LSD trip takes a turn for the weird

Ever had one of those LSD trips where suddenly you're absolutely convinced you're about to die and you become so totally detached from reality that you come to your senses the next morning wondering how you managed to avoid being sent to the hospital because of your delusional behavior? That's exactly what happened to one intrepid tripper, as recounted in a recent Erowid experience report entitled "Message From Space":

Shortly after taking the dose that evening, I joined a few others who were watching this crappy-but-funny Japanese sci-fi from the late '70s, 'Message from Space', which would have been entirely appropriate for a night of bowl-smoking. I started out in this mindset, intending to enjoy the film -- laughing at the ridiculous plot, special effects, etc. I felt something coming on, similar to previous trips -- some giddiness and lightness in the limbs....

The tone of everything in my head became increasingly serious, as did the film. At some point it dawned on me – this wasn’t a movie called “Message from Space”. This WAS a real message from space. It was something that beings “out there” have been trying to tell us humans all along, and I was only now getting it. It was a profound essay on creation, birth, and death that I could barely grasp.

The sad news, along with their statement, was that it was time for all of us earthlings to die.

Uh oh! The rest of the report can neatly be summarized as "hijinks ensue," when the reporter's companions opt to go visit a graveyard, thus further cementing the notion that "we all had to go off and die in our own way." On the serious side, this experience report makes clear the value of having an experienced sitter on hand; if just three hits of LSD can cause such psychological turbulence, it's worth having someone on hand who can remind you that, no, it really was just a crappy Japanese sci fi movie.