Drugs Quote by Iris Murdoch
““However, on one occasion, several years ago, I was idiot enough to take a dose of LSD. (I did it to please a woman.) I had what is known as a 'bad trip'. It was a very bad trip. I shall not attempt to describe what I experienced on that dreadful and rather shameful occasion. (I will only add: it concerned entrails.) In fact it would be extremely hard, even impossible, to put it properly into words. It was something morally, spiritually horrible, as if one's stinking inside had emerged and become the universe: a surging emanation of dark half-formed spiritual evil, something never ever to be escaped from. 'Undetachable,' I remember, was a word which somehow 'came along' with the impression of it. In fact the visual images involved were dreadfully clear and, as it were, authoritative ones and they are rising up in front of me at this moment, and I will not write about them. Of course i never took LSD again.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Unpublished memoir excerpt, 1970s
A psychedelic experience caused profound moral and spiritual distress, highlighting the dangers of seeking altered states for external approval.
In simple terms: Bad LSD trip caused deep spiritual horror.
Key Takeaway
Avoid using drugs for validation.
Themes
psychology
spirituality
danger
self‑esteem
Mood
anxious
reflective
Type
cautionary
personal narrative
When to use this quote
- seeking approval
- drug experimentation
- spiritual crisis
Key Concepts
altered consciousness
morality
existential dread
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives people to seek altered states for love?
- How can one find meaning without harmful shortcuts?
A Different Perspective
Such experiences can be psychologically damaging and may not lead to insight.
