5 Animated Films You Have To Watch While Tripping

Swirling images, morphing objects, enhanced colours and sounds—does this sound like your last trip? Then why not combine this visual side of the psychedelic experience with some visually stunning animated movies? It's definitely worth it! In this article, we offer 5 recommendations that we think will work great in this regard.

Watching a movie under the influence of shrooms or truffles can be a phenomenal experience. After all, movies take on a whole different vibe when the visuals are seen through a psilocybin-tinged lens. Animated movies are even more suitable in this regard, since they are usually more trippy to begin with and therefore resonate more during a psychedelic trip.

In this article, we want to share with you some of the benefits of watching an animated film while tripping, before providing 5 animated movie recommendations we think make for some outstanding visual experiences!

THE BENEFITS OF WATCHING A MOVIE WHILE TRIPPING

A psychedelic trip will generally catalyse various forms of visual alterations and distortions, which are an important part of the psychedelic adventure. Most of these changes in perception go extremely well with animated movies, sparking a profound and unprecedented level of heightened awareness.

Common types of visual phenomena during a trip include external hallucinations triggered by things in your environment like a scene or character in an animated movie. The movement of objects or characters can create visual "trails", and colours will be enhanced tenfold. Just imagine how powerful the pairing of a heavy visual trip and a colourful animated film could be. The hues will become more vivid and intense, but at the same time, your vision will be more focussed, defined, and sharper because the contrasts will be more pronounced. Colours will shift in waves, things will drift and morph together, the screen will almost seem as if it breathes, and your depth and texture perception will be unusual and distorted.

As the stream of consciousness in your mind explodes with imagery, the stream of trippy frames per second of the animated movie melts together with your visuals to create a new meta-layer between you and the film, almost like a new movie that only you can watch.

For more information on the common visual components of the psychedelic experience, check out our more in-depth article on the topic.

5 ANIMATED FILMS TO WATCH WHILE TRIPPING ON TRUFFLES OR SHROOMS

1. FANTASIA

Let's start this list off with a classic animated movie from 1940—Fantasia. Yes, it's that old, meaning the animation is drawn and painted by hand. But that could potentially produce more organic visuals. Who could resist this charm? Fantasia is a series of extravagant and fantastical vignettes created to accompany famous pieces of classical music by Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and others. It's the perfect merging of music and animation, and has the potential to trigger beautiful images alongside beautiful sounds. Fun fact: Disney was very aware that young people in the ‘70s watched the movie under the influence of psychedelics, and started marketing it as a "trip film" with psychedelic movie posters that contributed significantly to the success of its revival.

2. FANTASTIC PLANET

Fantastic Planet is an animated French film from 1973. Again, the animation is done by hand, but the style and theme of the movie are much darker and sophisticated than Mickey Mouse fighting with a broomstick, which could lead to more profound visuals. Fantastic Planet is a surreal social commentary and considered an animated sci-fi milestone. It's really trippy in its own right, let alone in combination with psychedelic substances! Even if you watch it in its original language, you can still focus on the visuals, which are enough to trigger fantastic reactions. But be aware that this magical masterpiece can get pretty absurd and also a little bit creepy at times. If you can't stand this during a trip, you should opt for another movie on this list.

3. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Speaking of creepy, the next feature on our list is the 1993 stop-motion classic The Nightmare Before Christmas, the epitome of director Tim Burton's signature combination of Gothic, horror, and fantasy elements. Although it's a movie suited for children, the fascinating dark and twisted world it creates can trigger your imagination to go to a kind of scary place, especially when tripping on mushrooms. Like Fantasia, the movie is also a superb fusion of film and music, thanks to an exquisite score by Burton collaborator Danny Elfman. Don't get us wrong: The Nightmare Before Christmas is no real horror flick, but it is one of the darkest movies on our list, and has the potential to lead your visuals down a more sombre path. If you are a psychonaut that isn't afraid to explore all facets of emotions and imagery, this stop-motion masterpiece should serve you well.

4. THE LEGO MOVIE

Enough with the twisted world of Burton! The Lego Movie is a much more innocent and colourful movie that will transport you back to your childhood. It is the first movie on our list that uses CGI animation exclusively, which is why it has a more modern feel to it. The film is not only very fun to watch—it explodes with creativity and colour. Remember your childhood days? Weren't all colours brighter and more intense back then when everything felt like magic? When you take some truffles or shrooms, this film will bring back this kind of perception of the world. The Lego Movie should encourage a lighthearted and fun time, and evoke some of the magic of this innocent phase of life through mind-blowing and vibrant visuals.

5. SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

Being the newest entry on our list, the 2018 movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse harnesses all the best stuff from the previous mentions, and takes them up to eleven! This movie will absolutely blow your mind! Prepare yourself for state-of-the-art technology and animation that will blast you through the multiverse of the movie before you even know it. It is like walking inside the pages of a comic book or a living painting. It is truly a visually groundbreaking and revolutionary film, demonstrating just how much modern technology is capable of, and featuring various different styles of animation throughout. This will become your favourite psychedelic animated movie because it's like a surprise bag that has it all—trust us! And if that wasn't enough to convince you, we’ll let Seth Rogen do the talking. You can find the following statement on his twitter: "Just a reminder that #SpiderVerse is not only a truly great and innovative film, it is definitely one of the trippiest and most psychedelic films I’ve seen in years. So do with that what you will". 'Nuff said?

PSILOCYBE ATLANTIS: THE PERFECT ANIMATED MOVIE “TREAT”

Among these 5 recommendations should be something for every psychonaut's taste and situation. If you are not sure which type of shroom or truffle you should take when watching these movies, don't worry because we’ve got you covered! You can find the beautiful and lively Psilocybe Atlantis in our shop, the perfect pairing for any animated film thanks to its intense effect and strong visuals!

One final piece of advice for the newly initiated psychonaut (and a good reminder for the experienced): Tread lightly when it comes to dosing. Too much of a psychedelic substance can encourage a more profound yet internal experience—which sort of defeats the purpose of enjoying any of these great animated films.