Trip Sitter

Trip sitter is a term used by recreational or spiritual drug users to describe a person who remains sober to ensure the safety of the drug user while he or she is under the influence of a drug; they are especially common with first-time experiences or when using psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants. This practice can be qualified as a means of harm reduction.

Also called a Psychedelic Guide or Guide, this latter term is more often used to describe someone who takes an active role in guiding a drug user's experiences as opposed to a sitter who merely remains present, ready to discourage bad trips and handle emergencies but not otherwise getting involved. Guides are more common amongst spiritual users of entheogens. Psychedelic guides were strongly encouraged by Timothy Leary and the other authors of The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Trip sitters are also mentioned in the Responsible Drug User's Oath.

Some sources recommend a sitter be present when certain drugs are used, regardless of the user's experience or comfort with the substance; for example, a sitter may be necessary for users of Salvia divinorum because the drug can sometimes cause both disorientation and a desire to move about before the effects have worn off.

Obviously, while the presence of a trip sitter or guide may make a drug user feel safer, it is no guarantee that a bad trip will not occur, or that the drug user will remain free of physical or mental harm.