This past weekend I did my first extraction and consequently my first hit of spice. I started with 25mg hoping that was enough to test but not enough to send me looking for the Lok Nar. I've done a decent amount of LSD and mushrooms in my life but have been reading that spice can make them seem weak by comparison - I didn't really want to venture beyond the bounds of the map before I knew how the ride might taste.

Wow, in 20 seconds I was as far as I had gotten on 10 hits of good blotter. It wasn't a breakthrough from what I've read, but I was damn near speechless and ready for more.

I was going to make a machine, but after reading here in the Nexus, everyone makes it sound like trying to smoke spice without a VG is like trying to have sex without fully formed genitals. I hadn't planned on spending $70 on a pipe but the little residual voice from Sunday's experience said "really bro, you should get one" - so I did.

Tomorrow is my next planned event. I realize that a lot of this is very subjective but wanted some advice (I'm happy to answer any questions if I've left something out).

Having started with a 25mg experience I was thinking about moving up to 35mg or so but I gotta say after the initial experience and having read about the profundity of breakthrough experiences I'm kind of excited to push the envelope a bit. I've had some white knuckle experiences on Lucy and shrooms (both good and bad) so I'm no stranger to intensity in that respect - I guess what I'm looking for are some pros and cons on either decision I make - either bumping it just up to 35mg or popping 50mg into the brand new VG and going for the gold. Does anything really prepare you for a breakthrough experience? Am I just wasting my time with sub-breakthrough experiences if I really have the feeling of wanting to go beyond?

Any input is appreciated!

Thanks my brothers and sisters!

Try adding some kind of harmala to the mix . Preferably caapi in some form . It makes a big difference in the depth and quality of the experience.

VG is a good choice.
Don't be in a hurry to ramp up .get to know how this stuff works with your body for a while

See it as a longer term project

hello Pup Tentacle, how you doing?

a VG is a very good investment, you will not be disapointed.

Doseage is a funny thing, its certainly not the only factor effecting the depth of the experience, as im sure you know set & setting are also very impotant.
Im not sure what you smoked your first dose through but there is a good chance it will not be as efficiant as a VG, i would stick with the same dose and see where a VG gets you. Upping the dose and the efficiency of delivery at the same time seems possible unwise.

With regard to breakthroughs. I hate the term myself, people seem to get really hung up on it as if its the only thing thats worth doing with DMT, its really not.

The thing that bugs me is that there is no breakthrough, one mans breakthrough is another mans mild trip. I have read a tale on the Nexus today of an experienced traveller being blown away by a "breakthrough" unlike any other he has ever had.
My friend who has been using DMT for a while and has had many "breakthroughs" texted me on sunday to tell me he had the most increadible life changing experience ever, he said "I thought i had broken through until last night"

Just embrace the infinite glory that is DMT, dont get hung up on the details, if you want a deeper experience then build a good relationship with it, increase your set & setting and if all that fails and you still havent reached the place you want to be, then there is a simple answer

SMOALK MOAR

Welcome to the forum Pup!

All of the above is good advice. 25mg for me, properly vaporised in my GVG is a fully immersive ("breakthrough" ) experience, I very rarely feel the need to go over 30. I would do doses larger than this in my bong when I first started, but i now realise that i was smoking it very inefficiently.

The advice not to rush is good IMO - maybe even just using say 15-20mg for your first run with the VG. I remember the first time I smoked freebase with mine, I had a breakthrough from 15mg! Try to get the whole dose in one go, and hold it in for 20 seconds, this way you will get the most out of your sacred Spice.

But yeah, there are 'breakthroughs' and then there are "breakthroughs" - it is just a term to show that it was a fully immersive experience, don't get too hung up on that... The VG really is efficient, and I shudder to think what it would have been like loading 50mg on my trial run

Working with DMT is a process, you don't need to go for broke straight away, and there is a lot to be gained from lower dosages, stick around the 20mg mark until you are comfortable with the way that the VG works, and you know how far it gets you. Too often we hear of people new to DMT loading up 'heroic'* doses and being shaken to the very core, only to brand DMT as 'evil' and not accept that it was THEIR error of judgement that got them there. Sooner or later everyone gets their ass kicked by DMT, but getting to know it well before that happens will stand you in good stead.

Best of luck in your journey, I am sure you will find the Spice a most rewarding substance to work with

Oh yes! And Felnik is very very right! HARMALAS!


*Stupid(?)

The thing with the VG, as 3rdI expertly pointed out, is that assuming you have it properly set up with an appropriate amount of screens, ash bed/herb bed/copper mesh (you only need one kind of bed/mesh), and you've got a good torch lighter, the VG will most likely be incredibly more efficient at vaporizing the spice that significantly lower doses are typically needed for the VG than for other methods. For myself personally, 20mg in the GVG can end in a break through, and 25mg is practically guaranteed to be a strong breakthrough whereas if I were to smoke from anything else, I probably would be loading up 35mg. Stick to your original dose is my advice. The VG can come with a bit of a learning curve in terms of how to use it, but I assure you, once you get it down, you'll be cosmically hiking to reaches of the universe of which you don't currently have the ability to fathom its existence

P.S I recommend using Mullein as your carrier herb in the VG its better than anything hands down.
you;ll see once you try it . never leave home without it.

A VG is a tool not to be without. I agree with felnik about Mullein also, it's expectorant qualities are highly beneficial when smoking or vaping. Like the others have said, don't get bogged down by details. Go with your heart when deciding on your ideal set and setting and dose, and good luck.

Peace

Macre

Cool, thanks so much for the input. I don't want my excitement getting the best of me so the calls for patience are appreciated.

I have a big bag of mullein so I'll give that a try for my bed, find myself a torch lighter, and load up just what I started with in the new VG and start experience #2 right there.

Gosh I like this site and completely appreciate the help!

If possible you should try to acquire an Arc Tabletop Torch lighter. I went through 3 torch lighters, all significantly more expensive than the Arc that would malfunction like crazy and provided the source of much frustration. As it turns out, the majority of torch lighters out there aren't designed to be lit upside down (which is 100% to do in the case of the VG). The Arc can be lit at any angle, and has never once given me a single trouble. Ever since I got it, it makes using my GVG a breeze as opposed to something akin to surgery

Pup Tentacle wrote: I was going to make a machine, but after reading here in the Nexus, everyone makes it sound like trying to smoke spice without a VG is like trying to have sex without fully formed genitals..."

This just made my whole week I think haha.. I'm going to put this in my signature.

That being said, the gvg is not the end all be all of spice smoking devices and the arc is not the end all be all of fire makers. Matter of fact, I'm having such great success with my gvg using a good old fashion bic that I actually have no plans whatsoever of investing in an arc. You can smoke spice out of any glass pipe made for smoking. I've put a bit of steel wool in my glass reefer pipe while hiking and had results matching gvg's efficientness. It's all user preference and lots of practice.

C_S

Don't worry about it too much, just go for it. The spice will do the rest~

Well, last night was experience #2. I went the cautious route since as you all pointed out, there's no rush. I went with 20mg - 5mg less than I loaded up the very first time in a little glass herb pipe, but this time I had the VG!

It was cool, but less intense than the first go - that's ok, it's nice to know the motion of the ocean first. I will say Shpongle makes more sense today.

Tonight though... I'm not going heroic, but I am going to be less conservative - last night washed away almost all of the apprehension I had, very smooth slipping into the experience, the fear of the unknown lessened by a factor of 100.

You all have wonderful Wednesday!