i recently took a 3 year hiatus from all substances - i got to a pretty dark place at one point, mostly w/booze, but a lot of rcs and other things too.
i'm in much better place in my life and have begun exploring altered states for a few months now, posted a couple of trip reports here.
i have a reasons for not always discussing my 'status', if you will. i've had about three or 4 recent experiences, w/ friends and family on low doses of both 2c-e, 5-meo-mipt and cactus. was i 'tripping', i don't know. i go out w/ friends who all drink, which i don't do - so if i wanna dose on 5mg of 5-meo-mipt for a bit of a mood lift, and give the night some xtra sparkle, i probably won't mention it: for the same reason that someone mentioned in a previous reply, when non-tripping people find out you are 'tripping', the irritating questions tend to flow.
(i keep putting tripping in quotes because i don't really consider low doses of these substances to be hallucinogenic, but they can enhance a night, sort of like an 8 hour 'happy' pill. would i go meet a few friends for drinks or dinner or something on 18mg of 2c-e, um, no)
i don't like when experiences such as these become about the drugs, the details of the subjective experience and less about human connection. some beautiful moments came out of those experiences during which i was altered, but keeping my state to myself.
and i know, absolutely, that the last dinner party i went to was enhanced for everyone because i was on 5-meo-mipt. did they know? no, but i definitely behaved differently, in a positive sense, and it brought out the same in the rest of the group. it's like when i go out w/ friends sober, and i actually get a lot more comfortable, chatty and relaxed after everyone's downed a couple.
i find low doses of certain substances to be great, even, to chill w/my 93 yr old nana, she can't tell i'm altered but i'm perceiving her slightly, maybe getting her more, seeing not her age but her. it's also easier to imagine a horse and buggy driving down main street on 9mg of 2c-e, that's for sure.
i recently asked a friend, out of the blue, to come over, we used to do some heavy partying. he came over, joined me in quite the 2c-e ride, and we had a fabulous time. much of the trip was spent with the 2 of us wearing headphones and microphones, connected to a mini disc player and just talking softly, goofing on npr: we each laughed harder than we had in awhile. obviously, with him, the cat is out of its bag. it's too bad that we're living in this fucked up, never ending era of prohibition - i feel like there could be a lot of therapeutic value w/these things. my friend and i, we healed a seriously large rift in our friendship which would have been impossible sober.
wow, long, convoluted post, but, i mean, it's a psychedelic drug forum.