Are you all set when it comes to your set and setting, or do you need a reset?

1. All drugs are affected by set and setting, but which ones are impacted the most?
A. Psychedelics
B. Entactogens
C. Stimulants
D. The ones I take

2. Your set is
A. Your TV
B. Your physical environment
C. Your body, your mood, and the things that affect them
D. Just your mood and nothing else

3. Your setting is
A. The levels you set in your TV to make the picture good
B. Your mindset
C. Your physical environment and the things that affect it
D. Your body, your mood, and the things that affect them

4. Which things can impact your set?
A. Food, sleep, hydration, general health
B. Medication, coming down/hangovers, having your period
C. Work stress, relationship drama, fights with your family
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

5. Which things can impact your setting?
A. Extreme weather, loud music, being downwind of the portaloos first thing in the morning before the poo truck comes
B. Tripping hazards, potholes, falling branches
C. Leaky tents, mud, people you don’t know or don’t feel comfortable around
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

6. Can your set and setting change once you’ve taken your drugs?
A. Nope. Once you’ve dropped, everything goes into stasis until the drugs wear off
B. Yup. Even if you plan your experience carefully, your environment and how you’re feeling can change depending on how your substance of choice has hit you.
C. Depends, mainly on how you interact with your environment and what plans you make before you take your drugs
D. Yup. But the set and setting have to really want to change first.

7. What’s the best way to prepare your set and setting so you have a good time?
A. Check in with yourself and your friends and make sure none of you have anything weighing on your minds
B. Make sure you’ve got people around you that you trust
C. Make sure youve checked your drugs, and you’re’re taking your drugs in a place that you know well and feel safe in
D. All of the above
E. Good time? On DRUGS?? Those never happen!

8. True or false: a Tripsitter is an important part of your setting
True – they can help remind you of what’s real, make sure you’ve got snacks and fun things to do, and deal with anything unexpected/unpleasant so you don’t have to.
False – Once I take my drugs all is in the hands of the gods and no mere mortal can affect the outcome

9. Can your set and setting affect your non-drug life?
A. No. The only time your physical, mental, psychological and spiritual wellbeing and your environment impacts your life is when you’re in an altered state.
B. Yes, but not as intensely as when you’re on drugs.
C. Yes, but only after you’ve taken drugs
D. Yes, of course. Your set is your inner reality and your setting is your environment, all of which are with you 24/7/365

Answers

1: A. Psychedelics
There’s not a lot of peer-reviewed research on why psychedelics are so heavily affected by set and setting, but it’s definitely a Thing.
Read more about the history of set, setting, and drug experiences in Constructing drug effects: A history of set and setting by Hartogsohn in Drug Science 2017
Read more about set and setting on The Loop website

2: C. Your body, your mood, and the things that affect them
Your set is everything that makes up your internal world. We wrote about maintaining your set and setting at…er…challenging…festivals in Set, Setting, and the Suck – How To Avoid Negative Experiences At Festivals

3: C. Your physical environment and the things that affect it
Your setting is where you find yourself – it’s your external world.

4: D. All of the above
Read more about what can affect your set in Analysing the effect of set and setting on psychedelic experiences – A case study by Cibulková and Trčka

5: D. All of the above
Read about set and setting in psychedelic first aid in Set and Setting for Psychedelic Harm Reduction by Hartogsohn

6: B. Yup. Even if you plan your experience carefully, your environment and how you’re feeling can change depending on how your substance of choice has hit you.
Unfortunately we can’t control everything so there’s always a chance of something unexpected happening. Tripsitters are great for dealing with reality when it decides to intrude.

7: D. All of the above
Getting your set and setting right can feel like a lot of faff, but it’s absolutely worth it.
Read more about preparing your set and setting on The Bristol Drugs Project website

8: True
Tripsitters are ALWAYS a good idea. Check out our Tripsitting 101 blog post for some basic tips and tricks.

9: D. Yes, of course. Your set is your inner reality and your setting is your environment, all of which are with you 24/7/365