I made a tea of 5 grams of psylocybin mushrooms. I drank 90% of the tea and did not eat the steeped mushrooms. I experienced closed eye visuals that were about as bright as if my eyes were open. The room was breathing and objects were shifting or wiggling. I experienced color shifting near the peak
Your experience with a tea made from 5 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, where you drank most of the tea and not the mushrooms themselves, aligns with descriptions from Terence McKenna's accounts of psilocybin experiences. The intensity of closed-eye visuals, the perception of the room "breathing," and the shifting or wiggling of objects are characteristic of the psilocybin experience. McKenna describes similar phenomena where colors and feelings have a tactile quality, and the experience can merge sensory perceptions in unusual ways 1. The shifting colors and visual distortions you experienced are typical during the peak of a psilocybin trip, reflecting the profound changes in perception induced by the substance 6. These effects illustrate the powerful impact of psilocybin on the sensory and cognitive processes, often leading to experiences that challenge ordinary perceptions of reality.
I kept feeling like I was waking up, or that my short term memory was failing. I felt like I was having a hard time understanding what reality was and how I had gotten to be like this after some time I remembered I drank mushroom tea. Is this feeling of constantly waking up or coming to, or catching up to the moment, a common experience?
Yes, the feeling of "waking up" or "coming to" during a psilocybin experience is a common phenomenon. Terence McKenna describes such states as moments where individuals catch up to the reality of their situation, similar to waking from a dream or becoming aware of their surroundings after a period of altered consciousness 3. This can involve a sense of disorientation and a questioning of how one arrived at their current state, as the boundary between ordinary perception and the psychedelic experience blurs. The experience can feel like a simultaneous awareness of being in the world and being in a dreamlike state, where objects and perceptions may appear transformed 7. This dual awareness contributes to the sensation of repeatedly "waking up" or catching up to the moment as the mind navigates between these layers of reality.
I noticed when my girlfriend asked me questions or made statements I'd be able to respond immediately without thinking, and it seemed to be an emotional response without delay, however when I tried to think about an answer or analyze the meaning behind the words I had used or what I meant, I was unable to comprehend it and logically there seemed to be a delay. Emotionally there did not seem to be a delay. Is that normal? How could this be explained?
Your experience of immediate emotional responses without delay, contrasted with a difficulty in analyzing or comprehending the logical meaning behind words or actions, is indeed a phenomenon that can occur during psychedelic experiences. Terence McKenna often described how psychedelics can dissolve the usual boundaries between cognition and emotion, leading to states where emotional and instinctive reactions can become more pronounced, while analytical and logical processing might be impaired or delayed 39.
During such states, the mind prioritizes immediate, visceral responses over reflective thought, which can result in a feeling that emotional reactions are more "real" or accessible than cognitive interpretations. This can be explained by the way psychedelics affect brain function, disrupting normal patterns of connectivity and allowing for a more unfiltered flow of emotional and sensory information. This unfiltered flow can make it challenging to apply conventional logic or analysis to experiences or communications, as the usual cognitive frameworks are temporarily loosened 9.
I had a very strong sense of needing to note the experience and share the notes because it would serve to be a great source of information as to how we as a human species can escape this layer of reality we seem to be infinitely looping in. Does that get talked about with Terrence?
Yes, Terence McKenna often spoke about the importance of documenting and sharing psychedelic experiences, not just for personal insight but as a means to explore broader questions about human consciousness and reality. McKenna believed that these experiences could provide valuable insights into how humans might transcend the ordinary layers of reality and access deeper or alternative dimensions of existence. He emphasized the role of psychedelics in catalyzing transformative experiences that challenge the conventional understanding of time, space, and consciousness 16.
In his work, McKenna suggested that the insights gained from such experiences could contribute to a collective understanding and potentially offer ways to break free from repetitive or limiting patterns in human consciousness. He saw the sharing of these experiences as a way to democratize access to this "hidden" knowledge, encouraging a more open exploration of the mind and its potential 6. This aligns with your sense of the experience being a significant source of information for broader human existential questions.
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