A feature article on psychedelics

[LaStaff]

Hi all,

I've been lurking these forums for quite some time now after hearing about a group of people who call themselves 'psychonauts'. I had heard these people take new types of drugs in order to report the effects, and after a quick Google search, i ended up here.

It seems as though quite a few members here have had some interesting experiences on psychedelics - at least more than the stereotypical terrifying trip - and I'd like to know a bit more about it all.

To cut a long story short i'm looking to provide an insight into what you do. (Yes I'm a freelance journalist).

Before you automatically assume that i'm looking to slam this, i'm not. If I wanted to do that, I could have just searched for all the 'bad trip' posts on this site and pulled some bullshit-scaremongering story out of my arse.

Instead, i want to really know why you do this, the benefits of what you do and the negative aspects. If possible, i'd like meet with an experienced member of the forums (UK based) to talk about the whole thing.

Feel free to ask me any questions whatsoever, or email me at: [email protected] :idea:

 

[IJesusChrist]

im not from the us but you can sure hear my opinion

 

[LaStaff]

You're not from the US? That's good, i'm looking for people living in the UK ideally

 

[spice]

he lives here in America, I think.....


I dont fully understand, what exactly is it that you can get here that you cannot obtain in the voluminous literature that already exists on psychedelics?


Specifically?


If you want to also do a Q and A here on this thread (pm is ok too) it would probably be interesting.


If you like, I am willing to answer questions.


but I am in America too.....so it would have to be one of those

 

[spice]

The stereotypical 'terrifying trip' you mention is a rite of passage that anyone exploring these areas has gone through (or will go through). As psychonauts we learn soon enough that these experiences are defining and illuminating, AFTER we learn how to cede the desire for control (which is itself the most basic cause of being afraid during psychedelic experience- the ego-driven need to micro-manage reality, and the resultant panic when one realizes it cannot be done)

Fear of the unknown through a psychic magnifying glass= terror in the novice but it is exactly what the veteran psychonaut is after.

Think of us as sailors back in the flat-earth days, when fear of falling off the edge of the earth was a dominant factor in keeping people close to the geographical area wher ethey were born, but slowly over time, people would take trips in their little boats, and they'd go a little farther each time, and they learned that if you knew how to use a compass then you could usually return safely.

Psychonauts modern version of a compass is a set of 'rules' pertaining to the way we partake in these substances, these rules are called 'set and setting', named by Tim Leary. Surely the finer points of these observations are known by shamans everywhere who never read Tim Leary, they know it instinctively or it was handed to them via oral tradition by their teachers.

Everyone has their own reasons for doing these things. Many of us, like myself, ended up here accidentally. It wasn't my intention to be into these areas, but I got sucked in

Everyone also has their own area withn the general realm that they are most interested in, I was mainly into LSD and MDMA.

 

[LaStaff]

Thank you for getting back! The reason why I've come to a forum as opposed to just reading literature associated with this, is that a good article needs quotes from real people.

People's own experiences are usually far more interesting and varied, and having a human 'voice' in the article allows it connect with readers.

I'll draft out some questions, and hopefully the forum members and yourself could give your own thoughts and experiences?

But again, if there are any UK based members, let me know!

 

[VerusDeus]

@Lastaff: have a look on erowid.org too, there's loads of accounts of personal experiences in their 'experience vault.'

 

[IamYou]

Although I'm new to the forum here, I'm certainly not new to psychedelics. I'm in the US but I would love to talk if you wish. I treat psychedelics as religious sacraments, and certainly don't use them to get "messed up", quite the contrary.

 

[ophiuchus]

why do this? natural born curiosity. i was one of the few that was always encouraged to ask questions, and never take no for an answer. "this is where i ended up" is misleading, because im only just beginning.

i'd like to see some ideas of what you have as far as questions go

 

[EewDefining]

8)

This seems defining.

I don't like your definition of psychonaut.

I dont think that the trip is about the weird stuff.

Also, it's probably not a good idea to lump all bad trips together around people who experienced them.

 

[ophiuchus]

^we might find importance in you-defining who you're talking about..

 

[BrainEater]

yeah!!!!!... we're not silly people that let others test their shit on us like rats.

wtf really!??!?!



peace