The Bad Trip Cheat Code—here’s how to help yourself during a difficult mushroom trip
*NOTE—If you’re currently in psychedelic crisis, call the Fireside Project at 623-473-7433.
**NOTE 2—This article doesn’t encourage or condone illicit drug use outside of legal psilocybin service centers in Oregon.
Last week I shared an article that exposed an alarming fact of the psychedelic renaissance. As more groundbreaking studies emerge and more celebrities wax poetic about their healing journeys, as the magic mushroom zeitgeist blushes with hyperbolic zeal, more and more folks are calling poison control actively in crisis.
As you all know, psilocybin and house parties are ugly bedfellows, but even spontaneously ingesting mushrooms at home can get a little dicey. Ultimately, we cannot treat psilocybin like any other “drug.” It’s strong medicine and if we’re not ready for a holistic, powerful journey, we can tailspin awful fast.
Furthermore, all those benefits those fancy people are talking about? We don’t get them by chewing on some stems and hoping for the best. We earn that solace and relief through deep and often times, uncomfortable preparation. Therefore, at the risk of sounding like a broken Iron Butterfly record, you should not trip if you haven’t crafted thoughtful intentions, curated a beautiful and inviting setting, and enlisted the help of a guide to play the role of ground control before, after and during your mushroom journey.
That said, I’m not here to berate somebody just because they spontaneously ate a few mushrooms. Instead, let’s talk about real-time solutions to psychedelic crises, and walk through an incredible resource for a person navigating the staggering complexity of an extraordinary state of consciousness.
I’m Having a Bad Trip—What Do I Do?
So you’ve eaten some mushrooms and what you thought might be a mind-expanding experience is turning into an anxious, uncomfortable affair. It’s okay. It makes sense. You took a “drug”, and it’s doing its “drug” thing. All you need to do is figure out how to embrace its reverberations.
There is no need to panic. There is no malignant dose of magic mushrooms.
There’s also no sense in rushing. Since we can outrun this experience, it’s best to perform every action slowly and deliberately. If you can, find a quiet corner.
Turn on some mellow predictable music
Even if you’ve never done it before, sit down in whatever feels like a meditation pose.
Take a deep breath in through the nose and dramatically exhale (sputter like a horse!) Do this 5 times.
Flip the script. Rather than vigilantly tracking and reacting to the surge of mushrooms through your body, welcome those sensations. Think of the physical feelings as beautiful confirmation that the medicine has arrived and will bring insight and ultimately love.
Now, lay down on your back and open your arms and trust the mushrooms to take you away.
Can I Call Someone If I’m Having a Bad Trip?
If those bullet points don’t help or if you’re in a scenario where it’s impossible to try those things, call the Fireside Project. It’s a pretty awesome organization and they provide psychedelic support in real time every day from 11am to 11pm. The number is 623-473-7433.
Fireside Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting people through all stages of their psychedelic journeys. At the heart of their work is a free, confidential peer support line staffed by trained volunteers who have personal experience with altered states. Whether someone is in the midst of a psychedelic experience, sitting with someone who is, or reflecting on a trip from years past, Fireside offers a calm and understanding presence—no matter where someone finds themselves in the process.
The support they offer is non-clinical and grounded in empathy. It’s not therapy, medical care, or crisis intervention—it’s emotional support from people who’ve been there. Volunteers don’t diagnose, treat, or analyze; they listen, affirm, and hold space. This distinction is essential to Fireside’s mission: creating a safe and stigma-free environment for people to explore and integrate psychedelic experiences in their own time and way.
Tsk Tsk! How to Repair Your Relationship With Mushrooms.
Okay, so you got through an unexpected and challenging experience. Chances are—even if you spent some of your journey vacillating between dread and panic—you got something out of your journey. Maybe it was a mini-epiphany about compassion or just a deep gratitude for certain people in your life.
Hold that nugget of psychedelic wisdom up to the light. Examine it in all it’s dazzling glory. Now imagine if you’d properly prepared for this experience. Imagine if you treated the mushrooms as sacred medicine from the beginning. What if you made an altar out of your intentions before your journey? What if you took a hard look at your pain and relationships before making that mushroom tea? Instead of working through this alone, what if you enlisted a guide to support you as you submerged yourself deep deep deep into your subconscious?
Can you understand now, why everybody’s gushing about guided psilocybin therapy? The medicine is powerful. The work, rigorous. The journey, profound. The reward, ecstasy.