Spiritual - The nitrous oxide epiphany

[Tortoise]

For those of you who have had an epiphany on nitrous oxide. It's always easy to talk it down after the fact, right? To dismiss it as a 'drug related train of thought'. But how valid do you really think it was?

[geezaman]

SWIM tends to think there is some validity, even if only from the perspective of why SWIMs mind was working in such a way, SWIM has found (perhaps upon looking for) similarities between thought paths/patterns within nitrous trips. Saying this SWIM has recently become aware that he often experiences much deeper nitrous trips than others.
SWIMs most 'religious' experience was while under the influence of nitrous.
Peace
Geezaman

[Tortoise]

Geezaman, your Swim and my Swim are on the same page. Swim ALWAYS has very deep nitrous trips too. Even from as little as 2 bulbs. Yesterday he had quite a traumatic experience though... left him shattered.

[MountainDeW]

SWIM was looking to write about Nitrous. SWIM always seems to forget about this drug and rediscover it, always with positive effect. SWIM's most recent experience was different and in line with the topic starter. SWIM had received a gift card to a popular online vendor. Not wanting to buy a book or another useless "thing" that would just end up on a shelf, SWIM fortuitously purchased a box of 24 nitrous chargers. SWIM was glad SWIM's mom had a cannister for the chargers which SWIM borrowed for a trip to the river. From past experiences SWIM knew that the setting is important for any experience. SWIM rode his bike to a secluded grove of oak trees and laid out on a nice beach towel. The "set" was a little apprehensive, SWIM was in a very secluded place but someone could still come jogging down a nearby path. SWIM's first few inhalations were fun but fell to paranoia, eyes darting at noises and mind distracted. SWIM kept thinking that a helicopter was circling overhead but soon realized this was the breeze rustling the oak leaves and echoing with nitrous "whoomp whoomps". Soon though the experience took on another flavor. SWIM got the hang of his doubts, controlled the trigger on the cannister more efficiently and reloaded faster for heavier effects. The trees were rustling and so was the mind drifting into epiphany. SWIM realized that the universe is cyclical with opposing forces keeping balance and harmony intact. The incarnation of this realization was that Man and Woman are one and constantly in conflict and embrace simultaneously. SWIM liked this idea and drew inspiration from it and fed on it and felt that this was the truest feeling and my purpose in life. Then... SWIM ran out of nitrous, and SWIM sat there and said wow what a load of BS, lol. Who knows, this "vision" may be Man's ultimate purpose. Hey it wasn't totally crazy and the message was good and made me happy. Does this story sound like anything SWIY has felt? I wonder if there is a universal nitrous "message", is this molecule trying to tell us something important?

[Orchid_Suspiria]

Swim has found these epiphanies are very real.There is only one small problem with them,they are very short lasting and often difficult to remember.This is why swim has stated before that his dream drug is one that has the exact same effects as nitrous oxide but lasts for hours.These sort of epiphanies are the main reason swim loves nitrous oxide so very much.

[MountainDeW]

SWIY could buy a pharmaceutical grade cannister for hours and hours of introspection. But SWIM thinks that the duration of the trip would make it even harder to remember what was learned. Also SWIMs grandma's dog's half brother would blow crack smoke in a balloon of nitrous and the combination was unearthly from what SWIM hears.

[afarmer]

When SWIM and his friend were on nitrous they both felt that they'd reached a higher plane of consciousness and were both trying, unsuccessfully, to explain how they were feeling to each other.

Once they came down it became easier and both were shocked that they were thinking the same way.

[newgrower]

SWIM used to think there was one (very, very important) message this molecule was trying to impart but if you got to it, you would not be able to remember afterwards. SWIM no longer thinks this but rather the molecule makes ordinary things seem important.

SWIM may have possibly gotten something back with them (use of pen and paper) a couple of weeks back but unsure if just a memory of something they heard before. 'Eternal truths can be said around the camp fire or floating in space.' Had a definite feeling this was stolen from a ground-breaking very popular movie at the time but now unsure if this movie exists or where this quote comes from and find no mention anywhere of it. Not as great as the 'Big E' in the sky SWIM once saw on nitrous but might be something to it. If anyone know where this thought/quote comes from let me know.

Mostly its been random thoughts that just seem important at the moment in SWIM experience, but SWIM isn't the most spiritual around. Love the feeling of exploring for something that seems so important, though.

[Tortoise]

Originally Posted by newgrower

SWIM used to think there was one (very, very important) message this molecule was trying to impart but if you got to it, you would not be able to remember afterwards. SWIM no longer thinks this but rather the molecule makes ordinary things seem important.

This is as very good observation. If Swim focuses on anything at all as he takes hits of nitrous than he can make that thought seem like the most important thought in the entire universe.

[Pino]

Swim always tries to extract some meaning out of it. If swim is fighting a lot in a nitrous session, he got a bit too busy or caught up between forces. He threats them as dreams. Nothing too serious, unless things getting dark.

Most of the times his brain is just playing with concepts. What he always does is trying to remember the more pleasing recurring elements. Getting the big picture. If he has a lot of imaginery about something, he will try to get more information about the subject to stimulate it.

As example: Swim always has a rather talkative and friendly black panther looking around the corner somehow. So he just viewed pictures of panthers, read something about them and voila the beast got a lot more real and a lot more pronounced in the picture. What it means he doesn't know.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Interesting, would like to know more about swiy's methods, as swim tends to lose anything of value from the expereince a...

[paperclipseller]

SWIM has had many transendent experiences while taking a lot of Nitrios. At one point SWIM thought that he was dieing from lack of oxygen but kept huffing the ballon thinking that the devil was trying to stop SWIM going to heaven. SWIM doesn't even believe in god so this was a strange experience indeed. )

[Pino]

On a comment received:

Interesting, would like to know more about swiy's methods, as swim tends to lose anything of value from the expereince and has trouble recovering it or enhancing it.

It is really useful to have a pen and a notepad by hand. If you reread or reimagined it (in case of a picture) parts of the memory will be back. Another thing, which is useful to do is imagine before hand, what you want to see. Swim got some cool effects when applying this (like having sex in his trip, seeing a predator dancing in his living room on the beat of the music etc).

Friends, who can tell you what you were saying or doing during a trip (this can be embarassing) are also a great help.

It is important to trigger your brain on strange events. Like panthers in your living room. For that you need to remember there was a panther in the first place. This will make swim know he is tripping. Swim noted, if swim knows he is tripping, he will be a lot of more concious about the hallucinations. Sadly one of the effects of nitrous is amnesia. But the memory can be trained to hold the most intense moments. At least in swims case.

Read about lucid dreaming. Most techniques apply to nitrous as well.

[Politicalchalk]

A well known pragmatist philosopher, William James, under the influence of nitrous once said:

"There are no differences, but, differences of degree between difference and no difference."

[Panthers007]

William James is credited with being the founder of western psychology and wrote two volumes entitled The Principles of Psychology Vol. I & II. Many luminaries of his period experimented with such molecules as nitrous oxide, diethyl ether, and chloroform.

The statement above regarding differences makes a shining example of how the entire universe can be distilled down to one, short statement while under the influence of nitrous oxide and similar. While this statement likely gave Mr. James a delighted, egotistical jolt when he thought it and scribbled it on his wall (or wherever), no doubt a short while later - it made little to no sense. Perfect!

[ADVOR]

SWIM has done Nitrous not a lot, but probably over 150 times. SWIM has never had an "epiphany", only very beautiful moments of perfection. SWIM can never and will never be able to explain this magical drug.

[idaknown]

swim would suggest audio recording while on nitrous so u have a record of what you say and experience

[skylined]

SWIM has many 'epiphanies' on nitrous, but he can't remember them very long afterwards... or can't make sense of what he can remember.

SWIM tried to explain his "epiphany" to his girlfriend while still high on nitrous and she laughed, saying SWIM made NO sense at all....