[potsandplans]

Avoiding bad trips is not difficult, all you have to do is to be in a state of apathy. In fact, you should even turn off your phone so you won't be interrupted by non-tripping people. Set and setting is extremely important. However, even in the best setting, trips can still go bad if you do not know how to control your mind.

The best way to stop a trip from going bad is to be able to recognize the early signs that it is going bad. The earliest stage is repetitive paranoid thoughts. If you catch your mind focusing on one repetitive looping thought, just start thinking about something else. Also, a good diversion for the mind is asking yourself "Why do I care?" or just simply mentally declaring "I don't care, I'm tripping right now" and start thinking about something else. If that still doesn't work, go outside (during the day time) and let the sun shine on your face. The point that I am trying to make is that before your trip goes bad (intense paranoia, fear, etc), you need to recognize it and start thinking about something else. It's not hard, as your mind is racing million miles a second, so you will likely forget the thoughts that were making you scared/paranoid when you begin a new "train" of thought.

Oh mellow music is also good for changing the mood. I recommend Grateful Dead's American Beauty album as it is real mellow and pleasant. Or Wilco's Sky Blue Sky for the same reason.