Been following this strand with interest, & I'm glad someone mentioned this quandary regarding the individual's ability to cope with a trip.
I remain an acid virgin, & indeed have no real interest in risking the stuff. All the anecdotal evidence suggests the experiment is too random for my liking, plus I simply don't trust that the modern acid isn't laced with all manner of shite. I can hardly worry about GM & the like if I'm gonna cram some other factory hybrid substance down my neck. Personally, I'd feel a hypocrite.
Moreover, I used to suffer badly from panic attacks & manic episodes, including auditory hallucinations. These have tempered over the years, the trick sometimes being to rely on medical help, but ultimately to accept the fact that the mind isn't always able to correctly process all the stimuli it receives. Resisting this will inevitably lead to shortcircuiting.
What's interesting, though, is that as I've got older & understood more about the condition, I've explored such avenues as self-hypnosis & simple meditative techniques to defeat these anxieties, & found that the experience is something akin to the sort of scales-from-eyes experiences others here have ascribed to acid. Shrooms I have tried on several occasions (moderate dosages only), always amongst good friends, & the trips I've found pleasant & illuminating. Furthermore, I've been able to resist some of the weirder, less pleasant visions because I've had to train myself not to panic in the everyday, 'real' world.
The only nark I've had about tripping is that there's always someone who seems desperate to impose meaning on the experience - you know the type I'm sure, the nagging voice insisting that there's a distinct message being offered. (I've always found that story of the Beatles' first dope encounter hilarious, specifically McCartney announcing that he was "thinking properly for the first time" & demanding that someone write down his thoughts - it's that sort of didactic interpretation I'm speaking about.)
I can't agree with your point, Shrimp, that everyone should be administered with a trip when young. I'll agree that everyone should be encouraged to see beyond the first-level world. Once you accept that there are vibrations & sensations that defy easy & uptight definition (& the everyday evidence of our own minds is overwhelming), life is certainly richer & more rewarding. But I'm not convinced that acid or other chemically-assisted means of realising this are anything but a shortcut to such realisations, & further, I worry about the possible damage.
Personally, I got just as big a rush from Jung's notions of coincidence & archetype as I ever did from shrooms - in fact I'd say the former had more lasting effect as regards changing my worldview permanently. I suppose the key is; whatever you're using, as long as you're expanding your horizons & performing mental aerobics, not simply seeking passive oblivion, then you'll be fine.
*****
Apologies if this comes over as unnecessarily negative - this is only a minor grievance I felt I had to point out. I have to say in mitigation that this strand demonstrates the good sense & responsible discussion I've come to love from everyone around here.
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