Newb questions about psychedelics

[Puntins]

Hi everyone, first post here from me, been lurking around doing my research for a while and have a few questions about things before I dive in.

A little about me, I am older, and bought into the scare tactics of the late 70's and early 80's, so was a bit afraid of some of the substances available to me at the time (totally regret that now). I have experienced weed, and some of the other more main stream pharmacology, but that was some time ago in my youth. At any rate, for the past 2 years I have become interested in experimenting with expanding my knowledge of my inner space, the universe, and my place in it, etc etc. I have read my Strassman, McKenna and Huxley, and I have learned a lot. I am curious though about the "high" of such things as LSD, Psilocybin and DMT.

I am not all that into weed. For me weed is a bit claustrophobic, it gives me tunnel vision, anxiety and numbs my mind, like my head is full of pillows. That is weed's "high" for me. I do smile and laugh with friends, but the anxiety for it to just be over, and the inevitable sleepiness kind of kills it for me.

Alcohol is an enjoyable "high" for me (with moderation), spinning rooms and vomit are not my thing, but that place where everything is just right, the place you sort of feel energized, social, and happy.

Hydrocodone is also nice to me, taking one or 2 tabs without the toothache etc. nothing too extreme.

Can't remember coke and crank-(that was snorting speed back then), to long ago, but not into that anymore anyway.

At an rate, that is my substance history, I guess I am kind of looking for a barometer of what to expect with psychedelics as far as the "high" goes. I was thinking of starting with mushrooms and moving on from there, any help or comments will always be appreciated!

Cheers
P

 

[BananaForeskin]

Mushrooms rock! I think most open-minded people (who don't have a negative physiological reaction to them) would, like me, greatly enjoy mushrooms... they'd be a good test to find out if you'd enjoy other psychedelics. And you are here, after all!

The experience you get from most psychedelics is indeed very different from weed and alcohol, though "high" is really the wrong word to use when applied to LSD, mushrooms, DMT, mescaline, etc... and that's what makes them different.

Weed and alcohol are both more intoxicants than entheogens; a low dose of mushrooms IMO is a lot like good weed but without all of the negative side effects you described (lethargy, anxiety, muzziness). Go for it!

 

[spaceshuttle]

+1 to mushrooms. dont start with too much. a nice low dose is a good starter, just till you get to know each other

 

[FancyThat]

Mushrooms can be gentle in small doses, great for getting to know your inner space.

 

[seeohhdee]

yea to psilocybin mushrooms again... banana is right about thc and alcohol being more intoxicating, and spaceshuttle is right about "getting to know each other"

aside from weed, lsd was my first experience, and after trying fungus, i would highly recommend them to anyone attempting to branch out into hallucinogens

it is more of a conscious introspective experience than something like cocaine, alcohol or marijuana (which tend to have more to do with one's spacial surroundings and less to do with the inward journey which i have always found to be more rewarding with regard to substance ingestion)

dont get me wrong, i think so many drugs exist simply because they pair so well with the wide variety of experiences life has to offer, but that should be taken into account when choosing which boundary of sobriety you want to cross

with mushrooms, some people like to go to nature, others like sensory input (led zeppelin laser show, etc) but the point is to be comfortable and i'm willing to bet you will like what you find

hope this helps...

 

[chrissobo13]

Mushrooms for sure! Though, my first time using a psychedelic was with acid, and it was maybe the single most memorable experience of my life. But mushrooms are soooo nice, you really feel loved.

 

[Guyomech]

Another vote for shrooms. Gram and a half, maybe two grams to start with. No alcohol in your system... Maybe even fast for the previous 6-8 hours, stick to fresh fruit and juice/ water. Probably stay home the first time, dose after dark- you'll want to try out at least part of the peak in darkness. Mellow beautiful music.

There is a sort of "high" involved, a physical euphoria- but that's really just a side effect compared to the other parts.

 

[DogMaTea]

I'll add to the shrooms vote. Absolute best experiences of my life. The "high" is not a high. It's an expanded view of the more wonderful side of reality. It opens the filters of the mind and lets you see the light. You simply can't compare it to any of the other substances you've mentioned. They are a blessing and gift to humanity.

 

[obliguhl]

It depends on what you are after. I would propably recommend 25mg of DMT or a low dose mushrooms. DMT if you want a quick and fascinating glimpse into what's possible...could be really shocking though (perhaps in a good way ) As others have said, a low dose mushrooms in a good environment can be a suitable introduction to altered states. Do not expect too much from 1-2g though. It can be very beautiful but you propably won't get a ton of visuals and this jazz. It might give you interesting and important thoughts, harmonizing yourself with your sorroundings. Nature is certainly good..perhaps your backyard on a nice and sunny spring day?

Blend 1-1.5g with lemon juice, wait half an hour, strain, drink ?

That could work.

Ps: Cannabis makes me anxious too. Mushroom comeup can be anxiety ridden...but if you know what to expect, you'll be fine! It passes quickly.

 

[dtrypt]

Another vote for shrooms. Gram and a half, maybe two grams to start with.

This^... find a place away from civilization where you'll have about 6 undisturbed hours. Having a good friend around is important too.

 

[EthanS]

Hi,

Mushrooms == yay!!!

Regarding weed, alcohol and synthetic highs; these I wouldn't even put them in the same category as mushrooms, DMT, etc. Although from very far away they seem to have something in common, they are definitely whole different worlds. Especially the synthetic drugs which are popular in society, these are entertainment drugs, similar to watching TV. In my personal experience these seem to narrow perspective, increase the ego and overall numb the consciousness.

Mushrooms, dmt, etc are not entertainment. Here I am quoting pretty much everyone who experimented with psychedelics: it goes along the lines of you asking big questions such as 'what is the nature of the universe, what is the meaning of life' and then then universe smacks you in the face with the answer, like being hit by a truck at full speed. Every know and then you hear about the random party where somebody had the bright idea to bring mushrooms or similar, and then it turned out strange as this is not what those people were after. They were after entertainment and didn't know that this kind of stuff even exists, despite being quite experienced with the synthetic stuff. This is not a social event.

There is also a chicken and egg situation, where one cannot make a fully informed decision about wanting mushrooms or similar before having already tried them, because one can't know in advance the nature of that world. But once you know it, you are very supportive, but you have this understanding only after.

As I said, it is not entertainment, it is exploration of ones mind (that's how it starts but then it quickly turns into... something much, much more). There is also a counter intuitive element to it; where in order to "make it work" you have to let go. So in essence one needs to learn how to successfully do ... nothing. Especially the first time there is always the temptation to control the process, seek something actively etc. but the more one tries to do that the more anxious the experience becomes to a point where it's just too tiring and then finally one lets go only to realise that this is what one was after from the very begining. In short, when in doubt about what to do during the event: let go.

I would suggest for a first time to do it with a close friend and talk about how it is going, and then switching to listening to calm music (instrumental, no words in the music!)

Hope this helps,

Ethan

 

[Global]

As I said, it is not entertainment, it is exploration of ones mind (that's how it starts but then it quickly turns into... something much, much more). There is also a counter intuitive element to it; where in order to "make it work" you have to let go. So in essence one needs to learn how to successfully do ... nothing. Especially the first time there is always the temptation to control the process, seek something actively etc. but the more one tries to do that the more anxious the experience becomes to a point where its just too tiring and then finally one lets go only to realise that this is what one was after from the very begining. In short, when in doubt about what to do during the event: let go.

I would suggest for a first time to do it with a close friend and talk about how it is going, and then switching to listening to calm music (instrumental, no words in the music!)

Hope this helps,

Ethan

Sound advice

 

[VoidTraveler]

EthanS wrote a very sound piece of advice there. I'm all for mushrooms myself as well.

My first psychedelic journey was with a very good friend who came reasonably prepared and an acquaintance who came unprepared and I was VERY well prepared. We had 10 grams truffles each spread out in a 6 grams, an hour later 2 grams and 15 minutes after that the last 2 grams. The trip was beautiful and while it did not do what I intended with it, it was lovely. We smoked cannabis halfway in which potentiated the effects a bit and the unprepared person then freaked out.

Always prepare yourself by reading a few guides on safe tripping such as this one. Have a sitter joining you and if you have any fellow participants, have them read the same guide and prepare themselves properly.

 

[lharvey]

As I said, it is not entertainment, it is exploration of ones mind (that's how it starts but then it quickly turns into... something much, much more). There is also a counter intuitive element to it; where in order to "make it work" you have to let go. So in essence one needs to learn how to successfully do ... nothing. Especially the first time there is always the temptation to control the process, seek something actively etc. but the more one tries to do that the more anxious the experience becomes to a point where it's just too tiring and then finally one lets go only to realise that this is what one was after from the very begining. In short, when in doubt about what to do during the event: let go.

reminds me of one of my favorite passages: Be Still and know that I am God.

Thanks for sharring.

 

[Electric Kool-Aid]

The best is fresh mushroom tea. Pick em, steep in hot water and then drink! So soothing...

 

[universalshaman]

You honestly remind me of myself, when I was nurturing my mind and imagination on the topics of psycehdelics.

I read up on Mckenna, Strassmen, Houston, Masters, a few others that slipped my mind. But I also got the book "Inner Paths to Outer Space" and that book paved the way for me, incredibly.

When I tried mushrooms, at a serious dose level with a serious mindset, I remembered all the stuff I had read prior to tripping, about boundry dissolution, ego loss, awareness of the universal mind, etc, and it made it all so much more clear because I could understand what was hapening.

I'd say, hold your nose and jump right in. You've spent enough time in the shallow end of the pool to know where you're going.

Smoking cannabis isn't much of a comparison to the psilocybin or lsd experience, cannabis, is such a different story.

Best of luck, and don't forget, 5 grams mushrooms, eyes closed, silent darkness.

 

[Puntins]

Hi everyone,

Thank you all for you comments and advice, you have alleviated my anxiety about "getting high" as it were. My interest lies in the experience of the journey, and having the faculties to examine and at least try to comprehend what the universe is trying to tell me as it happens. I was worried about the "intoxicant" aspect of these things, and am happy to hear I wont be overwhelmed in a foggy sleep.

I was going to start with a 2.5g dose of mushrooms and see where it takes me. I noticed tea and/or lemon juice were mentioned, is this the best way to go about it? I was just going to eat the things, what is the best way to ingest them, to get the best bang for my buck so to speak?

As far as DMT, yes this interests me greatly, but I don't know anyone that has any, nor am I prepared to make any (just yet), but if psychedelics agree with me, then that experience would be my goal at some point.

Well, thanks again everyone, I need to procure my mushrooms now, I will report back and let you all know my thoughts once I have taken my journey :d

P

 

[Global]

I was worried about the "intoxicant" aspect of these things, and am happy to hear I wont be overwhelmed in a foggy sleep.

This isn't necessarily true. Everyone reacts to these things differently, and I was gonna disagree on several posts, but I decided to leave it alone a bit. When I take shrooms, by mid-peak I tend to find myself in a sleepy, dreamy state. I also seem to be one of the people who has negative physiological reactions to shrooms as they make my stomach turn inside-out and make my entire body extremely heavy. It was my first psychedelic, but it was a rough experience. Even after I became better acquainted with LSD and DMT, shrooms still was an extremely rough teacher for me (even at low doses) and my experiences don't seem to match up very well with others who have posted in this thread at all. Everyone's gonna be different. I would recommend LSD as a first psychedelic if I were to go by my own experiences, but I also can relate to the blissful experiences shrooms can instill, it's just that for me those moments of bliss are interrupted by uncomfortably anxious phases. I simply don't jive well with it, which is interesting because my mind/body takes much more wholeheartedly to ayahuasca and DMT which can be very much like shrooms, so I don't really know what's going on with that.

 

[oilman]

I second against shrooms. I don't personally like the experience. I find that they feel toxic to me. I have negative feelings when I use them.

My first psychedelic substance was nutmeg when I was 16. I would not recommend that experience, because it makes you trip with a combination effect that you have the flu. But the psychedelic side, which is rather warm, energy filled, and mildly visual, is a good mix in my opinion for a first try. You may try seeking out the Native American Church and using peyote at low doses under their direction, because it shares a few of these positive qualities of nutmeg. A low, known dose of LSD would be a good intro, but unfortunately it is very difficult to know how strong a dose is because of it's universal illegality.

 

[metamine]

I think the best introduction to psychedelics is a low dose (50-100mcg) of pure LSD. I can't think of a cleaner, clearer, smoother vehicle. Other psychedelics seem to have more challenging aspects or sides that can complicate the matter for first-timers.