DOSE:

2100 ug

oral

Bromo-Dragonfly

(powder / crystals)

BODY WEIGHT:

155 lb

Summary:

So far I have taken Bromo-dragonfly 3 times at increasing doses. The difference in effects between 600 micrograms and 1200 micrograms were pretty negligible, the effects were slightly more noticeable I suppose at the higher dose. The difference between the 1200 microgram trip and the 2100 microgram trip was huge, almost felt like another drug.

In my experience it was very light and pleasant on low doses, as other trip reports have stated. Felt almost 'speedy' and had very, very mild visuals. Felt very clear headed and 'clean' mentally. The duration of the lower doses kind of turned me off though. The effects weren't really worth keeping me awake for and it became uncomfortable after a while because I just wanted to sleep. I didn't get any of the chemical feel that others have observed; it all felt very clean and pure. I also did not feel any of the vaso-constrictive effects at this dose. I feel like some nice indica bud would have gone along with this really nicely. I really missed that mindset that comes with most psychedelics as it just felt like an empty high.

Now on a higher dose, I had a quite different experience. Based on the lower doses, I imagined that my headspace would have been pretty much the same and I expected more intense visuals. I couldn't have been more wrong. My headspace was similar to that of a low dose LSD trip. I definitely experienced some ego softening. I didn't reach the point of the collective unconscious or the god head. The headspace felt very introspective for me. I was analyzing my life and behavior pretty harshly. It was still very different than LSD in that I hadn't regressed to that childlike mindset and wasn't as fascinated with my surroundings. I also didn't have that confusion that comes along with LSD; the clear mindedness was still pretty much retained. I could watch TV and actually understand it, whereas on LSD everything on TV just seemed absurd and I was constantly trying to figure it out.

Visuals on the higher dose were pretty nice. OEV's were relatively subtle but noticeable. Vivid colors, face melting, lights looked amazing, etc. When looking at things, there was a slight pulling/bending effect that was occurring.

CEV's were excellent! By far the best CEV's I have ever gotten. They were varied and changed with my surroundings. Synced up with music incredibly well; it was as if I had an awesome visualizer going on, beautiful fractal patterns. Also, at one point I had my hands over my eyes, with my eyes closed to block out all of the light and I was seeing some pretty evil looking faces that were moving and transforming with the music. Another instance, I had rubbed my eyes and I got some awesome kaleidoscope visuals that persisted for a few seconds after I opened my eyes.

Music was pretty boring on lower doses, but on the higher dose it was very enhanced. Very close to how vivid and awesome it sounds on LSD.

Preparation:

I mixed 30mg of carefully weighed powdered bromo-fly with 30ml of vodka. Being that my scale was only $20, I am assuming that my scale is off by +/- 5mg as per the instruction manual. If that is the case, a 1:1 solution could have a max of 1.17 mg/ml and a min of 0.844 mg/ml. I made the solution 1:1 because of rumored solubility issues at higher ratios and I'd rather be overly cautious with bromo. I mixed a higher quantity of the solution just to offset any inaccuracies that the scale measures. I measured the liquid with a 10ml oral syringe.

I decided to go with vodka for a few reasons. Distilled water and ethanol solutions are often used but both have drawbacks. Ethanol increases the sublingual absorption and protects the substance from contaminants, but the solution evaporates causing potential dosage hazards later on. Distilled water does not evaporate as quickly, but does not have the protection and absorption benefits of an ethanol solution. Many have mixed bromo in 2/5 ethanol/dh2o solutions to get the best of both worlds (which equals ~40% alcohol content). I just decided to go with vodka as a solvent as it is similar to the ethanol/dh2o solution (plus I had some flavored vodka on hand). I then stored the solution in a 1 oz amber dropper bottle, which I shook thoroughly and frequently to dissolve the bromo.

Consuming:
When administering the bromo, I sublingually ingested the solution measured from an oral syringe. The bromo I procured is almost certainly the S stereo-isomer variety, which is significantly less potent than the R stereo-isomer variety. Likewise, if it was of the S isomer variety, I would be in for a milder trip, still well below a reported fatal dose. Anyway, I swished the dose around in my mouth (with some gum) for approximately 15 minutes and then swallowed. The flavored vodka helped mask the chemical taste that many complain of. It tasted like I was just holding cough syrup in my mouth and was not at all that unpleasant. Seems like that chemical taste gets people off on the wrong foot and that taste persists throughout the experience, so that is a good thing.

Set and Setting: Tripping alone at my apartment with a bit of interaction with roommates. I was not stressed and was in a pretty good frame of mind going into the trip. I am mildly experienced (aspiring psychonaut) with hallucinogens having done LSD about a half a dozen times and consuming various other substances with hallucinogenic properties. I prefer tripping alone as I personally feel that I gain more from the experience and more variables are in my control, but I would not suggest doing so unless you are in a very good setting. I personally get more introspective and 'let go' more if I am tripping solo. I ended up being way more social than I had anticipated.

Other substances:

Smoked cigarettes frequently.

Had some diphenhydramine based sleep inducing pills in case I wanted to go to sleep due to the long lasting nature of bromo. I would have preferred to have something like Valium or Xanax in that situation, but I did not have any on hand. An anti-psychotic like Seroquel would have been even more preferable to end the trip early if it came to that. I like to have something on hand so that if I am having an unbearable trip, there is a perceived way out. Whether that way out is just my perception at the time or it actually helps makes no real difference to me. Just believing that there is a way to end the trip usually is enough to ease through the roughness and is extremely comforting. There are some serious risks associated with taking diphenhydramine along with a hallucinogen though. Diphenhydramine acts as a delerient at higher doses and combining that with a psychedelic is a potential recipe for nightmarish events. As always, one should know their body, know their mind, and know their substance(s).

The higher dose trip play by play:

5:30pm - I ingested 2.1 ml of the solution. At this point I am still at work and I am trying to time it so that I don't have to wait around for it to kick in. I figured that it would take at least 3 hours to kick in like the lower dose trips.

6:00pm - I leave work for the day and decide to get food since bromo destroys my appetite.

6:50pm - Already ate and I am almost back at my apartment. At this point I am start feeling the come up. My face is getting a little tense and it is a very familiar feeling. I am driving at this point so I was feeling a bit anxious and just wanted to get home. [Erowid Note: Driving while intoxicated, tripping, or extremely sleep deprived is dangerous and irresponsible because it endangers other people. Don't do it!]

7:00pm - I am home and my headspace is definitely changing a bit. Smoking a cigarette and walking around. People are talking and it is very unnerving and I am still feeling pretty anxious. Laughter felt like it was directed at me.

8:00pm - Talked with one of my roommates for a while. Starting to trip pretty hard. No visuals yet, but my mind is pretty jumbled and reminiscent of a LSD trip. Unlike lower doses, I did not feel mentally enhanced, but instead had a bit of difficulty conversing. The anxiety went away pretty quickly once I got inside.

9:00pm - Talked with the roommate some more, starting to get some visuals. My perception of time is off; one minute feels like 10+. Watched a few episodes of Drawn Together. I could follow the show quite well and was able to pick up on some subtle things that I normally would have missed.

10:00pm - Roommate was hungry, so I went with him to the McDonalds drive thru. I am not hungry at all, but his food looks delicious. When I am doing things or talking, my headspace calms down a bit, but if I am just alone with my thoughts, they go wild.

10:30pm - I am lying on my bed just thinking. I begin to analyze my life and a feel a pretty deep sense of hopelessness. Definitely some ego softening going on. I start listening to music with my eyes closed after a while. Getting the most intense CEV's I have ever seen. They seem to be dependent on the music and are very interesting. My thoughts are running wild and I am still tripping pretty hard.

12:00am - I return to the living to chat with 2 of my roommates, feeling pretty normal in my head at this point. My thoughts have really calmed down. Visuals are still at the same level, haven't decreased at all.

1:00am - Starting to feel a bit tired, but don't really want to sleep yet. Still hanging with the roommates at this point. Feeling pretty good. At this point it feels like the lower dose trips did at their peaks (if you want to call it a peak).

3:00am - Return to my bed, just thinking, eventually turn on an episode of Family Guy.

4:00am - Feeling tired and decide to go to sleep. Still tripping at this point but got to sleep very easily. Oddly enough, sleep came much easier as the doses got higher. On the lowest dose, I dosed up around the same time and did not feel tired until noon the next day.

Final thoughts:

The effects for me are very dose dependent. The higher dose was much better than the lower doses. I can really see how users have got turned off based on low dose trips. The lower dose felt more uncomfortable and just kept me awake. On any of the doses I took, I didn't really feel any negative physical side effects. No vaso-constriction or feeling cold that most others reported. I am pretty happy with bromo. It isn't as intense as LSD, but it still has a lot to offer. I don't feel comfortable increasing the dosage much more, but the lack of any negative physical side effects that I experience (or at least, that I am consciously aware of) makes it tempting. This substance has taken lives and limbs, caution must be exercised.

Exp Year: 2012	ExpID: 95700
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 22
Published: May 30, 2012	Views: 12,885
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Bromo-Dragonfly (349) : Preparation / Recipes (30), Retrospective / Summary (11), Alone (16)