First Psychedelic Trip (LSD) - Advice?

[Robby]

@kieranperez

Caution with psychedelics is certainly important, to the extent that it is oriented towards keeping you safe. But let's not demonize danger here. Sometimes when careful, calculated, incremental attempts at improvement aren't producing the desired results, it's often because resistance is manifesting itself under the guise of caution. The same resistance that caused psychedelics to be classified as a schedule 1 narcotic, is the same reistance that whispers "this probably isn't a good idea right now" or "I need to be in a better place mentally before I do this". Now, that voice could also be genuine intuition. Or it could be ego-resistance. The point is to be skeptical both of your desire to use substances and to abstain from substances. I've observed that when it comes to psychedelics, most advice will err on the side of not doing psychedelics. I offer a different perspective; once the variables have been taken into account, and the analysis run with a clear and objective mind, err on the side of taking your fucking medicine. 

Most of the time - baby steps. But sometimes you gotta know when to take a damn leap.

I'm not saying be stupid, start with a very very small dose, pay attention to set & setting, have a trip sitter if desired, etc, etc. 

There's a difference between trying to prevent serious damage and preventing a bad trip. Sometimes a bad trip is EXACTLY what is needed. My girlfriend did not want to do psychedelics for years. And for years I tried to gently support her in creating the life she wanted to create. But little real progress was made, we were mostly going in circles - she still suffered much. So, without going into detail, we did one "warm-up" trip with .3g shrooms, where we didn't do any work, just got her comfortable facing her fears, it went great. The second time we did .7g, and actually went to work. She freaked out, it was traumatizing for her, and has been one of the most pivotal decisions she's made yet. The subsequent positive consequences have been like divine intervention. 

Depression, low self-esteem, lacking vision and integrity, losing touch with your intuition, lost in the ego-mind's victim stories, these are not indicators of how you've failed or somehow aren't good enough to take psychedelics. These are symptoms, and it sounds like you need to take your medicine.

Using any substance as a crutch is always a dangerous trap, but that's fucking life. Life isn't 100% safe. Psychedelics are not and will never be 100% safe. But damn, they're a lot safer than they're perceived to be. Psychedelics are antiaddictive, you've smoked weed and you didn't start using that as a crutch. You experience what you focus on, and you don't seem to be focusing on finding a crutch, you seem to be focused on finding a real solution. It sounds like you're in a shit situation, and that dynamic is forcing you into a frame where you don't feel like you're winning, but don't be too hard on yourself mate. Stay firm, stay course, this will pass. Don't let your circumstances keep you sucked in, sometimes you gotta rip the chains off your back with a defiant "NO FUCK THAT SHIT!" and stop letting your current circumstances dictate your future trajectory. 

 All you can do is keep your side of the street clean and surrender to Divine Will. You post a lot, you seem educated and self-aware and clever and down-to-earth.  The only reason I'm posting, which I rarely do, is because it's your question. Your likability and charisma have shined through the black and white bro. I know times are tough, but I don't even know you, and I trust that you are equipped to handle this. Sometimes we don't need to push ourselves harder, sometimes we need to learn to be fucking proud of ourselves. You are GOD. Have faith. Love yourself because no one else can do it for you. Trust yourself because you don't have any other fucking options. Put a pause on thinking "what will happen if I do" and start thinking "what will happen if I don't". Doubt is created by the questions we ask, sometimes what we need is to start asking better questions - more empowering questions. 

How to not get lost in visual phenomena - as soon as it pops up you remind yourself that the visuals are simply an amplification of what you're always doing. You see that the visuals are just the Trickster revealing itself in a more noticeable way "Look over here! Look over there! Isn't that pretty?! Isn't this scary?! Isn't that interesting?! Isn't this profound?!" that's what the mind is always doing, it's always hallucinating, and it's almost always just a distraction. So you deal with visuals the same way you deal with thought hallucinations while you're meditating - you don't judge them, you don't pay them any attention, you keep your focus on the object of meditation. 

Tips on intent - your intent is to surrender your intent, so that you can find Your intent. You shut up and pay attention. If you're quiet enough - you'll know what to do. You always know what to do. Sometimes you're just talking so loud that you can't hear Yourself. Only speak from what is deeply true within you. Only act from what is deeply true within you. In this way we operate from a place of authenticity and alignment with ourselves. To exist in an authentic and self-aligned state is to be free of neurosis. 

Take half of one tab. Not because you're scared or concerned about taking more, just because there's no need for it. Learn how to own your energy in a smaller dose and work your way up.

Some tips:     There is nothing to do.    There is nowhere to go.    Everything is in the eye of the beholder.    The only thing that can hurt you is yourself.    You experience what you focus on - focus on good shit.    Embrace confusion and not knowing.    Expect your desired outcome.    What do you want?        Resistance has no power of its own, it derives all of its power from our fear of it.   Maintain bilateral symmetry in your body.   Keep these in mind when you trip, some of them can become very literal.

Look into Martin Ball, regardless of what you think of him or his philosophy, he's an OG on how to take psychedelics. If you need someone unbiased to talk to you can always text/call me, you have my number.