"Good" and "bad" trips.

[oversoul1919]

Often, whenever discussion about any kind of psychedelic is involved, there's one thing that people are immensely scared of. And that's a "bad trip".

I didn't try the DMT yet. I've used to enter deep states of meditations, let my mind go, and few times, I've experienced frightening situations in dream like state.

My point is, that people shouldn't be afraid of "bad trips". I think that they're some kind of lesson to be learned, just like the "good" trips. Be it personality, your internal problems...anything. I think that people can learn something from those "bad trips", not just try to forget them soon as they can, and continue vaping/smoking/eating again just to see "blissful and beautiful" situations again.

If you happen to have a "bad trip", stop for a moment. Problem is probably greater than your set/setting. Try to think why it has occurred. Every journey is a personal one, and only you can know why it happened. Leave the spice for another day, and concentrate on whatever might be a problem.

Know thyself.

Peace and love.

(I'm also interested in anything which other people have to say on this).

 

[universecannon]

It's tempting to paint things in black or white but there is so many different kinds of experiences that I don't like thinking about them all in terms of good or bad.

There are definitely rough experiences which can be some of the most important in your life though. I've had many where I was forced to face my demons and issues that were horrifying but ultimately worthwhile, and others that were challenging in new ways.

One tricky thing is that fear can lead to all sorts of projections onto the experience, creating false bogeys and warping it in a way that snowballs it into, in some ways, an unnecessary and rough experience that could have been avoided. Things will unfold as they will in the end but there are many things we can do to enhance our work with it for the better.

I've also had utter trainwreck experiences that ultimately felt like a few step backwards instead of forward in more ways than not.

 

[Cazman043]

My uncle was in hospital for an illness and he said to me "You know what mate, when times are easy you learn hardly anything about yourself, its when the times are tough that you learn the most about who you are."

I feel this is quite important when coming into contact with "bad" trips. We fear our demons but we do not realise that the demons are simply projections of our own mind, and once faced, are actually extremely funny looking creatures who express love and gratitude once faced. They might look scary but thats only because you fear them.

 

[FluffyClouds]

(to original post thread starter) Great Great thinking, very well said, thank you.

 

[Orion]

I think that if you have never experienced a bad trip, it's hard to honestly comment on them, and of course impossible to talk from experience.

Bad trips aren't just something you can take a step back from, it's not something entered into lightly, with the option of turning back. You are stuck, and you have to deal with it unless something happens which boosts your mood. If you are alone, this can be difficult if not impossible.

A lot of people compare psychedelics to meditation, but it's more like a dream. It's different to a dream though, in that you are quite aware that your mind is functioning in a very unfamiliar way, and that if you have a terrifying experience it's not like you can just jolt and wake up.

Bad trips are some of the most cartoonishly absurd, paranoid, and most difficult experiences you can go through as a human being. The simplest most innocent little flower, blade of grass, speck of paint on the wall can become the highest order of nightmare fuel you'll ever experience. Take the worst thing ever, in a dream, sober or any state, and turn the seriousness dial up to 11, then just as your mind is about to cave in, turn it to 12.

Yeah, they suck.

 

[Cognitive Heart]

This is true.. whether the trip unfolds as a positive, neutral or a negative experience; it is within that direct perception of observing and learning from each experience that truly makes the trip worth coming back to.. or vice versa. Without this knowledge or awareness, one can become terrified and never want to return to the internal realm of.. well, that which we see.

Good reference point.

 

[Poads]

I think that if you have never experienced a bad trip, it's hard to honestly comment on them, and of course impossible to talk from experience.

Bad trips aren't just something you can take a step back from, it's not something entered into lightly, with the option of turning back. You are stuck, and you have to deal with it unless something happens which boosts your mood. If you are alone, this can be difficult if not impossible.

A lot of people compare psychedelics to meditation, but it's more like a dream. It's different to a dream though, in that you are quite aware that your mind is functioning in a very unfamiliar way, and that if you have a terrifying experience it's not like you can just jolt and wake up.

Bad trips are some of the most cartoonishly absurd, paranoid, and most difficult experiences you can go through as a human being. The simplest most innocent little flower, blade of grass, speck of paint on the wall can become the highest order of nightmare fuel you'll ever experience. Take the worst thing ever, in a dream, sober or any state, and turn the seriousness dial up to 11, then just as your mind is about to cave in, turn it to 12.

Yeah, they suck.

This. If you've never had a bad trip, it's easy to just say "oh well, it's just a trip, you shouldn't be afraid". No, it's not that easy. Bad trips are awful. And you really are stuck in them. All you can do is try to ride them out, and wait to come down. Yeah, you can try to stay positive and keep a cool head, but sometimes, especially on higher doses, it's just impossible, and you just want it to end, but you seriously think it never will.

The only good part about an uncomfortable trip is that you can learn from it later. Sometimes bad trips can be very useful learning experiences. But the trip itself is still an experience of utter torture.

 

[Cazman043]

I've had about 50% bad trips. There was a reoccurring theme to these trips and it took me about 10 trips, if not more, to bring myself back into a state where my trips had versatility. Bad trips are a mostly a result of ego! The only thing it is you fear whilst tripping is yourself, and yourself is the one who interprets the external world. If internally you become fearful, then the external will start to alter, the visuals start to look scary, or angry, and you spiral down a thought loop of fear, anguish, anger, etc. After experiencing enough bad trips you realise that ultimately, you influence what you see via the state of your inner being, if you are at peace with who you are, you will experience peace in the environment. If you start to trip, and you begin to feel fear, don't think about it, just turn your attention to the sounds of nature and embrace whatever it is you are experiencing, the mood will quickly change.