There is a lot going on in this article and I won't comment on all of it. I'll just address people who are perhaps curious about psychedelics. May I highly suggest that those wishing to experiment with psychedelics do it only in a place where you feel absolutely safe. That is, no risk of police, parents (if that is an issue), or neighbours to bother you. Additionally and I do think this is very important: in nature. Not in Times Square.
When done right and with the right people it can be a truly profound experience which I firmly firmly believe all humans should participate in. I've heard just as many people though turned off to them permanently though through bad experiences which I (who am likely biased) chalk up to bad settings. I'd also say properly grown mushrooms may be a better option for most people. Finally, maybe mixing drugs isn't the best thing to do either.
I agree with just about everything you said, except the "in nature" part. Don't get me wrong, tripping in nature is awesome, maybe the best place to trip. But it isn't necessary and might not even be the best for your first time (depending on what you are doing). They real key is to not have too many stimuli out of your control, particularly having lots and lots of strangers around. Especially if you have to interact with them for whatever reason.
Other than that you are fine. As long as you are in full control of what you are doing and you don't feel pressured by strangers then most people will be perfectly comfortable. And while tripping in nature has generally been more enjoyable for me, interacting with really good friends (especially ones also tripping with me, one of the best parts of the trip) and seeing your familiar surroundings with a new mind was the most valuable part to me.
And, to be fair, as someone who has never done LSD and will likely wait until it is legal and can be prescribed by a physician- that sounds like an AMAZING experience. :)
I really doubt anyone can sit still and look at a wall for 3 hours on LSD. It may have felt like 3 hours, but was probably more like 3 minutes and felt like eternity.
Yeah. I wouldn't ever single out a particular setting as good or bad. Everyone is different, and you want to be firmly in your comfort zone, around a small number of people who you trust a lot and around very few people who you don't trust. And somewhere where you can chiiillllllll.
The setting that matches that description is different for each person. If you trust yourself, you'll do just fine at picking the right time and place.
No, you saw blotters with an NBOMe. Actual 2C-I would be much better and safer (and not absorb an active quantity into a blotter). Luckily NBOMes are now superceded by actual lysergamides like 1p-LSD
Best advice I was ever given is that if the trip is going badly you should move your body to a different setting. It provides a nice reset should you have placed your mind somewhere that "you" do not feel comfortable with.
I can't say I think that people should be recommending psychedelics because the experience is so extreme and so personal, it can be life altering. As with anything this "far out", the outcome could be extraordinarily positive or also extraordinarily damaging. I don't believe it's merely about setting; it's the person doing the trips' responsibility to look after themselves. And don't be tired because you aren't sleeping for the next 14 hours.
If you want a new perspective on the world sure, go try LSD but if you want a better perspective I'd recommend Magnesium [1], Vitamin D [2] and some meditation first.
A methylated B-complex vitamin would be prudent in most individuals as well to complement magnesium. Up to 50% of the population has a partially broken methylation cycle (in a form of C677T mutation).
I had back pain sleeping for a long time, fatigue, and tons of muscle twitching (even in supplementing magnesium and vitamin d), and a methylated b-complex effectively eliminated my symptoms.
The test to check for an MTHFR mutation is expensive, but supplementing a methylated high-quality b-complex isn't.
My brother found that he had this mutation via 23andme. Supplementing with 5-MTHF has changed both our lives, as well as my mother's (who was previously suffering from debilitating depression and anxiety).
Except if you do 23andMe you then have a legal obligation to provide any learnings to health insurance companies. Yeah, that's right, we live in a world that actively hinders being proactive about healthcare.
The B complex changed my life too -- relieved the fatigue I was feeling daily despite plenty of sleep, and gave me the energy to start better habits that pulled me out of a depressive episode.
I would like to add that the safest set and setting is your own own home, with a sitter. There's simply no substitute for it if you're just getting started. Call a friend up and ask; trip sitting is fun! Save nature for later, when you're familiar.
The times we did it, some parties excluded, we started inside, and then moved to the outside whenever we felt like. Nature is awesome, especially pine forests.
I came here to express the same sentiment. I'm trying to come up with the best way of saying not to do drugs, but yet everyone should try psychedelics at some point in their lives. Mushrooms are a much better experience, especially for a newcomer. LSD is much more of an intense, laugh at everything high, and to me felt very "chemical". Mushrooms made me feel like a million dollars, and was much more of a relaxed experience. You'll definitely feel like you can solve all the world's problems, and maybe even comes up with next big startup idea! :)
Did the same thing without mushrooms. Am I at risk for becoming an enlightened homeless guy who will sleep on the streets for the rest of his life if I'll try mushrooms?
You might, but then it would be a conscious choice and you would be happy doing it. Don't judge your possible future self from your current selve's perspective.
I'd add I know several people with long term mental impairment from overuse, mostly from long term use of LSD. So while it's interesting to try, be cautious.
Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population
"Psychedelic users showed a significantly lower likelihood of recent psychological distress, as well as less suicidal thinking and fewer suicide attempts, than non-users. Users were 36% less likely to have attempted suicide in the past year.
Use of other illicit substances, say the researchers, are “by and large associated with an increased likelihood of psychological distress and suicidality.” The use of non-psychedelic substances is a suicide risk factor, they conclude, but psychedelics appear to have the reverse effect."
An article from the psychedelic frontier talking about a paper published in low impact journal (Impact Factor of slightly more than three) does not seem like an unbiased source.
To be fair, I'm hardly an unbiased source, as a good friend of mine jumped out a window an hour or so after taking a rather large dose of LSD.
Clinical studies at the population level will not provide substantial evidence for or against any purported effects of individual overuse. Anecdotally, acid brain sure seems real to me. Whether it is a physiological change or merely the ideological ramification of repeatedly obliterating fundamental notions like permanence or selfness, I don't know.
Around 20 years ago three friends of mine had bad acid trips around the same time. One of them was rushed into emergency, strapped down on the stretcher. He was crying out for Jesus to save him (he was not religious). Since then he cannot hold down a thought, never mind a job. He lives with his parents.
My other two friends went high to a houseparty and committed suicide by shooting themselves in the head. It was all over the national news.
The double suicide happened about 1986-1988 in Brantford Ontario. The Toronto Sun called it a "Death Party". It made the front page. I searched but my Google fu has failed me (or the news was never archived online in the first place).
I'm not going to share the name of the other friend, for obvious privacy reasons.
I don't think there's much in the way of peer reviewed papers because no ones going to deliberately dose one group on LSD for a long term study and most recreational users take other drugs and don't document and publish things but there are definitely issues.
I don't know why you are getting downvoted. I've personally seen several people suffer various ailments (cutting social ties; entering depression) after experimenting with psychedelics. They can be fun and they may be a useful therapy, but it's foolish to think they are risk-free.
I know a woman who was a junior at Dartmouth. She came home for Christmas. She went to a concert with friends. She allegedly took LSD.
She woke up the next day, and didn't recognize her parents.
She didn't recognize her boyfriend whom came running over.
She finished her degree 25 years later, and she still has trouble functioning in society. She never got back to that high functioning individual. She's still very smart. She can't wake up early. Can't function in a unfamiliar work setting. She basically falls to pieces if slightly stressed.
She would be homeless if not for a caring/understanding financially well off family
(This is a true story. She might have had an underlying mental illness, but mental illness is not in her lineage.
I'm just passing this story along.)
Not very reliable, as this is also what old wives tales and urban legends claim too ("I know this guy/gal that...").
In this case for example, you might really know that woman, and she might have been a junior at Dartmouth that had those issues, but unless you were there with her that day, there's no way to know whether she did take LSD that night (or something else, or even nothing), or whether she didn't have any issues before, etc. It could just be some rumor people tell about here, or what she wanted other people to know about it (e.g. not to admit a mental illness but instead cover it with "had bad acid").
Let's rather stick to the medical literature that describes several cases of LSD use, how it affected or brought up psychosis, etc (and after what frequence of use, and with what mental issues the patient had before, etc).
One of the biggest issues with illicit drugs is that you never know what you're getting. There's no quality control. Even your usual dealer may not know what they have. There are people that I know who won't eat beef unless they see the farm and cow beforehand, but yet they'll gladly ingest whatever chemical is given to them.
(That said, I've personally never heard of anyone who'd been severely damaged by drugs... well, except for heroin, alcohol, and cocaine. Six of my childhood friends had died of heroin, two from alcohol, and one from cocaine. Heroin is the scourge of the working poor.)
If you are buying 'raw' ingredients, such as mushrooms or marijuana, there is a much better chance of getting what you expect.
Of course, it's not guarenteed (they could for example be sprayed with another substance), but even in terms of economics for the dealer, it probably wouldn't make sense to try to adulterate such things. Adulteration is much more prevelant when dealing with relatively expensive, highly processed drugs, where there are many levels of people in the supply chain; the temptation to cut it to increase margins is just too high.
It almost certainly isn't. Do you have even a single reputable source? I mean, especially if you know her personally as you claim it should be pretty easy to pull up some news articles or something, right?
This is fine if you are feeling young, edgy and indestructible but I would not recommend it to most newbies. Warm dark room with lots of pillows and a good friend is safest.
It might also be prudent to consult a psychiatrist, or at least a GP first, to determine if any contra-indications apply to you (e.g. existing underlying psychosis). A trip can really help a person but, as with any medication, could end up doing harm if it is given to the wrong person.
I've had many bad trips, like really bad. What has helped me eliminate the fear and terror is to mix it with alcohol (being slightly drunk during most parts of the trip). It may not work for everyone but it has certainly worked for me. All my recent trips have been wonderful.
can confirm. have also had many bad trips, and small amounts of alcohol now do wonders to prevent them, and don't interfere with the experience at all.
The first time I took LSD was under less than ideal conditions. It was in high school... and I mean during school hours my junior year. It was 1988. Yes, stupid and irresponsible I know but it was a great experience.
I only took 1/3 of a tab... a friend had it and we split the tab between three of us. Coincidentally there was a field trip that day for Jr's and Sr's and I had not turned in my permission slip and so didn't get to go. I suppose that's how I justified taking LSD in school to myself. Everyone else was already gone on a trip so....
The friend who had the LSD was a "bad kid" and was in in school suspension so he went to sit under out of class supervision all day. The other friend got on the bus and went off on the field trip. I went to mostly empty classes.
I had guitar class that semester. The class was mostly freshmen and sophomores with shag hair aspiring to be the next Metallicas and Iron Maidens. They were a pretty wild group. I on the other hand was outwardly at least pretty studious and responsible and respectful of authority.
The class had a sub teacher that day because the regular teacher was chaperoning the field trip. So there wasn't a real lesson... just a bunch of amateur Bevis and Butthead antics while the sub teacher read a magazine and I sat in the back watching the whole thing with a godlike sense of enlightenment. At one point one of the kids wadded up a paper and threw at the sub hitting her in the head. I didn't see who it was but did see the paper hit her. So she flips out and starts yelling. And I'm trying not to burst out laughing. Not because she got hit by a paper, but because of the utter ridiculousness of the whole situation. Here we all were, on a little ball of mud in infinite time and space and we don't have anything better to do but sit in a room wasting limited time and acting up and throwing papers and get upset when we get hit by a papers. And that's what life in society was... silly monkeys acting out because they didn't understand the deeper implications of existence. And now I knew how trivial it all was and it was entertaining to watch.
So the sub gets really mad and calls in the assistant principal. He come in and says "OK, who threw the paper?". No one speaks up. I'm just grinning away in the back at the petty foolishness of the whole thing. He sees me and singles me out.
(principal)
- "Who threw the paper?"
(me)
-"I didn't see who threw the paper"
(principal)
-"Ok... if you don't tell me who threw the paper you will get detention"
(me)
"If you have come to a place in your existence that it is your destiny to give me detention, than I will take the detention, but I did not see who threw the paper".
At this the assistant principal stops and does a double take. He pauses for like 30 seconds completely confused and bewildered (and briefly wondering about his destiny). But he can't back down so he gives me three days detention. So I tell him "I accept that this is who you are and this is what you feel you must do, but it does not in any way affect who I really am". At this he does another double take, gawks for a bit and then leaves the room.
Later he comes up to me at lunch and apologies for his anger and rescinds the detention. And he is looking at me like I'm some kind of strange wizard or something. I just smile and say ok, fine and keep eating my lunch.
I never looked at the social/organizational aspects of school the same again. I also never took LSD in school again. I'm in my 40's now and even though I did have other experiences later I haven't for nearly two decades and wouldn't take LSD at this point. I'm not against it.. I just wouldn't take it. I don't think I need to. I have gotten out of it what I think I can... some useful, some maybe not so useful and honestly I have zero interest in exploring it any further. Sorry for the long post. I think the original point is that sometimes being in a normal situation under the influence of LSD can give you a whole new perspective that is actually more truthful. It breaks the layer the mind puts on reality and you have no choice but to see a more objective view of the situation. It's certainly not reliable though and a lot of confusion results sometimes in people thinking things that aren't really so. And sometimes you mind needs to put a layer over reality for you to function. Just my opinions.
Great story, cheers for sharing. I experimented pretty aggressively mostly throughout my college years. One of the most mind-opening trips I ever had was on several hits of LCD. One thing to mention is the profound impact the people you're tripping with can (will?) have on your experience. This trip started in my friend's neighborhood. He was unlike me in most ways, more of a "weirdo hippy" who did drugs for the spiritual aspect of the experience. At one point, early in the evening, he and I were walking through a small wooded area and we both noticed a purple cartoon character following us (yes it was the 90s, no it wasn't Barney). He smiled and instantly made me feel like it was cool, just something to observe and let happen.
The rest of the night and into the morning was spent in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Nothing special about the small city, and we both knew it very well. But my relationship with it completely changed that night, as we explored every nook and cranny, appreciating all the details of the landscape and its overall vibe that we overlooked the hundreds of times we hung out there before. From sitting on the river's edge smoking a bowl, to sneaking into the Brown University theater and goofing about on stage, to laying in a small park and letting the trees dance for us, to watching the sun rise on top of an historic building on the East Side, it was something else.
Point being, I agree with you on the value of experiencing the often-experienced places with a totally different mindset.
When considering only acquiring substances, unless you know someone who has/is a solid source, your best bet is probably to make use of what's referred to as "dark net markets", which basically means "forums within Tor dedicated to selling substances." You can read about how to get involved with one of these through various resources online. In this case, Google is your friend.
Do note that it's not trivial to get into this in a cautious way. It will take some work to get Bitcoins, and it's possible you may lose some money to fraudulent sellers. However, the people I know source all their psychedelics this way, so it does work (at least for some people).
On the subject of finding people: if you're comfortable, you can invite your friends. This might not be wise if they're not comfortable with psychedelics, so tread lightly. Anecdotally, I got into all this literally just by asking people I knew, it turned out they where all willing and things have been fun ever since!
It has the added effect of being legal, and being done in a setting meant to give one a pleasant experience. Their psilocybin ("magic mushrooms") research is worth checking out. They found it had no lasting harmful effects in any of the volunteers, and overall seemed to have long-lasting positive effects in many people:
You seek out people engaged in illegal behavior and hope that there is a limit upon which laws they will violate and that that limit includes not harming you. If you're lucky, you're at the Napster end of the spectrum. The biker gang end if you're less lucky. Worse if you're unlucky.
Succumbing to positive peer pressure is a good thing. If you're friends aren't into it, then go have fun doing what they're into. Compared to walking in the woods with your child, psychedelics are not very high on the scale of profundity.
The best way to get regulated drugs is through the darknet. If take the time to do your research, and spend the coin to get lab tests, you can pretty much guarantee that every dose will be medical grade. Far safer than a street dealer.
The two best starting places are reddit.com/r/darknetmarkets and reddit.com/r/dnmavengers
Prioritize research and place limited trust in reviews, especially on-market reviews.
I've heard tor black markets are decent way to get that. Safer than asking to strangers depending on where you live. I've also heard getting a test kit is a good idea.
Unfortunately it's not that simple. There's a good chance of ending up with some designer drug instead of the real thing. And those are well known to be dangerous.
Also, pretty much any large multi-day music festival with a campground, especially reggae. Suppliers are way less discreet at these kind of venues. You'd typically either get lucky and get whatever they say it is, or not and get something that has no effect; chances of something dangerous are low.
If you're in the Bay Area and ever want to attend a Phish show (or other good jam band), I'd be happy to introduce you to the scene. It's been a life changing experience for me and an integral part of my life for the last 15 years and am always happy to show people around.
And yet that's exactly what people do allegedly. Well, it helps to not ask openly around until you trust the other person somewhat (which even means getting to know them for a while).
I wish I had two lives, so that I could dedicate one of them to the work of the doctor in the article- legitimizing psychedelic therapy by testing it properly and publishing the results. I've never tripped, but reading about tripping makes me wistful- I would go to a clinician and schedule the 2-3 months of therapy sessions before a clinician-guided trip right now, today if I could do so legally.
That said- I'm also quite pleased with who I am, like the author here, and I worry about losing that to the drug's effects. Eh, it's all fascinating stuff. :)
There is probably a typology of negative trips, but obviously very little science has been done on it. My (inter)personal experiences identify a few distinct culprits, perhaps amongst many, or perhaps all a naive fiction i've constructed for myself:
1. Overstimulation, an inability to cope with all the new perceptions. This is especially pertinent during come-up. If you experience overstimulation in sober life, you'll probably recognize it. If you haven't, it feels like agitation and confusion.
2. Anxiety that is brought into the trip that is either consciously perceived or not beforehand. If something's bothering you at the back of your mind, it's going to come up front and center.
3. Intrusive thoughts. There's no reason why they can't happen on a trip, right? Like sober life, the best thing that makes them go away is acknowledging them and letting them play out. Trying to force them down can make them worse. Intrusive thoughts can lead to disturbing experiences even if they don't result in a bad trip.
4. Panic from feeling your own body in unfamiliar ways. Your proprioception shifts rapidly with LSD. You might not be able to tell where your limbs are, or whether they even still exist. The solidity of your body suddenly feels a little too insubstantial. You can't tell if you're too hot or too cold. Blankets don't seem to work. Come-up can be rough like this. You need to have immense trust in the world that you're ok, that you're not falling apart, that your body can take care of itself and your brain will soon compensate for the new chemical situation and restore homeostasis and understand your modified internal senses.
5. Temporary psychosis. it happens and i am not qualified to suggest a remedy or reasoning to it.
Edit: Sleep! Sleep deprivation is definitely on this list. Can't sleep on acid.
Another one came to mind: low blood sugar. You might forget to eat on acid. You won't feel like eating. It's a good idea to keep citrus around or another source of sugar. It helps a lot!
On 3, I've read about certain American groups that have a history of psychedelic use, holding confessional sessions on their hike to the trip location. This was a chance to clear the air and remove concerns from the users mind that might play on them while in the trip.
Interestingly, due to the low doses many groups take they take these after encouraging a period of fasting and speed deprivation.
Anyway, outside of my area of expertise but something I consider interesting.
To add on to this, I know mixing drugs isn't kosher, but if this is a real worry to someone taking it, having xanax on stand-by is a good idea. SWIM came very close to a bad trip many times, on high doses, and having a "break glass incase of emergency" was enough to get through it.
I'd like to chime in with a personal anecdote relevant to what you've mentioned. The TL;DR is "Having Xanax is incredibly comforting when a trip goes sideways; it worked for me and friends, it worked fast, and it was quite effective."
The day before yesterday, a friend and I took 2CB nasally for the third time, for both of us. Quick note: 2CB is roughly similar to LSD.
As it turned out, the previous two times we had been losing quite a bit of 2CB during the snorting process because we where basically pressing our faces against the surface then inhaling. This led to some 2CB stuck on our face, some stuck just inside the nose, etc. Because such small amounts of 2CB are so effective, this loss meant we where experiencing an order of magnitude fewer effects.
So, it's our third time, but this time we decide to use a straw. Using a straw meant we got the full amount instead of losing the majority. The net effect was we found ourselves in the middle of an experience that was orders of magnitude more than what we where emotionally prepared for. If we'd been aiming for the experience we where having, we'd have been fine; but since it was so unexpected it felt very uncomfortable.
After about an hour, my friend was lucid enough to get a Xanax for himself and offer me one as well. The Xanax stopped that trip in it's tracks. 15 minutes after taking, lucidity solidified and I was back to being able to hold conversations. Within 30 minutes, we where down to only very subtle visuals, and within 45 minutes, the trip was effectively over.
To reiterate, Xanax worked for me, and I'll be keeping it around as a safety feature in the future.
2CB dilutes in water with a little effort and it's much easier to measure out consistent doses in tablespoons or mL of a liquid rather than very minute amounts of a powder.
I've never done psychedelics, although I was a trip sitter a few times back in college.
It was generally nice. We went out to outrageously gorgeous outdoor parks, and I kept people from wandering off cliffs.
One time, somebody was having a terrible trip (which I hear is the equivalent of an actual vacation in hell), and he stopped it with his Clonazepam prescription, which is essentially a longer lasting drug in the same class as Xanax.
I agree with nature, but if that's not an option a nice art museum on an off day. Usually cheap, quiet, cold and people don't mind if you stare at one thing for a long time.
"Brain: Hey! This scary thing I'm now experiencing must be incorporated into my behavior."
"You: Yay, I now have a phobia of something!"
A profound experience yes. Some substances are more likely to make permanent changes in your head. Be smart and read up - or take your chances and get fucked for life. Even cannabis can cause psychosis.
TL;DR - be careful, don't make the decision lightly, take reasonable precautions.
I came here to write something along these lines.
About a year ago, I ate _way_ too much cannabis before a party then proceeded to have a terrible trip.
The subtle meaning in people's interactions, which I had always been able to respond to intuitively, suddenly became apparent and burdensome. I saw a man who did not receive enough affection from his wife and spoke needily to others, reaching out for warmth. I saw a woman who appeared to be dissatisfied in her marriage, lingering just a bit too long in hugs with other men. I saw a man who was uncomfortable with parties, and wanted to corner me in a private discussion so he could disengage from the group. The feeling that these people were unable to mask their deep and private needs in this public forum combined with the feeling that something was expected of me that I could not give sent me into a spiral of embarrassment and nervousness.
Becoming terrified that I would be unable to control my emotions (that I might begin weeping in front of everybody for example), I disappeared without a word to hide in my car. Fearing that I would be seen and mistaken for a criminal waiting to commit a crime, I tried to stuff myself into a ball on the floor of the backseat. I was convinced that someone would see me and call the police, and I'd be arrested because I would be unable to communicate with them. The fear was so intense that I could feel myself shivering, and when my wife came to rescue me I was unable to speak in a steady voice.
Over the course of the following year, I struggled with depression and crippling social anxiety, which I had never experienced before. Things as routine as taking my cat to the vet were a real challenge, and I relied on Xanax to get me through a number of totally banal interactions which I had previously handled automatically. Granted, I was also experiencing intense social isolation and a weakening support system due to unrelated factors - I cannot definitively pin my struggles on this incident with cannabis. Still, it scared me enough that I began researching and critically examining my cannabis usage.
Ultimately I decided that it would still be a part of my life, but that I would no longer use it in public settings, that I would be exceedingly careful with dosage and reduce my usage in general, and that I would examine my current state before using it. I've recovered 100% from the depression, 95% from the anxiety (I still feel mild nerves speaking in group settings, like introducing myself at a meeting), and I have never had a bad cannabis experience since. I have also decided that using other drugs with psychedelic effects is not worth the risk for me, and I have sworn off them altogether.
I can attest to the fact (anecdotally) when you consume cannabis orally, you gain this meta-insight into social situations. But, this new found social consciousness varies from person to person.
Whereas you had a fundamentally negative experience, I've found the ability to discern people's subtle, true intentions in social settings to be quite comical.
It could be possible that you are a slightly anxious person by nature, in which case cannabis is probably not a good idea.
When done right and with the right people it can be a truly profound experience which I firmly firmly believe all humans should participate in. I've heard just as many people though turned off to them permanently though through bad experiences which I (who am likely biased) chalk up to bad settings. I'd also say properly grown mushrooms may be a better option for most people. Finally, maybe mixing drugs isn't the best thing to do either.