Hey guys, Pathos here. A while ago, I had a very disturbing trip experience. I was on 2 (Either extremely good quality and or laced) hits of LSD. I also smoked about a gram to the head to heighten the experience. Of course, before the sweet presence of LSD went completely sour and south, really fast. If you wish to read it, it's right here. I suggest reading it before giving input into the topic I wish to discuss here. So, now that you've read it, lets move on to why i'm here.

Recently, it has once again become available to me at the snap of a finger. I'm getting some to give to my friends, but. I really want to do it again. Really. I love the crazy thoughts, the "wtf just happened" moments with friends, and just the intense laughter and visuals with it. I love every aspect of LSD. I going to just take 1. I wasn't even going to smoke marijuana, to hopefully make sure I don't get so paranoid.

My question is, what should I do to ensure that I don't go into complete psychosis again. What happened last time is, I fell off the train you know? Anyone who's done LSD a lot, and has had a bad trip, knows this feeling. Maybe not all, but I know a few people who've been through this.
The feeling of being tested. The feeling of something trying to take your soul or punish you for using the drug. Or even feeling so shitty about yourself, that you ball up crying. Or the one everyone questions; being scared of something. You know what im talking about. You're tripping absolute balls, and you steer away from conversation with the group. You start thinking more and more and more. Then you get scared. You get worried. But you have no idea what for? What is this? How can I stop this? What steps can I take to ensure I don't "Fall off the train again"?

I'm very experienced with psy, but this one time just. It ruined it for me. And I don't want that one time to get in the way of experiencing what this gift of the brain has allowed humans to experience.

How do I stop worrying?
How do I stop thinking badly about myself?
How do I get myself out of a thought loop?

Mother Lucy has always treated me so well. I felt as if that night, I just wondered off into the woods when she told me not to, and I payed the price of pain, humiliation, and disappointment. Perhaps it was just because I was doing it so often back then? Perhaps it was a sign that I needed a break, that I needed my brain to just chill for a little bit?

What's your input guys?

EDIT: I also posted something a while back, in regards to placebo curing. Something I thought of. Like, if you're friends having a bad trip, give him or her a pill (Like advil or ibuprofen) and say it will make the trip less intense. This worked for my buddy. I really wish something like this could be done for myself. Is there anything I can take that will weaken the effects of it?. Not totally stop, but just calm things down. I've heard Orange Juice and vitamins help. Any other off the wall home remedies to stop the demons from taking your conscious and leaving you behind as a vegetable? <--(I know this won't happen, but im sure many of you have been there before )

your last trip sounded terrifying, but i understand why you would want to dive in again. can't let one bad trip ruin hundreds of other great ones. it was a learning experience after all right? i would suggest doing it alone or with a sober sitter rather than with others who are tripping, but thats up to your own comfortability. i dont think i could do it around other trippers after a trip like that.
just make sure you're 100% comfortable and your mind is clear of all worries. you might be over that last trip right now but once the effects kick in you might get scared. just be sure you have come to peace with that last trip before you move onto the next one.

good luck and be safe

I have battled with difficult thoughts for a long time. This is what I have figured out.

My thoughts are not me. They are not real. I observe the thoughts. If I am not my thoughts then I am the observer of the thoughts(good or bad). If I am not my thoughts then that means I separate from them. If I am separate from them, then the thoughts become like objects. Just something to observe and look at. The same way you would look at anything like a car or your lunch.

Every single person on this planet is observing consciousness, choosing their thoughts, and creating the world we live in. I know that if I change my thoughts I change everything. After this perspective change this became apparent very quickly.

You are so much more than what goes on in your head. We are all witness to our thoughts and our world and experiences. Choose your thoughts carefully! You have a choice to be depressed or happy.

I wish you the best! This is my humble opinion and most of this thoughts process was brought about using psychedelics. I feel good looking at the universe and my fellow human beings in this way. It really makes me feel like this is a purposeful existence.

Haha, we all think this until we crash. I can totally relate to your bad trip, as I experienced them multiple times. One got so bad that I can't eat mushrooms anymore. But they all serve as a reminder:

You may think you're experienced but in fact you aren't.

My cure to deal with pre-flight anxiety are anxiolytic (not so much myotonolytic/muscle relaxing) Benzos. They are the measurement no.1 when dealing with a bad trip besides "talking down" and should be in every psychonauts emergency box (imo).

I'm looking for the quote from Pihkal/Tihkal where the the experimenter got bored of the trip and ended it with diazepam, but I can't find it. So here's an even more official quote:



The only downside of Benzos is, that they are addicting. So if Lucy wants to show you, that you aren't the responsible person that you might think you are, then she has her reason and Benzos may be another burden to deal with. So yeah, Benzos are a double edged sword. 4 mg of diclazepam (= ~ 20mg diazepam) before tripping works wonders for me and I can even go outside in full daylight without worrying about people. But then the use should be limited to the emergencies. Otherwise you end up like some of the guys on bluelight.org, who behave like crackheads.

So read the literature well and get as much as possibly informed about Benzos if you choose to ingest them as a pre-flight medication. Benzo withdrawal seems to very painful, the only upside is, that it's socially tolerated and a doctor can help you out, if you get addicted (health care insurance provided).

I post a quote from a Bluelight guy who ingests a conservative dosage of 5mg diazepam as a preflight med - it's only a 1/4 of the official "come down" dosage and I find his post help/insightful:

Although i have taken my fair share of LSD i have never had a bad trip. I have gone through negative things while on LSD but that was related to the outside world, not the drug. I think this is because i have become comfortable with myself, or perhaps my mind, while tripping to the point that it is almost impossible for me to start spinning out of control. I have felt it start to happen before but got it under control quickly.

The key is stay relaxed, know your going to be tripping but nothing in reality is changing, and that you will eventually be sober and everything is okay. Keeping that in mind, i always can keep my mind under control and have a good time as well as not freak out if something goes wrong.

I know if you are anxious or unprepared it can be hard to avoid certain thoughts and keep your mind calm. I think DmnStr8 has a very good point and that is basically how i keep my self under control. "You have a choice to be depressed or happy."