12 ms·

I actually tried LSD a couple of times because of this article, back when it was written. It was a pretty enjoyable experience, and I'd recommend it to anyone w

by jarin 12y ago

I actually tried LSD a couple of times because of this article, back when it was written. It was a pretty enjoyable experience, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in trying it, with a few caveats. First, you need to have an experienced sitter with you. You're in for the full 8-10 hours, and on the off chance you start having a bad trip (things getting really dark and scary), you need someone to ground you to reality (and change the music or location, which can often instantly snap you out of a mood). Second, if you're generally comfortable with your own thoughts and have a positive outlook you're much less likely to have a bad trip. This is why I think it's better to do it when you're older and more mature, rather than in your late teens/early twenties. I think you have more of an ability to process what's going on. Many people have the thought at some point during the trip, "What if I get stuck like this?" which can probably lead to a slight panic if you're not good at thinking about your own thoughts and realizing the feeling for what it is. Third, go out into nature if you can. Preferably with just your friends and not a lot of people around. It's pretty cool. Finally, the day after you'll feel somewhat drained and probably just want to stay inside and read. The day after, you're totally fine. I think the real long-term effects are kind of just a "tweaking of the dials". I don't feel like it was some super transformative experience, but it was really interesting in a way that's hard to describe, and you learn a lot about your own mind and how it works. I also feel like it kind of cleaned the windows on the way I see the world, in that I feel more positive and open to ideas, and in some ways I feel like I might be more creative now. It might sound hard to believe, but I understand now why they're researching using hallucinogens to treat depression, PTSD, etc. Anyway, I'm not encouraging anyone to do it, but I will say that emotionally mature people should not be afraid to do it. Also, I never got any kind of signs that it was addictive. I pretty much just did it once, did it a few months later, and that was it for me.

pmoriarty 12y ago
If you didn't think it was a super transformative experience, you probably only took a low dose, and perhaps didn't have the proper set or setting. Check out the Marsh Chapel Experiment,[1] "Varieties of Psychedelic Experience",[2] the "Psychedelics Encyclopedia",[3] and Erowid's trip reports[4] for examples of people who did have massively transformative experiences. That said, from what I've read, it's relatively rare for LSD to radically transformative in the long run (for various, psychologically interesting reasons). However, short-term transformation is relatively common, given a high enough dose and the proper set and setting. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Chapel_Experiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Chapel_Experiment [2] - http://www.amazon.com/Varieties-Psychedelic-Experience-Classic-Effects/dp/0892818972/ http://www.amazon.com/Varieties-Psychedelic-Experience-Class... [3] - http://www.amazon.com/Psychedelics-Encyclopedia-Peter-Stafford/dp/0914171518/ http://www.amazon.com/Psychedelics-Encyclopedia-Peter-Staffo... [4] - https://www.erowid.org/ https://www.erowid.org/
- throwboat 12y ago
  It certainly wasn't transformative for me. I found the experience interesting, entertaining even (when the chick riding by on her moped had hair flying behind her for several 100 feet for example), embarrassing (when the pizza guy held out what looked like a fistful straws for me and I couldn't tell which were real or not and had to ask him to put them in my hand). Transformative? Not that I can tell. The worst part was when I realized that no matter how awesome or cool everything that I saw was, it was not real and I could never share it with anyone. I tripped with friends, and while we might look at the same object and all see something wonderful or mysterious or terrifying, we weren't seeing the same thing. It was a solitary experience which for me epitomized the term masturbatory. I might do acid again if the circumstances were right, but I'd rather smoke pot than see weird things. If you haven't tried acid, you aren't missing out on anything. If hallucinations are of interest to you for whatever reason, I'd recommend reading about and practicing lucid dreams.
- devin 12y ago
  Forgive me for being so glib, but I'm not sure you know what you're talking about.
sillysaurus3 12y ago
Third, go out into nature if you can. Preferably with just your friends and not a lot of people around. It's pretty cool. LSD impairs your ability to feel cold. People have died by taking drugs and then going out into snow. I sadly can't find the proof to back up my claim, but I read about a case of a girl taking ketamine and then going outside and succumbing to hypothermia. Here's another case of someone dying from drugs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._M._Turner http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._M._Turner Turner died after injecting an unknown quantity of ketamine while in a bathtub, presumably drowning while incapacitated by the effects of the drug. Before jumping down my throat that ketamine isn't related to LSD in any way, I know. It's true. But when you get into a mindset where taking LSD seems like a good idea, taking other drugs starts to seem like maybe-okay. It's no coincidence that the psychonaut I linked to was taking a ton of different drugs including LSD. I know people are going to be upset with me sweeping LSD under the classification of "drugs." People die from heroin and other hard drugs, but nobody has ever died from an LSD overdose. But I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the mindset that you're tempted to get once you delve into this scene. Let's talk about psychedelics. Here's a video of someone jumping out a window after taking a hit of salvia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v26zC-1eCo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v26zC-1eCo People have near-religious experiences after taking LSD, and they'll espouse the wonders of psychedelics while downplaying the risks. But there are risks. Before taking LSD, ask yourself: Are you sure you want to be a different person afterwards? People everywhere talk about the transformative nature of LSD, so that's what you'll be doing: transforming into a different person. Exploring land is fun because you get to go places you've never seen before. Exploring how chemicals affect your brain is fun if becoming a different person is fun. So don't do it unless you're sure you dislike yourself. People have often credited significant breakthroughs to taking LSD, but your chances of getting rich from bitcoin are significantly higher than making a huge impact on the world by consuming LSD. It'll certainly have a huge impact on your personal life, though, for better or worse.
- pyre 12y ago
  > LSD impairs your ability to feel cold. People have died by taking drugs and then going out into snow. I sadly can't find the proof to back up my claim, but I did read about a case of a girl taking ketamine and then going outside and succumbing to hypothermia. Unless I'm misunderstanding, the idea of a "sitter" is someone that is not under the influence, so this could negate such effects if one fully follows the advice of the parent post. > Before taking LSD, ask yourself: Are you sure you want to be a different person afterwards? People everywhere talk about the transformative nature of LSD, so that's what you'll be doing: transforming into a different person. Exploring land is fun because you get to go places you've never seen before. Exploring how chemicals affect your brain is fun for some because they become different. So don't do it unless you're sure you dislike yourself. You could make the same philosophical arguments against "downloading your mind into a computer" or "using a Star Trek transporter." How do you know that the consciousness on the other end is still "you?"

by jarin 12y ago

pmoriarty 12y ago

If you didn't think it was a super transformative experience, you probably only took a low dose, and perhaps didn't have the proper set or setting. Check out the Marsh Chapel Experiment,[1] "Varieties of Psychedelic Experience",[2] the "Psychedelics Encyclopedia",[3] and Erowid's trip reports[4] for examples of people who did have massively transformative experiences. That said, from what I've read, it's relatively rare for LSD to radically transformative in the long run (for various, psychologically interesting reasons). However, short-term transformation is relatively common, given a high enough dose and the proper set and setting. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Chapel_Experiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Chapel_Experiment [2] - http://www.amazon.com/Varieties-Psychedelic-Experience-Classic-Effects/dp/0892818972/ http://www.amazon.com/Varieties-Psychedelic-Experience-Class... [3] - http://www.amazon.com/Psychedelics-Encyclopedia-Peter-Stafford/dp/0914171518/ http://www.amazon.com/Psychedelics-Encyclopedia-Peter-Staffo... [4] - https://www.erowid.org/ https://www.erowid.org/

throwboat 12y ago
It certainly wasn't transformative for me. I found the experience interesting, entertaining even (when the chick riding by on her moped had hair flying behind her for several 100 feet for example), embarrassing (when the pizza guy held out what looked like a fistful straws for me and I couldn't tell which were real or not and had to ask him to put them in my hand). Transformative? Not that I can tell. The worst part was when I realized that no matter how awesome or cool everything that I saw was, it was not real and I could never share it with anyone. I tripped with friends, and while we might look at the same object and all see something wonderful or mysterious or terrifying, we weren't seeing the same thing. It was a solitary experience which for me epitomized the term masturbatory. I might do acid again if the circumstances were right, but I'd rather smoke pot than see weird things. If you haven't tried acid, you aren't missing out on anything. If hallucinations are of interest to you for whatever reason, I'd recommend reading about and practicing lucid dreams.
devin 12y ago
Forgive me for being so glib, but I'm not sure you know what you're talking about.

sillysaurus3 12y ago

Third, go out into nature if you can. Preferably with just your friends and not a lot of people around. It's pretty cool. LSD impairs your ability to feel cold. People have died by taking drugs and then going out into snow. I sadly can't find the proof to back up my claim, but I read about a case of a girl taking ketamine and then going outside and succumbing to hypothermia. Here's another case of someone dying from drugs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._M._Turner http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._M._Turner Turner died after injecting an unknown quantity of ketamine while in a bathtub, presumably drowning while incapacitated by the effects of the drug. Before jumping down my throat that ketamine isn't related to LSD in any way, I know. It's true. But when you get into a mindset where taking LSD seems like a good idea, taking other drugs starts to seem like maybe-okay. It's no coincidence that the psychonaut I linked to was taking a ton of different drugs including LSD. I know people are going to be upset with me sweeping LSD under the classification of "drugs." People die from heroin and other hard drugs, but nobody has ever died from an LSD overdose. But I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the mindset that you're tempted to get once you delve into this scene. Let's talk about psychedelics. Here's a video of someone jumping out a window after taking a hit of salvia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v26zC-1eCo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v26zC-1eCo People have near-religious experiences after taking LSD, and they'll espouse the wonders of psychedelics while downplaying the risks. But there are risks. Before taking LSD, ask yourself: Are you sure you want to be a different person afterwards? People everywhere talk about the transformative nature of LSD, so that's what you'll be doing: transforming into a different person. Exploring land is fun because you get to go places you've never seen before. Exploring how chemicals affect your brain is fun if becoming a different person is fun. So don't do it unless you're sure you dislike yourself. People have often credited significant breakthroughs to taking LSD, but your chances of getting rich from bitcoin are significantly higher than making a huge impact on the world by consuming LSD. It'll certainly have a huge impact on your personal life, though, for better or worse.

pyre 12y ago
> LSD impairs your ability to feel cold. People have died by taking drugs and then going out into snow. I sadly can't find the proof to back up my claim, but I did read about a case of a girl taking ketamine and then going outside and succumbing to hypothermia. Unless I'm misunderstanding, the idea of a "sitter" is someone that is not under the influence, so this could negate such effects if one fully follows the advice of the parent post. > Before taking LSD, ask yourself: Are you sure you want to be a different person afterwards? People everywhere talk about the transformative nature of LSD, so that's what you'll be doing: transforming into a different person. Exploring land is fun because you get to go places you've never seen before. Exploring how chemicals affect your brain is fun for some because they become different. So don't do it unless you're sure you dislike yourself. You could make the same philosophical arguments against "downloading your mind into a computer" or "using a Star Trek transporter." How do you know that the consciousness on the other end is still "you?"