You Can Microdose With Your Heroes, Living or Dead (Really)

I have a 2-minute lifehack for you — spend quality time with your biggest heroes. How — you incredulously demand? It truly is possible if they have recorded speeches, a podcast or audiobooks they themselves have narrated. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Alan Watts, Terence McKenna, Julia Galef, Stewart Brand, Brené Brown … I have a long list of favorites. Who inspires you? Who do you want to be your new BFF? Why limit yourself to the people you can schedule time with?

I’ve downloaded great insights through tripping while listening to the voices of world-class thinkers and lovers. I find the words of my heroes penetrate more deeply when I’m in an altered state of consciousness. Since set and setting are so crucial, we already know to choose who we trip with carefully. I can’t believe it took me this long to figure out I could just listen to audiobooks.

Substances need not be your path if that’s not your jam. You can achieve more receptive states of mind via breath work and meditation practices. I find the practice works totally sober and unaltered, it’s just supercharged in more open states.

Voices have the power to instantly change your mood.

The quickest way to rescue yourself from a shitty mood is to turn on the voice of one of your heroes. (This works with or without substances, for that matter.) As soon as you hear them speak you’ll start attuning to their mood. So much comes through the voice that doesn’t in written word. Think how much it cheers you up to hear the voice of a friend you haven’t heard from in awhile. Before they’ve said anything more than “hey, hello, how are you” you’ve already broken into a huge smile or if you don’t like that person, triggered you into a fight or flight panic.

When your real-life BFFs aren’t available, dial up a recording of one of your heroes. I’ve listened to some of my favorite clips many times. I’ll put it on as background when I’m out walking, cooking or other tasks that don’t need my conscious language brain.

At the beginning of Brené Brown’s latest audiobook, Braving the Wilderness, before she’d even gotten past the first two sentences, I welled up with big tears down both cheeks. The joy in her voice was so palpable. I had a visual of her standing in the foam-insulated sound studio, about to read the crowning achievement of her many years of work. Her elation spilled over into me.

Give a try and let me know how it goes! Who do you want to trip with?

Want more lifehacks to connect your brain and body to find your inner dragon?

Sample cards from my upcoming card deck

I’m creating a card deck and guidebook of exercises, Becoming Dragon, to find and hone your inner fire. I’ll be recruiting a small number of alpha testers this summer to help me develop these exercises. Pop your email into this box if that’s of interest.

You Can Microdose With Your Heroes, Living or Dead (Really) was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.