"Normal" Early Experiences?

[moshidawa]

Hello,

I am new to this forum and new to Salvia D.  I wanted to post my first couple of experiences and see if these are "normal"...  I have read many postings from newbies like myself and old timers and I think these experiences are in line, but I wanted to share:

I have used SD three times now, with increasingly strong effects.

1)  I read all info in the FAQ and User's Guide on the "Salvia Divinorum Research and Information Center" website first.  For my first experience, I waited until evening and lit some candles and had my wife (= my best friend   ) be my sitter.  I explained to her all that I had read about being a sitter and my possible reactions, etc.  I used the quid method as prescribed (dried leaves in cool water, chomp about every 10 seconds for 30 minutes, etc.) but only had a sort of calm feeling.  Certainly nothing I would call a breakthrough.  (I should mentioned that I only have experience in the past with alcohol and another popular herb, but never herbs or otherwise that have caused hallucinatioins, etc.)

2)  The next morning, I woke up early feeling very refreshed.  It was still dark outside, so I decided to try smoking SD instead of chomping on it.  I went out, alone, to my back porch which overlooks a koi-fish pond and has several Ponderosa Pine trees.  I smoked the smallish dose as described in the "manual" (i.e. hot and fast).  And immediately felt the following:  I felt as if I felt a very strong female presence, though I could not see her.  However, I felt her very cold hands caress me up my feet, legs, thighs and chest.  I was shoked at first because I didn't realize I had slipped into this "place".  Next, I was developing some deep connection with the largest Ponderosa Pine just off our back porch, I felt connected to that tree in some beautiful and spiritual way.  As I began to come down, a silly phrase from the "Simpsons" kept entering my mind, "I'm in a place where I don't know where I am".  And all the while I was intrigued and quite comfortable.  For the remainder of the morning I was obsessed with the feeling of cold and the female spirit I could feel.  In retrospect the feeling was quite like the visual in "The Matrix" where Neo's arms and body start to turn chrome colored- and this "chrome" on my body was actually where I had been touched by this woman, and it was _very_ cold.

3)  Around 3P that same day, my curiousity finally got the better of me, and I felt I had to revisit that "place where I don't know where I am".  Again, I went out onto the back porch, this time during daylight.  I used a quid for 1/2 hour, then smoked a smallish amount of SD.  The terra cotta clock on a post on our deck began to sag, and the hands were sort of bent.  I was at first afraid that I had created a rip in time, but then I realized that since this was only my second time to visit this place, maybe the rip was already there, so there was no need to worry.  Then I felt an extreme terror as I thought that maybe I was not connected to my wife and infant (I'm a stay-at-home-dad for a darling 5 month old girl).  Almost immediately I realized that I was in fact connected to them both on some very primal and unconditional level.  This resulted in extreme joy.  Both of these emotions, the terror and joy were fleeting and I was somewhat detached from them, sort of watching them pass by me.  Next, I felt the presence of that same female again, but this time she did not touch me.  It gave me a great sense of comfort to know she was there and that somehow her existence in "the place where I don't know where I am", along with my existence there, was proof that life energy exists beyond death and I was comforted.  And, I felt certain that some sort of higher power exists and cares about me and my loved ones.  Then, I started to feel extremely hot and started sweating.  During this time I was told, or not so much "told" as sensed, that I should slow down and let some time pass before I came back to this place.  It was the woman again who "told" me, or put these thoughts in my mind or whatever.  She was not harsh or angry, but she encouraged me to wait a while before returning.  Then, as I was coming down and safe to walk, I immediately went into the house to journal and capture my experience in writing (I'm an avid journaler since 1980).  During this writing I also remembered that at some point during the journey I could feel emotions from when I was very very young (maybe 6 months or so) and that these emotions where wonderful and powerful and that even though I did not understand all that was around me, I could enjoy it for what it was and decide to explore more later.  This part of my journey was, as one might expect from the mind of a young child, hard to put into words, but it was most pleasing.

So- that's my first three experiences.  I intentionally did not read about others' experiences until after these three of my own.  But when I did read others experiences I picked up at least two important messages:  1)  I will definitely take heed of the warning to "come back to the place where I don't know where I am" after a break (not sure how long, but I assume my gut will _know_ when it is right again) and 2) I will definitely _not_ be upping my dose for future journeys.

I was explaining to my wife all of these things, and it sounds kind of silly, but it was spiritual and very real to me.  Happily, my wife believes me and will let me know when she is ready to try SD.  I cannot describe the joy and intrigue I felt.  I explained over and over to my very patient wife that SD was _not_ something you played with, like alcohol or the popular herb, but that it was a priviledge and that I felt overwhelmingly joyous to be able to share in this priviledge.  And, because of that respect, I could not use it again until I know the time is again right.

I love my mind, and I feel like a child being immersed in new situations again (like the first time you realize you are a person) and also the feelings were very familiar, like when time seems to rip or stop and objects bend without any injection of substances (for instance, when my wife and I found out that her younger brother had died instantly in a head-on collision two years ago, or when my beautiful child was born- these may seem like disjoint experienced, but I feel like they are related to that place "where I don't know where I am" and that that place is a good place, but is not a place to live in all the time, at least not for me, and not right now).  

So- does this sound "normal"?  Or am I a couple cards short of a full deck?  I went into the experience with the mindset that it was not going to be a "party" but was going to be spiritual, and even though I had these intentions before hand, I was still not prepared for HOW spiritual it would be for me.

I think I am looking for feedback and reassurance, and perhaps a hardy welcome into your worlds as well.

Peace,

moshidawa

[TooStonedToType]

Hello and welcome.  

About everything you write has some resonance.  I don't know exactly what is normal.  Many people feel nothing, some have terrifying experiences and never touch the stuff again.  A few sound just like you.  I think your ability to remember the connection to your wife and child turned around what could have otherwise been a difficult journey.  Little changes in perspective can make a world of difference.  If you were told to slow down a bit, I would take that advice.  I'm sure you've read about "reverse tolerance".  It will take less and less to send you to that place (wherever that is).

[laughingwillow]

Welcome to our world, moshi.

Your experiences sound reasonable enough to me. But I'll have to take your word on the visuals, as I'm an eye-closing psychonaut. (Prolly afraid I'll see something that will make me piss my pants or something.)

That hot flash is tough to ignore, imo.

Sounds like you are on your way.

lw

[laughingwillow]

Btw, one day, dtr, you may want to slide into salvia space while under the influence of a favorite musical passage....

lw

[Jupe]

yes.... Welcome ....Thanx for sharing with us.....I really like this you said.............

like the first time you realize you are a person)

haha Very Good .........does raise some other questions too :roll:  :roll:   whose the you doin the realizing...etc etc.     I'm still working on that regress loop.... :wink:

[Arhuline]

well I've smoked sally for the first time yesterday and I didn't get there jet. But I'm for shure that I was nockin' on the door...
I was really impressed when I read that you had a feeling that some female... etc... gee... well.. yesterda... when sally did her trick to me for the first time... I felt presense of another person too... felt as if I was been observed from a person that knows me from day one... Now as you mentioned it really schocked me...
well tonight I'm havin' my last try... will get there eventualy....
I've just made a big waterpipe and this time I will smoke alone... although I still dont know Sallys full efect...
I'm thinking of where to smoke it....., probably in atrium... hope i won't wake up somebody with my pipe bublin'
Tomorrow i'm presenting you my report named
SENSATION ONE
stay tuned;)

[Hyper_Eye]

well I've smoked sally for the first time yesterday and I didn't get there jet. But I'm for shure that I was nockin' on the door...
I was really impressed when I read that you had a feeling that some female... etc... gee... well.. yesterda... when sally did her trick to me for the first time... I felt presense of another person too... felt as if I was been observed from a person that knows me from day one... Now as you mentioned it really schocked me...
well tonight I'm havin' my last try... will get there eventualy....
I've just made a big waterpipe and this time I will smoke alone... although I still dont know Sallys full efect...
I'm thinking of where to smoke it....., probably in atrium... hope i won't wake up somebody with my pipe bublin'
Tomorrow i'm presenting you my report named
SENSATION ONE
stay tuned;)

Are you smoking plain leaf or an extract?

[Arhuline]

well i smoked plain leaf. And about my trip report.. there is no report.. didn't get there at all... don't know why? think that two days ago was still better than yesterday...
strange...

[Arhuline]

hm... If i think over again... I remember hearing some odd voice saying "slad"... "slad"?  even in my language it doesn't have any meaning...

[Green2Herman]

SLAD
SLAD represents the very best of London art dealers. It promotes and protects the good name of the art trade.
www.slad.org.uk/

US ARL - Organization
SLAD Graphic On the future battlefield, the soldier will face an array of threats
... The Survivability & Lethality Analysis Directorate (SLAD) develops and ...
www.arl.army.mil/main/Organization/ default.cfm?Action=SLAD&PhotoName=images/OrgSLAD

St. Louis After Dark - The Midwest Vampire Community Resource
St. Louis After Dark - The online resource for the vampire communities, espcially
those of the St. Louis Metropolitan and Bi-state area.
www.slad.net/

[Arhuline]

hehehehe, maybe It was a tip for me to do serious art and to contact hte Slad  

and on hte other hand... jesus... I better find an exorcist  :shock:

hm... whatabout if this word origins in the past.... maybe it.... means something else.
 :shock:  :shock:  :shock:

[TooStonedToType]

I've noticed sometimes I will get in an "audio loop".  A "real" background noise gets distorted and repeated over and over a few times.

Sounds like you are on your way with plain leaf.

[Hyper_Eye]

If you can't get there with plain leaf then you should try some extract. My first time I smoked strong extract out of a one-hitter and broke through easily. I have never seen someone try it this way and not have a strong effect.

[Arhuline]

WillCO!  
any way.. this herb....  :shock: I belive it could cure narcos even better than methadon..... I cant belive what I've seen.... and hurd... It's like I've been conected to the higher truth....
think now i will meditate more often!

[Green2Herman]

The univers is all about folding  :roll:

Nice to have one more in our time zone by the way.

Welcome.