? for experienced shroomers: bad trips and breakthrough?

[wjames]

The following question is posed to *advanced psychonauts*.

My first times eating shrooms (cubes) were excellent.
Now, for the last few times, they have been bad.

For one thing, I tend to get a sick feeling (but no urge to vomit).

Then, since one bad trip, it's like I have an anxiety "vicious circle": I start to worry about a bad trip, and then worry that the worry will get out of control, which increases worry, etc.

That I trip alone doesn't help--but there's not much I can do about that.

Now the real questions:

1. Could this simply be physiological--that my body doesn't like the extra "toxins" in shrooms any more--period?

2. Could this be psychological resistance? Like maybe there's some difficult insight that I want to avoid having?

3. Whereas before I had glowing, gentle visions, now I get more images and feelings that I associate with primordial chaos and what I can best describe as luminescent, powerful serpent energies. (It reminds me of
a picture by William Blake of a huge, somewhat terrifying surpent coiled around God).

So basically the question is whether (1) I should keep trying, because beyond this stage there's a resolution, or (2) whether the negative reactions are a sign to ease up.

As I say, this is for advanced psychonauts--someone who has experienced something similar, and who has a metaphysical background or orientation.

Disclaimer: Everything I post should be viewed as fiction. Any technically illegal activity is technically illegal, and I avoid doing illegal things.

 

[forest]

my last two trips were really heavy and i went bad, with one i wasn't even able of standing up straight anymore, nor able of seeing where i was, but now i'm going to build it up, by making a trip every 2 weeks, just one portion, getting confidence back, building it up to larger portions. getting more familliar again with the shroomworld.

 

[SeTyR]

"I trip alone and i have been high on shrooms for the last 2 month every weekend, 3 nights each time (friday,saturday,sunday)

each time i take them tired (on friday nights) , i find it difficult to experience wellbeing and generally it starts when they rise inside me.. i regret having taken them at that point and start boosing till the end of my trip which lessens the effects .. gets me to a mild annoying trip

then on saturdays, after having slept enough, ate enough and had good laughs with my loved ones . .. i generally get through it with no anxiety, and this because i amrested, and with a joyfull mind (no job probs etc..) and the need to conquer those shrooms

and for sundays, i get high, really high then too strongly with fewer quantity.. well i feel them like that because i know i should go to sleep because i have to work the day after and that it might not do it.. reminds me of their power.. and shouldnt abuse

and it goes again to the next friday night, i cant refrain but start again with no sleep, no food etc.. and the souvenir of their powerfullness which brings again an anxiety which builds on my tireness which gets me to boose etc till saturday..


.. understand what i mean ? Anticipating thoughts

finally what you find is that whatever you do, you got to be in good mood and certified sure environnment for the necessary next hours and forget havin taken them until they rise if you are afraid of them (the ingestion of a substance is, in the act itself, a signal to your brain-ego to start this or that)

also dont forget your personnal breakthrough moment.. mine is around 42-45 minutes after ingestion.. at that point, there must be no anxiety nor stress not even a tought about it.. until it gets funny"


.. of course, all of this is what my cat told me about it

 

[tryptonaut]

I really can't tell what makes trips bad and what makes them glorious. Well, the usual precautions are important - you must be in a good set and setting, show respect for the drug and so on - but still sometimes it can go bad.
If you think the trips don't work well right now, take a break longer than usual until you really want to trip again.

What I can do against bad trips is that I somehow learned not to let a trip fuck me totally. When it gets too far I fight it (quite literally). Recently I had this bad bad beginning where my whole world was falling apart, thoughts about a conspiracy against me rose up who were watching me and who wanted to drive me crazy. But instead of giving up and waiting for hell to end I got up and said "No! I will not give up, you won't get me!" Because it felt like I was attacked by some black magic energy, I began fighting it, blowing smoke at it and trying to throw my mental energy at it like a weapon. I am in no way trained in any of this, I just did what felt right to fight the black energy and it helped! After a while the trip turned into a 2-hour body-and-mind-orgasm that was better than any drug I have ever taken in my life

So - I think doing something is important when your trip is going bad. Try to fight it somehow - get up, dance, run, whatever. Or, if you feel attacked by magic forces like I did - fight them back with your magic!

 

[ExecutionStyle]

My advice to you,

Boomers are worth it, in my opinion. You should keep trying. I suffer from panic attacks, tripping and not, and shrooms have given me countless amazing lessons on controlling my own mind.

I suggest you find complete peace with your anxiety before your next trip. I just recently overcame such a feat.

Look at all the positive aspects of tripping, read other peoples amazing stories about their experiences. If you can build your confidence up at the begining of the trip, it will last, trust yourself. Just realize that your holding yourself back from having a, possibly, life changing experience. Shrooms are what you make them, plain and simple, and they can be so damn great if you embrace them 100%.

Think about what your looking for in a trip. Realize the value of your goal. Know you are the master of your domain (your mind). Then go for it.

 

[Pazusu]

Oké, I'm not of any use in this topic for you, mr. James, 'cos I never touched one shroom. But I have an open mind for this magic piece of nature. I really find it amazing how many resemblances with the main message of most religions come to the surface. The shroom not only brings this message, but it makes you experience the purpose of the message.

 

[Guest]

The shroom not only brings this message, but it makes you experience the purpose of the message.

Damn, this must be the quote of the year!


In my opinion, you should do whatever feels right.
Check your stance on tripping (the reason why you do it) and aks yourself if you really think the bad times are worth it.

I've had some really great experiences on shrooms, actually none are bad.
There are times when I am worrying about things and see the bad sides of me, but I don't really think that is a bad trip because if you do something with the information, the experience was good in the sense that you have gained knowledge and are a step closer to who you want to be.

And yes like posted before, read a lot of articles and get info about what drives people to trip.

 

[scamie]

Just dont look at it as a bad trip... try to move to a more positive whole feeling about tripping. And just trust the shroomz.

 

[Brewmaster]

I grow shrooms but I don't care for them. I used to eat them all the time when I was younger but a bad experience in Antioch, Tennesse made me quit. I was at a Phish show and ate a mushroom chocolate for the first time and it hit me in like 10 minutes. It was 105 degrees outside and I was miserable; having the worst visuals of peoples' faces melting. I actually tried them several more times ( plain ol shrooms ) after that but they were rough trips each time. I didn't touch em for 4 or 5 years until this summer. I was at another festival and got a wild hair on my ass and bought some. It was wonderful but I still don't have the urge to do them anymore.

 

[Brewmaster]

My advice to you is Mescaline. If you've never tried San Pedro or Peruvian torch cactus you should. I mention these because it's hard to find peyote here in the states. I don't know what your laws are on these cactus but Pedro and peruvian are available on ebay and many other sites, over here I can get them at home improvement stores and plant suppliers. They provide a much better trip than any shrooms I've ever taken. Much more spiritual/ meaningful and never paranoid or anxious. Take a dramamine before hand and you shouldn't have any stomach troubles.

 

[Forkbender]

1. Could this simply be physiological--that my body doesn't like the extra "toxins" in shrooms any more--period?

2. Could this be psychological resistance? Like maybe there's some difficult insight that I want to avoid having?

So basically the question is whether (1) I should keep trying, because beyond this stage there's a resolution, or (2) whether the negative reactions are a sign to ease up.

1. The toxins aren't as bad as, say, a bottle of wine, so that shouldn't be too big of a problem for your body to handle (keeping in mind that millions of people can't resist the odd bottle of wine every now and then).

2. I think this is most likely. You might find it difficult to let go of things that you hold dear (like for example your mental health). Don't think this is a bad thing, it is a sign of life (you want to stay alive, so holding on to life is more than normal. As most of your psychological dispositions are what you are used to, you tend to cling to the known. The trip is the 'unknown' and is hard to accept at some times). The problem is that your ego doesn't want to get conscious about its own flaws. Solutions are a higher dose (for the fearless) or meditation to ease your mind, among others.

My advice to you is to relax for a while. If you never want to trip again that is okay, but if you want to trip it's fine as well. Just make sure you are ready to be willing to change if you do. Reconsider what you want to get out of the trips. Is it that you want to have fun? Than this substance might not be right for you. Do you want to increase consciousness about yourself and your relation to your environment, than you can go on without trouble. You won't be disappointed. As brewmaster said you can try other substances like Mescaline. I don't have experience with that, but I think this might work. Some substances are gentler than others.

I recently witnessed a lecture by Peter Oehen, a psychotherapist who uses MDMA and LSD to help people overcome their difficulties. He claimed that shrooms were too unpredictable for therapy. I tend to disagree, but his opinion can be argued for. I guess it depends on the person. MDMA is probably a good way to start to accept your own 'darkside', which is much harder on shrooms or acid. Oehen always started with about 3 sessions of MDMA and then moved on to the hallucinogens.

 

[BridgeUnder]

So what's the deal with plain old OJ?
Is it also fortifying or not? :?: