Curating a "Vibe": Why Set and Setting Matter During a Psychedelic Experience

Timothy Leary spread the term “set and setting” back in the ’60s like peanut butter on a mushroom sandwich (it helps to cram them into a PB & J if you don’t like the flavor of psychoactive fungi). When the psychedelic juggernaut was taking over the States he became the leading voice in the world of “tuning in and dropping out,” and that merely casual catchphrase may have actually sparked the real revolution that brought us the “vibetastic” cafés, hangouts, dorm room posters, lighting, and typical psychedelic decorative paraphernalia that we associate with a “good trip.” If he had not been so readily pro-trip, we may not even have this publication!

Set and setting are two aspects that can indeed promote peacefulness in one’s experience; they are the crib that rocks the tripping baby to bed, as they really are the true pillows that enable all of us to enjoy these medicines to their utmost abilities.

The people you are with (trust!) and the place you are in (comfort!) are key. Psychonauts can mitigate anxiety by creating a loving space that is warm and connected, which lowers the chance that someone will feel trapped, afraid, or concerned when a trip really starts coming on.

Nature, cool tones, and soft music are all great additives and contribute to the setting. Friends and people, with whom one can really feel at home, are key elements to this experience. Who wants someone calling you silly names during your ayahuasca ceremony all of sudden? (I for sure don’t.) Mutual respect among participants is a huge part of the set.

I recall doing mushrooms (a psilocybin chocolate bar) while lying down on a riverbed in northern Arizona, not far from the Grand Canyon. The sound of the river, the trees, the smell, the air—it all contributed to the wonderful setting I was in. The person who accompanied me on the experience was a dear friend of mine. I am thankful for our connection to one another. It was very important that we could trust each other in that setting, as we were each other’s lifeline when things got vulnerable. I could not imagine having that experience anywhere else or with anyone else. It was, for that scenario, the ultimate set and setting.

I can recall another time when the setting was not terrible, but the set was quite bad. I was not in the best headspace going into the trip and I knew there was something major that was bubbling-up to the surface during that experience—something about me. I did not feel I was ready to integrate it yet. I think what the mushroom was teaching me to love about myself in that case was exactly what I was running from. It ultimately became the exact message I needed, but in reality I was not ready for that experience. I learned a lot about myself that day, even if it took me quite some time to integrate the experience. It all comes down to trusting that, whatever experience you are meant to have, is really the right one. Intention helps, but don’t forget that surrender is powerful as well…

Set and setting really make a trip experience so powerful, as one is interacting with the scenery (when your eyes are open) or picking up on the vibrations of the space (when they are closed). Running water, natural settings, open spaces, and places where one does not feel cramped or claustrophobic can be very helpful tools to enhance the psychedelic experience.

The question is: would you rather trip in the comfort of your own home or in the bosom of nature? Which is better? I think the answer to that question is completely subjective and actually comes down to the preference of the tripper. If being in an enclosed space feels right to you, do it! If it means going into an outdoor space and connecting with Source through the trees, the mist, and the grass—do it! That is the grand part about the psychedelic realm—you can really customize your experience based on your preferences. Whether that be the medicine you are taking or the actual environment that you are in, there can be a fine-tuning with intention prior to the rocket blast off into space.

I am very keen on understanding the impetus behind why people trip. I think it may be an innate curiosity spurred on by our cultural stigma against using drugs, which still drives so deeply into the consciousness of the masses, coaxing us psychonaut explorers to try more and say, “screw it”. This drive may also be the desire for spiritual growth, introspection, and release. However, once one notices that the medicines (notice how they are now medicines and no longer drugs) are actually there to heal us, help us, and revive us we can approach the psychedelic catalog with far less fear and much more appreciation for its true essence. It is a great way for us to leave the baggage behind for a moment in exchange for a few hours of connection with something far beyond the average consciousness’s capability of seeing, feeling, and sensing. But, of course, that baggage, in some trips, needs to be audited, and that is why having a safe space (thanks to set and setting) in which to do that audit in is key for everyone’s well-being.

We want to be supported by those around us when we confront ourselves. We also want to be supported by the chair we are in, the music we are listening to, and the air we breathe. These are all very important factors for the proper facilitation of a trip that will only encourage you to go deeper, find out more about yourself, and ultimately, LOVE.

By Sam Birenbaum