Everything Makes Sense
Cacti - T. pachanoi
Citation:   David Ashley. "Everything Makes Sense: An Experience with Cacti - T. pachanoi (exp1779)". Erowid.org. Jun 13, 2000. erowid.org/exp/1779

 
DOSE:
  oral Cacti - T. pachanoi
When I was in southern Ecuador I tried San Pedro twice. The first time I bought some from a guy in Vilcabamba and it cost a few dollars. The stuff was pretty weak, and I made the mistake of eating afterwards so the effects were minor. There was a minor feeling of giddiness, I had this feeling like I could talk to animals in the area (pigs for example), and the walpaper in my room sort of undulated slowly.

Then later I met a guy who was an American living down there and he used to make the juice from the cactus, and he gave me some of his batch. The stuff was much more powerful. I was hallucinating for almost a whole day. There was this weird feeling of comprehension--like a mole that I had remembered on someone's arm explaining why the wallpaper patterns were the way they were. It was a feeling like 'It's all so trivial--everything makes sense!' In a neighboring room someone was watching TV, and every once in a while a commercial would come on that played the FLintstones theme music. This induced all sorts of early memories and feelings.

Although I tried to go to sleep I wasn't able to--my mind just kept running. Sounds were sort of coming up and down, like you're slowly changing the volume of a TV. Also when I walked around my perception seemed to be a collection of still images--like there'd be a flash of my surroundings, then the next image I'd have moved a few feet. I talked to some friends that I had met and they said my sentences each alone made sense but they had no relation to each other. I can remember trying to express what I was experiencing and just drifting off and just letting it soak in. I had vivid memories of my childhood that I hadn't recalled I suppose since they happened. From time to time I would experience a memory of a friend from the states saying the phrase 'can't be bothered' in a sort of English accent. It was a very interesting experience.

Visually things were shimmering, rotating, morphing, changing colors, changing shapes, etc, etc.

I think I sort of bracketed the optimum dose--first time I took too little and next time too much. San Pedro is this big cactus that grows all over the place in Southern Ecuador. You cut it up into pieces and boil it for like 18 hours, while frequently squeezing out the liquid in the cactus. Eventually you're left with a thin green liquid. It really is disgusting. Most people drink a bit then puke it back up. I was able to hold it down...perhaps that's why the effect lasted so long.

What's really amazing is that even though the mind is experiencing things in some completely alien way, it all gets recorded so you remember the feeling.

Exp Year: 1994ExpID: 1779
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Jun 13, 2000Views: 41,999
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Cacti - T. pachanoi (64) : Unknown Context (20), General (1)

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