Day trip to hell: A mixed methods study of challenging psychedelic experiences
This mixed-methods study (interviews N=38; survey N=319) shows that challenging psychedelic “bad trips” have a broader thematic range than previously recognised—fear is near-ubiquitous and confusion is prominent—yet participants typically report positive long-term effects, with meditation practice showing paradoxical associations that merit further study.
Authors
- Johnstad, P. G.
Published
Abstract
Background and aimsThis article presents a mixed methods study of challenging psychedelic experiences or “bad trips”, with the aim of exploring the nature and characteristics of such experiences. While challenging psychedelic experiences have been studied in previous research, the article posits that the focus of this research has been overly narrow in terms of the characteristics and etiology of these experiences, and that it would be helpful to broaden our understanding of what a challenging psychedelic trip might be and how it affects users.
Methods
In the first study, respondents (N= 38) were recruited at various online fora for individual anonymous interviews via private messaging. The Cannabis and Psychedelics User Survey used for the second study was constructed on the basis of the knowledge obtained from interviews, and recruited 319 participants (median age 33; 81% male) from seven different online communities. Respondents were asked to characterize both a typical and their worst psychedelic experience, allowing for comparisons between the two and for regression analyses of associations between challenging experiences and other factors.
Results
Both in interviews and in the survey, respondents reported a broader range of characteristics for challenging psychedelic experiences than what has previously been recognized in the research literature. Despite the often dramatic narratives, they were convinced that the experience had positive long-term consequences.
Conclusions
The two studies found that challenging psychedelic experiences have a greater thematic range than what has previously been identified. Besides the near ubiquity of fear in these experiences, confusion was also identified as an important aspect. Meditation practice had paradoxical effects on challenging psychedelic experiences, appearing as a fruitful area for further research.
Research Summary of 'Day trip to hell: A mixed methods study of challenging psychedelic experiences'
Introduction
Psychedelics produce powerful alterations in perception, emotion and cognition and have attracted renewed research interest for therapeutic effects in conditions such as depression, anxiety and substance dependence. Earlier work has emphasised certain recurring features of challenging psychedelic experiences, most notably fear associated with ego dissolution; scales such as Dread of Ego Dissolution (DED) and a seven-factor questionnaire of difficult psilocybin experiences have been proposed to capture these phenomena. However, some commentators have argued that these instruments and the prevailing ‘‘set and setting’’ framework may underspecify the variety of adverse or challenging experiences and their causes. Petter and colleagues set out to broaden understanding of so-called ‘‘bad trips’’ by exploring their phenomenology, antecedents and self-assessed consequences using a mixed methods design. The study combined asynchronous, Internet-mediated interviews with 38 current or past psychedelic users and a larger anonymous online survey of 319 participants, with hypotheses that challenging experiences have a wider thematic range than previously reported, that set and setting are important but not decisive, and that long-term consequences tend to be rated positively by respondents.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Topics
- APA Citation
Johnstad, P. G. (2021). Day trip to hell: A mixed methods study of challenging psychedelic experiences. Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 5(2), 114-127. https://doi.org/10.1556/2054.2021.00155
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