HOW DOES MEDIA AFFECT YOUR TRIP?

Nowadays, we spend a lot of time on our smartphones and social media, and the question is: how does all that media affect your trip? Just like in a dream, while tripping you may come across things you have seen on your phone during the day. So surfing the internet can indeed affect your trip. It can be positive, but also negative.

The impact of media on the subconscious mind

Have you ever had the experience of waking up from a dream that featured characters and elements you had seen on television the night before? Did you encounter Bart from the Simpsons or work with Reddington from the Blacklist? Anyone who remembers their dreams is bound to have experienced that at some point. It's not for nothing that we say, "I'm not going to watch that, it's sure to give me nightmares!"

What we see on media during the day, be it the internet or Netflix, can creep into our subconscious and thus our dreams too! But does it also affect your trip? Recent research shows that a mind-altering trip is similar to dreams. It is the same areas of the brain responsible for dreams that become active during a trip. But even if that were not the case, it actually makes perfect sense that there are elements in your trip that come from the images and sounds we surround ourselves with.

If you plan to trip, for instance with magic mushrooms or truffles, you should take into account the set and setting: the environment you are tripping in and your own emotional state. But it is also wise to consider the media you consume: the content, the atmosphere and how it affects our mindset. Isn't that redundant? When you consider that the average European spends about 6 hours a day watching screens, it's not crazy to think that this affects how your subconscious and therefore, your trip!

The influence of media on your trip

That media influences your subconscious is called imprinting or conditioning. A recent study studied this phenomenon, mainly the effect of media on the set and setting among participants in therapy that included psychedelics. One of the participants was a 28-year-old woman, who had watched quite a few Disney films just before her session with ketamine. She reported that images and other elements of the Disney films constantly appeared in her trip. She did not like this and said it interfered with her experience.

Every time something important would happen during the trip, a Disney image would come and drown it out. To counteract this, the woman decided to reduce the amount of media she took in for a session next time. This made her psychedelic experiences much more personal and meaningful. She saw mystical elements that helped her more with her personal growth. Without Mickey or Donald Duck interfering.

Heightened sensitivity due to psychedelics

The question is why you can suffer from imprinting. Why is it that Dumbledore or Spiderman can appear during your trip? The study cites the model REBUS (Relaxed Beliefs Under Psychedelics). It describes the phenomenon that mind-altering substances temporarily limit the brain's ability to control the processing of information from the senses. This leaves the brain more open to stimuli from the environment, including the media you see. Given that psychedelics also amplify your thoughts, feelings and emotions, it is a good idea to take this into account.

How to reduce the influence of media on your trip

Those going for an original trip focused on self-examination (introspection) will probably want to try to limit the influence of media on their trip. You can use these tips:

• Avoid horror and true crime series and films the days before your trip.
• On the day, don't watch news stories that make you feel gloomy, angry or confused.
• Do you binge-watch and get obsessed with exciting plotlines? Then stop doing this a few days in advance. Chances are that elements from such series will appear in your trip.
• Don't look at Instagram or TikTok just before your trip either. There are studies showing that such social media can increase feelings of anxiety.
• Don't play intense and violent games before your trip.

There is no avoiding the fact that media will affect your trip anyway. You probably come into contact with it every day and have been seeing images from television, film, the internet and games all your life. But at least this way you can reduce the chances of disturbing influences.

The benefits of media

It should be obvious that media can negatively influence your trip. But not everything related to smartphones is bad. You can also choose to use media in a positive way. Anyway, it is useful to have a smartphone nearby when you are tripping, so you can call someone in case of an emergency.

Music can also have a wonderfully positive impact on your trip. Do choose something that helps you relax and has a nice vibe. By preparing well and paying a little attention, media can also enhance and deepen your trip, so you can actually get more out of it!