A Novice Journey

This was my 1st trip. I did much reading on the web, especially the shroomery, and also read McKenna's book "Food of the Gods." After all this "research," I decided I'd like to give it a try. The goal I've had in mind was focusing on exploring myself and delving into shamanism. I should point out that I am a very mellow and introspective person by nature... this may explain what happened. At any rate, after reading and talking with some folks online, I decided to move slowly towards my goal. Everything seemed to suggest I start with a level 2 type trip to get my feet wet and save the inner journeys for another day, so I thought "what the hey? I'll pay my dues." I aquired some cubes (at least that's what I think they are) and headed home on Friday night planning to use them Saturday morning. With my girlfriend close at hand Saturday morning (around 9:00am), I broke a single mushroom into pieces, and ate it with about 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. I didn't really notice any flavor to the mushrooms, just a slight earthy flavor not at all unpleasant. I expected a very weak trip, as I'm 6' 225lbs, so I jumped in the shower and then sat down and waited while watching TV. About 20min later, I started to feel high. I was very light, not like the heavy high of pot, but loose and relaxed. I figured I wouldn't get much more, so just continued to watch Dexter's Laboratory while laughing my ass off and feeling extremely stoned. Quite suddenly, I noticed something was different with the color in the room! Everything had taken on a slightly blueish tint and the carpet seemed to ripple like the water on a lake, but very gently. I was surprised I got visuals at all, and I remember hoping It would last a while (I thought I was peaking). As I sat and watched some more cartoons (I can't describe how entertaining this dexter's lab was), the color tint in the room became reddish, and then green. At this point I was very happy, and was enjoying the visuals! After Dexter finished, my girlfriend decided she needed to go to the store for some coffee, and I decided to tag along. Walking outside I was greeted by an absolutely *gorgeous* day. It was warm, sunny and very green green green. The clouds seemed huge, the cicadas chirped and the trees seemed to wave and breath a greeting to me. It was AWESOME. We rode to the store and I started to tell her about the way I felt. While she went in I started thinking about myself for a while, and started searching for a CD to put in. Ignoring the stupid American werewolf in paris sound track with the scary ass picture on the cover, I put in The Top by the Cure, and started to enjoy the music. After she came back out, we talked for a few minutes and we headed back for the house. It was about this point that the trip really started to intensify. we got back, and I went strait to the couch. For a while I just waved my arms around, and felt the fabric of the couch. Then my girlfriend turned the movie Tron on. I wasn't paying attention to the film.. I wasn't even looking at the TV. It was the sound track that sent me into another world. Looking back, I think it's amazing how much the sound controlled my trip. I didn't really hear the actors talking, all I heard was the orchestra in the background (Disney movies are sooo good about using symphonies in their old movies). It was about this time I started to notice shapes in the various shadows on the walls... then a "fractal" type pattern started to show up along the edges of everything. I stared at my hands for what seemed like a week, then they were gone! In place of them were two beholders staring at me! They seemed to be trying to tell me something, but I couldn't really tell what, so I just stared back for a while. Eventually, I closed my eyes (which had started to water profusely), and found a whole other set of hallucenations. This is where I really started to get sucked into innerspace. Time had stopped except for the few moments when reality intruded on my trance. I saw a vast space where minds just like yours and mine existed without physical forms... just energy floating around like bubbles. The next part is kind of fuzzy. I remember feeling the vastness of the space I was in, and I could feel my mind leaving my body. I was able to move around, but It seemed like I only felt my body because my mind remembered what it felt like, not because I was in it. Then it hit me, I was dead! Or at least it seemed like my body was dead. I don't really remember reentering it or creating a new body like most Shamanic literature describes, I just remember feeling my body again and how suddenly strong It felt. After this I don't remember much of my trance. I do remember it ending very abruptly. I felt like I had just woken up and gotten out of bed. I was still feeling rather stoned, but the hallucenations had stopped, and I just had some color enhancement. I headed onto the porch to think for a few minutes, and took in the sunshine. My trip being over, my girlfriend and I took off to take care of our errands (which included buying her a $2500 engagement ring... not including the diamond... and eating dinner with all 4 parental units). I was totally unprepared for this intense experience. I am very happy that it was productive, and I was able to get a great deal out of my introspection. I'm also glad I was hoping to work up to a very deep shamanic voyage, because I'm sure this desire is the only thing that saved me from a VERY bad trip had I tried to resist in any way! I'm not sure the shrooms were cubes because I only ate one, and this happened... but I know to be careful in the future. Now that I've started the journey, I really hope I can make a more penetrating journey into the realms of the unknown, and learn more of myself and the ways of the shaman. I swear these things are true to the best of my memory and I hope my words can help any of you who are seriously interested in the spiritual aspects of shrooms. Please let me know what you think about my experience, and may the force travel with you always!

-stran-