eccentric
05-21-2010, 10:55 AM
Hi there!
I just registered and wanted to say hi. I also have a question: please let me know if I should post it elsewhere instead.
I've only been smoking cannabis for a few months (perhaps a dozen times) and am simply blown away. As recently as the night I first tried it, I was strongly anti-pot and would even encourage a friend of mine to quit. I simply had no idea what it was really was. I had always thought it simply killed brain cells, made one euphoric & disoriented, and otherwise bought into all-drugs-are-bad-period type thinking.
This is where I'm confused though, even by those who do smoke cannabis, it is so often described in mundane terms: it's for "relaxation", for "socializing", it makes you hungry, it makes you "feel good"/"euphoric", etc. My experience on the other hand has been almost exclusively mind-blowing.
With the exception of the first time I smoked (I only got a bit giddy that time), My mind races for over and hour, I've experienced profound time-distortion, profound memory changes (memories from my childhood pop randomly into my head while what I was thinking 4-5 seconds ago alludes me), bizarre associations and magical thinking, bursts of creativity, etc. It genuinely feels like a way of viewing the world as different from sobriety as sleeping is from wakefulness; like a secret 3rd state of consciousness. All very positive I might add, but not what I would describe as "euphoric" or simply "good feeling", closer to simply fascinating. I'll also note that I'm never quite able to relate to this feeling days later. Each time is a pleasant surprise.
The stuff I got a week ago also seems especially potent and it's only taken me 3 tokes to get to this point. Then, several days ago, I smoked 2 full bowls quickly and over the next hour ascended to a state of mind I can't even begin to really describe. I passed several distinct sets of feelings beyond what I've described above and ended up having some kind of full blown "trip" (or whatever).
In brief, I felt quite literally as though I were behind my face, looking out on the world through my face - like a mask. I felt disconnected from my body and as though I was physically in my skull (like I'd receded behind my face). All senses except vision were completely gone and I felt as though I could experience senses I had never had before. I don't quite remember what it really felt like anymore (it's like a memory of a memory), but I distinctly recall reminding myself repeatedly as I was coming down of what I had felt and how important it seemed, so I could remember. Lastly, and most importantly, I had an intense sense of self-enlightenment. All the little problems in my life seemed thoroughly trivial, and more, I could really see things about myself I had never recognized before. It felt like a sudden and intense self-actualization. A complete honesty/recognition.
It's been days and I can still feel this sense of self. Many of my old habits and hangups have disappeared and I seem to approach everything with new eyes. Initially I felt like a completely new person. Though this feeling has dimmed somewhat, I still feel as though I've had some kind of brain-reboot.
Now, I would have assumed that if this kind of thing were even possible via cannabis it would be widely known. Yet, I cannot find mention of these kinds of effects anywhere. The closest I've seen is mention of rare "closed eye visuals" which as I said above, seems mundane by comparison. I still wouldn't call this experience "euphoria". I'd associate that more with the feeling of laughing gas at the dentist. This felt more like some kind of nirvana I had no idea was even possible.
I hope this doesn't come across as silly/over-dramatic. I've honestly tried to portray this as it was.
Anyway. I would really appreciate any thoughts you might have. Is this a normal reaction? Why might common descriptions of the effects of cannabis be so mundane? The disparity between my experiences with pot and what I've read and heard from others is starting to really weird me out....
Thanks!
I just registered and wanted to say hi. I also have a question: please let me know if I should post it elsewhere instead.
I've only been smoking cannabis for a few months (perhaps a dozen times) and am simply blown away. As recently as the night I first tried it, I was strongly anti-pot and would even encourage a friend of mine to quit. I simply had no idea what it was really was. I had always thought it simply killed brain cells, made one euphoric & disoriented, and otherwise bought into all-drugs-are-bad-period type thinking.
This is where I'm confused though, even by those who do smoke cannabis, it is so often described in mundane terms: it's for "relaxation", for "socializing", it makes you hungry, it makes you "feel good"/"euphoric", etc. My experience on the other hand has been almost exclusively mind-blowing.
With the exception of the first time I smoked (I only got a bit giddy that time), My mind races for over and hour, I've experienced profound time-distortion, profound memory changes (memories from my childhood pop randomly into my head while what I was thinking 4-5 seconds ago alludes me), bizarre associations and magical thinking, bursts of creativity, etc. It genuinely feels like a way of viewing the world as different from sobriety as sleeping is from wakefulness; like a secret 3rd state of consciousness. All very positive I might add, but not what I would describe as "euphoric" or simply "good feeling", closer to simply fascinating. I'll also note that I'm never quite able to relate to this feeling days later. Each time is a pleasant surprise.
The stuff I got a week ago also seems especially potent and it's only taken me 3 tokes to get to this point. Then, several days ago, I smoked 2 full bowls quickly and over the next hour ascended to a state of mind I can't even begin to really describe. I passed several distinct sets of feelings beyond what I've described above and ended up having some kind of full blown "trip" (or whatever).
In brief, I felt quite literally as though I were behind my face, looking out on the world through my face - like a mask. I felt disconnected from my body and as though I was physically in my skull (like I'd receded behind my face). All senses except vision were completely gone and I felt as though I could experience senses I had never had before. I don't quite remember what it really felt like anymore (it's like a memory of a memory), but I distinctly recall reminding myself repeatedly as I was coming down of what I had felt and how important it seemed, so I could remember. Lastly, and most importantly, I had an intense sense of self-enlightenment. All the little problems in my life seemed thoroughly trivial, and more, I could really see things about myself I had never recognized before. It felt like a sudden and intense self-actualization. A complete honesty/recognition.
It's been days and I can still feel this sense of self. Many of my old habits and hangups have disappeared and I seem to approach everything with new eyes. Initially I felt like a completely new person. Though this feeling has dimmed somewhat, I still feel as though I've had some kind of brain-reboot.
Now, I would have assumed that if this kind of thing were even possible via cannabis it would be widely known. Yet, I cannot find mention of these kinds of effects anywhere. The closest I've seen is mention of rare "closed eye visuals" which as I said above, seems mundane by comparison. I still wouldn't call this experience "euphoria". I'd associate that more with the feeling of laughing gas at the dentist. This felt more like some kind of nirvana I had no idea was even possible.
I hope this doesn't come across as silly/over-dramatic. I've honestly tried to portray this as it was.
Anyway. I would really appreciate any thoughts you might have. Is this a normal reaction? Why might common descriptions of the effects of cannabis be so mundane? The disparity between my experiences with pot and what I've read and heard from others is starting to really weird me out....
Thanks!