 set and setting describes the context for psychoactive and particularly psychedelic drug experiences: one's mindset and the setting in which the user has the experience. this is especially relevant for psychedelic or hallucinogenic experiences. the term was coined by norman zinberg, and became widely accepted by researchers in psychedelic psychotherapy. "set" is the mental state a person brings to the experience, like thoughts, mood and expectations. "setting" is the physical and social environment. social support networks have shown to be particularly important in the outcome of the psychedelic experience. they are able to control or guide the course of the experience, both consciously and subconsciously. stress, fear, or a disagreeable environment, may result in an unpleasant experience (bad trip). conversely, a relaxed, curious person in a warm, comfortable and safe place is more likely to have a pleasant experience.  in 1966, timothy leary conducted a series of experiments with dimethyltryptamine (dmt) with controlled set and setting. the aim was to see whether dmt, which had then been mostly thought of as a terror-inducing drug, could produce pleasant experiences under a supportive set and setting. it was found that it could. set and setting has also been investigated from a religious perspective. == see also == *altered state of consciousness *bad trip *counterculture of the 1960s *psychedelic psychotherapy *responsible drug use *sensory deprivation *trip sitter *out-of-body experience == references == #  shewan, d., dalgarno, p. and reith, g. (2000) "perceived risk and risk reduction among ecstasy users: the role of dru
Drug_culture Psychedelics,_dissociatives_and_deliriants Timothy_Leary