Do you get anxiety before you ingest psychedelics?

[Sacred Journey]

One problem I seem to be having with psychedelics is that I get anxiety before I take them and during the come up.

I always start worryign over whether I should in fact be taking them, then I worry about the dosage, I worry about the set and setting, I worry if I am taking the right psychedelic and maybe I should be taking a different one, etc.

One the psychedelic kicks in, I usually always have great experiences and I gain a lot of healing from them. So why can't I remain calm beforehand?

 

[TGO]

Who knows, but you can find comfort in the fact that you are not alone. Many of us, including myself, have pre-flight anxiety. It is only natural. Meditation, being comfortable, and the use/introduction of MAOIs (note: only mix MAOIs with psychedelics that are known to not have any adverse reactions) really helps me relax before blasting into the deepest parts of the universe.

 

[Nathanial.Dread]

I get wicked pre-flight anxiety, and I'm grateful for it. If I didn't have to get over the hump of terrible fear, I'd probably be a lot less judicious in my use of psychedelics. Because of the initial stress, I only really use them when I'm absolutely sure that the set and setting are right, which I think lends itself to more useful experiences.

With time and practice it may decrease, but a little bit of fear is not a bad thing. Shows you understand the power of these things.

Blessings
~ND

 

[de]

I was in a similar boat, I used to get insane preflight anxiety when I first started to use psychedelics (about almost the exact same things as you OP). This is actually a good thing in most regards, as it encourages you to wade in slowly and give the proper respect to these chemicals. I still have apprehensions before going into an experience now, but after putting a few trips under my belt and learning how to handle myself I can allow myself to be more liberal in dose now without the associated anxiety. Just remember at all times, you are safe and will come through fine on the other side as a better person regardless of how positive or negative the trip is. As long as you respect the chemicals, they will do likewise.

 

[tseuq]

I experience this anxiety as arousal, like on my birthday when I start to open my gift. The bodysensations, I am, seem to be the same but because they arise in a specific context, it is easy for me to "handle" them (based on the believe "opening a gift is always safe").

When I am in contact with "psychedelics", I know that I am experiencing something "special", something personal. I know, all I encounter on a trip (and in my daily life, is one, I am one.) is just me, I am. It is always myself, reflecting in everything. All the demons, angles, aliens, gods.. are just reflections of myself, I am playing games with my funny mind, I am.

Real danger only occurs when I hit the lethal dose or do dangerous stuff like driving a car on a high dose trip.

So why can't I remain calm beforehand?

I apologise for reversing your question to ask, why is it not ok, how you experience yourself? Why do you want to force yourself to be different? Why do you teach yourself not to be truth itself? Is it better to be calm, what does better mean and who decides what's better?

The bodysensations itself are neutral, they are alive, they are a signal "Hey, something (I) is (am) going on!", I am my bodysensations, before I am soaked up and processed by robot mind, which is alwasys in fear to die.

My life is full spectrum and this is what I am, A full spectrum experience in its highest resolution, I am.

love tseuq

edit: I experience myself in two different states of being, the crystallized state of "having" (believes, wishes, fears, stuck in thoughts, projections, always one step behind nowness) and the liquid state of "being" (letting go of my personal believes, wishes, fears and commiting myself 100% to the here and now). I am the mastermind, creator and destroyer of realities.

 

[Cognitive Heart]

I feel everyone goes through similar experiences before taking psychedelics. Whether they are hidden or clearly present. Ime, even before smoking cannabis, do I feel nervous. The direct awareness of being propelled, consciously speaking, can definitely stimulate certain feelings, emotions and mentalities before such activities and during. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that, either. In fact, I think it's good to be nervous before taking entheogens. The nervous vulnerability is completely natural and is reduced overtime and through experience. As already suggested, these feelings are good to acknowledge as they represent an understanding and force of whatever shall be revealed.

 

[Ryusaki]

The fear is justified.
You are basicly aiming a hyperspace shotgun at your brain with the intention to obliterate the ego, of course EGO gets a little jumpy. :roll:

 

[Symphonette]

I get incredibly anxious before and during the come up of psychedelics. Part of the reason is that I don't know what to expect, because every experience is different. I know this to be true for I don't get anxious at all with cannabis. Then of course there's the fact that you're shot into an intense uncontrollable psychedelic state in which your are accompanied by foreign entities who have something to teach, all behind your eyelids. At least with mushrooms. It also doesn't help I've convinced myself that these states are more real than the one we know.

But yes, I do recommend meditation prior and during the experience. And remember set and setting.

 

[brilliantlydim]

Yes, every time before I trip. Just did my first n,n trial yesterday, and I was super anxious. I had to sit there for 30 mins everything loaded and ready to go just to build up the nerve. This is after a few weeks of preparing myself for it. Probably pretty normal when you think about what the experience can be like. People get nervous before sky diving, shit you're bungee jumping out of (this) reality and you can't even see what kind of cord you're using.

 

[Just Say Know]

I used to get Pre-fligt psycho somatic nausea and body load with hbw. Ironically i don't get very nasty preflight anxiety with oral Tryptamines (though my experience is limited).

 

[EternalPeace]

So why can't I remain calm beforehand?

I agree with Ryusaki. I like the way he put it:

You are basicly aiming a hyperspace shotgun at your brain with the intention to obliterate the ego

Every time you do it, you are taking the chance that you are in for the ride of your life; like the way you feel before getting on a roller coaster, with butterflies in your stomach.

Every time I think I've been the furthest, I eventually get a new surprise. That's enough to make me antsy, because I've been pretty far!