Values are a codification of our Inner Truth. They provide cues guide our spiritual evolution, a path that can be made more distinct during our experiences at a psilocybin retreat. But our values can solidify into dogmas. Protective parts can emerge, standing steadfast against the threat of the external world challenging our boundaries.

How can we distinguish when a value transforms into a protective part? The clue lies within our reactions. When we feel triggered, the psychotherapeutic framework, Internal Family Systems (IFS)—which we facilitate in Ceremonia’s Colorado psychedelic retreats—informs us that we can assume there is a protective part present.

Here, we arrive at a crossroad of choices. We can allow the triggered part to dictate our existence, or we can explore further, delving into the depths of our consciousness, seeking understanding and self-realization. This is the call to inquiry, the opportunity for introspection. This is something that we facilitate into in our Level 2: Heal journey with an ayahuasca retreat: an inquiry into our values as protective parts.

The first step is intention. AH Almaas, author of The Diamond Approach, shares that the love of Truth must be our primary love. This intention affords us a position of openness.

The next step is awareness. It's a gentle inquiry into our emotional and physical reactions. Feel into your body: what signals does it give? Are you in a state of peace or one of resistance? Do these experiences align with the calmness, curiosity, clarity, compassion, confidence, courage, creativity, and connectedness – the 8 C's of Self inherent in the Internal Family Systems model? Choosing awareness over rigid certainty opens the door to curiosity. With this shift, we can approach our protective parts with an open heart and mind, seeking to comprehend their roles and purpose.

As we navigate this internal realm, we may discover that a protective part, activated when our values are compromised, is shielding something deeper. Perhaps it's the shame that emerges when we falter in upholding our values, or the guilt that surfaces when our actions, intentional or not, cause pain to others.

Being with these exiled parts allows us to unburden the stories that they hold. These often carry the energy of “shame” or “guilt” on Hawkins’ Map of Consciousness, embodied in statements like “I am not enough” or “I am not good enough.” When we can be with these, the energetic charge that is enlivened when the protectors get triggered is neutralized—there is nothing left to protect because we feel safe within ourselves.

Recognizing this dynamic of our values become dogmatic protective parts doesn't negate our need for values or boundaries. Instead, it allows us to respond with grace and understanding, rather than reactions steeped in frustration or fear. We can still hold our values, but with love rather than anger.

This is an exploration of self-understanding, a spiritual journey that gradually uncovers the layers of our Inner Truth. This process of self-discovery nurtures a deeper sense of connection with ourselves and the world around us, enriching our spiritual experience and paving the path toward personal growth and enlightenment.