If you are even somewhat familiar with psychedelics, you will have undoubtedly heard of the ubiquitous “bad trip”. A recent U.S. survey showed that 40.9% of psychedelic users had experienced at least one bad trip in their lifetime. While this of course implies that a larger percentage had no difficulties (59.1%), this does not make the prevalence of this outcome for consumers any less significant.
Sticking to the U.S. for a moment, a 2022 YOUGOV study revealed that 28% of Americans had used at least one psychedelic in their lifetime. If we extrapolate this, we can see just how significant this is. The population of the U.S. is currently around 330,000,000. 28% of that is 92,400,000 people who have consumed psychedelics at least once. 40.9% of that is 37,791,600. That’s nearly 40 million individuals who have experienced a bad trip – in one single country. I would argue that that is unacceptable and a real, vivid illustration of our complete lack of an adequate societal framework around the use of these substances.
Bad trips can occur for many reasons, the majority of which are a result of the continued prohibition of psychedelics. The cultural baggage surrounding their usage is gigantic and far from universally positive. Factors like social taboo, inadequate knowledge, a lack of preparation or adherence to “set and setting”, inaccurate dosage, or an impure, adulterated product all have a huge bearing on whether or not a psychedelic experience is a positive one. In most cases, a bad trip forces you to face areas of your past and present which need to be confronted. In the wrong space, mental or physical, this can become truly terrifying to the point where you may put yourself or others at risk. Without effective integration practices following the experience, it will likely remain solely a horrific, traumatic memory. You may not even have any conscious awareness or understanding of the fact that the trip was showing you things you need to solve.
When correctly integrated, some argue that a bad trip, or negative experience, may actually be the key to unlocking psychedelics’ therapeutic potential, but regardless, it is often beneficial to find ways of bringing yourself back to reality. Avoiding potentially traumatic experiences if you are using these substances outside of a clinical context is likely wise for the majority of users. Pre-preparation, attention to what you are taking and how much, and adherence to set and setting are ways of reducing the chances of a negative outcome. In scenarios where no natural means of bringing yourself down (mindfulness, calming music, etc.), some users turn to “trip killers” – substances which will mute or regulate an experience to make it more manageable. Outside of a clinical setting, this is a controversial practice with many potential risks, especially as the majority of these substances are being sourced from the black market.
Trip killers should be a last resort, not an intrinsic element of an experience, but they are a potentially valuable tool in the arsenal of any budding psychonaut. You may yourself be considering having a trip killer on hand for your next psychedelic experience. So, let’s explore the potential positives and negatives associated with their use, as well as the most common substances people employ. We will also examine the potential alternatives to chemical means of mellowing or blocking the effects of a trip, which are readily available and safe.
share your toughts
Join the Conversation.