The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience: Challenging Experiences and Psychological Distress

Record summary

Carbonaro and colleagues analyzed reports of difficult or frightening psilocybin experiences, including perceived psychological danger, loss of control and subsequent interpretations. The study is relevant to altered states because “bad trips” can be framed as spiritual confrontation, trauma, psychopathology or temporary drug effect depending on context. Its detailed phenomenology offers comparison with crisis narratives in religious and clinical settings. The findings are not evidence that frightening visions are supernatural, and participants’ retrospective accounts require careful contextualization.