Ok, now this may get a little controversial, but I wanted to discuss with you guys on the health aspect regarding frequency. I have only really tripped 3 times. Albeit, they were very powerful an inspiring mushroom journeys. But I've done small half gram doses probably twice, just to test the batch, and dip my toes in the water.

We don't really understand all of the underlying mechanisms and biological processes that psychedelics affect, therefor this thread should not be taken as anything more than an educated guess.

Now that I am doing my first mushroom grow I will have a lot more power at my expense. I respect these mushrooms greatly and realize the terror they can bring, and the complete serenity and understanding also. From my understandings so far, if we talk of Tryptamines they activate with the 5HT receptors. Because its chemical similarity to seretonin, a neurotransmitter, the tryptamines acts like a neurotransmitter. The changes of neurotransmitters in our brain effect our entire consciousness, to my understanding.

Do you believe there are any dangerous consequences to your physiology due to usage? I agree with most that one use will not cause any damage whatsoever, if we are talking physiologically. But what if one were to use these everyday? I've heard the rumors like, you'll go crazy. I've heard creating a surplus of seretonin later depletes the chemical and can lead to depression. Do you think there are any lasting changes in the brains physiology due to frequency? There are seretonin receptors all over your body, and one of the most packed dmt receiving areas are in the lungs. Could frequent use cause higher risk of seizures, are there any noticed brain damage or long term inhibition of areas in the brain?

Let me also add: the main affect of these drugs is psychological, so the effects on your psyche or mental health not associated to physical depletions can and will vary. If one has the genetic predisposition they can become schizophrenic after their first use. Even without strong hereditary mental illness, frequent use can most likely have some major effects on your psyche, for the positive and negative. Paranoia, dissociation disorders, and mood disorders may be brought on by the use of psychedelics. I don't say this to scare you, or even to recommend lower frequency use. It seems, to an intelligent human, that they will notice some of the changes in themselves and lay off the drugs for a while.

I know that you don't know all these answers, but I'd just like to see what you intelligent and experienced travelers have to say about this topic. I also do not want to offend anyone who uses these plants frequently. Everyone is different but we all share respect.

Sobriety is an illusion.
Neurotransmitters and hormones are psychoactive drugs.
No one is ever sober.
Everyone is always on drugs.

This explains an awful lot...

I agree, but our neurochemicals are in some form of homeostasis. The natural components of ordinary consciousness allow for a somewhat stable mental condition. I think reality is an illusion, but you still must be responsible for a body and brain, that allow such consciousness to inhabit.

Is the poll about how much you actually do them, or how much you wish you could do them?


I voted kind of the average of the two.

This is an interesting topic. I have wondered where the threshold for abuse is. It seems to me, with psychedelics that the frequency of use probably has little to do with abuse. Like always, it's about mindset. I also wonder if abuse is even possible (at least, for myself)! I find reading and learning about them to have far more of the classic signs of addiction. It's so damn interesting....

I have been presented no evidence that I maintain any stability of mental condition.

i would just stop worrying and go experience :]

For me it's important to ground myself between explorations and reflect over what have happened.
This can take a long time and sometimes "revelations" can come months after the trip.
The last years I have only been using psychedelics once or twice a year.
When work and life gets to heavy I take something psychedelic to "reset" the mind. It's like
a meditation vacation and when I "come back" i can feel refreshed for a long time.

I'm not worried, just curious. And yeah Peabody I wonder about the addictive potential too. Any addiction to these plants would manifest to myself as learning about them and listening to others experiences, joining the nexus

But I'm addicted to many things, and is is surely not a bad one to enjoy. There is a difference between addiction and abuse however, IMO abuse is the physical and mental need to escape, to get the feeling you enjoy so much. But addiction can be sort of like reading an interesting book, and not being able to put it down. I think it's very hard to abuse these plants because of the spiritual nature of them. You would have to be a really shitty person to the core in order to ignore mother aya multiple times a day you know? The message for me is always how to help me stay on the path I envisioned and it helps me clearly see how my present behaviors are opposing it.

An example, I bet you that a person who is obsessed with psychedelics can tell you many things about what he has learned, experienced, and he will probably also know the effects of the plant down to a tee. But if you meet a heroin obsessed man, he will have nothing to say to you. He may steal from you. Depending on how desperate one has become. There are certainly rare exceptions to this though.

It would be a couple of times in my life for tripping, and recently several times per week in too-small-to-notice-psychoactivity doses for migraine remedy.

I agree impsimon, the grounding and reflection. You sometimes need time for integration.

I think they have been used widely enough and without regulation to conclude that little if any physiological/biochemical harm comes from taking moderate doses (under 10g's).

I think the danger is getting too...high, spacey, ungrounded, loopy, etc.

Like others said, I think grounding yourself in between journeys is of utmost importance

You want to be able to soar to the highest heights, but land with your feet on the ground, and be able to stay there for as long as you wish.

The thing with endogenous neurotransmitters is that they are perfectly streamlined to fit the receptors we have. Drugs fit reasonably well, depending on the drug, but they arent as good as endogenous NT's. Introducing drugs repeatedly to your receptors can result in physical/biochemical damage, again, depending on the drug, the dose, and the frequency.

I keep it to a once or twice during the summer for this reason. I think Martial Arts training or hunting are good analogies. You spend 95% of your time and energy not fighting or pulling the trigger. The rest is spent in preparation or dealing with the after effects.

Psychedelic journeys are like the action of fighting or shooting, but there's a whole lot more to it than that if you want it to be beneficial/successful.