I’m not gonna beat around the bush – putting aside booze and pot, Molly’s one of the more preferred drugs of choice for an electronic music festival. Festivals themselves bring us together as a demographic; the different components of your multiple squads congregate in one massive gathering, and you all get lost in the soul-connecting unity and magic that music has to bestow – whether you perceive it as a product, a piece of art, a spiritual message, or the perfect party element.
On top of that, an article by Your EDM states that festivals are on the rise for the foreseeable future (at least, at the time of writing this article).
One large common denominator, based on the collective word of mouth in my years being a part of the (electronic) scene, is the search for and inclusion/consumption of MDMA, interchangeably labelled Molly. Those who partake usually know what to expect under its influence, and the day (usually) turns out to be a bundle of fun for the whole rave family.
Somewhat recently, there’s been slightly more talks of a different festival experience, one which takes a far more psychedelic route. Lysergic acid diethylamide, shortened to LSD and colloquially known as acid, goes as far back as Woodstock ’69 – so it’s not like we’re dealing with some groundbreaking shit here. But, it has been an often-contemplated venue, albiet rather briefly, for a good number of us, at some point or another.
First and foremost, allow me to re-iterate – if you’re hoping to partake in anything – ANYTHING – considered a drug, or related to drugs, do your research. Not simply some quick Google search for the first link on the topic, but EXTENSIVE research. Erowid, DanceSafe, and Tripsit are good starting points. You can’t unread this – please use these sources and others, should you choose to experiment.
I myself am an overly curious person, and despite Molly’s widely-known prevalence, I wanted to try something different, other than the expectedly forced energy boost that a lot of us are accustomed to, which causes us to jump about and “PUT OUR FUCKING HANDS UP”. Either way, here’s my take on what I went through, partying with Molly’s cousin Lucy – especially for those who are curious as to how a trip can go.
The Experience
I’ve uncovered deep thoughts I’ve been afraid to face and ask myself, and I’ve viewed the world (hell, the universe at times) on a much grander scale.
The experience, for those who haven’t dabbled in it before, is more or less subjective, at least compared to Molly. I’m no expert, either – I can still count the number of instances on my fingers. Regardless, a general trip lasts anywhere between 6-12 hours (depending on dosage). Visually, it causes wavy protrusions all around me. Everyday patterns/structures (tiles, textures, faces, anything really) distort, swivel and sway every which way, similar to psilocybin mushrooms (“shrooms“).
It also brings about a heightened sense of consciousness and perception in the individual, on both a universal level, and an introspective level. I’ve uncovered deep thoughts I’ve been afraid to face and ask myself, and I’ve viewed the world (hell, the universe at times) on a much grander scale; any and every topic related to existence is fair game. Also like shrooms, my sense of self sometimes goes out the window, also known as ego death, which can occur on higher-dosage trips.
Unlike shrooms though, which feels (to me) more like a “semi-auto-pilot” experience, acid feels like the world around me is a fully-controlled lucid dream, which I know is actually happening. (If that makes sense.)
On the other hand, it also seems to have similar effects to MDMA – a boost in energy, the need to go about and do things (especially listening to music and/or dancing), and generally an amplification of my state of mind/mood – all this without the forced eagerness to “love everyone and every fucking thing around me” associated with MDMA/Molly (unless I already find myself to be in an overly optimistic and loving mood).
Also similar to M, depending on how heavy the trip, and how long the experience subsequently is, sleep is not an option. You’ll lie there, likely with your mind racing with thoughts and ideas about everything, as well as everything associated with everything (à la Bran Stark), until the effects wear off significantly enough for your mind to stop absorbing the known universe.
No two people are alike though, so your mileage may vary with your experience(s).
In regards to the festival scene itself, I become the music – particularly if it’s my favourite artist/group on stage, and I know how the song(s) is/are crafted. The general vibe around me sets the tone for the trip itself, and it’s usually good crowd vibes around me. Life isn’t perfect though, and you may come across a ‘sour apple’, or someone who’s having an off day. They’re not necessarily going to ruin your trip, but if you have a negative interaction with them, it may play over a few times in your head – especially if you’re an empath.
N.B. for a further sense of clarity, this kind of shit doesn’t happen on acid, and whoever keeps reviving this sorry excuse of a meme likely hasn’t dropped acid before.
Hallucinations DO happen, but this feels like a bit of a stretch. Mind you, my standing max is 2 tabs.
Most of my experiences can be considered good trips – I learned a lot about myself, as well as the way I interact with the world, and feel like a much more mindful individual, especially during the trips which I took some time to meditate. (You’ll likely enter another fucking dimension if you do try this.)
Of course, there can’t be any positivity without negativity – one trip took a sour turn, and put me in a really bad mindset, both during and after.
For some insight into my best festival trip, I wasn’t overly enthusiastic as Molly would normally make me – rather, I was perfectly content with everything and everyone around me. It was nighttime, so the stars above me were twirling/dancing majestically in the sky, and some turned into full-blown galaxies. Add in a few shooting stars blazing across the night sky, and it was the perfect artistic masterpiece. All my worries were pushed aside, and I, for once in my overwhelmingly fucked lifestyle, lived in the moment for the duration of the trip.
Nothing mattered to me other than what was in front of me. I gained so much more of an appreciation for life itself, as well as life’s little serendipities – from bugs flying by with wavy trails following them, to strangers having a pleasingly quirky interaction off in the distance. My buddy called for a spontaneous group hug, and as we came together as one, I closed my eyes, and had a big smile across my face – I felt like I was truly at peace for the first time since I could possibly remember. A brief bonding moment somehow got stretched into what felt like an eternity of bliss.
Of course, there can’t be any positivity without negativity – one trip took a sour turn, and put me in a really bad mindset, both during and after. To summarize the fucked reality I saw myself through, my friends went off to different places throughout the night, and I found myself alone at one point, which led to several different instances:
- I thought I was going to be forced into sex, which would be live-streamed for all of my friends and family to see.
- I thought I was going to reportedly go “missing”, change my identity, and have to live somewhere else in seclusion for the rest of my life.
- I reached out to security for help, and thought I was instead being arrested.
- I also thought I was being taken out back at one point to be killed, made to look like an “accident”.
All different instances, which felt like they happened over the course of a night – but really was about an hour or so, before heading to bed (and expecting not to wake up the next morning). I lay there, hearing screams and other various noises outside for who knows how long; I don’t remember falling asleep.
…Needless to say, I woke up, and when I properly grasped what I went through, I broke the fuck down sobbing, before getting out of bed and starting my day. The entire day was uneasy for me – luckily I was around good people all day long, and despite them not knowing what I went through, I (somewhat) easily found myself in a good place not too long after, thanks to their loving presence.
(I also came across the security guard I went to for help, and as he was relieved that things turned out okay for me, I gave him a hug for “saving my life”.)
In the long run, such an experience taught me a TON of important lessons – yet it’s still not something I would wish for anybody to have to endure. To mitigate such, I would recommend the following:
Essentials
Tripsitter
Get one of these. Have one of these. APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ONE OF THESE. If the above tale (and subsequently, the above meme) didn’t teach you the harsh lesson I learned, then you may have to be your own tripsitter, should you go through your own nightmare/chaos.
It IS possible to tripsit for yourself and bring yourself to a much better state of mind. Just know that it is FAR from easy to do so, especially as you’re living through the nightmare with a heightened perception towards everything going on around you.
Ideally, your tripsitter should be someone who fits some/all of these criteria:
-Has done acid before, and knows what the experience is like (preferably not just one time)
-Someone you trust, feel comfortable around and can open up to, should you feel the need to
-Sober, or in a much clearer state of mind than those they are tripsitting for (ideally sober)
A good state of mind
Remember how I said that acid amplifies the mood/state of mind you’re in? That’s not something I’m saying lightly. If you’re about to alter your state of mind and aren’t necessarily in a good place (i.e. miserable about work earlier, or suffering through loss), I would advise against blasting off. It can be very uncomfortable, or, depending on the situation, dangerous to go in under less-than-optimal conditions.
You may have planned this day/trip ahead of time, and possibly even given yourself a day off to enjoy it. Despite this, face yourself and ask: “Am I actually able to handle whatever’s currently on my mind?”
If the answer is no, do yourself a favour, and stow it away for a better time. You’ll be ever so grateful that you did.
Breaks in-between
Coming back to full reality is going to be a bit shaky, especially if you’re a newbie to the experience.
Not gonna lie, I’ve wanted to make a post like this for a while, yet kept putting it off. What triggered it was the fact that one morning, as I was smoking my wake-and-bake bowl to enjoy my day off (seriously, how often does that get to happen?), I came to realize that not too long ago, I had dropped (taken) acid 4 times within a month.
Upon first glance, it seemed like a lot in a short amount of time – 1 tab on the first day of this psychedelic period. Double that 2 days later. Then half a tab 3 weeks after that, and, most recently, 1 tab a week later. Of those four instances, 3 were at music festivals. (That’s still not proper justification – everything in moderation, people.)
Post-trip, take it easy the following day. Coming back to full reality is going to be a bit shaky, especially if you’re a newbie to the experience. It’s also recommended to leave at least a few weeks between sessions, seeing as how one can build a really quick tolerance to the substance (taking 2 tabs a couple of days after taking 1 still wasn’t as strong of a trip as the 1 I took initially). On top of that, you’ll want to give yourself proper time to comprehend any thoughts, experiences and revelations you underwent in your recent trip.
Know what you’re taking
There’s an increase of drug-testing kits available, with different reagents to identify different adulterants, to better determine whether or not what you’re taking is actually what you were told it is. “Better safe than sorry” couldn’t be more applicable, especially given the ongoing opioid/fentanyl crisis. It’s not something you’d want to take a chance with- PLEASE GET YOUR SHIT TESTED WHENEVER AND WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
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Given the effects (described above) and the nature/duration of festivals, the two seem to make a solid match. That being said, what if, hypothetically, acid became the main party drug for such instances? What kind of implications could it have on the scene, or even society as a whole? Would/could it lead to the same experience in the much denser, less “expressive”, and genre-specific club scene?
…I may do a follow-up post on the latter. It seems VERY unlikely though, so please don’t get your hopes up.
Featured image courtesy of Third Monk.
*FUXWITHIT does not endorse the use of illegal drugs, but this made for one hell of an article.
