🔼: [[💡 Psychedelic Journeys]] # How to Help Someone Through a Challenging Trip --- ## Questions 1. What does the person think they took? 2. How much do they remember taking? 3. How long ago do they remember taking it? 4. Are they on any other medications or drugs? Have they had any alcohol? http://zendoproject.org/resources/ ## Guidelines 1. Create a Safe Space - The presence of a grounded, compassionate individual can go a long way in helping someone feel safe in a time of crisis. Approach with kindness and openness, creating an environment of acceptance and compassion. Let the person know that they are in a safe place and that their experience is welcome. Let them know that whatever is coming up for them emotionally or mentally is ok and invite them share their experience if they would like, making no expectations. If possible, move them to a quiet place with few inputs. Things like bright lights, loud music, and lots of people can contribute to disorientation. 2. Sit, Don't Guide - Words can often confuse or get in the way. Use them sparingly unless the individual is desiring to engage in a dialogue about their process. Rather than analyze their experience, listen with an open mind and heart. If engaged in dialogue, ask questions which help the individual deepen into their experience. Listen from the heart and become curious about their reality. Allow the individual to come to their own insights or conclusions. It is ok to provide your perspective on their experience, but focus more on helping them come to their own insights through compassionate inquiry. Let go of your agenda and try not to get ahead of the process. Don't lead the person away from their own experience. Stay calm, caring, and friendly, and allow the person's experience to guide your questions and comments. - "What's happening when you close your eyes?" - "Just go with it, you're safe." 3. Talk Through, Don't Talk Down - Rather than trying to find the magic words to take them out of the experience, talk through it with them. - "Don't fight the experience, trust that it's happening for a good reason and you're going to learn something good from this." - Help the individual turn toward their experience rather than away from it. Trust in the process and the person’s inner guide. Trust that whatever is showing up for them is something that they are being invited to learn about. Never dismiss or invalidate someone’s perceived reality. Try to avoid rushing the experience, trying to fix the scenario, or find a solution. Rather than provide answers or solutions, remain in a place of not knowing, or beginners mind. If the individual is behaving in ways that are destructive or violent, set boundaries around behavior while validating the emotions behind the behavior such as “I hear that you are angry. You are welcome to express your anger with your words and emotions, just not with violence.” 4. Difficult is not necessarily bad - Allow them to experience all emotions that arise, not just the pleasant ones. Difficult life experiences can be some of the most valuable learning opportunities. Strength, resilience, surrender, and deep wisdom are often forged in the fires lit in our darkest times.  Trust that however challenging the situation may seem, being a calm and grounded presence will go along way in helping someone who is struggling. - Reminding the individual that their experience may be an opportunity for them to look at aspects of themselves that want their attention in order to be healed can be helpful. Inviting in the possibility that they will emerge from the experience with new insights and understanding. Making jokes and having a sense of humor can often be very helpful. Any difficult or powerful experience – whether involving an altered state or not – can be considered an opportunity for personal evolution. Not all such encounters are easy, but volunteers can help the person remain calm and reassured. Remind them that their experience is an opportunity for growth can be helpful. - Harm is much less likely to happen if the person embraces their emotions rather than resisting and trying to escape from them. - Encourage them to experience it rather than control it. [^1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aBjoARwlOY