Introduction to Trip Sitting

The Art and Science of Holding Psychedelic Space

The following has been adapted from Trip Sitting: The Art and Science of Holding Psychedelic Space (2025) by Julian Vayne

---

I’ve written Trip Sitting to assist people who intend to hold psychedelic space, particularly those just beginning this work, though I hope seasoned practitioners will also find valuable ideas in the text. This book will also be useful for those seeking a supported psychedelic experience, providing an outline of the kind of experience one might anticipate, and the qualities one might look for in a sitter.

Holding psychedelic space is an ancient art that takes many forms. The approaches I describe are rooted in the wisdom of traditional cultures that use psychedelics and informed by the latest scientific research. I draw on the extensive experience of contemporary underground, naturalistic (i.e. non-clinical), and licensed psychedelic practitioners, as well as insights from Western countercultural use and emerging syncretic spiritual settings.

Psychedelics can be used in a wide variety of ceremonial settings. The approach I focus on is often referred to as ‘trip sitting’, where one or more people hold a relatively non-directive space, providing companionship and support while the psychonaut journeys deep into the experience. This is also a book devoted to harm reduction. With the right attitude and knowledge, people can mitigate the dangers associated with taking psychedelics and maximize their benefits.

The early 21st century has seen a dramatic rise in scientific research on psychedelic substances. Current studies continue to affirm their therapeutic value, first recognized by Western scientists in the early 20th century. Publicity surrounding this research has significantly increased wider awareness of their healing potential. These substances, considered at times as among the most dangerous and forbidden, are now being understood in radically different ways.

At the time of writing, licensed or decriminalized settings where people can encounter these substances are significantly limited. This stands in contrast to the fact that many psychedelic drugs are widely available through unlicensed channels. This odd dichotomy—difficulty in accessing supportive licensed settings while the substances themselves are commonly available—was a major motivation for me to write this book.

The primary psychedelic I consider is psilocybin, in the form of various species of mushroom. Mushrooms are readily available in many places, being easily cultivated or foraged from the land. Psilocybin mushrooms can be used effectively at a range of dosages, and their duration is generally manageable for most people. Magic mushrooms possess a wise, curious, and playful quality. Psilocybin mushrooms are one of the most approachable, accessible and beneficial of psychedelic drugs.

I hope the ideas in Trip Sitting will help you and your community engage with these experiences in a good way. These strange, magical spirits, long banished from our lives, have the potential to become some of our greatest allies if we can develop a good relationship with them.

Terminology and Traditions

Language, both spoken and written, is a flow, not a fixed entity. Words constantly evolve as they are used, with meanings being redefined, reclaimed, and even reversed. (For example, consider the histories of words like egregious, nice, or awful.) In Trip Sitting, I use a variety of terms for the mind-altering substances we discuss—sometimes calling them ‘sacred medicines’, other times ‘psychedelics’, ‘drugs’, and so on. My choice of terminology depends on the context and serves to encourage flexibility in how we think about these compounds. A diverse lexicon helps us maintain a broader perspective on the subject.

Similarly, I use different terms for the roles of trip sitter and traveller. While ‘sitter’ may be perceived as demeaning or infantilizing, at the time of writing it is the most frequently used term for this role. It is also descriptive, as the sitter is the one who sits with the (usually recumbent) psychedelic traveller (the person being ‘sat for’). The traveller—who journeys inward rather than physically—can also be referred to as the journeyer or psychonaut (though psychonaut could equally apply to the sitter, for reasons that will become clear).

I also use terms such as ‘space holder’, ‘facilitator’, ‘participant’, or, in a more scientific context, ‘subject’. Words like ‘client’, ‘patient’, and ‘(psychedelic) therapist’ will appear rarely, though there are times when these labels are appropriate. At times, I address you as if you are the trip sitter; in other sections, I write as though you are the traveller.

The word ‘ceremony’ will be my primary descriptor for the time and space in which sacred medicines are consumed. I use terms like ‘session’ when necessary, to avoid repetition and highlight particular aspects of the process. The reason for emphasizing ceremony is to underscore the sacred and magical nature of this work. Trip Sitting is a guidebook, not an exhaustive treatise on psychedelics, so I keep the language relatively straightforward. For example, when I refer to shamanism or shamanic tools, I won’t place these terms in quotation marks or dive into etymological discussions about their contested meanings.

One uncommon word I’ve used throughout this text is the word bodymind (a concept I first encountered in the work of occultist Phil Hine). This term represents the idea of the human organism as a unified entity, rather than the dualistic separation of mind and body. However, there will also be instances when, for clarity, I discuss the psychological and physiological as if they were separate things.

I also use the term imaginal, coined by philosopher Henry Corbin, which emphasizes the subjective reality of imagination rather than implying delusion or falsehood, as the word ‘imaginary’ often does (this distinction is equally important when considering terms like ‘hallucinogen’, which suggests an illusionary or ‘objectively false’ interpretation of the world occasioned by psychedelic experiences). An angel in a vision is an imaginal being, primarily experienced in the mind of the tripper, and whatever its ontological status, the phenomena is subjectively true and, in that respect, as real as any other sensory impression.

History Repeating

While this book is suitable for beginners, it assumes some familiarity with the history, culture, and terminology of psychedelics. I firmly believe that understanding something requires knowing its history. As Bob Marley wisely said, ‘If you know your history, then you would know where you’re coming from…’ A lively, ongoing engagement with psychedelic culture—both ancient and contemporary—is invaluable, as it locates our practices in a broader context.

Natty Roots

My roots are in the British Isles and my first psychedelic tradition lies within what academics call ‘the Western Magical Tradition’ (which, despite its name, originates from ancient North Africa). I’ve also been fortunate to experience psychedelic ceremony with people from many different backgrounds, from entheogenically lineaged communities to people working in therapeutic and research contexts. However, I acknowledge that I am still a beginner in this vast field, and there are many important aspects of working with these substances that I have not covered here.

While I am the author of Trip Sitting, much of what I transmit is the wisdom of others, as I have understood it. I have had the privilege of learning from many fine teachers, mentors, communities, and colleagues. More than that, I have been blessed with mentees and students whose practices outshine my own and, I trust, will outlast mine.

In transmitting knowledge, I use terms like tradition and indigenous (knowledge). While accessibility is my goal, some nuances of these words may be lost. For example, tradition means different things to different people. As composer Gustav Mahler said, tradition is about ‘cultivating the fire, not worshipping the ashes’. Ethnography shows that individuals and communities often claim their actions are rooted in a continuity of practice, yet humans are always remixing, reforming, and reinventing the world. So, when we speak of ‘traditional wisdom’, we must remember that within any given community—whether in Amazonia or Arkansas—there are likely multiple views and practices, all in a continuous state of flux.

Hints and Tips

I offer mentoring for psychedelic travellers and those who are holding, or aspiring to hold, psychedelic space. I often begin a mentoring relationship by exploring the imaginal beings that hold significance for the person I’m supporting. A few years ago, I mentored someone, now a respected figure in the psychedelic community, for whom an important figure was Florence Nightingale—the British social reformer, statistician, writer, and founder of modern nursing. My mentee encouraged me to read Nightingale’s 1859 book Notes on Nursing: What It Is and What It Is Not. In her book, Nightingale addressed nurses—at the time, a profession open only to unmarried women—and said:

The following notes are by no means intended as a rule of thought by which nurses can teach themselves to nurse, still less as a manual to teach nurses to nurse. They are meant simply to give hints for thought to women who have personal charge of the health of others... I do not pretend to teach her how, I ask her to teach herself, and for this purpose, I venture to give her some hints.

Inspired by the advice of these wise women, I do not claim that this book can teach you either the skill of sitting or the process of navigating psychedelic space. However, I do hope there may be useful hints—hints that can help you develop your own unique practice as you engage with the powerful, strange, bewildering, beautiful, and transformative substances we call psychedelics, specially through the style of ceremony I shall describe as the inner journey.

Get hold of your copy of Trip Sitting here.

---