Nightmares and 'bad' trips. Is there any connection?

[phew]

Share your thoughts on this. I don't know if there's any merit to this idea, but I feel that they're somehow related.

Does a person's tendency to have nightmares have anything to do with their tendency to have a bad trip? Nightmares don't have to be frequent. If it's easy for you to get nightmares following stress in your life, then the same might apply when you trip. Some people don't have nightmares even after something horrible happens to them. I've been lots of traumatic situations and I don't have recurring nightmares about them. I've gotten into a lot of fights and I don't have nightmares about it. Miserable relationships as well, and I've been fine. Others are not so lucky, and the same things I went through could cause another person to have nonstop nightmares/bad trips.

Could the same factors that make nightmares more likely make bad trips more likely? The factors listed here, for instance:

What Causes Nightmares in Adults?

Nightmares in adults are often spontaneous. But they can also be caused by a variety of factors and underlying disorders.

Some people have nightmares after having a late-night snack, which can increase metabolism and signal the brain to be more active. A number of medications also are known to contribute to nightmare frequency. Drugs that act on chemicals in the brain, such as antidepressants and narcotics, are often associated with nightmares. Non-psychological medications, including some blood pressure medications, can also cause nightmares in adults.

Withdrawal from medications and substances, including alcohol and tranquilizers, may trigger nightmares. If you notice a difference in your nightmare frequency after a change in medication, talk with your doctor.

Sleep deprivation may contribute to adult nightmares, which themselves often cause people to lose additional sleep. Though it's possible, it has not been confirmed whether this cycle could lead to nightmare disorder.

There can be a number of psychological triggers that cause nightmares in adults. For example, anxiety and depression can cause adult nightmares. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also commonly causes people to experience chronic, recurrent nightmares.

Nightmares in adults can be caused by certain sleep disorders. These include sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome. If no other cause can be determined, chronic nightmares may be a distinct sleep disorder. People who have relatives with nightmare disorder may be more likely to have the condition themselves.

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/nightmares-in-adults


Some of those do not apply, of course.

Now, look at the treatments for nightmares:

Treatments for Nightmares in Adults

Fortunately, there are steps you and your doctor can take to lessen the frequency of your nightmares and the effect they are having on your life. First, if your nightmares are the result of a particular medication, you may be able to change your dosage or prescription to eliminate this unwanted side effect.

[...]

If your nightmares aren't illness- or medication-related, don't despair. Behavioral changes have proven effective for 70% of adults who suffer from nightmares, including those caused by anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

Imagery rehearsal treatment is a promising cognitive behavioral therapy for recurrent nightmares and nightmares caused by PTSD. The technique helps chronic sufferers change their nightmares by rehearsing how they would like them to transpire while they are awake. In some cases, medications may be used in conjunction with therapy to treat PTSD-related nightmares, though their efficacy has not been demonstrated as clearly as that of imagery rehearsal treatment.

There are a number of other steps you can take on your own that may help reduce your nightmare frequency. Keeping a regular wake-sleep schedule is important. So is engaging in regular exercise, which will help alleviate nightmare-causing anxiety and stress. You may find that yoga and meditation are also helpful.

Remember to practice good sleep hygiene, which will help prevent the sleep deprivation that can bring on nightmares in adults. Make your bedroom a relaxing, tranquil place that is reserved for sleep and sex, so that you don't associate it with stressful activities. Also, be cautious about the use of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine, which can remain in your system for more than 12 hours and often disrupt sleep patterns.

Could the same techniques used to prevent nightmares be used to prevent bad trips? Overall health (mentally and physically) are quite important when it comes to nightmares. The same could be said when it comes to tripping.

A bad trip could be thought of as a waking nightmare, yes? If one received the proper therapy (no medication needed as you just read!) before, during, and even after a trip, wouldn't that be effective in preventing that trip and future trips from going badly?

It seems so likely. The therapist has more access to you when you're tripping than when you're having a nightmare. They can watch you and change the set and setting, and attempt to understand what's going on inside your mind so that they can help you resolve it.

I don't see how a person can just have a bad trip for no reason. There has to be a reason. Taking too much, wrong place and wrong time, negative factors in your psyche, an unresolved issue that you're not admitting to yourself, witnessing some disturbing in front of you, or even being unprepared to deal with negative thoughts and getting stuck in a thought loop that gets worse and worse.

 

[rincewindrocks]

Seems reasonable that there would be a connection, at least between the "traditional" psyches, and bad trips. The only bad trip Ive ever had on shrooms was when I was in a depressed period in my life.

However, bad trips can come from other things too. Inexperience with a substance, an overall stronger effect than expected, outside sources (cops, parents, friends, etc.), bad bodyload. But these can also be overcome. There have been multiple times where, in all fairness, I should have had a bad trip. Bad setting, unexpected dosage, not being mentally prepared, etc, and I have had great trips.

Ive had very very few nightmares that I escape from in any way other than waking up. I have on multiple occasions, however, talked myself out of a state of mind that could have potentially turned into a bad trip.

I have also had bad trips on salvia where I was perfectly prepared for the experience, and had no good reason to end up being attacked by alien beings as soon as i entered salvia world.

I think alot of it comes down to the individual user. For instance, I have discovered that I will have a bad trip on salvia every time I take it now, no matter how much I meditate and mentally prepare myself. It is inevitable. But I have not had a bad trip outside of that in almost 6 years.

The difference between a bad trip and a nightmare is, IMO, that a bad trip has something to teach you. Not to say a nightmare doesnt, but as the article points out, there can be outside factors as well.

yeesh, ended up being rather long winded....sorry

 

[steve022]

Yes, for bad trips that come from internal sources. However, one can have a bad trip due to outside factors such as a bad environment, things that happen in reality while tripping, etc.

 

[Cream Gravy?]

I have very​ frequent nightmares; however, I have yet to have a single negative psychedelic experience. Then again, I'm one of those people who doesn't really believe in "bad trips", but I am very picky about my setting and who I do it with. The closest I've come to a bad trip was being on mushies at a music fest and just being unable to handle a crowd, so I went back to the car and got in my sleeping bag and all was well.

 

[steve022]

I have very​ frequent nightmares; however, I have yet to have a single negative psychedelic experience. Then again, I'm one of those people who doesn't really believe in "bad trips", but I am very picky about my setting and who I do it with. The closest I've come to a bad trip was being on mushies at a music fest and just being unable to handle a crowd, so I went back to the car and got in my sleeping bag and all was well.

Interesting, so maybe the dream state and tripping aren't all that alike after all though it can seem similar at times. Tripping sort of feels like a waking version of dreaming sometimes. However, in a trip the difference may be that there are surroundings to alter the experience whereas in a dream there are no surroundings to alter the experience

 

[Cream Gravy?]

Interesting, so maybe the dream state and tripping aren't all that alike after all though it can seem similar at times. Tripping sort of feels like a waking version of dreaming sometimes. However, in a trip the difference may be that there are surroundings to alter the experience whereas in a dream there are no surroundings to alter the experience

I feel that my dreams/nightmares take on an uncontrollable sense, where weird shit happens and I can't explain or alter it (I've never lucid-dreamed); whereas, when I'm on psychedelics, I can always change what's going on to a degree, i.e. feeling cold and uncomfortable? Go get a blanket and lay in a comfy chair. Stuff as simple as that is usually all I need to put to rest bad feelings during trips, while dreams are an uncontrollable roller-coaster for me.

 

[Xorkoth]

Well if it helps, I simply don't have nightmares, ever. I have anxiety dreams sometimes but they're not terrifying, just anxious/annoying/occasionally alarming. I also have only had one trip I consider "bad", and even that wasn't the psychotic break variety that scarred me, it was due to a terrible setting and afterwards (immediately afterwards) I still felt rejuvenated and the next day I was full of life and hope. So it was more of a difficult trip than a bad one. And I've tripped way more times than I can hope to count. I've had terrifying trips but they were due to my existence unraveling and believing I was going to die or cease to exist. This fits more along with ego death than a bad trip, I certainly don't consider them bad, in fact they are some of my most impactful and fulfilling trips.

I will also say that ibogaine, for me, seems to work on dream consciousness, in that the experience is of having a long series of dreams (you could call them visions but they are in the exact same form as dreams). I found it to be utterly unlike classic psychedelics, which feel more like an enhanced state of awareness.

 

[ricardo08]

I used to have night terrors as a child which left a deep rooted memory of a distant feeling of terror in me that flashed back every now and then as I moved into adult life. It was never frightening when I remembered, but it was vivid. I could remember the feelings I felt while in this delerious state as a kid, screaming and wanting a way out but not being able to find one. It's quite hard to describe. But I've wondered if these experiences as a child have contributed to my feelings of control over psychedelic experiences. I've never had trouble keeping a straight head in even the most sketchy situations while tripping, where it's jarred friends out completely. It's as if experiencing those nightmares as a child has meant that I'm not so afraid of the dark, innermost side of myself and so I feel more in control, or something. Likely entirely unrelated, but I like the idea.