the altered state of consciousness thread

[Vimana]

But the best thing is my positive gains have really been sustained. All week I've been having continuous breakthroughs. I'm finally finding myself able to admit the ways I hold myself back, the ways I reject myself or set myself up to fail. It's really quite amazing and for the first time I don't just want to change these negative aspects of myself but genuinely see how I can do it. So much of it is just about rejecting negative thought patterns and choosing action over nonaction and fear.

I hate to be a downer, but your post sounds exactly like how I thought shortly after my first profound acid trip eight months ago. Sure, the experience is powerful and feels very profound, but as more memories in your sober life begin to fill up in front of memories of this experience, the "peace" and the sense of ease, like you can effortlessly move mountains in your own mind, will go. I spent months thinking the way your post indicates, and it was a slow descent into a Hell of sorts.

I'm not saying this experience didn't benefit you, or that you're deluded or anything. I'm just saying that while it may feel like you've finally figured out how to make yourself happy, that's partially because of altered brain chemistry and the impact of this experience. You've probably made some very important realizations, but it's more like a second look than an enlightenment, or more like a boost of desire to improve than a weight being lifted.

Keep in mind, I may be wrong about this. I'm only saying this because of how eerily similar it sounded to my own thoughts eight months ago. Under that assumption, I'll say this: this is not a new you. You have no new mental or emotional potency. Not anything is possible, and you can vividly picture it to the point it looks that way, but it's not. Also the ecstasy in learning some new things about yourself has been a sort of magnifying lens for the significance of the information. It's not as simple as discovering problems, or changing your thoughts, or just deciding to do. It may feel that it is now, and you may be completely unable to ever imagine how it could change, but it will, and you need to be ready to continue your pursuit of a good life even without the hope and newfound sense of passion, peace, and motivation that this experience has given you.

TL;DR: You sound like me on acid. I got overly idealistic, and it caused me a lot of grief, and I'd like to warn you so you don't do the same.

 

[damnromulans]

Yeah I think having a productive E trip is all about the right setting, people and thoughts. Have you ever tried taking it one on one with your boyfriend? That can be an amazing experience.

Never tried 6-APB but we're gonna try and get ahold of moonrocks this weekend which supposedly more euphoric than mali. We'll see.

Not sure what "moonrocks" are and neither does Google - if it's MDA and not MDMA (a lot of "molly" is actually methylone or MDMA cut with a bunch of other stuff so who knows) then that should be similar to 6-APB. We have definitely had quality time in the past and it is great - but in a party setting everyone's got huge pupils and it's a lot of small talk and bonding that I wouldn't do without drugs, hence the emptiness.

 

[-CC-]

I couldn't tell the difference between MDA and MDMA. Granted it was about a year in between taking them, but still.

 

[monoxide_child]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_MDMA_on_the_human_body

 

[damnromulans]

If you don't know that prior to dosing you shouldn't be doing drugs IMO. So many idiots out there.

I really want to try pure MDA before I die. Though apparently 6-APDB (4-desoxy-MDA) is almost exactly like it? Who even knows.

 

[Vimana]

I view intelligence slightly differently, but I do hold the view that psychedelics can augment human intelligence and that's why they're made illegal.

I could go into this speculation about humans at length, but I'll shorten it here to link it to a point about psychedelics: before humans developed large groups, giving greater presence to cognitive functions like language, empathy, and faith, humans were more intelligent, but self-centered, and with little to no capacity for social interaction and empathy.

I think as groups of humans got bigger, more faithful, less intelligent, more empathetic, and more socially adept humans not only had more mates, but had more children. Also, groups with more of these more mindless humans tended to do better than groups that had more of the individualistic, mindful types. I think all the geniuses in history were closer to this type of human.

I think psychedelics are illegal because they end up granting periods of function of the more individualistic, intelligent type to the mindless type. This makes them ask things they normally never would, like "why should I follow laws? Why should I obey my government? Is the best kind of society the kind I am living in now?"

It also heightens the hivemind instinct, allowing a heightened capacity for collectivism, empathy, and selflessness.

So they can be a weapon against authorities. You have once-mindless men questioning their surroundings, combined with a sense of collectivism, and you can very quickly, and very easily have an affront to the authorities, which happened in the 60's.

They're substances that can very easily plant two dangerous thoughts to an authority into people within hours:

1. Why obey?
2. Let's work together.

Of course, I'm only talking about potential here. While psychedelics have the potential I described, psychedelics can also make people go crazy, or people can use them simply for pleasure and not think of any higher purpose.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Just got back from Lightning in a Bottle Festival, which is a mix of electronic music and new age stuff, some of which is outrageous but some of which is pretty interesting. Regardless it's a super cool festival and everyone is kind, friendly and willing to let everybody else be who they are and explore themselves. Here's a list of my trips:

Friday: my whole camp took cactus, which I had never tried before. We only did half a dose- a full dose will send you into a delirious dreamlike state; not the best thing for a festival. For the first few hours I just felt wired. Colors were also a little more vivid. Then when I stepped away from the stage and was by myself it totally kicked in. The stars started spinning and were radiant. It was absolutely divine. I felt total bliss and love of existence. Then, all of this primal energy burst forth and felt the need to growl and convulse. I had been doing yoga all day and my friend said I probably released a lot of locked up energy in my lower chakras. I'm not even sure I believe in chakras, but that was the area of my body I was most focused on opening up in the yoga classes. I felt a little insane and delirious but also totally empowered. After that I stayed up til dawn dancing. I would definitely like to try a higher dose in a more private setting, i.e. the woods or a beach.

Saturday: I took acid for the first time and it was amazing. One of the stages had sprayers on side and as the day moved on there formed a giant mud pit. I got down to my drawers and danced in the mud for hours with about twenty other people. It was insanely fun. With some people it was very playful and goofy, with some of the other guys it was like a mock competition (though never actually aggressive) and with some of the girls it was super sensual and raunchy. We were grinding and humping in the mud in front of hundreds of people. It was just amazing. In general this weekend was huge in my continued process of becoming less inhibited, and the mud pit was definitely the epitome of that. I gained so many things from the different people in the pit and it really felt like everyone could explore themselves. Then when the sun set I went shivering back to camp, hosed down and lied in my tent and started talking in tongues. Around the time the acid wore off I took some E and went dancing. I locked eyes with this beautiful half Afghan half Swedish woman and we danced without breaking eye contact the entire time. Afterward we started passionately kissing and hugging. It was magical for about 45 minutes. Then I guess she got bored of me or got lost because she went off to get water and never came back. I never saw her again Oh well, better to have a brief moment of romantic magic than none at all.

Sunday: Took molly with my friends. Nothing too amazing happened. I just danced a lot and talked with my friends til dawn. It's hard for me to know how much better it actually is than a good pill of E because I had just taken E the night before. But I still have some left which I will try some other time when my brain is recovered. Also, some dude gave my friend and I a moon rock just because we rolled him a cigarette, which we'll take at some other party.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Not sure what "moonrocks" are and neither does Google - if it's MDA and not MDMA (a lot of "molly" is actually methylone or MDMA cut with a bunch of other stuff so who knows) then that should be similar to 6-APB. We have definitely had quality time in the past and it is great - but in a party setting everyone's got huge pupils and it's a lot of small talk and bonding that I wouldn't do without drugs, hence the emptiness.

Moonrocks:
http://www.laweekly.com/2012-11-01/music/moon-rocks-electronic-dance-music-silk-road/1/

And yeah, I know what you mean about the small talk and artificial bonding. It's all about context and individuals really.

 

[damnromulans]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sassafrass! Got it.

That festival feels dope. How does your brain feel now? hehehehehe

edit: sounds, not feels

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Well I just slept for 16 hours and am still tired. I can't remember the last time I was so sleep deprived. But I don't feel agitated, depressed, etc. just tired.

But yeah it was a rad festival. I'll post some of the better music I heard in the non-metal thread later.

 

[damnromulans]

Awesome! Glad you survived.

4-aco-DMT anyone? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-Acetylpsilocin

 

[crimsonfloyd]

DMT is #1 on my drugs to try list. I've heard nothing but good about it.

I found a video of the mud pit! This was possibly the most fun I've had as an adult.

 

[damnromulans]

WOWOWOWW!

DMT is n,n DMT - 4-aco-DMT is a psilocybin analog

 

[monoxide_child]

http://www.cracked.com/article_2056...ence&wa_user3=article&wa_user4=feature_module

 

[damnromulans]

So acid on a beach is pretty fun, though having to move the blanket/umbrella/chairs for high tide was nearly as stressful as actually moving house. Had lots of feelings and wept staring at the sea listening to Erik Satie. Would recommend.

 

[SentinelSlain]

I really miss drinking. Especially drinking on my own in my own apartment, with shit like whitesnake or Thor blasting away, then going out to a shitty scrat of a club and trying to get with some sluts then coming home and falling asleep and vomming just a little bit on my bed sheets.

 

[damnromulans]

How can you say that when you are like obviously drinking while you post

 

[SentinelSlain]

I haven't drunk for a good while. The braincells may just be gone, however.

 

[damnromulans]

That's ok. Rectum, nearly killed 'em!

 

[Vimana]

Started smoking weed again. I don't find it nearly as amazing as I did when I first started, but I find it more enjoyable than I did when I stopped. It's definitely not something I'd do all the time. Partially because it sometimes seems to trigger my HPPD symptoms, and partially because it feels like a waste of time when I do it excessively.