DOSE:

19 mg

oral

2C-I

(powder / crystals)

BODY WEIGHT:

170 lb

I got the best Xmas present ever this past year: a buddy sent me 2X 20mg of 2C-I, approximately half of which I put to use a coupla days ago—to GREAT effect.

I consider myself quite experienced with a variety of entheogens (all the usual suspects, some exotic tryptamines, and various botanicals) but have never (to my knowledge) experienced the effects of a phenethylamine---not even MDMA. I figured that a description of my experience would be unusual in that it came from a perspective uncolored by previous phen. use. So, FWIW.....

This substance was one of the things that I figured I’d never get my grubby lil’ hands on e.g. 4-methylaminorex, N,N-DMT, 5-MeO-AMT, etc. etc. Such materials, I thought, require connections that I just don't have, so I figured I'd just be doomed to only reading trip reports... I loved being proved wrong!

I couldn't find anyone who would try the unknown with me, unfortunately, so I had to go it alone. I rather randomly decided to make the excursion-- normally I notify myself a few days in advance to prepare. This time it was a night-before decision.

I woke in my apartment to a gray, nasty, windy, COLD day in a city in the southern U.S. I got up at 9 A.M. to see my roommate off to work-- comfortably out of the way for the day. Unfortunately, we discovered neither of our front door locks would function (doorknob or deadbolt) so my roomie asked me to call the landlord to get it fixed. Shit. There goes the day.

But when I call Herr Slumlord, and he tells me he can't make it out 'til after 5:00 PM, if then. Swell! All systems are go.

I had fasted for about 14 hours beforehand in an effort to stave off any nausea. Once I removed it from the capsule in which it was stored, the 20mg of 2C-I measured out to a lil’ less than 21 mgs on my balance. I dip my pinky in the white powder and smear a tiny amount on my bedroom mirror in the shape of a cross as a libation to the gods. I bet I got at least 19 mg. My friend had recommended insufflation as a route of ingestion, but I decided against the IN route for my first time. On the tongue (an interesting, not exactly unpleasant taste) and down the hatch at 10 A.M.

I'm a little tense at the novelty of it all, so I putz around some discussion forums and log on to the IRC channel I frequent—but no one’s there. When I get the first alert (about T+0:30) I feel a bit of alarm-- a 'what the hell did I just do?' sort of feeling. The come on was completely unfamiliar to me (like I say, I've never used a phenethylamine before), but promising. I popped in Phillip Glass’ Koyannisqatsi in the CD player for the ramp up.

WOW....by T+0:45, I’m definitely in unknown territory—I can already tell that I haven't done anything of this magnitude in over two years. The thought of the certain ride to come still unnerves me a bit, so I decide to be productive. Let's take a look at that doorknob lock…

After monkeying around with tools, I find the doorknob lock surprising easily to fix. Seems a piece popped out of place, but cognition and motor skills aren't too impaired yet, so I eventually figure it out ten minutes later, which is fortunate because I'm getting even more bent by the minute. I have a thought of my brother-- a locksmith-- and laugh to think how simple a job this would be for him. I get the notion that I was channeling his useful, interesting ability to make the fix. My mindset, already positive, is further improved with the knowledge that *I* accomplished something today!

About T+1:15, I'm full bore loony. Colors got brighter, and I sit in my recliner and watch how material objects begin to take on a visual aura that suggests to me that I've been taking my life 'far too seriously'—like I’ve been infused with a mood of confused but good humor. These developing visuals are very elaborate and “precise”—more so than with mushrooms yet flowing-- organic, like them. Less “crystalline’ but just as vivid as with LSD. I like this!

I remember reading in PiHKAL references to the 'Persian carpet' nature of visuals on 2CB , and I think my perception is influenced accordingly--- I begin to see patterns that very much look like that description. Phillip Glass is very beautiful, but somber--- large, dark, and even. It ends, and the CD switches to Pink Floyd’s Meddle. I have an excellent time listening to it, and talking on IRC—by now, someone comes in and I try to describe (unsuccessfully) what's going on. Wait, it's snowing! Oh joy!

After a rapturous experience watching the hyperspace warp field that is the falling snow outside, I promise myself to a cigarette out there later. I get back to the music, and try to chill. Nervous tension, leg shakes, a bit of jaw clenching, and a non-painful, but weird feeling in my stomach. Let's clear that up with the most enjoyable anti-nausea medicine I know of..... It works excellently and, as far as I can tell, does not really alter or influence what I am feeling.

Around T+2:00-- Yow! I'm still going up! I admittedly began to panic a bit-- again, it had been a while since I experienced anything approaching this intensity. I calm myself down by getting lost in my thoughts.... until I started to recede into a melancholy 'gee I wish people were here' state. So I flip on the telly for distraction, something to ground me.... infomercial, no....basketball, no....9/11 related show, hell no....and then I find it....

A wonderful PBS kid’s show called “Reading Rainbow”-- LeVarr Burton hosts a children's storytelling show... which usually uses animated shots of the original book illustrations. I am suddenly happy as a pig in shit. I feel intensely connected to the storylines, and am overwhelmed with great appreciation for positive, non-vacuous, non-product oriented children's programming. What a great show!

When the show’s over, I forget my apprehension-- let's go smoke a cigarette. I pop on my .mp3 program on my computer and go out on my apartment’s balcony. Here I find the snow has turned to a sleet/rain mix. Normally, I'd consider this nasty weather. But.... maybe two inches of snow has accumulated, and I just sit in the sloppy joyous presence of the snow melting, refreezing, then melting again. Hell, I can SEE the whole process! I then literally get lost in the stark white winter sky for the better part of an hour, tears streaming down my face at the fabulousness of it all. People slog by, beneath my balcony and I greet them-- and always get friendly hello's back, which makes me feel great. IT doesn’t snow much around here, so when it does, I guess everyone gets a little excited and noticeably happier.

A little while later, maybe T+4:30, I'm noticeably saner. I smoke, eat some chocolate (!!!), have a beer, commune with my Salvia plant, dance a bit to the Dead, and just fundamentally enjoy whatever it is I happen to be doing. Around T+6:30, the landlord arrives to fix the deadbolt. His knock gives me a start, but he seems friendly and doesn't seem to notice that I completely lack irises. He's in a chatty mood, and fortunately I'm able to communicate effectively, something that might not have been feasible on other substances like LSD, with which even the smallest dose completely cripples my ability to communicate verbally.

Then my roommate comes home, and I feel the need to act straight, as he had a bad day at work. Except for a happy glow that lasted the rest of the evening, I am, for all intents and purposes, down. My goodness gracious!

I would certainly recommend 2C-I to anyone interested in the effects of psychedelics. It felt 'clean' with a minimum of the 'mindfuck' that I sometimes get with LSD. The visuals were great, but what was really impressive was the largely good-natured, humorous 'headspace' I was propelled into. Even when I became slightly agitated, I found the ability to smirk and chuckle at my discomfort as though I was simultaneously observing myself and feeling the minor dread (which eventually disappeared). I actually think that for some people, this would make a good first psychedelic experience, though at a lower dose (maybe 15 mg?).

My appetite for phenethylamines has been totally whetted by this experience-- I can't wait to try more. Unfortunately, I have a bad feeling that there will be some serious scheduling by the DEA in the next year or so of this and similar substances. Already, all of the vendors who used to provide this sort of thing have melted away out of fear of being raided.

But at least I still have 20 mg left...:)

Exp Year: 2002	ExpID: 12559
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Feb 12, 2002	Views: 16,453
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2C-I (172) : Alone (16), Glowing Experiences (4), First Times (2)