10 Tips from a Psychonaut: How to Have an Awesome, Safe Psychedelic Experience

in #psychedelic8 years ago (edited)

Psychedelics are Tools—Not Toys

Hi everyone! Psychedelics are something I'm so passionate about that I wanted to share some pointers I've discovered (sometimes the hard way) over the years of my own experiences.

I truly believe that occasional, responsible psychedelic drug use can help catalyze personal growth, and such has certainly been the case in my own life. As a consequence of the War on Drugs, scientific inquiry into the psychopharmacological mechanisms of these drugs was shut down for several decades, but research has begun to pick up again around the world, and the results so far have been promising.

Preliminary studies have indicated that MDMA can help those with PTSD learn to integrate their emotional trauma; psilocybin studies have shown reduced end-of-life anxiety; ayahuasca appears to foster neurogenesis; LSD increases network connectivity within the brain, potentially providing a cognitive window during which one can overcome entrenched patterns of behavior that reinforce depression; ibogaine may help treat addictive disorders; and marijuana greatly reduces pain, inflammation and anxiety.

That said, the beneficial aspects of drugs are best accessed through responsible drug use—not reckless partying.

So, without further introduction: 10 Tips from a Psychonaut!

1) Know Your Source

No matter where you're sourcing your drugs—whether from a close friend, a dealer, or the dark web—it's always a good idea to consider using a Reagent test kit to confirm that the drug you purchased is actually what it was sold as. Too often, drugs are intentionally or accidentally passed off as something else, and being caught unawares in a trip under the influence of some unknown drug can be frightening and uncomfortable. Potentially-fatal NBOMe series compounds are sometimes sold as LSD, or pressed pills containing amphetamines or other drugs are sold as MDMA, and numerous "research chemicals" are sold under the guise of acid, mescaline or Molly.

To prevent unwanted, unpleasant drug experiences, always know your source.

Where to Purchase a Reagent Test Kit:
https://dancesafe.org/shop/

2) Know Your Dose

Once you're sure that you've successfully obtained your drug of choice, it's time to decide how powerful of an experience you're hoping to have. Knowing the dose-response curve of the drug in question is paramount to having a trip of desired intensity. Always start slow with a new batch or compound; you can always work your way up later, but you can never dose less.

The best place to research your drug of interest is undoubtedly erowid.org, which is basically a free, online psychedelic encyclopedia filled with dosage information, trip reports and drug research articles.

Weighing your dose becomes especially important when dosing powders such as 2C-x, MDxx, DMT and DOxx. I strongly suggest investing in a high precision digital milligram scale for weighing powders, and also a kitchen scale for weighing bulkier materials such as dried, psychoactive cactus, poppy pods and magic mushrooms. There are countless horror stories posted online of people who ignorantly decided to snort or ingest an eyeballed dose of whatever drug, usually tripping way too hard and requiring hospitalization to ease their panic or medical crisis. Don't let that be you.

Some drugs, like ibogaine and NBOMe series can even be lethal at high enough doses, and drugs like MDMA can potentially be neurotoxic if dosed too frequently, so always do your research before dosing in order to figure out how much you should take.


Erowid.org: https://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/psychoactives.shtml

3) Set and Setting

Simply stated, your "set" is your mindset—how you feel, what you've been thinking about lately, the state of your interpersonal relationships at the moment—and your "setting" is where you are, whether that's at home, at a social gathering or out in nature.

I recommend being in a positive state of mind before tripping, and having the entire day (and sometimes the next) set aside so you can delve completely into the experience without distractions in whatever your setting of choice may be. If you struggle with mental health issues, it's probably not a good idea to risk taking psychedelics, which can trigger psychosis in vulnerable users. Otherwise, if you are in a stable frame of mind and feel ready to trip after a bit of preparation, go for it! Turn off your phone, break away from social media for a few hours and allow yourself to fully experience your trip.

You know yourself best and what kind of setting is most likely to provide you with a positive experience. That said, for your first few experiences, you may want to consider tripping alone at home or with a close-knit group of friends, possibly even with a trip "sitter" if you'd like some sober support. Psychedelics make you profoundly more vulnerable to emotional and physical stimuli, so you may want to reconsider tripping in a party atmosphere until you've gotten a few trips under your belt. If applicable, make sure you fully trust your fellow trippers. Personally, I never trip at parties and instead prefer to trip alone outdoors or at home, or with a close personal friend in a comfortable setting. To each his own—the most important thing is to feel safe, relaxed and receptive in your set and setting.

A word on the great outdoors: Tripping in remote wilderness can be a powerful and transformative experience; however, unless you're extremely comfortable and well-versed in outdoor survival, I suggest holding off on overnight camping "trips" until you're a little more experienced with psychedelics, and even then I recommend holding off on a "heroic dose" outdoors unless you have a trustworthy sitter with you.

4) Be Aware of Unsafe Drug Combinations

Most psychedelics are safe to take with one another and often synergistically potentiate each other's effects. Some of my personal favorite combinations have been 2cb + ketamine; LSD + nitrous oxide; mescaline + GHB; and 4-AcO-DMT + DMT. That said, combining drugs can lead to heavy effects and is only recommended for more experienced or adventurous users.

Never mix drugs which induce respiratory depression, like alcohol, benzodiazepines and opiates. Another class of drugs to be extremely cautious of experimenting with is MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) which allow drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier and can lead to serotonin syndrome or even death. Always check contraindications of your prescribed medications and co-administered drugs—especially stimulants, painkillers or antidepressants—with whatever drug you plan on taking.

Once you know ahead of time that your drug dosage and combination is safe, you're much more likely to feel safe during the experience, even if you hit rocky psychological territory.

5) Stay Hydrated

Some drugs, like psilocybin found in magic mushrooms, are diuretic, and others like LSD and psychedelic amphetamines can increase perspiration, so it becomes vitally important to rehydrate when under the influence. While tripping it's challenging to keep track of space and time, let alone how much water you've drunk! I like to keep a bottle of water handy to encourage and remind me to stay hydrated while tripping to prevent comedown headaches. Adding a pinch of sea salt or a few drops of ionic trace minerals to your water helps keep your electrolytes balanced, which becomes increasingly important if you're tripping while doing any sort of physical exercise. There have even been accounts of panicked drug users drinking so much water to help them come down that they develop hyponatremia, or low blood sodium. This can easily be prevented by making sure you consume electrolytes with your water.

6) Consume Simple Sugars

Many psychedelics reduce appetite, so it's all too easy to overlook meal times and unintentionally go hours without eating. Roughly 20% of a person's daily caloric intake goes toward brain functioning, and the brain thrives off glucose—simple sugars—so your brain needs all the fuel you can provide when traversing inner and outer cosmos. Consume simple carbohydrates to stay alert and prevent drops in blood sugar while tripping.

I suggest eating a light but filling meal an hour or two before dosing, and later snacking on organic, seasonal fruit or yogurt with honey for a bit of easy-to-digest protein. If you're on a drug that induces nausea, like mescaline, it helps to have bland, salted crackers on hand to settle your stomach. I always prep my meals ahead of time and have them set aside in glass containers so I can take them with me on my outdoor adventures. Plan for a light meal and have everything ready to go; it's incredibly difficult, not to mention dangerous, to wield cutlery and cooking appliances while tripping.

I've found that eating light meals periodically during my trips has cut down on the foggy, fatigued effect of coming down. Keep it simple and have everything set up before dosing so you won't have to overthink meeting your body's basic metabolic requirements.

7) Wear Sunblock... And Sunglasses

This one definitely comes from my own personal experience! I can't count how many times I've gotten sunburned after hours of staring, enraptured, at fractalizing clouds and geometric patterns spiraling across the sky. I think after a while my boss started to get suspicious about me frequently coming to work with bad sunburns, haha.

As for sunglasses, your pupils become dilated while tripping, making you more sensitive to sunlight if you're outdoors during the day. Wearing sunglasses helps make your experience more comfortable, and also gives you a little more stealth out in public. ;)

8) Have a Plan B

In a case of a difficult psychological experience while tripping, it helps to already have Plan B in place to calm you down and prevent a total freak out. It might help to have a playlist ready of your favorite, comforting songs; alternatively, you can create a "safe space" in your bedroom. Deep breathing and meditation can also help you relax, as can journaling about the experience to keep your hands moving and mind functioning linearly. Remember, if you're certain you've taken the right psychedelic without any dangerous combinations, you're going to be fine and the experience will pass in a few hours. The lethal dose of most psychedelics is so high that you wouldn't get to that point accidentally.

Talk to an understanding friend if necessary (or check out https://chat.tripsit.me), and if worst comes to worst, you can even take a benzo to help abort the trip early and bring you closer to baseline. I've never had to do this, and you shouldn't have to either if you're taking responsible doses in a positive set and setting. Still, emergencies can arise, in which case it may help to ingest a pharmacological aid to help you calm down. Etizolam is an unscheduled (in most states) benzodiazapene analogue which you can legally purchase for "research" if you're unable to procure benzos from another source.

9) A Word on False Realizations

One of my psychedelic heroes, Dr. John Lilly, described a powerful approach to examining a psychedelic experience: keeping in mind the difference between "true" and "as if true." True applies to the facts of your life and reality which are undoubtedly true: your age, physical appearance, line of work, and so on. Treating something "as if true" however means keeping in mind that what you're experiencing on a psychedelic may not be true in the real world, and perhaps should only be analyzed "as if true" during the trip and comedown.

There have been countless cases of psychedelic drug users reporting feelings of becoming Jesus, talking directly with God, communicating with the dead, or experiencing other supernatural and spiritual phenomena. More commonly—and this has happened to me on many occasions—a user will "realize" that he or she is born to a certain "calling" or has a personality defect (or virtue) which, after coming down, clearly isn't rooted in reality.

Engage in the trip during the experience, but after you've come down, be prepared to turn a critical eye to the "realizations" you had, and weigh them for how much value they provide to your real life in consensus reality.

In other words: Don't believe everything you think.

10) Make Time to Integrate

After a mind-blowing psychedelic session, I often find myself asking, "What the hell do I even do with this information?" I've found it helpful to post on various forums, like the Shroomery, Bluelight or Reddit in order to share my experiences with others, gather feedback and ultimately derive insight into the meaning of my trip.

I also keep a trip diary of all of my experiences (which is currently 250+ singled-spaced pages!), including dosage, dates, and details of my subjective experience while under the effects of the drugs. Journaling helps me come to terms with the insights and ideas I discovered during my trip. Talking to a friend can be equally helpful, or even going for a long walk in nature the following day and processing events. Many users report feeling a euphoric afterglow which sometimes lasts days or even weeks after a positive experience. Conversely, others report feeling rattled and anxious after a difficult experience, in which case integration becomes all the more important.

Take it easy the day or two after a trip and make sure to get enough rest to help you recuperate and reintegrate into society with your newfound insight.

Psychedelics can help you discover regions of your mind previously held inaccessible, and it's for this reason that they are powerful tools for self-discovery. If you take time to prepare for your safety and mental well-being, your session is much more likely to be an awesome, life-changing experience.

Great Resources:

https://dancesafe.org
http://erowid.org
http://shroomery.org
http://www.bluelight.org/vb/content/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Drugs/
http://www.zendoproject.org
http://www.maps.org
https://chat.tripsit.me

What Do Visuals Look Like?

http://disregardeverythingisay.com/post/9331287956/the-visual-components-of-a-psychedelic-experience

Check out some of my trip reports:

The Time I Tripped on LSD at Zion National Park, Utah, and Overcame My Depression
Psychedelic Bliss: Rectal mescaline + LSD + DMT + Kava

Questions? Feel free to ask me in the comments section!

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We may not all agree with every observation here, but this sort of thing is important for the general health and welfare of psychonauts.

This is such a great and detailed post. I shared it on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/The-Best-of-Steemit-181874822227527/

I like number 9, though it also makes me a little uncomfortable, especially this part:

True applies to the facts of your life and reality which are undoubtedly true: your age, physical appearance, line of work, and so on.

We all tend to believe that those things are true, but while on a trip, or in a dream, it can seem that those things fall pretty low down the scale when it comes to "truth". It can even seem that those things are completely false. Of course, to act in the world, we more or less behave "as if" those things are true. I guess my point is, "as if true" can apply to just about everything, and I think that can give us a broader perspective as we move throughout our lives - not becoming too attached to things or beliefs and mistake them for Self.

Thanks for the great post.

Great comment, and thanks so much for sharing my post and providing insight here! I understand and relate to what you mean about how "as if true" can go both ways, and ego loss can definitely strengthen our ability to practice non-attachment as we uncover our true Self.

Excellent point, thanks again for sharing!

@runaway-psyche So true when you write: "As a consequence of the War on Drugs, scientific inquiry into the psychopharmacological mechanisms of these drugs was shut down for several decades, but research has begun to pick up again around the world, and the results so far have been promising."

For a great article about (and more), go here: http://www.themorningnews.org/article/the-heretic

That was a great read and impressive example of how psychedelics can encourage novel thinking:

The 26 men unleashed a slew of widely embraced innovations shortly after their LSD experiences, including a mathematical theorem for NOR gate circuits, a conceptual model of a photon, a linear electron accelerator beam-steering device, a new design for the vibratory microtome, a technical improvement of the magnetic tape recorder, blueprints for a private residency and an arts-and-crafts shopping plaza, and a space probe experiment designed to measure solar properties.

Hopefully more studies like this will be conducted soon!

To me, the last line, quoting Fadiman, sums up the relationship between the ruling elites and those they rule: the latter's enlightenment "is always a crime" because if they were allowed to enlighten themselves, they would never abide being ruled by others.

Awesome in depth write up, thank you for getting the good word out there :)

Thanks for reading, I'll keep an eye out for any "altered" states of consciousness posts you write up soon, hehe.

Great post! Thank you for sharing. Harm reduction and integration education is such an important part of the psychedelic experience. You might be interested in our project, and what we have been doing. Check us out at psychedelictoday.com

Looking forward to learning more from you!

Thanks for commenting, I checked out your website and will be following your blog here on Steemit. I noticed a few photos from the Psychedelic Science conference on your site - I went this year and it was a fantastic experience. Looking forward to your future posts as well!

Thanks for checking us out! :) And Psy Science was a wonderful experience. It is an exciting time for all of this and also cool to be part of such a historical event as it being the largest psychedelic conference yet to date! We might be looking for well-researched articles based around psychedelics, drug policy, research, etc. If you have any material that might be worth spreading, send us an email! I really enjoyed your Ketamine article -- really informative.

I'm so glad to see a young person who truly understands psychedelics and how they can LITERALLY change the world in to a better place.It's as that most people today label them as just "drugs" when they are actually medicine for the mind which in turn helps to heal the body as well.Most people today are so enslaved by the system that they always live in the pas and the present instead of living in the present where our place is. A single dose of dose of a strong psychedelic is like a slap in the face and a wake up call.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Great username, too!

Thank YOU for encouraging me to write a post like this! I hope it helps the community here in some way.

First off these pictires are way cool. realy a[[recoated you finding those- they really "show" your post. I apperciate your honesty here, and even the care you put into it, so that those who care to experiement this way, are safe.
I have never done anything like this, and dont plan ot it. Mostly fear, and harming oneself.
we do see so much of this useage here in Hollywood, and possibly to much harm from it.
But I know everyone should have their journey. Thats why I respect you sharing so much info.
A 250 plus page diary on it. Wow. The useage and dedication is interesting. And your recouping time is about 2-3 days.
How do you support yourself as this useage would take 3-4 days to be back to feeling "normal" and you might be onto the next journal entry.
What do you think the wear is on the body in the long run. Are you seeing any- does it concern you?
You love it so much, do you think youre missing out on anything? how long do you think you'll contue this pattern.
I am just asking these questions, not to be negative. Im not. Im facinated you wrote so thouroughly, which shows your interst and knolwedge. It makes me more interested, so I ask more questions.
Do take care of yourself.

Thank you, I really appreciate the detailed feedback and your expressed interest!

To answer your questions, I haven't noticed any sort of decline in my physical or mental health as a result of tripping. Then again, my health and well-being are priorities in my life and I make sure to exercise, eat organically, sleep at least 8 hours per night, and take frequent emotional inventory, so I'd say my health is exceptional regardless of my drug use.

That said, psychedelics are among the least toxic (and in several cases, entirely non-toxic) substances one can use, and I personally limit my use of drugs like alcohol, tobacco, amphetamines, opiates, MDMA and dissociatives to further protect my brain and body. Many people can't control their use of some of the more addictive substances I listed above, so it may be wise to avoid those pitfalls altogether, especially in high-stress environments like Hollywood as you mentioned, haha.

My work schedule at my previous job allowed me to work four consecutive days, leaving me with three-day weekends during which I was able to carve out time for frequent psychedelic exploration, typically once every other week for about three years so far. I think I gained far more than I missed out on during the period of my heaviest use, and find myself feeling more integrated into society and comfortable in my own skin, so to speak, than ever before—largely thanks to what I learned on psychedelics.

Again, not everyone can or should trip as frequently as I do, or even at all, but for those with the responsibility and curiosity, it really is a journey worth trying at least once in life, in my opinion.

Great questions, and let me know if you're looking for more resources!

What do you think about microdosing LSD?
Have you tried buying from https://dancesafe.org/shop/ ?do they ship to europe?
Cool post!

Edit: I have another question :) Do you know a psychedelic that gives you great visuals but very low ego death, I love tripping but I am scared to lose my mind... I would love to be able to trip while staying focused I followed you btw!

Great question about a light psychedelic! If you can find it, 2cb is a very psychologically mild but visually powerful compound, and is one of my favorites for that reason. Otherwise, a low dose of magic mushrooms (1-2 grams of Psilocybe cubensis depending on your sensitivity) shouldn't be too overwhelming. As for microdosing LSD, I haven't done that yet since I usually take a full dose, but it's something I've been meaning to try. Maybe I'll get to it soon and do a post about it. :)

I've used dancesafe before and apparently they do ship to Europe, as well as Asia and Latin America. Cool!

2cb sounds like what I need, do you know a legit site where I can buy it?

In that case avoid shrooms. I find LSD and MDMA a bit easier to control than psilocybin. But even those can lead to a bad trip sometimes.

There is wormwood (absinthe). OTOH, it's so mild you'll probably wonder the whole time if you're getting visuals.

Hopefully someone has a better suggestion.

Thank you for posting this, it will help a lot of people have the best experience possible. Staying hydrated is generally a good thing when on psychedelics. I was in a peyote ceramony years ago and they wouldn't let us drink water until halfway through the night when we each received about a cup. They shaman said it is a fire medicine so drinking water reduces the effects. At one point, I literally felt like a cactus in the middle of the desert, standing strong as the heat of the sun beat down on me, thirsty as hell. It was a good part of the experience, being thirsty.

Oh wow, I would love to hear more about your peyote ceremony! Definitely an uncommon venture. How would you compare the experience to San Pedro cacti?

It was a traditional ceremony in a giant teepee led by a native american shaman. It was somewhat strict: you weren't allowed to lay down, take bathroom breaks, eat or drink anything for most of the night. I think part of it involved overcoming discomfort, sitting up straight through the night without giving in, focusing on the medicine. Many of the attendees were native american so a lot of traditional songs were sung. They passed around a rattle and small drum filled with water (water that some people drank in the morning). There was a fire keeper whose whole job was to keep the fire going. There was also a younger man with a bag of cedar chips, he would throw them in the fire anytime there was an interruption or if someone was acting poorly.

I took a heroic dose that night. First he gave us dried peyote that we washed down with peyote tea. It was passed around twice. I wasn't sure how much to take so I just copied the older man sitting near me. The experience was more colorful and visual than the experiences I've had with san pedro. Also being in the ceremony with a shaman watching over us made it even more powerful. I was very sick at the time with borderline kidney failure and over the course of that night I released many toxins. It was actually very painful. However, in the morning I felt better than I had in a long time, full of energy, clear vision and head and feeling extremely creative.

I don't know exactly how I would compare the two cacti since my experience with Peyote is somewhat limited. It seems more powerful though.

Wow, I would upvote your comment twice if I could; it's not very often I encounter a first-hand account of a traditional peyote ceremony. It does sound like the setting provided plenty of structure and guidance. That's really interesting you felt physically cleansed the next day after the medicine had passed through your system.

Whew, just reading your post brings back memories of horrible nausea from some of my San Pedro ceremonies. I've heard that Trichocereus bridgesii (vs. the pachanoi in your garden) species provide an experience closer to peyote based on the wider alkaloid profile. If you try that species, I'd love to hear your experience. Perhaps even a topic for a future Steemit post of yours! I'm glad we've connected here and I'm excited to see your future posts.

Yes, it was well structured and intense. As far as medicine goes, it gets a lot done in 24 hours. I get nausea from San Pedro too and puke every time I drink it. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Good to know about the other cactus. It will be a few years until it's big enough to take cuttings from though. I'm glad we've connected too, see you around :).

Your post could potentially save lives. I'm glad it's getting popular very quickly! - a fellow Psychonaut

Cheers, thanks for the feedback, I hope this information helps others.