Why we trip-What is a Bad trip-How to avoid them.In theory..

[zezt]

So basically I was tripping 4-5 times a week

...what????

I wouldn't know how you could even DO that. As far as I am aware, the beauty of psychedelics is that you cannot trip too regularly, UNLESS you double the dose of what you had before. Is that what you did?

Whatever. Tripping that much is VERY not good, and you are abusing psychedelics, your body, and soul doing that

 

[Sludge]

I think he's aware of that and don't need a lesson about it (but maybe I'm wrong). It's perfectly clear in his message that it was nonsense.

 

[BrusqueArabesque]

I think he's aware of that and don't need a lesson about it (but maybe I'm wrong). It's perfectly clear in his message that it was nonsense.

It's not our rules to judge, every point of view is PERSONNAL. No apologies for some "lifestyles". Anyway, Whyra seems to explain well his own experience and even if it could be another rule or style than us, what's the matter ?

 

[entheogenresearcher]

You can't be addicted to psychedelics. If you're doing things right, you will know when it's too much, you will feel it.

Ok, but what if you're not doing things right? Is it possible to develop a kind of addiction to the special experiences that psychedelics make available?

Whyra: Thanks for the description of your eraserhead period. How long ago was this? Is it reasonable to describe it as a period of addiction, or is that the wrong term for this kind of intensive use (or perhaps abuse)? Did you experience any long-term consequences, or did everything sort itself out when you cut down on your excessive consumption?

Abeja: Opium is well known to be highly addictive on a physical level. Most psychedelics are probably not, but still it seems they can inspire too frequent use. I don't know how much is too much - although people here seem to agree that Whyra's 4-5 times a week is definitely excessive. What do you think?

 

[Abej^a G.]

I think simple things... that the happiness that psychedelic can induce is beautiful like making love..


(anyway, before about opium, maybe I exaggerated maybe not.. but his use is been done for some months.. not years.. I'm like Baudelaire!!! no, it isn't true..)

 

[Finarfin]

Finarfin: When you took mushrooms every month, how was your life? were the consequences mostly good or bad? why did you start doing the mushrooms more rarely?

Consequences where mostly positive i think. I never drinked much alchohol. But in this period i totally stopped drinking and smoking. I still do not drink and smoke. I started doing more work outs and eating more healthy food. The mushrooms made me feel more in tune with my body and that, s why i started living more healthy
My mushroom use made me feel positive.

I stopped using the mushrooms montly because i do not have the time. I have more responsibilities and stuff to take care of now.

(Edit)
With mushrooms i found an inner calmness or inner peace. I realised i wanted to also have this feeling of calmness in my everyday (normal ) life.
So i started meditating and doing more work outs.

 

[entheogenresearcher]

Finarfin: earlier you referred to meditation and mantra practices as helpful for difficult trips. Can you say something more about your experience with this? Did you start doing meditation before or after you first started using entheogenic drugs?

Have your challenging trips resulted in something positive?

 

[Finarfin]

Finarfin: earlier you referred to meditation and mantra practices as helpful for difficult trips. Can you say something more about your experience with this? Did you start doing meditation before or after you first started using entheogenic drugs?

Have your challenging trips resulted in something positive?

The first time i ate mushrooms i did not as much about them as i do know now. I knew the could make someone hallucinate and that you should take them on a empty stomach and that, s about it.
I was already intressted in the counter culture and anything that was underground and not mainstream.
My fist experience with mushrooms was in my friends tiny student room.
We (3 friends) where and still are music fanatics so we listened to music all night.
The room became a world on it, s own. The room was like a space ship traveling between the stars at light speed. The experience was chaotic and funny. One of the friends panicked a little bit. Things became to chaotic to him for a short moment. He managed to calm down and we talked and listened to music for the rest of the night.

The next day i could not stop thinking about the experience. This mushroom world where i had been was fascinating to me. I started searching for information and found erowid. I also found a book about magick mushrooms by Arno Adelaars. I learned a lot from this book.
I discovered Terence Mckenna and people from the psychedelic 60s. People like timothy leary and ram dass.
I read the book: the psychedelic experience. As you may know this book is based on the tibetan book of death. It was because of my fascination with psychedelics i was introduced to things like buddhism and meditation, eastern and western philosopy and mysticism.

Now over the years i ate and also grew mushrooms. I also had challanging experiences and i learned a lot from them.
Not only did i learn how to avoid mistakes that can lead to a bad trip. Most of all i started to know about myself about my mind and about who i am.
When you have a hard time on psychedelics it can feel like your dying.
When you think you, re dying you may discover aspects of yourself you never payed attention to. You discover what is important in your life. You can for example see yourself trough the eyes of other people (sort of).

For me a succesfull mushroom experience is one where i say to myself: this is so intens why do i do this to myself. I am never going to do this again.
Ofcourse i always will do it again. At some point.

I had experiemented with meditation during a mushroom session and had a lot of succes with it. Meditation helps me to get me into a visonary state.
I had one great experience with the mushrooms in the country side.
I was trying to get into this state and i saw my spine and it turned into a tree. I became very calm. I felt my muscles relax and i felt very peacefull and in balance.
This experience made me practice meditation even more because i wanted to have this calmness in my everyday life.

I did ayahuasca ceromonies here in the netherlands. These ceromonies where of the traditional shamanic type. I had learned from listening to mckenna how you could use the voice to help you during a difficult experience. However the shaman who gave this ceremony was really good in singing this shaman songs.
With his voice and with some music instruments he lead this ceromony in the most skillfull way. I was blown away by the skill of this shaman. I realised the voice is a very powerfull tool and weapon and is really helpfull in the psychedelic realm.

Now when you chant aum or ohm you will feel this vibration and maybe you will feel how this can be calming.
I had an experience a couple of years ago where i was getting lost in the chaos of the experience and the chaos in my own mind. At some point fear and unrest entererd my mind. I had a hard time meditating and being calm, so i started to chant. When i stated to chant i started having visions and the chaos disapeard and everything became more harmonius.

Another time i chanted for my friend and i totally was emerged in this chanting. My friend later told me it was like the layers of his personallity where peelt off like the layers of an union.
On his turn my friend played instruments for me. He also had this singing bowls. Singing bowls are amazing.

So using your voice can be helpfull to get into the visonary state. It can also be helpfull when dealing with unrest or fear.
The words of the chants may have a meaning. The meaning of these chants is not that important i think. The vibration and intenttion is what it, s about.
Chants like om mani padme hum or namu amida butsa have a meaning.
Even the simple sound of Ohm or aum has a meaning and a philosophy behind it.

I hope i have answered your questions.

 

[entheogenresearcher]

Thanks Finarfin - it is great to read your story. The chanting sounds like a very helpful practice for channeling difficult energy.

Can I ask how long time ago it was that you were introduced to mushrooms?
If it is not too private I would also like to know what kind of background you have, in a religious / spiritual sense?

I have many other questions but I'm actually off on a trip to Switzerland and will probably be busy for a week.

 

[Finarfin]

In 2001 i had my first experience with mushrooms.
In the 90, s i did eat a couple of dried mushrooms, but it did not realy do anything because i shared them with friends and the dose was to low. 2001 was my first real full experience.

My religious or spiritual background?
I don, t think i have a religious or spiritual back ground.
I was not raised with religion. My family is not religious at all.
I come from a white western working class family so there is a bit of a christian/chatolic background. But my family never went to church or did anything with it. No bible no praying nothing.

 

[entheogenresearcher]

Thanks Finarfin. I read you as saying that your shamanic practice is a break with your background, and a consequence only of your experiences with entheogens. Do you practice the chanting only in entheogenic sessions, or does it serve as a practice on its own, in situations where there are no drugs involved?

 

[Finarfin]

Thanks Finarfin. I read you as saying that your shamanic practice is a break with your background, and a consequence only of your experiences with entheogens. Do you practice the chanting only in entheogenic sessions, or does it serve as a practice on its own, in situations where there are no drugs involved?

Chanting does not only serve me while in a psychedelic session. You can chant whenever you feel the need. Chanting can help to calm the mind a bit.

I do meditation everyday. Meditation to me is not only sitting meditation. I also meditate while walking or doing everyday stuff. You can meditate everywhere at any time.
I also do chant sometimes. Chanting is not something you can do everywhere.
The chant ohm or aum can help to centre yourself.

Meditation to me is a everyday practice. Chanting is more a tool i sometimes use.
Chanting is a very helpfull tool for dealing with difficult psychedelic sessions and fear during a psychedelic sessions. When you are afraid or feel fair, use your voice. Chant or sing .

 

[entheogenresearcher]

Again, thanks. I read you as saying that as a result of your entheogenic experiences you have developed a daily meditation practice that helps you not only with entheogenic sessions (which are sometimes difficult) but also with life in general.

Is it correct to think that this embrace of meditation and chanting practice has been accompanied by new spiritual beliefs or perspectives? Or to say it differently: do you now have beliefs and perspectives that are very different from those of your family?

 

[zezt]

I have just read one of the most amazing Trip Reports and know it will interest you:

Shrooms changed my life!

I literally just made an account so I could share this with you all.

Shrooms changed my life.

I did about 6 grams on my own. It had been years since I have done them. Usually I do them with other people but this time I decided I wanted to get to know myself better.

I had done shrooms before in high school a lone but this was way way different.

It started off as overwhelming like I am trapping in a cell to face my own fears. And then soon I began to realize things, about other people and moreso about myself. I began to empathize for other people, one of which is my moms bf and we never ever see eye to eye. But somehow I could feel bad for him, for all the things he's missing in his life even tho he chose that path.

It was euphoric to feel so much so someone I cared so little for. I began crying profusely. Practically convulsing. And it felt unbelievably relieving. I thought of those I love, those I've loved. The relationships I could have had but was too busy feeling like I had to protect myself from getting hurt, when that in of itself was hurting me the most! I c ups never have told anyone the things I am typing right now and I don't even know you all! But it's the most gratifying feeling to be freed from judging yourself for being emotional.

I always use to protect myself by telling me, your strong, just chill out relax, smoke some weed drink a few beers call some friends over, laugh it off.

And really that was how I hid my true feelings from myself.

This one mushroom trip has changed my whole life from that moment on. My brother, my friends, my family all know and have told me I am different and they all like me better. I can now say things I feel and not judge myself for saying them. I can have conversations with my friends and actually be so sincere they cry.

This trip didn't just stop after it wore off. I am more compassionate, empathetic, open minded, less judgemental and mostly, I am now thriving in my daily life by facing what bothers me. Like being alone and not having anyone to care for. It's my own fault for not allowing others to get to know me and me getting to know them. I literally FEEL words now. I have cried over something almost every day since my trip and it's been over three weeks and it feels amazing to feel.

I told my friends how much they mean to me, that I truely want them to be happy, they were just blown away with my sincerity.

Most importantly I realized who I want to be and how I am going to tackle life from now on. Sober! I smoked weed 1-5 times a day since I was 13. I have a bag of weed sitting on my coffee table to tease me and I forget it's even there, because weed was my way of hiding my fears. All I want to do is face my fears now.

I even told my ex from ten years ago that I wish her the best even though she betrayed me and left me lifeless. And I don't hold that against her I hold that against myself! That I couldn't let go, and feel alive like I used to. I cannot describe the freedom forgiveness can give yourself.

I also now am reading! My mom barely believed me when I told her I am reading Prometheus Rising.

I feel so alive and connected with everyone around me and I wanna help everyone, even if they hate me. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

If this helps even one person to understand what they felt when they had their trip then it was worth my time writting it.

Cause I am a better person than I have ever been and I am staying sober from now on so I can convey my feelings to everyone around me. That's what matters in life. That's what we are Soo affraid to do.


--------------------
I feel more alive now than I ever dared to feel before.

 

[Finarfin]

Is it correct to think that this embrace of meditation and chanting practice has been accompanied by new spiritual beliefs or perspectives? Or to say it differently: do you now have beliefs and perspectives that are very different from those of your family?

I do not think my spirtual believes are very different from those of my family.
It would be incorrect to say that i have a radically different view on spirituality or reality then those of my family.
Ofcourse everyone has his own believes and thoughts. My family does not always agree. However there are no members of my family that have a radically different view on reality.

I do think that i have more knowledge and are more intressted in learning about spirituality then the rest of my family members.

I must also say that i am very happy with my family members and with the way i was raised. My grandparents grew up during the war. My grandmother was someone who knew about all the bullshit sold by the church. She was sort of a free spirit, a strong woman with little respect for autorithy. My parents grew up during the 60s and 70s so they came from a time of new freedom and experimentation.
I myself was raised in a climate of openess and freedom. In my family it is normal to have long philosopical discussions about almost everything. My father (who took psychedelics when he was young) is the most conservative member of our family. He is not a big talker and never talks about his emotions or spirituality. My father had a diffucult childhood and is (i think) psychologicaly wounded because of this.

 

[Finarfin]

Entheogenicresearcher You are asking all these questions because of your research. But what about you?

How did you got interrested in this subject? And what is your spiritual believe?

 

[Finarfin]

Zezt: reading that trip report i recognize how mushrooms can make you understand yourself and others.
Someone once told me, after coming down from mushrooms how during the trip it was like he was watching himself trough the eyes of others.

Mushrooms also has this effect on me. Mushrooms make me feel more empatic and feel like more understanding for the feelings and motivations of others.
They make me feel more love and understanding.

Reading in Leary, s book High Priest there is a story about how someone on mushrooms wanted to phone the leaders of the ussr and the usa and solve the cold war.
Mushrooms can sometimes make you feel as if not only the tripper has more empathy and understanding but also the rest of the world. This is however not the case of course. You (the mushroom tripper) may have this feeling of understanding and empathy. The other who is not on mushrooms may not have this feeling.
This is one of the reasons why i do not try to communicate with sober people while tripping. When on mushrooms you feel the need to say something to someone or to show your feelings it may be better to wait untill you come down.
(Just like in this trip report for example)

It, s better not to act on impulse while tripping. So for example do not call someone during the peak of the experience to tell them how you feel and how you understand and love them and such. I think in most cases it, s better to wait untill you come down and call them later.

Not acting on impulse is also something that can prevent a bad trip becoming worse. When you are in a bad trip just wait untill it is over.
For example Do not call the 911 when you think you are dying. Just wait untill you come down and then do what you need to do.

 

[Terence]

In my humble opinion having bad trips on psychedelics is due to people trying to resist the trip, letting go and trying to enjoy it as much as you can is the best way. Bad trips are caused by the ego trying to control the situation.

 

[Whyra]

Whyra: Thanks for the description of your eraserhead period. How long ago was this? Is it reasonable to describe it as a period of addiction, or is that the wrong term for this kind of intensive use (or perhaps abuse)? Did you experience any long-term consequences, or did everything sort itself out when you cut down on your excessive consumption?

It's really hard to tell was it addiction or what. Maybe I was just too excited about psychedelics. I guess that the first trip was so amazing that I thought I would get enlightened or something if I just used more. But instead of getting any better person I just lost the trips. It wasn't mystical anymore. Anyway this period was like 5-6 years ago.

I used a lot psychedelics even after this period untill I realized that's not the right way (I mean, there's no right or wrong but if you want to get benefits let's say it wasn't the best way) to do it. Psychedelics alone don't make any change. But it was a path I had to walk and it's not like I'm regretting it. This is how I learnt what is and what is not the right way for me to use psychedelics... through my own experience.

Now I mostly use like 2-6 times a year but large doses. In my experience the best way to use psychedelics is the way I'm using them now. And I know months before the next trip when it's going to be. Preparations are also important. I mean, ofc you can just decide that "heyyy i'm gonna trip NOW", that's fine. But if you really want to use psychedelics as tools then it benefits you more if you have time to think about your motives and intentions for the trip, what are the things you want to process during the trip etc. I like to think very deeply what is the reason for the next trip. What is it that I want to work on?

Right now I know my next trip is going to be in May after I get my school work done. And I know that what I want to deal with during that trip are my boundaries. And I know I'm going to be alone and I'll be taking about 1000-2000 ug LSD. Last time I did psychedelics was when drank Ayahuasca in January.

But everybody's different. I would say follow your intuition. Inside of me I always know what is good for me and what is not. You just have to listen to it and not hesitate so much. Trust yourself. There are also some techniques you can try to find out if the trip is good for you or not, like O-ring. Have you heard of it? If you're not good at listening to your inner voice, the O-ring will show it to you. Basically you will be weaker when you are holding the psychedelic substance at a time when it's not the right time to trip and you'll be stronger when it's the right time. Just google O-ring.

 

[entheogenresearcher]

So I understand that your eraserhead period took place early in your psychedelic "career". May I ask what was your age at the time?

Earlier you described a micro-dosing practice - what benefits to you experience from this? Does this practice have a "spiritual" component even if it is not mystical?

You speak about how you prepare your sessions with thinking about relevant issues you want to face. Have you ever found that meditation or other spiritual practices serve to prepare or strengthen your mind for a psychedelic session?

I did google O-ring, but all I got was pictures of jewelry