How I Intentionally Designed My First Acid Trip—and How It Changed Me Forever
For years, I held a quiet intention: to one day try LSD. Not recklessly or spontaneously, but intentionally—with reverence, structure, and curiosity. I didn’t want to just “take a trip.” I wanted to meet myself. And it finally happened. I crafted the container with so much care: the time, the setting, the mindset. And now, just days later, I can say this: it may have changed my life forever. Everything was designed perfectly. This wasn’t an accident. I gifted this experience to myself.
This wasn’t a wild whim. It was years in the making. The logistical hurdles, parenting responsibilities, finding the right person, and most importantly—waiting for a moment where I felt ready.
I had experiences with psychedelics before—psilocybin in micro and macro doses. All of which were carefully crafted experiences as well. But LSD requires a much longer timeframe (at least 10-12 hours plus a day to recover), something I sensed needed more intention and planning.
Set & Setting
It wasn’t easy to set up. As a single mom, my weekends are usually filled with logistics, caregiving, or catching up on work. Psychedelics need time. Space. Intention. I waited until I had a full weekend, my daughter with her grandparents, and a setting that wasn’t just my living room. When a friend invited me to a desert music festival, something I’d never experienced before—I knew. This would be the setting. And I would create the right set.
I prepped like I was giving myself a gift. And I was: a cozy tent, healthy snacks, a warm fuzzy coat.
But more than the logistics, my mindset (the “set”) going in was equally intentional. I had just been reading Patriarchy Stress Disorder by Dr Valerie Rein about healing trauma and internalized oppression—how we all carry a set of “prison guards” inside of us, keeping us small, numb, obedient. How pleasure can be an act of rebellion.
“There’s nothing more dangerous to the Patriachy than a woman in touch with her desire.”
That l