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Are you planning on taking psychedelics for the first time? Excited? Nervous? Maybe a bit of both? Your first psychedelic trip is, probably, your most crucial trip, since it will make, or break your perception of psychedelics. You may find that your first trip is even better than you imagined, or you may find that psychedelics aren't quite your thing. However, I am sure that how you will find the trip isn't the first question on your mind. As a first-time user, you are probably wondering what to expect during your first trip.
There are so many psychedelic horror stories floating around, based on "trips-gone-wrong", so it's natural to be sceptical about your first trip. However, psychedelic pioneers from all around the globe can put your worries at ease through confirming that these are nothing more than horror stories. So, no, you won't suddenly get the idea that you can fly, followed by jumping off a twenty-story building. In fact, you're more likely to laugh your way into a heart attack, as opposed to jumping off a twenty-story building. So, to ease your stress levels, let's look at some details on what to expect on your first psychedelic trip.
If you're looking for an instant trip that kicks in, almost immediately after consumption, you'd probably be better off smoking a joint. When taking psychedelics, regardless of which psychedelic you've decided on taking, you must be prepared to wait for the fun to begin. Remember, your most popular psychedelics, such as Magic Mushrooms, or LSD, are consumed orally. When something is consumed orally, it, firstly, needs to be broken down by the metabolism. Once the substance has been broken down, it needs to make its way through the liver, before finally entering the bloodstream. This process could take anywhere between 30 minutes-2 hours, which depends on various factors. For example, someone whose stomach is "full-and-fed" at the time of consumption, will probably have to wait longer than someone who is taking psychedelics on an empty stomach. Hence the saying: "eating is cheating."
Once the waiting period is over, you will start feeling the first effects of your psychedelic trip. The best way to describe the feeling of onset would be to say that your body gets high, before your mind does. In my experience, the initial feeling of the psychedelic experience feels almost like your body is anxious, but your mind is in a good state. This is the exciting part, since you are slowly entering a life-changing experience, while still being sober enough to ponder over what is coming.
The initial onset of a psychedelic trip, especially for first-time users, combines the adrenaline rush which comes with a fear of the unknown, with the blissful excitement that comes with knowing that you are heading for a remarkable experience-and there's no turning back.
By now, you've probably experienced some mild psychedelic effects from the onset of the trip, but don't be fooled into thinking that this is where it ends. As a matter of fact, the fun is only just starting! Once the trip starts kicking in, you will find yourself in a blissful state of euphoria, and maybe with some giggles. To put this into perspective, I will share a story of an experience that I had with psychedelic-induced euphoria.
So, my roommate, and I had taken roughly two grams of Magic Mushrooms each. While the trip was kicking in, my roommate received a call from her mother, who was having a mini-meltdown. Briefly summarized, her mother was going on about how "everyone is going to die"- not the best information to receive while tripping. Naturally, I got rather concerned about this phone-call putting my roommate on to a bad trip. However, when the call finally ended my roommate came up to me saying: "My grandpa is in hospital, and everyone I know is gonna die", before bursting into a state of uncontrollable laughter. Despite receiving a rather pessimistic phone call, the effects of the "mushies" was so intense that, even a depressing call, seemed absolutely hilarious to her.
To better explain the euphoric effects that come with psychedelic consumption, let's consider the effects of smoking a fatty. Anyone who has had experience with smoking weed will agree that a joint can cause a certain level of euphoria, accompanied by giggles aimed at anything that is even remotely funny. Well, psychedelics are a thousand times, more potent than marijuana. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the euphoric effects of psychedelics equal to the euphoric effects of marijuana, multiplied by a thousand.
Visuals are probably the most exciting part of the psychedelic experience. But don't be too scared. Contrary to popular myth surrounding psychedelic trips, you are not likely to find a dragon in your fridge, especially when consuming beginner dosages. Your visuals will likely start off small. Normal colors will suddenly turn into the brightest, most beautiful colors than you have ever encountered. In my personal experience, the first signs of psychedelic-induced visuals are likely to present themselves through moving walls, that look like they are breathing.
Now, no two people will experience the same visuals on their trip, even if they consumed the same batch of psychedelics. Some of the more basic visuals that you may experience include spirals in the air, shapes appearing on walls, or general movements of inanimate objects. As your trip progresses, more intense visuals may be experienced. You may look at your friend's face, and see it shapeshift into a lion (yes, this happened to me) Your visuals will be dependent on yourself. Not on a conscious level, but rather on the level created through an interaction between the psychedelics, and your subconscious.
In other words, even if you and your companion consume the same batch of psychedelics that you received from the same supplier, your visual experiences will still be different. There are some similar visuals that various consumers may encounter. For example: Many different people have reported seeing extra-terrestrial beings in their trip. So, if you don't believe in aliens yet, brace yourself, you may just see one in your next trip.
Life Changing Epiphanies are one of the benefits that come with the use of psychedelics. In fact, research has proven that some of these epiphanies are beneficial in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. If you read through some testimonials of others' experiences with psychedelics, you'll find that psychedelics, on numerous occasions, helped people come to life-changing realizations. Allow me to share a personal story, to elaborate.
For many years I have been prone to depressive crashes. One particular crash happened, roughly a year ago, and left me in a depressive state for weeks. I took some Magic Mushrooms, which bought me to a great realization. To quote my thought process: "You are depressed because you are not doing anything with your life. You are not doing anything with your life because you are depressed. Stop being depressed, and you will finally be able to amount to something." This realization kicked me right out of my depression, thus being a perfect example of what you could achieve with psychedelics.
Those who have had experiences with hard drugs may agree that a comedown is something that no one really looks forward to. With hard drugs and some pharmaceuticals, the comedown can be identified as a period that is spent where the effects of the substance wear off, creating an exact opposite experience when compared to the effects of the high. Cocaine, for example, is a stimulant that alleviates symptoms of depression, which may cause worsened depression during the comedown. The great news is that this general rule doesn't apply to psychedelics. In fact, the comedown of a psychedelic trip has quite the opposite effects when compared to most unnatural substances.
Remember, psychedelics hold the potential of taking you on an eight-hour, life-changing, journey. The comedown is usually associated with bliss and even motivation. As a direct result of the epiphany that was reached during the trip. In other words, coming down from a psychedelic trip is not a bad experience at all. In fact, those who experienced a bad trip would stand witness to the fact that a psychedelic "downer" isn't something to dread. As far as side-effects go, you wouldn't be likely to experience any on your comedown. You may feel slightly hungry or drowsy, which will allow you to have a great meal, followed by a peaceful night's rest. You may also experience a motivation to change your life for the better. So, from step two, all the way to step five of a psychedelic trip, is likely to be a life-changing journey that you never thought you would embark on.
Now that you have a better understanding of what to expect on your first psychedelic trip, its time to chop up your "magic mushies" and prepare for the experience of a lifetime. Doing research to provide you with an idea of what to expect may help ease the stress levels… I get that… but it is important to be aware of the fact that your trip is dependent, only on yourself. If you enter the trip in a negative state of mind, chances are that you will have a bad trip. If you enter the trip with positivity, you will embark on a journey that no other substance will take you on. So, whether you are taking psychedelics for its mental health benefits, or simply to enjoy an exciting trip, remember that your trip is shaped around your own mind. Therefore, your trip will be what you make it.
So, you have your psychedelic of choice. You know what to expect. So, stop procrastinating, indulge yourself in your psychedelics, play some video games to pass the waiting period, sit back, relax, and embark on your first psychedelic journey!
