Psychedelics have long been associated with the fear of a “ bad trip ,” also called a psychedelic crisis. A psychedelic crisis is a period of anxiety and confusion triggered by psychoactive substances, most often classic psychedelics such as psilocybin/mushrooms and LSD, or cannabis. Many people just want to put such an experience behind them, but it’s not always easy.
How does a "bad trip" occur?
A psychedelic experience is one hundred percent unique from person to person, time to time, and is said to amplify mental processes. So all thoughts, good and bad, become more clear than before. In more controlled forms, for example under the supervision of an experienced guide/therapist, you get help to prepare for these thoughts and help to work through the experience. This reduces the risk of a "bad trip" and it helps to provide confidence to cope with the experience. Perhaps a bit like preparing to sail through a storm with an experienced captain who tells you what can happen and what you plan to do together in the different situations. And in addition, you can talk to someone about the experience when the storm has passed. Most people take psychedelics in less controlled environments, and many consider it a form of party drug that you take in a social or strange setting. Some take it alone. Some take it at a concert. Especially in situations like this, where you are thrown unprepared into the storm, some people come out with a strong feeling of anxiety and also the feeling that you have not gotten anything useful out of it. If you get anything useful out of it, you might call it something else. For example, a "challenging trip."
I will give an example based on a real experience here in a slightly simplified version, but it is important to emphasize again that such experiences are very unique. A man in his late 30s, whom we can call Trond, has taken LSD with some friends after having a few beers. They are in an apartment and none of them have tried this before. They are a little unsure about the dosage, so they "tweak it a little" to be sure that they get an effect. It starts with an hour-long laugh before things take a turn. Trond feels tense and tired, but is unable to relax despite lying down and closing his eyes. He finds it difficult to understand time and fears that what he is experiencing will last forever. The fear that he is trapped in this purgatory is reinforced by the fact that his friends seem strangers and cannot explain to him what is happening. Trond lies down under a blanket and stays there until the experience is over and he decides to go home. The friends conclude that they must have had some "bad acid" and do not talk about the experience any more afterwards. Trond describes this as a "bad trip", has nightmares at regular intervals and feels unwell when he thinks about it.
Turn a bad trip into a challenging experience
We are now moving into what is called psychedelic integration. Integration can be described as analyzing an experience and using the insight you have gained, negative or positive, to find meaning in it. Since psychedelics are said to amplify internal processes, you can use the momentum that a psychedelic experience has provided to examine the underlying causes. You can talk a little about the experience with a therapist/integration coach or anyone who has some experience or understanding of such experiences, so that you can bring the experience to light again. If you have had a very traumatic psychedelic crisis, I would recommend that people proceed a little cautiously at the beginning and look at some techniques for "grounding" to have some support wheels ready. In addition, it can help to read other people's interpretations and stories about psychedelic experiences. There are many words written about such experiences and if you read a little by different authors, you will probably find some words that have meaning for you.
We can go back to the example of Trond. Trond visits an integration therapist to get rid of his nightmares. The integration therapist explains how such an experience often builds on existing mental processes and that they are not a result of LSD itself. The therapist asks Trond if he can try to see the experience in a different light and why he experienced what he did. Trond finds it difficult to remember the details of the day and the therapist asks if he can lead Trond through a guided meditation exercise to revisit the experience. Trond accepts. After the meditation exercise and some time to think, Trond has a clearer memory of what happened and Trond draws the conclusion that he has never really been able to relax completely in his life. He works too much and is unable to sit still without constant stimuli, which is affecting his relationship with his family. He decides that he will take an extra long vacation with his family and sign up for a meditation course. Three months later, Trond feels that this has improved his life situation and that the LSD experience, despite being extremely challenging, ultimately gave him something he needed.
This is an example of an integration process, slightly simplified. Since experiences are as unique as people are different, personal conclusions will vary greatly. And the integration process must be adapted accordingly. But there are ways to integrate a psychedelic crisis afterwards and learn from a powerful experience.