The Big & Dandy Set and Setting Thread

[Youkai]

This will be entertaining and more then likely lead other people to new fausets of cognitive shifts in which to enjoy/learn mroe about your self through various alternitive ways of taking psychedelics. (set and setting)

Im prob not the one to do this as Im fucking retarded dumb when it comes to grammer and spelling but I'll give it a try and lay it out on how this can help people in finding new ways to take psychedelics/entheogens/sacriments/and recreational drugs.

If you just crawed out from udner a psychedelic rock then "Set" reffers to you mind, that other side of reality. Its basicly thought and self, and in and befor the psychedelic experience it is grouped by intentions, expectations, stabilty, conscious mind and sub conscious mind, beliefs and how much you hold faith in those beliefs and so forth (this is discussion so add mroe if you wish). "setting" reffers to enviroment, precieved outer realy. some key factors in this group are people, animals, plants, music, art, sensory depression (isolation tank/closet..), time of day, time of year, architecture and so forth.

In order to helpother find new ways of exploring the psychedelic experience I say we also discuss ways in which you have taken them and what an be achived from them in certine deliberate set and settings. Lets face it, reality/life what ever you wnat to call this ever ending dialog of experience, it has MANY faces, I argue an infinate number of them. And nothing is always as it seems.


basicly, I think we need a discussion on differentw ay we can manipulate set adn setting to alter an experience greatly from the next simply by consiously changing our set and setting for different "truths"


Set and Settings are not always constant, experiences can vary even when all seems right. I chalk that up for "sometimes it is, others it's not" but some of the examples shown can be used to your advantage. Be careful in what ever you do with the information in this thread.

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Subthreads:

Day vs. Night?

 

[Youkai]

example, community can be achived by attending a gathering in which art/music/creation is taking place and dosing with other people to the entertainment. a sense of belonging and conected consciousness can be felt throuhg the manipulation of set by creating a mind space of such in which the psychedelic experience can be the catylist for social interaction of dance and experssion. and setting by placing your self into an enviroment in which such an even is capable, one in which would be ideal for the set you created.

seperation can be achieved by isolation in which you are the only one pressent and taking a alrge dose to completely rip away the ego of self in realations with setting's creation of set. The set is manipulated by believe it is higher then setting, a mind space of unreal, ultimate eprsonal creation and so forth, setting by deliberately placing your self in the ideal setting which would be alone with little sensory input.

 

[lovebrisvegas]

Ok I've only tripped about 10 times now on 4 different drugs but I am interested to hear from you guys on how to deal with this situation... Imagine you and 4 or 5 of your good mates are fucking laughing your arse off at the man outside the slanted window (lol) in a bedroom and someone you don't know, and who is sober walks in to see 5 messed up people.

How do you deal with this? Because it freaks me out a little... I go quiet and just wish in my head over and over that they would leave...

Now I don't want to sound racist but I'm white and when I see a black person I don't know enter the room it's even worse... I can't help it I'm on drugs lol. It makes me go quiet and want them to go away... they are ruining my fun...

What do you guys think? I'm sure it's happened to most people here

Edit: Youkai and I are on different levels atm lol.. I hope this post isn't inappropriate

 

[Recept]

@Youkai: I assume we should mention the negatives for these settings as well, right? Like in crowded settings there's a bigger risk of incidents that might send your trip into a downward spiral. And in complete isolation you might end up confused and wondering where you are and what the hell is going on..

I find that these social-type settings are best if you're tripping with a group of people you know, somewhere in nature away from civilization and strangers. Such profound realizations can be achieved this way as well as the sense of community you mention (if in a group of say 10 people).

The high-dose solitary experiences can be profound as hell indeed, but it's best to have someone around (like in the other room or something) who you can turn to for comfort in case things get too insane.

That sort of thing. You know?

Cool idea for a thread btw!


@lovebrisvegas: I've been in a similar situation and those can be disturbing as hell indeed. I haven't really managed to find a solution to this other than avoid settings in which something like this can happen altogether.. Or flee the scene if you're really uncomfortable and this option is available (ie there is some place else to go)

 

[Youkai]

Ok I've only tripped about 10 times now on 4 different drugs but I am interested to hear from you guys on how to deal with this situation... Imagine you and 4 or 5 of your good mates are fucking laughing your arse off at the man outside the slanted window (lol) in a bedroom and someone you don't know, and who is sober walks in to see 5 messed up people.

How do you deal with this? Because it freaks me out a little... I go quiet and just wish in my head over and over that they would leave...

Now I don't want to sound racist but I'm white and when I see a black person I don't know enter the room it's even worse... I can't help it I'm on drugs lol. It makes me go quiet and want them to go away... they are ruining my fun...

What do you guys think? I'm sure it's happened to most people here

Edit: Youkai and I are on different levels atm lol.. I hope this post isn't inappropriate

well this is what Im also after, we can help each other udnerstand seta dn setting much greater through discussion!!!

ok, if youa re all laughing your asses off high on say LSD or something, your set is prob carefree, out to have a godo time, a conection between friends in experiencing the "weird" the "different". If youa re having a good time, sub conscious material prob isnt/hasnt played a roll... YET!

Then a stranger/sober person walks in and you get freaked out, this is possibly where sub conscious material has come up, the realisation that you are on a very mind altering substance, could this person remind you of how un sober you are? or is it from possible insecurties you have with using these substance or even your entire self? you mention if its a black person its worse, well there is something sub conscious about that I can gaurenty!

Now your setting doesnt sound like the best place if you wish for interuption not to take place, you can change that by planing the trip ata time in which people wont bother you and your friends or even posisbly locking the door.

I cant tell you what your set was, but if you get weirded/freaked by people being sober around when you are in a psychedelic state then figure out why. What is it about that situation that un eases you? then next time, think of way around it, make the now sub conscious material conscious and it can be easiler delt with. Iv triped hundreds and hundreds of times, and still unconscious material comes up and I must deal with it in order to have those uber stellar ultimate blissful glowing experiences! But dont egt me wrong, I also sometimes put my self through hell in which I seek freaked experiences. Its about what can be gained from it.

 

[Youkai]

@Youkai: I assume we should mention the negatives for these settings as well, right? Like in crowded settings there's a bigger risk of incidents that might send your trip into a downward spiral. And in complete isolation you might end up confused and wondering where you are and what the hell is going on..

I find that these social-type settings are best if you're tripping with a group of people you know, somewhere in nature away from civilization and strangers. Such profound realizations can be achieved this way as well as the sense of community you mention (if in a group of say 10 people).

The high-dose solitary experiences can be profound as hell indeed, but it's best to have someone around (like in the other room or something) who you can turn to for comfort in case things get too insane.

That sort of thing. You know?

I agree, but different levels of experiences are obtained in differents eta nd settings. Me going to a real sicluded body of water 30min driving distance from civiliation with some of my friends and going to a crowded smokey venue in which the music I love is being played live with fewer friends but more "family" (alot of the people who go, who are strangers to me, are on my level, and we consider it a family!) produces vastly different experiences.

the first is mroe nature and bonding, while the other is more group creation and community. Both are ultimately blissful!

while high dose ALONE, leaves you with only your self. Or as you will figure out, the illusion of self as comfort, and this is when you can seriousely talk to god, talk to that self so high it is no longer self but god, the supreme experiencer! With another person this is much harder to achieve.


I'll edit my original post and include a disclaimer that set and setting influence an experience but one can ALWAYS go different then expected!!!

 

[Recept]

Yeah I can see what you're driving at, it's just that these sorts of things are better suited for experienced psychonauts who don't have to worry about things spiralling too much out of control that much. Low/medium doses are still fine for crowded venues though, but one shouldn't do heavy doses completely alone or amidst lots of strangers unless completely confident they can handle it.

 

[Youkai]

Yeah I can see what you're driving at, it's just that these sorts of things are better suited for experienced psychonauts who don't have to worry about things spiralling too much out of control that much. Low/medium doses are still fine for crowded venues though, but one shouldn't do heavy doses completely alone or amidst lots of strangers unless completely confident they can handle it.

Its all about Set & Setting
Part of set can be argued experience, in which would influence expectation/intentions

 

[Recept]

^ That's true, didn't think of it that way

All those nuances that are not that straight-forward are worth drawing out though for the sake of harm reduction IMHO.

 

[Xorkoth]

Great idea for a thread/discussion, Youkai! Thanks.

I'll contribute later.

 

[Youkai]

Great idea for a thread/discussion, Youkai! Thanks.

I'll contribute later.

contribute!!!!

 

[swilow]

Now I don't want to sound racist but I'm white and when I see a black person I don't know enter the room it's even worse... I can't help it I'm on drugs lol. It makes me go quiet and want them to go away... they are ruining my fun...

You do sound racist however.

 

[Vcdman]

maybe lovebrisvegas should try tripping with dark skinned people...

(seriously tho that does sound very racist)

 

[Youkai]

this thread isnt about who is racist and who isnt. I think I spelled out how his set and setting play a roll in such an experience/reaction. Hopefuly he thought about it more thoroughly.

 

[FreedomOfTheMind]

i think that the set of the mind is the most important, but different settings can also produce different experiences. It really depends on the experience. I dont rate any trip as being the best or the worst but they are all different, and I learn from each and every one. Even if there are some difficult experiences, THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT AND WHY THEY HAPPENED, more oftehn then not, the LSD is bring out something from your subconcious and dealing with it during or after the trip and incorporating the change or new life outlook into your life can work wonders.

One time when I was separated from my girlfriend, i tripped with some good friends and this girl that I hooked up with a few times while me and my girlfriend were on a break. We were in a beautiful area of nature and I started to get all the connections to nature, to gaia as a whole etc, but then bad thoughts started coming out and i got bad vibes from her and started to feel really bad and thoughts my my girlfriend came to my mind and memories were being produced in me long forgotten of the beautiful times we shared and the love we shared and how much she cares about me and understands me. I was left a little shaken after the trip but then thought long and hard about what the lsd showed me about myself and made the right decesion and I learned more about myself than i would have ever thought, very positive outcome. lsd can work wonders. sorry if this doesnt fit with the thread lol, i got caught in a ramble, but basically, set and setting are very important and think abtou them in context of what the drug tells u about your subconcious and your SELF.

 

[egor]

Even at home, in a safe and comfortable setting and in a good mindset, outside factors can still have a profound impact on the ultimate outcome of a trip.

http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=59083

Still to this day the most profound trip I have ever had and one hell of a lasting lesson on setting.

 

[Jabberwocky]

It depends greatly on what you're doing.

For some completely unfathomable reason I decided to watch Bowling For Columbine on a high dose of mushrooms. If that doesn't ruin a trip then I don't know what does. It really upset me and pretty much ruined the experience so from that I learned that dwelling on negative things, be it thoughts, pictures, movies etc whilst tripping is bad. Might sound obvious I know.

Also another thing that can make me feel clostrophobic, especially on 2cb and mushrooms, is staying in the one place the whole time. There's been a few times where I've just stayed in my bedroom the whole duration and it makes me clostrophobic, panicy and anxious after a while.

But that's just me.

If you're wanting to do some real soul searching and you're taking Ket then staying in your room alone is probably the best idea. At least for me. I couldn't imagine taking Ket in a club or with a large group of people. Doing it by myself is weird enough

 

[Xorkoth]

Merged a good post in here from another now-closed thread.

 

[Ungoliath]

Even at home, in a safe and comfortable setting and in a good mindset, outside factors can still have a profound impact on the ultimate outcome of a trip.

http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=59083

Still to this day the most profound trip I have ever had and one hell of a lasting lesson on setting.

thats deep.

The best thing i can reccomend for set or setting, is make sure all your friends are on the same wavelength as you and all just wanna get fucked and have a fun time, talk out anything thats going on, talk out any issues or else they'll just become worse when the trip sets in (IE buddy got dumped, friend lost their wallet ect...)

Also, make sure they all have the same sense of humor as you while tripping, once high on acid I saw a chinese man holding a basketball, I thought it was the funniest thing in my life and couldnt stop laughin, but i was with people i didnt know that well (cousin and cousins friend) and they all kinda were like "WTF RACISM" and ruined the trip.

To this day, thinking about the chinese man holding the basketball makes me laugh till i hurt.

 

[Youkai]

It depends greatly on what you're doing.

For some completely unfathomable reason I decided to watch Bowling For Columbine on a high dose of mushrooms. If that doesn't ruin a trip then I don't know what does. It really upset me and pretty much ruined the experience so from that I learned that dwelling on negative things, be it thoughts, pictures, movies etc whilst tripping is bad. Might sound obvious I know.

Also another thing that can make me feel clostrophobic, especially on 2cb and mushrooms, is staying in the one place the whole time. There's been a few times where I've just stayed in my bedroom the whole duration and it makes me clostrophobic, panicy and anxious after a while.

But that's just me.

If you're wanting to do some real soul searching and you're taking Ket then staying in your room alone is probably the best idea. At least for me. I couldn't imagine taking Ket in a club or with a large group of people. Doing it by myself is weird enough

I was IMing ketamine in my theigh at a out door dead show this weekend, irst time truely k-holing and it wasnt the smartest idea. I never actualy went into the show either, just hung out out side the gates lol. Then when I finaly got home me and a friend split a half gram IMed and alone in the dark in my room I REALY got some work done.