By Dara Lightle, Psychedelic Navigator
You’ve just come down from a psilocybin journey. The emotional waves have settled. The visuals have faded. But now your body is doing something strange.
Maybe your skin feels itchy.
Maybe your head aches.
Maybe you feel a heaviness in your chest or a nervous flutter in your stomach that wasn’t there before.
And you’re wondering: Is this normal? Is something wrong with me?
Before you panic, let’s take a step back and ask another question instead: What is my body trying to tell me?
The Body Remembers
Trauma doesn’t just live in the mind, it can live in the body as well. According to somatic psychology and trauma theorists like Peter Levine, Pat Ogden, and Stephen Porges, trauma is often stored in the nervous system and can manifest as physical sensations or tension patterns long after the original event has passed. When psychedelics such as psilocybin are introduced, they may act as a catalyst for nervous system regulation and embodied memory processing. This heightened state of awareness can bring previously suppressed somatic experiences to the surface, allowing the body to begin releasing unresolved stress or trauma. This release can manifest through temporary physical symptoms, such as shaking, itching, or pressure, which are sometimes signs that the body is processing and integrating past experiences.
Psilocybin is known to increase neural flexibility and open emotional pathways (Carhart-Harris & Friston, 2019). In this open state, the body may begin to process and release unresolved stress or trauma, a process that can show up through temporary, and often surprising, physical symptoms.
Itching, Trembling, and Headaches, Oh My!
Itching, tingling, pressure, trembling, or even nausea aren’t uncommon after a psilocybin session. While these might feel uncomfortable, they may not be signs that something is wrong—they might be signs that something is moving.
In somatic trauma healing, these sensations are known as discharge or somatic release, the body’s way of completing a stress response that was never fully expressed. During a psychedelic experience, when defenses are lowered and awareness is heightened, the body might finally feel “safe” enough to finish what it started years ago.
Recent research from Unlimited Sciences, analyzing naturalistic psilocybin use, supports this. Among over 8,000 participants, many reported transient physical sensations—including shaking, headache, and gastrointestinal symptoms, as part of their experience. While side effects varied, most were mild and temporary, and often coincided with deep emotional processing or breakthrough experiences. Some participants described physical discomfort as part of a cathartic or transformative arc, consistent with what somatic practitioners describe as trauma release.
While these might feel uncomfortable, they may not be signs that something is wrong, they might be signs that something is moving. In somatic trauma healing, these sensations are known as discharge or somatic release, the body’s way of completing a stress response that was never fully expressed (Levine, 2010).
These findings help normalize what can otherwise be confusing or even frightening physical effects. Rather than immediately pathologizing the experience, it may help to gently ask: What is this sensation trying to express? What might I be letting go of?
The Itching Example
Let’s take itching. We don’t often talk about it in psychedelic circles, but many users report a mysterious itchiness during or after a journey. Some people feel it in their scalp, others in their arms, legs, or across their back. In some somatic traditions, itching is thought to be a sign of energetic movement or nervous system activation, particularly as old tension patterns begin to unwind (Ogden et al., 2006). For some, itching may be connected to resurfacing trauma that once involved feeling trapped, helpless, or “crawling out of their skin.”
If you know you do not have an allergy to any type of mushroom:
Rather than trying to scratch it away, you might gently ask, What’s coming up right now?
Headaches After the Journey
Another common physical effect after psilocybin is a headache, sometimes lasting for hours or even into the next day. While psilocybin’s mechanism of action involves serotonin (5-HT2A) receptors in the brain, which can contribute to vasoconstriction or dilation, there is also evidence that it may trigger nitric oxide (NO) release, a known contributor to headache onset. One double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers found that psilocybin frequently caused delayed, transient headaches in a dose-dependent manner, possibly linked to nitric oxide pathways (Johnson et al., 2011). Although these headaches are typically short-lived, they can feel intense.
That said, not all post-journey headaches are purely chemical. Some may be less about pharmacology and more about emotional or cognitive load. Like a pressure valve releasing long-held beliefs or memories, the physical experience of “letting go” can be exhausting, even painful. This dual lens, both biochemical and psychological, offers a fuller picture of what might be happening when a headache arises after a psychedelic session.
In some traditions, a post-journey headache is considered part of the integration process, your body trying to make sense of a new worldview, identity, or truth. If that sounds abstract, consider this: Have you ever gotten a headache after crying for a long time? Emotional processing has physical costs. And sometimes, that’s exactly what’s happening.
Is This Anxiety or Am I Processing?
Many people report heightened anxiety in the hours or days after psilocybin. But here’s something important: anxiety and trauma processing can feel very similar. Both can include:
- Heart racing
- Tension in the chest or gut
- Restlessness
- Surges of emotion
- Difficulty sleeping
But with trauma processing, the symptoms often come in waves and are accompanied by feelings of insight, emotional purging, or exhaustion. You might cry for no reason or feel an overwhelming sense of grief, even though nothing happened externally.
Rather than treating the anxiety as a problem, ask:
Could this be something leaving me, not harming me?
What might I be letting go of?
You Don’t Need to Suffer Alone
Processing trauma, especially on a somatic level, can be intense. If you’re experiencing challenging physical symptoms after a psychedelic journey, know that you are not broken. These sensations may be part of a larger healing process.
Gentle practices like breathwork, meditation, journaling, warm baths, or simply walking in nature can help regulate the nervous system and provide comfort. Integration therapy or support circles can also offer a safe space to explore what came up and what’s still unfolding.
Above all, be kind to yourself. Healing isn’t always euphoric, it’s often messy, emotional, and, yes, even itchy.
Processing the aftereffects of a psychedelic experience, especially when trauma is involved, can be overwhelming. The good news? You don’t have to process it alone.
Integration circles are group gatherings where individuals who have experienced psychedelic journeys come together to share, listen, and reflect. These are often held in-person or online and provide a safe, nonjudgmental space to explore what came up during your experience. Whether you’re working through emotions, physical sensations, or new insights, being surrounded by others who “get it” can help you feel less isolated and more empowered in your healing.
Trained facilitators, also called psychedelic integration specialists, guides, or coaches, can offer 1:1 support to help make sense of what your body and mind are processing. These professionals often come from backgrounds in therapy, somatic psychology, or ceremonial work and can support:
- Interpreting somatic (body-based) symptoms
- Navigating difficult or confusing experiences
- Setting gentle practices for integration
- Creating a plan for emotional regulation and lifestyle changes
You may also want to ask yourself:
- Would it feel grounding to talk this through with someone experienced?
- Would structure or accountability help me reflect and integrate more clearly?
- Am I feeling stuck or overwhelmed by physical or emotional symptoms?
If the answer is yes to any of the above, reaching out to an integration circle or facilitator could be a powerful next step. Additionally, check-out this blog by Anna Bouma, Integral Coach & Integration Specialist: here
When to Seek Medical Help
While many physical symptoms after psilocybin are temporary and part of the body’s natural processing, some symptoms should not be ignored. Seek immediate medical care or contact a doctor if any of the following occur:
Call a doctor if you experience:
- Persistent or worsening headaches that don’t respond to hydration or rest
- Lingering nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite lasting more than 24–48 hours
- Ongoing insomnia or panic that interferes with daily life
- Visual or auditory disturbances that don’t fade after 1–2 days
- Significant confusion or disorientation
- A rash that spreads or worsens
- Symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts
Go to the ER or call 911 if you experience:
- Seizures or convulsions
- Loss of consciousness
- Chest pain or difficulty breathing
- High fever, muscle rigidity, or tremors (could signal serotonin syndrome)
- Inability to wake or rouse someone after they’ve taken psilocybin
- Severe agitation or hallucinations that make someone a danger to themselves or others
Bottom Line
Psilocybin doesn’t just work on the mind, it works through the body. Physical symptoms like itching, headaches, or post-journey anxiety may not be side effects, but rather somatic expressions of trauma release. If you’re feeling discomfort, try to stay curious instead of fearful. These sensations may be your body’s way of saying: “We’re finally letting this go.”
If you’re looking for personalized guidance and support before or after a psychedelic experience, the Unlimited Sciences Psychedelic Info Line offers free, 1:1 support for answering questions about psychedelic safety, integration, and emotional processing.
Additional Resources
REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics
Johnson et al., 2011 – Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety.
Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin
Medical News Today: What to know about psilocybin and migraine
Microsoft PowerPoint – Handout Complex Trauma Day 1 Ogden and Jarvis