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How to be a trip sitter

The sitter's job in four principles from psychedelic peer support, what to bring and when to call for help.

A trip sitter is a sober adult who stays with someone during a psychedelic experience to keep them safe. The job is smaller and harder than people expect: you are not there to guide, interpret or fix, but to be calm, present and ready to act. Research guidelines recommend at least two monitors in the room so the volunteer is never alone, for the same reasons. [Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2008, read 28 October 2026]

The four principles

The Zendo Project, a psychedelic peer support service, trains its volunteers in four principles: [Zendo Project guide: the four principles of psychedelic support, Zendo Project, read 28 October 2026]

  1. Create a safe space. Physically safe, quiet, and free of judgement.
  2. Sitting, not guiding. Follow the person's lead. Silence is often the most useful thing you offer.
  3. Through, not down. Accompany them through what is happening, without automatically trying to stop, suppress or bypass it.
  4. Difficult is not necessarily bad. Hard moments are not emergencies by default.

Before the day

On the day

  • Stay sober and stay in the room or within earshot. Keep the only phone.
  • Keep visitors, noise and interruptions out. Offer water. Help them to the bathroom if they need it.
  • Say little. If they talk, listen. If they ask a question, answer simply and truthfully.
  • Do not let them leave, cook, bathe alone or drive.

When it gets hard

Get to eye level, speak slowly, and use their name. “You took mushrooms. You are safe. I am here. It will pass.” Suggest a long breath out. Offer a hand if that was agreed. Change one thing: music off, a blanket, eyeshades off for a while. In a survey of 1,993 people describing their most difficult mushroom experience, 11% said they had put themselves or others at risk of physical harm, and that risk was higher at higher doses and when physical comfort and social support were missing. [Survey study of challenging experiences after ingesting psilocybin mushrooms: acute and enduring positive and negative consequences, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2016, read 28 October 2026] Your presence is the safety measure.

Call for medical help, without waiting

Chest pain, a seizure, difficulty breathing, fainting, extreme agitation with risk of harm to themselves or others, or any sign you cannot manage. Tell the dispatcher exactly what was taken, how much and when. For emotional support that is not a medical emergency, in the US the Fireside Project takes calls and texts on 62-FIRESIDE (623-473-7433), 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Pacific. [Fireside Project: psychedelic peer support line, Fireside Project, read 28 October 2026]

Afterwards

Stay until effects have clearly ended. Help them eat, write down anything they want to remember, and check in the next day. The integration journal has prompts for the days after.

Questions

Should a trip sitter be sober?

Yes, completely. The sitter is the person who notices a medical problem, keeps the space safe and makes the call for help if one is needed. Research guidelines recommend at least two monitors so the volunteer is never alone. [Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2008, read 28 October 2026]

What should a trip sitter say during a bad trip?

Short, calm, true sentences: you took mushrooms, you are safe, I am here, this will pass. The Zendo Project calls this going through, not down: accompanying someone through an experience without automatically trying to stop it. [Zendo Project guide: the four principles of psychedelic support, Zendo Project, read 28 October 2026]

When should a trip sitter call 911?

For chest pain, a seizure, difficulty breathing, fainting or loss of consciousness, signs of overheating, or any risk of harm to the person or others. Tell the dispatcher exactly what was taken, how much and when.

How long does a trip sitter need to stay?

For the whole session and until effects have clearly ended, which means most of a day. Erowid gives a duration of two to six hours for mushrooms, with after-effects for up to eight; plan to stay longer than you expect. [Psilocybin mushroom dosage (archived copy), Erowid, via Internet Archive, 2026, read 28 October 2026]

When a retreat or licensed centre is the better choice

If you take any medication on the interaction checker, have a personal or family history of psychosis or bipolar disorder, have a heart condition, or have nobody sober and steady to sit with you, a setting with screening and trained staff is the safer choice. In trials, participants were screened first and supported by trained monitors throughout. [Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2008, read 28 October 2026]

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