This story is particularly intimate and I’m honored to have been trusted to present it with the dignity and compassion it deserves. Christopher Denmon is more than a veteran, a photographer and conceptual artist—he’s my friend. His life has not been an easy one, though it has been a journey worth the telling.

As part of this deep-diving shadow work, Christopher has been very open about responsibility using psilocybin for healing purposes and self discovery journeys which yield understanding. We asked him about this process. “After my time in service I had an overwhelming desire to take mushrooms. It came from a deep primal place, like my DNA was telling me to get them. I started taking them, and took it very seriously from the onset. I knew this had to be done with positive intentions.