Hello fellow Nexians

Around 10 months ago, I threw myself into Formosahuasca. Huge doses (~15g + ACRB) with Syrian Rue, and was confused as to the apparent ineffectiveness of the experience. After perhaps 15 experiences, I pretty much quit until last night. A Psychedelic Salon podcast had rekindled my interest, and so I went at it again with my 15g of ACRB. This time though, I just couldn't handle the taste, and I only finished perhaps 1/3 of the intended brew. Needless to say, the experience was very rewarding, and I could finally learn something... my question is, is my method of learning good?
The main thing I realized last night is, if you're interested in the psychedelic experience itself, then it fine to go for crazy doses (as long as you can handle it, you'll certainly be in for an interesting trip). But with Ayahuasca/Formosahuasca, its not about the psychedelic experience. Its about the mindset that brew permits, and being able to navigate your conscious, and understand how fears and insecurities are operating in the background of your perception of the day to day experience. The brew permits you to be able to use those fears and insecurities for what they're really there for: perhaps there is, or was something to be afraid of, some little issue that needs to be addressed. But one needn't basically badtrip on those fears ad insecurities, and let them deffine us and how we operate in the world. Formosahuasca/Ayahuasca throws you even deeper into them, and the trick is to realize, during that immersion, that this is just an exaggeration of something you're already doing, and that, with the brew, you can pull yourself out of the exaggeration, learn from it, and then pull yourself out subtle badtrip on those fears and insecurities that's happening during your day to day living. Does that make any sense? Do other people use Ayahuasca/Formosahuasca similarly?

Thanks all!

I mostly use Ayahuasca for the traditional purpose - to learn about plants. That is probably its greatest gift to share.

Sometimes Ayahuasca will teach me personal lessons through challenging me and making me rise to the occasion... Maybe this is similar to what you describe? I will be sick in ceremony but still need to stay positive and still be available to help others in ceremony so it teaches me to not let the feeling sick hold me back from doing what needs to be done - guess that could be a lesson which could be applied to life if needed, though for me personally this lesson has mostly been about how to work in ceremony.

Also - if you are adding lots of DMT to the brew and not getting great effects try adding more Ayahuasca instead. The more MAOI's in the brew the more the DMT will be potentiated and if you dont have enough MAOI's to begin with then it doesnt really matter how much DMT you add. I usually find adding more Ayahuasca makes a stronger brew then adding more chacruna (or in your case ACRB). Some people also have more MAO in their guts and so need larger quantities of MAOI to get any effect.

Sometimes also with traditional Ayahuasca at least you need a few ceremonies for the medicine to warm you up before it really starts having much noticeable effect... Like it is laying behind the scenes ground work. It is pretty common for people to not notice much effect the first few ceremonies, but then suddenly breakthrough once they get a few ceremonies under their belt.

Yes, I suppose our personal "occasions" differ, but, the key is rising to whatever occasion must be dealt with.

Definitely the amount of MAOI is more important than the amount of DMT, and you're right, it's technically not Ayahuasca at all, but Formosahuasca (I'll edit the post accordingly). I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Ayahuasca is specifically the Banisteriopsis vine, because it's so often a term erroneously used to describe the mix of any MAOI with DMT

I'm pretty curious as to how much syrian rue you're using and how you're preparing it? syrian rue for me when properly dosed is an intense, visionary plant in it self and at that dosage level the smallest amount of dmt added sends me to space. I always feel the experience is lacking when I'm dosing low on harmalas, I feel I get the most immersive experiences when the rue is doing the bulk of the work but dmt just gives it that little extra push into OBE territory.

I've used up to 9g of Syrian Rue (by itself, as powdered seeds), and up to 5.5grams in tea form (brewed like coffee, combined with DMT). Both experiences were in the dark. The 9grams of Rue alone produced a lucid dream state, the 5.5grams with DMT produced a very deep psychedelic experience, but not visual (it was in the dark), and not an experience very conducive of exploring ones conscience (too confusing)

I mean no disrespect , travsha, and know from reading you that you are dedicated to what you do and I'm sure you excel at it. I'm curious about this statement though, and would love clarification.

You say that you seek knowledge of the plants , understandable enough , but is not that understanding, at least in the capacity you use them-as agents for healing and change- in large part an understanding of the ways they effect those things? What is the nature if the knowledge you seek and receive about and from them? How is it revealed, through an intuitive process; a gnosis of sorts? Sorry if these are dumb and or irrelevant questions ...

I do not know much at all of the traditional contexts, and in fact am only interested from a sociological standpoint. What little I do know of the indigenous practices informs me that traditionally they have been used as medicines for physical ailments more so than psychological conditions, and for things like divination. Is that the type of work you do? Please pardon my ignorance; I'm sure you have elucidated up on this for years on this board.