Bad trips can lead to growth in some psychedelic contexts, with LSD, psilocybin and other drugs sometimes triggering long lasting challenging experiences

Psychedelics can cause long-lasting, challenging experiences that people may call "bad trips," but those experiences can sometimes become personally transformative when framed and supported correctly. The article centers on reports where substances like LSD or psilocybin lead to intense distress, including anxiety, ego dissolution or feelings of dissociation, and sometimes the return of repressed material such as past suicide attempts. Experts interviewed in the piece say these experiences are understudied, can destabilize a person’s worldview for weeks to years, and should be treated as part of the real safety profile rather than dismissed. Several studies and clinician viewpoints are used to argue that outcomes vary by individual factors like support, integration, dose awareness, and setting. The piece also highlights psychological mechanisms such as ontological shock, shame and guilt, and the role of guided or therapeutic environments in shortening difficulties and helping people process meaningfully after the fact.