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First timer notes

It was October 1999, and I was about to take my first trip.



It was October 1999, and I was about to take my first trip. I selected three Psilocybe cubensis whose veils had barely broke. Each mushroom measured 4.5, 3.5, and 2 g fresh (each with a length of 2.2, 1.5, and about 1 inch). I estimated this dose contained 1 to 1.2 grams of psilocybin, which is good considering that 1 to 2 g is recommended for first timers (I edged on the low side since I had read that smaller mushrooms were more potent, and these were the ones I was picking).

I ate them from 1:37 to 1:43 pm (T+0:00) on a mostly-empty stomach. The mushrooms actually tasted pretty good. I was expecting a harsh, bitter taste but was pleased to discover a neutrally chalky taste, slightly bitter, but palatable. The caps were slightly spongy and tasteless; I didn't enjoy those parts much. I figured that the effects would start around 2:15 or 2:30 pm.

By 2:00 (T+0:20) I felt no effects other than what would be expected from anticipation. I felt pretty good and caught up on a little correspondence and watched CNN. I stared at the wood grain on my desk, which I had heard was an excellent way to test for visual effects, but saw nothing unusual.

Around 2:09 (T+0:29) I began feeling slightly lightheaded and speedy (as if I was on Claritin-D), but again there wasn't really much to differentiate it from the "placebo" effect.

Around 2:14 (T+0:34) I felt some weak cold waves, and the continuation of the slight speediness. I went to the living room and watched CNN, feeling slightly strange but otherwise normal.

Around 2:45 (T+1:05), my girlfriend got home. We talked, then went outside. I was still feeling Claritiny and a little nervous and tired, and I didn't like the thought of staying Claritiny (speedy) for several hours so I was somewhat disappointed. It was really beautiful outside, however, and I thought about laying on the grass and napping. I enjoyed sitting in the sun and feeling the warm breeze on my face. After awhile my girlfriend suggested lying inside, and since I was feeling a bit tired and not happy with the Claritin feeling I thought this would be a great idea.

At around 3:30 (T+1:50) we layed down inside. I stared at the ceiling and noticed that it was shifting slowly in two different directions. In brighter areas the ceiling seemed to be uneven, seemingly varying in height by as much as 2 inches. My girlfriend felt my head and thought I had a fever. Lying under the covers felt really good, and I continued to stare at the ceiling. It was interesting to be fully cognitive and see the ceiling move slowly like that, and I finally felt relieved that I had a reliable means of measuring my intoxication. I noticed the venetian blinds rippling gently, up and down and almost folding into one another, induced by the motion of the shadows outside. The Claritiny feeling began subsiding.

By 4:15 (T+2:35) the Claritiny feelings had totally subsided and I felt completely good and warm again. My mood cheered up. We got out of bed and and looked at the other mushrooms. I noticed that I had begun feeling slightly disassociated as my arms moved under the bright light; I almost thought I saw trails but checked again and saw nothing except arms that were moving somewhat disassociatively. As I walked through the house it felt somewhat like I was watching my body go through its motions, as an observer in my head, as it moved from one room to another. I felt vaguely like I was mentally able to independently observe and take notes on my own actions as I opened a sliding glass door.

Around 5:00 (T+3:20) we sat down and watched Jerry Springer. I noticed that I was objectifying everything -- I found the arguing between a loudmouth male guest and the audience particularly pointless yet funny. I thought, "Why is this guy being so defensive?" and thought he looked so shallow and funny. My dog came up to me to be petted, and as I
petted her with both arms I was completely objectifying the experience, seeing these arms and a cute furry dog at the end. I said out loud, "Here's this dog, and I'm petting it!" I am sure that this was an effect of my disassociated state. A short while later I went to the sliding glass door to let the dog in, and I was amused at how she was just standing there expectantly, wanting to come in. The dog seemed happy and visibly fixated on the thought of coming in, and I shared in her joyful anticipation of what the house offered. "She wants to come in!" I said.

Around 5:30 (T+3:50) my girlfriend and I headed out shopping and to grab a bite. She drove and I enjoyed the ride. The colors outside looked slightly heightened, but everything seemed warm and beautiful. The slight disassociation was noticeable when the car accelerated and stopped -- I felt distinctly that my body was being pushed by the car around as we travelled, and I was aware of how my body was completely captive to the car's movements. The drive was enjoyable, and I found ordinary things fascinating. Looking at the western horizon I was surprised at how crystal-clear the horizon seemed; things were taking on a slight sharpness. We got to Hobby Lobby and browsed around -- the colors looked increasingly warm and attractive, and I was content to follow my girlfriend as we browsed the store. I began feeling happy with the "moment", not thinking ahead nor behind, and finding interesting sensations everywhere in the store we went. A favorite of mine was exploring displays that had a lot of color; these seemed like locations that radiated warmth. A few times I felt disoriented with respect to my position in the store, but it didn't matter much. Overall I found shopping a very fun and exciting activity.

At 6:15 (T+4:35) we headed to Hastings to look around. Once again, everything in the store was fun to look at. Bright primary colors were constantly catching my eye, drawing me to books and products regardless of my own interest in their content. The slight disassociation vaguely began making me feel I was in a movie.

By 7:00 (T+5:20) the heightened visuals had abated. The disassociative state also rapidly diminished, but from time to time at certain moments I noticed it was still there. We stopped and got fast food, where I noticed how fascinating music sounded. It sounded just the same as I aways remembered it but seemed somewhat more expressive and beautiful.

We got home around 7:30 (T+5:50) and by that time the disassociative state was gone. The gentle, faint shifting in the ceiling was still present.

Even at 9:00 (T+7:20) I could still see some very slight movement in the ceiling if I looked at a particular spot. At 9:30 (T+7:50) the ceiling movement was hard to see unless I stared for about ten seconds.

All in all, a great trip, with no side effects or hangovers at all. I had the distinct feeling that the "Claritiny" feeling was the rise of the trip, while the warm fuzzy feeling was the slow descent from the peak.

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