The recreational and spiritual use of psychedelic drugs is an ancient cultural phenomenon and still popular. Yet the substances sometimes have drawbacks when consumed inexpertly and incorrectly. A spiritual encounter with the divine can be a blissful experience that changes your life. However, when things get out of hand, even the mental health of the strongest psyche is at risk. For psychonauts, the informed and responsible use of psychedelics is of vital importance.
MAGIC MUSHROOMS ARE RELATIVELY SAFE
Magic mushrooms and their subterranean cousins magic truffles are among the safest drugs in existence. This has been proven. After surveying 12,000 regular drug users, the 2017 Global Drug Survey concludes that magic mushrooms are among the least harmful recreational drugs. The measure of safety: the number of necessary hospital visits. Only 0.2% of the nearly 10,000 mushroom users surveyed ever had to call for an emergency room visit, compared to 1% users of heavier substances, such as cocaine and LSD. However, if you use magic mushrooms incorrectly, they can indeed cause a bad-trip. So read on and find out what you shouldn’t do when consuming them.
THE MOST COMMON PSYCHEDELIC MISTAKES
Avoid the mistakes below and you are guaranteed to experience an inspiring and beneficial trip, instead of the opposite.
WRONG SET & SETTING
Timothy Leary already stressed the importance of set & setting during his researches. Before you start tripping, you should make sure your surroundings are calm and safe. Unless you are experienced, it is wise to avoid unfamiliar or stressful locations. Crowded streets and oppressive locations sometimes generate too much stimulation. Your own cottage or a friend’s is ideal. Perhaps with access to nature, if you want to kiss flowers or enjoy the stars. Try to avoid places where unknown people may show up. Anxiety, fear of life and irritability prior to a trip sometimes cause a bad-trip. Therefore, bliss is achieved by remaining calm and open-minded.
TRIPPING IN BAD COMPANY
Bad company is a bad thing anyway, but when tripping, you sometimes experience the worst nightmares. Sharing your experience with people who don’t appreciate the power of psychedelics is often a waste of the portion of puckered mushrooms. Moreover, it sometimes leads to paranoia. Look for sincere co-trippers and avoid loud and rowdy people. Or people who laugh at your surprised facial expressions or who tease you about being nauseous. This is natural and expected, by the way. Using a tripsitter is also highly recommended. This is someone who is not ingesting magic mushrooms and who will take care of you when you are in higher spirits. A person who, if necessary, grabs a blanket for you, calms you down during panic situations or just offers a listening ear.
COMBINING WITH ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS
Mushrooms are best consumed without other substances, with the exception of cannabis. This has sometimes positive effects. Mushrooms are strong enough on their own. It is not necessary to combine them with other substances to enhance the experience. This is especially true for beginners. Alcohol sometimes provokes mind boggling, disorientation and violent thoughts. Drinking before taking magic mushrooms also often exacerbates nausea, resulting in vomiting. In addition to the unnecessary discomfort, vomiting during a trip can reduce the intensity and duration of your experience. Other drugs are strong enough on their own. Combining them with magic mushrooms can result in an unpleasant experience. If you want to add some potency, take some more mushrooms. If you’re new to this wonderful world, take it easy.
BEING IN A PLAGUE MOOD
Psilocybin can be seen as a mood enhancer – so being in a bullying mood sometimes leads to a bad experience. Shrooms are known to catalyze positivity in non-clinical settings. However, if you use them while having dark thoughts or in an existential crisis of existence, you’re quickly screwed. If you can’t manage to be cheerful or at least evoke an open way of thinking before tripping, it’s better to postpone the psychedelic experience until you get your head together again.
BEHOLDING DISTURBING IMAGES
Hallucinations are the main part of a mushroom trip. However, their intensity depends on the amount ingested. Hallucinations manifest themselves from light visual distortions and more intense color experiences to synesthesia and experiencing undiscovered dimensions. Your psyche is truly fascinating. Exposing yourself to disturbing or objectionable images sometimes leads to a bad experience. When you view things under the influence of magic mushrooms, you don’t just perceive images; you experience the feelings they induce. And often magnified as well. When you look at disturbing images or listen to haunting music, your psyche sometimes amplifies the associative feelings to the point of driving you crazy.
IDLE CHATTER
It’s tempting to describe your trip, the colors, the distractions and all the wonders of the unleashed psyche. However, if you talk too much, the essence of the experience is lost. Endless chatter keeps the psyche from exploring the subconscious in depth, and that is exactly what you want to experience. Enthusiasm is understandable – a trip is a great experience – but it is wise to remain calm and composed, when you go in search of your deepest soul roots. Afterwards, you’ll have oceans of time to discuss your trip experience. You don’t want to get a bad name as a companion because you keep babbling on and on.
INEFFICIENT TIME PLANNING
A psilocybin-induced trip lasts at least 6 hours. Keeping your schedule clear for more than 8 hours is therefore recommended.Time pressure sometimes causes haunting delusions, which are unwarranted fears. Moreover, this often has a devastating effect on your psychedelic experience. During a trip you discover a lot about yourself and the nature of reality. Allow yourself time to enjoy the experience and process it without pressure.
AIMLESS TRIPPING
Mushrooms are not just for the intoxication and sensation. They are also sometimes powerful tools for self-awareness. So treat them with respect. If you have an end goal in mind before you start tripping, it often has positive psychological effects that you will enjoy for the rest of your life. Shrooms give you the opportunity to have a frank conversation with yourself and to confront unsympathetic behavior. Concentrate on your emotions; this generates wise life lessons. Suggestions:
- What are your life goals?
- What are the obstacles you must overcome to achieve these goals?
- What reality are you living in?
- Where and how can improvements be made?
And this is just the beginning! There are many other things to consider before you embark on a journey into the most colorful spaces of your psyche.
