Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Drug of Choice for the Age of Kale

newyorker.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 174 posts

Re: The Drug of Choice for the Age of Kale

#11

Post by unfunco »

bduerst wrote: post #5

Has anyone here actually tried ayahuasca and can share their experience?

I have, not in Peru but at home. I've tried DMT roughly 300 times, pharmahuasca (N,N-DMT in an enteric capsule, inside a larger capsule of synthetic monoamine oxidase inhibitor) and ayahuasca, and the usual others (I've tried everything I could find from Pihkal and Tihkal). I eventually became too afraid of DMT (I had mistakenly bought 5-MeO-DMT and was using the same dosage and that wasn't pleasant, and now I'm too anxious to "blast-off" because of the pace) and wanted something slower, so I turned to Ayahuasca.

It's a difficult feeling to describe (three Ayahuasca sessions at home so far.) – it's similar to N,N-DMT but whilst DMT feels like chapter-skipping, Ayahuasca feels like things are being played at 1x – If you have specific questions I will try to answer them.

Re: The Drug of Choice for the Age of Kale

#12

Post by cnp »

apathy wrote: post #3

The classical comparison that comes to mind is this: LSD is like walking through the doors of perception. DMT (as in ayahuasca) is like being shot out of a cannon. I wonder if it has dawned on any of these "shamans" that a fistful of risperidone might be useful for the freakouts? Antipsychotics exist for a reason. Also, anyone on MAOIs is likely to have a very bad time, and people on SSRIs may not notice a thing (oth…

> The whole enterprise seems very poorly thought out.

That depends on which circle you sit with. Some of them are straight up dangerous (meaning, whoever is running it has not been through the proper training), while others are incredibly well-organized and safe.

And "freak-outs" are oftentimes the point, not meant to be suppressed or dealt with, but guided through by a competent shaman / group. You get to a certain level of understanding when pushed a bit beyond your comfort zone, and that can be difficult sometimes.

Re: The Drug of Choice for the Age of Kale

#13

Post by azernik »

wavefunction wrote: post #9
apathy wrote: post #3

The classical comparison that comes to mind is this: LSD is like walking through the doors of perception. DMT (as in ayahuasca) is like being shot out of a cannon. I wonder if it has dawned on any of these "shamans" that a fistful of risperidone might be useful for the freakouts? Antipsychotics exist for a reason. Also, anyone on MAOIs is likely to have a very bad time, and people on SSRIs may not notice a thing (oth…

According to my friends and everything I've read on the subject, the cannon effect is achieved when you smoke DMT. Ayahuasca is DMT + MAOI inhibitors and is more like the usual experiences of orally ingesting LSD, psilocybin or mescaline.

Plus fantastically uncomfortable physical side effects, and on the positive side an experienced spotter to help you along.

Re: The Drug of Choice for the Age of Kale

#14

Post by cnp »

bduerst wrote: post #5

Has anyone here actually tried ayahuasca and can share their experience?

It has been life changing through and through -- too much to type and so much to say. But a few suggestions for those who are curious:

1) Do your research; don't go in there not knowing what you've signed up for. It can be incredibly transcendent and healing, but also quite possibly the hardest experience of your life. Difficult experiences make you stronger; this is the point. 2) For first timers -- and really anyone -- I would highly, highly recommend starting at a minimum of TWO nights. When going into the experience for the first time there's a lifetime of tangled psychology that the medicine loosens up, and there have been many people who go in for a single session unaware that the experience changes over multiple nights, end up disappointed or scared, and then leave and never touch it again. Night one untangles, leading into the second night and beyond which tends to get much, much deeper. 3) Read this book by Ralph Metzner, who has studied the subject extensively; it will give you a better idea of the pharmacology as well as the experience: https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Spirits-Ralph-Metzner-Ph-D/dp/.... And lastly, 4) leave your expectations behind. I can only speak from personal experience, but the Aya seems to enjoy toying with those who expect certain things from her -- this ends up generally being a valuable lesson in humility, for better or for worse.

Re: The Drug of Choice for the Age of Kale

#15

Post by ntaenta »

Synaesthesia wrote: post #8
Nursie wrote: post #4

So much pretension, so much bollocks... Just drop some acid like a normal person, or take a harmaline cap and some dmt later. No need for all this 'purging' and ceremony.

I agree although some ceremony can add to your trip.

I agree with both of you. Ceremony is one way to attain a pleasant set and setting, but ultimately I get somewhat exasperated by all the woo and mysticism surrounding psychedelic use.

Psychedelics can be therapeutic or "spiritual", but once you have some familiarity they can also just be fun. I've had equally wonderful experiences sitting alone in the woods, playing beer pong at a frat party, exercising, playing an instrument, having sex, etc. Higher doses of certain psychedelics will make some of these experiences less pleasant / possible, but in general it can be much more than the solemn introspection that most people expect.

Re: The Drug of Choice for the Age of Kale

#17

Post by aaroninsf »

wavefunction wrote: post #9
apathy wrote: post #3

The classical comparison that comes to mind is this: LSD is like walking through the doors of perception. DMT (as in ayahuasca) is like being shot out of a cannon. I wonder if it has dawned on any of these "shamans" that a fistful of risperidone might be useful for the freakouts? Antipsychotics exist for a reason. Also, anyone on MAOIs is likely to have a very bad time, and people on SSRIs may not notice a thing (oth…

According to my friends and everything I've read on the subject, the cannon effect is achieved when you smoke DMT. Ayahuasca is DMT + MAOI inhibitors and is more like the usual experiences of orally ingesting LSD, psilocybin or mescaline.

More like, certainly... but I'd say, on a radically different level. It's a very powerful thing, much more of a tool for personal discovery than anything remotely like a recreational or party drug.

Source: first hand. :)

Re: The Drug of Choice for the Age of Kale

#18

Post by rubicon33 »

apathy wrote: post #3

The classical comparison that comes to mind is this: LSD is like walking through the doors of perception. DMT (as in ayahuasca) is like being shot out of a cannon. I wonder if it has dawned on any of these "shamans" that a fistful of risperidone might be useful for the freakouts? Antipsychotics exist for a reason. Also, anyone on MAOIs is likely to have a very bad time, and people on SSRIs may not notice a thing (oth…

Just curious - Why would someone on SSRIs not notice a thing?

Forgive my ignorance but... Aren't those anxiolytic? Does that somehow prevent ayahuasca from functioning?

Re: The Drug of Choice for the Age of Kale

#20

Post by stcredzero »

aaroninsf wrote: post #17
wavefunction wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

According to my friends and everything I've read on the subject, the cannon effect is achieved when you smoke DMT. Ayahuasca is DMT + MAOI inhibitors and is more like the usual experiences of orally ingesting LSD, psilocybin or mescaline.

More like, certainly... but I'd say, on a radically different level. It's a very powerful thing, much more of a tool for personal discovery than anything remotely like a recreational or party drug. Source: first hand. :)

What did you discover?
Post reply on HN