I've shy'd away from this thread for a while now. No particular reason, just didn't feel I had anything meaningful to add 'til now. Don't get mad at me either, cuz I just jumped to the end of the thread without reading all the other posts. (yeah yeah I know) Anyway, the only LSA experience I have is from 2001 when I ordered about 20 or 30 of the little buggers from some ethnobotanical supply house. The first time I tried them I think I ate 4 or so.... sorry it was a while ago. The effects were way way more potent than I had expected them to be. To me these little seeds have got the most bang for buck factor of any natural entheogen out there imo. At first I felt heavy and a little sleepy, my vision sort of blurred a bit. I wasn't expecting any acid like visuals as I'd read a bunch of experience reports from Erowid about them before I tried them for my self. Some natural high sites try to pass them off as being ' just like lsd' only natural. Whatever, it wasn't like that at all. But as the effects built up over a couple of hours- it did take a while to get the full flavor of the experience- I really did feel the best way to describe them was as identical to lsd in mental nature, but absolutely no visual element. But damn, that doesn't mean they aren't psychedelic. As a matter of fact, they areHEAVYman, on the mental end of the trip; every bit as potent to me (and engaging as far as the interconnectedness- the cosmic consciousness, all is one- type thought and context) as LSD. Absolutely amazing and deep. I'm not trying to talk it up either. This is my memory of my first time in HBWS. It was great and totally satisfying. I gave a few to a (then) friend and he hated them. He just got sleepy and nodded off... oh well, not for everyone I guess.
But I tried them several times after that and got ridiculously, alarmingly, trip-killing, painful vasoconstriction in my hands and legs. Oh my god! I seriously thought I'd fucked myself for sure and I was gonna die. This was it-- I'd finally done it! I had pushed my poor body too far and I was gonna croak right then. I said 'fuck I can't call 911, it's just too much to deal with. So I tried laying down; that didn't help at all. I tried getting up and walking around to get some blood flow going; I shook my hands and pounded on my legs- hell I think I even jumped up and down to try and get the blood moving. Then I was determined not to die! I had to live! This was all very dramatic and took on the feel of an epic struggle for life over death. Crazy shit! HAHAHA!!! Fuck that sucked!
The nauseating feeling and intense constricted pain passed after an hour or so and alot of water... I think I even wretched a bit to get some of the seeds out. But after it passed it was just the opposite of the fucked initial symptoms-- total peace. It made the ordeal worth it in a way. But still it was rough. The few times I did them after that I ate about 6 or so at a time to get a good trip going. But I had to deal with the nausea and vasoconstriction from one varying degree to another every time after the first time. So, I've always been curious as to why I had these side effects. I'd never read that anyone had experienced these symptoms from eating HBWS. Now combining maois and certain drugs can do this I know, but I didn't think that the seeds interacted with anything in an adverse way. But that's the only conclusion I could come up with... that I'd eaten something before-hand that caused the constriction when combined with lsa. I don't know.. anyone have any insight on this?