From “bad trips” to “transformative and potentially therapeutic trips”: harnessing the potential of psychedelics – narrative review

Purpose:
Psychedelic substances are attracting attention for their therapeutic potential in mental health disorders. Emerging research suggests that even negative psychedelic experiences, or “bad trips,” may hold therapeutic potential when managed in controlled settings. This narrative review explores the nature of “bad trips”, their contributing factors, and their integration into therapeutic practices.

Views:
Data for this review were identified through systematic searches of PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus using keyword “bad trip”, “psychedelic therapy” with the use of Boolean variable AND. Articles were selected based on their relevance, recency, and methodological rigor. Key studies were analyzed to extract findings on psychological mechanisms and therapeutic frameworks related to challenging psychedelic experiences. Bad trips frequently involve intense fear, anxiety, and unresolved traumas. Controlled therapeutic settings allow for these experiences to catalyze emotional processing, trauma resolution, and transformative insights. Historical and contemporary studies highlight long-term mental health improvements following the effective integration of such experiences. Ethical considerations, including informed consent and aftercare, are critical to mitigate risks and optimize outcomes.

Conclusions:
While distressing, bad trips may act as catalysts for psychological growth in therapeutic contexts with trained facili­tators. Further research is needed to refine therapeutic protocols and elucidate the long-term effects of challenging psychedelic experiences, offering innovative approaches to mental health treatment.