The Practical Guide to Being a Practical Guide

The psychedelic culture has a long tradition of instating some sort of guardian watch over the proceedings. Everyone from ancient shamans to Timothy Leary has expounded the importance of a psychedelic guide to help you reach your spiritual goals.

But let's be real: most people who are tripping nowadays do not do so for deeply spiritual purposes. Yet, new psychonauts and those who are taking larger doses than they are used to will often ask a more experienced tripper to be their guide, or their "sitter" while they are in this strange and often emotionally fragile state. Whether this is necessary is a question for the ages, and in my opinion depends on the situation, but it's a favor often asked of more experienced psychonauts.

Someone who asks you to play this role for them probably already trusts you as a close friend, and also trusts your experience with psychedelics and your ability to take care of them if they need you to. However, if you haven't ever been someone's sitter, the responsibility may have you on edge. What are your duties and responsibilities as a modern, practical psychedelic guide?

Don't try to control their trip. You are not a choreographer, you are just a safety net. Remain in the background as best you can, and only give help or guidance or favors when asked (whether verbally or non-verbally). If your charge is having a great time staring at the fish but you remember being in awe of the carpet on your first trip, don't pull them away to go lay on the floor. Let them go with their own flow.

Take a low-to-average dose so you can be in the same headspace without being overwhelmed. Recently, I tripped with a group of people that included a friend who had "hippie-flipped" (taking LSD and ecstasy together) but never done LSD on its own. Knowing that I was knowledgeable and experienced, she asked me if I could make sure she stayed in a positive mental space. I was confident in my ability to do so, but by the time she was crying because the clock was moving backwards, I was way too stoned to even properly identify her emotion. Luckily the Boyfriend stepped in and calmed her down, but both she and I were lucky to have him around. In a situation where you are the sole caretaker, make sure that you're not incapacitated by your chemicals. However, I do recommend that you be tripping to some degree-- the sense of disjointedness in your mental spaces can make your charge feel misunderstood, too-closely observed, or just generally uncomfortable.

Take requests. If something is making someone uncomfortable, do something about it. Something totally normal while sober (music, colors, light, sounds, TV shows) can cause some real anxiety or fear or discomfort while tripping. On the other hand, if they ask for some specific stimulation (their favorite band, a TV show, etc), it may be the perfect thing to blow their minds. It's your responsibility to help them have the best trip you can, so if it's within your abilities, try to grant them their whims.

Observe general safety. Make sure they don't do anything ridiculously stupid. Even if they really want brownies, don't let them use the oven. Be careful about trampolines. And if they insist on driving somewhere, tackle them and tie them to a chair, because that is a very stupid idea. Like in tip #1, you aren't your mother, but they are trusting you to give them a little push if they need it. Don't let them do dumb things. Very simple. If you can't do this for some reason, skip to the last tip.

Most anxiety surrounding psychedelics is related to the fear of bad trips, which do happen occasionally. Even when it's not a full-blown freak-out, most people do experience unpleasant feelings while playing with their consciousness, and this is the point where it is important for the sitter to step in. First step if things start going badly: ask if they want a hug. Most people, especially while tripping, will appreciate a physical gesture of affection, but others may become VERY uncomfortable with physical touch in this sensitive mind-state, whether it's due to some sort of past trauma or just drug-related paranoia. If they say yes, hug and cuddle away. If possible, and with permission, a cuddle puddle with multiple people might be mind-blowingly awesome. :)

If necessary, ask questions. But not too many. If your charge becomes visibly uncomfortable, or expresses anxiety or confusion, ask them in an understanding way what is bothering them and then do what you can for them based on their answer. However, you have to be careful not to pester them or make them paranoid: I find that answering too many questions (whether I'm tripping or at the doctor's) tends to make me nervous that something is really very deeply wrong. If they are too far-gone to answer (it's happened before) but still look uncomfortable, try distinctly non-sexual but reassuring touches, and experiment with changing the surroundings to see if something there is distressing them. Beyond that, improvise and do what you can.

Stay calm. This should be obvious, but tripping people especially will piggy-back your emotion. Even if there's a pretty good reason to be nervous, don't freak out or your charge will freak out even worse. It probably isn't even as bad as you think it is. Most of the worst trips clear themselves up eventually once sobriety starts to set in. And it might not even be a "bad trip:" everyone (including the positive-minded and experienced) hit little bumps. It's part of the journey. If you're experienced enough to be a sitter, you already know this.

In an absolute emergency, do what needs to be done. Cases like these are really rare but not unheard of. Remember, LSD isn't illegal once it's inside you, so if your friend breaks a leg or is uncontrollably running around the neighborhood naked or gets mugged, call the relevant authorities and tell them all the details. Especially if you need an ambulance: the EMTs need to know what is in your friend's body so they can do the best job they can for him or her. If there are no illegal substances or items on you, you have nothing to fear.

I hope this guide hasn't made you too nervous to do your duty as a sitter, while also presenting you with some worst-case scenarios to avoid. If you have any specific questions, you can ask in the comments or e-mail me at furthurxfuture@gmail.com.

LSD & Autism

My brother and I have always been exact opposites. He likes sports; I like books. I love to go out with friends; he would rather stay home and play on the computer. He likes math class; I like English. However, our most obvious difference is that he was diagnosed with Autism at age three. 

I was only five years old at the time, but since then the lives of each of our family members have been impacted irrevocably, mostly in a positive way. My mother encouraged my early love of books and writing by giving me a unique "homework assignment." I wrote and illustrated a shoe-tying manual when my brother was having trouble grasping the concept. He was an early reader as well, and would delightedly flip through each of the pages and laugh at my goofy stick-figure drawings. My mother would hold him on her lap and guide him through the process, until he finally understood well enough to do it himself. I would sit next to them and beam with pride that something I had created could have a positive effect on someone else. From then on, the only thing I have wanted to do with my life is write. I hope to use my skill with and enthusiasm for language to influence the world and the individuals in it. 

As time went on, I developed skills to match those he lacked. He often speaks in a cryptic, seemingly illogical way, but since we grew up together I was the only one who could translate what he meant to my parents and the other adults who dealt with him, further improving my own language and people skills and helping him to be understood and accepted. I helped him make friends by inviting him along with me on outings, and encouraging him to join clubs he might be interested in. I enjoy seeing him succeed in a realm where he has had such difficulties, and love doing whatever I can to help. 

Most importantly, I learned from my brother that each individual really is just that, and cannot be judged by his or her differences. In the diverse world we live in, we must learn to accept everyone, regardless of any label or diagnosis you can attach to them. My brother's presence in my life has reminded me how important the individual is to the whole world, and what a difference one person can make.

Yes, I just subjected you to my entire college admissions essay (names excised). Yes, it's a little cheesy and self-serving, but it's all true. I think it's important to help you understand not only my relationship with LSD, but my relationship with Autism as well.

Autism is often misunderstood, due to its spectrum of symptoms that differ per individual, and its convoluted history. I have lived with my Autistic brother for 17 of my 18 years, and even so, it's much easier to explain my brother and his unique behavior than it is to explain Autism as a whole. I can assure you that the barely-stifled rumors of Autism being created by unloving mothers isn't true: Autism is thought to be caused by a variety of factors in conjunction, including genetics (not one gene; the rights ones must be "in alignment"), disease during pregnancy (like Rubella), exposure to certain chemicals in the womb, and/or immune system deficits. There is no test for Autism, and maybe there never will be, but symptoms are noticeable by age three, and include:

• Impairment of nonverbal social behaviors (like eye contact)
• Trouble with peer relationships
• Lack of social reciprocity (trouble holding conversation, or truly sharing in shared experiences)
• Delay in spoken language and other forms of communication, like gesticulation
• Inappropriate use of language (not the swearing that is a stereotype of Tourette's, but problems with pronouns and prepositions, or repetition of other people's words or sentences, etc.)
• Restricted and obsessive interests (for example, my brother can't really hold a conversation about anything besides sports statistics)
• Adherence to rituals and schedules, and a resultant anxiety if they are changed or something unexpected occurs
• Repetitive mannerisms (hand-flapping is the stereotype; my brother never does anything halfway, and instead gallops around the yard or house with his hand a few inches from his face, and makes ticky-sounding computer noises to his hand, which I'm sure terrifies the neighbors)
• Sensitivity to sensory stimulation (one boy I know keeps his fingers in his ears all the time; my brother is phobic of fire alarms and dogs, and has to cut the itchy tags off of all of his clothing)

These traits persist through adulthood-- an Autistic child, without extensive therapy and special education, will probably never be socially "normal." Therefore, Autism isn't just a disorder, it's an important part of what makes an Autistic individual him- or herself. (If you're interested in reading more about Autism, its history, and its impact on families, I recommend Richard Grinker's Unstrange Minds. I'm only about halfway through it right now, but it's very interesting and informative and matches up closely with my experience with this disorder.)

Before LSD was hijacked by the hippies and the radicals, it belonged to the psychiatrists. They used it to treat a variety of emotional and psychological problems, including alcoholism and schizophrenia. In the early sixties, Autism was just changing from a symptom meaning extreme introversion, to a unique diagnosis separate from childhood schizophrenia (which is actually extremely rare). However, psychiatry at that time was not as organized as it is today, and therefore childhood schizophrenia was still a frequent diagnosis.

LSD and schizophrenia were connected in the minds of the experimenters because it was first used to simulate psychotic episodes for the researchers themselves, to better understand their patients. Though it is now believed by most that organic schizophrenia and this induced state are very different, the connection remained and LSD began to be explored as a treatment for schizophrenia. In a field dominated by Freud's psychoanalysis, psychologists thought that the same anxiety that induced psychosis in some test subjects would release repressed material in others, helping them to deal with the roots of their problems. Patients on LSD experienced either an intensification of their symptoms, no change at all, or a strange mix of intensification and normalization of behaviors. Mute patients would often laugh-- or cry-- hysterically for hours on end, sometimes bouncing between the two at the mercy of strong mood swings. However, most schizophrenic patients seemed relatively immune to the effects of LSD, and therefore it was an ineffective treatment. A few researchers were inspired by these studies decided to try their luck with LSD therapy for the "childhood schizophrenics." They believed that the disinhibition may make Autistic children more "present" and better able to assimilate social understanding.

Freedman conducted a study on twelve moderate-to-severe cases, ages five to eleven. The observed effects, which were were either physical and measurable or inferred through body language because of the patients' lack of speech capabilities to describe their experience, included flushing of the face, pupil dilation, catatonia, lack of coordination, lack of appetite, exploration of new bodily sensations, increased desire for physical contact, mood swings, hallucinations, panic, relaxation, freer use of language (an increase in quantity of communication but not quality; no new words or phrases were used), and (my favorite!) "dizziness due to whirling." The researchers had a problem with continuing the treatment because tolerance built up so quickly, but the research was promising. One eight-year-old girl responded very well to treatments over a year's worth of weekly sessions; the severe behavior problems were cured in a young boy; and another ten-year-old girl improved after only three months.

Another study found a greater rate of success by administering half-doses twice daily. It raised the social maturity rating of the younger children but was less beneficial to the older children. Children who were not Autistic, but actually had schizophrenia, showed much more improvement with LSD therapy than did adult schizophrenics.

Though LSD has worked for Autistic children in the past, I wouldn't say that I recommend it for everyone with Autism. My brother, for example, is too high-functioning, anxious, and self-aware to end up with anything besides unpleasant confusion and/or a bad trip-- pot brownies might suit him better. However, I know kids with more severe symptoms, who would be more likely to benefit from LSD therapy. Those who are further removed from the everyday reality of the rest of us may be better equipped to deal with LSD therapy as just another new experience in a world that barely makes sense to them as it is. This is another promising field of psychiatric research that has been entirely stemmed by the insane War on Drugs, which is not only punishing recreational users, but alcoholics, PTSD-sufferers, AIDS patients, and Autistic children.

Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder

Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder is when visual characteristics of a trip last for much longer than the trip itself, until after the chemical has been removed from your system. Contrary to flashbacks, it's always present and relatively permanent. It is most commonly related to LSD use, but that may just be because acid is the most commonly used hallucinogen. Those that are genetically predisposed to HPPD can begin experiencing it very early on in their drug use, but in others it sets in much later in the game, and therefore seems to be unrelated to the frequency or number of trips one takes.

Common sights of HPPD sufferers include halos or auras around objects, changes in dimension and color, a difficulty in distinguishing between colors, trouble reading because of "misbehaving letters," geometric patterns where there are none, flashes of color, movement in peripheral vision, or TV-like "static" on monochrome surfaces. The symptoms can be made worse by fatigue, drug use, a sudden change in the visual environment (like walking into a brightly-lit room from the dark), or simply paying too much attention to it.

Many people have never heard of HPPD, or if they must seek treatment they are too embarrassed to admit to having used hallucinogens, and therefore the statistics on its prevalence are probably incorrect. This is another good reason that hallucinogen use should be legal or at least socially acceptable: research could be done, and people with disorders of this sort could get the treatment they need. Luckily, many people don't need to get treatment, because HPPD often fades over time of its own accord.

Now, don't be like me and assume that your brain is broken just because the rainbows around lights at night seem suddenly really noticeable. HPPD is only diagnosed when the disturbances are so severe that the patient cannot ignore it. Like other psychiatric syndromes, a requirement for diagnosis is that it impairs normal functioning. To be fair, I had no idea that light halos were a common occurrence until I asked my boyfriend, who verified that he saw them too. :)

HPPD raises some interesting questions about how drugs affect us. One common theory is that hallucinogens permanently affect the nervous system, creating less sensory gating (like Huxley described in The Doors of Perception). This leads us to be more open to receiving sensory signals that have always been there, but are usually filtered out. There was also an interesting study that I read about that showed that those who use hallucinogens have a lowered ability to distinguish between colors, and to distinguish between a very fast strobe and a continually-shining light. I found this to be the opposite of what I've experienced: my drug use has made me appreciate color so much more, and when I'm high I can even see the strobing in cheap fluorescent lights, which is super annoying. Anyone else have a different story?

I was also kind of surprised that HPPD only includes the visual aspect of hallucinogens. It seems to me that other aspects of a trip could last too, but I guess people with that are just called "crazy." :)

Sources:
Wikipedia

Erowid