First post- hello!

[TeaDaze]

Hi Everyone!

I’m in my 30’s and was exposed to psychedelics for the first time just a few years ago (LSD). In short, I was blown away. I realized I had a lot of unfounded prejudices about such substances. Undoing the “all drugs are bad” conditioning was one of the first challenges I had to work through. Since then I’ve had many more experiences ranging from complete bliss to very difficult and they have all gifted me with some wonderful knowledge about myself. I’m kind of amazed how rewarding and beneficial the journey has been.

That journey has led me to here! I pondered exploring DMT for a while but it took some time to research and mentally prepare for. My first experience was a few weeks ago. I had read a lot of trip reports but nothing could have really prepared me for even that first small dose! Just as I felt myself blasting off, I closed my eyes and was startled by the aggressiveness of the patterns. I immediately opened my eyes and was of course startled by what was going on in the room as well. I started thinking “nope nope nope DMT is not for me!” but just as I thought that a wonderful calmness washed over me and I was fine. I think this all happened in about five seconds. I just sat there and observed the room and all the crazy colors for the remainder of the experience.

Since then I’ve tried a few more times. None have been breakthroughs but each has been incredibly beautiful. I’ve already sensed entities possessing objects around me, all looking back at me with the excitement of happy puppies. With eyes closed I feel like I’m observing and feeling some kind of grand divine playful happiness that is utterly unconcerned with the turmoils of this reality. I can’t help but feel like the things that are dancing in my visions are playing with me and trying to make me giggle. It’s incredible.

Anyway, the reason I am here is I would love to have a space to share experiences similar to the above. I have several great friends but none of them are interested in exploring psychedelics. They would look at me weird if I told them it felt like the dining table was an ecstatic puppy. It would be wonderful to join a mature community interested in such oddities and explorations.

Thanks for reading.

 

[JustAnotherHuman]

Hi TeaDaze!

Well, if you want to talk about psychedelics, then you certainly came to the right place!:lol:

Since you wanted to talk about these things, here's some questions for you:

Do you think that the space entered into on psychedelics is real, or something produced by the brain?

How have psychedelics informed your views on spirituality?

Can you be a bit moar specific about how psychedelics have helped you know moar about yourself? Of course, you only have to share what you want for this question.

Anyway, enjoyed reading your introduction, and hope you enjoy your time on this forum!

Welcome!:thumb_up:

 

[TeaDaze]

Thanks for the response and questions JAH! Those are good questions, too.

Do you think that the space entered into on psychedelics is real, or something produced by the brain?

Even if it is just in my brain, I don’t see why that can’t be considered real. If it is all in my brain, then it’s pretty darn extraordinary that my mind can do such beautiful things, and apparently something in there knows me well enough to make me laugh! Whether or not my mind is traveling to or communicating with some other dimension- I think I would lean towards assuming no, but that’s how I’ve always been. I’m not against the idea though and I would love to have that belief questioned more. The mystery is fun. Either way, it feels real and the emotions I experience are real. It’s meaningful, regardless.

Can you be a bit moar specific about how psychedelics have helped you know moar about yourself? Of course, you only have to share what you want for this question.

There is so much I could write about this!

Some time ago before I was introduced to psychedelics I began to feel comfortable with the idea that for all the amazing moments I’ve had in life there were a similar number of painful ones. It was clear that the most profound periods of grown/transformation took place during the painful times as well- usually working through deaths, break-ups, etc. I think this is why I embraced the difficult “bad” trips. The fun trips were fun. The difficult ones that broke me down were the ones I came out of feeling changed and better- triumphant even. Psychedelics helped further clarify this cycle of personal growth in my life.

I can’t say how much this is the case with other psychedelics, but LSD opens a window to see yourself and the world from a different perspective. In one specific example, I made the decision to enter into an experience somewhat close to the end of a relationship. I grieved over the loss pretty intensely for a bit but I also intensely saw a lot of ridiculousness in grieving over someone who didn’t want to be part of my life anymore. As soon as I felt into that the rest of the trip was great. I emerged from that one with a greater sense of value and self-respect. Realizations like that feel quite powerful and healing in such a state. That wasn’t the end of my grieving, by the way, but it was a good step in the right direction.

I think that acid has also improved my self awareness and comfort in allowing myself to feel. That also includes paying attention to why I feel the way I do. Emotions and anxiety are slippery slopes in altered states and being aware that something is causing discomfort helps avoid unnecessary suffering. In other cases those emotions are unavoidable and need to be processed to continue. I think that the same self-awareness and willingness to feel/go with the flow in unaltered states goes a long way to reduce unnecessary stress in life.

How have psychedelics informed your views on spirituality?

I wanted to answer this question last as I think what I said above about opening a window to see things from a different perspective is important.

This is still a great area of exploration for me and it’s tough to answer. I have never been spiritual in the past yet I have had one or two very spiritual experiences. They were very heavily focused on thoughts about my mortality and the cycle of birth and death, as well as this idea that my soul is filled with energy that I can share with others. In one case this was an experience in which I had experimented with combining LSD and ketamine. I completely left my body and it pretty much felt like I was dead, floating around alone in my own mind. In that experience I had a vision that looked like I was a star spitting out rays of energy. I felt like I was witnessing my soul. That was a complicated experience that I still think about a lot. Long story short, though, I came out of it feeling like I had a greater respect for my life and everyone who takes the time to search for the meaning in theirs. I also felt a much greater importance in choosing wisely where and with whom I spend my energy.

I think there is more I could say here but I can’t articulate it to myself yet.

Thanks for reading!

 

[JustAnotherHuman]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts TeaDaze!:thumb_up:

Even if it is just in my brain, I don’t see why that can’t be considered real.

Valid point.

If it is all in my brain, then it’s pretty darn extraordinary that my mind can do such beautiful things, and apparently something in there knows me well enough to make me laugh!

See, this is one reason why I don't believe that psychedelic experiences are hallucinations just made up by our brains. I find it hard to believe that the beautiful, amazing, spectacular visions that are filled with meaning, the emotional shifts, the insights received, are just the result of brain chemistry. I think it's much, much moar than that. And, of course, it feels real to those who experience it. And it's meaningful either way, as you said. I just think that it's real, though. I really think that psychedelics take you to another reality that is just as real as consensus reality. Just my opinion, though.

You also said something about the most growth happening during the most painful times, and that really struck a chord with me. That has been my experience. I've struggled with a miasma of just general listlessness and just not taking control of my life, plus I struggle with social anxiety(nothing severe, mind you), and it's only recently that I've started to reverse this. I still struggle, though. However, I feel that I've learned so much about myself from this. I really think that everything happens for a reason, that the tough times I experience is all part of the journey that I'm on in this incarnation.

Anyway, I'm gonna stop rambling here!

I must say, I really enjoyed reading your post. We seem to have some things in common and you have a really grounded perspective on things.:thumb_up:

 

[TeaDaze]

See, this is one reason why I don't believe that psychedelic experiences are hallucinations just made up by our brains. I find it hard to believe that the beautiful, amazing, spectacular visions that are filled with meaning, the emotional shifts, the insights received, are just the result of brain chemistry.

Believe me, I'm still scratching my head from my first experiences and I realize I have barely scratched the surface. I'm totally pleased that this substance has already provided me with new mysteries to ponder and I'm sure as the unanswered questions grow my beliefs will be further questioned as well.

I really think that everything happens for a reason, that the tough times I experience is all part of the journey that I'm on in this incarnation.

It is a journey! It's fun to look back and see how far you've come, too. Similar to "everything happens for a reason", I think that everything comes into our lives to teach us something about ourselves. I usually apply this to the people that drift in and out of our lives, but it can be applied to everything, including psychedelics, or a state of being like listlessness. Usually, but not always, a time comes when you have learned all you can from that person or thing and can let them go and move forward again.

Thanks for responding to what I wrote! It's nice to get a change to share some experiences around a community that gets it