Your first magic mushroom trip can hold immense power. Like a first love, it will always be a point of comparison for all that comes afterwards. In opening this door, you make space for self-discovery and healing, as well as putting your trust in an ancient entheogen. 

You may have had recreational experiences with psychedelics previously, with the giggles, and the auras, and the good vibes that twinkle on for a quite a few days after. However, if and when you do sit down for a higher-dose, more intense psychedelic trip, it is, in many ways, a totally new experience.

A First Step Into The Unknown

Embarking on this experience can release a mix of emotions that can range from excitement and expectation to worry and anxiety as you step into an uncharted realm, unsure what may lie on the path ahead. You may find yourself overwhelmed with awe, or confronted by unresolved emotions or suppressed traumas. This trip may be the first step towards changing your life. 

During your first experience, it is not unusual to spend a large portion of your time wondering what to expect, what might happen next, why you feel the way you’re feeling, og what others (if present) may be thinking about you. 

You might find yourself asking “is this normal?”, “why is this happening?” eller “Is this how I’m supposed to feel?” rather than focusing on your intention or goals you may have. This is normal. It would be more unusual to be unbothered or unaffected by your first experience. 

It is vital to remember that everyone is on their own unique journey, and that the potential for transformation knows no bounds. One trip might be enough for you, revealing a life-time’s worth of mysteries to work through. However, for many people, the first trip is just the beginning. Though your first trip will always have a special place in your heart, subsequent journeys may be even more powerful, albeit in a different way. 

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Will My Second Trip Be Different From My First?

It is rare to fulfill all your intentions with just one trip. Additionally, a psychedelic journey can be a deeply meaningful, euphoric, and captivating thing — why wouldn’t you want to do it again if you have the chance? This is where the value of repeat psychedelic experiences becomes clear. For some people, it’s the pure exhilaration of the first trip that makes them want to do it again. For others, it’s wanting to recapture the feelings of wellbeing that come after a trip once they have begun to fade. 

As we said, a first-time-tripper faces a world of unknowns. They are often caught up in questioning if how they feel is ‘correct’ or’ incorrect’. A repeat tripper already has an understanding of what to expect. A second, third, or fourth journey involves much less guesswork, as you are no longer venturing into the (complete) unknown. 

Although, of course, you can never totally predict how a trip will go, this familiarity can aid a deeper level of trust and surrender towards the process. Unlike the question mark of the first experience, the second experience can feel familiar, like an old friend. 

With this more stable foundation, you may find yourself more open to new perspectives or able to dive deeper into repressed feelings or desires. While it’s best to avoid directly comparing your second trip to your first, it can be useful to see your first as a template, making the unknowns a bit less unknowable. 

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Comparison is Not Always Useful

If you try to compare your experiences too closely, you may end up feeling disappointed if your expectations are not met. Your first trip, as your psychedelic genesis, cannot really be matched in the same way again. As you may have an idea what to expect for your next experiences, they may feel a bit less impactful, a little less breathtaking. People may wonder if they’ll ever feel the way they did on their first trip ever again. However, it is actually be more enriching to move past that first experience, as you may find far deeper and more expansive psychic spaces. 

As you become familiar with the psychedelic experience, you begin to understand how you can make changes and alterations to enhance and tailor your experience. 

Even experienced trippers can have a challenging or ‘bad trip’ sometimes. The odds are that the more trips you have, the more likely you might experience a challenge — that’s just math 🤓. But conversely, the more experiences you have, the more likely you’ll have the tools to navigate any tricky emotions. As the research shows, even a ‘bad trip’ tends to have beneficial effects in the aftermath. 

Two (or three, or four) Trips are Better Than One!

If you have big goals — be they spiritual, emotional, philosophical — it seems unlikely that you could glean all you want from one stand-alone magic mushroom trip. Often multiple (spaced out and well planned) psychedelic experiences are needed to work through larger or more complex obstacles. Insights and tools from your first experience can feed into your second, third, fourth, fifth… twentieth trip. This way you are able to put all your focus on your intention. 

The more you engage with and do not judge your psychedelic experiences, the better you will understand how to use this natural medicine to its full potential. 

Additionally, the more you will be able to have fun. Once you are no longer so anxious about whether you are doing the ‘thing’ correctly, you can fully lean in to the trippy, nutty, colourful freaky vista of your mind.

Tending to Your Psychedelic Connection Over Time

As you get to know psychedelic medicine in a deeper way, you will learn its characteristics, and a greater understanding of its transformative potential. With increasing familiarity you can learn to harness its insights to your advantage. It’s a life-long relationship if you want it to be!

How Integration Evolves Over Time

Integration after a psychedelic experience can be a tricky, amorphous thing. It may take a few tries to find the process that works for you. Once you are familiar with the integration process you can sink deeper into the moment during your psychedelic trip, knowing you have the tools in place when you emerge. 

How Does the Psychedelic Experience Evolve Over Multiple Trips?: The Takeaway

  • Your first psychedelic trip may always be the one that you remember most, because it is the first time you opened your psychic door.
  • Subsequent trips may not seem as intense as there is less unknown. However, familiarity means you are able to go deeper into the experience, discovering more than may have been possible before.
  • Using the tools gained from multiple trips, integration becomes a well-known practice. 
  • A relationship with psychedelics can last a lifetime if you make sure to respect and appreciate it.