Howdy y'all,

I've been having trouble achieving bright CEVs and was wondering if my technique is to blame or if its a dosage issue. Last night I loaded up 20mg fb (white crystals with a slight yellow tinge) on a bed of caapi leaf (not enhanced) in my Classic VaporGenie and achieve a very pleasant body load/buzz, but the visuals are very faint - almost as if they were obscured behind an opaque black veil. I also hear a very high pitched buzzing, like tinnitus, which increases in volume until come-down. I know this is a mild dose, but perhaps my vaping technique isn't right? I'm drawing a low slow hit (about 10 seconds) then holding for about 20-30 seconds, followed by two or more similar hits until I can't taste any more spice, but should I be holding it in longer or perhaps even exhaling sooner so that I vape all the spice in a shorter time period? I can hold my breathe for quite a long time (I do a lot of free diving) if I need to.

I'll make some 10x caapi extract soonish, will switch from a standard BIC to a torch lighter, am re-x'ing my spice and will increase the dosage, but in the meantime, how does my vaping technique sound? Do you hold it in as long as possible or just exhale so that you can take the next toke quickly?

Edit: I should add that I've been mj-free for a few weeks, but I do take melatonin from time-to-time and also supplement it with choline bitartate and galantamine on occasion - could these be interfering with my visuals?

Best,

It's most likely you're technique. I've found the same thing before where I could feel it in my system and heard the buzzing, but had virtually no visuals. I also know exaclty what you mean when you say the visions were behind the black veil.
I found it was the result of burning my spice, regardless of how careful I was not to. The dose is fine, 20mg when vaped properly can take you quite far actually. It'll take some more practice with the VG.

I had similar problems as you for months, only properly breaking through 1/5 times I would try. Frustrating to say the least, especially when you're taking extra care to do it right. I made some changa recently and I was shocked at how easy it was to smoke properly. I'm convinced that it is the ultimate way to dose DMT; even just enhanced leaf would be great I'm sure. I'd suggest that, but sharpening your VG skills is a good route as well.

Good luck!

20mg isn't a mild dose if you smoke it right and get it all in one hit. Many can breakthrough when that amount is taken in that way (but it wouldn't hurt to increase it)

Definitely use a torch/grill ligher. They are way better than bics for the VG and could be one part of your problem... Also 10 seconds isn't really that long of a hit. You want to take as massive a hit as you possibly can. In the beginning of the hit don't suck in air too fast- just let it warm up for a few seconds until it gets going. When you feel that slight sensation at the back of your throat the vapor has started, which is your sign to ramp up the inhaling

Do you have many screens in the vg? I'd put 6 or 7 in there if you haven't. Even with them though, i was sometimes having feebase melt through on top of a bed of caapi leaf. One way around this was to just pre-melt it, wait a few minutes until it hardens, then hit it.

The vg is great bit it can take some work to get the technique down. These days i just prefer changa in a water bong, unless i'm going outdoors somewhere.

good luck!

Thanks guys - I'll keep working on my technique. I've been vaping a lot of herbs for practice, but I get the sense that the BIC is the culprit because I can't clear a bowl in anything less than three hits. I ordered a nice XIKAR torch lighter, so hoping that will sort things out. Will also add some more screens - I just layer them on top of one another below the herb bed, right? I tried steel wool, but that was a disaster I'm not willing to repeat, and I'm testing out herbal blends for making changa too (loving the peppermint/wild lettuce combo)

Thanks again for all your advice! Happy travels!

I don't know if I have the same kind of thing going on or not, but my visuals tend to be dark colors. I don't know that I'd describe them as being behind a veil, but the colors are like dark reds and greens and such.

What kind of lighting setting are you doing it in? When I do it in dark to dim lighting, the images often appear as dark blues. It's hard for me to "see" even though others seem to flourish in this condition. With a well-lit room on the other hand, all of the colors and details can brightly pop out. I'm sure during the deepest of breakthroughs it doesn't matter, but I've never had a mega breakthrough in the dark cause of my preference for light.

As you mention, you may wanna consider holding your hits in for a little less time so that you can get more in your system at a quicker pace, but you still wanna hold it in for at least 15 seconds I would say. Also, if you're still having trouble, add a little music to the mix. Hyperspace is energized by it.

.02 you should have on a solid trip. I'd say ya burned it. Out of all my smoking efforts, only once I've got it to burn right. And man there was a fluffy cloud like id just hit a 6ft bong loaded with soap. Shame i blew it out going for another hit, cuz that would've been nuclear. I't very tricky, i find melting over ash in a glass pipe to be most successful. next time I'm trying a gas lighter and bulb, see how that works out.

changa
in the
bonga

I'm soaking/evaporating a herbal mixture as we speak, so changa is on the cards this weekend.

But with regards to burning the spice, I'm pretty sure its not burning, especially with the BIC. When I exhale I can't see any smoke or vapour - in fact, I can't really see anything. I've accidentally burned some herbs while vaping, so I know the taste/smell/visible cloud that comes out, and I've been careful to avoid that with spice. I've got a Vamo V2 PVP kit on order too, so more experimental stuff to come.

Every spice trip has been in my bedroom at night with the only light source being moonlight through the curtains. I might try plugging in some trippy LEDs and a fogger I've got laying around. Also I've tried with and without music (usual stuff: younger brother, shpongle, entheogenic, peaking goddess collective etc on M50 over-ear headphones vs wax ear plugs for total silence) and I'm not yet decided whether it helps or hinders the experience - in silence, the spice creates its own gentle soundtrack (very organic, very cool). I've also experimented with sleep masks (both the covered eye type and contoured variety that allows you to blink and open your eyes (I find these are great for shrooms).

All in all, I've got to say that as a drug, DMT really makes you work hard for a rewarding outcome. From reading the literature, sourcing the materials and glassware, researching solvents, doing the extractions (and all the learning that goes with it) to experimenting with all the different administration techniques and environmental/psychological factors... but I guess this part of what makes it special.

Good move, Changa is the way to go for sure! You'll be happy you did.

Can't say for sure, only you can. It's probably easier for you to gauge than it was for me as I was sandwiching it between herbs in a bong.

I generally prefer silence, though I havent had a truly immersive experience with music. I usually prefer to hear the sounds of the spice.

Yup, you get what you put in when it comes to DMT. When you put in the effort to research, obtain supplies, extract yourself, and infuse with herb yourself it's very rewarding. Both through the experience and personally. It's kind of like how with a meal you make yourself, because there's that sense of pride.

Let us know how it goes when you try it out!