EphemeralTruth
Rising Star
Hello fellow travelers!
I finally remembered to register on a weekend, but have been actively consuming the wealth of information here for the last couple months.
I'm happy to report 2 successful MHRB extractions thanks to all the information here (yielding roughly 1% of yellowish spice via the Max Ion Tek, minus the acid cook).
This might deserve a future thread of its own, but I wanted to post my initial breakthrough experience, as well as throw out some of my (many) questions that linger.
1st BREAKTHROUGH: The Source
I've been using the GVG from the beginning, and sampled 20 & 40 mg of my whitest spice. These were very strange experiences, cold and mathematical and sub-breakthrough. I really did not like the waiting room I ended up in on 40mg, it was incredibly lonely and mathematical and devoid of meaning.
SO, I got crazy and loaded up 60mg on some dried peppermint, and essentially inhaled the entire dose in one breath. The onset was ultra powerful, and so fast that it felt like being launched out of a cannon. The chrysanthemum that I clearly experienced on 40mg either didn't happen or it happened so fast I don't even remember it. I also (unfortunately) have no memory of actually going through any "tunnel" or what I even saw during this time. What I do remember was finding myself floating in this place that was utterly transcendental: a place of incredibly intense light that felt ultimate--pure knowledge and power and truth and love, wrapped into an ether of light that felt soul-penetrating. It felt like the center of everything. I have long been a stark athiest, skeptic, and materialist. But this felt like it was the essence of God, or at least of Truth. While more may have been said, I felt a powerful voice speaking through me as I floated in this indescribable light... it said quite unambiguously: "The purpose of life is to love and care for others."
As I gradually settled back into my body, I couldn't help but think that this experience felt incredibly special. Having done some reading, it sounds like this *may* have been the experience that some describe as the "Source" or "Central Light". I have had several breakthroughs since, but none have taken back to this place... I would really love to hear if others have experienced this or something similar.
QUESTIONS:
For anyone experienced reading this I'd LOVE input on some of these questions:
1. Does peppermint (or other herbs) reduce the chances of burning the spice? I've tried it with and without, and found the GVG much trickier to use without it, but also wonder if it soaks up some liquid spice and makes it harder to get the full hit in one toke.
2. Do most of you try to take a breakthrough dose in a single breath? I'm doing this solo, so additional tokes have proved very difficult to manage and also quite distracting from the experience.
3. I'm a little disappointed and frustrated with how LITTLE I remember from these experiences. I've had a couple breakthroughs where I came back remembering almost nothing at all. Does this improve with time? Are there any tricks to improve retention besides trying to write it down immediately?
4. Besides my first breakthrough (described above), the rest have felt like I have gone to a similar place each time. I haven't experienced the wide breadth of experiences (or visuals) that others have described, nor do I feel like I have really *met* entities. While conversations have sort of felt like they were happening, much of it feels like the deep self-talk that is common on lesser psychadelics, not like speaking to an autonomous entity. It has felt incredibly real and profound, but I wish could write trip reports like some of you; but I simply can't remember.
5. Yellow spice: Sounds like it's mostly safe to smoke... however, what do the other alkaloids actually DO? I've had a couple experiences with an uncomfortable pulsing or high-frequency vibration, especially on the come-down, that didn't feel good at all. Wondering if that was impurities having adverse effects?
6. Are torch lighters really the best for the GVG? It feels like the margin of error to burn the spice is very small. Corollary question: if using 7 or 8 filters, is it likely that after a few hits they will get clogged with plant oils? I had a problem with several hits in a row being almost ineffective--wondering if this might be a part of it.
7. One thing that almost all breakthroughs have had in common is this powerful feeling during the come-up of "OF COURSE, NOW I REMEMBER", which continues to nibble at my once-infallible construction of reality. Do any of you ever remember enough of this to describe what it actually IS that we remember as we enter this realm?
Thanks for any and all advice, answers, and support. I'm excited to continue this journey with this remarkably intelligent and helpful community.
I finally remembered to register on a weekend, but have been actively consuming the wealth of information here for the last couple months.
I'm happy to report 2 successful MHRB extractions thanks to all the information here (yielding roughly 1% of yellowish spice via the Max Ion Tek, minus the acid cook).
This might deserve a future thread of its own, but I wanted to post my initial breakthrough experience, as well as throw out some of my (many) questions that linger.
1st BREAKTHROUGH: The Source
I've been using the GVG from the beginning, and sampled 20 & 40 mg of my whitest spice. These were very strange experiences, cold and mathematical and sub-breakthrough. I really did not like the waiting room I ended up in on 40mg, it was incredibly lonely and mathematical and devoid of meaning.
SO, I got crazy and loaded up 60mg on some dried peppermint, and essentially inhaled the entire dose in one breath. The onset was ultra powerful, and so fast that it felt like being launched out of a cannon. The chrysanthemum that I clearly experienced on 40mg either didn't happen or it happened so fast I don't even remember it. I also (unfortunately) have no memory of actually going through any "tunnel" or what I even saw during this time. What I do remember was finding myself floating in this place that was utterly transcendental: a place of incredibly intense light that felt ultimate--pure knowledge and power and truth and love, wrapped into an ether of light that felt soul-penetrating. It felt like the center of everything. I have long been a stark athiest, skeptic, and materialist. But this felt like it was the essence of God, or at least of Truth. While more may have been said, I felt a powerful voice speaking through me as I floated in this indescribable light... it said quite unambiguously: "The purpose of life is to love and care for others."
As I gradually settled back into my body, I couldn't help but think that this experience felt incredibly special. Having done some reading, it sounds like this *may* have been the experience that some describe as the "Source" or "Central Light". I have had several breakthroughs since, but none have taken back to this place... I would really love to hear if others have experienced this or something similar.
QUESTIONS:
For anyone experienced reading this I'd LOVE input on some of these questions:
1. Does peppermint (or other herbs) reduce the chances of burning the spice? I've tried it with and without, and found the GVG much trickier to use without it, but also wonder if it soaks up some liquid spice and makes it harder to get the full hit in one toke.
2. Do most of you try to take a breakthrough dose in a single breath? I'm doing this solo, so additional tokes have proved very difficult to manage and also quite distracting from the experience.
3. I'm a little disappointed and frustrated with how LITTLE I remember from these experiences. I've had a couple breakthroughs where I came back remembering almost nothing at all. Does this improve with time? Are there any tricks to improve retention besides trying to write it down immediately?
4. Besides my first breakthrough (described above), the rest have felt like I have gone to a similar place each time. I haven't experienced the wide breadth of experiences (or visuals) that others have described, nor do I feel like I have really *met* entities. While conversations have sort of felt like they were happening, much of it feels like the deep self-talk that is common on lesser psychadelics, not like speaking to an autonomous entity. It has felt incredibly real and profound, but I wish could write trip reports like some of you; but I simply can't remember.
5. Yellow spice: Sounds like it's mostly safe to smoke... however, what do the other alkaloids actually DO? I've had a couple experiences with an uncomfortable pulsing or high-frequency vibration, especially on the come-down, that didn't feel good at all. Wondering if that was impurities having adverse effects?
6. Are torch lighters really the best for the GVG? It feels like the margin of error to burn the spice is very small. Corollary question: if using 7 or 8 filters, is it likely that after a few hits they will get clogged with plant oils? I had a problem with several hits in a row being almost ineffective--wondering if this might be a part of it.
7. One thing that almost all breakthroughs have had in common is this powerful feeling during the come-up of "OF COURSE, NOW I REMEMBER", which continues to nibble at my once-infallible construction of reality. Do any of you ever remember enough of this to describe what it actually IS that we remember as we enter this realm?
Thanks for any and all advice, answers, and support. I'm excited to continue this journey with this remarkably intelligent and helpful community.