DOSE:

24 oz

oral

Cacti - T. pachanoi

(tea)

BODY WEIGHT:

168 lb

A year ago my employer transferred me to the midwest. Transfers are routine in my line of work and always a little challenging, but this one has been particularly difficult for me. I left a wonderful environment full of great friends and fulfilling projects, and have been unable to find or construct meaningful connections and endeavors in my new location. After a year spent on an undesirable emotional-spiritual trajectory, I felt the need for a long psychedelic weekend. It had been over a year since I had used psychedelics. I was overdue.

I had four consecutive days with zero obligations. On day one I meditated and ran in the morning, then spent the afternoon preparing a small mushroom grow operation (PF cakes); the fruits of which will hopefully be ready in 6 to 8 weeks. On day two I meditated then began preparing a San Pedro cactus for consumption. I got a 12” San Pedro cactus and sliced it like a cucumber, then quartered those slices, then blended the cactus chunks with an equal volume of water. The cactus slurry was then simmered on low heat for 4 hours while stirring frequently. After 4 hours the cactus slurry had sufficiently reduced and thickened, so I filtered the brew through a clean cloth and let it cool. During the preparation process I listened to lectures from the 2013 MAPS conference. Interesting! I was left with 32oz of lime green San Pedro tea. It was late, so I prepared for bed.

While brushing my teeth I noticed that my pupils had dilated. Strange, since I had not yet consumed the tea. I began to feel the tingly sensation that I often experience at the onset of a psychedelic trip. I thought maybe the mescaline had been transmitted transdermally since I had gotten cactus juice all over my hands when I prepared the San Pedro. Or perhaps I had inhaled a threshold dose while hovering over the slowly simmering pot of cactus slurry as I slowly stirred. Both seemed highly unlikely. Placebo maybe, or maybe just great anticipation? Whatever the cause, the sensation was mild and pleasant and I quickly feel asleep. Normally I rarely recall my dreams after waking, but that night my dreams were incredibly vivid, obviously symbolic, and easy to remember.

The next morning I cleaned my apartment and took care all domestic chores. I was alone but comfortable in my setting. I had eaten nothing yet that day and only modestly the day before. I then consumed 24oz of the San Pedro tea. It tasted bad, but it's not meant to be a tasty treat. 90 minutes later I began to feel the effects and went to lay down. As soon I laid in bed I received a text from a good buddy on the west coast that read “It's cactus time.” That's weird! I had not told him about my cactus plans, and I have never consumed cactus before. I called my buddy and asked, “how did you know?”. He explained that earlier in the week he had ordered some San Pedro cactus online, and had just received the shipment and was going to prepare and consume it later that day. I explained how I had consumed the cactus 90 minutes ago and that the effects arrived at the same time as his cactus text message. We laughed at the strange coincidence, or synchronicity, or whatever.

For the next 6 hours, the psychedelic effects of the San Pedro tea came in waves of intensity. It was pleasant throughout the range of intensity. The only ill-effect was mild intermittent nausea, no vomiting however. By late afternoon I felt that the effects were beginning to subside so I went running. Around mile one, the intensity of the experience reached a new high, perhaps due to the increased heart rate. I ran about 4 or 5 miles, listened to Zero One on my iPod, and had a fantastic time exploring my thoughts and consciousness. A fantastic time!

During the experience I frequently pondered my current isolated living situation. I have 3 more years until I can transfer back to my neck of the woods and my favorite people; this is a fact that often weighs heavy on me. However, while experiencing the mescaline I had a new vantage point from which to view the predicament. New options were realized and other options that I had considered before were more fully embraced. Due to the nature of my job and extensive work-related travel, I can make a few arrangements and spend larger amounts of time in the company of those I care about the most. I'm writing this a week later, and during this past week have already made plans throughout the summer and into the fall. I'm not rich by any stretch, but by cleverly and openly assessing the situation, financially and otherwise, I was able to see solutions that previously eluded me.

Another prominent insight that was obtained can be summed up with the mantra “get psychedelic”. Psychedelic experiences need not be rare treats. I'm 37 years old and have reached a level of discipline and responsibility that I myself can fully trust. My nutrition is great and has been for years. I'm physically active and fit. I need no professional supervision. My finances are in order. All my close friendships are honest and healthy. I'm happily committed to my loving girlfriend with nothing to hide. I can fully trust myself to manage myself. So there is no good reason why I should refrain from getting psychedelic, and getting psychedelic a lot. The mushrooms are underway, I already have more San Pedro cacti, and loads of Salvia are at the ready. I'm most happy when I'm inspired and experiencing life from a wider range of perception, and since I can be fully trusted to keep my life healthy, why should I deny myself?

Exp Year: 2013	ExpID: 100726
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 37
Published: Oct 3, 2018	Views: 2,123
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Cacti - T. pachanoi (64) : Personal Preparation (45), General (1), Alone (16)