"Benevolent Instigation" - Alt(her)ed States, Vol. 1

Benevolent Instigation

Alt(her)ed States, Vol. 1

The first iteration of a new column on women, psychedelics, and the power of asking better questions.

By Gianna Biscontini

At some point in the mid-90s, I was introduced to my first ‘zine.

To this day, I cannot recall its content, but I remember it being refreshingly edgy—different from the Babysitter’s Club books handed to me in my early years. It was not the topic that specifically fascinated me. It was the idea that people were writing about ideas and events that had previously lived underground, in the shadows of countercultures, subcultures, and marginalized groups.

These publications felt benevolently instigatory. In the words of John Lewis, they felt like “good trouble.”

Independent publications have long provided an alternative to traditional publishing routes, particularly for people whose voices, ideas, and experiences were excluded from mainstream platforms. During the Harlem Renaissance, Black writers and artists created independent literary publications to circulate work that traditional publishing would not readily embrace.

Zines, which later flourished through science-fiction fandom, punk music, comics, and other countercultural communities, became a multi-demographic vehicle through which lesser-known writers could share ideas, art, and event information. The Riot Grrrl movement in the Pacific Northwest used ‘zines to share ideas and events, directly contributing to the advancement of third-wave feminism.

In those days, one did not publish to become an influencer, build a product, or make a buck. Most of the time, they were creating a movement. Authors, artists, and poets wrote to describe and inform on life outside the lines, to escape censorship, and to convey information that needed space to breathe. I know the psychonaut readers can relate to the rush, intellectual stimulation, and sense of belonging that comes with a passion found outside the mainstream.

Around the same time my ‘zine curiosity piqued, I stumbled upon Ms., a magazine birthed by the late Gloria Steinem. Once again, I was wide-eyed, fascinated, and inexplicably refreshed. A magazine for women that not only included, but featured, cover stories on politics, sexual assault, and powerful women was, for a girl growing up in rural Pennsylvania, counterculture and radical.

There was relief in discovering that I could live outside the boxes females around me were relegated to: beauty, fashion, the various ways to shrink my body, and how to attract a boyfriend. I could join in on the conversations the men were having. I might even be able to get a seat at the table, as an equal.

Most importantly, Ms. shaped the way I would think about women. The traits of asking questions, speaking from the womb, moving with purpose, and protecting the vulnerable became synonymous with “female” in my young mind.

I didn't have the language for it then, but I was discovering something important: the freedom and impact that comes from a combination of permission, passion and knowledge. And, when needed, a dash of healthy rage.

During my first deep psilocybin journey, I was sexually abused by a male therapist.

I did my research as best I could. He had perfect reviews and proudly relayed that he had studied with a shaman. He conducted his version of preparation and offered an hour of integration a few weeks afterward—parts of the psychedelic process that I now know require so much more than I was given. But the research and information available to me at the time did not arm me with the knowledge or embolden me with the audacity to ask him deeper questions. Nor did I feel supported in reporting him after I was left on a street corner, still feeling the acute effects.

After struggling for over 20 years with endometriosis, I found solace for my body and mind in the same compound. For those of you who experience the same, you know the special kind of peace that comes with relief.

After 12 years of attempts to redefine my relationship with alcohol, I was able to pour out a glass of wine with ease (and amusement) after starting a microdosing protocol. My entire perspective on alcohol has changed, and my behavior has solidified accordingly.

As recently as 2024 and 2025, I experienced two unexpected, six-hour journeys on a small microdose—the same product and batch I had been using for months. The common denominator was that my menstrual cycle coincided with consumption. Thankfully, these experiences happened on days when my dogs happened to be at the dog sitter, I had no clients or other commitments, and the experiences themselves were beautiful and safe. But they could have gone very differently. I did not have the necessary information about menstrual cycles and psilocybin use to make an optimally informed decision for myself.

It is because of these experiences that I am decidedly not an evangelist for these plants and compounds, but a passionate advocate for their safe and supported use.

It shouldn't have taken me 20 years to find relief from endometriosis, 12 years to modify my alcohol use, or years of wondering why, with my intellectual and intuitive resources, I still fell into an unsafe psychedelic experience in the Bay Area.

My experiences are not unique, they are ubiquitous. And while that is unfortunate, there exists an undeniable and widespread opportunity for great questions, open storytelling, citizen science, empirical research, and policy shifts beyond anything we’ve seen before.

For example:

What other variables might be useful in supporting women and psychedelic use? What else are we missing?

What kind of additional support in caregiving and household responsibilities might women require during the preparation, dosing, and/or integration phases in order to provide optimal benefit? What other gender-specific stressors remain that may affect her process?

For consumption planning, what do women need to know about the timeframes of early-to-mid-follicular and early luteal phases?

In the spirit of Ms. and the ‘zines that propelled landmark advancements for women, Alt(her)ed States humbly adopts its mission, knowing there is always more room at this table:

To provide psychedelic-centric knowledge that emboldens, educates and elevates women in reclaiming their physical, spiritual and psychological health.

Of course, women are curious about how to improve their muscle, bone density, and skin elasticity. They want to eat healthier foods, reduce inflammation, and exercise more. But far and away, what I've learned from countless communities of women is that they want to feel powerful—as a professional, partner, or parent, or as the woman who exists outside each of her chosen roles.

Given this reality, more women are turning to psychedelic compounds than ever before. Whether for perimenopause, equanimity, mystical recalibration, emotional support, spousal reconnection, mental health, or behavioral support to help modify stubborn habits, one thing is certain: there is nothing a resourced woman cannot accomplish.

Alt(her)ed States exists for the women who are tired, but running on love and dedication to themselves. For the women who feel desperate and anxious in their search for answers after exhausting traditional medical and therapeutic routes. For the curious ones. The women who aren't necessarily in crisis, but who sense there is more to understand about their bodies, their minds, their relationships, and their potential.

While research and knowledge are critically important, they are not nearly enough. Knowledge is nothing without action, and for many women, action does not occur without safety, permission, leadership, care, or community.

This is where the conversation expands.

Change does not occur without courageous, passionate individuals of all genders acknowledging a simple, guiding fact:

By siloing women into an afterthought, we have done a disservice not only to women, but to the world born from their bodies.

And this fact brings us to today’s tipping point of change.

If all of humanity originates from the female body, logic would stand that women require and deserve more attention and care than our male counterparts. It's my giddy hope that this will one day be the case.

As for Alt(her)ed States, we will discuss women's health outside the siloes, with articles on women’s health as it relates to psychedelics but also sociocultural phenomena, politics, gender norms, relationship culture, and wellness trends. We aim to provide support and examples of challenging the systems, industries, and assumptions that have kept women asking for permission to understand themselves.

We cannot simply offer information in this new Era of Women (and it is an era). We must embolden and enrich beyond everything we’ve done to this point.

Women's health and psychedelics is not niche— we are over 50% of the population.

Women's health is not an opportunity—for politicians, private equity, or a gold mine for menstrual blood.

We are not a trend to capitalize on, a demographic to monetize, or a market segment to exploit.

We are entering today's conversations in the energy we have always carried:

The emboldened, informed main character.

While psychedelics are nearing the mainstream, the conversation is, in many ways, just beginning.

The Alt(her)ed States Team