HAPPY TRAILS: HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM PSYCHEDELICS
With the resurgent interest in psychedelics, synthetic and natural, it seems timely that I should offer some advice from my own experience and perspective to help the uninitiated gain the most from their own experience. I took my first “trip” back in the 1980’s, on ‘magic mushrooms’, of the most common variety growing on the British Isles, the Liberty Cap (Psylosibe Semilanceata).
Sadly the powers that be have made possession of them illegal since 2005, just so you know. Go here to sign the petition to reverse the legal position if you feel compelled: http://www.psychedelicsociety.org.uk/petitions/legalisemushrooms Classified as a Class A drug, theoretically this could result in a hefty fine or jail time if you are found in possession of them. To my mind criminalising something that grows naturally upon the Earth is the real crime. Indeed there are more dangerous legal substances freely available. The pharmaceutical industry uses the populace as a lucrative laboratory. Anyway you should be aware of the legal position as it stands. There are many other varieties of psilocybin mushroom in the world and of course there are a few varieties of fungi that are toxic so please do your research thoroughly before ingesting anything should you decide to. The variety of psychoactive substances growing in nature’s garden is astonishing yet if one understands the symbiotic relationship everything on the planet and indeed in the larger cosmos has with everything else, it should come as no surprise at all.
I digress. Whether you ingest ‘shrooms’, DMT, peyote, Ayahuasca or some other entheogen, the same considerations regarding the effect can be applied. Dose, set and setting and most importantly, state of mind. I would advise avoiding synthetic psychedelics, at least for your first ‘flight’ unless you absolutely trust its origins. The problem with synthetics obtained on the ‘black market’ is there are no guarantees on the dose or what else may be present in the preparation. LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) is a synthetic drug originally derived from ergot, a rye fungus, discovered by Albert Hoffman in 1938. It produces a very intense ‘trip’ and it is impossible to know how high a dose you are getting unless you know the source and therefore more experienced ‘psychonauts’ are better prepared to cope with unexpectedly high doses. Mushrooms are the best choice for first time ‘tripping’ as long as you pick the right variety of course. You can take as few or as many as of them as you feel comfortable with starting with perhaps 30 to 50 to begin with. It is also advisable to be in the company of someone trustworthy who has experience of the effects or at least one person who is not under the influence to guide you should you place yourself in immediate danger. (One effect of ethneogens is decreased awareness of danger.) I would strongly advise also that you be in a healthy state of mind because entheogens amplify what you are experiencing. Whatever state of mind you are in will be intensified so please heed this advice, if you are depressed or low in mood, stay away from hallucigens for the time being. Hallucigens may well indeed be a useful tool in some forms of therapy but bear in mind that these are controlled situations under experienced supervision. So to be safe only ingest entheogens if you are feeling happy and in a well balanced state of mind. These are powerful substances that go deep into the subconscious and may bring unconscious memories to the surface. Buried ‘demons’ can be released, especially if your mind is not at peace so be aware of how important your mood is beforehand. You will have a far better time if you are in a happy mood. This is not a substance to treat lightly or “to take for a laugh” and most definitely should not be mixed with alcohol. Apart from the fact that alcohol is a depressant, it affects different neurotransmitters in the brain and at the very least
will interfere with the effects of the hallucinogen, lessening its full effect. At worst will give you a bad time. DON’T MIX ALCOHOL WITH HALLUCINOGENS. The only thing that mixes happily with hallucinogens is cannabis however go easy unless used to either substance. Cannabis is itself a psychoactive hallucinogen and I have found it prolongs and enhances the effects of entheogens and most definitely makes the come down more gradual. So you are in a good frame of mind, what else is important? As I have pointed out at the start, set and setting. The ideal setting for ‘tripping’ is outdoors in the natural world. On a beach, in the woods or countryside is a perfect setting. The worst place is anywhere crowded as you will be overwhelmed by stimuli. You could of course stay home and put on some music but you will not be getting as great an effect as you will communing with nature believe me. Which leads us on to the subject of the Shamanic relationship with entheogens, Shamans and Witchdoctors have been well acquainted with hallucinogens for millennia and have used them to commune with other worlds and the plant spirits. Essentially one’s perspective of reality is altered allowing you to see the world in a whole different way. Indeed the term entheogen has only recently been coined as hallucinogens are understood to be anything but hallucinatory. After all who is to say what is real and what is illusion. What we perceive as reality is merely a question of perspective. The world as seen through an altered state is just as real and just as valid, perhaps even more valid. Objects and colours can be seen as the vibrational frequencies they indeed are. It is only the complex biological processes in the brain that interprets these waveforms and gives them substance. Treated with respect and taken with honest intent, entheogens will change you and reshape you in most unexpected ways. There is a current trend for eco-tourism and there has been an explosion of Western travellers going to retreats to take traditional potions with Shamans, some genuine with a lineage and some charlatans making a quick buck. If you are considering a journey of this kind, use common sense and research thoroughly. I would also advise that these kind of experiences should be done by the experienced and initiated. Ayahuasca ceremonies are extremely powerful medicines. To my way of thinking it makes sense to have had some previous
experience of psychedelics before heading off to take intense journeys into the psyche with mysterious Shamanic ceremonies.
HOW TO DEAL WITH A BAD TRIP
As previously mentioned, it is advisable to have a guide on hand, someone who you trust and who is not ‘tripping’ and preferably has some experience of the drug. Someone experienced will have better insight regarding the experience than someone who has none. It is possible to shift from a bad experience to a good one provided it is handled well. The key thing is to not panic. Your guide should aim to shift your focus your attention away from whatever you are focused on. Relaxing music if indoors, nature sounds would be a good choice and certainly not intense, loud music. Preferable to this would be percussive drumming. A steady hypnotic drum beat will shift consciousness. It is no coincidence that traditional Shamanist practice involves drumming. Without consciousness altering substances, drumming alone is used to alter consciousness. Chanting mantras also has this effect. If someone is experiencing unpleasant symptoms and becoming agitated because of the setting, change the setting. Remember outdoors in nature is preferable to being indoors among familiar everyday objects. One final thing that may seem obvious but should be stated nonetheless, if you are a parent, be sure to arrange beforehand that the kids are away with a trusted family member for the duration. It may sound like common sense but needs to be stated and reiterated. The last thing you need when your consciousness is altered is to have any responsibility for one’s minors. Not only would that be irresponsible it would seriously mess with your own head. Children are smarter than we perhaps give them credit for sometimes, they will sense there’s something different about you and this may upset them which in turn will have a psychological effect on you.
It simply isn’t enough to have them tucked up in bed, ‘tripping’ lasts for hours and what happens if they get up when you are at a peak? Of course any responsible person would be aware of this and my intention is not to be patronising. I simply wish to convey the intensity of the psychedelic experience. Be informed and be responsible. This piece is merely a primer. Read extensively on the subject and you are well on your way to enlightenment. Psychedelics can have a life changing and therapeutic effect that lasts a lifetime. Happy Trails, David Halladay.