Beyond the Bad Trip
Psychedelic Scars, Spiritual Gaslighting, and the Call to Trust Yourself
You took the medicine.
You opened the portal.
And now… you’re lost.
This post is for the ones who came back from ceremony not lighter, but lonelier. The ones who trusted the sacred space—and ended up soul-bruised.
Grab a cuppa…We dive deep into the challenging topic of When Psychedelic Bliss Breaks Your Heart (and How to Put the Soul Back Together)
The Psychedelic Dream That Turned Into a Nightmare
There’s a strange alchemy required to transmute disappointment, betrayal, and burnout in the psychedelic world into wisdom. And unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of raw material to work with lately.
After publishing my last piece on the dangers of spiritual narcissists and the wake of suspected covert grooming by figures like Aubrey Marcus and Marc Gafni, I received a flurry of messages. Some grateful. Some heavy with grief. Some still shocked by how these abuses continue to repeat in every shiny new psychedelic or “spiritual” movement.
So I decided to host a free masterclass: “Beyond the Bad Trip: Reclaiming Power After Psychedelic Disillusionment.”
And wow. The folks who came? Soul-deep thinkers. Healers. Brave hearts. People who have felt the sting of subtle (and not so subtle) manipulation, coercion, betrayal, and spiritual bypassing cloaked in “high vibe” talk.
✨ “It was supposed to be healing. Why do I feel broken?” If you’ve ever asked this after a journey, you’re not alone.
Why “Bad Trips” Are Often Just Unprocessed Breakthroughs
One person spoke up about the rave scene, where psychedelics are passed out like tasty samples at a carnival, and the “spiritual guidance” offered is little more than a confidence game wrapped in crystals. Another raised concerns about spiritual narcissism creeping in through community leaders who weaponize “divine downloads” to control or coerce.
As part of this soul-scrubbing conversation, I unpacked the 11 types of spiritual emergency originally defined by Stan and Christina Grof—ranging from kundalini awakenings and psychic opening to near-death experiences. (Been there. Survived that.)
In fact, I shared my own NDE publicly on the TEDx stage—where I also sang an original song live on stage. You can watch that TEDx talk here.
These non-ordinary states of consciousness are real. And when misunderstood or mismanaged, they can be misdiagnosed—or worse, exploited.
Gaslight Me Not: When “Guides” Become Gurus
💀 Red Flag Check: If “shadow work” is code for you tolerating their bad behavior… you’re not integrating, you’re being indoctrinated.
We discussed how easy it is to project authority onto someone with charisma and a sacred playlist, especially when your psyche is cracked open and tender.
And we got real about the red flags:
When “integration” feels more like indoctrination
When intuition is gaslit by someone who claims they know your soul contract
When medicine is used as manipulation, not liberation
💢 Red Flag Check: If you leave the integration session more confused, ashamed, or dependent on the guide… that’s not growth. That’s grooming.
The Real Danger: Not the Medicine—But the Misuse
But this wasn’t a doom scroll of grievances.
We shared solutions.
How to trust yourself again.
How to tune your inner compass when you’ve been psychically scrambled.
How to spot the signs of ethical practitioners—and call in true community.
The Cornerstone Process™ is the method I developed over years of clinical practice and personal transformation. These 5 soul-safe, trauma-informed steps have helped hundreds of clients—and countless clinicians—turn psychedelic disorientation into embodied transformation.
This conversation is a lifeline for anyone who’s ever felt disoriented or deflated after what was supposed to be a healing experience.
This isn’t just about cleaning up after bad trips. It’s about reclaiming your sovereignty—especially when the illusions come wrapped in sage smoke and seductive words.
🌟 Watch the full replay on YouTube →
You Are Not Broken—You Are Birthing
You are your own best authority.
And it’s not “unspiritual” to question what doesn’t feel aligned.
It’s wise.
It’s necessary.
It’s evolution.
Let’s walk this path with eyes open, hearts strong, and spirits intact.
If You Need Support, Training, or Community for Your Integration Journey:
🌿 Psychedelic Integration Support & Training
Private PRISM Sessions Work 1:1 with me for personalized preparation or integration of sacred medicine journeys and ketamine sessions. 👉 Book a Session
Cornerstone Process Certification Program A powerful path for practitioners guiding others through prep & integration. 👉 Learn More
Free Sacred Psychedelic Saturday Sessions on Zoom Open community calls held on the 1st Saturday of the month. 👉 Join Us
The Ultimate Guide to Safe Psychedelic Preparation Online course covering essentials for intentional, trauma-informed journeys. 👉 Explore the Course
💌 Feel like this is your story too? Comment below or DM me—I'd love to hear your truth.
📧 Know someone who needs this post? Forward this or share it to your story. You never know who’s silently struggling.
This is soul work. This is revolution in the nervous system. And we’re doing it together—with our eyes open, our feet on the Earth, and our spirits intact.