Cacti (T. peruvianus)
Here is my experience with the Peruvian Torch Cactus:
I purchased thirty grams of torch cactus from the internet. Following the recommendation of a veteran torch cactus user from experience vault of Erowid, I grind up the dried cactus and fill roughly 80 gel caps. I set a weekend aside and decide to trip and camp at a local state park. However, when I get there, there are no more camps sites available. Since I have done Peyote and San Pedro with minimal effects, I decide to continue with the experiment even though I have concerns over how I will get home should the trip hit hard.
I take one capsule of harmala (1/2 gram) on an empty stomach. About a half hour later, I find a secluded place to ingest the cactus. I consume approximately 70 of the pills. Nausea starts to kick in. I curl into fetal positions salivating and spitting, suppressing the volcano inside of me, reinforcing to myself 'This is my medicine.' As the nausea lightens, I sit up and go into a meditative position knowing that there is nothing in the cactus that can hurt me. About an hour and a half latter, I feel well enough to stroll around, enjoy the outdoors, and take a swim in the river. I feel the breeze hit my spine in a way that tells me the drug is coming on.
I walk up towards the parking lot and go into the bathroom. I look in the mirror and there is no question about it, I am tripping. My face is distorted, strange colors are coming into view, and the wa wa wa feeling is all about me. I start to walk towards my car and the nausea kicks back in. I go into the bushes and vomit. It was very painless and seems as natural as coughing. I hop in my car and drive to the beach area. Driving is not difficult and I take my time. At the beach, the river is beautiful. I go in the water. I let the current carry me as dragonflies hover on the waters surface and I am happy. I get out and lie in the sun and listen to my discman. Then I get up and run. My body feels slender and healthy, I feel like a child. Time starts to pass and I know I should get going.
I go back to the parking lot and get into my car. I start driving the forty miles back to my apartment. It has been over five hours and believe the cactus should be wearing off, but do not recall having a peak. I tell myself, 'Maybe you don't peak on mescaline', but I know this is naive. As I start driving, I am having more and more trouble understanding the roads and where I am. It was like 'boom!' and I would not know what street I was on or if I was lost. Other traffic starts to jump at me and jump away. Everything is flashing, and it is frightening. I realize the flashing is related to my eyes blinking and I feel the panorama view of my vision, even though my eyelids are over them. I pull over near a hotel and debate about getting a room. I speak to someone they tell me I'm five mile from my home. I believe I can make.
I get back on the road. I feel like I am losing it. My entire body is shaking. I am screaming out, 'God help me.' I am suppressing the peak and it is so I hard. I know if I go over the top bad things will happen. It is like holding back a roller coaster at the top of its largest hill. Finally, I get to my apartment. I explode with tears, wailing out as I collapse onto my bed. I lose sense of time and space. There is nothing now except knowledge of my existence. I eventually calm down. Make some phone calls and bike around town. I stay up most of the night and feel the drug eventually dissipate after about three days.
This drug hit way harder than anything I expected. I want to apologize to everybody out there because it might as well have been you or your family that was on the road with me that day. I still get shaken up knowing that I could have destroyed my life or worse yet, the life of someone else. I beg everybody to take these drugs seriously and plan ahead. Needless to say, I will never take a chance like this again.
As a side note, I have used psychedelic drugs for several years now. For those who are inexperienced with drugs, I recommend the using naturally occurring substances such as shrooms or cactus. I would never do E because you never know what your really getting and even if you were getting pure MDMA there are still questions about its use effects on the brain. I have used LSD over a dozen times and I have had my fill. In actuality, I am really afraid if I used acid again they would have to come get me with the butterfly nets. But whatever, good tripping everybody. Peace:)
