Trip sitter: Difference between revisions

A trip sitter is sometimes called a '''psychedelic guide''' or '''guide''', although this term is more often used to describe someone who takes an active role in guiding a drug user's experiences, while a sitter merely stands by to discourage bad trips and handle emergencies but otherwise does not take on an active role. Guides are more common among spiritual users of entheogens.<ref>http://csp.org/nicholas/A59.html</ref><ref>Guiding 101 | Guiding 101</ref>

The most common trip sitter is a friend or family member who the drug user trusts.<ref>Sitters or guides | http://csp.org/nicholas/A59.html</ref> Sometimes, a tripper will ask another more experienced user to sit for them. In some cases, a trip sitter may be a medical professional such as the nurses used in psychedelic research or a therapist who performs psychedelic psychotherapy.<ref>Notes From a Psychedelic Research Nurse | http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v05n1/05134nrs.html</ref><ref>Counter-Transference Issues in Psychedelic Psychotherapy | http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v10n2/10204fis.html</ref>

Although an ideal sitter is one who is both personally experienced with the substance being used as well as one trained to deal with any potential psychological or medical crisis that may arise, arguably the most important qualities may be the willingness to help, the responsibility needed to stay sober enough to be fully present, and the ability to be relaxed, accepting, and not interfere with the experience beyond the wishes of the user. A sitter should be willing to research the substance in question as well as techniques for [[responsible drug use|responsible use]] and understand when to call for professional medical assistance.<ref>Erowids Psychedelic Crisis FAQ | http://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/faqs/psychedelic_crisis_faq.shtml</ref><ref>Alpert, Richard, Ph.D., Leary, Timothy, Ph.D., Metzner, Ralph, Ph.D., and Karma-Glin-Pa Bar Do Thos Grol (1964). The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Sacramento. Citadel Press. ISBN 0-8065-1652-6.</ref>

The responsible trip sitter will thoroughly research the substance which will be ingested in order to answer all potential questions the user may have and to prepare for any potential crisis situations it may cause. The sitter will discuss this research in detail with the user. It is also considered important to talk to the user about any ground rules for the session, how to handle any emergencies that may arise and what, if any, guidance will be wanted during the trip. A trip sitter will also frequently help a drug user create a healthy set and setting for the experience. They do this by making sure the user's surroundings are comfortable and orderly, adjusting lighting, temperature, and music (if any) to suit the desired tone of the trip and overall doing whatever they can to maximize the user's openness to the experience and minimize their fear.

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