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I'm uncertain if psychedelics would improve my life or not. Advice?

I plan on being alone with my husband (my trip sitter) on a calm and beautiful day when no one else is around.
I wonder if psychedelics only offer a profound effect on those who are open to it. Like, if you were to trip purely for the recreation, you might not get much out of it?

BTW I wanna say you are some of the nicest, most caring and accepting people I've ever encountered. Lurking on many threads here has shown me how awesome the entheogenic community is.
 
@InterestingFACT: I brought up evidence based science only because that is an interest of mine. I recommend it as something to do. Science is only as good as the evidence that one can understand for themself. Taking a poll, or pretending to take a poll, on the opinions of scientists is simply a publicity stunt. I personally have no idea why the Higgs boson was predicted between 114 and 140 GeV, or why that is important enough to divide opinion, but it is interesting to me that it was measured at around 126 GeV.

That it is 126 GeV is something I take on faith. But there are things in science which I have figured out for myself, and I could prove them myself. That to me is much more interesting than say, learning a language or historical figures, which are essentally man-made.

What has taking mushrooms got to do with mysticism? Taking mushrooms is the diametric opposite of mysticism. You arn't trusting the word of a "mystic", the experience is between you and the mushroom. Don't confuse psychedelics with man-made religion.

...

I don't think so John. For a start psychedelics wern't used by everyone in the village in the same way we use them - it wasn't like some pre-historic hippie commune. They were pretty much solely used by the "shaman" purely for medical diagnosis.
Wasson describes a typical Maria Sabina mushroom session where she takes the mushrooms in front of the kid and his family and then says "Yes, he's going to die" whereupon his family start sobbing and wailing in misery and fear. That sounds like about as bad a setting you could ever imagine to me. Certainly far worse than anything modern users experience.
And there were exactly the same fears and prejudicies about mushroom use among natives - Maria Sabina describes being found by her parents as a child after she'd taken mushrooms and she says "My parents didn't scold me because they knew scolding someone on mushrooms could drive them mad.
((Diametrically opposed is a fancy term for opposite. Diametric opposite is redundant. Simply say opposite.))

What beliefs one has change the practices and what they seek in the experience but at the end of the day you are eating mushrooms, just like anyone else. Mushrooms make it impossible to differentiate illusions from real experience, leading to the belief that one has experienced divine knowledge of things such as death, which is mysticism.

The only difference is the evidence that what you are doing results in significantly fewer negative journeys.

Natives from the area of modern Mexico differentiated between someone being a curandera (mystic) and someone who takes mushrooms and goes mad. Maria Sabina was a practising curandera in 1957, this would be considered modern. Earlier accounts of traditional use reveal mushrooms were given as treatment and Maria did in fact give mushrooms to her patients.

In the first instance you describe, the curandera is the one taking mushrooms and the curandera was in the setting of her family home and her set was as a mystic who is experienced with the spirit world and accepted by tradition. You describe this as the worst setting imaginable. Yet in the second instance, when Maria was younger, Maria (the "tripper") not being scolded for taking mushrooms was fears and prejudices; not a bad setting?

The evidence I see is Maria not having a bad trip and you not being able to identify settings.

I plan on being alone with my husband (my trip sitter) on a calm and beautiful day when no one else is around.
I wonder if psychedelics only offer a profound effect on those who are open to it. Like, if you were to trip purely for the recreation, you might not get much out of it?

BTW I wanna say you are some of the nicest, most caring and accepting people I've ever encountered. Lurking on many threads here has shown me how awesome the entheogenic community is.
I think bad trips are when what are simply bad thoughts become bad facts. maybe that is just because a lot of people get paranoid smoking weed. But I believe that kind of explains why it might help people to lose anxiety about dying or for treating addictions, personal thoughts are easier to believe, but this might not always be a good thing or stay under one's control.

For this reason, for helping with your problem, I think simply telling yourself you are going to be more sociable would do it. Visualize the goal and see yourself acheiving that goal. No different from any other kind of self encouragement. Don't expect to be able to sort out any reason, it probably does not really matter why this is happening. Talking is something people are capable of doing. Like I said, you might also just have unreasonable expectation and believe that you have a problem when you really don't. Any of this kind of thinking would help you to convince yourself to at least stop worrying about it.

I think the best way to deal with a possible negative experience is to start out with a low dose and familiarize yourself with how your perspective changes when using psychedelics, then decide how you would like to proceed for the next trip.

(the reverence and respect is for your mind, not the shrooms)
 
I plan on being alone with my husband (my trip sitter) on a calm and beautiful day when no one else is around.
I wonder if psychedelics only offer a profound effect on those who are open to it. Like, if you were to trip purely for the recreation, you might not get much out of it?

BTW I wanna say you are some of the nicest, most caring and accepting people I've ever encountered. Lurking on many threads here has shown me how awesome the entheogenic community is.
I'm sure you'll be fine. Just keep to reasonably low doses and there's little chance of a seriously negative reaction. I wouldn't advise taking more than 2 grams of shrooms, 1.5 would probably be even better. That's about 15 mg of psilocybin, a medium dose which should provide full visual effects.
 
You know what! Considering the negative life experiences, you seem to be a very strong person. You've made some wise choices and you appear to be moving in the right direction with your life. You're very perceptive, upfront, intelligent and quite bright, I don't think you'll have a problem with acid. I would try acid before trying mushrooms. Trip alone, trip when you feel ready (you'll know when this is, trust me). With acid, for example, it's quite hard to return to base with the revelations you discovered whilst tripping. The majority of the knowledge and wisdom you receive does not bond well with the nuts and bolts thinking we're used to as humans, so I'm unsure as to how much psychedelicizing yourself will help you in life. I found it very beautiful, I still enjoy pleasant flashbacks and it reminds me that there is life beyond the veil at the bottom of the rabbit hole. It's comforting and acts as a good anti-depressant in certain situations. Remember to always dose low at the start and always have a benzo like etizolam or diazepam ready to help you down if need be.
 
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I know that many people with anxiety and panic disorder use Passion Flower as an alternative to conventional anti-anxiety medication. Would that work the same as a benzo if the trip gets rough? I have never taken Passion Flower but supposedly it chills you right out.
 
You know what! Considering the negative life experiences, you seem to be a very strong person. You've made some wise choices and you appear to be moving in the right direction with your life. You're very perceptive, upfront, intelligent and quite bright, I don't think you'll have a problem with acid. I would try acid before trying mushrooms. Trip alone, trip when you feel ready (you'll know when this is, trust me). With acid, for example, it's quite hard to return to base with the revelations you discovered whilst tripping. The majority of the knowledge and wisdom you receive does not bond well with the nuts and bolts thinking we're used to as humans, so I'm unsure as to how much psychedelicizing yourself will help you in life. I found it very beautiful, I still enjoy pleasant flashbacks and it reminds me that there is life beyond the veil at the bottom of the rabbit hole. It's comforting and acts as a good anti-depressant in certain situations. Remember to always dose low at the start and always have a benzo like etizolam or diazepam ready to help you down if need be.

Thanks! I sometimes doubt myself, but I come from a long line of addicts and generally dysfunctional people, and I don't seem to have an addictive bone in my body and I do my best to hold myself accountable and function normally. It means a lot to me to be better than what I grew up witnessing. I guess im not doing too bad!

I think someone else recommended shrooms over acid. I wouldn't know! What is the most introspective psychedelic? Or does it not matter much?
 
I have taken both LSD and shrooms. Different experiences by far. First of all with LSD you never know how pure it is. There is a hang over with low quality and you can't make it go away. It lasts for 12 hours on average and its hard to act 'normal' when going into a store to get a drink. If you have everything ready for your trip and don't have to gain composure, it could be insightful, if you direct your trip in such a way.

However, I recommend mushrooms. The trip will be about 2 hours and you can easily stop it with a xanax or smoking cannibs. I have had my most awakening moments on shrooms. I find a series of 3 times works best. You can do it in a series of days, or 2-3 hours between dosing. And keep dosing low. If your not looking for the kids effect you'll be happier with your experience if you keep to 1- 1 1/2 grams each time.

The first time I stretch and get in tune with my body. *i will note that while I love to touch while on either, I have not had a partner in my experience who enjoys the same, which is fine.. Cause I found him now and would regret having the prior experiences. ;)
The second time is time for reflection. Focus on what I want to know, for instance the prior post about learning the fate of a retarted boy. While I have always known to keep my search in a certain positive direction, if I needed to know something that could have a possible nasty answer I would simply prepare for that possibility. I reflect on my past, my present and look to the future for outcomes I have control over.
By the 3rd time I am ready for the spiritual revelation. Be ready yourself with a notebook, to write or draw what you feel. To keep a record.

I haven't ever come away empty. And when using shrooms in anyother way I have not had a benefit.
It is during the most difficult times of my life that shrooms came my way and I was able to look inside and find a way to navagate the path ahead. I don't know how life would be different without threse experiences, I am sure it would not be in a positive way.

Many times in my life I have reflected back to what I learned during these times. Once I had a tarot reading. It was by a novice and he did an amazing job. He answered questions I had and brought up things I had only discussed with God. The Spirit definately hears and answers your call.

Have a play list ready, if your unsure how to prepare your playlist.. Pray and add what feels right. It will take you through. Have food, drinks, and turn your phone off. Know kids and pets are safe so you don't have to worry about anything, the coffee pot off and candles out.

Have a deck of tarot cards with you, or a symbol of the type of search you are on. (bible for spiritual, text book for knowledge, etc..) and have modern day devices that can help answer any questions that may arise. I recommend highly having a fire.

If you and your husband have a good relationship, and you trust him in and with your soul he is the perfect sitter. It will likely bring you closer and he won't feel like a sitter at all. There couldn't be anyone else more relevant to have with you. There is always a wet blanket when you have numerous people around, and because you are doing this for introspection there is no need to have people whose personal trip will interfere with your journey.

Not everyone understands self inspection. I read this book, "way of the Peaceful Warrior" by Dan Millman when I was 15. It was abiut a man searching for lifes meaning, wanting to attain self actualization. Another of my classmates read the same book and said it was about ninja's. The Rainbow Family Gathering use to be a bunch of like minded people praying for world peace on July 4th, and sharing stories of what has happened in their life over the last year. Everyone is fed 2x a day, and no one goes without. Money is obsolete and people look out for one another. In the last 10 years the younger generations have came in and made such a bad name.. Begging on their way, stealing from local businesses, and thinking its a place to go do drugs or hide out from the law. Younger people just don't understand how hard it was to get to where we were and they just came in with their backwards raising and changed the scene. I tell you all that because the same goes for some of the prior responses. Some don't understand what you are searching for. I do. I've done it for the same reasons, and pass my experience, and knowledge on to a younger generation member who may be able to open the closed eyes of some of their peers.

Please come back and let us know how it went.

Take natural food, Cannibs can meet our hguman PH levels, we can drink the liquid and sustain life. Food is for pallet. You will understand when you bite into your favorite berry.
*when I say pray.. It doesn't have to be to God, just to a power greater than yourself, and follow what you feel no matter how sillly it feels at the moment.. Just go with it. It will all make sense when the time is right and you have your moment.
 
I think someone else recommended shrooms over acid. I wouldn't know! What is the most introspective psychedelic? Or does it not matter much?

Mushrooms. I find it difficult to cry on acid. Mushrooms seem to touch you emotionally far more. And as someone pointed out mushrooms don't have the annoying 12 hour comedown when you've over the trip but still can't get to sleep. Good luck shimmer!
 
i didn't read your post....but will after I post. just read the subject title. But yes, psychedelics (serotonergics, acid shrooms, 2cb etc) if used responsibly and respected. will improve your life. they will straighten you out, humble you, make you get your priorities straight, be healthy, love the ones you love.

and they are illegal but alcohol is, great society we live in.
 
((Diametrically opposed is a fancy term for opposite

I like fancy terms sometimes. Makes for more interesting reading.

Mushrooms make it impossible to differentiate illusions from real experience

No they don't. The whole point of psychedelics is that you're aware you are tripping.

leading to the belief that one has experienced divine knowledge of things such as death, which is mysticism

No it isn't. Mushrooms have sod-all to do with man-made theories of the "divine" or "religion" in any way, shape or form.

mys·ti·cism
noun \ˈmis-tə-ˌsi-zəm\

: a religious practice based on the belief that knowledge of spiritual truth can be gained by praying or thinking deeply.

You describe this as the worst setting imaginable.

You think taking mushrooms in front of a retarded child and it's family in order to reach a conclusion whether the child is going to die or not is a good setting?

not being scolded for taking mushrooms was fears and prejudices; not a bad setting?

Not particularly no - she was a child out with her friend in the forest and they used to take mushrooms together and laugh. Can you explain why you think that's worse than taking them in front of a terrified family with a dying child?

The evidence I see is Maria not having a bad trip

Where did I say she had a bad trip? I said it was a terrible setting - which it clearly was. Have you taken enough psychedelics to realise that a terrible setting doesn't automatically result in a bad trip?

I think bad trips are when what are simply bad thoughts become bad facts.

Come again? How does a "bad thought" (whatever that is) become a "bad fact"(whatever that is) because you are on mushrooms?

maybe that is just because a lot of people get paranoid smoking weed.

Different drugs. Nothing to do with mushrooms.

personal thoughts are easier to believe

Nonsense. Have you ever tripped at all? You certainly know absolutely nothing about mushrooms.

I think simply telling yourself you are going to be more sociable would do it.

You're not going to win any psychotherapy awards with this pmose.

Visualize the goal and see yourself acheiving that goal.

Fuck me, have you been reading the cookie-jar aphorisms again? What next? Are you going to tell shimmer to leave her "comfort zone"?

Any of this kind of thinking would help you to convince yourself to at least stop worrying about it.

Sometimes "thinking" about things sober doesn't work pmose. You need a psychedelic to give you a fresh perspective on things.

the reverence and respect is for your mind, not the shrooms

Well, the two go together in a mushroom trip don't they. It's 50% mushrooms and 50% your mind. So have equal reverence for both.
 
In my opinion: No, psychedelics don't improve your life, only you can.
Psychedelics could guide your mind to the place you need it to be for that, but you can also get there without psyches.
Question is, how?!
That's for you to find out.
I personally wouldn't recommend using psyches as a solution to a problem as it lowers the bar to do so with other drugs as well, especially when it's succesfull.
 
Using isolated psychedelic experiences to help facilitate personal growth hardly correlates with using other drugs for the same purpose. The OP sounds mature and mindful. I think psychedelics can be a very valuable tool, when used correctly.
 
@shimmercast:

It's good that you're cautious, but psychedelics have a way of controlling their own use. Tolerance builds too quickly for anyone to really establish a "habit," and when I've started to take them maybe more than I should, I began very clearly to not particularly enjoy the trip--not bad trips, per say, just that they felt meaningless and made me feel cold/empty inside.

Dissociative hallucinogens on the other hand, are a very different story. At least so I hear. I wouldn't recommend trying ketamine, Methoxetamine, or 3-meo-pcp if you're worried about addicted potential.

I would definitely vote lsd over mushrooms. I feel that mushrooms are very "inebriating" while lsd--despite the altered style of thinking, remains clear-headed. I understand what's going on around me on lsd, while I frequently feel very confused on shrooms.

Either way, you'll enjoy yourself and possibly get something out of it.

@pmoseman: I'm a neuroscientist. I love evidence based science. And i wasn't belittling or discrediting your experience--if it came across that way I apologize. In fact I agree with you at least partially in that I think some of the "shamanistic vision quests" and meeting aliens is all sorts of crap. I was simply pointig out that there now exists a significant body of research on lsd, psilocin, MDMA, and various analogues for all sorts of reasons--PTSD, marriage counseling, depression, OCD, etc. Also rat studies show potential for anti-addiction, anti-depressant, and other effects. This isn't to tout them as a wonder drug by any means, but I think it's pretty clear at this point that they at least CAN help people's lives. Whether or not they do so in practice is perhaps a different sorry.

Additionally toxicological profiles have been well established for lsd and psilocin. And, while not as extensively studied, there are a number of tryptamine analogues that would have a similar enough activity profile that we can reasonably believe that they share psilocin' good toxicity profile.

I just wanted to dispute the argument that "science opposes hallucinogenic drugs" because that's not fair at all.

EDT: cleaned up this post a bit. I was typing on my phone late at night, so there were plenty of grammar errors, typos, and incomplete thoughts.
 
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I know that many people with anxiety and panic disorder use Passion Flower as an alternative to conventional anti-anxiety medication. Would that work the same as a benzo if the trip gets rough? I have never taken Passion Flower but supposedly it chills you right out.


no, nothing works like a benzo.
 
Hello!
I am new to BlueLight and to psychedelics but I have done a good amount of research. I'm interested in the therapeutic effects of psychedelics, particularly mushrooms. I'm sort of on a journey right now, trying to figure my life out and let go of destructive thought and behavior patterns. I've recently become more spiritual and I've begun meditating. I would like psychedelics to be part of my journey but I'm not sure if I'm a good candidate because of my past. I'm also confused about something... it is said that certain psychedelics can alleviate depression and anxiety and help people who have had traumatizing experiences, but it's also said that a mentally unstable person should not do psychedelics. That makes no sense to me. Is it only certain specific mental disorders that psychedelics effect? How does it effect clinical depression or anxiety disorder vs bipolar or a personality disorder?
I am bipolar and have an anxiety disorder, and my experiences with psychedelics were neutral at worst. So you there's nothing preventing you from enjoying psychedelics, though I cannot say whether or not they may be salutary.

I was clinically depressed as a teenager and I had really bad social anxiety. I've lived through some traumatizing experiences (mostly verbal and emotional abuse from my mother and a man she dated for a long time who was extremely manipulative and probably psychotic). I suspect my mother has a personality disorder and maaaaybe bipolar but I'm not sure. I generally come from a very dysfunctional family and I've cut most of them off, and that's a bit lonely. I still have to deal with some stress from my parents though. EVERYONE in my family is an addict of some sort but I seem to be able to take or leave anything, though tbh I've never even smoked a cigarette. The most I do is have a glass of wine with dinner.
Currently my depression only hits in the winter, and I have almost no social anxiety though I am very introverted. I'm generally a positive person, but I do have a few things to work out. I'm on a very low dose of Zoloft which I will probably be off completely soon. I'm unhappy with my job and living situation. This brings me to my "set and setting" question. How perfect does the setting need to be? I'm comfortable in my bedroom for the most part and I like the yard here, but I am really looking to move to a place I'll be happier. Not bad, but not 100% great either.
I have a responsible trip sitter.
If someone more experiences and knowledgeable could advise me I'd really appreciate it. Would psychedelics potentially help me or am I one of those people who should stay away?

What exactly are you hoping to gain from psychedelics? Evidence abounds that they help some folks, but they're no panacea. 'course you wanna avoid expectations. If you can treat this as a once a year type thing, I'd say go for it, but I'm mistrustful of more frequent application.


P.S. Izzy, that is a terrible definition of mysticism, if you want an academic view of it, R.C. Zaehner has written some good stuff. You can upgrade your critique.
 
I just wanted to dispute the side that "science opposes drugs" because that's not fair at all.

Nobody ever said that. That was something you inferred.

Science is a huge part of drugs after all. Real high technology stuff some of these things we put in our brain.
 
I would definitely vote lsd over mushrooms, I feel that mushrooms are very "inebriating" while lsd--despite the altered style of thinking, remains clear-head. I understand what's going on around me, while I frequently feel very confused on shrooms.

Are they as emotional tho FACT? I tend to find I can have really good cathartic cries on psilocybin whereas it doesnt seem to come as much on LSD.
 
P.S. Izzy, that is a terrible definition of mysticism, if you want an academic view of it, R.C. Zaehner has written some good stuff. You can upgrade your critique.

I hear you thorns. I dont think mushrooms come in under any version of mysticism tho - you take the drug, it has the effect on your brain, you get whatever you get out of it. End of story. No need to believe in anything.
 
The thing about mushrooms that makes me prefer acid is the initial nausea. It kind of ruins a trip for me when it starts out with rather severe nausea. Probably easier to get than quality acid though.
 
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