A pilot’s recent alleged attempt to shut down a plane’s engines mid-flight, leading to him being charged with 83 counts of attempted murder, highlighted the dangers of tripping on magic mushrooms alone, a pair of psychedelic experts said. 

Joseph David Emerson, the off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who allegedly tried to shut off a plane’s engines, admitted to police he was having a “nervous breakdown” and had consumed psychedelic mushrooms days earlier, according to CBS News. (RELATED: Jumpseat Passenger Tried To Crash Plane Mid-Flight, Officials Say)

The episode highlights the importance of using psychedelic mushrooms in a controlled setting, Rob Grover and Gary Logan said. The pair are the founders of The Journeymen Collective, a company that creates guided mushroom retreats in the mountains of Vancouver. 

An off-duty airline pilot who tried to cut the engines on a Horizon Air flight said he struggled with depression and had taken psychedelic mushrooms about 48 hours before the incident, according to charging documents, via AP https://t.co/WEC2H4s0On

— Bloomberg (@business) October 25, 2023

“It’s very much a journey, not a trip,” the pair told the Daily Caller. “We spend weeks preparing virtually with the guests leading up to their in-person retreat. During the psilocybin ceremony we’re also there every step of the way to guide them through whatever may be coming up in their minds.”

“A journey … it can be deeply uncomfortable,” they told The Microdose Diet podcast’s Peggy Van de Plassche in March.

Emerson, who claims he believed he was dreaming, allegedly attempted to activate the plane’s fire-suppressing system. This would have cut off fuel to the engines, CBS News reported.

He was arrested upon landing in Portland, Oregon, and charged with a federal count of interfering with the flight crew, 83 counts of attempted murder and 87 additional charges, according to his booking information.