Ayahuasca, LSD, meditation etc - to ask if you or anyone you know tried and what’s it like

I have microdosed magic mushrooms in the past. It's where you regularly take a tiny, subperceptual amount - around 10% of a dose that would make you 'trip'.

I don't even drink alcohol and would never do other recreational drugs (cocaine, E, etc). I do yoga, drink green juices, go on retreats; the microdosing was just supplemental to that kind of lifestyle. It helps you think of things in a different way, and adds a certain spiritual aspect to your life. I've done mushroom macrodoses too but I don't enjoy it, it feels too out of control. I prefer my tiny little doses.

Mushrooms have been used to cure medication resistant depression, treat PTSD, and even to cure cluster headaches. Unfortunately they are a Class A drug in the UK, the same as heroin and crack, so I no longer partake because a conviction would ruin my life. It's even hard for scientists to get funding to test their uses because of their classification.

I think teenagers with still developing brains taking 10g of dried mushrooms, hallucinating their tits off, and experiencing ego death give all psychedelics a bad name. They have their place in a holistic lifestyle when used by responsible adults.

I haven't (like you, too scared of what could happen) but when I backpacked in S America I met lots of people who had tried Ayahuasca out camping in the desert. They generally liked the perspective it gave them and would go off for a few days at a time until they came down from it but it can have unpredicatable consequences. As with most drugs, people respond differently.

I would never take any kind of drugs now. I have panic attacks taking basic medications from my GP nowadays

But I did do a lot of mushrooms in my early 20s. I know it sounds cheesy, but it really opened my mind. Allowed me to see things from perspectives I hadn't before. It made a real difference to the way I treated people

That being said, I also had some really bad a terrifying trips (mainly from smoking weed at the same time. Weed always gave me panic attacks) and I definitely wouldn't recommend doing it to anyone

Former colleague tried ayahuasca. She had a complete psychotic break and has never recovered. Lost her job and most of her friends.

I’ve tried acid and meditation. Did I get a higher state id enlightenment from both of them? Not really. Meditation clears your head of noise though and relaxes you.