I live in a small village and my neighbours are all blood relatives but I rarely leave the house or interact with others due to depression and anxiety.

During my last trip, I was walking through the neighbourhood and felt a strong urge to say hi to my neighbour, something I never do. It struck me how isolated we've all become. I wanted to greet him but my anxiety held me back, fearing he might think I was acting weird. I also thought of meeting my old teachers and socializing with them.

I saw a random woman walking on the street and I felt the need to socialize with her, even though I'd never seen her before. In my culture, greeting a woman I don't know can be problematic, so I didn't say anything. It's crazy how fucked up some cultures are. It makes sense why counterculture movements were influenced by psychedelics.

Unfortunately the effects didn't last and my social anxiety is back but I'll attempt to integrate these insights.