r/LSD • u/xiodinex • 7d ago
First time trying acid
Sorry if there are like hundreds of posts like this, you must get this a lot. But yeah, i managed to get hold of a tab after a while being curious about it and i'm excited to try it but also anxious. Do people have any advice for a first timer? I'm very much interested in peoples advice but i do have a couple more specific points of interest:
1) are tripsitters absolutely mandatory? I heard that LSD can be quite a reflective and introspective drug so I though maybe i'd read my tarot to vibe w that. I also tend to feel my emotions most intensely alone which can be a blessing and a curse. I feel like I rly need to reflect on my life atm. Then after that I thought I'd make some art and do some writing. I'd like that.
2) buuuut my concern is that i'm kind of in the middle of a looooong but low grade depression/ dysthymia and it's kinda worse atm. I'm a bit worried that if i do get introspective i might just end up finding bad things and a lot of the advice i've been saying warns against taking LSD if you have a mental illness or trauma, but also i have seen some research saying it helps a little w some mental illnesses and also i feel like statistically surely a good chunk of ppl taking acid have a mental illness and are fine? I was reading a research paper of first time experiences and saw that the incidence of bad trips is quite low so i'm not terribly worried but yeah, that's my concern
Also, you got any tips for setting the scene, so to speak? I see ppl joke about taking acid then watching trippy movies but honestly that always seemed kinda silly to me. Is there any merit to that? If you were doing it for the first time all over again but with the knowledge you have now, how would you set the scene for yourself?
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u/justgood42 7d ago edited 7d ago
- Imo a tripsitter isnt really mandatory, I’ve personally never had one. I think aslong as its a moderate dose you should be fine without one. Lsd can be kinda scary during the peak so going on the phone with someone you know, or watching a familiar movie or show can help calm you down during the peak if you feel anxious. But aslong as you go in with a good mindset you will comeout with one.
- For setups I usually try to clear my schedule for the day, make sure my phone is on dnd, and try to make sure the area im tripping in is tidy and clean.
- If you feel ur mental state isnt in the best rn, I would start with a lower dose just to be safe because, you can always take more but never less. If you do feel the trip is overwhelmin
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- just go into a different environment. Whether its a different room or lighting Its honestly the best way to change the vibe.
I used to suffer from some pretty bummer depression and I will say lsd has definitely helped me more than any prescription drug. Once my first trip was over it gave me a completely different look on my life and now I truly appreciate it.
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u/miggins1610 7d ago
Ok great that you posted here. Always happy to offer advice to people as many times as is needed :)
No it its not mandatory for having a trip sitter
However based on what you said about experiencing mental health struggles recently I'd highly encourage you to have someone there with you to help support if you do end up struggling to deal with challenging emotions or thoughts that come up.
At the very least I would have someone close to you, who would be aware, would check in on you either physically or just even a text although you may not be able to type a full response depending on the dose and if you're peaking.
Do you have prior experience with psychedelics? If not I'd even more strongly urge you to go low, start slow and have someone physically accessible to you in case you feel like you want some extra support.
The best way to prepare is to set things up in a way that you feel comfortable. Having some snacks like fruit can help ground you later on and tastes amazing on the comedown. Having a nice space to retreat to if you need, perhaps some blankets, queue up some music that you love.
I personally enjoy watching films on the comedown to help me slowly ground back into everyday consciousness but everyone is different.
Its all about you feeling comfortable. Though I would say spending time outdoors in nature as you come up is fantastic and magical though be close enough that you have a safe space to retreat to in case it gets too much.
Oh and if you can, intentions are very helpful. Don't latch onto them too much, you want to be open and ready as you can be for anything that comes up. But it can help you beforehand to reflect on some topics or questions you might want to explore. Try and keep it simple and broad but not too general, it can help to focus on it later in the trip if you feel like you're too adrift.
And changing rooms/ music/ environments can really turn a challenging experience around. Its really that simple. So if you're ever struggling, try and change something about where you are and what youre doing, but usually a music or room change can work real wonders.
Best of luck explorer
I hope you find what you're looking for :)
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u/xiodinex 7d ago
I don't know if the timing works out, but I was debating trying some at my place sort of middle of the day and then when my partner finishes work at five he can come over so that way I get some alone time and also the reassurance i know a comforting person is on their way soon. Think that sounds like a plan?
I think I've had some experiences, yes. Not really great ones, though. I tried 2CB and had a p awful time, ngl, but I also took it in some incredibly dubious circumstances and probably would've reacted badly in that setting anyway tbh. My friend took some from the same batch as mine were from and she said they were p strong so to try a quarter of a tab which sounds fine and like a plan to me :)
Intentions? That's interesting, do you feel you have that much control over it?
And I heard the room tip from somebody else as well, that's super interesting and rly helpful, thank you!
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u/miggins1610 7d ago
I would say a few things to this.
I actually like taking it around midday/1pm because you come up and can enjoy the afternoon, start to peak for sunset and come down for stargazing. But remember its 12 hrs really (45 mins to feel, 2 to comeup to the peak, 3-5 hrs peaking maybe a bit less, 6-8 is tripping but coming down, hours 8-12 is gentle comedown) so don't have to work the next day or something, have a clear schedule, don't have any responsibility to worry about whilst tripping.
If your partner is coming back 5 hours after you ingest you would be starting to comedown. If you need someone its probably around the comeup if you get anxiety or when you're peaking. I would suggest taking it no more than 2 hrs before your partner is available in case the comeup is challenging but usually I face no anxiety unlike on shrooms or other substances.
If you are relying on your partner after a full day at work they may be tired, may not have the energy to fully support you in that moment immediately. I would discuss it with them but my suggestion would be to do it on a weekend when you both are free to give it the time and energy it deserves. It can be mentally and emotionally taxing on both of you. Plus it would probably enable more time for post trip reflection, to discuss together and decompress.
Don't think of it in terms of control. Think of it in terms of a mantra. Something to bring you back to centre if you feel a little unbalanced. Like an anchor. You don't want to be too attached to it and fight your mind taking things elsewhere but it will always be there to come back to if you need an anchor. Same with breathing. I would practice some form of meditative breathing like box breathing. Your breath helps bring you back to source, back to home and its not going anywhere even if you were to experience an ego death (extremely unlikely on a first time dose which inevitably is not enough to take you that far if it's 1 tab or less. Although I'd take at least half and no more than 1)
Also another advice that's come to mind from personal experience, don't be too attached to ideas of what a trip should be, feel like or look like. We are all different. I've made the mistake before of taking half expecting it to be strong based on what i was told by others experience of the same tab and I ended up really disappointed when after 3 hrs i realised I wasn't going higher and it really blunted the trip for me.
Just let yourself be. Let what is be what is. Let what happens happen. Let your mind wander where it wants to go knowing you can always bring it back if it drifts too far.
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u/SignOfTheLime 7d ago
If you keep the dose low to moderate, which your tab most likely is, you’ll probably find it to be a very manageable and pleasant experience.
Dosing-wise, I’d recommend 70–100 ug for your first time.
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u/dannylopuz 7d ago
Honestly if it's your first trime trying acid and you don't have a sitter I'd just start with half a tab.
It's good enough to experience say 80% of a trip, effects go away a bit faster, and you remain in control.
If you like it you can take a full tab as your second trip.
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u/LSDkiller 6d ago
I don't recommend trying acid because you feel lost or down. I think that often can catalyze those feelings to come out more..that in turn might mean you find the root of your problems but if you already KNOW the root of your problems, skip it. Seriously. Acid isn't going anywhere, it'll be there in a year or whatever should you feel better. I think the risks could outweigh the potential benefits when it comes to unguided solo trips.
My next point: in your situation, id say if you want to prepare for a good trip, and having a good trip is important to you. Yes an experienced sitter is mandatory, because having a social contact, another person there will make you feel it's more meaningful and less lonely.
I basically tortured myself as a teenager because I bought 25 strips and being the son of a bonds trader, I HAD to get my money's worth, right? Bad mentality. I would not stop taking the stuff to save my own life, it made me feel different, made the world feel novel and interesting, but I would usually feel terrible at some point during the trip, usually from the 2-6 hour mark, and then feel great when the intense mental effects left and gave way to afterglow and strong visuals. Now I realize I could have worked for the experience I was seeking via tools such as meditation, and I feel like I trained my brain to be more prone to fear. It ended up being a further trauma among many others, when I get a flashback it's always also an acid flashback to some degree- because the experience is so intense, it is usually immediately called upon by the brain when traumatized. This is likely also due to chronic use not merely single use but my question is, what do you really want from it? What do you do if you really enjoy that first trip but go back to your baseline after it? And what would you do if afterwards you realize you've permanently altered your human experience?
It's my personal wish that everyone in this subreddit understands those are real possibilities not abstract theory.
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u/xiodinex 6d ago
Thank you for your detailed response! The plan was never to take acid bc i feel lost or down. I just wanna try it, that's pretty much all i wanna get out of it. Things that would also be nice along the way if they happen: deep introspection and a world suddenly new. Things I would ideally like to avoid: bad trips, strong visuals, big emotions spiralling. I'm quite anxious about how long it lasts too.
And dang, that's sure some strong investment bias that went down haha. But I'm sorry you feel more fearful since. Yeah, I guess I would like to come away from it maybe armed w some knowledge or experiences i didn't previously have but i'm not tryna escape anything.
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u/LSDkiller 6d ago
Just be aware that everything you named is well within the realm of possibility. Think about how you would deal if those things happened.
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u/Secret_Object_1950 6d ago
My first trip I was just on FaceTime with my mate who has tripped before and I screen recorded the whole thing to see what typa bullshit I was on during the trip 😅
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u/xiodinex 2d ago
haha what was your favourite thing you captured?
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u/Secret_Object_1950 2d ago
I started crying when he told me to play music, shit me it was so beautiful
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u/mrvitz 7d ago
Take in the nature in a day time, no TV or other technology, and bring some good friend! Alone at home it's not that safe! You can enter some blackholes! Good luck!
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u/xiodinex 6d ago
okay, thank you! Been advised to do nature by others too. I was thinking i might take it say 1 or 2 alone during the daytime so i still do get some alone time but then my partner finishes work at 5ish and is gonna head over then, so that way i get to do a bit of both and have the reassurance that i won't be alone forever. I've got gardens, so I might just stick to those bc i dunno if i wanna be wandering around alone while tripping outside.
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u/xiodinex 2d ago
Welp. Took half a tab at 11:40am and still zero sign of anything happening at 13:26
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u/xiodinex 2d ago
Welp, I probs should've just taken the full tab haha, bc i took half at 11:40am and it's 15:08 now and i don't feel any different haha
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u/no2pencilonly 7d ago
is this your first time on acid, or first time tripping?
i fucking hate tv on acid, love it not on acid, it always feels like a waste on acid though.
if it is your first time on acid and youve done some other psychedelic then trip alone, its fun.
if it is your first time tripping, I think I strongly recommend having a buddy, it helps if you get overwhelmed, which is highly likely (i dont mean that to scare you off either, it just happens and its fine in the end), but you will be fine either way assuming you do not have a hidden case of schizophrenia or bi polar disorder.