DOSE:

2 g

oral

Mushrooms - P. cubensis

(dried)

BODY WEIGHT:

12 kg

A friend first made me aware of the nature of magic mushrooms and what he thought it was like to take a trip, although he found it very hard to put into words. He explained the chemicals involved and how mushrooms differed from 'narcotic' drugs like cocaine and heroin and LSD, and even compared to caffeine, alcohol and paracetemol. I stay well clear of anything that rots my body, but I have tried cocaine twice, and hash a few times but in such small quantities that it's hardly worth mentioning. I could never be classed as a 'user' of any drug.

I am a cautious person and was extremely wary about taking a trip on mushrooms. Quite simply, I was scared. What little I knew, before my friend explained things, had encouraged me to think I would mess up my mind and end up a lunatic - this is about as far from the truth of my experience as you can get.

My friend also encouraged me to read up all I could about mushrooms for myself, do my own research, not let him influence my decision making. I needed to understand so I wouldn't be scared, and I needed to understand what the chemicals would do to my body, and the cultural history of native peoples surrounding their use. Once I had educated myself I lost most of my fear and decided to take the plunge. This approach was the key to my success, and it might be the key to yours, but you have to find out for yourself.

It was essential to take the mushrooms in the right surroundings and atmosphere. I was at home, in my bedroom, and had spent the last half hour relaxing, listening to a little music and generally not doing anything to make me stressed.

It was a Saturday night and psychologically I usually felt good about Saturday nights. I was home alone too and knew I would not be disturbed in any way. I needed to prepare myself fully for this undertaking so I was quite serious about getting the setting right because my friend had explained the importance of my mindset BEFORE I took a trip. Since I was only taking a low dose then my frame of mind and surroundings could deeply influence the nature of my trip. I wanted a good trip so I made certain to set things up in a way that I was totally comfortable with.

I had eaten a full meal at 6 and now it was 9. I took the 2 gram dose of mushrooms in a cup of tea and went upstairs to lay on my bed. I waited about 20 minutes and then things started to happen. I got up and looked out of my window. I could see the lights of my city twinkling in the distance. All of my senses were hyper alert and I could hear the music as if the band were playing inside me, not just in my room but inside me. I was the music. I know it sounds cheesy but that's what it felt like. I heard every drumbeat, every vocal, every strum of the guitar and beat of the drum as though it were alive. Well, it was alive.

I kept looking out the window and saw the lights pulsing and vibrating and in colours that are simply inexplicable - I like to say I was seeing the world as it really is.

I didn't lose my ego or anything like that but I did get a complete and utter sense of connection - for the first time in my entire life I felt like I was a part of the world and connected to everything else in it. Integrated, harmonised and synergy are three good words to liken the experience to. And it wasn't scary. It was fantastic and gave me such an immense feeling of being alive that I cried.

And that was only 2 grams.

I then followed the same set up as before and progressed up to a 5 gram dose. I did this over the space of a year and I only did it when I felt absolutely happy to do so. I never ever took any mushrooms when I felt low or stressed or in a negative mindset.

My 3 gram dose was similar to the 2 gram trip mentioned above but even more intense, but not 'stressful' intense, alive intense. It's difficult to describe if you haven't experienced it. But the main difference with this trip and the first was that my ego was seriously fighting the 'letting go' that occurs when you ingest psylocibin. I had taken enough to tell my ego that it was no longer in charge and would soon be left at the door. Needless to say it didn't like this and it fought for control - which is a hazzard of not taking enough psylocibin. Taking 1 or 2 grams won't really upset your ego too much, it's probably just enough to give you what I decribed above.

But when I took my 5 gram dose, again under the same circumstances as the previous two trips, I had the most amazing experience ever. I was listening to music and laying on my bed naked. I lost all feeling of gavity but not direction. When I danced I was harmonised with the music, I was at one with it and vice versa.

I saw the music take on geometric form and morph with the music. It also took on colours that, again, were so beautiful I cannot describe them. And then other shapes started to mingle and present themselves to me, a snake, a human, a lattice framework - I believe the real world was opening up to me.

There was no 'I', my ego had completely disappeared. 'I' wasn't in 'control', and I think you have to take mushrooms at 5 grams or more to truly understand what that feels like because it wasn't scary, it was love, and existence on a plane and in a dimension so integrated with the earth and space, that I now think this is our true evolutionary goal. We are in gestation. We are here to evolve, learn and transcend our ego dominated world and enter a higher vibrational existence.

'Coming down' wasn't painful either. I felt tired and a little low for the next few days, but I also felt more alive than I have ever done before. And the 'low' was nowhere near as bad as the hangovers I used to get when I got drunk on beer.

In short, if you're thinking about taking mushrooms work your way up in dosage from 2,3,4 and then 5: spend time relaxing before you do them and do them in an environment you are 100% comfortable with. And do them if and when you are ready. Educate yourself about the chemical content and affects too.

'If you fail to prepare yourself then you are preparing to fail yourself.'

This approach worked for me, maybe it will work for you, but that is your decision. Do not feel pressured into doing it or as though you should. It's not for everyone.

Mushrooms are not a party drug and there to 'get high' on. In my opinion they are there to open you up to how the world really is.

Exp Year: 2004	ExpID: 56372
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Sep 27, 2009	Views: 25,955
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Mushrooms - P. cubensis (66), Humor (469) : Retrospective / Summary (11), Difficult Experiences (5), Mystical Experiences (9), Performance Enhancement (50), Multi-Day Experience (13), Therapeutic Intent or Outcome (49), Various (28)