The UK experienced an unprecedented heatwave last month, along with the rest of Europe. In the UK, where I am, the heatwave broke June temperature records (peaking at 37.7C), while Germany hit an all-time high of 41.7C. The reality of climate change is that heatwaves like this will become more frequent, longer, and more intense.
Weather has long been recognised as an aspect of ‘set and setting’, the principle that mindset and environment play a significant role in influencing the quality of psychedelic experiences. Weather is an extrapharmacological factor that can change whether a trip feels pleasant or unpleasant.
I mention the recent heatwaves because of the way they affect our physical and mental well-being, which brings into focus how hot weather may negatively impact a psychedelic experience. I think the heat is an underappreciated aspect of ‘setting’ that can lead to difficult trips. So, in this article, I would like to describe how this happens and what can be done to mitigate the risk.
Summer is usually considered a positive setting for psychedelic experiences, and this is festival season as well; many people take psychedelics during scorching heat at European festivals, as well as elsewhere in the world. Most people will have enjoyable experiences, but hot weather – present during a heatwave or at the height of summer – should be factored into how one prepares for a trip, and whether one decides to trip at all.
Sleep Quality
During the UK heatwave in June, we experienced consecutive ‘tropical nights’, which is when the temperature doesn’t drop below 20C at night. This is, of course, common in other countries. But the UK isn’t prepared for them. Most homes don’t have AC, and they have been designed to retain heat. Moreover, the UK’s climate is humid, which means sweat evaporates more slowly – and sweating is the main way our bodies cool themselves. Taken together, these factors make it difficult to sleep during a heatwave.
If you can’t sleep long or well enough before a planned trip, this can intensify and worsen the experience. In addition, sleeping after a psychedelic experience can also be challenging; if you add hot weather at night into the mix, then it can be even more difficult to sleep. Poor sleep duration or quality after a trip may impair the integration of the experience, as sleep is essential for consolidating memories. As I’ve argued, difficulty in recalling memories of a psychedelic experience could make it harder to integrate it.
It is common for people to sleep less during music and transformational festivals, not just because of the substances consumed, but also because of the heat – tents can become like saunas. Psytrance festivals like Boom Festival in Portugal and Ozora in Hungary can reach 40C (Boom is sometimes higher), and temperatures at festivals like these will likely be higher in the future, so festivalgoers should make sure they’re equipped to sleep comfortably and, if not, to take this into account when deciding which substances to consume, at which dosages, or whether to take them at all when considering how rested they feel.
Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke
When you’re tripping, you may forget about the usual precautions you’re meant to take during hot weather, such as not overexerting yourself, not being in the heat too long, and not being out during the hottest part of the day (unshaded), and making sure to drink enough water and to keep your body cool. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke occur when your body overheats and fails to cool itself. High humidity also increases the risk, as this makes it more difficult to sweat, which, as we’ve noted, is how our bodies cool themselves.
Heat exhaustion is not as serious as heatstroke, but it still involves unpleasant symptoms, such as tiredness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, cramps, high temperature, being very thirsty, and feeling irritable. All of these symptoms are going to feel much more unpleasant during a psychedelic experience. Even innocuous sensations can be magnified out of proportion on psychedelics, leading one to worry and panic over one’s physical well-being and safety. So of course one wants to avoid more concerning symptoms tied to an issue like heat exhaustion.
But, regardless of whether one becomes excessively worried about these symptoms, they’ll still get in the way of being able to enjoy the experience. They’ll be distracting, and one will likely feel too unwell or tired to want to do much. However, symptoms can be reduced by cooling down and hydrating.
Heatstroke is a different matter: symptoms may include a very high temperature (40C or more), fast breathing and a fast heartbeat, confusion and restlessness, and, in more extreme cases, seizures and loss of consciousness. Heatstroke is a medical emergency, which is certainly not something you want to have to experience or undergo medical intervention for when in the throes of an intense psychedelic trip.
Psychedelic harm reduction tents at festivals – such as those set up by PsyCare and the Zendo Project – are places to go to find support for symptoms of heat exhaustion and dehydration, and they should be equipped to spot signs of any medical emergencies. There was a case in 2017 where a young woman was helped by Zendo Project volunteers for what they believed was a bad LSD trip, but she was, in fact, experiencing the symptoms of heatstroke and, unfortunately, died as a result. It’s vital, therefore, that harm reduction volunteers are adequately trained to distinguish psychological distress from medical emergency, and know when to refer someone to medical services.
Furthermore, some psychiatric medications can block the body’s natural cooling mechanisms, making it harder to sweat, whereas others can cause excessive sweating. Either effect makes it harder for the body to cool down (in the case of excessive sweating, this can result in rapid fluid loss and electrolyte depletion, leading to dehydration). Therefore, those on these medications, who are taking psychedelics at the same time, could be at greater risk of heat exhaustion, as well as discomfort in general. So medication use should be taken into account when tripping in hot weather.
The Psychological Effects of Hot Weather
Besides the negative effects on mental health caused by poor sleep, as a result of hot weather, the heat can worsen our mental well-being in other ways. Research has found that the heat can make us more irritable, agitated, angry, aggressive, depressed, impulsive, fatigued, and unable to concentrate. People with pre-existing conditions such as anxiety and depression often experience worse symptoms.
The heat increases levels of cortisol, the primary stress hormone, while suppressing the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calmness and emotional regulation. This underlies the negative psychological effects of high temperatures. Now, if you take psychedelics in this context, there is a risk that the experience will feel more emotionally negative and unstable. It may also be harder to navigate difficult experiences, due to impaired emotional regulation. Any of these effects would be compounded if one had struggled to sleep the night before as a result of the heat.
Harm Reduction Tips for Tripping During Hot Weather
Given what we know about the effects of the heat on our physical and mental well-being, this should inform how one prepares for psychedelic experiences, and it also gives us the knowledge to spot any signs of heat-related distress in others and how best to respond. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:
- Even if a psychedelic trip has been planned well in advance, consider whether it’s sensible to postpone if the date happens to be during a particularly extreme heatwave.
- If not only high temperatures but high humidity are forecast, take this into account – as the humidity can make you feel not just more physically uncomfortable; it also increases the risk of heat exhaustion.
- When tripping indoors, ideally we would like to let natural light in to brighten things up, as well as give our eyes the option to spot signs of nature outside. We might also want to keep windows open to hear any pleasant sounds such as leaves rustling in the wind or birdsong. However, if it’s very hot outside, keeping the blinds up and the windows open will heat up your home. While it may not be an aesthetic preference to keep the blinds down, this is still essential to do to keep the indoor setting cool: this is also something any psychedelic clinic or retreat should consider during hot weather.
- When you get carried away with the intensity, effects, and fun of a psychedelic trip, this could lead one to forget about everyday concerns, such as how to stay cool in the heat. But by having this in mind before the experience, one will be more likely to remember to stay cool, as well as have everything at hand to do so. It’s essential to stay hydrated during the experience. Drinking electrolytes could also be protective in case you end up sweating excessively. Other basic precautions should include wearing sunscreen and a hat when outside (you don’t want to have to deal with sunburn during your trip). Also make sure not to overexert yourself by walking or dancing for too long without breaks. Staying in the shade as much as possible and avoiding direct sun during peak heat will also help avoid heat-related risks.
- MDMA carries a higher heat-related risk compared to classic psychedelics due to increases in body temperature and its tendency to encourage physical activity. Moreover, research has linked potential neurotoxic effects of MDMA to higher outside temperature and core body temperature.
- Given the potential of poor sleep and heat to affect one’s mindset, it’s safer to take a lower dose than normal during hot weather.
- If the heat has significantly affected one’s sleep and mental health, it’s important to recognise that any pre-existing mental states can be magnified during the psychedelic state. Sometimes, it’s just wiser to postpone a trip than go through with it: FOMO or not wanting to be a killjoy are risky motivations for committing to a psychedelic experience when one is (justifiably) reluctant to do so.
These tips should hopefully help in the decision whether to trip or not in the heat, how to feel better if any heat-related symptoms arise, and what psychedelic, dosage, or setting would be most beneficial given the weather. Set and setting encompasses many internal and external factors. Weather is often left out of the equation, but it shouldn’t be, especially since hot weather is becoming more common.