What does Chris Bache say about Chöd?
Bache first receives Chöd in Session 50 (ch.10 “Diamond Luminosity”) and thereafter performs Chöd before every psychedelic session; this page shows why it became the threshold of his practice.
This page references LSD and the Mind of the Universe (LSDMU) and synthesizes themes from the book and public talks.
Bache locates the pivot precisely: Session 50 initiates Chöd (within ch.10, “Diamond Luminosity”), and from that point forward it becomes non-negotiable—always first, then the session.
“Since that day, I have never done a psychedelic session without doing Chöd first.”
— LSDMU ch.10 §3 ¶5
He frames the Diamond Light sequence as both purification and integration of Vajrayāna into his protocol—explicitly telling us how and why Chöd enters the work.
“This chapter… [weaves]… the story of how I came to integrate Vajrayana Buddhist practice into my psychedelic practice and why.”
— LSDMU ch.10 §0 ¶14
Mechanistically, Vajrayāna’s Ngöndro logic mirrors high-dose dynamics: either you train first or the state purifies you—“pay me now or pay me later.”
“Purification is one of those ‘pay me now or pay me later’ things… Ngöndro… foundational practices… If one moves into higher states… the body is spontaneously thrown into a purification process by the sheer power of the state.”
— LSDMU ch.2 §2 ¶12
Philosophically, Bache argues there is no contradiction between Buddhist aims and therapeutic psychedelic use; properly held, psychedelics hypersensitize mind and surface samsaric patterns for liberation—Chöd becomes the tonic alignment before entering.
“I never felt a contradiction between my Buddhist practice and my psychedelic practice… when [psychedelics] are used therapeutically… they hypersensitize the mind… inviting a confrontation with [samsaric] tendencies that… supports the liberation of the mind.”
— LSDMU ch.10 §3 ¶13
Talks supply lineage and intention: Tara Mandala opened Vajrayāna for him, and the work is framed by bodhicitta and dedication of merit—practice for the whole, then give its fruits away.
“Through [my wife], I met teachers at Tara Mandala… I met their lineage of awakened beings, and they made a deep impression on me.”
00:54:53 — Psychedelics and Cosmological Exploration with Chris Bache – Reach Truth Podcast (2022-08-30) • 00:54:53“The first step is cultivating bodhicitta… The last step is distributing the merit… In mature spiritual practice, everything is for the benefit of the whole.”
00:55:09 — The Mind of the Universe: Diamonds from Heaven (2023-01-27) • 00:55:09
LSDMU ch.10 §3 ¶5
“This change was so palpable that immediately after the session I decided to learn Chöd myself. Two months later, I received the practice from Lama Tsultrim, and it became a regular part of my spiritual practice. Since that day, I have never done a psychedelic session without doing Chöd first.”
LSDMU ch.10 §0 ¶14
“This chapter tells the story of what happened in these four sessions. It is the story of entering the Diamond Light and of the intense purification that took place as this Diamond Light began to work its way more deeply into my physical being. … Into this narrative, I will weave… the story of how I came to integrate Vajrayana Buddhist practice into my psychedelic practice and why.”
LSDMU ch.2 §2 ¶12
“Purification is one of those ‘pay me now or pay me later’ things. In Tibetan Buddhism, monks must do Ngöndro before they are allowed to receive the higher initiations that engender realization. Ngöndro are the foundational practices that prepare the body and mind to receive the advanced teachings. … If one moves into higher states of awareness quickly, as one tends to do in an LSD session, the body is spontaneously thrown into a purification process by the sheer power of the state one is entering.”
LSDMU ch.10 §3 ¶13
“I understand the debate among Buddhist practitioners over psychedelics and the reservations some teachers have about them as agents of spiritual transformation. And yet, personally, I never felt a contradiction between my Buddhist practice and my psychedelic practice. … I do not believe that the Buddhist prohibition against ‘taking drugs that cloud the mind’ applies to psychedelic substances when they are used therapeutically, because in these circumstances they do not cloud the mind. Just the opposite, they hypersensitize the mind, and by skillfully focusing this hypersensitivity, we can bring the poisons and toxins of our mind to the surface and remove them. … LSD amplifies the samsaric tendencies of our mind and invites a confrontation with these tendencies that, if handled well, supports the liberation of the mind.”
Fogleman: What do you think it was about Vajrayana Buddhism that attracted you and felt like a home?
Bache: …Through [my wife], I met teachers gathering at the Tara Mandala Buddhist retreat center… and I began to study there… I met their lineage of awakened beings, and they made a deep impression on me.
00:54:53 — Psychedelics and Cosmological Exploration with Chris Bache – Reach Truth Podcast (2022-08-30) • 00:54:53“When one sits to meditate or do spiritual practice, the first step is cultivating bodhicitta—the wish to save all sentient beings… The last step is distributing the merit… In mature spiritual practice, everything is for the benefit of the whole.”
00:55:09 — The Mind of the Universe: Diamonds from Heaven (2023-01-27) • 00:55:09
Session 50 marks adoption of Chöd; chapter 10 explains its function (purification, alignment) and fit with Vajrayāna. The Ngöndro/purification frame (ch.2 §2 ¶12) clarifies the mechanism, while ch.10 §3 ¶13 addresses ethics/compatibility. Transcripts add lineage (Tara Mandala) and motivation (bodhicitta/merit).
Cite as: Bache Archive — Educational Docs Edition (2025). Based on the works of Christopher M. Bache, including LSD and the Mind of the Universe (2019) and public talks (2009–2025).
Excerpts from LSD and the Mind of the Universe are reproduced here under the fair use doctrine for educational and scholarly purposes. They support study, research, and public understanding of Christopher M. Bache’s work on consciousness and spiritual evolution. All quotations remain the intellectual property of their respective copyright holders.