Kesha Recalls Sober Psychedelic Experience She Had During An Anxiety Attack

Kesha opened up recently about a profound psychedelic experience she had. She described the intense journey that initially felt like anxiety but led her to embrace it.

The "Tik Tok" singer is promoting her new album "Gag Order," which she describes as her most raw yet.

Keep on reading to learn more.

During her promotional campaign for her latest album, "Gag Order," released on May 19th, Kesha opened up about a profound and transformative experience she had while battling anxiety.

The 36-year-old artist shared with Apple Music that she went through an intense psychedelic and spiritual journey that initially felt like a pure manifestation of anxiety. "It was pure anxiety. My brain felt, like, I thought maybe it was the process of having a psychotic break or something," she told Daily Mail. "But then once I just started leaning into it, I was like, "Well, it's happening, so what am I going to do about it?"

When questioned by host Zane Lowe if an Ayahuasca trip triggered this episode, the "Eat the Acid" singer clarified that she was completely sober during that remarkable moment.

Kesha had previously shared details about her extraordinary experience. "I woke up in the morning and called all my healthcare workers and explained what happened, and they all said, 'Oh, that's a spiritual awakening, congratulations,'" she explained, according to The Guardian.

Unable to comprehend their response, Kesha shared that she was left confused. "I was like, 'What the f*ck are you talking about? You're saying what I've been doing therapy for, and meditating for, and searching for, was to have an incredibly surreal, terrifying, nearly psychedelic experience?' They were all, like, 'Yep, that's the goal.'"

During her chat with Lowe, the singer expressed her affinity for all things strange, unexplainable, and spiritual, saying, "I'm a triple Pisces; I love weird, unexplainable, spiritual, supernatural stuff." She continued, "It's my rabbit hole I'm currently in, just the paranormal. And also different spirituality, with different things people believe in. I'm just trying to read about it because we're all discussing something similar."

Emerging onto the music scene in 2009 with her chart-topping hit "TiK ToK," Kesha's rise to fame was accompanied by numerous obstacles and personal struggles. Among them, she faced a period of rehabilitation for an eating disorder. She also engaged in a legal battle against producer Dr. Luke, alleging sexual harassment, a case she ultimately lost.

Reflecting on her journey, Kesha said, "I realized that I, almost to the point of toxic positivity, was trying to amplify that playful side of my personality." She added, "I was doing a disservice to the whole of my being. As the woman who wrote 'TiK ToK' and 'the party don't start until I walk in,' I didn't think anyone needed or wanted that side of my psyche."

Moreover, Kesha realized that her efforts to please others had led her down a path of people-pleasing. She noted, "I also realized that there's an element of people-pleasing in just trying to give people what they want from me."

Following her tumultuous experience with Dr. Luke, Kesha sought solace and artistic guidance from the renowned record producer Rick Rubin, whose influence helped her adopt a more zen-like approach to her music.

After feeling like she had become a "caricature" of herself over a decade, Kesha expressed her gratitude for Rubin's genuine interest in delving deep into her being. He said, "I want to know what's going on deep inside of you," she said.

She added that Rubin created "this super cozy space where instead of thinking about what other people want, or what other people expect, or what's going to make other people happy, it was about what truly needs to be excavated from inside me."

However, the journey did not start without its challenges. Kesha recalled initially entering the studio, where tears flowed freely for approximately two hours daily. "I would walk in every day, and for approximately two hours, I would cry, and he would just create space," she shared.