Older psychedelic users, can we have your take?

[Static Cloud]

Hey, lately I've been wondering, I've never been a heavy psychedelic user, I'll occasionally take something every few months. You know, take it easy with a mate of mine, and just ramble on through the night, discussing my life away.

However, I'm 'only' 25. So I'm wondering, how does this translate when you grow older, can you maintain your occasional psychedelic substance use, or do you eventually grow out of it and take the experiences you've gathered with you.

So yeah, I guess I'm interested in people I don't know, above 35 years and their experience with psychedelic substance use after their 20s. What are your careers, how you feel your life is changed by occasional trips, and how does it fit into your family/professional life, assuming you have a family...

 

[Dr.DruNk]

I'm only 34 and I don't feel old but I have something to say about this.

I used an extensive amount of LSD and mushroom in my early 20s and I started tripping again recently after almost a decade (hence, my presence on these forums). The thing was that I never really "quit" psychedelics, it was more that I didn't crave them enough to make them a priority and I was more focused on developing my career. I always knew that I would again once the circumstances were right. I discovered hallucinogenic RCs last year and decided to acquire some. After all that time, it was like returning home. I could not believe it had been that long since I had tripped. It was familiar and I took right to it just like riding a bike. I realized how much my previous experiences with psychedelics have influenced my outlook on life and that the all those "sober" years I had been living that philosophy.

I am at a transitionary time in my life that is very exciting, stressful, and a bit scary. I feel hallucinogens reappeared at just the right time to acquire new insight from them. I have a wife and kids and a job (post-doctoral researcher) which make tripling somewhat hard to schedule. My wife is not that fond of them anymore, but permits me to do what I want as long as I am responsible about it as possible and it doesn't interfere too much with normal life. Because of social stigma, my recent usage is a complete secret from all except from the most trusted individuals (only told one person other than my wife). My usage is for my personal and "spiritual" (I don't like that term because I'm an atheist, but it more or less fits) growth. Basically, I want to make every trip I do from now on as epic and unique as possible. If that takes months to set up then so be it. Since I know how to acquire RCs now, I figure this is pretty much the plan for the foreseeable future. Even if the time between trips stretches out to months or years I know I'll be climbing that mountain once again eventually. Hallucinogens have influenced me profoundly and positively and will always be a part of my life whether I'm actively taking them or not.

 

[bunnyhentman]

I'm in my mid-thirties but have no kids, so what I have seen is a gradual decrease in age over the years among people I know who also like psychedelics. Once you have kids, it becomes extremely difficult both physically and emotionally. Most of the trippers I know with kids can't do it more than 1-2 weekends a year.

To a lesser extent, I don't really have time to take drugs more than twice a month. I plan psychedelic-laden vacations for about 2 weeks total a year. Most of the older drug users I know are either people with pretty well established habits -- at this point basically drug problems -- who have been able to maintain functional lives or they are professionals with demanding careers who can only get out one weekend a month or less.

I know it's a joke but as I've gotten older I have gotten more into dmt for a lot of reasons, the fact I can smoke it on a week night not least.

 

[Wal]

Do you ever have the feeling that there is a real 'dependance'? Although they are not addictive in the tradtitional sense, you still linger with them...
I am 23 and using psychedlics on and off since I was 17. You tend to accept them as a part of your life. The qustion I ask myself is: Can I live with this part of my life? Is this any different from an addiction?

 

[Dr.DruNk]

Do you ever have the feeling that there is a real 'dependance'? Although they are not addictive in the tradtitional sense, you still linger with them...
I am 23 and using psychedlics on and off since I was 17. You tend to accept them as a part of your life. The qustion I ask myself is: Can I live with this part of my life? Is this any different from an addiction?

I was thinking about what Bunnyhentman said about people with drug problems and wanted to comment, but hesitated, now that you mention this I will chime in with my experience.

About addiction:

In my post above, I mentioned my "sober" years. That's not really correct, what I meant was my years not taking psychedelics. In that time I had several on an off habits develop with drugs and alcohol. Bear with me here. I say habits rather that addictions (or drug problems) because most of the time they did not really cause any real problems in my professional, personal, or financial life. However, a few months back I was going through some shit in my life and I made a bad choice and ended up on a 3 month mdpv binge. Now this was defiantly a problem and nearly destroyed my marriage, my job, and my sanity. Luckily I got out of it before I REALLY fucked everything up and things are actually better than ever.

About long term psychedelic use:

I started taking psychedelics again which makes me happy and satisfies my drug lust with relatively benign chemicals. Recently, I realized on a trip that all drugs are stupid, even psychedelics, and that life contains all the beauty you need if you do it right. I've stopped binge drinking .... well mostly except when encouraged to at parties ... and have sworn off stimulants basically forever (I'd make an exception for a one time coke binge under the right circumstances perhaps). I look forward to tripping, and I don't see these drugs ever causing the kind of problems that a lot of other drugs can cause. I think some people just particularly love the experience produced by psychedelics (such as myself), and whether you abuse them or not is up to you. Like I said before, I think I will always love that kind of experience, but only when it is the right time for it. Am I addicted to psychedelics? Depends on your perspective I guess. I personally don't think it's an accurate description as I am not compelled to take it when I know I shouldn't. Also, any substance is only a problem when it hurts you or others in some way. I think carefully occasional use of psychedelics actually has benefits. I mean, what other type of drug ever leaves you with deep insights that you can apply to your life? Not booze or speed for sure.

 

[Jesusgreen]

Do you ever have the feeling that there is a real 'dependance'? Although they are not addictive in the tradtitional sense, you still linger with them...
I am 23 and using psychedlics on and off since I was 17. You tend to accept them as a part of your life. The qustion I ask myself is: Can I live with this part of my life? Is this any different from an addiction?

If you're thinking about psychedelics in this way, then maybe it is an unwelcome habit or "addiction" for you. If you are ever in doubt about why you're using them - then why continue?

For me psychedelics have helped me in many ways and their boosts to the creative mind, and to self-improvement and self-therapy have made them a valuable tool in my life - if I was just using them "because they were a part of my life", or I wasn't gaining anything worthwhile from them, then I would not want them to be a part of my life and would stop using them immediately.

If they have just become "background noise", and just a part of your life, rather than life-changing meaningful experiences, then that to me would tell me to take a break from a little and re-evaluate my use.

That's not to say that's the case with you, but the way you worded your posts suggested to me that you're using them continually out of the fact you're used to using them, rather than because you're gaining anything in particular. If that's true, I think a break would help you gain more from them in future

I think the reason many people "grow out of" psychedelics is simply due to boredom, and this boredom is present because people trip too often in a short period of time, taking no breaks, and simply lose the enjoyment and the magical side of their trips that they once had.

People who still enjoy tripping after many years of it tend to be those who've learnt to space out trips - what to do to make the most of the benefits they provide, and have actually put the psychedelic lessons to good use in their every day life. These people can still enjoy the same "magic" that was there from their first trips, and benefit from it each day too! :D

 

[Rorthron]

As a early 40's myself, I was never a heavy psychedelic user. and since my 20's due to running of on the socially correct side of life, I ceased all psychedelic adventures. Things have indeed changed a lot in the last years. Ayahuasca, Salvia and the magnificent plethora of RCs have indeed coloured my life for the better. In case you are wondering, yes I'm married with kids. This is a drag, specially because Mrs Rorthron is not a psychedelic player herself, and the children put a responsibility on your shoulders that is always there. But if my trips are not too long, I've been out of trouble.

Recently I even started growing some cubes, which made me self sufficient psychedelic wise.

So basically it is possible to do it, even if it feels you are always on very thin ice, but so far it has been a happy journey, which has put a lot of meaning back into my life.

 

[Termino]

Similar to Rorthron, I too basically stopped everything except weed & booze after the birth of my first kid (have 3 total). Then fast forward 19 years and I'm going to a big fest with my 19 year old daughter. I was again exposed to many delicious drugs & I slowly started back up again. Since then I've worked with acid, shrooms (lots!!), MDMA, MDA, cocaine, nitrous, 2C-e, 2C-i, 2C-T-2, 5-MeO-DALT, 4-AcO-DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, NN DMT, Methylone, 4-FA, MXE and a few assorted pharmies. I'm 50 now & have been tripping once or twice a month for about a year & a half. I'm quite cautious about my use. Although I enjoy some 'recreational' trips, most of them have been by myself in order to better explore my inner landscape. I've had some nice insights and I've been working on taking more control of my life rather than just going along with the ride. Psychs have helped me to move past a lot of blocks that I'd built up over the years.

I own & operate a small business, own a house, 2 cars, 2 dogs, etc., etc. just like any other middle class guy in the suburbs. But unknown to others, I enjoy my goodies at home, I get out & rage at shows & fests, and I've even done a couple of DMT extractions when the wife was out of town (she has become quite anti-drug).

By the way, some of the craziest psychonauts I know are in their mid to late 40's!

 

[Nephtys]

I wonder if the generation of the sixties is still tripping...

 

[TheAppleCore]

^ I think they'd rather have crumpets and tea at this point. :D

 

[bunnyhentman]

I was thinking about what Bunnyhentman said about people with drug problems and wanted to comment, but hesitated, now that you mention this I will chime in with my experience.

About addiction:

In my post above, I mentioned my "sober" years. That's not really correct, what I meant was my years not taking psychedelics. In that time I had several on an off habits develop with drugs and alcohol. Bear with me here. I say habits rather that addictions (or drug problems) because most of the time they did not really cause any real problems in my professional, personal, or financial life. However, a few months back I was going through some shit in my life and I made a bad choice and ended up on a 3 month mdpv binge. Now this was defiantly a problem and nearly destroyed my marriage, my job, and my sanity. Luckily I got out of it before I REALLY fucked everything up and things are actually better than ever.

Hey, just to clarify what I said earlier, I was referring to polydrug users who have built a life around their drug use -- people who have opted out of procreation or other major responsibilities and have skills, money and resources to avoid the pitfalls of a prolific drug user's life. They still take psychedelics, but they use opiates, stimulants, euphoriants and tranquilizers too.

Personally I have a use for psychedelics but never had an interest in most other recreational drugs. I've never been able to push myself too far with psychedelics alone, because when my life is out of sorts I don't enjoy tripping -- particularly LSD seems to have a gift for making me face everything I am hiding from. Also, if I trip too much (more than once or twice a month, or not taking a couple of months break after heavy use) my ego dissolves to the point I can't interface with normal people and interacting with consensus reality becomes really stressful.

 

[Moss on a rock]

Im 40. I am absolutely fascinated with the effects of psychadelics on the mind and spend far more time studying the subject rather than actually experiencing it. But being longer in years, my experience with life tells me thats just the way things are. For years, I used to be of the mind that "if it didnt come from nature, Im not interested in it." So, even though I was aware of Shulgin's work, I never picked up his books. Now I realize a lot of very fine psychadelics have passed me by and are now illegal. So, Im trying to make up for it. I realize now that having such a notion was really just an ego layer that I had to shed. It held me back. I went years without tripping, mostly because I just didnt have access. But that was fine, I found ways to enrich my life anyway like by dancing at powwows. I have American Indian ancestry and it means a lot to me. But recently here, I am keen on acquiring an inventory- preferably legally. Mostly for my own use. I really love the psychadelic experience. But dont have a lot of time for it. Maybe once a month at best. I keep myself busy with other projects too. My life does not revolve around when I will trip what next. I dont have a wife and kids so thats not an issue. My main concern is with safety. I dont want to melt my brain into a puddle of goo. I recognize that research chemicals have not been studied for safety for human consumption. I work in a public health dept and public health is important to me. I wish that I could use my position to gain favor for psychadelics in the political arena but I can't. There's so much stigma attached to psychadelic usage in the mind of mainstreamers that talking sense to them is useless. Mainly, imo, back in the 60s, hippies really cast an ill favored opinion by mainstreamers regarding psychadelics from all the shenanigans committed by the hippies. I want yall youths of today to really think about what sort of image the hippies created of themselves when they dropped acid and fuked in the streets back in the day. Those images horrified people. As far as I am concerned, that was not very smart of the hippies to do and it has really hurt us today in regards to being able to acquire and use psychadelics in a safe and productive manner. So, please dont make an ill favored sight of yourself if you choose to associate yourself with substances of anykind. It makes life difficult for the rest of us who try to present a responsible image of substance use. There is use and then there is abuse.

My advice to you younger folks: get an education, develop skills, and better yourself. Find your path: meaning identify how you can "serve life." To do this you will have to let go of your attachments. Let go of your hate and contempt for "mainstreamers." Remember the lessons of your trips such as "all life is sacred." That means those belly achin drug prohibitors too. Lead, uranium, water, and air is all sacred. The most potent poisons of industrial society to the most important nutrients in our diet are all sacred. Let go of your hate. Some snake oil medicine salesman probably taught it to you. Dont hold contempt for "the system" and dont just try to run away from it 'cause someone taught you its bad. Us Indians call it Colonial Society. But hippies will often use the term "babylonians". Well, Indians will lump those hippies right together with those babylonians as "those colonists." But ya know, we are all on the same planet and we are all on the same side. For me, "the system" has been nature's way of providing me with a useful education and compensation for "serving life." I had to let go of my ego to get to where I am at now.

 

[Dr.DruNk]

I agree about the stigma older psych users have to deal with. Trying to explain to a main-streamer why psychedelics are better for you than other drugs, like meth for example, is like telling them shooting yourself is better than jumping off a bridge. I think when you are young, say in the late teens/early 20's, people expect/tolerate a certain level of experimentation. However, once you approach your 30's (and certainly 40's and above) many of your peers will look down on you for continuing "childish" pursuits like taking drugs (Side note, playing video games is also a no-no as a grown up apparently ). Like I mentioned above, it is futile to try and explain to some "square" that you are not taking drugs in a childish way, because that is impossible from their viewpoint. Therefore, unless you live in a commune, are a full time artist/musician/writer, or just have a bunch or super cool friends that are into that sort of thing, as an older psychedelic user you just have to accept that your use is private.