Greetings fellow travellers this is my request for full membership :)

[Ben Frank]

Let me take a moment to introduce myself, my name is Ben and have been involved in psychedelic experiences for almost a decade. My experimentation with various substances is somewhat extensive. I welcome all questions regarding aspects of them and the effects they create. My objective is to learn from the experiences of others and provide insight where I can from my personal endeavors. I have taken the the motto 'try everything once, and those you like even more times' very seriously. I have found that the effect of one substance can change the effect of other substances at the same time. My personal favorite has been mdma with psilocybin. There have of course been other times I had incredible experiences with substances at the same tame that numbered too many for me to have recalled like cocaine, mdma, thc, alcohol, meth, nitrous, xanax, ketamine and some others. Some of my most pleasant experiences have been with dmt being launched into hyperspace and looking at nature with what others call HD vision. I have seen the 'veil' that is a fabric multidemensional looking matrix made of interweaving strands of colorful energy. I have also felt the presence of others not on Earth who have attempted to communicate with me and are very intelligent and powerful. I look forward to speaking with you all

 

[Aweems]

MDMA and Acid :thumb_up:

 

[endlessness]

Welcome to the Nexus!

You seem to have a positive intention and open attitude, which is always a good thing.

Nevertheless there's something I wanna comment on. When you say "try everything once and the things you like even more", while that may have worked for you, can also be a description of someone else's trainwreck, so I'd add a disclaimer or the nuances in the argument to prevent misunderstandings.

Also when talking about stuff like heroin, meth, etc, it's fine to share your experience but please add safety information and disclaimers, in the same way as when talking about psychedelics we require people to not talk about taking psychedelics in unsafe settings (except to warn against doing) like driving under influence, etc..

Regarding DMT, did you try it orally yet? Whats your method of smoking?

Be well

 

[Ben Frank]

Thanks endlessness!

It is true that I often focus on the good of outcomes and the nature of substances is indeed very serious. They should only be undertaken when deemed absolutely necessary, in a good frame of mind with the right intentions and a safe or best possibly controlled environment. Having access to things that pose dangers like keys to vehicles can cause things like DUIs to unknowingly happen. While there can be positive effects that result from the use of substances like euphoria and dis-attachment from previous traumatic memories that can be plaguing a person there are potential negative affects psychologically like addiction as well as physical effects like adverse heart and brain health. As Aristotle said a life of virtue is to find the mean between the extremes. And as hedonists found to maximize pleasure by drinking alcohol meant stopping drinking alcohol at a point before vomiting would ensue or would lead to a hang-over. I personally only use psychedelics at points in my life when I have enough experiences accumulated to reflect on and gauge where it is I want to go next. As a source of creativity if you will. I also feel it helps to reconcile past memories and put things in perspective for me. In terms of DMT I have tried smoking it using the 'layer method' where it is sandwiched between bud in a bowl of a water bong and also in a 'speed pipe'. My experiences have been varied and while some have been very translucent I have found them near impossible to put into english words, not because I did not understand them but rather the ideas were so pure I feel english language is dirty in a sense and not direct enough for translation. Or that what we experience in these otherworlds simply is not translatable to this one. I plan to make a trip to South America to take ayahuasca administered by a genuine shaman when I am able to locate one and fund it. Thank you for asking me to point out the more serious aspects of these topics as I sometimes forget not everyone always appreciates the full gravity they impose.

 

[endlessness]

Before I start, small suggestion: break your words into smaller paragraphs for easier reading

Now onto the topic

Good you seem to be aware of the peculiarities when dealing with these different substances and being aware of the potential negative effects.

Regarding psychedelics, I think thats a great attitude to wait for when you have had enough life experiences and learning before taking them again. Or from another perspective, waiting at least before having integrated the previous psychedelic experiences and putting the lessons learned into action. I've certainly felt it myself how much better this is instead of just taking these substances at any and every opportunity (though for some people that is also part of their path and sometimes we need to make mistakes before we can truly do whats best).

Regarding your DMT method, I highly suggest you look into vaporization methods such as the Green Buddha or the GVG. It is way better IMO from other methods of smoking, way smoother on the lungs and more effective in terms of amounts needed.

Regarding the ayahuasca trip to the amazon, that can definitely be a life changing experience for many, though some people here question the possible negative effects ayahuasca tourism might have on local cultures. IMO its not a clear cut situation. I do think if people go there, they should as much as possible try to stay for longer and 'give back' not in terms of money but in terms of helping with some kind of project or doing something that can have a longer lasting positive impact and making it beneficial in a two-way manner.

Alternatively (or complementarily), you can also look into taking DMT orally in your own home or a good local context of your own choosing. Having a well informed and/or experienced sitter is advised at least for the first times. All sorts of tips are gathered in the FAQ and health and safety section here, if you havent checked those yet.

If I may ask. Was there anything in your life, such as habits or patterns of behavior, that you have positively changed with the help of these substances? What about negative changes?

 

[Ben Frank]

Before I start, small suggestion: break your words into smaller paragraphs for easier reading

Now onto the topic

Good you seem to be aware of the peculiarities when dealing with these different substances and being aware of the potential negative effects.

Regarding psychedelics, I think thats a great attitude to wait for when you have had enough life experiences and learning before taking them again. Or from another perspective, waiting at least before having integrated the previous psychedelic experiences and putting the lessons learned into action. I've certainly felt it myself how much better this is instead of just taking these substances at any and every opportunity (though for some people that is also part of their path and sometimes we need to make mistakes before we can truly do whats best).

Regarding your DMT method, I highly suggest you look into vaporization methods such as the Green Buddha or the GVG. It is way better IMO from other methods of smoking, way smoother on the lungs and more effective in terms of amounts needed.

Regarding the ayahuasca trip to the amazon, that can definitely be a life changing experience for many, though some people here question the possible negative effects ayahuasca tourism might have on local cultures. IMO its not a clear cut situation. I do think if people go there, they should as much as possible try to stay for longer and 'give back' not in terms of money but in terms of helping with some kind of project or doing something that can have a longer lasting positive impact and making it beneficial in a two-way manner.

Alternatively (or complementarily), you can also look into taking DMT orally in your own home or a good local context of your own choosing. Having a well informed and/or experienced sitter is advised at least for the first times. All sorts of tips are gathered in the FAQ and health and safety section here, if you havent checked those yet.

If I may ask. Was there anything in your life, such as habits or patterns of behavior, that you have positively changed with the help of these substances? What about negative changes?

Well Endlessness I again appreciate your feedback. I have smoked DMT more times than I can count on one hand and possibly more than two hands. I have a vaporizer and will try that method next time I come across the spice. I had a sitter on all of my trips and he is a borderline shaman. I would take the MAOI and DMT brew in my home with my sitter but because I need to regularly take SSRIs for major depressive disorder it could prove to be fatal, not something I'm willing to chance, a good suggestion nonetheless.

As far as the Amazon thing goes tourists are bringing in revenue to the town areas, but on the other side I question its legitimacy and am highly skeptical of any money making enterprise. A family member has done it and said it was life changing but I don't know that he has the same ethical concerns I do, and he may have never done DMT either so would explain why he regarded it as such a positive experience.

I am very open to personal questions and welcome them, I have nothing to hide and do not believe myself to be something that I am not. Whether there has been anything in my life, such as habits or patterns of behavior, that I have positively changed with the help of these substances and also negative changes is definitely a loaded question. I don't know where to start, I guess with the positive. After ingesting several grams of psilocybin mushrooms I ran around the snow covered flatlands and plateaus of Grand Junction, CO under a pitch black night sky and just the light from an almost full moon reflecting off the white blanket on the ground. We had someone with us who was not tripping and was driving for safety. I felt myself lose everything about me that I previously thought made me who I was. I was simply existing. Then the question came to me while standing at the top edge of a plateau with a 1,000 foot drop why exist at all if nothing I previously believed to be important was not ultimately relevant. I asked my friend Scott at the bottom of the slope behind me which way I should come down. He said well what does the other side look like? I replied a 1,000 foot drop with sharp rocks at the bottom. He then said, "I think you should just come down this way man". It occurred to me in that moment that we can simply choose to not exist at any time, but what real reason do we have to do that when no matter how low we feel at the time things are bound to get better in the future, maybe not entirely but definitely in some respects and its worth it just to know how things are going to ultimately play out. In that moment I also believe I found God and he did not seem to have any wants or desires he was simply existing without question and that's what I have tried to model my life after ever since.

In terms of bad effects I have always tried to read everything I could about a substance before I tried it like using erowid. I was always too afraid to try things as addiction runs in my family, but I chose to sample things in a very controlled setting. Once I became comfortable with them I found I could take them for six months straight and then just stop completely and not feel compelled whatsoever to seek them out. I found that I fortunately do not have an addictive personality. During college in Denver nonetheless I did a lot of hard partying. I thought while I was doing these things on a somewhat regular basis I was functioning fine and completing courses for my major in Information Technology and minor in Philosophy and was even getting As. I have since been married and even though my wife used to party with me she no longer condones me using substances other than my prescribed medications. Since I have cut out the partying for well over a year now I have noticed difficulty in learning new material for my certification exams and having to re-read philosophical passages I used to breeze through. My times in college however were probably the best of my life but there obviously seems to be some drawbacks. Also, when I am speaking to people telling a story from memory or answering questions in an interview I start out knowing exactly what I want to say then all of a sudden my mind goes completely blank with no trace of train of thought whatsoever, it has become the most bizarre thing I have ever encountered.

When I have done DMT I have let go of all attachment and seek answers to existence and God. I have experienced ego-death and been at the dark void where I am presented with a fabric of multi-colored energy interwoven with itself that will not let me go any further. I have felt the presence of an entity on the other side that seemed to be examining me and understanding my characteristics and motives. If this was not a break-through experience could you please let me know of what one would consist of?


Best Regards,

Ben Frank