We conducted semi-structured interviews with 26 people who reported experiencing existential distress following psychedelic experiences. We explored the phenomenology of participants’ difficulties and the ways they navigated them, including what they found helpful and unhelpful in their process.

Our findings suggest that psychedelic-induced ontological shock leads to cognitive, emotional and social ungrounding which can in turn lead to existential confusion. Grounding, whether somatic, through embodiment practices, or through social connection and the normalisation of unusual experiences, helped people navigate their confusion