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How To Have A Good Trip On Psychedelics

Psychedelics have been used for centuries for spiritual and therapeutic purposes. 

A psychedelic trip can be an incredibly profound and transformative experience, but it can also be challenging if not approached with caution and preparation. 

The purpose of this article is to provide guidance on how to have a good trip on psychedelics, covering everything from preparation to reflection.

In this article, we’ll explore what a psychedelic trip is and what it feels like, as well as the different types of psychedelics and which one may be right for you. 

We’ll also discuss the importance of finding a safe and suitable trip location, preparing both psychologically and physically, and getting the most out of your trip.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of what a psychedelic trip entails and how to have a positive and meaningful experience.

What is a Psychedelic Trip?

A psychedelic trip refers to the subjective experiences that occur when a person ingests a psychedelic substance. These experiences can be visual, auditory, and emotional, and they can vary greatly depending on the substance used and the individual’s mindset and environment. 

Psychedelic trips can last anywhere from a few hours to several days, and they can be profound and life-changing experiences for some people.

Some of the most commonly used psychedelics include psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms ), LSD , DMT , and mescaline (found in peyote cactus). 

Other psychedelics include ayahuasca, ibogaine, and ketamine . 

Each substance has its own unique effects, duration, and potential risks, so it’s important to research and understand the properties of the psychedelic you plan to use. 

It’s also important to remember that just because a substance is referred to as “natural” or “plant-based” doesn’t mean it’s safe or without risks. 

Because of this, it’s crucial to obtain psychedelics from a reputable source and to consult with a healthcare professional before using them.

What Psychedelic Should I Use?

Each type of psychedelic has its own unique properties, effects, and risks. 

For example, psilocybin is known for inducing mystical and spiritual experiences, while LSD is associated with intense visual hallucinations and altered perception of time. 

DMT is known for inducing intense and rapidly changing visuals, while mescaline is associated with more introspective and introspective experiences. 

It’s important to consider these effects when deciding which psychedelic is right for you.

When choosing a psychedelic, it’s important to consider your personal goals and intentions for the trip. 

Are you looking to have a spiritual or mystical experience? 

Do you want to explore the nature of your mind and consciousness? 

Are you looking to have a fun and entertaining experience? 

Answering these questions can help you determine which psychedelic will best meet your needs.

It’s also important to consider any medical conditions or mental health conditions that you may have, as well as any medications you may be taking. 

Certain psychedelics can interact with medications or exacerbate underlying mental health conditions, so it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional before using them.

Finally, it’s important to research the substance thoroughly and understand its potential risks, including both short-term and long-term effects. 

How Long Does a Psychedelic Trip Last?

The length of a psychedelic trip can vary depending on a number of factors, including the type of psychedelic being used, the dose, and the individual’s metabolism and body weight. On average, a typical psychedelic trip can last anywhere from 4-12 hours.  

However, the effects can linger for several hours or even days after the trip has ended.

The duration of a psychedelic trip can be affected by several factors, including:

• The type of psychedelic being used: Different psychedelics can have different durations of action, with some lasting longer than others.
• The dose : The higher the dose, the longer the trip is likely to last. You can use our Free Dosing Calculator to determine the dose that’s suitable for you.
• The individual’s metabolism and body weight: These factors can affect how quickly the body metabolizes the psychedelic, which can impact the length of the trip.
• The individual’s state of mind: Psychological factors, such as anxiety or stress, can influence the length of the trip.
• The environment: The environment in which the trip takes place can also have an impact on its length, with more stimulating environments tending to produce longer trips.

It’s important to keep in mind that the length of a trip can vary greatly from person to person and that the effects can linger long after the trip has ended.

What Does a Psychedelic Trip Feel Like?

A psychedelic trip can produce a wide range of sensations and emotions, including changes in perception, thoughts, and feelings. 

Some common experiences during a trip include:

• Altered sense of time and space
• Increased empathy and interconnectedness with others and the environment
• Intensified emotions and heightened senses
• Visual and auditory hallucinations
• A sense of unity with the universe or a higher power

The difference between a good and a bad trip

The difference between a good and a bad trip can often be determined by the individual’s state of mind and environment. 

A positive trip can be characterized by feelings of euphoria, increased creativity, and spiritual growth. 

On the other hand, a bad trip can involve feelings of fear, anxiety, and paranoia. 

A bad trip can be intense and even frightening, but it is important to remember that these feelings will eventually pass.

Everyone’s experience with psychedelics is unique, and what may be a positive experience for one person may be negative for another. 

Also, it’s important to choose a safe, comfortable environment and to be with trusted friends or guides when using psychedelics.

Where Should I Trip?

When deciding where to trip, it’s important to choose a safe, comfortable, and familiar environment. 

Some recommended locations include:

• A private and secure indoor space, such as your own home or a friend’s home
• A natural setting, such as a park or beach, that is free from distractions and potential dangers
• A quiet and calming environment, free from loud noises and bright lights

Finding a quiet and secure environment is crucial for having a positive trip. 

A loud or chaotic environment can increase anxiety and negatively impact the trip experience.

It’s also important to be in a safe place where you won’t be disturbed or have to worry about anything else. 

This will allow you to fully relax and immerse yourself in the experience.

Can You Trip Without Psychedelics?

While psychedelics are commonly associated with tripping, it is possible to induce similar experiences without the use of drugs. 

Some natural methods include:

• Meditation and mindfulness practices
• Sensory deprivation and floatation tanks
• Breathwork and holotropic breathing
• Psychedelic music and visual stimulation

Using natural methods to induce a psychedelic experience has its benefits and limitations. 

The benefits include the avoidance of potential adverse effects associated with psychedelics and the ability to experience a trip in a safe and controlled environment. 

However, it’s important to note that these methods may not provide the same level of intensity as a psychedelic trip, and the experience may be more subtle. 

It’s important to do thorough research and talk to experts before attempting any alternative trip methods.

How to Prepare for a Psychedelic Trip

Taking a psychedelic can be a powerful and transformative experience, but proper preparation is key to having a positive trip. 

Whether it’s preparing yourself psychologically, making sure you’re physically comfortable, or creating a safe and supportive environment, there are many steps you can take to ensure a successful trip. 

In this section, we’ll explore different ways to prepare for a psychedelic trip, including tips for psychological preparation, physical preparation, and setting and trip planning.

Psychological Preparation

Before taking a psychedelic, it’s important to be in a stable and positive mental state. 

Some ways to prepare psychologically include:

• Reflecting on your reasons for taking the psychedelic and your desired outcomes
• Discussing your plans with trusted friends and family
• Examining any past traumatic experiences and addressing any potential psychological triggers
• Setting a positive and supportive intention for your trip

Physical Preparation

Physical preparation is important for ensuring a comfortable and safe trip. 

Some tips for physical preparation include:

• Eating a healthy and light meal before your trip
• Staying hydrated before and during your trip
• Avoiding substances such as alcohol and caffeine
• Wearing comfortable clothing and having a comfortable environment to trip in

Setting and Trip Planning

Creating a safe and comfortable environment is key to having a positive trip. 

Some steps to take in trip planning include:

• Choosing a quiet and secure location
• Making sure the environment is free of potential hazards
• Having someone to act as a sober trip sitter or guide
• Preparing any necessary supplies such as water and comfortable pillows or blankets

How to Get the Most Out of a Psychedelic Trip

A psychedelic trip can be an incredibly profound and life-changing experience, but to get the most out of it, it’s important to approach it with the right mindset and techniques. 

In this section, we’ll cover some tips for maximizing the benefits of your trip and having a successful experience.

Techniques for maximizing the benefits of a trip

• Setting intentions: Before your trip, take some time to reflect on what you hope to gain from the experience and set specific intentions for your journey.
• Surrendering control: One of the key benefits of psychedelics is their ability to help you let go of control and surrender to the experience. To get the most out of your trip, try to surrender and trust the process.
• Focusing on the present moment: Psychedelics can help you become more aware of your thoughts and emotions, so try to stay present and focused on your experience.
• Using music and other sensory aids: Some people find that incorporating music, art, or other sensory aids into their trip can enhance the experience.

Mindset and attitude for having a successful trip

• Having an open and curious mindset: Psychedelics can challenge your beliefs and assumptions, so approach the experience with an open and curious mindset.
• Being prepared for emotions: Psychedelics can bring up strong emotions and past traumas, so be prepared to face and process these feelings.
• Trusting the process: Psychedelics can be unpredictable, so try to trust the journey and go with the flow.
• Surrounding yourself with positive energy: Surrounding yourself with positive energy, whether it’s from friends, nature, or art, can help you have a more positive trip.

Can You Trip Alone?

Yes, you can go through a psychedelic trip alone. But, keep in mind that tripping alone can be both an exciting and daunting experience. 

On one hand, solo trips offer the opportunity for introspection and a deep personal connection with one’s inner self. 

On the other hand, the absence of a trusted companion or guide can lead to feelings of anxiety or fear.

When considering a solo trip, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons and make sure you are in a stable mental state. 

If you choose to trip alone, it’s also important to have a plan in place for emergency situations and to have someone available who you trust and can reach out to if needed. 

It’s also a good idea to educate yourself on the substance you plan to use and its effects. 

Consider joining support groups or online communities for those who have had solo trips to gain insight and advice from others who have gone through similar experiences.

How to Stop a Psychedelic Trip

When taking psychedelics, it’s important to be prepared for both positive and negative experiences. 

While you can’t necessarily stop a psychedelic trip, there are steps you can take to turn the trip around.

If at any point during a trip you feel like it’s becoming unpleasant, here are some suggestions:

• Practice deep breathing and focus on your breath.
• Get into a comfortable position and close your eyes.
• Surround yourself with comforting and familiar items, such as a soft blanket or your favorite music.
• Try to calm your mind by focusing on positive thoughts or memories.
• If possible, change your environment, such as moving to a different room or going outside for a walk.

If you have someone you trust who’s willing to be there for you during the trip, having a trip sitter can be extremely helpful. 

A trip sitter’s role is to provide emotional and physical support, help manage any negative experiences, and make sure you’re safe. 

If you’re tripping alone , it’s important to have a backup plan in place for reaching out for support if needed.

How to Reflect on a Psychedelic Trip

The experience of a psychedelic trip can be profound and life-changing, but it’s not over once the effects wear off. 

To fully reap the benefits of a trip, it’s important to reflect on the experience and integrate any insights or learning. 

Reflecting on a trip can help solidify new perspectives and make lasting positive changes in one’s life.

There are several techniques for reflecting on a psychedelic trip, and what works best will depend on the individual and their experience. 

Some common methods include journaling, talking with friends or a therapist, and meditating or doing yoga to process the experience.

It’s also a good idea to give yourself time and space to reflect on a trip, without distractions or outside pressures. 

This can be done immediately after the trip, or in the days and weeks that follow. 

With a mindful and intentional approach to reflection, a psychedelic trip can continue to offer benefits long after it ends.

Psychedelic trips can offer a unique and powerful experience that can be life-changing. 

Whether you choose to take psychedelics or experience a trip through alternative methods, preparation is key to having a safe and enjoyable experience. 

Understanding the nature of a psychedelic trip, choosing the right substance, preparing mentally and physically, and setting the right environment are all crucial elements that contribute to a positive trip. 

Finally, reflection is an important step in integrating the insights and lessons from the trip into your life. 

Whether you’re an experienced tripper or just considering trying psychedelics, we hope you enjoy your next psychedelic journey!

About the Author

Austin Dixon

Austin Dixon is a recently converted psychonaut with a newfound interest in psychedelics and their affects on mental health. After thinking psychedelics were "weird hippie drugs" for 28 years, his mission is to now help educate others who are new to psychedelics.

Disclosure: We may receive affiliate compensation for some of the links on this site. You can read our affiliate disclosure in our Privacy Policy . Any product we recommend is something our team has tried out and endorses. This site does not endorse the use and/or possession of any illegal drugs. The information contained in this website regarding legal or illegal drug use in not an endorsement of any such use and should only be used for educational purposes.

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How to have a safe psychedelic trip

A psychedelic experience can be deeply rewarding, but also carries real risks. here’s how to avoid a bad trip.

by Christian Jarrett   + BIO

is the editor of Psyche. A cognitive neuroscientist by training, his books include The Rough Guide to Psychology (2011), Great Myths of the Brain (2014) and Be Who You Want: Unlocking the Science of Personality Change (2021).

Edited by Sam Dresser

Listen to this Guide.

Need to know

Humans have consumed substances with consciousness-altering properties for millennia. Traditional societies used them in healing rituals, initiation ceremonies and to make contact with the gods and the dead, among other practices. Today they are known as psychedelics, and include the naturally occurring compounds psilocybin (found in ‘magic mushrooms’), DMT and mescaline; the hallucinogenic tea Ayahuasca, used by indigenous peoples in the Amazon basin; and the hallucinogenic shrub iboga, found in West Africa.

Synthetic hallucinogenic compounds, most famously LSD, emerged in the 20th century. The synthetic ‘party drugs’ MDMA (also known as ecstasy) and ketamine (used in medicine as an anaesthetic) are not technically classified as psychedelics, but they also produce consciousness-altering effects and are often considered under the same broad umbrella as the classic psychedelics.

In the industrialised West, psychedelic substances, especially LSD and magic mushrooms, burst on to the scene in the 1950s and ’60s with intense research interest in their therapeutic potential. However, an establishment backlash began in the late-1960s as the drugs became associated with the counterculture movement and opposition to the Vietnam War. Fermenting the eventual clampdown, the psychedelics-researcher-turned-evangelist Timothy Leary exhorted American youth to ‘turn on, tune in, drop out’. Tales spread of ‘bad trips’ and associated suicides, and the field of psychedelic research fell silent for decades.

We are now living through what’s been described as a ‘psychedelic renaissance’ that began in the 1990s. Research groups around the world, notably at Imperial College London and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, have been pumping out studies uncovering the neural basis of the drugs’ effects and exploring their apparent therapeutic benefits, especially when used as an adjunct to psychotherapy.

Research trials suggest that, when used as part of psychotherapy, the benefits of psychedelics include, but are not limited to, alleviating depression and anxiety (including for people who have not benefited from other forms of therapy or drug treatment), tackling longstanding symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, treating addiction, and calming existential distress in people with terminal illnesses.

Superior trial outcomes correlate with participants’ reports of having a mystical or transcendent experience during their psychedelic session. In fact, many people who take a psychedelic drug describe the experience as among the most personally meaningful of their lives. Many are changed by their trip, displaying greater open-mindedness, humility and feelings of connectedness with humanity and the wider world.

Although they can lead to subjectively similar experiences, different psychedelic drugs exert their effects in the brain via different mechanisms. For instance, psilocybin, mescaline and LSD act principally via the 5-HT2A receptor system (5-HT, also known as serotonin, is a neurotransmitter involved in mood and perception), whereas DMT acts on the 5-HT2A system and sigma-1 receptors involved in neuronal signalling. Meanwhile, ketamine interacts with another brain chemical called glutamate by blocking the NMDA receptors that this neurotransmitter usually binds with.

At a global level, psychedelic drugs have in common that they increase levels of entropy in the brain by allowing for communication between neural regions that don’t usually interact, and reducing the activity of a group of neural areas known collectively as the ‘default mode network’, which is involved in self-conscious thought. It’s believed that these neural changes lead to ‘ego dissolution’ and facilitate the mystical feelings of oneness and transcendence that are common to many trips.

The upsurge in research interest in psychedelic drugs and reports of their transcendent, life-changing effects have led to a steady flow of newspaper stories documenting their potential, and the publication of a spate of popular books about psychedelics. As curiosity about these drugs and their beneficial effects continues to grow, it raises the question of whether it’s possible for individuals to take these substances safely – and, if so, how?

Safety and legality issues

There are certain physical and mental health conditions that make it inadvisable to experiment with psychedelics, including heart problems and a history of psychosis or bipolar disorder. Antidepressant or antipsychotic medication could also interact unpredictably with the psychedelic. ‘Chronically, SSRIs [a form of antidepressant] may reduce the effect of psychedelics while other antidepressants may have other effects. But at this point there’s just not enough known about the effect of other psychoactive drugs on psychedelics,’ explains Sandeep Nayak, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins who has trained as a facilitator in psychedelic research studies.

‘If you have underlying mental health concerns or are experiencing depression, anxiety, or any medical issues, talk to a psychedelic-friendly therapist or doctor before taking substances,’ advises Sara Gael, director of harm reduction at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) in the United States.

Even if you are fully fit and healthy, experts unanimously say that it’s a bad idea to take a psychedelic drug on your own, especially if it’s your first time. Ben Sessa is a psychiatrist, based in the United Kingdom, who has been researching the therapeutic effects of psychedelics for more than 15 years. He rejects the framing of the question in terms of whether it is possible to have a safe trip. ‘It’s like: “Is a knife safe or dangerous?”, it’s a ridiculous question. It’s about risk/benefit analysis.’ But he, like others, warns against journeying solo.

‘There are more risk factors [on your own] because there isn’t somebody there to manage your feelings or your behaviour,’ he says. ‘More importantly, you could be disorientated, and try to get in your car and drive away. Anything from the most benign behaviour – going online and buying 200 kg of avocados – to much more dangerous, there’s nobody who is not high who is able to temper your behaviour and make sure things are okay.’ Psychedelics have a profound effect on cognition, perception and coordination and you should take care to be in a physically safe, controlled environment. You should not plan to be driving, walking in traffic, be in high places or other dangerous environments which require you to be alert and coordinated.

Ideally you should identify an experienced and trusted guide or therapist to work with you before, during and after your psychedelic experience. Many cities in the US, Europe and elsewhere have psychedelics societies and these can be a good place to begin your search for a guide. At a minimum, make sure you are with a trusted and competent friend to keep you as safe as possible for the duration of the drug’s effects (consider, for instance, that the mind-altering effects of LSD can typically last up to 12 hours).

Another glaring practical issue is that, in most jurisdictions around the world, psychedelic drugs are illegal and if you are caught in possession, you will face criminal charges. This also has important implications for sourcing drugs safely. Françoise Bourzat, who has worked as a psychedelics guide in California for decades and is the author of the book Consciousness Medicine (2019), says that to source the drugs you will have little option other than to rely on word of mouth. ‘Always test your drugs,’ adds Gael. ‘Test kits are available on the DanceSafe website.’

If you decide to go ahead and it’s your first time, it’s sensible to start out with a weaker dose and, as mentioned, to pay due attention to the duration of the drug’s effects. The PsychonautWiki community encyclopaedia has information on dosing, duration and other practical issues.

However, even if you take these practical precautions, other experts urge an even more cautious stance. ‘I can’t and don’t endorse the use of psychedelics outside of research settings,’ says Nayak.

Fortunately, the physiological risks from the classic psychedelics are low to zero. ‘LSD and psilocybin are virtually inert physically – they have very low physical toxicity profiles so there are minimal physical risks,’ says Sessa. ‘They’re also not moreish,’ he explains. ‘You can see this in animal trials, they won’t repeatedly self-administer psychedelic drugs, they’ll take a single dose and then just largely ignore options to redose. So, the risk of addiction to psychedelics is low. Taking MDMA repeatedly long-term can be more harmful, but studies show that the physical risks go down after stopping.’

The main risks are psychological, and this is why preparation is so important. As safety guidelines for psychedelics trials from Johns Hopkins University put it: ‘The most likely risk associated with hallucinogen administration is commonly known as a “bad trip” and is characterised by anxiety, fear/panic, dysphoria, and/or paranoia.’

The most effective way to minimise the risk of a bad trip occurring is to prepare well. The Johns Hopkins advice is for guides and therapists to discuss the broad range of psychological effects that can be experienced under the influence of a psychedelic, including out-of-body sensations, the evocation of powerful memories, distortions to time and space, and feelings of oneness with the world, to name but a few. It’s also important to pay due attention to what Leary called ‘set and setting’. Most relevant to the preparation phase, ‘set’ describes the mindset and intention you bring to the psychedelic journey, and an experienced guide will work on this with you. The ‘setting’ refers to the physical, social and cultural environment in which the user takes a psychedelic drug.

‘Are you entering the experience with a certain need in your life? Do you want to explore something? Do you need healing? Do you have an emotional relationship that is problematic, burdened by childhood issues?’ asks Bourzat. ‘Do you want to be connected more with spirits or explore your relationship with nature? You don’t have to have a pathology to have an experience, but it’s a good idea to know why you’re doing it. What are you looking for in the journey? That’s the preparation.’ Other basic aspects of preparation, she adds, include writing a journal and preparing the body by fasting and avoiding alcohol.

The journey

Researchers have known about the importance of the ‘setting’ in the psychedelic experience for decades . In a series of studies published in 1960, Robert Hyde, a doctor at Boston Psychopathic Hospital, spent three years observing how the effects of LSD varied in different contexts. For instance, in the second year of his research, volunteers were treated as ‘research objects’ and given structured tasks to complete, whereas in the final year, the experience involved more chance for relaxation and personal support from and rapport with the researchers. Needless to say, the final year was generally associated with positive psychedelic experiences whereas the second year led to more unpleasant outcomes.

If you take a hallucinogenic drug at a party, even the attitude – the ‘set’ – of your friends could influence the ‘setting’ and thereby make a difference to your own experience. A field study in 2002 found that, on the rare occasions when people taking MDMA/ecstasy at parties reported bad experiences, this usually coincided with the user’s friends having pessimistic expectations or concerns about the trip. ‘A sense that another user, particularly a friend or acquaintance who is part of the collective, is not having a pleasant experience may have a deleterious effect on the group as a whole,’ the researchers said.

When it comes to a more formal, guided psychedelic journey, Bourzat explains that the setting is literally where the journey is happening: ‘What is the location? Who is sitting with you? Who is helping? What is the expertise and style of the guide? It also includes the length of time … What is guiding the work? Is it nature? Is it someone singing for you? Is there music playing? Is it quiet? All these different elements create the setting.’

She adds that commonsense steps to take include ensuring that the room is comfortable with soft furnishings and that any music is conducive to a pleasant experience. ‘I wouldn’t play rock and roll or house music. It should be expansive, not just classical but also more contemporary, or new age or tribal, African, Tibetan – anything ambient that’s conducive to introspection,’ says Bourzat.

If you have any frightening experiences or difficult overwhelming emotions, the usual advice is to surrender to these rather than trying to suppress them or run away from them. ‘Whether the disturbance consists of frightening illusions or internal imagery, difficult thoughts and feelings about some past or present personal issue, or anxiety related to a radical change in sense of self (eg, temporary loss of self-identity), the volunteer is encouraged to mentally surrender to the experience, trusting that her or his usual state of consciousness will return when the drug effects resolve,’ state the safety guidelines from Johns Hopkins University.

Integration

Following your psychedelic journey, it’s critical that you process the meaning of your experience with a guide or therapist. This ‘integration’ should take place during the two to three months after your experience. ‘When people take drugs recreationally, like just go to a festival and take LSD and then go home, that’s where they tend to run into problems because there’s a lack of integration of the experience,’ says Sessa.

One of the key aims of integration, Bourzat explains, is to carry the beneficial aspects of the psychedelic journey into everyday life. ‘If someone had a beautiful experience of nature, and in the journey they experienced beautiful birds, a meadow, then I would say you actually need to do that in your life. You need to cultivate that experience, and maintain that goodness that you connected with in the journey,’ she says. ‘Or say someone connected with a loved one they had lost, and felt love and tenderness and dealt with unfinished business in the journey, then I would suggest some ritual in real life – writing to the deceased person or beginning a journal and making that part of their life.’

Gael notes that integration therapists have different approaches and backgrounds. It’s important to find a guide or therapist whom you trust and who is nonjudgmental. ‘One helpful resource for finding integration support is the Psychedelic Support [network],’ she says.

Key points – How to have a safe psychedelic trip

• Remember that psychedelic substances are illegal in most jurisdictions.
• If you have physical or mental health issues, speak to a sympathetic doctor before experimenting with psychedelics. People with a history of psychosis or bipolar disorder are usually not allowed to participate in psychedelic research trials because they face heightened risks.
• Ensure you are in a physically safe, controlled environment. Always start with a low dose.
• Don’t take psychedelic drugs on your own. Find an experienced guide or therapist whom you trust.
• Use word of mouth at psychedelic societies and elsewhere to source psychedelic substances safely, and use online testing kits to ensure their quality. Alternatively, for greater safety, consider signing up to a research trial conducted at a university.
• Remember the importance of set and setting. Work with a guide who will help you prepare for your psychedelic journey, sit with you during the experience, and conduct integration with you for several weeks or months afterwards.

The main safety challenges confronting anyone who wishes to experiment with psychedelics stem from their illegality, meaning that there is no formal regulation of the training of psychedelic guides, nor is there a reliable way to source the drugs safely. Many researchers in the field, including Sessa, have been campaigning for drug-law reforms for decades. ‘The current situation is a total practical folly and extremely dangerous, utterly immoral and totally unpoliceable,’ he says. ‘It’s putting our heads in the sand and not addressing the fact that many people will take these drugs. It’s like the prohibition era in the States but on a much larger scale. The only way to control potentially dangerous drugs is through appropriate regulation. Imagine if scuba diving were outlawed – people would still do it, but now there were would be poor training, poor equipment and loads of people dying.’

Until the laws are changed, and outside of a research environment, the best route to a safe experience lies in finding a suitably trustworthy and experienced guide – someone who is vouched for by others. And it’s key that this guide will work with you before and after your psychedelic journey.

‘There’s lots of underground therapists in this country and elsewhere, these so-called healer/shaman/guru-type people who will quite happily take you down to Totnes and take four grand off you and take you into their yurt and give you a bag of mushrooms, but they won’t give you the other stuff; they won’t do the preparation and they won’t do the integration, so people are left hanging high and dry,’ says Sessa. ‘I always say to people who’ve found a so-called shaman or healer: “Ask this guy if he will see you for three weeks before and three weeks afterwards, and I bet he won’t.” That’s the bit that’s missing, not only from recreational use, but also from underground use.’

Until the laws change, signing up to a research trial is probably the least risky way to experience a psychedelic trip. These are being conducted at various research institutions around the world, principally: the University of Bristol, Imperial College London, Newcastle University and Manchester University in the UK; and at Johns Hopkins University in the US.

Links & books

Erowid is a US-based organisation that provides ‘reliable, nonjudgmental information about psychoactive plants, chemicals, and related issues’.

Bluelight is an ‘international, online, harm-reduction community committed to reducing the harms associated with drug use’.

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a US-based ‘non-profit research and educational organisation that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana’.

DanceSafe is a public health organisation, founded in California, that provides ‘a nonjudgmental perspective to help support people who use drugs in making informed decisions about their health and safety’.

PsychonautWiki is a ‘community-driven online encyclopaedia that aims to document the field of psychonautics in a comprehensive, scientifically grounded manner’.

The Psychedelic Renaissance (2nd ed, 2017) by Ben Sessa is an excellent introductory textbook that describes the cultural history of psychedelics, and is the most up-to-date review of contemporary work in the field.

Consciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth (2019) by Françoise Bourzat with Kristina Hunter is a ‘comprehensive guide to the safe and ethical application of expanded states of consciousness for therapists, healing practitioners, and sincere explorers’.

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence (2018) by Michael Pollan is a ‘brilliant and brave investigation into the medical and scientific revolution taking place around psychedelic drugs ­– and the spellbinding story of his own life-changing psychedelic experiences’.

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Good Trip 101: Beginner’s Guide To Psychedelic Experience

So, you’re taking a psychedelic trip? Great, I’m sure you’ll have a blast. Here are the basics to a successful flight and how to avoid a bad trip, whether it’s with LSD, magic mushrooms, or San Pedro . Follow these and you’re onto a winner.

Respect The Trip

Sorry to start with a boring one but it needs to be said. Know that psychedelics are powerful substances and be prepared for a strong experience. It can be tough finding yourself in a trip that is more intense than you expected but if you’re prepared for a big experience then you’ll be ready to handle it. Psychedelics are different to other types of drugs so if you think it’ll be like weed or MDMA, think again. Consider your  dose  carefully.

Clear Your Schedule

Free yourself of obligations and unwanted distractions. Let go of to-do lists. Nagging thoughts of jobs or chores won’t help. Give yourself the whole day free and ideally the next day too. Switch your phone off – I was once with a friend who got a call from an upset girlfriend right as we were coming up and it marred the start of the trip. It was nothing that couldn’t have waited until the next day.

Choose Your Company Carefully

Be with people you trust and like. You’ll feel good in their company and it’ll be reassuring if things start to go south. Avoid abrasive friends, large crowds and others who aren’t also tripping, with the exception of a sitter. If you’re planning to fly solo, do your homework – see links at the bottom of this page.

Be Positive

Psychedelics can be fun! Go in with a smile on your face and a positive frame of mind. See it as an exciting adventure and an opportunity to learn. Not to say that there won’t be any difficult moments but this will push you in the right direction. If you find yourself in a tough spot just remember that the experience is temporary. You also may have more control and ability to change the direction of the trip than you think. It normally just takes a deep breath and a smile to bring you back to a positive place.

Wear your most comfortable clothes, think loose, soft and warm. Being physically comfortable will help to relax you. If you’re going out, a blanket or something to lie on is nice. If you’re staying in, have a space where you can lie down and stretch out.

Don’t Fight It

You decided to take the substance, you took it, and now you’re having the experience. So don’t now decide that you don’t want it and try to resist, you’ll only struggle and make things worse. Open yourself to the experience and explore! As a wise man once said: Buy the ticket, take the ride.

A Little Preparation Goes A Long Way

A little preparation can make the journey so much more seamless and stress free. If you think you might want to write, have a pad and pen ready. Draw? Paper and colours. If you’re planning to go out for a bit, leave a packed bag by the door. Have some snacks ready. The time on the trip should spent enjoying it, not looking around for things or packing bags. Set it up to be that way.

The same applies with music. Make playlists ahead of time so all you need to do is press play and enjoy – you won’t have to continually play DJ. Navigating spotify and the entire history of recorded music whilst tripping balls isn’t that fun. If you’re tripping with a friend, make a playlist together beforehand. Having a ‘chill’ playlist on hand is always good, you can listen to it at the start for a gentle glide in and you can put it on again…

If It Gets Too Much

If possible, first get your self to a quiet or secluded place.

Take a deep breath. Relax. Remember, you’ve taken a drug and the effects are temporary, they will wear off. Focus on your breathing and relax your body.

If that doesn’t help, change something. Change the music or switch it off. If you’re sitting, stand. If you’re watching a video, try drawing. Go to another room or outside. If you’re with others, try spending some time alone – just be sure to tell them where you’re going and not just disappear. You don’t need to struggle through whatever is happening, just make an alteration to your situation.

If it feels like what’s happening will last forever, write down the time, put on a chill track and listen to it, then look again. You’ll see that time is passing and can reassure yourself that this will end. Things will go back to normal. Until then, enjoy the rest of your trip!

Safe Travels!

Have I missed anything? Leave a comment below.

Further Reading:

Related posts:.

I’ve heard mushrooms that contains psilocybin can help you cope with depression? I have been searching about this and find this article here https://www.trufflemagic.com/blog/can-magic-mushrooms-treat-depression/ and its really fascinating. Can you give my any ideas about this? Any guys who have personal experience using this kind of mushroom?

Hi Clair, yes there is research that shows psilocybin can help with depression, you can find a lot about this online – here’s another link http://www.bbc.com/news/health-41608984

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Psychedelics 101: How to Trip for the First Time

On May 8, 2019, the US saw its first city, Denver, vote yes to decriminalising psilocybin mushrooms . It follows that more and more newbs will be trying psychedelics, as discussions around their therapeutic properties continue to enter the mainstream. If you’re one of those newbs, you should know that tripping with a positive mindset in a sensible setting, is a crucial part of taking any psychedelic trip. Here, Shelby Hartman and Madison Margolin, the founders of a new magazine devoted to psychedelics, DoubleBlind break down everything you need to know about taking your first psychedelic trip—whether MDMA, mushrooms, LSD, or Ayahuasca.

We’re currently experiencing a wellness paradigm shift. Meditation increased among US adults from four to 14 percent between 2012 and 2017, according to the National Center for Health Statistics . Yoga also increased among Americans during that time, from 10 to 14 percent. Meanwhile, the global wellness industry grew 13 percent from 2015 to 2017. People are clearly looking for new ways to not only heal, but to thrive. And the cannabis and psychedelic movements are just one more indication of that.

Alongside the explosion of the cannabis and CBD industries, psychedelics—or plant medicines, as some call them—have become increasingly popular among people coping with mental health conditions and seeking to deepen their spiritual journeys.

Since the mid-90s, psychedelic drugs—which were banned from research for decades due to stigma—have once again become the subject of rigorous investigations at prominent universities, including the University of California, New York University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Psilocybin, the primary psychoactive component in psychedelic mushrooms, has shown promise for treating depression, eating disorders, nicotine addiction, and cocaine addiction, among other conditions. In a small, but rigorous clinical trial last year, ayahuasca, too, was found to rapidly improve treatment-resistant depression. And MDMA, often called ecstasy, has been placed by the Food and Drug Administration on the fast-track to being approved for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by 2021.

All this emerging evidence as well as the cultural buzz around psychedelics—fueled largely by Michael Pollan’s New York Times bestseller How to Change Your Mind —has contributed to a growing interest in psychedelics. Dozens of ayahuasca retreats now take place every weekend in major cities around the world, while microdosing (taking small amounts of acid or mushrooms) has become as socially acceptable as drinking coffee in the startup world.

Nevertheless, tripping can be an intimidating prospect, especially if you’ve read some of the harrowing accounts of bad trips on the internet. So how can you know if a psychedelic is right for you? And, if it is, how can you best prepare for that first experience?

Bia Labate, founder of the Chacruna Institute for Plant Medicines , says figuring out which psychedelic to take, if any, is an elusive process. Do your homework. Read as much as you can about these substances: Erowid and The Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelics Studies (MAPS) are good resources. And make sure that you don’t have a mental health condition or you’re not taking medications that could put you at risk while under the influence of the psychedelic you’re considering. But ultimately, Labate says, it’s about having “ a spiritual and personal calling ” to a particular substance.

For Cat, who asked to keep her last name anonymous, that calling was to MDMA. She’d long struggled with depression and anxiety. “To be honest, when I first got into doing psychedelics, I was very, very timid,” she says . “I was in the camp of ‘you people must be crazy.’”

Prior to trying psychedelics, Cat, a 32-year-old living in Los Angeles, had tried what she calls “basically every other tool” for getting better: a Vipassana retreat, Tony Robbins seminars, and three years of therapy. MDMA, in one session, gave her mental and emotional breakthroughs nothing else did.

“Your brain just makes these connections that it wouldn’t have otherwise,” she says. “There’s this glass that shatters and when it shatters you have no choice but to move forward.”

She chose MDMA because, to her, it seemed like a “softer, fluffier” place to start than a classic psychedelic like mushrooms or ayahuasca, which have a reputation for being quite challenging. In contrast, some people prefer mushrooms or ayahuasca because they’re natural and thus steeped in cultural and spiritual traditions.

“ It depends on the person, and each one's sensitivities,” says Labate. “Some people will be more drawn to synthetics, others to natural plants. Some identify with religious groups whereas others prefer medical models.”

Regardless, experts agree, in order to have the deepest, most beneficial trip possible, it’s important to prepare. Here’s how.

Mushrooms/Psilocybin

Interestingly, in all the clinical trials looking at psilocybin, the more spiritual a person’s trip, the more they received therapeutic benefit from it.

So, for example, if a person enrolled in a psilocybin trial to quit smoking, the more they experienced qualities like “a oneness with all things,” the more likely they were to remain off cigarettes after their trip. This, for researchers, brings up questions about the connection between healing, mental health, and spirituality. Unlike more traditional antidepressants which need to be taken regularly to have an effect, it seems psychedelics only need to be taken a few times to change a person’s outlook, mental health, and relationship with others. This is, perhaps, in part, because the shift in perspectives from a trip persist long after the trip itself.

If you feel called to trip on mushrooms, most people tend to do them for the first time at home, says Michelle Janikian, journalist and author of Your Psilocybin Mushroom Companion. This is because the most important thing, especially for your first trip, is to feel comfortable. A standard dose is often an eighth of an ounce, but, Janikian says, it’s best to start with two grams or less.

When people do trip at home, Janikian recommends that they tidy up first. It might sound weird, she says, but experienced trippers often say that clutter or grime can be disruptive while on a psychedelic.

The idea is to create a safe container for yourself, without distractions that might take you out of the moment.

In terms of who to trip with, it’s always good to choose a person (or at most three or four people) who know you intimately, like a significant other or best friend.

It’s also good to consider, if it’s your first trip and you’re nervous about it, to have a “sitter,” someone who, ideally has experience with psychedelics, and is not tripping so they can be fully present for you.

Take the time, before you begin, to create a playlist of music that you love and ensure that you have items you might need available (water, a journal, comfort items, etc). The whole experience lasts around four to six hours.

Mushrooms run a much lower risk of being laced than, say, MDMA. That being said, if you want to be confident of their source, you can grow them at home. Psilocybin mushroom spores are legal in all but four states and can be purchased pretty easily online—so can the equipment needed to grow them. Spore Works is a popular site for spores and Midwest Grow Kits is a good place for the equipment.

There’s also mushroom retreats for people who want to trip in a more structured setting. MycoMeditations in Jamaica and Buena Vida Retreats in Mexico are both trusted sites.

Afterwards, be sure to set time aside for what’s called “integration,” the process in which you make sense of your experience and incorporate the lessons from it into your life. You can do this alone through journaling, movement, yoga, or any other meditative practice that works for you. You can also seek out psychedelic integration circles through the website Meetup, visit MAPS’ Zendo Project at a major festival, or find a psychedelic integration therapist through MAPS’ database .

Acid versus shrooms: it’s an age-old question. These days, most of the psychedelic research in the United States is investigating psilocybin. In the early days of psychedelic research, though, acid and psilocybin were both being investigated—and showing promise—for many of the same conditions: depression, end-of-life-distress, and alcoholism, among others. In fact, between 1947 and 1966, more than 40,000 patients received LSD and more than 1000 scientific papers were published on it.

When psychedelic research picked up again in the early 2000s, researchers decided to administer psilocybin—instead of acid—for two main reasons: it doesn’t last as long and it comes with less cultural stigma. In comparison to psilocybin mushrooms, which last four to six hours, LSD can last anywhere from six to 15 hours. It’s not typically taken in a ceremonial setting—we’ve never heard of any retreat centers offering it—but it can be taken with an underground therapist or with friends.

Janikian says the general consensus seems to be that acid is less emotional than shrooms. Some people, she said, also prefer shrooms because they like the idea of taking something that’s natural. That being said, they are similar and many of the same tripping rules that apply to shrooms, apply to acid too.

Make sure when you take it you’re in a safe environment with people you trust. Prepare ahead of time by setting an intention. And always veer on the side of taking less than more.

Start with half a tab and then take the other half in a couple hours if it’s not strong enough. Know the person you’re buying from and, if you don’t, be sure to test your acid with a Dance Safe testing kit .

Like with mushrooms, figure you’re going to need a couple days, at least, to process your trip after it’s over and put a plan in place for doing that.

MDMA is, of course, a popular recreational drug. In the 2014 Global Drugs Survey, more than 20 percent of young adults who reported “clubbing” at least four times per year reported using MDMA within the last year. That being said, it’s not commonly taken among friends as a therapeutic or spiritual tool the way shrooms and acid are. Typically, when taken for mental health reasons, it’s administered by a therapist (or two) who are trained in guiding people through MDMA experiences. This is the model that has been successfully used by the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelics Studies (MAPS), the research nonprofit behind all the pioneering work looking at MDMA for PTSD.

MDMA was a popular psychotherapy tool, administered to individuals and couples in therapy, before it was banned by the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1985 amid concern about its role in rave culture. Now, it’s showing promise as a medicine for trauma among veterans, women who have been sexually assaulted, and others. There’s also a trial, slated to start up again this year, looking at MDMA for racial trauma among people of color.

Take care of yourself in the days preceding the trip. Hydrate. Live cleanly. Journal. Set intentions. And then, once you’ve taken the medicine, relax and trust the experience.

For Cat, her experience with MDMA lasted about eight hours, from the time she took the first dose to the time that she was back on her feet, getting picked up by a close friend. Her personal therapist was there with her—throughout the experience—getting her water, playing her music, and taking notes as she had revelations. The most important thing, she said, is to properly prepare and to properly integrate your experience once it’s over. Like with any psychedelic, take care of yourself in the days preceding the trip. Hydrate. Live cleanly. Journal. Set intentions. And then, once you’ve taken the medicine, relax and trust the experience.

Afterwards, Cat recommends making an active effort to incorporate the lessons learned from an MDMA trip—or any other trip, for that matter—so they don’t just slip away. Also, she says, expect that you’ll be low energy and emotional in the days following the experience. This differentiates MDMA from shrooms and acid which, instead, often cause what’s known as “the afterglow effect” in the days following a trip. To help with the MDMA comedown, some people recommend the supplement 5-HTP.

Regardless of where you take it, MDMA is still illegal in the United States and runs a high risk of being adulterated so it’s important that you know where it’s coming from. If you want to be extra safe, you can buy an MDMA testing kit from DanceSafe.

If you’ve read accounts of trips online, ayahuasca is perhaps one of the most intimidating plant medicines. People who have never taken it before are often deterred by what’s called “purging,” or vomiting. It’s true. You have to be prepared for that. That being said, ayahuasca has shown promise as a treatment for addiction, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. People feel called to it, too, because it’s been drunk for millennia and is typically served in a communal, ceremonial setting.

Once you’ve decided to do ayahuasca, one of the most important decisions to be made is where. The Chacruna Institute for Plant Medicines, Labate’s organization, put together some basic guidelines to determine if a place is safe and following the proper protocol.

Drinking ayahuasca is not like going to the movies or going to a party. It’s something that can change your life forever so you have to think deeply about if you want do it.

The only organizations in the United States which are legally allowed to serve ayahuasca for religious purposes are the Santo Daime and the União do Vegetal, known as the UDV. They’re both ayahuasca churches with roots in Christianity. The Santo Daime church is relatively open, all that’s required to join is an interview and a screening process.

There are, of course, dozens of illegal ceremonies in major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Denver, and Portland, but there are also, now, emerging scenes in the middle of the country and the South. Some of these ceremonies are held by Americans—with a wide-range of training—while others are held by shamans visiting from South American countries.

Since the 70s, there’s also been an ayahuasca tourism industry in Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, and Colombia. It’s exploded in the last decade as ayahuasca has grown in popularity. Temple of the Way of the Light is a trusted retreat center in Peru. Cosmic Sister is an organization that offers grants to women who want to drink in the Amazon. The Heroic Hearts Project provides similar opportunities to veterans.

Some people prefer to drink where they live so they can easily get home after the experience. Others, however, feel called to drink in the Amazon, where the medicine originates. They’re both legitimate, says Labate. The most important thing is to look at the credentials of the ceremony facilitators.

Preserve your body, try to sleep well, don’t engage in fights, be in a nice atmosphere, be calm, be concentrated, focus on your intentions. Don’t eat a lot of trashy foods, canned foods, alcohol, pork or spices.

Do they have ties to a particular tradition or community? Where were they trained? Do they have protocols in place for how you should prepare for the ceremony? Where do they get their medicine and how do they make it? (They might not disclose this as, Labate says, it’s often considered secret, but it’s reasonable to ask.) A red flag is if they don’t have a screening process in place that does an intake of your health and what medications you’re on to ensure that it will be safe for you to drink ayahuasca.

After you’ve decided where you’re going to go, other considerations are how many nights you’re going to drink (typically first-timers drink at least two nights in a row), whether a friend is going to come with you (Labate recommends it), and, of course, your intention.

In the days leading up to the ceremony, Labate says: “Preserve your body, try to sleep well, don’t engage in fights, be in a nice atmosphere, be calm, be concentrated, focus on your intentions. Don’t eat a lot of trashy foods, canned foods, alcohol, pork or spices.”

Afterwards, make sure that you have a support system in place to help you process your experience. “Don’t just jump in. Drinking ayahuasca is not like going to the movies or going to a party,” says Labate. “It’s something that can change your life forever so you have to think deeply about if you want do it.”

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Mind & Body Articles & More

Can a psychedelic experience improve your life, evidence is mounting that psychedelic-assisted therapies can improve well-being, in ways that are similar to mindfulness practices..

My earliest exposure to psychedelics came from growing up near the Haight Ashbury in San Francisco, well past the glory days of the Summer of Love. The Haight Street of my youth was a tourist destination for hippiesque consumerism, not a countercultural hub, though I was aware that a drug called lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) created much tie-dye and “the best music of our time,” according to those who were allegedly there. My parents’ own Summer of Love included stories of pot and protest but no near brushes with acid, as LSD is sometimes called. At one point, my dad (an emotion researcher) was poised to study the impact of LSD on emotion—but then its ban came down in 1968, and that was that.

Fast forward some decades to 2016, to an intimate, informal, and friendly potluck made up of pioneering researchers and underground therapists who had been illicitly guiding hundreds of clients through psychedelic-assisted therapy. Surprisingly, this gathering was in my living room. A few weeks earlier, I had attended an inspiring research presentation on psilocybin therapy at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, where I was a postdoctoral fellow. I learned that psychedelics are a class of substances—including psilocybin, LSD, and DMT—known to initiate brief, potent effects on consciousness. Anthony Bossis, a New York University researcher, shared the results of a study with dying cancer patients. His data, though with a small group, was impressive. The patients in his study had hugely improved their quality of dying and relative well-being—and this far surpassed any other intervention tried for this group. As Bossis described, the participants were freer from anxiety and distress, and they were able to be present for loved ones and face death with peace.

I had not expected to see this kind of talk in the conservative halls of a University of California medical school. My department of integrative medicine is aggressively rigorous, including only the highest-caliber research trials on mindfulness; they are a stalwart against the woo-woo. My own research focused on meditation and emotion-regulation interventions to prevent burnout for health care workers. Bossis’s talk was so inspiring because I shared the goal of reducing stress by turning with compassion toward stress and difficulty. Bossis presented another pathway.

After the talk, I recognized a friend from graduate school and discovered he was helping organize an end-of-life study at the University of California, San Francisco, that tested psilocybin, a psychedelic substance derived from a fungus. I offered my help as a qualitative researcher, but my greatest asset at that planning stage was a large living room that could be used for meetings. We held these psychedelic research potlucks in my own and others’ homes because being associated with this research is dangerous for one’s career—one physician in our group had been pushed out of his department for suggesting a study.  The therapists needed a private meeting to speak freely, because they were engaging in illegal activities by providing psychedelics to their patients outside of the research paradigm. Together, we were able to strategize and overcome governmental and institutional red tape. (There was another reason why the group needed to be invitation-only: We didn’t want to attract a group more interested in dropping acid than studying it.)

The enthusiasm among these researchers and pioneering therapists was contagious. I wondered if this was similar to what had been felt in gatherings of meditation teachers and researchers thirty years earlier. I learned a lot meeting many accomplished researchers and guides, including the coauthor of this piece, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, who was a project manager and qualitative researcher in the New York University study with Bossis. Everyone shared a fervent desire to alleviate the suffering of their patients and clients by providing an opportunity to transcend and gain insight into the causes of this distress.

These conversations expanded the direction of my own research. I decided to embark on a study with Gabrielle. Our mission: to design, deliver, and analyze qualitative interviews with a group of long-term survivors of HIV and AIDS immediately following, and then three months after, their participation in a study using psychedelic-assisted therapy.  We’re discovering from this study (and many others) that psychedelics can dramatically improve quality of life and reduce existential distress and depression. We’re more and more convinced that we need to consider testing psychedelics in other domains—and explore how they might interact with mindfulness practices.

Meditation and psychedelics

Meditation describes a wide variety of mind and body practices, but most research has focused on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). MBSR is a highly manualized eight-week training where participants gather to learn practices, discuss themes of present-moment awareness and compassion, and ask questions. Researchers administer surveys, biological and behavioral measurements of stress and attention, brain scans, and interviews before and after MBSR training is complete—which sometimes are repeated months later. According to many of these studies, meditation appears to involve gradual and incremental shifts that promote steady growth in qualities like resilience and compassion.

More on Psychedelics

Listen to author Michael Pollan on our Science of Happiness podcast . He shares his experiences as a guinea pig for his new book, How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence .

Meditation is perfectly legal, but psychedelics are not—which means we have much less scientific knowledge of their effects. There are thousands of meditation studies, but perhaps two dozen contemporary studies of psychedelics. Moreover, meditation studies have far higher numbers and types of participants.

Mindfulness research began with a focus on reducing mental stress for chronic pain patients in the late 1970s. Similarly, today’s psychedelic research is focusing on lowering existential distress for terminal patients. In both kinds of studies, so far, the participants describe experiencing heightened body-based sensory experience; heightened meta-awareness (e.g., breaking habitual patterns of negative rumination); emotions such as friendliness and compassion towards ourselves and others; and natural states of gratitude, openness, and acceptance.

Secular interventions like MBSR and psychedelic-assisted therapy draw from ancient practices and specific cultural contexts. Much mindfulness today is devoid of traditional symbols such as bowing and chanting, and it also lacks a Buddhist teacher. Secularization does create important accessibility, but various mindfulness studies found that, indeed, the “teacher effect” shapes the benefit of the intervention. There are likely hundreds of mindfulness teacher-certification programs, and efforts to create a global evaluation of mindfulness teaching skills are underway. Something similar is happening with psychedelics: The California Institute for Integral Studies, an alternative university in San Francisco, is pioneering the first year-long psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy training program for mental health professionals.

Three ways psychedelics can be good for us

Our own study of people living with HIV and AIDS is the first one of psychedelics to be approved by the University of California, San Francisco. Thus far, the results are small and preliminary, but the reductions in depression and existential distress have been remarkable. This is a “safe” clinical population, which means they are already facing the ultimate bad outcome: death. Modern medicine can extend their lives with medication, but it provides few solutions for their own lived experience of having a terminal illness.

For our study, we developed specific questions to ask participants the day after their psilocybin treatment, and three months later. Our goal is to understand not just whether the experience was beneficial, but the what, how, and why of the experience. Like other studies, ours includes therapists who support group experiences leading up to and following the treatment. Our aim, as with most psychedelic research, is to create a specific mindset for the participants—a goal or intention that is often worked on for weeks ahead of the treatment. The setting is a room that does not look like a hospital laboratory (think woven, groovy, patterned rugs, low lamp lighting, and a comfy couch) and emotion-evoking music played through headphones.

In the work to date, we have been struck by how the themes we were hearing resonated with research into meditation and mindfulness. Here are three key insights that are emerging from the interactions of these two branches of research.

1. Emotional awareness

Mindfulness practice and psychedelic experiences can positively alter one’s emotional process in two primary ways: increasing one’s ability to be in direct contact with the present moment (instead of being caught in emotions of the past or anticipation of the future) and enhancing experiences of positive emotions. Being with feelings in the present moment includes reducing our negative mind-wandering and bringing kindness and friendliness to difficult emotions.

A single psilocybin session helped most participants let go of rigid, negative thought patterns—in other words, it gave them a break from the relentless barrage of self-criticism and judgment, and it increased openness to their emotions. For many in the study, these acute experiences carried over into their daily lives, helping them to be present and break free of their habitual tendencies to become entangled with stressful patterns and negativity. Moreover, psychedelics and mindfulness meditation have been found to decrease reactivity in brain regions that process fear.

Similarly, after meditation, participants report being able to approach stressful situations—to which they would typically react automatically and unconsciously—in alternative, more helpful ways. For example, a person who discovers that her flight is delayed at the airport by several hours may realize that being delayed may provide her the opportunity to call a friend she has not spoken with in a while.

2. Overriding our default mode

We all have roles to play with other people that define us. Mom, dad, son, daughter, teacher, student, nurse, doctor. Memories, beliefs, impressions, and sensations accumulate to form a sense of who you are, where you have been, and what you have done. These become your personal story and the backdrop of the moments of your life. This is your identity—and the source of your ego.

“Awe may be a critically important emotional experience during psychedelic treatment in generating compassion, empathy, and overall well-being”

But identity can also become a trap. We can fall back on our default settings—our duties, our routines—sleepwalking through our days. We also tend to experience ourselves as bounded and separate entities from our surroundings. Our ego can come to exist as if it were a city with a dense wall surrounding it, living in stark separation from the rest of the landscape. This separation can be helpful in that it creates a sense of structure and organization. It helps to protect us from dangers and cope with life’s hardships.

However, excessive separation can make our lives very small. We can begin to exist inside this bounded city as if we were an autocratic leader, attempting to control it and all the surrounding cities at all costs. It can render us emotionally alienated from other people. Researchers have found that this state can be associated with depression, anxiety, and addiction.

What happens when we create a space and a time when we tear those walls down, let go of our identities, and allow for the emergence of a new sense of self, however temporary?

Meditation and psychedelics can both take us outside of ourselves, helping us to connect with others and our environment. This process of “decentering” refers to the capacity to recognize thoughts and emotions as passing mental phenomena. Neurophysiological evidence by Judson Brewer and Robin Carhart-Harris suggests that certain types of meditation and psychedelics can disrupt a network in the brain that becomes activated when we engage with self-focus (the default mode network), which reduces rumination and mind-wandering. In effect, both types of experience—meditation and psychedelics—retrain and rebalance the activity of our ego, so that it protects us when needed and rests during times of safety.

Learning to relax this excessive self-focus—for brief amounts of time, in an intentional manner—can help us expand our notion of self into greater harmony with our environment. We can integrate our sense of who we are with the things around us. We can still operate with some independence, while also existing in unity with the surrounding landscapes. Or, at least, that’s what research to date suggests—though there is still much work to be done in understanding how and why this happens.

3. Prosocial motivations, emotions, and behaviors

Compassion, empathy, and altruism. They can be motivations, feelings, and actions—but in all their forms, they bring us together. That’s why scientists call these keys to well-being “prosocial,” as opposed to antisocial. When humans lived in small tribes, we needed to share the responsibilities of daily life, such as foraging food, childrearing, hunting, and protection against animal threats. Today, a prosocial orientation is essential for overcoming some of the greatest threats to our planet, from climate change to inequality.

There is tremendous scientific evidence suggesting that meditation and compassion-based programs foster prosocial emotions such as empathy, kindness, gratitude, and awe. For example, practicing meditation increases brain activation associated with compassion when we’re shown pictures of suffering, and it also seems to lead to more compassionate behavior.

Could the same be true of psychedelic therapies? At this point, we can only speculate. A critical review of 77 studies completed by Henrick Jungaberle and colleagues from the MIND European Foundation for Psychedelic Science suggests that psychedelics increase prosocial behaviors, empathy, cognitive flexibility, creativity, personality factors like openness, value orientations, nature-relatedness, spirituality, self-transcendence, and mindfulness-related capabilities. In a recent theoretical paper , University of Alabama professor Peter Hendricks suggests that awe may be a critically important emotional experience during psychedelic treatment in generating compassion, empathy, and overall well-being. This is turning up in our own study, as participants report feelings of awe after their session. In one case, a participant described how an everyday, mundane walk outside felt profound. Others reported feelings of deep connection to the entire world, often in contrast to prior feelings of isolation and cynicism.

It has only been a few years since I first hosted the psychedelic potluck, and I have witnessed a sea change in the level of interest in the therapeutic use of psychedelics. Last year, influential journalist Michael Pollan kicked off a round of public discussion and controversy by publishing How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence . His book hits on many of the themes that turn up in our research:

Habits are undeniably useful tools, relieving us of the need to run a complex mental operation every time we’re confronted with a new task or situation. Yet they also relieve us of the need to stay awake to the world: to attend, feel, think, and then act in a deliberate manner. (That is, from freedom rather than compulsion.) If you need to be reminded how completely mental habit blinds us to experience, just take a trip to an unfamiliar country. Suddenly you wake up! And the algorithms of everyday life all but start over, as if from scratch. This is why the various travel metaphors for the psychedelic experience are so apt.

Thanks in part to Pollan, we’re seeing more and more interest from journalists, therapists, institutions, entrepreneurs, and others. It’s hard to say where all this is going. We don’t yet know as much as we need to know about psychedelic-assisted therapies. While the public asks questions and debates legalization, we’ll keep using scientific tools to understand the impact of psychedelics on our well-being.

About the Authors

Eve Ekman, Ph.D., MSW , is a GGSC Senior Fellow. An experienced speaker, researcher, and group facilitator, she brings a unique background ideally suited to training individuals and organizations in the science of happiness, resilience, compassion, mindfulness, and emotional awareness.

Gabrielle Agin-Liebes

Gabby Agin-Liebes is a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology at Palo Alto University and a predoctoral intern at the VA Connecticut, West Haven. Gabby’s research focuses on psilocybin-assisted treatments for substance use disorders, existential distress, major depressive disorder, and PTSD, and on the intersection between mindfulness/meditation and psychedelics.

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How to Find a Psychedelic Guide or Trip Sitter Near Me

• Jimmy Nguyen

While research into the potential for psychedelic substances to treat mental health disorders isn’t new, it has received a lot of exciting mainstream attention over the past few years. And for good reason, as psychedelics may be able to treat patients where conventional Western medicines have failed.

More and more people have been exploring alternative states of consciousness, but understand that doing so alone may cause unnecessary risks. Unfortunately, these same folks don’t have a trained and knowledgeable person in their network to help. Many are left wondering how to find a psychedelic guide or trip sitter.

The answer to that question depends on one factor: whether you already have access to the psychedelic substance or will need to rely on the facilitator to provide. In this article, we’ll discuss what psychedelic guides and trip sitters do, options if you don’t have access to psychedelic substances, alternative options if you do, and the vital importance of getting to know your facilitator.

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What is a Psychedelic Guide or Trip Sitter?

Although psychedelics are generally considered safe , to fully access their benefits, it is recommended to seek the assistance of a mental health professional, guide, or trip sitter. These individuals are prepared to help you navigate the psychedelic experience, mitigating what could be considered a “ bad trip. ”

Mental health professionals have varying experiences and opinions when it comes to psychedelics, though most won’t work directly with psychedelics due to licensure issues. Psychedelic guides are the people who facilitate intentional psychedelic experiences. They’ll generally know what things to discuss before and after the session and may possibly ask questions during the trip itself.

A psychedelic guide differs from a trip sitter in that they’ll take a more active role in guiding the psychedelic experience, whereas the main focus of a trip sitter is harm reduction.

Both should be trained in harm reduction principles and know how to minimize fear and anxiety. Most importantly, they’ll be present throughout the entire experience, ensuring that the participant is safe, both mentally and physically from beginning to end.

A Note on Psychedelic Integration Specialists

In another article we discuss what exactly psychedelic integration is , but the main takeaway is that integration specialists help you prepare for and discuss intentional psychedelic experiences and their meaning. This is vitally important work, and integration is a core component of maintaining lasting benefit from a psychedelic experience.

An integration specialist won’t supply psychedelics and many cannot provide direct in-person support while you are actively having a psychedelic trip (due to licensure)—meaning there is a gap in the continuity of care unless you seek out a trip sitter or guide.

We never suggest doing psychedelics alone. Professional guides and trip sitters are available to support you during your psychedelic experience, while an integration specialist supports you before and after the trip. Psychedelic trip sitting and integration services should be in tandem, so that an individual has support before, during, and after a psychedelic experience.

That’s exactly what we do here at Psychedelic Passage—help facilitate meaningful experiences with psychedelics. All of our trip sitting programs include pre-trip preparation, in-person support during the experience, and post-event integration sessions. If you want to increase the likelihood of experiencing the long-lasting and positive effects of psychedelics while minimizing the risk of a “bad trip,” we suggest you book a call with one of our guides or trip sitters today .

So, you’re interested in a psychonautic adventure, and want some support during the way? Here are four tips to help you find a psychedelic guide or trip sitter.

Finding a Guide or Trip Sitter if You DON’T Have Access to Psychedelics

Legal resources.

In the United States, there are only a few ways to legally seek the help of a psychedelic guide who also supplies the substance. This is all expected to change in the coming years with psilocybin and MDMA most likely receiving approval for therapeutic use by 2021 and 2022 , respectively. As for now, the options to find a psychedelic guide or trip sitter who can legally source substances include participating in a clinical trial, seeking cannabis assisted psychotherapy, or seeking ketamine assisted psychotherapy.

Clinical Trials

If you suffer from issues such as PTSD, depression, OCD, or anxiety, you may be particularly interested in clinical trials. You may even find a clinical trial suitable for unique conditions like cluster headaches, Parkinson’s disease psychosis, or hepatic impairment. Some are even studying the effects of psychedelics on healthy participants.

Many universities and organizations are constantly involved in psychedelic research, and they are also looking for study participants. It’s not uncommon to find clinical trial opportunities for a range of psychedelics, from cannabis and ketamine to MDMA, psilocybin, and LSD.

You can view the options for the clinical trials which are currently accepting patients by visiting ClinicalTrials.gov. Simply enter the condition or disease you seek treatment for, enter the psychedelic substance you wish to use, and select your country. The site will display all search results relevant to your query. Also, check out our extensive guide on How to Join a Clinical Trial in 3 Steps .

Cannabis Assisted Psychotherapy

With cannabis becoming increasingly legalized around the US, some states are now home to cannabis-assisted therapy practitioners who focus on the mental and physical health benefits of intentional cannabis use. What this typically means is that cannabis is used in a controlled manner with a guide who is trained with therapy and psychedelics.

Cannabis has been studied for its benefits in addressing symptoms of chronic pain, schizophrenia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, urinary tract symptoms, glaucoma, Tourette syndrome, PTSD, social anxiety, and more. Cannabis assisted therapy can supplement these benefits, while also helping the sufferer feel more in control over their lives and discover a sense of purpose.

There are many practitioners of varying backgrounds offering this service. But if you prefer working with a licensed therapist, we suggest checking out a resource like MAPS integration list and doing a search for licensed practitioners that offer cannabis assisted therapy.

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy

Unlike most psychedelics that are still considered illegal substances, ketamine is a Schedule III drug, meaning that it has some “medically accepted uses.” While not technically recognized as a treatment for anything beyond its traditional use as an anesthetic, “ off-label use ” is permitted for licensed practitioners, and there are many therapeutic ketamine clinics operating throughout the United States.

Ketamine has proven to be very promising when it comes to treating mental health issues, particularly treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine also demonstrates potential when it comes to other mental illnesses like PTSD, anxiety, OCD, and bipolar disorder.

In fact, ketamine is considered by some to be one of “the most interesting developments in the pharmacology of depression and pain.” Many people respond positively to ketamine assisted therapy and in a world where conventional medicines aren’t keeping up with rates of mental illness, it’s no wonder that ketamine is viewed as such a promising therapy option. If you want to learn more about therapeutic ketamine, check out our in depth guide on “ Finding a Ketamine Clinic Near Me .”

Check out International Resources

Though we understand that international travel has its challenges due to Covid-19, it is worth mentioning that legal psychedelic retreats are being held each year in various countries. Certain psychedelics are legal in some countries and others offer legal protection for traditional medicines. In countries like Portugal, all drugs are decriminalized, and, in many cases, the consumption of psychedelics is allowed by local law enforcement.

Ayahuasca Retreats

While some groups in the US are able to provide sessions, it is fully legal in other countries like Ecuador, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Peru. There are many different retreats, all meeting different needs and budgets.

Psilocybin Retreats

There are some countries and locations where psilocybin mushrooms are completely legal, such as Brazil, Jamaica, and the British Virgin Islands. In the Netherlands, there’s a loophole that allows the use of psilocybin-containing truffles. In Canada, magic mushroom microdoses are available for purchase. Several psilocybin retreats are held every month in Amsterdam, and you can also find a few scattered throughout the year in Mexico and Jamaica.

If you’re certain that a trip abroad is in line for you and your psychedelic journey, we suggest checking out a site like Retreat Guru to understand what your options are. We know how complex and overwhelming the search can be for a psychedelic retreat. That’s why we suggest reading reviews, asking lots of questions, and using your intuition.

Finding a Guide or Trip Sitter if You DO Have Access to Psychedelics

Psychedelic passage’s trip sitting program.

We created our Trip Sitting Program because we recognize that the soonest legal psilocybin therapy program is a few years away, yet people need support having safe and meaningful psychedelic experiences today. Our services are available in many states and our trip sitters emphasize safety and harm reduction while co-creating a nonjudgmental space for the plant medicine to do its work, and for you to receive the benefit.

We believe that you have rights regarding your mental and physical well being, and that you should choose a guide or trip sitter that is best for you. Fortunately, there are many great options available. If you think we may be of service to you, book a discovery call with one of our facilitators. Please note that we cannot provide you with psychoactive substances.

Get to Know Your Guide

Once you’ve narrowed down your practitioner options, it’s time to begin the vetting process. It might sound intense, but taking the time to research your guide or care provider can make all the difference in a life-altering experience versus an uncomfortable one.

If possible, we encourage you to meet your practitioner before your psychedelic experience. It may sound silly, but take time to ensure that you generally get along with and have a rapport with your guide or trip sitter. Also take this time to get to know your guide, understand their process and general philosophy, and ask any questions. Here are some questions we love to ask:

• What is your personal experience with psychedelics? (We only suggest doing working with practitioners who have first-hand intentional experience with the substance)
• Why do you do this work?
• What safety and harm reduction practices do you have in place?

You should also use this time to get to know the location and immediate area where you will have your psychedelic experience. If you are traveling, take time to explore your surroundings and develop some familiarity with the area.

Speak With a Psychedelic Guide Today

There’s no doubt that our society still has a long way to progress when it comes to these medicines. The benefits of psychedelics are beyond promising—especially to sufferers who need them. We have nearly half a century of research demonstrating how psychedelics are not only safe but have a massive potential to improve mental health.

Unfortunately, not all psychedelics are legal in the US—but this is changing. State-approved psychedelic therapy programs are a few years away and guiding and trip sitting services are becoming more accessible as major cities continue to decriminalize psychedelics. The silver lining here is that this field is evolving, and it’s doing so quickly.

If you’re looking for an experienced trip sitter to facilitate a safe and impactful psychedelic experience, you’ve come to the right place. Our pre-vetted network of local, U.S. guides would be honored to assist you in your sacred journey, simply book a consultation with our concierges to get started. To learn more about psychedelic healing, visit our resources page !

Frequently Asked Questions About Psychedelic Therapy

Q: what is psychedelic therapy .

Psychedelic therapy refers to a therapeutic approach that utilizes psychedelic substances, such as magic mushrooms containing psilocybin, to facilitate psychological healing, personal development, and exploration of consciousness. It involves the careful administration of psychedelics in a controlled and supportive environment under the guidance of trained professionals.

Q: How can psychedelic therapy benefit mental illnesses? 

Psychedelic therapy has shown promising results in treating various mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and addiction. Research suggests that psychedelic-assisted therapy can lead to profound emotional breakthroughs, expanded self-awareness, and increased introspection, which can contribute to healing and transformative experiences.

Q: Is there a training program for professionals in psychedelic therapy? 

Yes, there are training programs available for professionals interested in practicing psychedelic therapy. These programs typically offer comprehensive education on the therapeutic use of psychedelics, including theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and ethical considerations. Participants can earn certificates or credentials upon completion, allowing them to integrate psychedelic therapy into their practice.

Q: What is the role of approved clinical trials and psilocybin research? 

Approved clinical trials and ongoing psilocybin research play a critical role in expanding our understanding of the therapeutic potential and safety of psychedelics. These studies help establish evidence-based guidelines, refine protocols, and explore the specific applications of psychedelic therapy for various mental health conditions. Institutions like Johns Hopkins University have been at the forefront of psilocybin research and clinical trials.

Q: Can psychedelic therapy have spiritual significance? 

For many individuals, psychedelic therapy can have profound spiritual significance. The experiences induced by psychedelics may lead to a sense of connection with something greater than oneself, spiritual insights, or a deepening of one’s personal beliefs. However, it is important to note that the spiritual significance of psychedelic experiences can vary greatly among individuals and is not a guaranteed outcome.

Q: How does psychedelic therapy integrate into everyday life? 

The integration of psychedelic therapy into everyday life is an essential aspect of the process. After the therapeutic session, individuals engage in an experiential learning process where they reflect on their experiences, seek support from therapists or integration specialists, and apply the insights gained to their daily lives. This integration phase helps individuals incorporate the transformative aspects of psychedelic therapy into their relationships, behaviors, and overall well-being.

Q: Can psychedelic therapy help with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? 

Psychedelic therapy has shown promising results in the treatment of PTSD. Clinical trials have demonstrated that psychedelic-assisted therapy can help individuals process traumatic experiences, alleviate symptoms of PTSD, and improve overall well-being. However, it is important to approach psychedelic therapy for PTSD under the guidance of trained professionals and within approved clinical trials or legal frameworks.

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‘Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics’: Film Review

Celebrities recall their trippy times in Donick Cary's lightweight look at hallucinogenic drug use.

By Dennis Harvey

Dennis Harvey

Film Critic

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Writer-producer Donick Cary has spent his whole career near the top of the showbiz comedy heap, from stints on “Late Show with David Letterman” and “The Simpsons” to sitcoms like “Just Shoot Me!,” “New Girl,” “Parks and Recreation” and “Silicon Valley.” So it shouldn’t surprise that his first directorial feature, the documentary “Have a Good Trip,” is less a serious dive into its chosen subject than an excuse to have a lot of familiar-face colleagues and acquaintances serve up funny anecdotes.

Since those anecdotes are about hallucinogenic drug usage, this Netflix Original can hardly help but be entertaining. It also comes nicely kitted out with plentiful animation, campy archival snippets, comedy-sketch “reenactments” and more. But those looking for much in the way of real insight will find this amiable enterprise doesn’t stray very far from a general, standard-stoner-yuks tenor of “OMG I was SO HIGH!!!”

At least there’s little pretense otherwise, as we start out with clips from vintage LSD scare films (in which the intrepid chemical explorer is promised “instant insanity, a never-never land of no return”), then jump to Nick Offerman as a nominal-host “scientist” in a laboratory. He admits, “Don’t get me wrong, drugs can be dangerous … but they can also be hilarious.” After duly psychedelic cartoon opening credits, we meet the first of numerous celebrities who tell tales of personal trippage in chaptered, standalone sequences.

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That initial storyteller is Sting , whose reminiscences are amusing. But he also seems to have derived more philosophical and spiritual value from his experiences than anyone else here. “Even when I’ve had a bad trip, and I’ve had many, I always realized it was what I needed,” he says. More typical are comedians like Sarah Silverman and Nick Kroll, who simply recall wacky behaviors under the influence.

Some of these anecdotes are illustrated in more animation (by Sugarshack, whose artists strike a colorful median between “Yellow Submarine” and Sally Cruikshank), others in live-action skit form. The late Anthony Bourdain’s formative Catskills multi-drug blowout is raucously acted out by young performers, for instance, while later on, Paul Scheer and Rob Corddry play each other in back-to-back flashbacks. Lewis Black recalls the mortification of no longer being able to remember his name on acid; Carrie Fisher an encounter with a “misbehaving” acorn in Central Park. Rapper A$AP Rocky wins a gold star for confessing “What can I say, no lie: A rainbow shot out of my d—, and it had a sound like a piano.”

Even the bad first-trip recollections of Ben Stiller, Rosie Perez (who was dosed without her consent) and others are played for laughs. We do get a few more serious words on the subject from Deepak Chopra, Zach Leary (Timothy’s son), and Dr. Charles Grob, an expert on the therapeutic potential of hallucinogens to treat anxiety, substance abuse, mental illness and more. That field’s highly promising research was cut off by criminalizing government reaction against 1960s recreational usage, though a postscript here notes such studies have recently been allowed to commence again.

Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann and Flower Power pop star Donovan appear briefly to represent the hippie era’s earnest lysergic and psilocybic experimentation. But with the primary interviewees here being much younger, “Have a Good Trip” is dominated by folks who did drugs with no higher goal in mind than fun. Some admit having done “a lot” of acid or ’shrooms, yet there’s very little discussion of how it changed them, or what if anything they learned. There’s more attention paid to a list of druggy “don’t’s,” including such obvious no-no’s as “driving on acid,” and tripping with prankster jerks who’ll try to “freak you out.”

Ergo the best of “Trip” winds up being its most baldly comedic, particularly a mock 1970s “LSD Afterschool Special” in which Adam Scott grimly narrates the alarmist tale of four nice suburban teens lured into doing “hard drugs.” Naturally, every possible worst-case scenario ensues. Its progress interspersed throughout the documentary, this fictive tragedy is a highlight, as are the too-brief excerpts from (real) vintage classroom cautionary films.

Cary’s slick, starry and breezy pet project only reaches the 75-minute point before amply-padded final credits commence. It’s dedicated to Fisher and Bourdain, who both passed away since filming their cheerful appearances here. Indie rock legends Yo La Tengo contributed the original score, though their signature sound isn’t much in evidence until a closing song.

Reviewed online, San Francisco, May 9, 2020. Running time: 85 MIN.

• Production: (Documentary) A Netflix release of a Netflix Original Documentary presentation of a Sunset Rose Pictures production, in association with Sugarshack 2000 Inc. Producers: Mike Rosenstein, Donick Cary, Jeremy Reitz, Jim Ziegler.
• Crew: Director, writer: Donick Cary. Camera: Stash Slionski, Wolfgang Held, Owen LeVelle, Skyler Rousselet. Editor: Gregory Stees. Music: Yo La Tengo.
• With: Sting, Sarah Silverman, Adam Scott, Anthony Bourdain, Carrie Fisher, Nick Kroll, Adam Horovitz, Kathleen Hanna, Donovan, Zack Leary, Paul Scheer, Rob Corddry, A$AP Rocky, Rosie Perez, Lewis Black, Ben Stiller, Dr. Charles Grob, Nick Offerman, Deepak Chopra, Bill Kreutzmann, Reggie Watts, Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon, Brett Gelman, Will Forte, David Cross, Natasha Lyonne, David Koechner, Andy Richter, Judd Nelson, Jim James, Diedrich Bader, Steve Agee, Rob Huebel, Matt Besser, Marc Maron, Shepard Fairey, Fred Willard, Reggie Watts, Riki Lindhome, Maya Erskine, Haley Joel Osment.

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A Guide to Your Diet Before, During, and After Your Psychedelic Trip

Psychedelic trips have become increasingly popular in recent years, with many turning to them as a tool for exploring their consciousness and enhancing their creativity. While it is important to prepare your mental state for a psychedelic trip, it is also important to consider what you eat before, during, and after your experience.

Why is Nutrition Important for an Optimal Psychedelic Experience?

The idea that good nutrition is important for a healthy mind and body has become very popular amongst medical professionals. Psychonauts and individuals undergoing psychedelic therapy or planning on tripping recreationally should also think about how their diet can affect the psychedelic experience as a whole.

To improve your psychedelic experience and reduce uncomfortable physical and mental side effects commonly associated with a challenging trip , paying attention to nutrition is helpful in addition to the influence of set and setting.

You may also like: How Nutrition Can Improve the Psychedelic Experience

On the other hand, highly processed foods typically contain fewer nutrients and are often more challenging for your body to break down and use. So, if you’re eating a diet that’s heavily dependent on processed items, you may not be getting enough essential nutrition to support proper digestion and nervous system health.

Psychedelics like psilocybin, peyote, ayahuasca, MDMA, and LSD can deplete your body’s nutrient stores — especially if you’re working through stress and intense emotions. And, if you’re already running low on critical vitamins and minerals, this can make you feel ill during or after your psychedelic experience.

The upcoming sections will clarify why it’s important to have a nutritious diet, provide recommendations on which foods to eat before a psychedelic trip, suggest snacks for during the experience, and conclude with a discussion on your diet after your journey.

What Foods to Eat Before a Psychedelic Trip

The food that you consume before your psychedelic trip can greatly affect the quality of your experience. It is important to eat light and healthy meals to ensure that you don’t experience any digestive discomfort or indigestion during your trip. Avoid processed foods , junk food , and greasy meals that may cause inflammation in the gut . Instead, opt for a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. A light salad or a bowl of soup would be perfect for this purpose. It is also advisable to drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol and caffeine.

You may also like: Can You Combine Psychedelics and Antidepressants? A Dive into Potential Interactions and Safety

Your Diet 3-7 days Before the Trip

Some natural supplements are available that can enhance the experience and reduce potential side effects such as anxiety and the comedown.

Vitamin D Rich foods

The hormone and neurotransmitter serotonin is responsible for stabilizing mood and promoting positive emotions. Low serotonin levels can lead to negative feelings such as sadness, hopelessness, anger, anxiety, and irritability.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in various foods that converts to serotonin in the brain, but vitamin D is needed to activate the gene TPH2 to enable this conversion according to studies.

Foods containing tryptophan include:

• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sesame seeds

To increase your vitamin D levels, you have several options: getting sunlight exposure, taking a good supplement, or incorporating foods like eggs, fatty fish, and mushrooms into your diet.

Omega 3 Sources

Eating more foods rich in Omega 3 before using psychedelics may prevent the negative mood some individuals experience after a trip. It may also promote the positive, connected feeling that is typically associated with a good trip.

Foods containing Omega 3 include:

• Fish and other seafood: salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, sardines, seaweed
• Nuts and seeds: such as flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts
• Plant oils: flaxseed oil, soybean oil
• Fortified foods: eggs, yogurt, fresh juices, milk, soy

Folate Rich Foods

Folate is a type of B-vitamin that is important for the synthesis of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine (which is responsible for pleasure), and epinephrine (or adrenaline). Folate supplements are used to alleviate depression symptoms . A deficiency of these chemicals may lead to a less pleasant psychedelic journey.

Foods supporting synthesis of serotonin, dopamine and epinephrine include:

• Greens — especially broccoli, brussels sprouts, spinach, kale, asparagus and collard greens
• Peas, kidney beans, chickpeas

Magnesium Rich Foods

Magnesium is crucial for your nervous system to function properly. It is believed that using magnesium as a treatment may be effective in addressing major depression caused by a lack of magnesium within the neurons. These magnesium ion neuronal deficits may be induced by stress hormones, excessive dietary calcium as well as dietary deficiencies of magnesium.

When you don’t get enough magnesium, it can lead to various symptoms like depression, fatigue, irregular heartbeats, asthma, nausea, loss of appetite, muscle cramps, and others.

Food containing magnesium include:

• Whole foods: wheat, oats, barley
• Legumes: lentils, black beans, chickpeas, peas, soybeans
• Nuts: cashews, brazil nuts, almonds
• Seeds: pumpkin seed, flaxseed, chia seeds
• Leafy greens: spinach, kale, collards, turnips, mustard greens
• Dark chocolate
• Fatty fish: salmon, mackerel, halibut

Prebiotics and probiotics

The relationship between the gut and the brain is important and can connect anxiety with stomach issues and vice versa. Your digestion is essential to your general health, which includes how well you absorb the nutrients we talked about. To improve the health of your gut microbiome, there are two things you can supplement in your diet: prebiotics and probiotics.

Eating a diverse range of foods including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains can provide prebiotics naturally. You do not need to take supplements if your diet is varied.

Foods containing prebiotics include :

• Dandelion Greens
• Chicory root
• Jerusalem artichokes
• Whole wheat

Probiotic rich foods include :

• Sourdough bread
• Some cheeses:  Swiss, provolone, Gouda, cheddar, Edam, Gruyère, cottage cheese.

Other Supplements to Consider

• Vitamin A – It is a crucial element in the production of the body’s anti-stress hormones.
• Vitamin K – Supplementation is necessary as our body cannot store a large amount of D and A. They work together in synergy. This helps to top up the demand for these nutrients.
• Lion’s Mane – It is a functional mushroom that is known for enhancing brain health and is considered a powerhouse ingredient.

You may also like: Can You Mix Psychedelics and Antibiotics? Here’s What the Research Says (With Examples)

Should You Fast Before Your Trip?

Before and after using mushrooms, peyote, and ayahuasca for ceremonies and rituals, it’s common to fast. Retreats sometimes recommend a particular diet or a juice fast (or water fast for those who can) before and after the retreat. Even when taking psychedelics outside of retreats, some people opt to fast for several days or even weeks. Some people choose to undergo a psychedelic experience only if they have fasted for at least 24 hours beforehand because it results in a more pleasant and experience.

You may have heard on reddit that ketosis and fasting can intensify a psychedelic trip and reduce nausea. This combination has been traditionally used with psychedelics for a long time, and it is still a part of some ayahuasca and mushroom ceremonies.

Although fasting can enhance your psychedelic experience, it’s important to approach it with caution. If you’re new to intermittent fasting, start with shorter fasts before attempting a 16 or 24 hour fast. Additionally, it’s crucial to educate yourself on how to minimize any potential risks that may negatively affect your experience.

How to safely  fast before your trip

• Start with shorter fasting periods: If you’re a beginner in fasting, it’s alright to start by fasting for a few hours or a full day.
• Start with a lower dose: Fasting before taking psychedelic substances may decrease the amount needed for the desired effect.
• 3-6 hours is enough: If you want to reap the rewards of both fasting and psychedelics but have never tried a long fast before, you can start by waiting a few hours after eating. It is advisable to wait at least three to six hours after a meal before taking psychedelics, and having a healthy meal is recommended for even better results.
• Break your fast with healthier food sources shortly after your trip: If you want to improve mental performance by consuming sweet foods, it’s important to choose healthier sources than candy because the brain uses a lot of glucose. Good options include grapes, bananas, or dark chocolate, even if you have a craving for candy.
• If you’ve fasted for 24 hours, it may be wise to break your fast with bone broth: A bone broth fast is a type of modified fast in which you replace food with warm mugs of it throughout the day. This helps you get vitamins, minerals and amino acids, while also resetting your digestive system. Bone broth contains gelatin, glycine, and proline that can nourish your gut and reduce inflammation, ultimately promoting gut healing.
• Don’t forget your snack: To avoid forgetting to eat after a long period of fasting, keep some snacks that are easy to eat on hand. Good options include pumpkin pie, watermelon, mango, passion fruit, nuts, yogurt, and cottage cheese.
• Think meal prep: It is not advisable to cook while under the influence of psychedelics as it can be challenging and unsafe. It is recommended to have a pre-cooked meal or a sober person to assist.

Drink electrolytes

During fasting, especially for extended periods, electrolytes such as potassium and sodium are lost through urine. Sometimes, adding a bit of salt in your water may be enough to supplement your electrolyte loss. If you want a higher electrolyte boost, you may consider some supplements . Make sure the supplement you choose does not have any added processed sugar or has very little amount of it.

Pre-Trip Foods ( Day of the Psychedelic Experience)

In case you opt out of fasting, here are some tips to keep in mind the day of your psychedelic experience. First, if you’re thinking about what foods to eat before a psychedelic trip, steer clear of consuming anything greasy or fried since such foods can make you feel lethargic and trigger nausea. This is especially important if you have fasted . Secondly, avoid acidic or spicy foods as well, as these could cause an upset stomach. Additionally, avoid sugary foods, which may result in an energy crash and make it hard to enjoy your trip.

For easier digestion, it’s recommended to eat light and simple foods, similar to the ones suggested in your one week preparation before your trip. This will help prepare your stomach for breaking down the psychedelic substances which can be tough on your system.

Eating meals such as eggs and toast, fruit, pumpkin pie, watermelon, yogurt, and fresh or cooked vegetables, as well as drinking natural juices and kombucha, is a healthy way to give your body natural energy without taxing it too much.

Snacks and Liquids During Your Trip

If you get hungry during the trip, you have plenty of great snack options to choose from. Fruits, vegetables, trail mix, and protein bars are all excellent choices. They are easy to eat, good for you, tasty, won’t dry out your mouth, and won’t be hard on your stomach. It’s important to avoid foods that are difficult to chew, swallow, or digest. Keep things easy on yourself during the trip by sticking to easy-to-eat snacks like fruits, vegetables, and trail mix.

We want to emphasize the importance of staying hydrated. Drinking water is essential, as dehydration can make the effects more intense. It is safe to remind you that minerals and electrolytes can help improve your overall health, promote nerve activity, stabilize mood, and support emotional well-being. Moreover, consuming ginger tea may alleviate nausea and indigestion that can occur when using shrooms or LSD. If you require increased alertness and concentration, green tea is a good option. If you need to relax, try lavender tea, while chamomile is best for unwinding before bed.

What to Eat After Your Psychedelic Trip

After your journey, it is important to continue to nourish your body. The foods you eat during the post-trip period can help you integrate your experience and promote healing. It is advisable to opt for whole foods and avoid processed foods, similar to your 3-7 day pre-trip preparation. Foods rich in vitamins and antioxidants such as fruits, vegetables, and dark leafy greens should be included in your diet. Plant proteins such as legumes, nuts, and seeds should be prioritized over animal protein. You can also incorporate probiotic-rich foods like yogurt and kefir to help restore gut health.

It is suggested to opt for vegetarian or plant-based dishes during psychedelic experiences as people who are conscious about animal products may be put off by them even more. This can cause an aversion to such food.

Your Diet During Integration Is Also Important

It’s important to maintain a healthy diet, but don’t let it become a source of stress. Remember that happiness is also important for good health, so don’t hesitate to treat yourself to more indulgent or celebratory meals from time to time. If you want to enjoy indulgent food more and crave it less often, try practicing mindful eating by savoring each bite. Additionally, if you feel mentally scattered, a filling meal may help stabilize you. Remember, making significant changes to your diet should be approached with caution since it’s a long-term effort to improve your physical health and mental health. Be mindful and take care not to shock your system or create unsustainable habits.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, what you eat before, during, and after your psychedelic trip can greatly affect your experience. Eating light, healthy meals before your journey will help you avoid digestive discomfort, while focusing on whole foods and nutrient-rich foods after your trip will help support your body’s natural healing process. Remember to stay hydrated and avoid alcohol and caffeine throughout your trip. By making the right food choices, you can ensure that your psychedelic experience is enjoyable, safe, and transformative.

Disclaimer:  Psychedelic Spotlight does not condone the use of illegal substances. The purpose of this article is for educational and harm reduction purposes only. If you suffer from a medical or mental condition, please consult with your doctor before taking any substance.

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What Having a "Psychedelic Trip" Means

You’ll often hear the term “psychedelic trip” in reference to LSD, magic mushrooms, ketamine, and other drugs. But what exactly is a psychedelic trip, how does it compare to other drugs, and is there any way to achieve these effects without drugs?

What is a Psychedelic Experience?

The term “psychedelic” is used synonymously with “hallucinogen”. It refers to a type of psychoactive drug that produces visual/auditory distortions, perceptual changes, and hallucinogens.

All drugs can impact the way that you think and act. Cannabis can make you giddy. Opioids can slow you down. Cocaine and methamphetamine can lead to racing thoughts. But psychedelics are a little different.

Psychedelic experiences are more intense. Users typically notice significant changes in their environment, including sharper colors and sounds, twisting and distorting objects, and a sense that walls are throbbing. Psychedelics can also produce something known as synesthesia, whereby the senses blend together.

What are Psychedelic Drugs?

A psychedelic drug is one that produces psychedelic effects. These drugs are typically found in cacti and fungi, and they are available in natural and synthetic forms.

Psychedelics are usually separated into categories such as “classic psychedelics” and “non-classic psychedelics”. They can also be classified based on their associated alkaloids, origins, and the way they interact with the brain.

The most common psychedelic drugs include:

• Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): A psychedelic drug extracted from a substance found in ergot, a hallucinogenic drug that infects grain and has been known to humans for many centuries.
• Psilocybin : A naturally occurring psychedelic substance found in many species of mushrooms, also known as magic mushrooms.
• Mescaline : Found in multiple species of cacti, including peyote and San Pedro.
• DMT : The primary component of a drink known as ayahuasca, which is consumed during spiritual ceremonies in parts of Central and South America.
• Bufotenine : Also known as “5-HO-DMT”, this psychedelic substance is found in the venom and skin of certain toads.
• MDMA : Also known as “Molly” and “Ecstasy”, MDMA is often used as a rave drug and has strong stimulant and empathogenic properties.

What Physical Effects Will I Experience?

A psychedelic experience can vary based on the drug, dose, user, and a number of other factors.

The physical effects are usually not as intense or as varied as the mental effects, but they can include:

• Increased blood pressure
• Higher body temperature
• Faster heart rate
• Nausea and vomiting

What Mental Effects Will I Experience?

The term “set and setting” is often used in reference to a psychedelic experience. It refers to the “mindset” that you have prior to psychedelic use and the “physical environment” that you place yourself in.

Unlike stimulants, sedatives, and opioids, it’s not as easy to force a good experience with psychedelics. If you’re in a bad headspace and an uncomfortable environment, you may have a very uncomfortable and challenging trip.

Some of the mental effects you may experience on psychedelic drugs include:

• Nervousness
• Spiritual Experiences
• Changes in Perception
• Hallucinations

What are the Risks of Psychedelics?

If used in carefully controlled settings, with consideration given to the dose and the user’s mindset and environment, psychedelic experiences are usually very positive and safe. What’s more, psychedelics like LSD and magic mushrooms are not considered to be addictive and they don’t carry the same overdose risk as many other drugs.

There are some issues to be aware of though, and these can occur in both novice and experienced users:

Bad trips are arguably the biggest fear when it comes to taking psychedelics. They occur when the user gets anxious and scared, at which point a pleasant trip can turn into a living nightmare.

A bad trip can be dangerous, as the user may be a threat to others and to themselves if they lose control and the fear takes over.

Such issues are rare, though. We’ve all heard the story of the babysitter who put the baby in the oven while on LSD, and there are many other equally terrifying stories. The vast majority of these are lies, and others are exaggerations. The same goes for most of the stories you’ve heard about people who jump from buildings believing they can fly.

Hallucinogen Persistent Perception Disorder (HPPD)

HPPD is a rare condition that causes flashbacks, whereby the user experiences psychedelic-like experiences even after the drug has worn off. These effects can continue for days, weeks, and months after the trip.

The flashbacks are not always as intense as the actual psychedelic experience, but they can be.

HPPD is more common with LSD than other psychedelics, but it’s still very uncommon.

Mental Health Issues

Psychedelic drugs like LSD and magic mushrooms are best avoided by anyone with a history of psychosis and schizophrenia, as they can trigger incidents of psychosis. Hallucinogens may also trigger schizophrenia in people who are predisposed to the condition.

Psychedelic tolerance can develop very quickly, much more so than other drugs. In fact, users who take drugs like LSD and magic mushrooms several times a month may need to adjust their dose to feel the same effects.

This can make it difficult to find and maintain the perfect dose and may lead to the user consuming higher doses.

If they take a break and the tolerance drops, only for them to return to the same high dose they took during their last trip, it could lead to a very challenging experience.

This is how many heroin and opioid deaths occur, with the user relapsing, not realizing their tolerance has dropped and then taking a dose that was once recreational and is now deadly. There is very little risk of this happening with LSD and shrooms, but consuming such a large dose is more likely to trigger a bad trip.

Can You Have a Psychedelic Trip Without Drugs?

Technically, you can have a psychedelic trip without drugs, and it has nothing to do with staring at magic eye pictures and listening to Sgt. Pepper.

People can “trip” using something known as Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique (REST). It involves abstaining from all sensory inputs for an hour or so.

In most cases, it provokes a relaxing and self-reflective experience. In others, it triggers hallucinations akin to psychedelic drugs.

There are a few ways to achieve this effect, but the most common is via the use of a sensory deprivation tank.

Also known as flotation tanks, the pods are filled with water and Epsom salts. The user climbs inside and floats in the water, which has been heated to body temperature. The lid of the tank is closed and all light, noise, and sound is blocked.

When external stimuli are blocked, your brain begins making things up to fill in the gaps, leading to auditory and visual hallucinations.

You may also experience hallucinations if you are heavily sleep-deprived, although this is not something we would recommend. A lack of sleep can have a catastrophic effect on your mental health and even your physical health.

Summary: Good Trips, Bad Trips, and Psychedelic Therapies

Many users of psychedelic drugs report experiencing extremely positive emotions and even life-changing experiences. They can have a notable impact on a user’s mood and outlook, and this seems to last for many days and even weeks after use.

For this reason, psychedelics have been studied for their therapeutic potential, with research suggesting that they could help to treat end-of-life anxiety in cancer patients, as well as major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse.

However, there’s still a lot we don’t know about psychedelic therapy and further research is needed before we can make any concrete conclusions.

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Making Sense of Bad Trips Through Storytelling

Drawing on narrative theory, researchers have found storytelling is crucial to how people make sense of bad trips, turning them positive..

Bad trips, otherwise known as challenging or difficult psychedelic experiences, can occur for a variety of reasons. But whether due to aspects of set and setting or dosage, psychedelic users can find them difficult to make sense of and recover from. Indeed, some negative journeys with psychedelics can be marked by high levels of emotional distress, sometimes leading to persisting psychological or existential issues. 

As psychedelics become easier to use through changes to drug policy worldwide, in terms of both recreational and medical uses, it’s important to understand how best to help those who have had distressing psychedelic experiences . While the risk of difficult or even traumatic journeys can be minimized through proper screening, careful preparation, optimization of setting, and adequate support both during the journey and the integration phase, bad trips can still occur. And if this happens, do we know what an effective response might be?

A 2021 study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy has provided some clues. Authors Liridona Gashi, Sveinung Sandberg, and Willy Pedersen found that the stories users of psychedelics tell themselves about their bad trips can help turn these negative experiences into positive ones [1]. Before examining their findings, it will be useful to first describe what we mean by a ‘bad trip’.

What Defines a ‘Bad Trip’?

The authors of the 2021 study note, “There is no clear definition of what constitutes a bad trip.” But they acknowledge that they can include adverse reactions like anxiety, panic, depersonalization, ego dissolution , paranoia, as well as somatic symptoms such as dizziness and heart palpitations. Moreover, Barrett et al. (2016) developed a Challenging Experience Questionnaire based on challenging experiences with psilocybin, identifying seven dimensions of bad trips: fear, grief, death, insanity, isolation, physical distress, and paranoia [2]. 

We can also say that bad trips include affective (e.g. panic, depressed mood), cognitive (e.g. confusion, feelings of losing insanity), and somatic (e.g. nausea, heart palpitation) symptoms. In the 2021 study, the authors state that a key feature of a bad trip is “a feeling of losing oneself or going crazy, or ego dissolution.” It is worth highlighting that other research has found that ego-dissolution effects are correlated with the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics [3]. The loss of the sense of one’s identity during a psychedelic journey can induce fear or bliss, or even alternate between one and the other; it really depends on how one responds to this (intense) subjective effect.

As already stated, ‘set and setting’ influence negative reactions to psychedelics. ‘Set’ refers to individual factors, such as personality and mood (although knowledge of who exactly is vulnerable to bad trips remains unclear), whereas ‘setting’ refers to the social, cultural, and physical environment in which the psychedelic is taken. The type of substance and dosage can be relevant factors too. For instance, studies have associated bad trips with high doses [4]. Indeed, participants in the 2021 research described how most bad trips resulted from taking very high doses. 

Typically, participants’ trips started out well, then something ‘challenging’ was experienced, leaving the user distressed, “struggling for a solution to what was perceived as the problem.” Some tried to remind themselves they had taken a drug, whereas others sought help from trusted friends. The challenging experience gradually subsided, either because of the strategies used or because of the effects gradually wearing off. 

Now let’s turn to the design of the 2021 study on how users make sense of their bad trips.

Qualitative Interviews, Narrative Theory, and ‘Bad Trips’

The researchers carried out qualitative interviews with 50 Norwegian men and women (42 and 8, respectively). Most participants were in their late twenties or early thirties and lived in the greater Oslo area. The majority had used psychedelics between 10 and 50 times, with substances including LSD, psilocybin , 2C-B, DMT, or ayahuasca. 

The researchers recruited most participants through a closed Facebook group based on psychedelic use (made up of approximately 7,000 members). In-person interviews lasted 2-3 hours, with the researchers using open questions, enabling participants to provide detail-rich stories about the inspiration, intentions, and social and cultural contexts of their psychedelic use. Bad trips were then explored in detail. The authors concluded:

“Bad trip narratives may be a potent coping mechanism for users of psychedelics in non-controlled environments, enabling them to make sense of frightening experiences and integrate these into their life stories. Such narrative sense-making, or narrative work, facilitates the continued use of psychedelics, even after unpleasant experiences with the drugs.”

In terms of study limitations, the authors stress that the self-recruitment aspect may have impacted the results. They write: 

“For instance, it is likely that these participants are particularly interested in psychedelics and probably more motivated for using than other recreational users are. They may also have been influenced by the pro-psychedelic ideologies present in this online forum.”

Another interesting consideration is, as the authors say, “Results might have also been different if the sample was younger and their experiences happened under less controlled circumstances.”

The researchers used narrative theory to analyze the interviews they carried out, which is the study of how stories help people make sense of the world, others, and themselves. Storytelling allows us to choose what experiences we deem most relevant, fill in information gaps, bond with others, construct our personal identity, and achieve a sense of agency and coherence in our lives. As psychologist Dan P. McAdams states in the Handbook of Identity Theory and Research (2011), “Adults in modern societies construct integrative narratives to explain how they came to be, where their lives are going, and how they hope to fit in the world that awaits them” (pp. 99-100).

Bad trips will typically contain dramatic or even traumatic experiences that require both explanation and processing. Sometimes, narratively, this can be achieved by turning them into a humorous story, but often the decision is to imbue these experiences with a sense of meaning and purpose. This is consistent with the view that narratives and storytelling are crucial in recovering from trauma ( Crossley, 2000 ; Kaminer, 2006 ; Tuval-Mashiach et al., 2004 ) [5, 6, 7]. Retelling or reconstructing a traumatic incident is common in therapeutic trauma interventions.

The researchers thus use narrative theory to explain how bad trip stories are narrative work used by psychedelic users to help them process, come to terms with, and positively transform challenging experiences. However, individuals may also create helpful narratives through integration circles , which center on sharing experiences and receiving feedback in a non-judgmental space, which is common in psychedelic communities and retreats.

Turning Bad Trips Into Valuable Experiences

Almost all participants had disturbing psychedelic experiences. However, reflecting on them, they felt they were meaningful experiences, providing them with deep insights. For instance, one participant, Hannah, said: 

“The bad trips are what gives you the most insights. It’s this [bad] trip that shows you some sides of yourself that you perhaps have tried to diminish, that probably are the most important ones to understand. [These are insights] about who you really are, who you have been, what you’ve done, right. You have to see your flaws to be able to work through stuff.”

Hannah felt her bad trip allowed her to work through ego defenses and access repressed material, similar to what may be uncovered in psychodynamic therapy . Sometimes, unpleasant and frightening experiences were seen as necessary; Christina, for example, commented that you should not expect euphoric, blissful experiences from ayahuasca but ones involving self-development and hard work. 

Others feel gratitude following their bad trips. Helen, for instance, had a distressing trip on LSD in which she struggled to do ordinary activities like eating and urinating, and was convinced she had choked herself to death. However, she said:

“In the following three weeks, I woke up each morning so happy just to be alive. I felt that I had been given a gift, that I was allowed to live, that I can take trips in nature, that I have so many good people around me. I just felt so extremely lucky. I don’t think that I would experience this feeling if it weren’t for the extreme distress that I experienced.”

In addition, many participants valued their bad trips “sometimes because the bad trips had enabled them to face and resolve deep-rooted emotional barriers, interpersonal relationships or taught them to control their life.” Even participants who had extremely adverse reactions – what they referred to as psychotic episodes – felt gratitude for them.

Bad trip stories often followed the narrative structure of classical literature of many genres, folktales, and everyday storytelling in which the protagonist travels somewhere, has some experiences (sometimes challenging ones), and then returns with new insights (transforming difficulties into positive outcomes). By imbuing frightening psychedelic trips with a purpose, users can give these experiences new and positive meaning, as well as integrate them into larger life stories (i.e. the kind of direction their life is taking), thereby making them feel coherent.

Bad trip stories also gave psychedelic users an opportunity to explore “ambiguous life histories and relationships, as well as raise and discuss existential and moral questions.” The authors add that narratives surrounding bad trips can lead to flexible meaning-making, which breaks free from rigid and narrow views of personal identity. 

The authors note that narrative work following challenging experiences “may be particularly important for recreational users outside of safe and controlled therapeutic settings.” This is because, they state, “It is likely that in controlled and clinical contexts – with pre-screening of participants, professional “trip sitters” (e.g. nurses, psychologists), and follow-ups after participation – bad trips may be more benign.”

This doesn’t mean that narrative work should not also be valued in a therapeutic context. After all, this work may likewise offer benefits to those who have distressing experiences in controlled, supervised settings (when apparently everything – set and setting, and dosage – is ‘done right’). 

Previous research ( Griffiths et al., 2016 ) has found that high doses of psilocybin (average 4 grams) resulting in bad trips were, nonetheless, valued by users. 34% of those surveyed said their bad trip was among the top five most personally meaningful experiences of their life and 31% said it was among the top five most spiritually significant. 76% said the difficult trip resulted in an improved sense of personal well-being or life satisfaction. Interestingly, the degree of distress was positively associated with beneficial outcomes, so more difficult experiences were seen as more meaningful (although longer bad trips were linked to less beneficial outcomes) [8]. 

This study, like the 2021 one we’ve looked at, was similarly prone to bias because it relied on recruiting participants from psychedelic-focused online forums, which includes people who are more likely to have a favorable view of psychedelics. Nevertheless, the findings from the 2021 research indicate some of the ways people both cope with bad trips and how they turn them into valuable and meaningful experiences.

Follow your Curiosity

• Gashi, L., Sandberg, S., & Pedersen, W. (2021). Making “bad trips” good: How users of psychedelics narratively transform challenging trips into valuable experiences. International Journal of Drug Policy , 87, Article: 102997.
• Barrett, F. S., Bradstreet, M. P., Leoutsakos, J. S., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2016). The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms. Journal of Psychopharmacology , 30(12), 1279-1295.
• Kałużna, A., Schlosser, M., Craste, E. G., Stroud, J., & Cooke, J. (2002). Being no one, being One: The role of ego-dissolution and connectedness in the therapeutic effects of psychedelic experience. Journal of Psychedelic Studies , 6(2), 111-136.
• Bienemann, B., Ruschel, N. S., Campos, M. L., Negreiros, M. A., & Mograbi, D. C. (2020). Self-reported negative outcomes of psilocybin users: A quantitative textual analysis. PLoS One , 15(2), Article: e0229067.
• Crossley, M. L. (2000). Narrative Psychology, Trauma and the Study of Self/Identity. Theory & Psychology , 10(4), 527-546.
• Kaminer, D. (2006). Healing Processes in Trauma Narratives: A Review. South African Journal of Psychology , 36(3), 481-499.
• Tuval-Mashiach, R., Freedman, S., Bargai, N., Boker, R., Hadar, H., & Shalev, A. Y. (2004). Coping with trauma: narrative and cognitive perspectives. Psychiatry , 67(3), 280-293.
• Carbonaro, T. M., Bradstreet, M. P., Barrett, F. S., MacLean, K. A., Jesse, R., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2016). Survey study of challenging experiences after ingesting psilocybin mushrooms: Acute and enduring positive and negative consequences. Journal of Psychopharmacology , 30(12), 1268-1278.

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'Good Vibes': Seattle Seahawks LB Tyrice Knight Thrilled to Play For Mike Macdonald

Making the most of his one-day trip to the Pacific Northwest, Tyrice Knight and Mike Macdonald hit it off talking ball, and now he will get to learn from the linebacker guru with the Seahawks.

• Author: Corbin K. Smith

In this story:

RENTON, Wash. - Growing up in Lakeland, Florida before playing college ball at Independence Community College in Kansas and UTEP in Texas, NFL hopeful Tyrice Knight had never been to the Pacific Northwest prior to taking a trip to visit the Seattle Seahawks this spring.

Aside from playing at Boise State during his junior season in 2021, Knight had never played anywhere close to the Emerald City, with the majority of the Miners games played in the south or Great Plains region. Not knowing much at all about the city or what to expect upon arrival, after being introduced to coach Mike Macdonald and his coaching staff and checking out team facilities at the VMAC, the playmaking linebacker left quite impressed, wishing the visit wasn't just a one-day pit stop.

“It was good vibes there from top to bottom," Knight said of the top-30 visit on Saturday. "I have nothing bad to say about it. I wished I would have stayed longer than that one day.”

Fortunately for the well-traveled Knight, next time he comes to Seattle in the near future, he won't have to leave and Macdonald and company hope he plans to stay a while.

Always around the football, Knight ranked among the best linebackers in the nation in solo tackles in 2023, earning a Senior Bowl invite in the process.

Following a highly-productive college career that culminated with a Senior Bowl and NFL combine invite, the Seahawks invested the first of two fourth-round picks on Knight, nabbing him the First-Team All-Conference USA honoree with the 118th overall selection. Once a lightly recruited prospect with few offers out of Lake Gibson High School, he will now have a chance to learn from veterans Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson with hopes of developing into a future starter.

When asked about his trip to Seattle, Knight raved about everything from the weight room to gourmet food served in the cafeteria, drawing a few laughs from reporters and team personnel. But while he was blown away by the facilities and enjoyed every aspect of the day, his interactions with Macdonald - formerly a linebacker coach for the Ravens - made the visit stand out from the rest, as he felt an immediate rapport with the first-time head coach when the two started diving into film to evaluating his strengths and weaknesses.

“He was a straightforward man, he didn’t sugar coat none," Knight remarked. "He showed me the things where he felt like I was good, and he showed me the things I need to work on. I really respect that. Some coaches, they only show you the bad things, so with him doing all that, he made me feel like he really respected me."

Projected by most draft outlets as a late day three pick, Macdonald clearly loved what he heard from Knight as well, as the Seahawks bypassed several bigger names from Power 5 schools remaining on the board when they opted to select him. Looking at his numbers, though he's still learning the position, it's not difficult to see why the coaching staff is enamored by his talent and upside.

After taking the unconventional junior college route, Knight committed to UTEP and jumped right into the lineup during a COVID-shortened 2020 season, seeing action as an off-ball linebacker and edge rusher while tallying 54 tackles. He broke out in his second season with the Miners, eclipsing 100 tackles and stuffing the stat sheet with two sacks, an interception, and four pass breakups.

Continuing to grow into one of the nation's most productive defenders, Knight earned Second-Team All-CUSA honors in 2022 with 95 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss. Putting himself squarely on the map for NFL evaluators, in his first season fully immersed into an off-ball role, he racked up 140 tackles, including a whopping 84 solo stops, to go with 4.5 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss, four batted passes, and two pass breakups.

Developing a penchant for disruption, Knight finished his college career with 32 tackles for loss. While additional opportunities were created by sending him via the blitz at a high frequency, he credits his football savvy for allowing him to capitalize on those chances and regularly sniff out ball carriers in the backfield, a trait Macdonald covets from his linebackers.

“That was all me. We blitzed a lot, so that is really mostly my instincts, having a nose for the ball and just trusting what I see," Knight said.

Per Pro Football Focus, Knight ranked fourth among qualified linebackers with a 26.2 pass rush productivity rating, generating 14 pressures and 4.5 sacks on only 40 pass rushing snaps. He also tied for first among linebackers with four pass deflections as a rusher, proving himself to be quite adept at getting his paws up into throwing lanes when he didn't get home to the quarterback.

Landing on Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy's radar late in the 2023 season, Knight's performance ultimately led to an invitation to the all-star showcase in Mobile. Proving he belonged as the only non-Power 5 linebacker on the roster, a strong week further improved his standing on Seattle's big board, setting the stage for his top-30 visit and eventual selection by the organization.

"It was a blessing for me to go there and showcase my ability," Knight commented. "I felt like I deserved to be there. I was blessed to be there, and I feel like I took full advantage of it.”

Looking back on his final collegiate season and where it has led him, Knight felt the shift to off-ball linebacker gave him the best chance to fully show off his entire skill set. Based on comments from Macdonald after day three of the draft wrapped up, the Seahawks intend to use him in a similar fashion starting at the weakside spot and potentially sliding to MIKE down the road, as the coach believes he has the skills and football IQ to handle either position.

In addition, Knight should see plenty of action on special teams, where his athleticism in pursuit, physicality, and love for the game will make him an excellent candidate to help replace departed veteran Nick Bellore on kick and punt coverage teams.

Regardless of where Seattle ends up deploying him from, starting with next week's rookie minicamp, Knight plans to reward Macdonald and the rest of the coaching staff for their faith in his ability illustrated by taking a chance on him in the fourth round. Thanks to his versatility, aggressive playing style, and nose for the football, just as his memorable visit suggested, he couldn't think of a better landing spot to reach his full potential.

And, of course, Knight couldn't be happier about the destination he will now call home.

"I feel like I can play good in the run game, good in the pass game, I’m all around from sideline to sideline. I think I can do anything the coaches ask me to do, without any hesitation. I feel like I’m the perfect linebacker for the Seahawks. I’m glad they made this decision.”

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