Just got here. People need to be careful how they use Psychedelics.

[MetanoiaMan]

OK. I am no teetotaler. I've probably used Psychedelics forty times in my life. I've probably done Mushrooms 30 times. Acid 3 or 4, Ecstasy a couple of times, and Ayahuasca four times. So, I am not saying don't do Psychedelics, cause they have been really valuable to me in my own development psychologically and spiritually. They have given me a perspective on myself and life that I wouldn't have found any other way. That said, I've also found meditation, yoga, and exercise to be integral parts of my development. Reading through the posts, it appears people are really doing a lot of Acid recreationally. It also seems that people are struggling with bad trips. As a part of this cyber community, I really think it's important to express my opinion that people need to be more careful about how they use these drugs. These drugs are not recreational, they are sacraments. You need to be careful how you use them. You need to be careful who you do them with, you need to be careful what your intention is, and you have to have tremendous respect for these experiences. I feel like there are a lot of people tripping for fun, and getting themselves into trouble. People need to give a lot of thought to why the are using these kinds of experiences. The real visionaries with these substances. The Aldous Huxleys, The Stan Grofs, they thought that these were substances to be used in very specific circumstances. They are not party drugs. They're not ways to escape boredom. They are ways to allow your brain to look deeper into reality, both externally and internally. The people on this site need to use these with great reverence, otherwise they are going to get themselves into a lot of trouble, psychologically and spiritually.

 

[Don Luigi]

You'll find many people here who agree with you, others who have no interest or inclination to the spiritual/mystical side of psychedelics and see them as just another drug, and those who don't strictly belong to any of these groups eg. those who value their nootropic potential. I'm in the middle. Most of my psychedelic use has been solo, as a means of potentiating spiritual/philosophical reflection.

Then again, there's many times I've taken them with friends to enhance group creativity or music appreciation. There's also times when I've taken them simply to introduce people to psychedelics for the first time. There have been times when I've taken them spontaneously, without any pre-planning. There's also been a few times where I've taken threshold doses of LSD, purely for clear-headed stimulation. I appreciate and recognise the many uses for psychedelics, but still think they have recreational value.

I agree that the potential psychological damage of being reckless with these compounds should very much be a concern to anyone considering using them. I have a great interest and belief in the spiritual potential of psychedelics, but this just isn't true for all users; to some people, when they hear the psychedelic community talking about the spiritual and mystical sides of the experiences, it is met with the same reaction that a fervent atheist might have to fundamental religious people.

I remember listening to Terrence McKenna saying that cannabis should not be used recreationally, but should be used at high doses in a dark, silent room (or something to that effect). Try telling that to your average stoner. That being said, I think that a small majority of psychedelic users do have the appreciation for the power and utility of the drugs in terms of the spiritual and psychological potential. I think this is especially true for those that continue to take psychedelics for many years; for the people that never become blasé about it. I think psychedelics have a way of naturally 'weeding out' those who take them for purely recreational purposes as, when they're really abused, they eventually stop feeling recreational.

Welcome to BL, by the way

 

[MetanoiaMan]

You'll find many people here who agree with you, others who have no interest or inclination to the spiritual/mystical side of psychedelics and see them as just another drug, and those who don't strictly belong to any of these groups eg. those who value their nootropic potential. I'm in the middle. Most of my psychedelic use has been solo, as a means of potentiating spiritual/philosophical reflection.

Then again, there's many times I've taken them with friends to enhance group creativity or music appreciation. There's also times when I've taken them simply to introduce people to psychedelics for the first time. There have been times when I've taken them spontaneously, without any pre-planning. There's also been a few times where I've taken threshold doses of LSD, purely for clear-headed stimulation.

I agree that the potential psychological damage of being reckless with these compounds should very much be a concern to anyone considering using them. I have a great interest and belief in the spiritual potential of psychedelics, but this just isn't true for all users; to some people, when they hear the psychedelic community talking about the spiritual and mystical sides of the experiences, it is met with the same reaction that a fervent atheist might have to fundamental religious people.

I remember listening to Terrence McKenna saying that cannabis should not be used recreationally, but should be used at high doses in a dark, silent room (or something to that effect). Try telling that to your average stoner. That being said, I think that a small majority of psychedelic users do have the appreciation for the power and utility of the drugs in terms of the spiritual and psychological potential. I think this is especially true for those that continue to take psychedelics for many years; for the people that never become blasé about it. I think psychedelics have a way of naturally 'weeding out' those who take them for purely recreational purposes as, when they're really abused, they eventually stop feeling recreational.

Welcome to BL, by the way

 

[Lys]

OK. I am no teetotaler. I've probably used Psychedelics forty times in my life. I've probably done Mushrooms 30 times. Acid 3 or 4, Ecstasy a couple of times, and Ayahuasca four times. So, I am not saying don't do Psychedelics, cause they have been really valuable to me in my own development psychologically and spiritually. They have given me a perspective on myself and life that I wouldn't have found any other way. That said, I've also found meditation, yoga, and exercise to be integral parts of my development. Reading through the posts, it appears people are really doing a lot of Acid recreationally. It also seems that people are struggling with bad trips. As a part of this cyber community, I really think it's important to express my opinion that people need to be more careful about how they use these drugs. These drugs are not recreational, they are sacraments. You need to be careful how you use them. You need to be careful who you do them with, you need to be careful what your intention is, and you have to have tremendous respect for these experiences. I feel like there are a lot of people tripping for fun, and getting themselves into trouble. People need to give a lot of thought to why the are using these kinds of experiences. The real visionaries with these substances. The Aldous Huxleys, The Stan Grofs, they thought that these were substances to be used in very specific circumstances. They are not party drugs. They're not ways to escape boredom. They are ways to allow your brain to look deeper into reality, both externally and internally. The people on this site need to use these with great reverence, otherwise they are going to get themselves into a lot of trouble, psychologically and spiritually.

I agree with everything you said, except that psychedelics are not recreational. People do need to be careful about how they use psychedelics, who they use them with, and what their intentions are, and psychedelics should be respected. However, the idea that psychedelics are sacraments is just your opinion. Some of us do not hold spiritual beliefs about psychedelics, and yet we do not suffer from it. I use psychedelics for fun, and as ways to escape boredom, and yet I have gained just as much perspective about myself and my life as you claim to, and I have also started on meditation, yoga, and exercise in the process. I believe that these things are only related to what was said above - respect and careful use - and not about viewing psychedelics in any particular way. The "visionaries" you mentioned, like Aldous Huxley and Stanislav Grof, they are just regular people who have just as much insight into these mysteries of nature as the rest of us; their opinion on how to use psychedelics is no more valid than anyone else's. What they think might have worked for them and for you, but that doesn't mean that they will for everyone, and it doesn't mean that other views cannot work for people. I am quite content using psychedelics the way I do, for fun, and still getting a large life benefit from them and never having a bad trip.

I remember listening to Terrence McKenna saying that cannabis should not be used recreationally, but should be used at high doses in a dark, silent room (or something to that effect). Try telling that to your average stoner.

Strangely, despite what I said above, I agree with this, and I am your average stoner. However, it's not because of any sort of spiritual beliefs or the like.... I simply have used cannabis in the above conditions many times, and have had so many wonderful psychedelic-like experiences with it that every other way of using it feels like a horrible waste of precious material. Those thoughts have yet to change my usage patterns much at all, though.

 

[AA357]

They are not party drugs. They're not ways to escape boredom. They are ways to allow your brain to look deeper into reality, both externally and internally. The people on this site need to use these with great reverence, otherwise they are going to get themselves into a lot of trouble, psychologically and spiritually.

Wrong. For me they are basically an alternative to alcohol.

Posts like this disgust me... who are you to tell people that they shouldn't be taking LSD recreationally??? Everybody has his/her own reasons for using... as long as you're not harming yourself or anyone around you then there is no right or wrong way to appreciate psychedelics. Oh and if you can honestly tell me that shrooms and LSD have zero recreational/party value then you've clearly never had a proper happy trip and I feel sorry for you.

How you interpret the psychedelic experience is highly dependent on many variables... it's not "one size fits all". Some people just can't handle psychedelics AT ALL.
I'm at the opposite end of the scale. I'm the type who can get away with taking large doses of 2C-E multiple times a week for extended periods of time. Occasionally I'll even go to the gym and lift heavy weights whilst tripping nuts on 200mcg LSD (yes - this particular sacrament is actually a surprisingly effective athletic PED ).

BTW I've tripped more than 110 times since 2014, so bollocks to your 40 trips.

 

[Mizora]

In my little experience, psychs seem like you can get what you want from them...if you wana go all introspective on yourself you can, or just dance you can. Regardless I dont think any drug should be abused. period.

 

[Xorkoth]

Hey, welcome to Bluelight and PD... great introductory contribution. I also agree with what you're saying, except I wanted to chime in a bit about intentionality with psychedelics as to relates to recreational vs sacramental use. Psychedelics are tools, to be sure. However, I have found them to be broader tools than that... I have used them sacramentally, and I have used them for other purposes too - socially, as a mental exploration tool in a more functional sense (for example, using LSD or DOC to aid me in working through a creative problem with programming or music or something), and simply as a fun recreational experience. I've tripped a lot more times than you, and I did abuse them for a period of time in 2006-2008, which I wouldn't recommend. Still, I've only had one trip I might call bad (my third one), and even it was a useful, though terrifying, experience. At one point I would have agreed with you that psychedelics should only be used sacramentally, but I no longer believe that. There's nothing wrong with using them for fun, or for some other purpose.

However, intentionality as well as attention to set and setting are always important. Even if your intention is to, for example, augment/enhance your experience at a festival, or just to make a night around the house more interesting, that's okay, assuming you're being responsible and paying attention to set and setting. I think the reason there are so many people reporting about bad trips is because people are engaging in irresponsible use... taking unknown amounts or unknown substances without trying to educate themselves beforehand, tripping when they're dealing with anxiety, or taking them in out of control situations. This tends to happen more often when young people take them, because the culture among that demographic tends to focus on the party elements of the experience, and they're much less likely to be capable of making assessments about their set and setting. Additionally a huge amount of misinformation exists which makes it less likely they'll have any real idea of what they're getting into.

 

[MetanoiaMan]

Wrong. For me they are basically an alternative to alcohol.

Posts like this disgust me... who are you to tell people that they shouldn't be taking LSD recreationally??? Everybody has his/her own reasons for using... as long as you're not harming yourself or anyone around you then there is no right or wrong way to appreciate psychedelics. Oh and if you can honestly tell me that shrooms and LSD have zero recreational/party value then you've clearly never had a proper happy trip and I feel sorry for you.

How you interpret the psychedelic experience is highly dependent on many variables... it's not "one size fits all". Some people just can't handle psychedelics AT ALL.
I'm at the opposite end of the scale. I'm the type who can get away with taking large doses of 2C-E multiple times a week for extended periods of time. Occasionally I'll even go to the gym and lift heavy weights whilst tripping nuts on 200mcg LSD (yes - this particular sacrament is actually a surprisingly effective athletic PED ).

BTW I've tripped more than 110 times since 2014, so bollocks to your 40 trips.

Wow. You've really done some damage to yourself. Psychedelics have only been used recreationally since the 1960's after having been used of 5,000 years and shaping most of the world's religions. The democratization of Psychedelic use is the reason that Psychedelics are illegal. Leary turned a sacrament into an addiction, and you've done the same. Keep tripping a hundred times a year. You won't accomplish much and you'll be struggling to keep your life together. Anybody whose done anything 110 times in a year is an addict. Get some help before it's too late...

 

[psy997]

Wow. You've really done some damage to yourself. Psychedelics have only been used recreationally since the 1960's after having been used of 5,000 years and shaping most of the world's religions. The democratization of Psychedelic use is the reason that Psychedelics are illegal. Leary turned a sacrament into an addiction, and you've done the same. Keep tripping a hundred times a year. You won't accomplish much and you'll be struggling to keep your life together. Anybody whose done anything 110 times in a year is an addict. Get some help before it's too late...

It sounds like you've let your experiences get to your head.

 

[Kapitan]

You're right that psychedelic drugs have tremendous therapeutic and spiritual potential. However, I would be cautious of discounting all recreational use as invalid or reckless. There is no "wrong" way to use psychedelic drugs, just like there is no wrong way to live your life.

Most of what I've learned from psychedelic drugs can be summed up like this: Everything is what it is, and it's all good.

Euphoria is part of what makes life worth living, and if psychedelic drugs can induce an experience of euphoria for someone, then I'd say that they've been used appropriately. They may not have been used to their full potential, but there's nothing wrong with feeling good. I could also quote Alexander Shulgin:

The fact that the word euphoria has come to mean a state of feeling better — or much, much better — than usual, should give us pause. The implication is that our customary state is one of dysphoria, and that what has come to be considered the proper and normal way to feel in our everyday life is, in actuality, a state of depression.

 

[MetanoiaMan]

You're right that psychedelic drugs have tremendous therapeutic and spiritual potential. However, I would be cautious of discounting all recreational use as invalid or reckless. There is no "wrong" way to use psychedelic drugs, just like there is no wrong way to live your life.

Most of what I've learned from psychedelic drugs can be summed up like this: Everything is what it is, and it's all good.

Euphoria is part of what makes life worth living, and if psychedelic drugs can induce an experience of euphoria for someone, then I'd say that they've been used appropriately. They may not have been used to their full potential, but there's nothing wrong with feeling good. I could also quote Alexander Shulgin:

THat's a pretty good quote. But really, I'm sure shulgin tripped over a thousand times, probably more. His whole life was tripping. And what allowed him to do that was he patented some chemical fertilizers that made him wealthy. Tripping was his vocation. But I get what you're saying. Psychedelics can be pure joy, and if you don't what that is, or how to experience it, that can be an awesome experience. I've turned a few people on during the years, and to a T the thing that they all experienced was Joy, which is what I really wanted for them.

 

[jammin83]

Some people treat psychs like a religion, which is fine, but it's not for me. I get more out of them than euphoria, I think most people do, but mainly I just like to have a good time. LSD is one of my favorite drugs, I just use it mainly for appreciating music and dancing my ass off. Every now and then I have an introspective trip but I'm already that way, I like to get out of my head. I think after so many trips, it kind of changes for you, the magic is still there but it's not really a religious experience anymore. I would like to try ibogaine one day for personal reasons, and I'm sure that won't be recreational, but I aside from something like that, I usually just do it for recreation. I agree with a lot of your message, people can be irresponsible with them, but everyone get something a little bit different out of them, so long as your safe, it doesn't really matter how you do them or what you get out of them.

You might want to pick other adversaries on this board besides AA. He knows what he's doing and pretty experienced with this stuff. He gets what he wants out of it. You don't really have a place to be judgmental about his drug use.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Wow. You've really done some damage to yourself. Psychedelics have only been used recreationally since the 1960's after having been used of 5,000 years and shaping most of the world's religions. The democratization of Psychedelic use is the reason that Psychedelics are illegal. Leary turned a sacrament into an addiction, and you've done the same. Keep tripping a hundred times a year. You won't accomplish much and you'll be struggling to keep your life together. Anybody whose done anything 110 times in a year is an addict. Get some help before it's too late...

To me psychedelics are some of the most powerful psychospiritual tools on the planet. I used them in that context. Others enjoy them for different reasons but to each their own. I wouldn't put a number on it nor question the experience level of some of the members here when it comes to meaningful use of psychedelics. I'll remind you about some of the Shamans of the amazon who facilitate others daily through sacramental use of Ayahuasca medicine. They don't meet my definition of addict. Is praying every day an abuse of prayer?

 

[MetanoiaMan]

To me psychedelics are some of the most powerful psychospiritual tools on the planet. I used them in that context. Others enjoy them for different reasons but to each their own. I wouldn't put a number on it nor question the experience level of some of the members here when it comes to meaningful use of psychedelics. I'll remind you about some of the Shamans of the amazon who facilitate others daily through sacramental use of Ayahuasca medicine. They don't meet my definition of addict. Is praying every day an abuse of prayer?

Having done Ayahuasca a few times, I'll tell you, nobody can do Ayahuasca everyday. A shaman may do it for other people,but nobody can do Ayahuasca that long, it;s too exhausting. I've also noticed at Ayahuasca ceremonies, that there are a lot of people trying to use Ayahuasca in lieu of real therapy. There is no substitute for real psychotherapy. Meditation, yoga, they are disciplines. Doing Psychedelics can be. But recreationally it's fairly limited.

 

[I B Profane]

I think psychedelics can be used in all sorts of different ways. Whether you want a spiritual, introspective personal journey, or just a fun night of tripping with friends, both options are available. Sometimes in the same night.

People take psychedelics for all sorts of different reasons, and I've come to not really judge anyone for the reason that they take them, as I've taken them for all sorts of reasons myself. They are super versatile tools. A lot of it, like you said, is dependent on dosage, set and setting, etc.

That being said - nothing quite like high dose psychedelics with the lights off I prefer DMT for this since it takes you there and back so quickly. I also really like Ketamine for it's depth and brevity. It depends what you want to get out of the trip, really. But it's best to go into it with little to no expectations...you'd be surprised where it just naturally takes you. This goes for all tryptamines, phenethylamines, ergoloids, dissociatives, etc.

 

[MetanoiaMan]

I think psychedelics can be used in all sorts of different ways. Whether you want a spiritual, introspective personal journey, or just a fun night of tripping with friends, both options are available. Sometimes in the same night.

People take psychedelics for all sorts of different reasons, and I've come to not really judge anyone for the reason that they take them, as I've taken them for all sorts of reasons myself. They are super versatile tools. A lot of it, like you said, is dependent on dosage, set and setting, etc.

That being said - nothing quite like high dose psychedelics with the lights off I prefer DMT for this since it takes you there and back so quickly. I also really like Ketamine for it's depth and brevity. It depends what you want to get out of the trip, really. But it's best to go into it with little to no expectations...you'd be surprised where it just naturally takes you. This goes for all tryptamines, phenethylamines, ergoloids, dissociatives, etc.

It's really quite remarkable the amount of experience people around here have with Psychedelics. What an amazing resource this place is. It really is this amazing resource for exchanging information. I wasn't aware that there was such a culture of it.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Part of me wants to argue with you since my experience is so different from what you are describing. I'm just going to let it go. I chose a shamanic path for a while. I will say that overdoing psychs like I did was missing part of the point. I don't want to defend that really. I lived and breathed that path in my own way though and you underestimate what goes into it and what is required to sustain it. So if you are telling me it isn't possible then that's all you need to say. I'm not sure you understand what it entails and what happens to person on that path. The main reason I'm here on BL is to reintegrate into everyday life after my year long journey on that path. I don't use psychedelics anymore. They've lost their appeal to me, but I still have tremendous respect for their power.

 

[I B Profane]

It's really quite remarkable the amount of experience people around here have with Psychedelics. What an amazing resource this place is. It really is this amazing resource for exchanging information. I wasn't aware that there was such a culture of it.

Welcome to Bluelight

Yeah, I honestly learn something new every day here. The amount of collective knowledge this userbase has is astounding.

 

[Xorkoth]

I just thought it would be worth saying that one should always avoid making rigid generalizations based on one's own experience. You should never be so sure that you know the way things are, and you should really never presume to know the way things are for other people.

 

[szuko000]

All I can say is that whole "psychedelics are for introspective learning" makes me laugh. I am definitely on the side of the fence where they helped me do things in a sense but LSD will always be a party drug for me. LSD and I go very well together I always said its like being me +1 so its just a better more creative, witty, and logical self. I use to take it and do my chemistry homework because for the first time in my life I could watch the electron movements as atoms interact with others and it was awesome but I also love drinking on LSD. Its like the LSD makes it so my intellectual self over powers the alcohol so all it does is make me relaxed and floaty but doesnt impair me really.

Do some of my best trips have me sitting in the dark listening to music thinking about my future? Sure. It also helped me visualize my future if i stayed on heroin or if i went back to college. But I have had equally as good trips downing beers at over crowded college parties. The answer is in who you are, dont go giving chemical compounds more credit then they deserve. I am the master of my destiny LSD does not tell me how to use it i tell it what i am going to do with it, respectfully, but i dont think it is something that "demands to be used in a specific fashion" maybe that is who you are.