Hi everyone :-)

I am new to this forum but have frequented here from time to time over the past few years as an observer/learner. Everyone on here seems to be educated and experienced and I have learned a lot so far. I don't know anyone in real life to ask my questions so I thought I'd join this forum and hopefully get some knowledgeable feedback.

I had about a dozen experiences with LSD and mushrooms when I was in high school and enjoyed them all (almost). I did have a "bad trip" once that was fairly traumatic. Now, if I ever smoke pot, I become very paranoid and self conscious. It is hard for me to relax and have fun after smoking. I haven't done any hallucinogen in about 10 years.

I am currently setting up a weekend to go to the desert and ingest peyote. My question is this: Do I need to be able to "handle" marijuana to "handle" peyote? I am starting to have feelings of anxiety creep up and I want my experience to be a positive one but I want to make sure I'm not getting myself into something that my mind can't take. Does anyone have any insight, suggestions, experience with this???

Thank you in advance!

Leon

I don't think you need to enjoy pot to enjoy peyote, i would use your best judgement though. I know there's people who don't smoke pot but enjoy tripping, think of the Native Americans who trip it as a religious right. Peyote affects different receptors in the brain so that should be taken into consideration. Remember the three parts of a psychedelic experience, Set, your mind set going in, Setting, and dosage, if your comfortable with all three for your planned trip then I would proceed if i was you, but again, use your best judgement. maybe look up some peyote trip stories on here and elsewhere, both about good and bad trips so your well-informed. I have never done peyote though so i would take the advice with a small grain of salt haha.
Peace and light

Thanks. That is kinda my rationale too. Pot, LSD, mushrooms, mescaline... they all work differently on the body. Like you said though, I am trying to ask all the questions I can and do my homework so I go into this thing as prepared as possible.

I know the type of paranoid feelings you refer to when using cannabis, and what I can say is I never felt anything similar under any oral psychedelic. At least for me, they unfold in quite different ways. More often than not, any previous anxiety dissolves as the molecule starts to drip into your nervous system, more easily so if you are in a positive setting and prepare yourself with some breathing and meditation.

You shouldn't focus much in "handling" peyote. Keep in good shape, learn about it, design your personal ritual, and trust it. You're the only one who can decide if your mind can take it, but unless you have a psychiatric condition or you feel emotionally weak, you should be all right.

I've never taken Peyote, however i believe by drinking a tea made from 2 to 3 grams of Lemon Balm can help with any anxiety and can relax you into the experience, it does for me with Ayahuasca anyways, and it helps with any stomach issues as well.

do i need to like apples to enjoy mangos?
they are both fruit, and i hear apple is a common intro to fruit, whereas mango is more for the experienced fruit eater (though i did enjoy both oranges and pears - i never cared for apples much).

lol

It seems to be a common (but clearly not universal) phenomena that starting around the age of 25 if marijuana use is discontinued for any notable length of time when its used again it tends more toward anxiety/paranoia/etc.
The effect seems confined to marijuana.

I fit into that category then. Im 32 now, just smoked 1 hit last night actually, and it just made me uncomfortable. Lol

I hate marijuana with a passion. I can't smoke even a little without going completely off the deep end: paranoia, delusions, hallucinations, the whole 9 yards.

I do however really enjoy mushrooms, DMT and all of the other classical psychedelics, as long as the time and place are right.

Just because weed doesn't do it for you doesn't mean you're doomed. Some of us just happen to have bad reactions to it.

Blessings
~ND

I very rarely smoke cannabis at this point. I was a heavy smoker for several years (5-10 times a day when my budget would allow it). Towards the end of my heavy smoking days, I started to have panic attacks when I would smoke. So I stopped completely for about a year. I have smoked small amounts maybe 3 times in the last 2 years, and did not experience any anxiety, but I still just don't enjoy it enough to pursue as a regular behavior like I used to. But for all intents and purposes I no longer smoke weed, and I still very much enjoy most psychedelics.


I'm with Vodsel on this one. I typically experience anxiety to some degree before the experience. I believe that this is just human instinct, the fear of the unknown, but by the time I start to feel effects my anxiety completely dissipates. Meditation can help tremendously to make it dissipate even more rapidly. Sometimes the anxiety vanishes the second that the compound/plant matter passes my lips.

In conclusion, no. You do not need to enjoy cannabis to enjoy peyote. I would say that the fact that you enjoyed many experiences with other psychedelics in the past would be slightly more relevant. But even still mescaline, LSD, and psilocybin/psilocin are completely different compounds with completely different effects.

What is up with that? I was a CHRONIC smoker for about 15-16 years, wake and bake all the way through until bed time and then one day "click", anxiety. Especially in social settings around new people. I still love the smell, the plant etc., just dont feel compelled to burn one.

This could probably make an all together different thread but are there any theories or confirmed reasons why this takes place?

I know pot very well, some paranoia included, and stopped doing it for years.
Done 2 peyote ceremonies with genuine Huichol guidance, and it is nothing like pot, no use to compare anything between the two.

Don't focus on having visuals, really, it's all about the plant healing your system, she works very individual with very individual outcome, unbelievable how different people experienced the peyote sessions.

The best attitude (mind set) I can think of is childish innocence, playful but pure of heart, look at the Huichol art, it is full of youth energy, nothing heavy or ultra serious, it is to float in the arms of unburdened-ness. So starting to give up the potential problems would be a right direction for aligning with peyote.

Look very well and long to this guy, he perfectly illustrates the vibe that most marry the cacti, he might become your best teacher in life, just this picture:


Look at this man, really good, he's teaching us, this is the catci teaching us, no words, no problems, feel this vibe coming of, radiating, this is how the cacti learn us to deal with life:



Notice the "childern" energy, what we lost, what we still have, a gold mine inside still there, let the cacti find this back in your heart. Don't mistake, these guys have their problems too, but deal with them differently, keeping their youth asset along.


And to be honest, to remain so outside ceremony, ceremony is the lesson to be continued later on. I'm not there yet, but working on it. Hope this helps.

As a pot smoker (on-off regular) I get the same feelings when I ingest marijuana while on a psychedelic.

I usually prefer to stay pot-free on DMT, Mushrooms, Mescaline, 2C-x, LSD, etc.

But sometimes a very small hit from a 90%+ Sativa can be a nice adjunct. You've gotta make sure you don't go overboard and take more than ONE hit though. Synergy is a powerful quality.

That said if you don't enjoy pot that doesn't necessarily preclude enjoyment of psychedelics. They're really completely different animals; with a very different state-of-mind.