DOSE: T+ 0:00	45 g	oral	Banisteriopsis caapi	(tea)
T+ 0:30	15 g	oral	Cacti - T. terscheckii	(tea)
T+ 2:00	10 g	oral	Cacti - T. terscheckii	(tea)

BODY WEIGHT:

165 lb

The experience was amazing! The adventure began at a natural, clothing optional, hot springs. A good afternoon full of hot-cold hydrotherapy, sauna, skillful breathing, and detox. After melting away all stress, the psychonauts set sail to the heart of alpine forest. Miles of dusty trail lead them to a campsite far off the beaten path. As the sun descended to the horizon the psychonauts hastily erected their tent, just in time to witness the last mango orange rays of sunlight retreat through the trees.

The next morning, this psychonaut awoke with the sunrise and quenched a fearsome thirst. Whilst his comrades slept he went for a walk Westward down a logging road. Leaving the cover of forest, he beheld the glory of pristine valley during the first light. From atop an amazingly well situated rock slab protruding from the hilltop he surveyed the landscape. A lowing of cattle, far off in the unseen cleft of the valley, seemed to resonate off resplendent hills-giving the illusion of proximity. The psychonaut sat on the crest in meditation, for an indefinite duration of time, absorbed in jhana. Emerging into form he laid back and watched the little fluffy clouds, in an infinite lattice of queues, advance forth, bow to the sun in reverence, and disintegrate into wispy spirals of ether. The heat from the sun intensified and the psychonaut, feeling parched, walked pensively back to camp.

The psychonauts finished setting up camp, made prayers and offerings for peace and illumination for all beings. Sage was burned and each in turn cleansed and centered. At 1000 hours, this psychonaut ingested 45 grams of Banisteriopsis caapi (white) infusion orally. This was followed by the usual mild nausea within 15 minutes. Allowing the stomach 30 minutes or so to make peace with the vine the psychonaut set forth an intention akin to the vow of the bodhisattvas. 'May this trip produce benefit and illumination for all!,' he exclaimed mentally.

'...(without MAO) it was lighter, easier to sustain and very energetic... I felt love for everyone and started dancing... Strained muscles came to the surface and I danced them loose... I feel my body... I felt the pain and frustration in my bones... Important to do is to let that feeling/energy loose, feel it, and let it go. I don't need negative energy. It's hard to conserve my positive!'(4)

At 1030 hours this psychonaut was presented with a small mason jar of brownish sludge. 'People go on about how disgusting mescaline containing cocktails taste...'(2) The psychonaut swirled it around and wondered prayed that he would not die from this experiment. Then this psychonaut ingested 15g of Trichocereus terscheckii infusion orally, leaving 10g worth of solution in the jar for later. The psychonaut breathed through the stomach's diatribe in opposition of these new contents. The discomfort was less than that caused by antibiotics on an empty stomach.

'An overriding feeling of optimism filled [the psychonaut]. Things were going to be okay. They really were...'(2) He retreated to the tent and laid out everything just-so in anticipation of the days needs: sunscreen, essential oils, incense, medicine wheel, book, water, shorts... everything in its right place. While his mates paced around jostling him in the wake of anxiety the psychonaut placed a small tray filled with enough water to act as a level on his feet and stretched.

'I definitely notice some indefinite sickness coupled with bliss,' the psychonaut jotted down into his notebook. Hoping to later remember this posture he scrawled, 'Relaxed stillness-in body during water asana stretch.' A comrade approached, gushing infinite sorrow, seeking comfort. The psychonaut handed him a piece of malachite from the South position on the wheel and fixated again on relaxed stillness. The psychonaut removed his moccasins and dawned a pair of running shoes. 'Left shoelace tied mechanically; right shoelace tied artistically,' was appended to the trip log.

At 1230 hours this psychonaut was encouraged to take the rest of the cacti infusion. Whilst conversing with the mason jar in his lap this psychonaut perceived the echo of his voice off the metal lid. 'Sounds like echoes in my voice as if my head was in a tin can,' he wrote. After some hesitation he ingested 10g of Trichocereus terscheckii infusion (the rest) orally. Then inscribed, 'Focus on the relationship with the plants,' into the journal. This mixture seems so right... perhaps it is the elixir of immortality (Sanskrit amrta). Thank God for soma!

'Let's go to the rock,' says the psychonaut, and soon they stroll in bliss down the logging road. The psychonaut observes that this mixture enhances the perceptual boundary between tracks on the road. Various treads of tire, chipmunk, bluebird... the psychonaut leads his comrade to 'the rock' whereupon one can dissolve, unite, with the valley. They play flutes in nature's amphitheater and comment on the chaotic fractal patterns of clouds. This psychonaut treks about with boundless enthusiasm and energy; the other returns to camp. This psychonaut descends to the inverse ridge line of the valley, each further step releasing more healing energies and increasing levels of carnal euphoria.

The psychonaut stands on the rocks where the winter run-off once flowed. 'Only the gentle loving caress of stream flow could have painted a brush stroke across time, space and void,' he logs into his journal. He turns 180 degrees noticing a small patch of grass matted down as if the valley herself approved of his awakening and offered a seat for audience. Standing on the seat he bows with palms together to the valley's essence which appears as a radiant unseen presence flowing out of the plant in front of him. He again is inspired to write, 'I dare not move a muscle for fear of disrupting the seat nature has prepared so graciously for me. We sit down together... mother flow, father obstruction, tree-like... and yet I stand... Don't wish to sit!!! Not in mother natures crotch. Comfortable as it may be... My host a solitary clump of ragweed bends a stalk in gesture of reverence. What manner of animal stepped thusly... cow... probably.'

An indefinite amount of time elapses. The psychonaut ponders the cosmic calligrapher whose hand has brushed in one stroke from beginning to end a seamless infinity mandala of psychedelic chroma. He realizes that the stream and the clouds are one. The clouds descend to paint their brush strokes on the valley floor and then they flow along inspecting and blessing the fruits of their labor. Reaching the source they ascend and observe their painting from the heavens. This psychonaut feels the possibility of rain coupled with dehydration and heads back to camp.

On the way back to camp the psychonaut again comes across the path of utter annihilation caused by a logging truck. Like the path of an avalanche across the forest floor. 'I will do my best to change THIS: The trample... trampling of nature in large heedless patterns... The trample crush destroy of our kin NATURE,' he stops and logs in his journal. Breathing through the feelings of pain, guilt, and sadness he finds the comforting grace of Gaia's hand showing him the way to a meaningful livelihood. She teaches him to accept the responsibility for positive social action. What a shame that mankind at large has lost their understanding of soma---the dietary necessity which regulates ego and allows mankind to commune with Earth Mother. This sentiment is shared by his comrades. It seems this forest welcomes these three psychonauts and lovingly teaches them a higher Dharma.

'Drugs allow us to see another way of doing things and that scares the shit out of [the uninitiated]. I'm not saying that whatever we feel and think whilst intoxicated by drugs is absolute truth, but the drug experience is something that can teach us valuable lessons about how better to serve ourselves and the world around us.'(2)

Between wanderings and instruction from Gaia the psychonauts explored the rule of octaves playing flutes and digeridoos-evoking the sacred healing resonances. The psychonaut shifts from playing melody to playing intonations attuned to balance the cakras of a camp mate.

'I awoke from The Sickness at the age of forty-five, calm and sane, and in reasonably good health except for a weakened liver and the look of borrowed flesh common to all who survive The Sickness. . . When I speak of drug addiction I do not refer to keif, marijuana or any preparation of hashish, mescaline, Banisteriopsis caapi, LSD6, Sacred Mushrooms or any other drugs of the hallucinogen group. . . . There is no evidence that the use of any hallucinogen results in physical dependence...'(6)

As afternoon slipped into evening the trademark mescaline patterns were observed overlayed upon all visual input. Closed eye visuals entertained the psychonaut with fractal sacred geometric swirling kaleidoscopic rainbows. The psychonaut played a high note on the flute and noticed the auditory sense shift its bandwidth filter to the range of insects buzzing and bouncing off the canopy of the shade structure in a futile effort to clip through the boundary of tarp and sky. The psychonaut entertains a Carlos Casteneda-like notion of seeing energy as it flows in the Universe.

'The energy moved all around the plant, through its circulatory system, into the earth and into the atmosphere. I was seeing the plant living. This sight filled me with total awe as I realised that this was happening all over the earth, all this life, all this movement of energy... This amazing, pulsing energy flowing through all these plants suddenly seemed to be flowing through all the bugs in the garden as well. Then I could see it flowing through us. There were these energy auras surrounding us and once again I was filled with this feeling of balance. Everything was as it should be. Not perfect, but getting there. Even for all the bad things that are happening in the world, change is happening. Slowly, but it is happening... I decided to celebrate all this happiness by going off to dance... soon every single rhythm in the entire universe could be heard; and they all combined into this sort of heartbeat sound?'(2)

The psychonaut tunes out from judgemental hearing and surrenders to 'different divine sounds-anahat nadam-the subtle and constant inexpressible musical vibration in your head.'(8) The psychonaut contorts his body into unconventional asanas... defining his own yoga... his own aikido. The psychonaut observes that, 'The Earth is like the most spectacular raw uncut gem... mankind and all kind attempt to wrap her in a uniformly, geometric pattern.' He realized that all life on earth weaves a fractal tapestry. Like a jeweler's lattice which, although profoundly intricate, does not distract the focus from the rough priceless jewel but enhances it perfectly.

The psychonaut goes for another stroll. Living in the bliss of NOW. He ponders the recurrence of bears chasing him in the dream state. He realizes that the bear would not kill an enlightened/awakened human. The psychonaut finds peace and comfort in this though. 'Large beasts are amazing mystical beings...,' he writes in the trip log. Pauses for a moment and wanders on.

'Crushed vegetation, a mound of stones, and processed timber lathe are all that remains... Uniformly spaced piles of sawdust... tell a murder story all too vivid to the attuned IMAGINATION.' This mixture of desert cacti, tropical vine, and forest seems to allow telepathy with nature. The psychonaut breathes through a moment of shock at viewing piles of sawdust as a forensic pathologist must grimace at the discovery of hair and blood at the scene of a crime. The psychonaut takes refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha... he returns to camp and contemplates if a course of action is possible or if the desire to fix a perceived imbalance is ego-driven. The psychonaut surrenders to the moment and trusts in a power greater than himself, the source of all that is, to guide him towards Gaian healing if it serve the summum bonum

'I realised that this change would not happen anytime soon - easily not within my lifetime, but it would happen and if I started right now by trying to make the change happen, not in the revolutionary sense, but merely by trying to be as loving as I could in a world that was so devoid of love... I felt free of all that conditioning that reminds us how helpless we are to change things? I felt that over every horizon was boundless opportunity and that there were no longer any limits imposed upon me... absolutely no comedown off the mescaline. One of my best drug experiences, and because I found it so special, I hardly ever do mescaline, to preserve the magic.'(2)

I entered a state of acute awareness for about 18 hours during which I had many profound insights. It's hard to sum up into words. It was an experience I will cherish for a long time. May this trip report produce benefit and illumination for all beings!

-----
Here are some excerpts which should be regarded as vital. I've combined them into this experience report for the sake of consolidation:

'Due to the amphetamine properties of the phenethylamine entheogens, mescaline [for example]..., a hypertensive crisis could ensue as a result of their combination with an MAOI. Such an interaction has been reported in the literature.'(1)

'Combining MAOIs with other psychoactive drugs can lead to dangerous medical problems including serotonin syndrome, hypertensive crisis, and other related serious issues [even Death]...'(5)

'Tyramine is not believed to be dangerous with harmine or harmaline since it readily displaces either one. The harmala alkaloids are highly selective and highly reversible MAOIs. They are quite different than some of the prescription drugs such as Phenelzine (Nardil) or Tranycypromine (Parnate) which actually bind irreversibly to the MAO enzymes. With irreversible MAOIs, restoration of normal MAO metabolic function requires that more of the enzymes be produced by the body...'(5)

'Whether mescaline (also showing some MAOI activity itself) is safe in combination with any significant level of tyramine has not really been established.'(5)

'It is reasonable to be concerned about combining cactus and MAOIs. The primary reason I've encountered for why people want to use MAOIs with cactus is that they want to be able to use less cactus and get strong effects. A primary reason given is that cactus alone makes them nauseous or that there is a perceived body load. However the reports I've received sugguest [sic] that nausea is actually more pronounced in most people who take cactus with MAOIs. Many people do not experience either nausea or vomiting with trichocereus cactus alone.'(5)

'...one of the primary sources of a powerful hallucinogenic brew used by the Mazan and Zaparo Indians, called ayahuasca (Quechua for 'vine of the souls' or 'vine of the dead'), and previously described by the Ecuadorian Manuel Villavicencio (1858), as a large woody vine that would later be given the formal botanical designation of Banisteriopsis caapi(Ott, 1994; Spruce, 1908)... It is considered a 'great medicine' and is used to both diagnose and treat illness (Schultes and Hofmann, 1992).'(7)



References:

1. MAPS - Volume 6 Number 1 Autumn 1995 - p. 58, 'MAOI Contraindications'

2. Erowid.Org - Trip/Experience Report #25285 (The Great Beat) and #34700 (Bringing Me Home) [Revision/Duplicate of #25285]

3. Erowid.Org - Trip/Experience Report #35075 (Terckeshii Poisoning)

4. Erowid.Org - Trip/Experience Report #39396 (Unexpected Effects)

5. Erowid.Org - Ask Erowid: #3089 (Answer by Trout)

6. William S. Burroughs (via Wikipedia)

7. 'Human Psychopharmacology of Hoasca: a plant hallucinogen used in ritual context in Brazil', Journal of Nervous and Mental Disorders, Vol 184 (No. 2) Feb 1996, 86-94, by C.S. Grob; D.J. McKenna; J.C. Callaway; G.S. Brito; G. Oberlaender; O.L. Saide; E. Labigalini; C. Tacla; C.T. Miranda; R.J. Strassman; K.B. Boone (via Erowid.Org)

8. Fundamentals of Yoga, The Lyrebird Press, London, 1972, Dr. Rammurti S. Mishra

Exp Year: 2005	ExpID: 45357
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Feb 20, 2006	Views: 12,084
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Banisteriopsis caapi (169), Cacti - T. terscheckii (818) : Small Group (2-9) (17), Nature / Outdoors (23), Combinations (3)