I feel it's worth noting that, since we live in a reality based around survival that is full of suffering, and since we've been born to a very,th sick society, almost no one is truly mentally stable. As such I believe that pretty much everyone will inevitably experience the dark side at some point if they dabble with psychedelics. How this manifests - with what frequency, and intensity, and in what form - will depend on the person in question. The best advice I can give is to embrace it when it does crop up. You'll learn the most from your journeys this way, and you cannot hope to reconcile the shadow side of life without at some point turning to face it. Also, know yourself; hallucinogens are often by far the most unforgiving way you can experience this side of things. If you think it might be more than you can handle, put it aside for something gentler instead, like meditation. Or at least tread very lightly.
We rush so far into things without clear reasons.
The lessons I learned from taking psychedelics are certainly different from what you are taking about.
What I have learned without is such a great number that I never stop to count them really.
I began using psychedelics after alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana (in that order) and then stayed mostly with lsd and mushrooms, but dabbled once or twice with LSA, cocaine, opium, nitrous, duster, DXM.
This time period was the growth of friends and a little independence. I felt happier and there was this hill to climb I could not see ahead of me. School sucked the life out of me, I thought life was like a game and that I would escape this game and gain control over my life. Life was/is a bit like a prison, well at least you can dream in a prison.
I did not keep a journal of my use or read message boards, although my friend made use of erowid for the now defunct LSA extraction, and I had an experienced friend who regularly introduced people to psychedelics. I knew about things like speed and LSD from friends I had known that used. I had been warned a few times as well about taking too much. Anyhow. I was at that point in my life where I didn't know what I wanted but I knew it was something more than what I had.
My friends mostly were marijuana users as well and nobody seemed to have a bad view of drugs who had actually experienced them. Of course, that wasn't entirely true. But you can easily find people who think 100 hits of LSD is just perfect. I was tough and brave, so I did more with each use, but it was not an immediate bad reaction, it was at least a week after I had last used. I was pretty trippy by that point in time.
I was never any good at keeping up with rumours or impressing people. I had trouble making friends, probably not easy going, probably judgemental, not big on personal hobbies. I always felt behind in some regard compared to the way other people would seem to be doing at life. Happier, more money, more friends. I wanted a way out of this maze.
I made a mistake when I chose to try achieving something with psychedelics. Believing they would aid me in meditation and open my mind to some secret knowledge. Again, I did not know what I was heading toward.
I feel now back to normal, how I was years ago before taking that leap. Don't let people tell you there is no such thing as normal. My body and mind found there way back to it.
I see much of what I had for what it was now, and I see the lies I was told for what they are. Nothing changes. I have only learned to accept who I am. I feel years of my life were wasted by drugs. I had never believed anything bad I had heard about them until experiencing it for myself. I did not really believe the mysticism of drug use either, but the idea was compelling and seeing beyond the so-called veil of illusion interested me.
Things did indeed go very very wrong and this is not the thing where, oh you know, that is just what I needed to learn that harsh lesson so I could grow, as some might belief be, no... it was boring and stupid, I couldn't think straight, my memory was shot, I was fucking messed up in the head. So I quit with the drugs and got my head on straight, finally.
I enjoy life about as much as I always had, good days and depressing ones, except I am older and have worked out my interests and my slow approach to life, the care I take with others. I have learned to accept myself and others. The limits all humans are faced with.
Personally I require little bit of yoga, which helps me be aware of my body, and a little meditation, which helps me focus for the remainder of the day. That clears me up as I try to live up to my expectations.
I hope this is not too long or repetitive. I suggest to anyone, learn what evidence based science is all about.
