Have you ever had a frightening psychedelics experience? Were you alone or was someone with you? And what was the trigger? The company? Your own resistances? Were you ill and taking medication? Should you not have taken the substance because you have mental health issues? Did the trip lead to new insights or benefit you in any other way? Or was it simply a nightmare?
Being alone during such an experience is the worst possible scenario. Already back in the days of the Haight-Ashbury Clinic in San Francisco, the pioneer in this field, it was found that people on bad trips fared better when they were among friends – rather than ending up in a psychiatric ward. Much progress has been made in the treatment of patients since then, yet people one knows and trusts often bring an immediate sense of calm to an otherwise threatening situation.
Had I not been alone when I was young, and it happened to me, my friends would have pointed out right away that I was safe and in no physical danger; experienced companions would have helped me to accept and make sense of what was happening to me. I recovered quickly, but such occurrences can linger for days, weeks and months and cause deep anxiety. We need to address this, because it is quite clear that not everything is sunshine and roses when it comes to psychedelics. Unfortunately, we keep reading reports of psychedelic therapies or retreats that have gone badly, sometimes resulting in death. And we hear of shamans and therapists who abuse, rob or neglect patients. With this sort of horror story, one tends to think of distant foreign lands, but that is too simplistic.
The newsletter Ecstatic Integration by Jules Evans (along with Swiss journalist Sarah Zeines) has dropped a bombshell – serious incidents have also occurred in Switzerland, as well as fatalities, which is both tragic and deeply regrettable. Fortunately for Psychedelic Assisted Therapy, except for someone who felt much worse for months after tripping, there was no physical link between these incidents and substance ingestion. The MDMA and psilocybin implicated had been taken weeks or months earlier, as reported by the treating hospitals, and confirmed by the FDOH. While the therapists involved responded in an exemplary manner, the damage to the sector’s reputation remains. Not to mention the suffering of those affected. Is this just the tip of the iceberg, or are these incidents over a period of around two years an indicator of more severe worries? We need a central register now!
On another note: on 19 April, over 100 enthusiasts took part in Bicycle Day in Basel alone, again more than the year before. The overall event was a great success, also thanks to our friends from Eleusis and PARAB. For summer lovers and collectors, this year’s exclusive T-shirt is still available in limited quantities (in sizes M, L and XL) at bicycleday.ch. And you can also still become a gaiamedia member. Thank you for your support.
Yours,
Susanne Seiler
P.S.The next Psychedelic Salon features Ansgar Rougemont. Don’t miss it!
P.S.S. We are moving the gaiamedia library to new premises in Zurich’s Seefeld district. From June onward, we’ll be open to the public again.