The paradoxical psychological effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)

I was a frequent psychedelic user and never had a trip I would consider "bad".

I had many I would consider uncomfortable, but by the end of any trip I had always learned something new about the way I perceive things, and felt OK.

The worst experience was a high dosage mix of 2C-I and 4-AcO-DMT that caused me to lose motor control of my body for 2 hours. I literally believed i was going to die as I struggled to breath, sprawled out on a carpet. When I could finally move again I crawled to the kitchen, forced myself to eat an apple and drink a Gatorade. I spent the rest of the trip reminding myself to be more careful and to take care of my body. Realizing I was going to be OK gave me the most amazing afterglow and respect for my own life.

My most fun trip was ~250ug LSD taken at a theme park with my best friend. Very irresponsible way to trip, but I was already very experienced with the specific blotter I was taking, and my friend was as well.

LSD always felt more clean and smooth with an electric vibe than any other psychedelic I had taken. Shrooms had a very wavy and sedated feeling to me. Research chems all felt very sharp with varying other effects similar to the mainstream drugs they were trying to mimic.

Psychedelics are no joke though, and if you use during a particularly bad mindset and a setting that you're not comfortable with, it will not be fun.

Preparation of body and mind is important for any trip. The biggest thing for me was a constant reminder that I'm under the influence and no matter what I was going to be OK. Do your research, because knowledge of other people's experiences and what to expect make it that much more comfortable, and predictable.

Psychs certainly aren't for everyone.

/r/science Thread Parent Link - journals.cambridge.org