Report: First Trip at Age 41
Dosage: About 1 TSP Dried Mushrooms on an
Empty Stomach
We hiked for about an hour into the foothills and ate the
shrooms in yogurt and continued 10 minutes walk before the trail intersected a
large red rock formation.
I almost instantly noticed faint nausea and a
slight stoned feeling and then within 5 minutes it was like someone took the
veil off and I could some how SEE each and every needle in the pine forest. It
was like when I was 10 and got my first glasses and suddenly I could see EVERY
leaf on the tree across the street from the opticians. The air had a lucent
quality.
As we hiked at now T +15 minutes we crossed a small stream which was
"enhanced" with the water flow fascinating silvery and complex. At about T + 25
minutes we left the trail and hiked up along the base of the rock formation for
several hundred yards before stopping. I noticed a stronger stoned feeling and
was somewhat ataxic.
We could see out to the East - and it was very clear -
you could see 80 miles even without shrooms. There was this incredible GREEN out
there, and over the city I noticed I was very sensitive to motion seeing the
motion of cars that I would not otherwise notice and also the heat waves over
the city were enhanced.
There was also the rock which was RED - so RED. There
was a view of the side of the RED rock and the GREEN plains that was just
astounding. In front of me there was a "witch tree" whose leaves had not come
out with incredible complexity of branching form, and dead plants matted on the
ground in front of me that formed patterns and that breathed slightly. This is
now about T +90.
At about T + 120 there were chill winds and clouds and we
moved further up along the base of the rock on the way seeing this astounding
place where this water seep was flowing over the surface of the rock into pools
like a Japanese Garden.
We stopped on a ledge up on the rock a few feet and
the sun came out in full force on and off... I looked deep into a forest and saw
GREEN symmetry and at patterns leafless of branches against the BLUE sky and the
clouds.
At about T+180 I lay on the rock in the warm sun and looked up at the
sky and watched a cloud form, move, morph and evaporate - I could see such DEPTH
between the cloud and the higher cirrus and the motion of the vapor was... it
was. I thought that evaporating just like that cloud would be the best way to
die --- when my time comes. At the same time with my head against the upsloping
rock my vision was surrounded by the curve of the RED rock slab - I was fully
aware of ALL of my vision all the way out to the edges.
After this I saw this
4 inch diameter damp pocket in the rock and inside was this perfect perfect
still life with green algae against the RED rock and a long pine needle and
short ones, lucent shining colored grains of quartz, a piece of moss that waits
for water. It was a microcosm. I realized the depth and complexity is everywhere
and unfathomable. At every level and scale there is beauty.
There were also
these astounding medium scale patterns in the RED rock...
I saw many other
perfect aesthetic compositions which felt very "Japanese" to me.
At about T
+240 the effects gradually started to moderate. Walking, I noticed the ataxia
was almost gone even though perception was still widely abnormal if less so.
During the trip I used binoculars from time to time, and found this most
excellent for focusing in on particular areas. When using them I noticed that
the part of my eye not against the lens at the periphery again was fully active
- that is I equally saw both THROUGH the binocs and AROUND them. I recommend
binoculars. A magnifying lens was less interesting.
As we hiked down and
things moderated more I realized that I could not tell exactly when I was
"normal" again - that there was no definite boundary. On the way down I saw some
swarming ants which is my only great phobia - I was able to look at them quite
close up with no anxiety at all...
When I arrived home (T +420), I made my
only mistake - I had some coffee which I believe added to the stimulating effect
from the shrooms, which I did not realize was still going on because I felt
rather tired at that point. But I think this contributed to sleeping poorly that
night.
I was slightly "hung over" the next day but since then have been
feeling particularly good (T + 4 days now).
My overall impression was that shrooms are a "beauty enhancer"!
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