DOSE:

10 mg

oral

4-AcO-MET

I wake up on a crisp and sunny Saturday morning feeling somewhat groggy and out of place. Although a bit unfortunate, I have planned to have a psychedelic experience for some weeks on this day, and I am undeterred by the minor inconvenience. I ring up my old friend, who we'll call Dee, and scheme up a plan and substance of choice. In the end, we chose 4-AcO-MET for its shorter duration and novelty (neither of us had tried it before) and decided to leave the issue of what to do for later once we'd come up on the substance. After the phone call, I ate a modest breakfast, trawled wikipedia for a bit, and eventually made my way over to Dee's apartment. After eating a bit together and having some idle conversation, I measured out our doses - 10mg each.

0:00 - We drink the 4-AcO-MET as a solution in vodka. To me, the bitter taste is virtually indistinguishable from that of 4-AcO-DMT. Dee finds it exceedingly bitter, but as someone more used to the taste of tryptamines I found it to be no big deal.

0:10 - I am already feeling a slight psychedelic anxiety in the pit of my stomach. It is a bit hard to concentrate, although this is likely because I am tired. Otherwise, Dee and I are sitting on the couch chatting as we normally do.

0:20 - Things are building at a surprising pace. This substance does not dawdle! The sky outside is becoming brighter, edges are becoming "cleaner", and textures are becoming smoother. The onset is very strong with an uneasy apprehension not present in its brother 4-AcO-DMT.

0:24 - Am I thirsty? Do I really want water? My mouth feels dry, but I am certain drinking will add fuel to the fire which is my nascent nausea. There is a slight tension in my jaw. This is not clenching, but rather my muscles feeling awkward and out of place, as though they cannot find the right position to rest. Dee also confirms that she is feeling a similar tension. I find it quite comparable to the benign sort of jaw clenching I might get on LSD. In fact, the visuals are also quite reminiscent of LSD - cartoon like and with clean lines, and smooth and brightened colours. However, the visuals are firmer than that of LSD, and are missing its characteristic soupiness. Dee and I's conversation is filled with awkward laughs - you can tell we are both physically tense.

0:30 - I opt to go to the bathroom, and this relieves much of my tension. Upon coming back, our conversation becomes much less stilted and eases up. Visuals are ramping up, and objects begin to breathe slightly if I pay close attention to them. The diffuse evening sun outside looks absolutely gorgeous reflecting off the glass of a nearby skyscraper and reminds me of the ripe flesh of mango. There is a slight tremor and cramp in my legs, which may be exacerbated by the fact that I worked them out the day before. Although I no longer feel mentally anxious, I still find that my body feels uncomfortable. Dee claims that the right side of her face is beginning to feel numb, as though someone has applied a local anaesthetic. After ruling out anything serious (i.e. a stroke), we make a few jokes in poor taste, and erupt into a flurry of laughter. The whole idea that any human being can willingly induce this experience for less than a dollar is absurd and hilarious, and that many thousands of people have done so makes the thought even funnier. We agree that it is human nature to be restless, and that this restlessness is responsible for a myriad of personality traits and neuroses, ranging from sensation seeking, gossiping, micromanaging, perfectionism and just about everything in between. People choose to make problems for themselves because, at its core, life is about solving problems. Without them, people would be lost.

0:41 - Dee can barely contain her laughter at anything and has decided to cover her eyes with a blanket to keep herself coherent. Her numbness is growing. We both agree that in this moment the substance feels "annoying" and nagging, as though it is forcing you to deal with it like a hyperactive 10 year old that needs to be picked up from the daycare. Despite this, conversation is flowing, and we are untangling the origin of my urge to record my experiences of altered states.

1:01 - Dee points out that this whole situation feels like a talk show in which I am the host - even down to the pose of my arms and inquisitive expressions. There is an air of importance to our conversation, and the energy of the stage is palpable, even though we are still reposed on the couch. We stumble onto the topic of raising children, and how absurd it is that most people have kids at an age where they have barely grasped life as an adult themselves. Anecdotes about our parents and the childhoods of our friends are flying back and forth among jokes about the generational transmission of neuroses, which we affectionately refer to as "family heirlooms". The whole situation makes me realize just how grateful I am to have been properly raised by my father and mother. Their sacrifice is beyond measure, and I wish I could have called them at the time to remind them how much I love them. At this point, I can see subtle, genteel tracers on just about any object that moves. The living room is a study of light and shadow, and Dee has sunk deep into the couch at an angle which sets her hair ablaze with the radiant warmth of the sun. What a beautiful evening.

1:22 - The topic of conversation has shifted to Dee's workplace; we are trying to piece together the inner machinations of her coworkers. The atmosphere has become more intimate - we are no longer in front of a studio audience, but rather together in a small office after hours. We've been through so much together over all these years. I can't help but think of the great Tehching Hsieh's Rope Piece, in which he and fellow performance artist Linda Montano agreed to tie themselves together with an 8 foot rope for an entire year without intentionally touching one another. After the end of the piece, Montano said of Hsieh, "He’s my friend, confidant, lover, son, opponent, husband, brother, playmate, sparring partner, mother, father... The list goes on and on. There isn’t one word or one archetype that fits. I feel very deeply for him". I suppose it's the same between me and Dee. After sharing so much love, irritation, fun, boredom, and everything in between, our relationship has grown into something that resists characterization. And, as funny as it sounds, I wouldn't change it for the world.

1:39 - All these themes and archetypes are blending into each other, and each sentence is a rolling hill on the plains. The whole day feels cyclic, but never repetitive. We play and play and play, but the last chord is always the tonic. My body feels cool and grassy, like dried up rushes being layered with mud. Dee goes to use the bathroom, and I begin staring up at the ceiling. Oh boy, things are certainly in motion - the grooves of the popcorn ceiling are flowing and aggregating like drops of water pushing against gravity, and every pocket of shadow is lined with subtle electric greens and reds. The world looks like a Hopper painting veiled in a delicate, rippling psychedelic flux. Dee comes back from the bathroom, and we sit in relative silence for a moment - a moment which does not last very long, as I am now embroiled in trying to convince Dee that Yogi Berra might be one of the most poetic users of the English language to ever live.

1:52 - We've spent far too long on this couch and decide to get a small taste of the outdoors by stepping on the balcony. This was a bit of an ordeal for me as I didn't want to disturb Dee's cat, which had decided to start sleeping on my lap not 15 minutes before. I'm much too soft-hearted to wake the cat right now, especially after it expressed such trust in me, but with a bit of urging from Dee I gently pick her up and go put my shoes on. Expecting the worst of the cold (it is -8C outside) I brace myself as I goofily pass through the threshold of the door. To my surprise, however, the air is highly refreshing, and is missing the bite it would have while sober. Even though we are only a small handful of floors from the ground, I feel surrounded by the vast and rare sky, and my mind feels at ease. It always amazes me how the slightest change in scenery can mould a trip, and this balcony is no exception. I would love nothing more than to go for a walk right now, but because Dee is a little less experienced with psychedelics, we decide to hold on to the idea for later. Stepping back into the apartment, I head to the kitchen for a glass of water and sit back on the couch.

2:27 - We are starting to grow a bit restless milling about the apartment but decide to exercise some restraint further still. Luckily, we find an easy source of entertainment in the cat, which is zipping about the apartment playing with trinkets on the floor. The restlessness quickly abates as I am amazed by the animal's dexterity, which I would normally take for granted. My arm falls asleep while watching the cat, and when I finally move it the sensation of pins and needles slowly crawls up my body and onto my face. Dammit. Dee and I laugh at my misfortune, and within seconds I feel a flash of lightheadedness, and the numbness disappears. How unusual.

2:56 - We finally suit up for a walk. Both of us are definitely still tripping, but things are quite manageable at this point. Before embarking, Dee insists on grabbing some juice from a café in the food court in the basement of her apartment. We go downstairs and wait in line to order. The whole place looks so comfortless and grating, being built from featureless concrete. The visuals are put on hold down here, as though the basement is too gritty and grimy to be worthy of having them appear. I am sticking out like a sore thumb waiting in line, unsure of where to place my body or what to do. Luckily, we leave in a flash, and begin walking in an arbitrary direction. It is blue hour now, and all the high-rise buildings seem to mimic the smooth, placid texture of the sky. Delicate posterization seems to be a characteristic of the visual style of 4-AcO-MET, as Dee is experiencing the same thing. We continue walking and eventually make it down to my school's campus. Jokingly, I remark "Oh jeez hope I don't meet someone I know", purposefully stumbling over my words for comedic effect. In that instant, one of the few people I know with a genuine hatred of me walks past, staring directly at me. Dee laughs at me for forging my own fate. God is a bastard, a trickster with a marvellous sense of humor. I am left flummoxed by the coincidence for the remainder of the walk.

3:29 - Dee suddenly veers off the main road and into a small public park. Going through the archway that separates the two spaces feels like some dial in the universe's control room has been spun all the way left. The park is markedly less busy than the street, and we take a moment to steep in the quiet and peace. The mix of sky blue and streetlight red embosses all the shoe-prints in the snow, which look delightful. Visually there is a delicate symmetrization effect to the prints which vanishes with careful concentration. Unfortunately, the cold weather is starting to get to me, and so we decide to head home.

4:21 - We finally return home. The day is dead, and it is dark outside. A wave of tiredness has come over us that marks the beginning of the comedown. We both return to the couch. Even though I'm coming down, I can still see some modest closed eye visuals, which seem to be made of fluorescent cat's ears and tails. Things feel peaceful, and I delight in the simple comfort of sitting with a blanket once more.

4:34 - We are both zoning out considerably and have become terse. This change in energy doesn't feel awkward; we are simply tired and have run out of things to say. My body is still cold from our walk, but the feeling is entrenched in a war with the smothering, warm and reedy body glow of the 4-AcO-MET. My body is flipping between the two states capriciously, as if unable to pick a side. I often have issues regulating body heat on tryptamines, but this double trouble is something I seldom encounter. Visuals have entirely dissipated. Dee and I are both starving, so we decide to order some food for pickup. Psychedelics are like adding gasoline to the bonfire which is our inborn distractibility, so this takes 25 minutes riddled with google maps street view show-and-tells and did-you-know fun facts on weather patterns. Eventually, we settle on sushi, as it is simultaneously light and filling.

5:04 - The pickup is ready, and this time getting off the couch feels like I'm trying to lift the celestial spheres. This time, the energy does not change on going outside, and I feel worn out and exhausted. We worm our way into city center, and the streets get busier and busier with each intersection. I certainly wouldn't have been able to stomach this commotion two hours ago, but now things have become bearable, even enjoyable. The bustle of the city is a nice juxtaposition to my tiredness, and I feel like a steadfast rock resting in a vigorous stream. Dee says she feels the same - the commotion calms her and makes her feel at home.

5:39 - We are back at Dee's again, and both ravenously hungry. Both of us are almost entirely back to baseline and eating comes with ease. Dee's roommate (another good friend) joins us, and we have a pleasant, no-frills dinner.

6:04 - After eating and drinking some water, our exhaustion is whetted, and we both feel a little more human again. Dee and I decide to play Geoguessr to pass the time, and 2 hours vanish in a snap. At around 8:00 I bid Dee goodbye, thank her for such a pleasant day, and make my way home. Once I get back home, I get ready for bed and sleep with ease.

This compound is a winner! It is wonderfully jocose, and it's has been a long time since I've laughed as much as on this trip . I'm a huge fan of how sociable and easygoing it is. Thoughts and events are still imbued with that classic psychedelic depth and meaning, but not so much so that I get lost in the wash of the experience and lose the desire or ability to chat. Ramping the dose up would probably change my opinions on the matter, but at the low 10mg we tried I have yet to find a better psychedelic for this purpose. The compound is also mildly stimulating, and almost seems to borrow a bit of its visual style from the lysergamides. I can see how some people have given 4-AcO-MET the "LSD-lite" label, but I think this is a bit too dismissive. This compound is a worthy member of the pantheon of tryptamines, and represents a refreshing take on the style.

Exp Year: 2023	ExpID: 117007
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 21
Published: Feb 14, 2023	Views: 641
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4-AcO-MET (711) : First Times (2), Glowing Experiences (4), Small Group (2-9) (17)