psychicpsycho -
Do you think you had tolerance from previous doses (DOC or other) when you took the 15mg? If so, or possibly so, how much effect do you think that cut out from what you would have experienced had you had zero tolerance at the time?
How often do you trip?
I went through a phase where I ate mushrooms... very frequently. After a time, I developed a psychological tolerance to the effects. I did have a phsyical one at times, like when I'd take them 2 or 3 times a week for a couple weeks.. I'm not talking about that. This is where I'd dose pretty much every weekend, or every other weekend. I'd take an 3.5-5g, and get the expected effect. But I became so accustomed to the mushroom effect that I could deal with it better than I'd be able to normally. I could do more everyday things that I'd otherwise not be able to do. Things that would have otherwise really toasted my brain were still pretty instense, but I could handle them mostly in stride.
Then, out of a desire to have an experience with that magic I'd lost, I took 6g of mostly aborts (much stronger than typical matured normal mushrooms) out of nice healthy batch from a particularly potent isolate. I got my ass kicked. I made a bad decision, and I paid for it. I would not call it a "bad trip," in that it wasn't a total freakout... but it took me way way way further than I wanted or was prepared to go. I saw and felt things I didnt want and was not prepared to see. You know what I am talking about, I'm certain. I've done this on LSD as well.
Weeks later, after it was all sorted out, I felt some benefit from the experience. Though iIt turned me off mushrooms for the better part of a year though, and they were one of my favorite substances.
So, when I give out criticism about taking large doses its not because you were taking a large dose. That would be hypocritcal bullshit. However, mushrooms and LSD have a very favorable safety profile and much research has been done on them. Unless I induced mental trauma or hurt myself trying to do something under the influence, I knew I would be safe. That wasn't too likely, as my GF (whom I trust completely), and a very very close friend that could have restrained me if need be were there.
We don't have this kind of information on DOC. There is a lot on DOI, but being an atom different doesn't mean they are close enough to assume the same things about its toxicity.
I understand that it sucks to undershoot the mark, and get a mild experience when you want something more, especially if it happens a lot. This is especially true of substances that last so long like DOC. When you are at a threshold effect for 8-12 hours, it can really start to get irritating sometimes especially if you had to set aside all this time because of the length... or if you are affected jsut enough that you can't carry on with your day like normal, but not getting anything from the drug.
However, you have to understand that the primary purpose of this message board is harm reduction and not the uncriticized relation of experiences and information. Its welcome of course, and this would all be pretty silly and rather pointless without it, but you have to expect that kind of response.
Whether or not you intended to "one up," anyone with the initial 9mg dose, thats exactly what it sounded like. You have to expect a reaction to that. That, and even if you were concerned about underdosing-- and even taking into account some tolerance from other PEAs and personal variability-- 9mg is really very large for a first time. I mean, very large. From your trip report, it sound like you were completely smashed.
And when you go from 9mg to 15mg... almost doubling the amount and pushing the dose into pretty much uncharted territory on a drug we know very little about, you're doing something that is kind of dangerous.
Being that the ultimate goal is to reduce harm, people on here, particularly the moderators and regular participants, would be negligent if we did not say something.
Its not because anyone thinks you're a douchebag or anything like that. If that were the case, nobody would have commented.
Safety is key, that is all.
(sorry if this is disconnected. I had to get up and go do other things a couple times)
edit:
Poria - to keep the thread on topic and not start a big discussion in here, i sent you a PM... would like to hear your comments.
psychicpsycho - i missed the part about you increasing your dosage in 2mg increments, so disregard the part about jumping from 9->15mg.
