DOSE: T+ 0:00	14 g	oral	Kratom	(powder / crystals)
T+ 0:00	1 oz	oral	Kava	(powder / crystals)
T+ 4:45	1 cig.	smoked	Nicotine	(plant material)

BODY WEIGHT:

225 lb

Note: These doses (especially for Kratom) are rather high, given my body weight and knowledge of how I react to the substances. Use caution and start small!

Background:

I first discovered the wonders of Kava Kava and Kratom in March of this year. I began to use Kava daily, and Kratom 1-2 times a week. I continued this until mid-April, when I decided it would be wise to take a break from Kava (as is recommended) and to avoid any physical dependency to Kratom. The date today is May 10th, so I hadn't used either products in roughly 3 weeks.

I ordered these products from an online ethnobotanical retailer. The Kava Kava was quite inexpensive, while the kratom was a bit pricier. These two products arrived today, and I was eager to indulge once again.

Preparation:

I measured out half of my bag of Kratom (14g) and put it in my water bottle with 16 oz of water. I don't take the time to make a tea or extract or anything; I simply dump it in my bottle and shake it up. If I were to repeat with this much Kratom again, I would definitely add more water. Kratom doesn't dissolve well as it is, and not adding enough water made the mixture extremely gritty and disgusting. However, I managed to get it down over the course of 10 min.

I rinsed out the bottle, and put an ounce of Kava powder in 16 oz of water (same method). The kava powder dissolved much better, although it still tastes extremely bitter. In the future, for myself and others, I would recommend adding a sweetener of some sort. I downed the kava quickly in about 2 minutes.

Experience:

3pm: Ingested both substances

3:15: Begin to slightly feel the effects of both substances. My legs feel almost weightless, and although it is very possible to walk, I have no desire to do so. My body temperature seems to have risen slightly.

3:30: I have a minor headache, as I usually experience with Kava Kava. However, I am feeling very euphoric. I am talking with my roommate, and am laughing at things that aren't funny. Also, I feel very connected to him; I'm very engaged in the conversation, and genuinely want to listen to what he's talking about. I am also much more talkative than normal; typically he talks more than I do, but today was the exact opposite. Overall, I felt at this point that the sociability of the substance was remarkable.

3:45: The slight drowsiness of the Kava Kava is beginning to fade slightly; while the light euphoria was still present, the effects of the Kratom are becoming more pronounced. Cognitively, I felt quite stimulated, but my body was so relaxed that I didn't feel motivated enough to do anything physical.My entire body feels very heavy and stoned, much like it has after taking a low dose of opiates or after heavy marijuana use. Prior to this, I had a minor headache and some pain in my shoulders from working out. This was completely alleviated.

4:15: At this point, the Kava effects are pretty much gone, leaving me with a great Kratom experience. I decided to watch some Family Guy. I noticed that the animations seemed somehow more vivid and realistic than they normally would (very mild distortion, but still noticeable). I laughed much harder than I normally would; although I was still euphoric, I would say that kratom is not as good in that department. However, I've noticed that the stoning effect has increased even more, so much that I feel as though I am a part of my mattress. I feel completely relaxed; no stress, either physical, mental, or emotional. I don't have a care in the world at this point!

4:45: The episode is over now, so I decided to walk outside for a smoke. As I stand, I noticed that I feel slightly dizzy, but nothing overwhelming. Walking isn't very fun; my legs feel limp and very light. I sit down to smoke, and find that nicotine intensifies both the euphoria and the body feel. I must have looked like a fool walking back into my dorm with a huge smile on my face and very contricted pupils!

5pm: The aforementioned stimulation is beginning to wear off now. I am going to listen to some classical music, close the curtains, and lay down. My goal in doing this is to reach the 'wakeful dreaming' state that I have reached in previous experiences.

6:30pm: Although my memory of the details of the dreams is not very good, I can say that I definitely had another great experience in the dream reverie. Most of my dreams seemed to be centered around life in the future (both personally and on a larger scale), which probably has something to do with the fact that I finished the semester today. It was almost as if I was consciously and subconsciously reflecting and meditating on my life and future. I love how you can literally see your dreams and control some of what happens, all while being awake. From what I hear, this is similar to opium; however, I have never tried opium, and can say that Kratom is the only substance that has this effect on me. While the body high and mild euphoria are great effects, my primary reason for using kratom is to achieve this state. It is highly introspective and unique.

7pm: I feel drained, so I'm going to take a nap. The kratom is pretty much all worn off (slight body effects still).

Conclusion:

As always, kava kava and kratom did not disappoint. For me, the two substances are the best way to unwind and reflect after a busy day (or in my case, busy semester). That being said, they are very different! Kava kava is much lighter, and consists mainly of strong euphoria, slight drowsiness, and (for me, at least) extremely increased sociability. Kratom produces a heavy stoned, relaxed feeling, along with a milder euphoria. Typically, stimulation occurs first when using kratom, and then a more sedated state ensues (where the wakeful dreaming state is sometimes present). The only negative side effect I've ever noticed from either is mild dizziness.

Overall, these products are inexpensive, legal (where I live), and produce few negative side effects. I greatly enjoy both, and although they are not really good alternatives to other drugs, I feel they are better suited for regular use (especially kava kava). I recommend that anyone who enjoys experimenting with altered states of consciousness should at least try them; you may be pleasantly suprised, and find you own 'happy place'!

Exp Year: 2012	ExpID: 96039
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 18
Published: Jul 14, 2014	Views: 13,163
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Kava (30), Kratom (203) : Small Group (2-9) (17), Combinations (3)