LSD vs mescaline vs other phenethylamines

[Dancing Chick]

I realize that these comparisons will be subjective, but I'm really just looking for some opinions here.

LSD is the psychedelic that I have the most experience with by a pretty good margin, followed I would have to say by DMT, though nothing breakthrough but still quite strong. However, the two that I've used in by far the largest doses are LSD and 2C-I. LSD is definitely my favorite psychedelic so far.

This is how I would divide my major experiences with the three categories. All of these psychedelics definitely have things in common, but the focus is different: tryptamines and natural lysergamides feel like a mind trip, phenethylamines feel like a body trip, and LSD feels like a spirit trip. This is an effect I've so far found to be unique to LSD. It's very reinforcing on a primal level. It brings my inner self to the surface.

In many ways, I've been surprised to find similarities between some psychedelics. The two most similar trips I've had by far were one on DMT and one on 2C-I; both of these involved being orgasmically overwhelmed by female entities. The 2C-I entities actually interacted with me as opposed to the DMT ones which were more just like visuals, but on DMT there were more of them and they were more realistic. The DMT however was also very dissociating, the mind trip. On 2C-I I was completely lucid and in-body, with the focus on the strongest body euphoria I've ever felt.

I've often heard people say that mescaline becomes like LSD in higher doses, but also that it has practically no mind trip. This makes me wonder, is it that primal aspect that they share? 2C-I lacks this for me, but honestly if it had it I think it would be my favorite trip. But that also makes me wonder, how much in common does mescaline have with other phenethylamines? If it did have qualities of both that would really be something... especially because a recent LSD trip has made me much more interested in in-body trips than before.

So I'm out of room on my phone, but yeah... LSD vs mescaline vs other phenethylamines. Go!

 

[perpetualdawn]

These are my stereotypes, based on my finite set of experiences and reflections formed over many years. Probably biased by stuff I've read from other peoples trips etc. I've done acid a ton more than mescaline, probably only 4 mescaline trips in my life, all from cacti. I've lost count of my number of LSD trips ages ago.

I find LSD and mescaline to have a lot in common:
-Both LSD and mescaline are BIG: super epic trips, they last long and go deep.
-They both take a fairly straightforward path, no too much ups and downs, more like you're getting on a big ship that's taking you on a long journey.
-I find them both quite sociable, but am content to be alone as well.
-They both produce spiritual experiences.
-Both will dilate your pupils, your mind, your ears, all your senses become fully saturated, as does your mind.
-Your mind becomes impressionable - not gullible, but able to be deeply imprinted with new ideas, feelings, modes of being.
-Both show how beautiful nature is. That's probably true of any decent psychedelic though.
-Both are so damn safe, I would want my kids to do them when they're old enough. Hopefully with me.

LSD and mescaline have differences too. These are broad generalizations, none of them are true 100% of the time:
-LSD is analytical, geometric, fractal, intelligent; Mescaline is holistic, glowing, intuitive, warm.
-LSD is energizing; Mescaline is calming, chill. On LSD I feel like running a marathon, or dancing all night. On Mescaline a long, slow walk is about right, or maybe just sitting by the fine. But on either of them, I feel like there is an endless physical endurance.
-By the end of an LSD trip I often feel a bit jangled and strung out, like my mind won't stop. On mescaline, I feel a more smooth taper down, and can even sleep before the effects are gone, waking up the morning while it's still there. It's hard to tell when a mescaline trip is over for this reason.
-LSD is more sexual than mescaline. Mescaline is more cuddly than LSD.
-LSD is ego-centric (both shredding ego, and heightening it), Mescaline doesn't bother much with ego, more empathogenic.
-Mescaline during the comeup completely levels me, I feel feeble, weak, lethargic. After a period of this, it slowly charges me up with a radiant energy. LSD just kind of slides into trippiness.
-Mescaline has a lot of old traditional culture around it. LSD has tradition and culture too, but it's much newer.

As for vs. the other phenethlamines, it will take too long compare them all, but I think looking at the phenethlamines as mescaline variants is a useful model. They are close cousins after all.
2c-e vs mescaline: I find a lot similar here, they are both well-rounded, deep, epic, super psychedelic.
2c-b vs mescaline: hard for me to compare because I find 2c-b to be completely generic. Maybe 2c-b is the real tofu.
2c-d vs mescaline: Still getting to know 2c-d, but it seems like it could be a mescaline-like substance, but smaller, easier, and a bit friendlier.
MDMA vs mescaline: MDMA takes the warm, fuzzy, love everything part of mescaline, to an extreme, plus adds in an energetic kick.

I love comparing these drugs. Whenever I read this stuff, I feel like it helps understand them, so I hope other people contribute here as well!

 

[Xorkoth]

I totally agree with pretty much everything. I also find mescaline to just slowly taper down and I once described it as "meeting you in the middle"... like I never feel it go away, it just becomes softer and softer until it absorbs into you. I absolutely love mescaline, I want to do it this summer sometime when I'm camping or day hiking. It just fills me with love.

 

[perpetualdawn]

"it just becomes softer and softer until it absorbs into you" - that's a perfect desription.

 

[HeadphonesandLSD]

Concerning phenethylamines vs LSD;

I find LSD to be far more stimulating mentally than the phenethylamines I've tried were. The phenethylamines feel plastic/man made where as LSD feels more natural. On LSD things are as they're supposed to be even when the visuals ramp up to insane levels where for me the phenethylamines feel like they're forcing me into the mind state and visuals. By that I mean the phenethylamines just super impose themselves on top of my normal reality where LSD takes my reality and changes it at the core.

Man it is hard to describe this without sounding like a new-age wannabe heh.

Anyway I suppose the experience is always subjective. I just always felt LSD was kinder, showed me what I needed to see, and always felt safe on the mind/body. The phenethylamines I've done always felt unnatural on my mind/body in a way, not really pushing me to do any spiritual work while only providing "fake visuals" and euphoria more akin to what I would find in opiates or benzos. LSD euphoria felt like it came from within myself, phenethylamines euphoria felt chemically induced.

I enjoy them both obviously but still consider the phenethylamines to be more of a party drug class. That said I sure there is more to them than I've experienced and would love to push the doses higher to see what's there. My only issue with them is that unlike LSD there is a very real fear of death and overdose. LSD has given me these fears as well but in the back of my mind I always knew that no matter how many tabs I took I was way under the LD50. With the phenethylamines you're gambling without the use of a proper scale, which lets be honest a lot of people (myself included) take them without the use of. The fear that your friend may have screwed up when he capped your dose is always there if you don't personally weigh it yourself.

 

[Ismene]

I wouldn't even compare LSD to mescaline - LSD is a totally different animal, vastly more psychedelic than mescaline. Mescaline is beautiful but a much more gentle experience.

 

[perpetualdawn]

I think you just compared LSD to mescaline

 

[pupnik]

he wouldn't before, but now he might.
it seems, maybe

 

[Tryptamino]

Hmmm...

Well I dont think i can say much that others haven't already, but im gonna put my $0.02 in anyway:

LSD: Very "cinematic" trip, very stimulating and "organized," has a "beggining, middle, and end". Visuals are very swirly and morph-y. All introspective realizations are very intense and climactic.

Mescaline: Very mellow, friendly psychedelic. Visuals are pattern-y and often uniform. Visions (different from visuals) can sometimes occur in high doses.

2C-B: Somewhere between Mescaline and MDA. Very euphoric at moderate doses, and a bit physically taxing in higher doses. Visuals seem very flat, not particularly colourful, and not particularly intricate.

MDA: Intense euphoria, some CEVs, and longer duration than MDMA. The only true (mostly) non-visual empathogen I'm fond of.