Fridge said:
Yes, I mentioned it here on the forum recently.
I have always been a little more sensitive to mind altering substances than others, but I feel that I need to dose lower and lower to achieve the same effects these days. However I currently do experiment with external technics (meditation, strobe light, lighting frankincense,...) to enhance the experience of moderate doses, so that could have an influence too.
Not long ago I read a study about how the frequent use of Ayahuasca causes physical changes to the brain, which in turn causes the user to experience a higher sense of spirituality even while not being under the influence.
This got me thinking. I do enjoy moderate doses of psychedelics regularly, about once a week for many years now. Even though I haven't tried Ayahuasca, my logic tells me that this should apply to other entheogens as well.
Is it possible that my brain has adapted somehow, allowing me to have some kind of "baseline" psychedelic experience even without the help of a substance?
I do feel that other practices can sort of "prime" us to better access the depths of some of these experiences. Many times when I choose a journey either after meditation or after hot yoga, I am clearly more receptive, not just consciously, but it seems almost as if it is also the case in a neurological sense.
During my first several experiences, my friends would blow tobacco smoke in my face while I was in the throes of the experience and I feel this is also a tool that can help deepen these experiences. So I tend to have something burning before I go under. Not always, but most times.
And I don't see much reason why such an effect would be relegated to to aya alone, and in my experience, it's something that has happened with mushrooms as well. So I am inclined to agree with you.
Even my meditations can have some visual and psychedelic components even when I have not taken anything.
Some of this reminds me of aspects of a conversation about tinnitus that I had with a friend today. Apparently, one facet, is that the more one is perturbed by it, the more it can intensify. As if part of the survival part of the brain notices the anxiety that it causes as if it's about survival and brings it more into the mind as a way of making the more prevalent so that one is more likely to survive that which is causing the anxiety, in this case the tinnitus. I mention this because what if the brain notices the survival benefit to getting into these experiences and so then allows easier entry. Just an idea.
Grey Fox said:
I've found that there is quite a bit of variability in terms of how hard cactus tea hits. Different batches of tea made from material from the same cactus clone often vary in intensity of effects. I've been trying to make sense of that variability.
It seems to me that with Trichocereus cactus it matters what season of the year the plant material is harvested. During the time of year when the plant is growing the fastest (in my climate this is spring, through the summer, into early fall) cuttings that are harvested and brewed into tea just aren't as strong as cuttings taken during the winter when growth has stopped. When the plant is actively putting on lots of new growth the cuttings don't seem as potent.
But when the cuttings are aged in darkness the potency of the cuttings increase. Now I am starting to routinely age cuttings in darkness for a few months. When the living plant material isn't able to grow there seems to be an increase in potency. A few months in the dark really seems to help. It is a good strategy for making the most of the plant material that one has. It leads to less disappointment with cactus material being weaker than expected. And with more consistent results it becomes easier to identify which clones are consistently strongest.
First, thank you for giving me some ideas for some habits to start with my cacti cuttings. What do you think causes the increase in potency in cuttings aged in darkness?
What theories do you have about the increase in potency from the same cacti tea? Do you think it could simply be a matter of set and setting affecting the experience, or do you think there may another explanation, such as increase in potency over time in the cold after the tea has been made and put in the fridge (which is also dark when the door is closed)?
Soloist said:
(Many of my personal epiphanies have been aided by small dose cannabis. It’s really helped open up my empathic faculties. )
Once you feel these kinds of things I think it’s impossible to go back you know?
I encourage you to check out Medicinal Mindfulness out of Boulder Colorado. They have a psychedelic cannabis program with full-blown psychedelic experiences with cannabis alone.
And yes, very much a one way road with many bells you can't unring :lol:
Mister_Niles said:
15mg in the GVG is my standard dose these days. Very deep. I sometimes have full on, life altering breakthroughs on 15mg. Anything over 20 is too much. I've always been sensitive. My first dose was 60mg smoked (sandwich) which was heavy duty. In the GVG I never needed more than 35, but over the years it dropped and dropped. I credit working in the shallow end while on harmalas and vaping 5mg at a time for a couple of hours.
Speaking of reverse tolerance, I had a conversation with someone on the internet about their unfortunate reverse tolerance. The guy reported not even being able to one the bag and smell the salvia without feeling really high and nearly breaking through. I believe it. At one point a couple of years ago I got to the point where breaking through on plain leaf was very easy.
To be candid, because of depressive thinking and being notoriously hard on myself, I was actually very down about this for a long period of time, partly because it was confusing and I hadn't thought that it was something that could happen, so didn't consider it until much later. My first experiences with DMT were all over 100mg. And I used to eat a lot of mushrooms every time I'd eat them. I simply misinterpreted what was going on.
Thank you all for chiming in :lol:
And happy holidays
One love
