I'm intrigued by some things that I've read about peoples experiences with psilocybin mushrooms and I'm pretty keen to find out what they can do for me. But I'm still kinda apprehensive and dont wanna just dive right in without knowing anything.

Any advice on preparing for my first trip? This seems to be the place to ask.

go to www.erowid.com

the best site for drug info

what he said ^

Thank you.

welcome

my advice is to not listen to a damn thing you hear, as you are very succeptable to suggestion in this state. all i can tell you is, nothing you read or hear will ever be able to fully describe what happens. you will never be the same, but not in some weird tripped out way. you will be one of us :)

but yeah, they describe the trails and the jaw ache etc, but nothing can describe what you will go through, and no one will ever understand unless theyve been through it also.

The only advice I can give you is from my experience. I have never done anything more than smoke weed and drink, but I have seen a LOT:

1. My ex boyfriend had a VERY bad acid trip and freaked out. It involved stitches and a VERY VERY long night. He is normally a chill cool guy and I was scared to death watching him freak out the way he did.

2. I was in college and went to a party with a bunch of people on my floor who all took ecstasy and apparently it was not good because 2 of them had ceizures on the front lawn of the party and we had to call an ambulence.

3. My best friend from college developed a MAJOR coke addiction and has a heart condition as a result

4. An old family friend's son has been in jail for 10 years for several offenses as a result of his heroine addiction which will drive you to do ALL SORTS OF THINGS you never thought you'd do.

5. A friend from HighSchool did heroine for a bit and went through rehab, watching her withdrawl was AWFUL. It looked like the worst disease possible, what a nightmare.

6. This kid I had many classes with in college did a lot of acid from freshman year to senior year and by senior year he was all sorts of retarded and very different mentally than he was 4 years prior.


Perhaps all of the above are why I never did, or never want to, try harder drugs. Not worth the risk.

The above Maynard quote is pretty good. Try not to rush into it and rather PLAN ahead to some degree (esp. in regards to set and setting...if unfamiliar with this concept see www.erowid.org ). The advice to take them with someone who's done it before is something I'd recommend for newcomers. It's not vital per se, but I definitely think it's a nice reassuring feeling to be there with others and you know they're in the same state of (being out of your) mind as you. Also, it may be a personal preference, but being around large groups of people or people with which you're not comfortable in general should try to be avoided. I find it hard to handle trying to interact with people I'm not close with and often migrate somewhere else to trip out in peace away from other people's social mind games (whether they be real, or often when on shrooms, imagined). Especially on higher doses I become even more socially retarded and cannot deal with making normal conversation beyond what patterns the breathing carpets or wood-grain are producing...

Or the ways you feel interconnected with everything. How everything looks incredibly beautiful, new, different - due to the massive hallucinations which all together cause overwhelming physical euphoria on top of the amusing visuals. Someone posted in here that you can't describe what shrooming is like and you can't understand unless you go through it. I definitely agree with this, but to a point. The ultimate experience is inexpressible in words, and you will FEEL this while peaking. Just a total sense of awe is the best word I can think of. You truly experience what the word "awesome" is supposed to mean.

I think you can describe other aspects of a trip, to whatever degree language alllows. Obviously, you hallucinate: things melt/morph/breathe/pulsate; patterns emerge in everything (walls, ceilings, tiles, rugs, art...); things seem 'more real' than ever, yet usually they look completely absurd due to said melting or however you want to illustrate the unreal movement. Lines blur between boundaries...which leads into the whole mental aspect, which is harder to describe than the open-eyed visuals you get. There is a dissolution of the ego, and this is the part that truly has to be experienced to understand the feeling which is so foreign to how we normal view the world, but that which causes such euphoric thoughts & feelings; a common one I've felt is of "one-ness" with some bigger whole. There's a massive distortion of time esp. after about 1 hour (or sooner if they're rockin) so that it slows down and becomes practically meaningless. It's an oceanic. timeless feeling that has to be FELT. You will laugh your ass off at nothing and everything ("perma-smile"). You may get profoundly deep insights into the universe, life, anything, yet be unable to articulate what this God-sent wisdom is (Rosetta Stoned?)

Well I digressed from the original question here about advice...but I'd also recommend smoking on the way up to help ease the transition/integration phase. Waiting for them to kick in is a hell of a lot smoother when you're stoned (and if you got it, smoke it thruout if you're feeling it). I could go but I'm not sure if anyone is wasting their time reading. anyways www.erowid.org ftw

shrooms rock ass.

My Advice... Only do them if your alone or with good friends.. I did them this one time when I was visiting a friend in college. We got to his dorm room and we were all tripping ballz and stuff.. My friend and his roomate started throwing paper plates around the room and just basically trying to destroy anything they could get their hands on in their dorm room.. Neither one of them was a very stable person to begin with, they both listen to death metal etc. So anyway.. I decided I had to get away from the fuckers so I went and wandered down the hallway to another dorm room. I just kind of strolled on in and within minutes I found myself sitting around with about 10 guys watching Faces of Death. Oh my fucking god. Worst trip in my life... It is not a good idea to see gruesome images of people and animals being destroyed while shrooming.. So anyway, I passed out somhow.. I remember the sadistic fuckers dragged me along the floor back to my friends dorm room because I was too drunk and shroomed too walk.. I ended up with a huge fucking rug burn... And I still have the scar from it on my back today.. Crazy shit. So yea. Advice, Do them in a save environment where crazy fucks don't watch Faces of Death. Do them around people you can actually trust, or by yourself. Sorry I'm rambling. Wasted.

the shroomery is also a valuable source of information.
If you are picking them yourself, research the afore-mentioned web pages AND get someone you know to identify them, don't _just_ rely on descriptions from web pages as there are alot of very small diferences.
research, learn, and listen to people you know.
above all, be smart, not scared. If you are scared, it will ruin your experience.

I suggest you start off with a sub-psychedelic dose at first, just so you know what's going on. For me, a little dose of shrooms is like being put in the best mood ever, and becoming very curious and interested in lots of things... different than higher doses, but a much mor comfortable first-time experience.

This is just how my personal brain/body chemstry works, so I guarantee nothing. But always start with a lower dose instead of trying to get the big payoff the first time, it will give you a chance to find out how you react to whatever substance you choose to ingest.

mushrooms are great. but if you want something you can buy at a store i'd recommend dxm. go to the store and buy yourself a bottle of Robitussin Maximum Strength Cold or a pack of Drixoral Cough Liquid Caps. Pick up ONLY these types. other types have other active ingredients which can at worst kill you and at best make you vomit. the Robitussin should be available at Wal Mart or any store for that matter. the drixoral is a little harder to find but worth it, because it is in capsules and has no taste. the robitussin can be pretty nasty to shallow. drink the whole bottle or eat all the capsules. go to erowid.org for more info. there are some other brands as well, but those two are the most trustworthy.

Um I suggest that no one does dxm.. It is the worst fucking trip ever. I was a brain floating in the middle of the universe without a body for about three hours.. It seriously turns your world up side down. I also had strong urges to commit suicide while on the drug.. Fuck you for even giving some people on this forum the idea.

Am I the only one that finds it kind of sad and slightly disturbing that everyone is telling this person how to "learn about drugs and take them safely?" I don't agree with this. Not everyone can handle drugs, no matter how much they research them, no matter how many times they evaluate why they are doing them. Also, it is INCREDIBLY hard to know EXACTLY what is in the drug you are taking. If you get a bad "batch" of anything, it can have serious and permanant effects. Then theres the whole part about addiction, and how it can sometimes take over otherwise good people. Then the issue of responsibility. The things you shouldn't do while you are on drugs, like driving, being around your children, etc. You may think this is common sense, but there are people out there, many people, that do things like this. I just think the negatives outweigh the positive.

Also, I know I will get flamed for this, but why are people trying so hard to find a different "realm," a higher, better feeling, an escape, with the assistance of drugs? Is like really that awful? And if it is, are you not strong enough to find a way to "escape" from it naturally with meditation, yoga, jogging, drawing, listening to music, whatever? I just think resorting to drugs is a weak way "out."

Go to www.mycotopia.net and read the forums. They will answer any questions you have about drugs with honest and real information.

You have obviously never done psychedelics and know nothing about them. Its very easy to know if the lsd or mushrooms you're taking is good. You don't get a bad "batch" if you know what you're doing and don't buy drugs from strangers. Also guess what? Psychedelics are NOT addictive. Its actually impossible because all the major psychedelics have extreme tolerances, to where you can't even trip 3 days in a row because of the huge tolerance your body quickly builds. Its very easy to take drugs and do it responsibly. Also I'd like to add that if you think mushrooms or Lsd is an "escape" or a "weak way out" then you have no idea what you're talking about. Any doubts, fears or insecurities in yourself that you have you will be forced to come to terms with during a deep psychedelic experience. I have made peace with many things while using psychedelics. They are just like everything else, a Tool. Use them with respect and responsibly and they will treat you well. I will agree though that drugs aren't for everyone and you should real up on them a lot first and also not believe all the stupid fucking drug myths out there that plague our society. But to be uninformed about drugs(its obvious if you mention addiction when the topic is mushrooms) and then still try to give your opinion like its fact...well thats just silly.

Heh one more post...

Dxm is not a psychedelic. Dxm is dirty and can cause health problems. Dxm is a dissasociative, just like ketamine and Pcp. If you want to take drugs, mushrooms and lsd are as safe as it gets as long as you know who you're getting it from.

Just go to Amsterdam......

Fuck DXM. Don't even waste your time, or your health on that shit.

Shrooms are no big deal as long as you are surrounded by comfortable things and people. I mean things that you know are safe and fun, etc. Stop the bad trip before it happens (which from my experience is extremely rare).

No, I have not done them and I do know about them, thank you. I CAN read books and observe those around me.

Perhaps, but only some people are responsible enough to adhere to this strictly. Take college students for example of those that do not often use their best judgement. You often THINK you know someone in college, when you do not. Also, people lie. You often cannot be 100% positive.

I never said they are addicting, never. I said heroine and coke are when I was referring to those drugs.

Again, I don't believe this. You have to do many things (or work at it) to do drugs responsibly. It takes a commitment, a strong person and intelligence. Unfortunately, I think the world is filled with people that do not have these characteristics.

I don't mean to offend you but if this is your idea of how you come to terms with your doubts, fears and insecurities, you are sadly mistaken. This is not confrontation and dealing, it is the opposite.

Yes, there are definitely urban ledgends out there, but I can ASSURE you that I was being honest in my stories.

Again, you misread my email.

When somebody makes an informed and intelligent decision, it is important to consider both sides and all of the possibilities. Everyone is encouraging this person to do careful research before he dives into drugs, therefore, I am arming him with JUST as useful imformation as you guys are.

my advice would be...don't take drugs

While I think your intentions are good, I have to disagree that you are providing useful information in regards to the original poster's questions about mushrooms. Your original post was completely irrelevant as it dealt with observations of other people on other drugs completely different from shrooms (coke, heroin, ecstasy). The fact that you haven't done them doesn't totally invalidate what you're saying, but it's difficult to give advice about something you've never experienced. Some of the stuff you've said is not "useful information" IMO, such as talking about someone who's personality changed from doing acid over four years. I'm not aruging your description of this, but complete personality change due to psychedelic use would be the exception, not the rule. Maybe some normal alterance of world-view, but not complete change...who knows he might not have been using them responsibly, which I think was a good point of yours and what everyone here is trying to say by advocating objective information thru research.

If someone is naturally interested in tripping for whatever reasons I don't think they need to be discouraged by scare stories, let alone about other drugs. There's enough propaganga/stigmatization of drug use in society as it is. I think drugs have done some good things for people, I really do....

I agree to a certain extent, but you ultimately cannot control to what degree someone will behave responsibly - only provide the information available. It's the same way with legal things like alcohol. I don't know if this is the best analogy, but millions of people do not drink "responsibly". All the DUIs, physical/sexual assaults, etc that come as a result of weak persons or stupid people (let's call them retards) drinking to excess. Most people would argue there's nothing wrong with drinking, getting wasted, whatever. But when retards start doing stupid shit while drunk, while on ANYTHING, then the substance gets blamed as the problem and not the person themselves/their characteristics

I see what you are saying, I am bringing up other drugs because I choose this thread as my venue to speak about drugs in general. I see that this may have not been where I should have done it.


Yes, you are correct to some degree. Allthough, I have these same concerns and issues with alcohol and weed, though I have done both. I think many people do all drugs and alcohol irresponsibly and abuse them. I have a hard time respecting people that do that.

sounds like an ABC afterschool special...drugs r bad mmmkayyy...

Well I think we can agree that Loveboat Captain is being responssible, gaining advice and doing some research before he steps into this paticular void.

Good luck to you, taking mushrooms was the most defining and exciting experience of my life. NO other experience comes close to mushrooms.

Most important things are -

* Start with a LOW dose

* Be in a SAFE secure FRIENDLY enviroment with a close friend that you trust 100% (who is also taking part).

* Read as much research as you can before you start, especially on where to obtain safe mushrooms.

That's debatable depending on how you define low. I'd recommend something above average & definitely above threshold level. There's a nice chart on erowid breaking up dosage and intensity of trip. Half of an 1/8 would be the smallest dosage I'd say would be good for a first trip. I'm sure it's a personal preference, but I wouldn't want to eat like less than a gram or something and be loving it but knowing that you could be feeling it so much more, experiencing the full range of effects, etc. But I like to trip my face off. Take a decent amount (half an 1/8 to 1/8) and you'll be melting into your chair and the trees outside will be smiling at you.

Where do all these people get Mushrooms??? I haven't munched on the magik strain in over a year. Time to find some and listen to 10k Days again. I love shrooms. They are fun every now and then. I can't find any around here. Been looking for months. Shit. Send me some in the mail somebody!! haha

ANyone with questions should jsut go to EROWID.ORG its like a scientific journal for drugs

ALWAYS make sure that, for your first time, you are near somebody who
1) You trust completely
2) Has had experience with them.

If you don't know anybody like that, wait until you do to try them. It's the best way you can protect yourself. And it's best that they remain lucid.

If you haven't been there then you don't know about it, period. People who have just eaten 1hit of acid or taken mushrooms once or twice don't know about "it" either. They've had a taste but still I don't think that with one or three experiences you can truly relax and involved yourself more in the experience.There is a huge difference between psychedelic drugs being used for recreation and being used for spirituality. You may be able to read books but that doesn't mean that the books you're reading and believe are completely accurate. Hell, have you read the anarchist's cookbook? Can you make Lsd from Foster's beer? Fuck no, but the book tells you that you can. Do some reading on Ayahuasca, Dmt or Mdma psychotherapy. How about reading about the studies which are going on involving terminally ill cancer patients and Psilocybin from psychedelic mushrooms. Also read the electric kool-aid acid test if you would like to understand a little about Lsd. Maybe some work by Timothy Leary or Hoffman himself? What books have you been reading which are about drugs?

I know quite a few people who use psychedelics, mdma and marijuana often.I myself do too. They have careers, great family lives and they live their lives happily. They are all very responsible and intelligent people who don't just take stupid risks to get high. Maybe you just happen to know a lot of loser drug users? Maybe you are in college and only know people from a certain age range? Some of the people that I know are 30 to 50 years old.

If you don't think that people can deal with and solve problems on psychedelic drugs you're just in denial. Maybe not everyone can...just like everyone doesn't get help by just seeing a therapist or choking down wellbutrin or prozac. Did you know that chronic marijuana smoking has been ljnked to lower levels of anxiet and depression in adults? Its because it stimulates cell reproduction in the part of the brain which controls those feelings.

What I'm trying to show you here by talking to you about this is that there is a very big upside to drugs, mainly psychedelics and marijuana. A lot of people use drugs for the wrong reaons but that doesn't mean that a lot of people don't use them for the right reasons. Lsd and psychedelic mushrooms are very easy to find and be sure that you're getting clean drugs. If you're familiar with any mycology you'll know that there are several different ways to identify mushrooms too.

Anyways I've gotten long winded here but it seems to me you have a very uninformed opinion and also a very narrow view into what types of people use drugs. I wish you would just open your mind and be open to the idea that what you know isn't going to the what things are really like in other places or in different groups of people. You obviously missed earlier where I said drugs are just a tool and can be used in a good or bad way.

Really psychedelic drugs only explore what is already in your brain. The key to having a good experience is to be open minded and accepting enough to see whatever might be hidden inside. If that thought really scares you, you might not want to take them.


*FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN MUSHROOM INFORMATION*

www.mycotopia.net

Seriously, that place has a lot of really intelligent people who know a lot of information.

I agree.... Most important thing but I would even go as far as suggesting doing it with someone experienced and not with a first timer. the power of suggestion is so strong and an experienced person would be able to steer you in the right direction if it got too intense. Just remember to sit back, enjoy what you feel and see and dont try to think to hard about it you will be doing that already!

One more thing. Noone will be able to prepare you for what you will experience because the experience is different with each and every person. There are similarities with how it makes you feel physically and everyone knows there are visuals but its the mental state in which is the actual 'experience' and no two trips (even for the same person) are alike.

First, thank you for calling some of my friends losers, that's nice of you. You DO NOT know me, and you DO NOT know my friends, so please, do not be a jerk. I am not attacking you, yet somehow you are taking this so personally. Why are you so defensive? I was merely doing two things, one, informing this kid of the negatives I have seen as a result of drugs and two, sharing my view on what drugs mean to me. You don't have to agree with me, I'm ok with that. But please do not insult me, or my intelligence. I am not going to sit here and try to prove myself to you by telling you my degree, my gpa, my career, my age, my social status or any of the other things to defend what your post was implying about me. What I am going to do for you, and everyone else that may be reading my posts, is try to explain myself differently so that I feel I am being accurately portrayed...

FIRST, I am not saying that psychedelic drugs are BAD nor GOOD. I DO think psychedelics have negative side effects for MANY people in this world, because MANY people cannot handle them. I do not see how anyone can deny this. If you do not want to hear it from me, Maynard has said it and so have Alex Grey and several others whose words may hold some more value than some girl on the tool site.

I also understand that there are many artists that I admire throughout history and MOST of these artists did psychedelic drugs that inspired the work that I love so much. MOST of the music I love is done by artists that have been inspired by psychedelics. I also know that there are normal people with careers and families that do psychedelics. I am NOT calling any of these people losers, irresponsible or unintelligent.

What I am saying is all of us are HUMAN, no matter how talented, how many kids you have, what your job is.... We are all people that live life and sometimes life is hard, sometimes shit happens to us, sometimes we get depressed, sometimes we get angry, sometimes we get lost and cant find our way, etc. As a result of these things, we look for a crutch, something to get us through... and drugs are one of these things. Again, I don't think you can deny that.

What is sad to me is that people feel they even NEED to have a crutch in the first place. It makes me sad that people cannot look within themselves for the guidance and answers they need, naturally, without the assistance of drugs or anything else. It makes me sad that I question if all the art and music I love would not have been made without drugs. It makes me sad think that THIS reality is so uninspiring to some people that they feel they have to use psychedelics for answers and inspiration. I could go on in this manner about many things, but I think I've made my point.

I know that this all doesn't matter. If the end result is something positive, like an amazing piece of art or a great song... why should I care how they got there? In many ways I don't, otherwise I wouldn't love the artists and musicians that I love like The Beatles, Doors, Pink Floyd, NIN, Tool, Salvador Dali, Most artists in the Dada movement, Alex Grey, Walt fuckin Disney... and on. Do I think these people are amazing? YES. Does the fact that they did psychedelics to create their work make them any less talented? NO. BUT as I mention above, it makes me sad to think that this is the way the world is. Maybe it doesn't make any sense... but it's how I feel. I choose to try to deal with life naturally. Does that make me any better than anyone else? NO. But I have a right to share my opinion with others and perhaps make them see a different side when they ask about using drugs.

I don't think that is offensive or wrong.

Stay away from mass quantities of people. Also remember everything you do you made the choice to be there. Your experience will be your own. No one else can tell you how yours will be because they are not you. Be around people you trust. I cant stress enough that it will be your exprience and yours alone. Much the same way that you dont see a tree or the sky the same way i do. You may see clouds as coagulated moisture. I may see them as giant demons coming to steal my soul. You get the point. And im not going to name any names (bellamadia), But if a person has never done it before than they dont know. Sometimes psychedelics just amplify whats already there. Thats why i think some people have bad trips. Sometimes at least. Like i said no two trips will ever be alike.

Wow, I asked you a few questions and you pretty much dodged everyone of them, probably because I was spot on with my assumptions. How about those books you've read about drugs huh? I never said that psychedelics were for everyone either. Why do I get offended? Because you say things like, "We are all people that live life and sometimes life is hard, sometimes shit happens to us, sometimes we get depressed, sometimes we get angry, sometimes we get lost and cant find our way, etc. As a result of these things, we look for a crutch, something to get us through... and drugs are one of these things." I'm sorry, but since I've matured and grown into an adult I've moved past that and its not how I handle my problems. If you'll actually read and comprehend my post you'll see that I'm not attacking you, I'm simply trying to inform you. You've given no real information on why to beward of drugs other than "not everyone can handle them" (which I also stated earlier in case you missed that....any that friends of yours have freaked out and had a hard time using drugs responsibly. Jeez, now you're just going back on what you were hinting at earlier and just talking about how many people use drugs and its fine. Why sit in the fence when you seemed so against it before I said anything? I was hoping for a real discussion, not avoid what was in each others posts.

You came to the right place. First time, don't do it alone. It's hard to say exactly what you should do, but try to relax. If you're apprehensive, maybe you should rethink it.

The first thing is certainly to educate your self. Read and ask about like this. Thats good and helps you remember it is in your head when its going on. 'Knowledge is power' :) Also psychadelics are not like alcohol were being 'more drunk' is like wilder and more fun. Less is better. If you are taking mushrooms I recomend take an 1/8 or less- more likely 2 grams is appropriate for the first time. Also, obviously have a friend with you that is tripping so you don't feel alone, but anothe friendr who is not for safety reasons. I had a very bad experience with mushrooms when I took too much, and it was a horrible trip and I rarely (may be once a year now) do any of that anymore. Even then though I was learning about myself. If you are safe about psyrchadelics and sparing in their consumption you can learn a lot about you subconcious beliefs and confront your emotions in an attempt to understand your self. Have fun!

PS Random thing that helps me sometimes. I like to have one person around me also that is on XTC. They keep the mood very positive and offer unconditional friendship at the time. :)

PPS if you have more questions feel free to message me

Again, this isn't about YOU. This is about MY opinion on drugs and me telling this person that started this thread about MY opinion. You are arguing, debating or whatever you want to call it, something that wasn't ever about you.

Perhaps you can handle drugs well, and they do great things for you, etc. I am not doubting that... but everyone on here is givng this kid advice on how to take drugs responsibly... but not ONE person (or at least none of the posts I read) ask him about his lifestyle, personality, psychological backtound, etc. No offense to the person that started the post, but for all we know, he could be an anxiety ridden, nervous and depressed person. Taking psycedelics would be a very bad idea for him. NOT EVERYONE is like you say you are. Plain and simple.