lysergic_818 t1_itsyq9p wrote on October 26, 2022 at 1:55 AM

I've logged over 250 trips with various plant medicines and lab created psychedelics over my lifetime.

Started off as an avid microdoser and then one day took way too much of an unknown paper containing LSD-25. Then I became a macrodoser and never looked back.

I'm always a big fan of overdosing in terms of having enough of the chemical to shortcircuit the brain and allow the ego to dissolve, if only for a few hours. I very much appreciate Terence McKenna's attitude to take 5g of mushrooms in complete darkness and silence. Also the native Americans would take a large does of Peyote and venture off into the wilderness solo.

Now it's not always sugar and spice when it comes to dropping in at heroic doses, but I truly believe we are always being taken care of. I never trip with anyone else, in many years. Because someone would call 911 if they saw some of the shit I go through on an average trip. Lol.

The most prevalent trend is to have a trip sitter. However, it feels more personal to trip alone and let the universe show you what it will. What are your thoughts about solo journeys?

psychsafetyalliance OP t1_itt0js5 wrote on October 26, 2022 at 2:09 AM

We're safety people, so the main questions we think about with solo journeys are:

"What are the things that could go sideways during a solo trip?"

"How many of those things can I prevent in advance with good technique, preparation and awareness?"

"What are the risks I can't fully prevent, and how do I need to set myself up to access whatever help I might need to address those things in the absence of another person?"

psychsafetyalliance OP t1_itt0s7g wrote on October 26, 2022 at 2:11 AM

Part of having a trip sitter is to have someone who can take care of you if you need it and the intention behind that is solid, so one way to split the difference would be to trip alone somewhere with a friend close by, like in another room in a house.

psychsafetyalliance OP t1_itt1dvj wrote on October 26, 2022 at 2:16 AM

Another safety thing to consider for solo journeys is only dosing yourself with product you've taken before so you know the potency and aren't going to accidentally get too high to navigate your environment safely. This is especially the case with dissociatives like ketamine.

There are high doses one can calculate that still allow you to find a bathroom or use your phone to call for support or help if needed, and then there are high doses where it's hard to tell if the phone or bathroom even exist at allllll, man....

lysergic_818 t1_itt4uim wrote on October 26, 2022 at 2:44 AM

Yeah, the one and only time doing Salvia left me with harsh flashbacks for over a decade. But the dissociation was real. I didn't even know my own name, or what a name even meant. Wouldn't suggest a solo trip for that at all.

lysergic_818 t1_itt4do9 wrote on October 26, 2022 at 2:40 AM

Thanks for the very thoughtful reply. To digress, it was on a heavy trip that things were very challenging and I confronted my fear of death and suddenly poof, all gone. But up to that point the fear was visceral.

Regardless, I think what you mentioned below is very good safety advice, I think familiarizing oneself with whatever they're taking and dosing lightly for a few times first until they're ready to take a deeper dive is the best practice.