Inside bad trips: Exploring extra-pharmacological factors
Journal of Psychedelic Studies March 21, 2018 DOI: 10.1556/2054.2018.001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Descriptive study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Volunteers who had suffered a bad trip in the past |
| Keywords | Trips architecture Consumption sociology Ignorance Adverse effect Recreational drug Environmental health Pharmacology Transport engineering |
| Citations | 26 |
| Key points | Recreational consumption, use in large outdoor spaces, and inexperience with the drug are commonly related to bad trips, but causality cannot be established. |
Abstract
This study aimed to clarify the influence of extra-pharmacological factors in the etiology of bad trips, a common adverse reaction related to the consumption of psychedelic drugs. A descriptive approach was adopted. The information was collected using a web-based survey. The survey respondents volunteered to participate based on the condition that they had suffered a bad trip in the past. This report reveals some variables that are commonly related to this adverse reaction (i.e., the recreational consumption of drugs, the consumption of drugs in large, open outdoor spaces, or being inexperienced with the drug). In addition, we note that some problems, which may be related to bad trips (i.e., mixing drugs, ignorance about the purity, or the dosage), can be solved through harm-reduction strategies. We found certain aspects that could be related to the appearance of a bad trip, but it is not possible to establish a causal connection. We recommend conducting prospective studies with larger samples to collect more information about the role of extra-pharmacological factors.