, especially in terms of visuals. For those who have not tried anything similar, this experience can be an eye-opening experience.
With the growing popularity of magic mushrooms and their legalization in the culture, the value of the Reality Center may lie in the fact that it not only helps one look inside themselves, but also opens up new horizons.
