Experiences - Writing trip reports - tips & insights.

[trptamene]

While it is very good to post trip reports, there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all we would like dosage, duration, age, sex, & route clearly displayed @ the top of the report.

This is why we display this at the top of every experience thread:

Originally Posted by EXAMPLE

Dosage: 12 mg in one glass juice
Route: Orally
Duration: 2 hours

Also, well written trip reports including the necessary info clearly displayed at top are a great way to contribute to the fourm and a good way to get good rep.

In addition to that a good trip report does not have to be a work of literature. Think of it as just a research entry if you like. This is what Shulgin did in both of his works. One merely just describes the qualitative effects of the report and any interesting insights or other conclusions in addition to any interesting activites (sex, hiking, rock concert, etc.) that may have influenced the trip.

Please post other tips or thoughts (or good examples) you have about writing good trip reports or what makes trip reports bad.

Shulgin’s examples:

Originally Posted by SHULGIN

with 16 mg) A day at the Stanford museum. Things were visually rich, yet I felt that I was reasonably inconspicuous. The Rodin sculptures were very personal and not terribly subtle. I saw Escher things in the ceiling design, when I decided to sit in a foyer somewhere and simply pretend to rest. Walking back, the displays seen in the bark of the eucalyptus trees, and the torment and fear (of others? of themselves?) in the faces of those who were walking towards us, were as dramatic as anything I had seen in the art galleries. Our appetites were enormous, and we went to a smorgasbord that evening. A rich experience in every possible way.

(with 20 mg) The drug effect first became known to me as a shift of colors toward golden and rose tones. Pigments in the room became intensified. Shapes became rounder, more organic. A sensation of lightness and rivulets of warmth began seeping through my body. Bright lights began pulsing and flashing behind my closed lids. I began to perceive waves of energy flowing through all of us in unison. I saw all of us as a gridwork of electrical energy beings, nodes on a bright, pulsating network of light. Then the interior landscape shifted into broader scenes. Daliesque vistas were patterned with eyes of Horus, brocades of geometric design began shifting and changing through radiant patterns of light. It was an artist's paradise--representing virtually the full pantheon of the history of art.

(with 20 mg) The room was cool, and for the first hour I felt cold and chilled. That was the only mildly unpleasant part. We had been hanging crystals earlier that day, and the visions I had were dominated by prismatic light patterns. It was almost as if I became the light. I saw kaleidoscopic forms--similar to, but less intense than, when on acid--and organic forms like Georgia O'Keefe flowers, blossoming and undulating. My body was flooded with orgasms-- practically from just breathing. The lovemaking was phenomenal, passionate, ecstatic, lyric, animal, loving, tender, sublime. The music was voluptuous, almost three-dimensional. Sometimes the sound seemed distorted to me, underwater like. This was especially so for the less good recordings--but I could choose to concentrate on the beauty of the music or the inadequacy of the sound's quality, and mostly chose to concentrate on the beauty.

(with 24 mg) I am totally into my body. I am aware of every muscle and nerve in my body. The night is extraordinary--moon full. Unbelievably erotic, quiet and exquisite, almost unbearable. I cannot begin to unravel the imagery that imposes itself during the finding of an orgasm. Trying to understand physical/spiritual merging in nature

Example of good trip reports:
Necessary features: Dosage, weight, duration, age , route & sex.
Also features a timeline as well as an intro and conclusion which make a nice addition.

Originally Posted by JDreaming

First Trials with I
Dosage: 16 mg; 22mg (over a month later)
Route: Orally
Duration: 8 hours (first trial), 10 hours (second trial)
Test Subject: 160 Ib. Male, mid twenties

-This report was written by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous. I am reprinting it with his permission.
-This report has been submitted to Erowid and is awaiting triage. The report's ID# is 67025.

I would like to share a little about my first two trials with 2C-I. This was the first halo-phenethylamine that I have taken. I recorded quite a few of my thoughts after the first experience, and I had a very good feeling for what the drug's properties are after only one try. The follow-up experience allowed me to discover how the effects of 2C-I differ across the dosage spectrum, however I preferred to include the second episode as a footnote rather than a separate report.

I had taken only one phenethylamine before this, that being 2C-E.
I hoped this would provide a lighter, more enjoyable experience,
but I knew quite well the unpredictable power of the 2C family. I took my 2C-I in the form of gel capsules. My sample of 2C-I hydrochloride powder had a classic appearance to it: Puffy and fluffy in consistency. It formed into white, spherical pellets that stuck together. These ultimately build up into interestingly textured structures that somewhat resemble styrophome packing kernels.

-First Trial-

16 Milligrams were taken orally at 11:30AM on a Sunday. Nothing much was felt for at least 45 minutes.

Around T+1:00, I started to feel mildly stimulated, and time seemed to be drawing out... but in an uncertain way. I could not tell whether the flow of time was speeding up or slowing down. I felt the substance as a warm, bubbly blob melting down in my stomach. It was a benevolent-feeling thing.

Around T+1:30, a strong, immersive bodily feeling developed, as well as a brightening of colors. First I felt the substances warm energy coursing out into my fingers and toes. Whereas at first the 2C-I just lurked in the center of my body, now it was fully enveloping all my features. Then it seemed as if an invisible ring passed down over me, hovering from my head down to my feet. As this dividing line moved by, broad sections of the color spectrum were replaced with new, brighter tones. The vivid new colors stayed for the next several hours. In spite of the brightened colors I saw, there was no visual movement whatsoever. Lines did not curve, textures did not crawl, walls did not breath or flow. This made the overall visual effect decidedly subtler than with the other psychedelics I have taken.

Around T+2:00 I began experiencing "emotional hallucinations". I turned on my television at one point. An appalling hack comedian appeared, performing a tired puppet act for a somewhat baffled audience. A typical bad TV show. Except that every mediocre joke, every hint of social awkwardness, every irritating element stood out immensely. My ordinary ability to tune out annoying words and thoughts had been snatched away. I realized that my emotions were wide open and exposed to all stimuli.

At T+2:30 I was listening to familiar music and keeping my mood in positive territory. The music itself sounded normal, with no auditory distortion. However, my feelings about the music were intensified. Excitement for music, relaxation from music, nostalgia and memories of the people who introduced me to certain songs... these emotions were tremendous. The music itself was small in relation.

Throughout the 2C-I experience, I found myself alternating between intense internal dialogues within my own mind, balanced with the impulse to socialize with others. At some point on 2C-I, the urge to talk to a friend or just go find people to be with can become overwhelming. I could socialize just fine on 2C-I, and functioned rationally. I may have seemed a bit hyper-sensitive, however, as a result of my increased empathy... the openness of my thoughts and feelings was difficult to conceal.

The effects changed very slowly over the course of the peak period, which was mainly from T+2 hours to T+6 hours. Initially, I felt the drug sinking into my stomach, giving off warm tingling sensations. I visualized it as a little energy reactor in my stomach, discharging miniature lightning bolts in random directions. Later the sensations shifted from my stomach up towards my head. The 2C-I eventually manifested as a swirling light in the back of my skull, touching its tendrils into my thoughts and ideas, amplifying any emotions it chose to. When the light receded, it left behind a slight dizzy, aching feeling in my head. The drug's effects ended after about 8.5 hours. The after-effects were mild and I was completely back to normal by the next day.

-Second Trial-

About a month and a half later, a 22 milligram capsule of 2C-I was taken at 12:05PM on a Saturday afternoon.

At T+0:45, Initial effects were detected. Color brightening occurred fairly suddenly. A slight tightness in the chest was noted. There were racing thoughts and the urge to socialize. Energy crept out from the stomach towards the fingers and toes.

At T+1:30 the psychedelic effects of the substance had fully developed.
While I was walking outdoors, I noticed two visual effects that were not present during the first experiment. First, there was a slight tracer effect, most evident with bright lights. When I looked at a traffic light and then looked away, the red or green light would carry, superimposed briefly over whatever else I looked at. In a second or so it would fade away. Second, there was closed-eye imagery that was definitely more vivid than what I would see while sober. I remember seeing numerous glowing white spots when I closed my eyes, flashing like never-ending fireworks. However, there was still no movement or curvature of straight lines with eyes opened.

Around T+2:15 I came back from outside and realized that a nasty physical feeling was setting in. I was dizzy, sweaty, jittery, and a little nauseous. Sadly, once the bodily feeling became uncomfortable, I began to doubt and question the substance. The rest of the experience became tainted with my own negativity. For the next couple hours, I felt the need to take care of my mildly ill body and I could not be out in public. Sadly, this undermined the magic of 2C-I, as I see its social element as being a large portion of its potential. My body and my mood improved over time, but there was a nagging discomfort that couldn't be entirely shaken. The symptoms were reminiscent of coming up on my first 2C-E experience, especially the sweating and temperature irregularity that occurred. However, these side effects manifested more mildly with 2C-I than they had with 2C-E.

Around T+5:00 an unusual effect was noted: Auditory hallucinations. I detected a crackling, hissing undercurrent in a mostly-silent room. It was subtle, but noticeable. It was as if I had begun to visualize the substance's jittery energy current using my ears. I was hearing the excess energy within my own body.

Around T+6:00 I noted something else unusual: Fairly extreme pupil dilation. This seemed odd given that the visual, emotional, and physical effects of the substance were all at full strength by T+2 hours, and pupil dilation at that time was mild. It seemed like, only when the compound's effects were finally beginning to recede, did full pupil dilation occur. During the first experience, pupil dilation was consistently mild. Strange...

The effects at this dose lasted about 10 hours. Again, I was completely back to normal by the next day.

-Conclusions-

I found that 2C-I emphasizes emotional and physical effects primarily, with subtle sensorial alterations. During both trials, physical effects and altered colors were noticed first, and empathogenic qualities developed a bit later.

The first time I took 2C-I I was a little disappointed by its subtlety. I had read about some users seeing vivid, 2C-B-like visual effects. This was nothing like what I encountered. There was no persian rug overlay flapping about, or even shifting lines and wiggling textures. The experience, however, was interesting on an emotional level and enjoyable on the whole. The substance certainly showed some promise.

The second time I took 2C-I, I discovered that its subtlety is it's charm. Higher doses seem to have little to offer. The slightly fuller psychedelic effects at a higher dose were worth examining, and it does start to become partially synaesthetic (as with lower doses of 2C-E). But the overriding feeling of the experience becomes far less euphoric. The need for balance quickly became apparent, and 6 milligrams was just too much of an increase.

This substance could be good for socialization, and probably has some therapeutic value as well. It was not quite as stimulating as expected, with little raise in pulse rate, especially at the 16 milligram dosage. In fact, it might even be possible to meditate on a low to moderate dose of this substance. 2C-I would be a reasonably good option for initiating the unfamiliar into the world of the phenethylamines.

I am not experienced with MDMA or any true empathogen and I do not have any particular passion or obsession for the family. The only drugs I seem to be able to completely accept and love are the psychedelics. And due to my own prejudices, I find 2C-I a little bit dull. Those who have a true and equal appreciation for both empathogens and psychedelics will consider this to be a treasure. It is not the most sensorially immersive substance in the world. But it is enjoyable at the right dose, with a unique and worthwhile effect.

Example of bad trip report:
Major problems: NO dosage. Using swim & swiy broadly, but then using I.
Lacks a clearly stated dosage, duration, & weight/sex.

SWIM: what a drug what can I say. Amazing!!! I dropped at 12:45, and everything is still going strong. The initial peak was very ecstacy like, with many peaks, all the while bringing me clearly back to baseline. I actually felt like I was rolling. I never made it to the park by the way, just decided to really dive in and explore. WEll explore I did. I only took one but really can't imagine why two would be better. I felt pure bliss all while learning and truly feeling the warmth of experience. I watched the movie Baraka again, and loved the feeling it has in me right now. There was a point where the visuals were very fake, like a screen placed over my face, then the visuals became real, maybe after my 3 rd peak. Showing me the drugs power, and that it was going to teach me something. I would compare it to the vision part of mescaline. AS I am writing this the screeen is swaying in and out, must go explore, and see how this ends. MOre to come..



Ok recap, I am still feeling a glow and a rolling type of come down (pure body) no visuals. I smoked weed throughout and really loved it. I felt I had to hey this looks cooler, oh yeah, so I am feeling great right now, maybe having slight impairment, but energized, I feel I could seriously take a roll right now, and it would be great. The peak was insane!!! Off 1! I will take 2 next time and compare. I was glad I didn't go to the park, I had to focus to get these visuals, and the more I focused the more they came, they actually were so pleasuring (orgasmic) that my brain just stopped letting them get that far, then bam back to base line (sobriety). I have a feeling two might break this part of it down, which intrigues me. But anyway ran the project solo, love this feeling and couldn't ask anything more from an experience.

SWIY: my first trip was insane for visuals. my floor was creeping around, the grain on the hardwood made it look like it was moving. I was also in my buddy backyard (wintertime) and the ground was like liquid. i could see waves of snow and stuff, it was really cool, I could of stood there for hours and the visuals would gone on forever.



SWIM: yes yes, exactly, off how much?? Do you know, I am thinking of upping the dose, but am thinking it may just be stupid, I mean one felt perfect, two could probably feel better, maybe but three would never ever do, it would be way to overwhelming. ONe only lasted 4 hours maybe 5 into the peak, then just a real nice ecstacy glow. Man this drug is perfect. NOt much else to say.

[Alfa]

When experimenting with research chemicals it is definitely worth while to get a Blood Pressure & pulse Meter. Not only will it give clear data on the physical functioning of the experimenter, but it also gives a clear indication of how the research chemical in question affects blood pressure and heart rate.

With research chemicals a dangerous effect on blood pressure and heart rate can easily stay unnoticed without the use of a measuring device. Such devices are offered for a few bucks on large bidding sites. There even are digital wrist devices that monitor both pulse and blood pressure.

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