The Big & Dandy Flashback Thread

[vanillawhip]

Cannabis is very often reported to trigger "flashbacks", especially after particularly intense or traumatic experiences.

Really? I would have never thought, before of course, I looked into it a bit because of this instance. That is so spooky… No more for me for a while! Thanks!

 

[vanillawhip]

lay off the weed and other drugs for a while, and try to integrate the experience. think about what went wrong, you could have underlying issues you have to work on.
maybe you are hiding some problem from your very self and the shrooms made you brutally face it?
embrace the fear, accept it as a part if your spiritual path and once you integrated and understood the experience, move on with no regrets.
you may actually come to face your inner problems and maybe even resolve them, have you thought about that? positive mindset is the key, think about this experience as something that will help you proceed towards wisdom. I know it sounds hard and even strange that such terrifying experience could actually help you, but it's ALL up to you.
get into meditation (it works wonders), start a new, healthy life, exercise, learn to play an instrument.

good luck, wish you the best

Thank you so much! For sure, i've heard that a bit too. I'm just scared because I feel as if no one is truly understanding what I seen/endured through this trip. The fact that I doubted my existence and felt physically gone was freaky, but again, it could be underlying. I feel like after the experience, my eyes are open. Although i'm afraid, i'm more thankful for my life than before, and the people in it. As much as I feel depressed and out of touch with who I am and may be, I was opened up to new feelings and new experiences through that - although it was horrible and made me cry, buckets! lol! I have since (my first experience with shrooms, not my flashback) taken up healthier eating habits. I've begin to draw again and paint and I love being able to say I have multiple creative outlets… Thank you for your post though, you have made me feel somewhat comforted by this horrible experience! Hope all is excellent for you!

 

[vanillawhip]

It happened because you didn't want it too. You didn't think of the shroom trip consciously, but obviously your subconscious did.

Hey, Achten. A part of this is what scares me, I was NOT thinking about my trip at all. Out of nowhere, it just slapped me in the face, and that is then when I began feeling as if I was in my trip again. That's when I wanted to start screaming and crying, saying it was happening again. Prior, I was fine, the thought hadn't entered my head until the experience did… Should I be afraid of this? Everyone is saying "you brought it on because you thought about it", but I wasn't… No one is understanding that… That's also, why I feel like it's out of my control. If I had been laying there pondering and thinking about my shroom trip, maybe, I see why, it would "occur again", but the idea hadn't entered my mind for a full month… until yesterday…

But on everything else, thank you very much. I'm sorry you went through that time of your life, but in the end, I hope it has made you stronger than ever before If these flashbacks do become an avid part of my life, I really hope I can learn to live with them… If not, then I don't even know!

 

[vanillawhip]

OP, not to lecture but only saying for the benefit of others (and you if you do ever decide to try any other types of drugs in the future once you get past this), you stated that you "know next to nothing about mushrooms and their potential long term effects"...this is why it is absolutely necessary to research things like this before you make a decision to take the plunge...this applies to ALL drugs!

YES, thank you! I could not stress this enough after personally going through this, and NOT researching… Thank you! I agree… Never do anything without doing your research… lol

 

[sekio]

It sounds like you just smoked way too much in one session. (The reason you thought about it in the morning is likely because... well, it's upsetting, and typically people worry a little about upsetting things.)

It's not unusual for people to have panic/anxiety attacks with cannabis, especially using larger amounts. It sounds like you had one - feeling "derealized" or "depersonalized" is usually one of the causative factors (or symptoms). (It sounds crazy, but some people actually value that effect!) The best antidote is time - find an activity to do that is low-stress, and "ride it out". It is important to realize that cannabis is very physically safe, even though you might feel like you're ceasing to exist, fading out, or whatever, you'll be fine. You're not going to permanently get damaged - the effects will wear off - the most upsetting part is getting upset over it! Keep in mind Douglas Adams' famous quote, "Don't Panic!", and you'll feel fine

As psilocin/psilocybin is pretty physically benign I would not put too much blame on the mushrooms or their after effects. I have heard of derealization/depersonalization happening to people who have never done shrooms, (a friend of mine only drank alcohol, smoked once at a party and had a very upsetting depersonalization attack he struggled with for about a year before he got over it) - and seasoned cannabis smokers who stop for long periods of time and then start smoking again.

Just take it easy next time. Maybe don't smoke 3 bowls in one session. Especially if you've taken a break since the last time you smoked - if your tolerance has changed, or you haven't eaten recently, or any number of other factors - you could get more fucked up than you wanted if you go smoking a whole bunch at once. If you are prone to anxiety, doubly so. It's also a good idea to have something to do - some people find that if they get high and just sit around, they get depressed. Get up and do something, it will make you feel better.

Please, don't worry too much and don't blame yourself. It's really out of your control how you feel when you take drugs sometimes... the most important thing is to try not be afraid. "Fear is the mind killer." Stick with safe drugs so you don't have to worry. Go with the flow and see where you end up. (And if you don't want to go on a journey, don't buy the tickets )

 

[Ballz_Trippington]

I've often wondered if "Flashbacks" are just imprints from a "peak experience" which happens during many psychedelic experiences. The exact same thing can happen with tastes and smells. You taste something amazing and you relive that amazing experience you had the first time you experienced it. Psychedelics can have far more obscure triggers. Who knows just a hypothesis.

 

[vanillawhip]

Thanks pal, loved the added quotes! They made me smile a bunch. 3/5 bowls is usually typical for me, but arguably, not as quick/mushed together as they had been yesterday! I appreciate your kind words a lot! Today i've felt fine, just a few times being stuck by fear that "what if it happens again" but I quickly try and change my mind frame. This site has helped me a lot today as well, and the people on here! I spent 15 hours in bed, whether it was asleep or awake, and i'm confident now that there may (hopefully) be a logical reason, somewhere deep, deep down inside of me as too why this is happening. I just can't let myself get depressed about it, and all of the lovely replies on here are letting me realize that - and realize that shit happens, lol. Thank you again love x!

 

[vanillawhip]

I've often wondered if "Flashbacks" are just imprints from a "peak experience" which happens during many psychedelic experiences. The exact same thing can happen with tastes and smells. You taste something amazing and you relive that amazing experience you had the first time you experienced it. Psychedelics can have far more obscure triggers. Who knows just a hypothesis.

Really crazy thought! I'm sure it's probably true.. Sometimes our bodies and minds have weird ways of showing us things, or making us realize some instances. I too wonder about that! Anything like that boggles my mind (literally… ) but crazier stuff has happened! PTSS and HPPD are crazy. Makes you think… Thanks for your post!

 

[Achten]

Hey, Achten. A part of this is what scares me, I was NOT thinking about my trip at all. Out of nowhere, it just slapped me in the face, and that is then when I began feeling as if I was in my trip again. That's when I wanted to start screaming and crying, saying it was happening again. Prior, I was fine, the thought hadn't entered my head until the experience did… Should I be afraid of this? Everyone is saying "you brought it on because you thought about it", but I wasn't… No one is understanding that… That's also, why I feel like it's out of my control. If I had been laying there pondering and thinking about my shroom trip, maybe, I see why, it would "occur again", but the idea hadn't entered my mind for a full month… until yesterday…

But on everything else, thank you very much. I'm sorry you went through that time of your life, but in the end, I hope it has made you stronger than ever before If these flashbacks do become an avid part of my life, I really hope I can learn to live with them… If not, then I don't even know!

Not consciously, no. But apparently it lingered in your mind (let's call it the subconscious) until some event in the physical world made a connection between your conscious and subconscious mind.
Everyone has weird thoughts from time to time (murder, rape, ..). These are not considered abnormal by most psychiatrists. These are the things you consider to be "out of control" and that's what scares you. Just ackonwledge those thoughts. "Hey the shroom trip is coming back, I wonder what I'll learn this time." Turning your ego away from those thoughts only strengthens them. *Everything* is part of waking up. And it are these intense experiences that bring about insights with the most clarity, IMO. Unless you're driving or something (get on the side of the road!), nothing can happen to you. It are just thoughts. You don't have to act upon them. Just "appreciate" (bad wording, I know) that they're there and ride it out. Almost everyone has these sudden extreme thoughts. You're giving yours too much credit because you connect them with a powerful psychedelic experience. That being said, I truly believe you when they say they are scaring and overpowering. What psychedelics do, IMO, is boost your evolution of consciousness. Like I said, everyone has those thoughts, but most don't even give them credit and go about their unconscious lives. You, with the help of mushrooms, have the feeling these thoughts are somehow more powerful. They're not, but this idea can help you to overcome them. If you can interpret this (and you will), general life will become much easier, trust me. I also believe psychedelics won't show us what we can't handle. You just have to let go of fear, doubt and disbelief, as Morpheus said in the Matrix.
Your soul chose this birth in order to have these experiences. I had some very intense trips and it was basically Ram Dass's "Be Here Now" that helped me interpret them.

You say you didn't think about it for a month. Why ? If this was such an intense experience, you should! Also, if you really pondered the shroom trip again, I doubt it'd come back that strong again. An exercise would be, think about it again, and be a "witness" to your own mind. See how your mind creates the Fear. Thoughts are not physical, they can't hurt you.

This is all from personal experience and everyone is different. But if you read up on some things I'm sure you will find something that clicks with you and makes you realize the powerful being that you are.

 

[crOOk]

How old are you? Late teens, early twens by any chance? Sounds like there's a chance you might be schizophrenic or have schizoaffective disorder. I'd lay off the drugs if I was you, especially pot, dissociatives (guess you're not doing those, don't get started) and psychedelics. Stimulants aren't really a good idea either.

That being said, I wouldn't call what you experienced a "flashback". Basically the mushroom experience got you into a certain state that might be due to an underlying mental illness and caused some progression of that illness. Now pot can trigger it, maybe because other factors were contributing.

Flashback or psychosis, either way I would go easy on the drugs and see what happens.

EDIT: Looking back at the other replies, it seems like my idea of what's going on is by far the most uncomfortable. I don't mean to scare you here. Even if it is schizophrenia that could have been the last time you experienced anything of the sort. Not everyone who has schizophrenia goes batshit. I still think that from a medical perspective it is the most plausible explanation and I urge you to take my advice about going easy on the drugs seriously.

 

[Hecticus]

This seems to happen to a lot of people like myself who can no longer enjoy weed. Although definitely an intense experience unlike i've ever had. Anxiety manifests it self in so many ways and can also trigger things like depersonalisation. The mushrooms definitely played a part but i highly doubt you're schizophrenic, you just need some sobriety (so do i). Next time just do smaller hits and gauge your reaction.

 

[SWIM Had A Dream]

How you feelin girl?

 

[ComfortablyNumb95]

Thank you so much! For sure, i've heard that a bit too. I'm just scared because I feel as if no one is truly understanding what I seen/endured through this trip. The fact that I doubted my existence and felt physically gone was freaky, but again, it could be underlying. I feel like after the experience, my eyes are open. Although i'm afraid, i'm more thankful for my life than before, and the people in it. As much as I feel depressed and out of touch with who I am and may be, I was opened up to new feelings and new experiences through that - although it was horrible and made me cry, buckets! lol! I have since (my first experience with shrooms, not my flashback) taken up healthier eating habits. I've begin to draw again and paint and I love being able to say I have multiple creative outlets… Thank you for your post though, you have made me feel somewhat comforted by this horrible experience! Hope all is excellent for you!

hey! I'm very glad my post gave you a somewhat positive outlook on your experience, that was the whole point of it and it's indeed the first step in the path of recovery.
how are you doing vanillawhip?

 

[letherman]

Was this a LSD flashback?

First of all I have only taken LSD for the past year and have been on a voyage of self-discovery for the past 9 months where I'm finally getting to know my true inner self (I like me now ) I have been careful about tripping during this time, only taking LSD occasionally, in small doses and building it up when I do. 3 weeks ago I discovered a "new" emotion for me, of being "at peace", where nothing could phase me, and while I had no visuals (except for during a quick NOS boost) I seemed to completely plateau - my mates who are more experienced thought I had serotonin-ed out

I had an "intense" trip about 8 days ago where I couldn't get comfortable for hours. In hindsight I shouldn't have tripped as a lot of small things were upsetting me, especially as it turns out the blotter was very strong, luckily I only took half a blotter (talking to others who are a lot more LSD experienced as me told me later that 1/2 had wiped them out after 4 to 5 hours and they went to bed)

I cant call it a "bad" trip, but it definitely wasn't a good one. I had massive temperature drops where I was wearing 3 layers to keep warm, while most people were in tee-shirts/shorts. I felt as if my upper arms were being squeezed into my body and my ears were as if they were trying to pop at the same time with slight muscle contractions, with paranoia that I'd loose my friends and be left alone. After about 6 hours I finally started getting my head into a space where I could go and sit on my own (keeping my friends in sight), control my breathing and loose the feeling of panic and finally get warm.

Last night, after chilling with friends for the first time in a week and smoking grass and having 3 beers with one of the best giggle fits in years (I'm a daily pollen smoker mainly, but do like grass as a treat) I felt that I needed to get home as I was wasted. I walked out, went to a shop for some sugar munchies and as soon as the sugar hit me I had a sudden feeling of panic. The same shivering cold, upper arm squeezing, ear poping feeling that I had during the trip kicked in. I needed to get home quickly. I tried walking faster to warm up, but just kept getting colder and shivering more. Eventually after about 10 minutes I started figuring out things, started controlling my breathing and realising my muscles were all in contraction started to relax the muscles. After another 10 minutes I was fine again, got home and had a great sleep.

I have been improving my diet over the past few weeks where I can now say I eat healthly, though do get massive munchies, and am going through a lot of changes in my life, so the odd mood swing and slight panic attack are nothing new to me, but it was the intensity of the one last night and the similarity of the feelings during the "intense" trip 8 days ago that freaked me out a little.

I have had flash-backs before where suddenly I remember something, or figure out why I was doing something that didnt make sense up until then, but never going back to a same emotional state.

I know I'll never figure out exactly what happened, but any advise would be appreciated just to help me along the way.

 

[headfuck123]

Sometimes smoking grass after trips can make me feel anxious and spaced out, even up to a few weeks after the trip. Im guessing the bodily sensations you described are anxiety related because you seemed to be abel to control them with by concentrating on breathing. I find episodes like these and HPPD (Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder) are more likely to happen after difficult trips however in most cases HPPD stops if you stop taking psychedelics for a while unless you have been taking ridiculously high doses.

 

[GreenMachine]

i feel like the more you trip, the more aware you become of marijuana's psychedelic properties. when i was younger i could smoke pot it those effects would kind of glaze over, or just get caught in the whole gumbo of other effects pot has. since i began tripping pot has become more psychedelic. the first few years i was experimenting LSD and mushrooms, i had "flashbacks" pretty frequently. pot definitely triggered a lot of them, but plenty just occurred in school, or hearing certain kinds of music. they were never bad, i would just get some slight visual wobbliness and patterns would start moving a little. to be honest i still have a hard time telling the difference between airplanes/satellites and stars, they all move when i look at them!

i have experience with anxiety but not from "flashbacks". psychedelics can make you more aware, but i dont think the LSD caused you to react the way you did. these drugs can open doors in your consciousness that will remain open after the drugs wear off. pot can definitely help you go back to that place though. if it was a scary experience, maybe try smoking in a more comfortable place next time. these things can happen without using psychedelics too, plenty of smokers find that they get more anxious as they get older, and plenty just quit all together because of it.

 

[letherman]

Thank you both, its starting to make more sense. I have become so much aware of myself and others around me since I started tripping, but I also analyse things a lot more too - too many times crying wolf in the past - but I have to learn to trust myself more and let go when comfortable.

part of the reason I smoke pollen is that I dont like the headrushes with a lot of strong weed these days, so that wouldnt have helped. I do think it was a panic attack/anxiety which would make sense looking back on my "intense" trip a week ago - Part of the downside for me of PD is that as I'm becoming more aware and trying to sort out my own persona (a voyage started by PD's) I'm also becoming very caring towards others and their problems and sometimes thats just too much and my newfound anxiety rears its head.

Here's to the next part of my voyage

 

[Toltec]

Iv never experienced flashbacks... Im not sure the really exist... I can focus on stuff in the everyday world and see energy waves and or auras radiating off of everything, when I want to...

 

[Xorkoth]

I've never had a flashback either, unless you count smoking weed the next day and bringing back a little of the mindstate/visuals, but I think of that more like the psychedelic not having completely worn off yet and the remnants being potentiated by cannabinoids. And I've tripped many hundreds of times. Then again I've never gotten a trace of HPPD either. We're all different. But in my opinion you did not experience the stereotypical flashback, which generally seems to be reported at times long after the drug has worn off, at random times not associated with smoking weed or anything.

 

[Dawglaw]

I have experienced a few situations which I consider MDMA "flashbacks" that have occurred several days or weeks after rolling. They usually involved listening to loud electronic music with good headphones or speakers and occurred when I was either exercising, drinking, or smoking weed. I experienced jaw clenching, my skin got tingly, minor eye wiggles, and the desire to jump up and just start rocking out to the music - basically felt like I was under the influence of a minor dose of MDMA for about 20 minutes.

It is crazy. It very well could be placebo, I don't know.