Ok so yesterday, a good friend of mine came back into town after being gone for about a month. Coincidentally he during my days off so with all the extra time and energy, we decided to take some mushies, go hiking and watch the sunset over the lake. After finding another 1/8 in town we head up begin to head up the hill when I get a call from my 18 y/o brother asking if he can come on the hike. I don't get to hang with my brother that much so I tell him to come along.

Now my brother is not the most social. He plays golf. Talks minimally and is always thinking. He doesn't drink, smoke, anything. Mostly stays home watching sports center and playing video games. He just graduated and is going to be going to college this fall. With my encouragement, he is moving into the dorms and out of our parents house. My family is very Christian, but tolerant as well. My Dad will sometimes smoke weed with me, or ask me for a nug here or there. My family knows I smoke weed regularly and they are ok with that.

He knows I smoke and do other things. My whole family actually know I use mushrooms as they caught me growing them one time in their house (but that's another story). He always says he's cool to be around me if I smoke or drink because I still remain me. So I figure this would be interested to invite him along to our magical hiking trip. During the drive up the mountain, I tell him I brought mushrooms and he may partake if he feels like it. I'm not pushing him. But I offer to buy him booze or weed so he could be somewhat on the level. My friend does give him a little dialogue about mushrooms, he asks: what my bro thinks is going to happen, what will he see, how will it feel, from the perspective of an outsider to this culture. The root of the dialogue came to, my brother was fearful of trying them because of the unknown. He also did not want to feel like he would be judged or questioned while trying the mushrooms. He did not want the paranoia. But I assured him, that I, his older brother, would not give him something that would hurt him.

We make it to the cabin around 4:00 pm. We have about 7g of mushies. As we begin to prepare the OJ/berry smoothies, I need to know my brother's decision on the mushroom. He decides he will take them, but not very much. I make a about a large 1g pile for him. I wanted him to experience it without going for full ego-death or an overwhelming experience. I wanted it to be gentle for him, but to eat enough so that it would at least be worthwhile. I figured since he's never experienced an altered state before, even a small amount would probably go far. My friend and I take the other 3g or so powdered in our smoothies. Then we set out for the hike.

I wanted to climb a trail where we could overlook the lake and smoke a bowl. So we head up the nearest hill path. The hike is going good, we are talking about LOTR and nature. It is a gorgeous day to be in the woods. Everything is so green, the sun is so bright. The trail is nice and easy with only a few steep or heavy breathing parts. After reaching a point where the trail forks three ways near the top, we decide to make our own trail towards a high jutting rock overlooking the trail we just hiked up. Here is where the mushrooms begin to hit us. Things appear to be blooming. Laying on the rock, I overlook the vast amount of pine trees as they appear to be waving to the bird chirps. This is just the beginning for me. I know my brother is feeling it as his eyes appear larger, as he is completely hugging this rock overlooking the lake. Slowly feeling it's surface with his palms. The sun is coming down across the sky and we want to watch it from my friend's dock. So we walk back. This is when the body high starts in for me and I feel like I am floating down the mountain. At a certain point, we have to run across a 2 lane free-way to get back to my friend's housing complex. That was an interesting experience, to come out of the hills into civilization. I felt like I was leading my tribe, my animal pack across the freeway like frogger, to the promise land.

At the dock, we watch a completely picturesque sunset. I think I could see every color in the spectrum. It was beautiful to watch the twilight approach, blossoming into night. It is at this time that a sorcerer has his most power. A small group of people begin to flock to the dock as our life-force, attracted their life-force. We decide to go back to the cabin. This is when the fun begins.

My friend's cabin is like 70's replica wall paper, with crazy floral designs in cream and yellow colors. The house had vaulted Victorian ceilings, and the most peculiar and complex blueprint. The house literally made no sense. Thought it was my friend's cabin, he hadn't been there in over a month and his parents longer. The house felt like it hadn't been lived in in years. Everything was so strange and gaudy. My friend felt like a stranger in his own home as we walked from room to room and described its peculiarity, its pleasantries and what type of energy we felt. Every room we would play with the lights, cueing dimmers to music and watching the floral wallpaper crawl all around the room. Shag carpets twirled, and couches were friendly and inviting or cold and rigid. Eventually we settled in the tall roofed living room and talked the night away about inane philosophical ideas and human conditions. During this time, my brother was following us around, laughing and listening. Sometimes laying on the carpet, watching the ceiling crawl or hugging a pillow. I would always ask him every so often how was doing. He would say OK and then drift back in his mind. I would often say I wished to know what was going on in there. He would mostly listen to us, but wouldn't often offer his own insight on the topic. We would give him advice about college and about mom and dad. My friend told him a few times how envious he was of my brother for being so young and having this experience with his older brother. But he just listened. I explained to him my use of substances and their use in my spiritual life. How one must have respect for their power and use it responsibly. I wanted to emphasize that it was ok to partake in such substances if done in a respectful way. We talked into the night and then eventually left the cabin very early in the morning as I had work.

So what I wonder is, was this a good first time thing for my brother? Even the next day, I asked him about it. And he just said it was cool, and that's about it. Nothing much to expound upon. I was just curious if he had visuals or what (I dunno, typical post-trip questions). And that still didn't open up much dialogue. I dunno, I just wanted to make sure I did the right thing in retrospect. As the older brother, my siblings do look up to me. And though my lifestyle choices are my own, I would hate to lead someone astray through. I just hope that for his first altered state, a few mushrooms weren't too much :O

Sounds like a great first experience for him to me. Him being the silent type, he probably needs some time ponder his journey by himself. He's the kind of guy who first tries to answer all his questions without any outside help first. I reckon that given enough time, he'll share his realizations with you. I think you gave him an excellent gift!

Peace!

Nice trip report. Group tripping can sure be fun
I miss that very much..

About your brother. Now that the mushroom crossed his path and he had a taste, maybe it is best to wait for his initiative before you offer him again. For best results, i think it should be his choice completely, he should bring it up. But of course that is just my opinion, my feelings about it.

Ok cool I'm glad you guys think so. I just thought about it in retrospect and wanted to make sure I didn't act irresponsibly. I remember the first time I took my mushies I definitely underestimated their power and it wasn't pleasant. I just wouldn't want to wish that on someone unsuspecting of their power. At least before I try something I read trip reports, ask advice etc. But for someone like my brother, he has no background to any psychotropic substances and they power they truly had. Thank you both for reading and enjoying

thankyou

This sounds like a great and loving experience! My mother and I visited Amsterdam a few years ago, and I so hoped that she would take the mushrooms with me. She was okay with me taking them, and it was great being able to openly do that with her but still...

Sounds like a wonderful experience to me. Silence often comes across as negative energy. The lack of feedback, may have come across as bad feedback. I am the "silent type" and sadly it comes across as intimidating, negative, dis-respectful, etc. Silence hardly ever comes across as a positive thing. For me, I am running through thoughts so fast, you'll only get bits a pieces of what is actually going on inside. Was your brother smiling, a lot, more than normal? What was his overall body language, open and relaxed, or closed and nervous?

I love having trips with my brothers; it can be a truly bonding experience. I hope your brother can see that you were looking to instill something wonderful and beautiful into his life. I hope he didn't feel "pressured", but it definitely seems like you were not trying "too" hard.

Just the fact that you are concerned whether you pressured him or not, shows me that you cared. I'm assuming that the phrase, "I'm not trying to pressure you or anything" was used. It seems like you really do care; I'm thinking your brother got that idea, or let's hope.