Tripping: How often is too often?

[Dirty Old Man]

Hi Everyone,

Hope this hasn't been done before.

I am curious to see what people think is a safe upper limit for trip frequency.

I realise this poll is simplistic as it does not take the following important factors into consideration:

substance used

trip intensity

repeated use of the same substance

individuals physiology

individuals psychology

etc.

Please feel free to add any opinions.

Dom

[Torsten]

I don't think I am going to vote on this because I am not comfortable endorsing that EVERYONE could safely trip 4 or 5 times a week. Personally that's what I did for a few years in my 20's, but could not imagine myself doing too well if I decided to do it again now in my late 30's.

It also depends on the substance. Shrooms I could do several times a week and not feel drained - quite the contrary. Unless of course I did them at a rave or other exertive event. Acid I would have been hesitant to do more than twice a week because a trip used to last me 12 hours and sleep was not easy afterwards. These days (most likely due to changes in my metabolism) a trip lasts barely 5 hours and is usually followed by sedation, so in effect it's not much different than mushrooms these days.

Other substances I am not sure about. Never done ayahuasca more than twice a week and that only for a few weeks in a row. However, smoking DMT you can do every day for a few weeks without too much problem (although I have seen strong character changes in some people who do this for extended periods!).

I don't think there are any health problems associated with hallucinogens, so there is no limit in that regard. Whether or not a drug becomes a problem in ones life depends on one's own brain chemistry and also on one's lifestyle. If you hold down a 9 to 5 then shrooming more than once a week is probably going to cause conflicts. If you are a DJ then taking hallucinogens 5 days of the week can fit in quite nicely with the lifestyle

as a side note: many hallucinogens are cross tolerant, so scheduling of the right substances is important if you want to get the best effect for the lowest dose (and hence the lowest toxic side effects). When I went through a couch potato phase I decided to take a quarter blotter every day as a stimulant. This worked for 2 days and then I got no effect. I worked out that you have to increase the dose by at least 50% each day to get the same effect. So after a week you already have to take at least 2 full blotters to get that mild stimulation effect and after two weeks this increases to 23 whole blotters per day!!!! Quite fascinating.

btw, you can win a lot of acid taking contests with such preparation

But this also put some of the stories fromt he 60's in perspective. People who had ready access to LSD would sometimes take it a few days in a row. If you are starting on 250mics then by the end of the week you could be at over 2000mics and be no higher than when you started the week, but you would get a lot of admiration for your prowess .

[WitchDoctor]

in my dream fantasy land i'd say i smoke DMT a few times a week and take mushrooms either every week or once every couple of weeks. i sure found that giving up smoking pot 3 or 4 times a week sure has helped me and the trips have little or no effect the next day...

all theoretical of course

[Anton]

I agree with Torsten in regard to relating to your lifestyle. Im a 7 to 4er and ive found that the same substance in two consecutive weeks starts to make things complicated, where as once a month is a perfect minimum at most.

Then again if i had time off or in a job where i didnt have to think as much, i reckon you could get away with a few days a week.

Each to their own.

Anton

[prier]

I think this question really just comes down to indiviuals, I know people that have been on mushrooms for weeks at a time, I also now people that would be highly likely to break down after eating just a few mushrooms.

Personally I like to have a few weeks or even months between taking pschedelics, allthough I have been known to take mushrooms and dmt a couple of times a week at times.

[Andy the Great Something]

I think people are bringing up some good points here. Perhaps the question of how often is not the right question. A person should maybe instead ask why they take the poison medicines in the first place. Is it to learn? Heal? Gain power or insite? Escape? Grow? Have fun?

Use Vs Abuse

The people who have been around the block a few times might tend to agree that once you've severly crushed the ego a few dozen times, it starts to loose it's luster and at that point, you either burn out or learn how to play around the edges.

[-YT-]

"Use Vs Abuse

The people who have been around the block a few times might tend to agree that once you've severly crushed the ego a few dozen times, it starts to loose it's luster and at that point, you either burn out or learn how to play around the edges."

Excellant point there Andy i think abuse can have alot to do with it for some people no watter wat kinda drug it is obviously intent and reflection especially with psychadelics - play a major Role in bettering or worsening ones conciousness, outlook and general enjoyment of life. That said have many people here crashed and burned, and did it affect the way you were living/thinking at the time in a hugley noticable way?

[Dirty Old Man]

Thanks for the replies.

All very good points. Especially yours Andy. Thats what I was kind of referring to with the "Its self regulating" option in the poll.

Personally I can't say I have never crashed and burned, but then I haven't really been one to do anything excessively and probably never will. Although, upon first discovering mushrooms (we are talking about oyster mushrooms ofcourse) and using them as a tool for self exploration a few times a week, I did notice some things that indicated that I should slow down for a while. These were mostly flasback like feelings and visions whilst drifting off to sleep.

[folias]

three times a week is often too much for me... 2 times a week is good sometimes... I find once a week, really going in there, is about right...

I know heaps of people who have taken something/do take something every single day for very long periods of time... over a decade often... some of them seem to thrive it, it has seemed/could be perceived to have effected some people in the long term... everyone has different chemistry and does different mileage with different psychoactive fuel!

Julian.

[RonnySimulacrum]

I would have ticked ones every 6 months, but it was not there

Edited April 1, 2006 by RonnySimulacrum

[Torsten]

Is it to learn? Heal? Gain power or insite? Escape? Grow? Have fun?

Use Vs Abuse

The people who have been around the block a few times might tend to agree that once you've severly crushed the ego a few dozen times, it starts to loose it's luster and at that point, you either burn out or learn how to play around the edges.

Firstly, are you implying that taking hallucinogens for fun equals abuse? Many view it that way and I take great exception to that. There are few things more therapeutic than having fun.

I think abuse is rare with hallucinogens. Not many people are drawn to use them regularly if they are not doing any of the things in your list. Except as an escape maybe, but then who is to say that that escape isn't therapeutic and hence also a positive thing (better than jumping off buildings or getting blind drunk).

I would be careful about being judgemental about ANY form of hallucinogen use.

(please note this applies to hallucinogens ONLY as with other drugs you also have to take physical damage into the equation).

I don't know why I liked the ego loss state at a certain time in my life, but no, over a period of 10 years or so I did not get bored with it or burnt out. I did however eventually lose interest and yes, playing around the edges is a nice way of putting what I prefer these days - occasionally I don't think it was burn out, but rather a change in lifestyle. In fact, I tried to combine a different lifestye with the deep psychedelic experience a few times and it didn't work. Maybe it took me a little longer to grow up

[Dirty Old Man]

I understand and agree with what you are saying Torsten.

It sounds like a silly thing to say but even fun or escape is something that should be enjoyed in moderation.

[folias]

I know a lot of people (including myself) for whom the rabbit hole only becomes deeper...

And I know some people who have found a block that prevents them from going deeper... or so it seems!

I've met people who just haven't stopped really going in there quite regularly since 67!

Julian.

[Andy the Great Something]

Firstly, are you implying that taking hallucinogens for fun equals abuse? Many view it that way and I take great exception to that.

Sorry Torsten, thats all you man, I didn't imply anything. Actually I tend to think reguardless of what a person percieves as their reasons they ingest hallucinogens, they will end up schooling you one way or another...... wether you like it or not. Even if it's just showing you how a particular substance likes to be treated. That being said, I'm not opposed to having fun. I just think if you treat the occasions with the proper forethought and respect that theirs less chance of missteps and more to gain from it.

Edited April 3, 2006 by Andy the Great Something

[Francois le Danque]

i can't believe when i read the topic i thought that this thread was about falling over...

for some reason i thought it meant like "i fall over a lot, is something wrong with me?" LOL.

ah well.

[mescalito]

It's alright Frank it' s just a case of 'dropsy' mate

On the subject why is it always you walk all the way into town over gutters,driveways,dimly lit paths and bridges,dodge dog shit and cars no probs and then you trip over a friggin 3mm lift in the footpath right in front of a car load of 18y/o chicks checking you out ....or was just I tripping?.....

There are a lot of variables to consider before generalising an answer for me.A lot depends on where I'm "at" and some substances take longer to integrate.It's like starting weight training and getting all gee'd up until you find you haven't rested or eaten enough to replenish the mind and body and can burn out badly.

I'd say trip as often as you personally can as long as you can successfully integrate or separate the parts of your 'alternate reality' trips respectively with the one's the laws of being human inhabit.

[Andy the Great Something]

. That said have many people here crashed and burned, and did it affect the way you were living/thinking at the time in a hugley noticable way?

Well, I've hit rock bottom a time or two......... crossed the realm of healthy use to the other side of the coin, wrong time, place and mindset.... or just plain taken the wrong turn and let things spiral out. I'd have to say though that some of my worst experiences, I have gained the most insite from......... theirs nothing like confronting your own darker side or the shit that you've shoved so far deep inside that you hoped/feared never to see again. I feal very fortunate that those times didn't become the death of me. In my experience we sometimes as people get so wrapped up in stuff that we can't see the forrest for the tree's. From those times I've gained a better appreciation for perspective and the subjective/objective.

Edited April 3, 2006 by Andy the Great Something

[Dirty Old Man]

i can't believe when i read the topic i thought that this thread was about falling over...

for some reason i thought it meant like "i fall over a lot, is something wrong with me?" LOL.

ah well.

Thats what it was about until it got hopelessly off topic :D

[Dodie]

So Frank are you the one who clicked "Tripping is bad, there is no safe level"?

[Dirty Old Man]

So Frank are you the one who clicked "Tripping is bad, there is no safe level"?