DMT while alone

[Foreigner]

I'll preface this by saying I've never done DMT before, but I really want to try it.

I've made friends with a small group of people who have an ample n,n-DMT supply they're willing to share freely, but the problem is that they don't approach psychedelics in the same sacred manner I do. For them it's like entertainment. They've invited me over to their home to do it with them.

What I'm not interested in, is all eyes on me while I'm going through whatever experience I go through. I really hate being watched while I'm breaking through... it's a very personal, private experience. I know that when I do the DMT I'll likely just be gone so I won't care about these people, but it's the principle of it. Knowing that I'm being watched or analyzed, possibly for some kind of entertainment value, is something I completely reject.

I also don't want to be bombarded with questions and intrusions once I come back because I find that just as invasive. For me this is not entertainment, it's exploration of consciousness... and it's not a party trick to me. If I need to process my experience then I'm not sure if I want to be around so many people.

This group has offered to sell me some, which I am considering. But I'm wondering if it's safe to do breakthrough-level DMT on my own, given that it's my first time? My understanding of it is that you really can't move when you're on it, so if I situate myself properly I could have a private journey myself.

Feedback is appreciated. I'm just trying to avoid having a bad experience either way. For me, in the past, psychedelics + groups of people = usually a bad time.

 

[ParappaTheRapper]

I question whether or not I've broken through and have MUCH less experience with DMT than other psycs, but, it doesn't feel like you're alone. From what I can put into words solo Lsd for example puts you in different settings that can become threatening. But dmt is more a conversation between the relationship to u and everything.
Maybe try a lower dose first if your worried.

 

[bunnyhentman]

The first time you smoke DMT it's a good idea to do it with a more experienced user so they can show you the best technique. I have smoked DMT in a big group of people I don't know well, and it is not the best way to get into hyperspace. But for your first time it could be handy to see how they do it and not aim for infinity and beyond, but just the sensation and body high of a light dose. Or, maybe you can ask one of them to do it with you alone because you feel anxious around that many people. If they are a group of people who love DMT, they will most likely understand.

People talking and distractions can make it hard to take off and can seem really weird when I smoke DMT. Also on the off chance someone has a rough experience, there's no need to magnify it with social anxieties. I've found the best way to smoke DMT at a party is to have people go into a dark, quiet separate room with only one or two other people present.

 

[Contained]

I've only done DMT with other people around me a handful of times, but I have a lot of experience with it solo. The only thing you really need to be aware of in my opinion is being mindful of the base pipe and lighter (which can definitely be difficult unless you have experience).

If I were you, I'd find a comfy spot alone and have a non flammable little platter or something to set your pipe on after you take your hit. Besides that, start with a low dose so that you can become comfortable with the space and so that you become aware of the speed in which the experience begins. After that you should be fairly good with putting your pipe down safely. I've never burnt anything with a hot pipe, even on breakthrough doses, but that's not to say the risk isn't there. Just be as mindful as possible and take precautions with your surroundings and you should be fine.

 

[Contained]

The first time you smoke DMT it's a good idea to do it with a more experienced user so they can show you the best technique.

This is a very good point, I had a good friend with me my first time and he was able to give pointers before the trip on technique but then he just let me be for the experience. If you have someone you trust that will be mindful of your personal experience and maybe leave the room after you exhale then this wouldn't be the worst idea.

 

[p-helix]

If they're respectful in giving you the necessary time and space then full enjoyment is possible. It's important for you to give into the experience entirely, perhaps experimenting alone as I did is the best way. I usually do DMT by myself, it's great because you can relax fully after the trip.

I remember sitting alongside a friend on an apartment balcony both of us vaping DMT, as I watched a nearby opposite Norway Maple street tree visually transformed in front of me, then closing my eyes the kaleidoscopic imagery was amazing. This was a good experience because the chap was quiet as a mouse for quite a long time.

I might choose to listen to 'space sounds' of Earth, Jupiter and Saturn and other electronic music too. What is very beautiful though is near silence and the sound of seagulls in the morning. Usually I'd recommend DMT alone, lying down and with eyes closed. This will take me where I want to go.

 

[Folley]

The first time I did DMT, three friends came over after blowing their minds and told me I had to try it.... today, right there. I did, and had an AMAZING trip (I was yelling "AMAZING" for what seemed like 5 minutes lol).. but, them being there definitely was an anchor that kept me from truly going deep into my mind. They rooted me to reality, so I was more mesmerized by the experience rather than gaining life insight.



If you do take it around them, just make sure they don't talk.. that was the problem for me. I was gone for nearly 20 minutes though, no one wants to stay silent for that long when something that amazing is going on. I'd definitely try and take it alone though, I'm sure they'll understand. I'm sure you'd be able to handle it, just start low and work your way up... I took 50mg to the dome with a torch lighter, not the best introduction to the land of elves and fairies.. mainly because I didn't see any elves or fairies!

 

[dan k]

i will have to agree. By yourself is key, you should be very comfy, almost laying down, warm, but not too warm as it is very easy to overheat, being cold is no fun for me though, silence is nice too.

start low too. the threshold is like 5mg so start at like 5-15mgs sprinkled over a half of a bowl of good buds, maybe sprinkle a small amount of finely ground buds over it so the flame doesnt touch it. then hover the flame over it not touching it until the orange crystals melt(you can see it well if you dont put more weed over it), after that you can lightly touch the flame to the buds, in my experience, getting it all/cashing the bowl in the first hit(and a good scale) is the best way to not undershoot and waste the material.

 

[theonkful]

Have you been holding off on DMT?

 

[buildersoftime]

Smoking DMT alone was never a problem for me.

However I find it helps to smoke around other people I trust as talking about the experience as soon as possible helps fix it in the mind. Otherwise it's really easy to have a bunch of revelations and then forget them the way one would forget a dream.

 

[Black Rabbit of Inle]

Smoking it alone would be best. It's been mentioned before, but having an experienced person there for your first time is more about 'technique' and making sure you don't drop and break the smoking tool.

 

[SirTophamHat]

You will be VERY sensitive to external stimuli when smoking DMT. You're going to want a light source, but one that's indirect so that it doesn't wash out the visuals. Your eyelids essentially will become projector screens. They need illumination, yet too much is not good.

Noise as well is something that is very finicky when breaking through or taking a larger dose. Comforting, softer, quieter sounds are OK. Anything from people chatting at a normal conversational volume, to the sound of a car engine outside, or (god forbid) something like a lawn mower or leafblower will take you out the hyperspace realm. Once I was on a moderate dose and even the heavy breathing of a person sitting directly next to me was distracting.

Now don't get me wrong. I've tripped on DMT and broken through with other people in the same room before. It's just vital that they understand what the experience entails, and are able to be respectful of you until you are ready to interact with them.

It is also possible to take so much that you are completely "bombed," out of it to the point where nothing could shake you from your visions, but that is unlikely and an entirely different subject.

You seem educated about DMT and with good intentions. My recommendation is to do it by yourself, in the most comfortable, quiet setting as possible. If you have music you enjoy listening to while tripping, I'd play it at a low volume and try to avoid lyric content. A friend (or more) would be ok, as long as they are absolutely as serious as you are about what tripping on DMT entails. In my humble opinion it's the one of the few pinnacles of human existence. Remembering to relax and enjoy the ride always helps, as it can be a very beautiful experience. It may be harrowing at first, but that sensation will fade as you realize that there is nothing to fear. Have fun.

 

[GreenMachine]

i prefer to do higher-dose DMT alone. allows for my brain to focus more on itself. for me, it was helpful to test the waters with others around but i quickly found the higher the dose the more i wanted to explore these place undistracted.

 

[Broseph Smith]

I prefer being completely alone if I am attempting a breakthrough. For me it is a far better experience when done alone and I've always felt safe and comfortable doing my largest doses of DMT alone.

Just be sure you know how to dose and smoke it proper. I never use anything but the little Hennessy bottle "machines" and it can take a minute to get your first vapors in the bottle and sometimes be tricky making sure the second and third hits will be ready (keeping it hot enough to vape for the next hit while holding in the first hit the thirty seconds or so).

As long as you got a handle on how to hit it proper and efficient then I definitely recommend being alone, even your first time and especially if attempting a breakthrough. Set and setting, be comfortable physically and be mentally prepared and ready.

I've only done DMT around a dozen times, all in the last year, and the breakthrough is really all I shoot for each time-I've never felt nervous about burning myself, dropping the machine, falling, etc. So also don't worry about your pipe or machine-somehow your body seems to know to watch out for you and what you're holding when you've blasted off.

Perhaps last note... Maybe, IF you have anyone at all there, have one person who knows hot to use the "machine" be there to get your dose vaped correct, have them coach and guide you on your hits, and them keeping your machine ready for the second (and third if you make it to the third) hit. I literally will hold the machine and keep it at the right temp., tell them how to hit (SOFTLY AND GENTLY inhale, many inhale too fast and even suck the flame out!), when the hit is over, how long to hold before exhale (30 seconds), and have it ready to hit again immediately after exhale. This has helped a lot of friends who want a breakthrough on the first shot. Not all want a breakthrough, but those who do want one had one with help. I also will remove myself silently after their last hit and understand that they may not want to share afterwards (I never share to be honest, not because I am rude but the experience always seems so personal and honestly sometimes very difficult or impossible to describe anyway). See if you can find a homie that gets that, if you do opt for assistance.

Enjoy. Don't be surprised if it has you crying and smiling afterwards, it can be tremendously beautiful and amazing.

Cheers.

 

[EarthBounded]

Hey buddy,

You are smart to ask ahead of time, I can only give advice from my own experiences. I am the exact same way I trip alone ( Thx McKenna ) , Quite honestly I don't understand the stigma with DMT, I like the fact when DMT is active your body almost 100% still it is not like LSD where you will get the urge to wander, at least in my experience.

The nicest thing of DMT is that you can lean into it, I did not break through the first time I smoked DMT which was actually great because I was able to get a feel for it. Granted it hits quicker than anything I have ever had when you climb the ladder you become more comfortable with hitting it hard enough for breakthrough.

I would just make sure it is proper white or yellow crystal, Erowid always shows a good picture of how crystal formation should look. To be honest I don't care whether it is white or yellow crystal however it must be that spider web circular shape ( kind of what mycelium looks like at germination ) some crystal that isn't properly defatted will do nothing... I would guess your source is reliable...

Now the first time I touched it I was hitting the bowl and my friend said " you need to smoke it like meth " as I am half way through, that disturbed the shit out of me because I don't use amphetamine or stimulant class drugs besides caffeine, perfect example of why it is nice to be by yourself.

I collect crystals and always have my most powerful by me for metaphysical purposes.

Honestly You can just acquire the ingredients for Ayahuasca and have a safer more natural and MOST DEFINITELY MORE POWERFUL experience, it does not hurt to have a friend in the other room that is sober when ingesting Aya, the nice thing is the MAOI calms you down and the DMT takes a good 15-20 minutes to hit, DMT when smoked is active fast that is the only thing I dont like about it.

I have had some just glorious DMT smoke downs and I have had experience's with an edge, it all depends on set /setting and purity.

 

[Solipsis]

I would say that in majority of (my) experiences there is immobilisation, often from body load type effects, for example in extreme cases feeling as if steamrolled or engaged by an elephant though the feelings for me tend to be more of general qualitative overwhelmingness and not so much unpleasantness.
However in some cases I have been able to walk unburdened (one time I went upstairs to our dorm living room - at the time - in one of the upper floors of a flat and through the window, i.e. from a high vantage point, I saw other neighboring flat buildings in their entirety themed as gingerbread men and they were (break)dancing.
I guess most experiences would fall in between the strongly/fully immobilized and not at all mobilized in this range and generally srong levels of dissociation are involved that make it more obvious to go sit meditating in peace rather than getting up and about, and try to be all functional and interacting like. This may remind you of dissociatives?

Actually I'm like you (somehow I bet most of us are) in that I feel DMT is not right for overly casual dude circles where everyone goes in turns and where everyone is laughing out loud and shouting for you to report on what you see. If you do that and everyone participating is cool with it, by all means go right ahead, but I feel DMT should be used respectfully in an atmosphere that is open and peaceful, a setting that transcends the social and asks or requires people present to shut up just like at a retreat (I can personally only compare it to sesshins, (zen)buddhist retreats that I have been on). Achieving that peace is just a lot easier with few or no other people present, unless those people are likewise dedicated to supporting and sustaining that serene atmosphere, mentally prepared for and understanding of it. This is not because I believe DMT is a spirit molecule or an entity, we've been over that before... it is just that experience taught me that as far as I'm concerned the effects of DMT demand these 'setting' criteria of me if I am to steer clear of unhelpful chaotic and even insane effects. Trippy shit is all very well, but it is IMO worth it trying to surf those cosmic waves rather than fumbling hopelessly in an explosive maelstrom.

There was one time when I kept holding a busted lighter after I had blasted off, a lighter which sort of spit fire or did similar potentially dangerous weird shit, fortunately my buddy was on the other side of the large room to help me with it. I probably would have been okay with only some holes in a fucked up couch or something like that, but it does show that it can be worrisome putting a smoking device / lighter away. And for me it illustrates that it may not always be as simple as: alone is just best.. It may be rather like 'cant live with others, cant live without them'

Do you have any close friends that would agree to be 'around' when you go and try DMT, but not in the very same room or experieced / understanding enough of tripsitting to just stay out of the process?

 

[SirTophamHat]

It looks like you're receiving very homologous responses, Foreigner. With advice on a complex topic, this is typically a good sign.

I just wanted to bump this thread in order to request that you update us with your experience, either here or in the TR subforum.

Best of luck.

 

[.:Holy::Toast:.]

Personally I have never felt the need to get up on DMT.
Even on lower doses I would lift my arm off the bed, but it would feel far too uncomfortable and I would lay back down and enjoy the rest of my trip.
Not everybody is like this however, one time this guy I sold some DMT got up and proceeded to punch stuff like the wall, and my face. Fuuuuuuuuck
Anyway I guess it's all personal on how you react whilst on DMT it definitely doesn't hurt to have a trip sitter for the first time, provided they are respectful and not going to interfere with your experience in any way unless it's necessary

 

[Foreigner]

Thanks so much everyone for your responses... I feel a lot of gratitude for the careful care you've taken in conveying your experiences.

Tomorrow is my birthday and if I take the plunge, it will be then, because the solar return is a spiritual day for me. I never do psychedelics around people unless I implicitly 100% trust them and they understand that they have to hold space while I'm having my experience. I was born with ridiculous sensitivity to just about everything, and when I take psychedelics that sensitivity goes the limit. I think if I do this, anyone who's there can only be present in a tangential way. As for music... hmmm... I'll have to think about that. It was my understanding that with higher dose DMT, even aural sensation is taken over and brought elsewhere.

I will have to scope out the scene tomorrow. It's going to be a very casual, laid back environment, with a fireplace. If everything feels right I will try it. If I have even one shred of doubt I'm not doing it. Isn't it funny that I am less scared by psychedelic bungee jumping than I am the unpredictability of other humans?

Have you been holding off on DMT?

Yes, for several reasons. The main one is that I have not been able to obtain smokeable DMT without having to go through some kind of ritualistic koolaid to get it. I was interested in trying ayahusaca but because I have no interest in dealing with plastic shamanic non-sense, I have not yet had the opportunity. I know smoking DMT doesn't compare to ayahuasca, but I figure if I really enjoy a short trip, then maybe a longer one is more tenable. In any case, I just want to explore it my way, without it having to be a relational experience to other busy bodies.

The other reason is that I am bit nervous about the completeness with which DMT envelops consciousness. I've done very high dose LSD before, even mixed it with ketamine. Based on readings, and my instincts, I think DMT will blow those experiences out of the water. FWIW this is n,n-DMT which I've heard is more benevolent.

I've been more or less drug free for the past 3 months. I don't even smoke weed anymore. All of this was an attempt to gain clarity about my life, and to eliminate many complex layers that tend to be added by psychedelics. My fear about DMT is that it will be so intense that it will just restore a more confused state to my life. On the other hand, my hope is that it gives me a glimpse of something incredibly inspiring that I can positively integrate... because right now life is rather stagnant.

Based on everyone's replies here, I would really be better off doing this alone, and after easing myself into the process with incremental doses. Though, if my past is any indication, I'll probably just go big or go home.

 

[Solipsis]

DMT is unbelievable but I am convinced that (barring mentally unstable people) if you heart is pure and your mind and intentions are clear, there is really nothing to worry about and if you need to be comforted, the DMT experience can do that. I think the experience is both a fragmentation of the self and an explosion of the creative imagination, but unlike the imagination we are used to: boundless. Aspects of yourself and how you see your life seem to be expressed and I think the adage "you might not get what you want but you get what you need" applies in a way.
By the way, I think that with a pure heart I mean good intentions and being prepared to be open, respectful and compassionate in general. And to be clear on all of that and to wipe the burdens of everyday life filled with trains of thought that don't really matter that much when it boils down to it, to wipe that there is nothing better than to meditate. And regardless of your creed or convictions I think that to confirm your intentions and that clarity some sort of personally imagined and chosen ritual is most effective. It can be anything IMO as long as for you it symbolizes that in that moment you are dedicated to what you are about to do. In that sense you program yourself psychologically and I don't really care about further hang-ups on rituals that I have or had myself as well when it comes to other things.
About the music: even if it is true that a breakthrough experience completely immerses you and the experience overrules all direct awareness, music can help you feel calm, peaceful, safe and happy before you get there.