Video 3 of 9
I was 18, new to the world, naive. I got paired with a random roommate who ended up becoming one of my best friends. He was worldly; had lived in Israel, experienced so much of life that I knew nothing about. This time period also marked the last days of legal Salvia Divinorum in Arkansas. This is relevant because Salvia was introduced to me that year by my roommate. It was my first everything. My first psychedelic, my first drug, my first plant teacher. I had never even considered the fact that humans could see things that weren't there. They could feel things that are indescribable. This realization changed my world. It also opened my eyes to this war that was going on that I knew nothing about. See, I had never even thought about drugs up until this point. I literally had zero bias. I was not raised with the whole "drugs are bad mk!" or "just say no!" It just never came up. Probably because I was a kid and all I cared about was music. Fortunately, my roommate introduced me to this foreign land with a sense of respect. It wasn't kids trying to get high. It was an understanding that we were about to embark on a journey that goes back to the dawn of humanity. It was a ceremony of sorts. Looking back, I'm actually glad that I trusted my buddy and didn't go snooping on the internet*. This was the time when everyone and their dog was posting HORRIBLE videos of themselves abusing this powerful plant medicine. Had I seen these back then, I surely wouldn't have tried. But alas, I did.
I took in my first lungful of smoke and found I actually loved the flavor. I loved the consistency. Everything just felt right, very scripted. I was obviously nervous, but I had no expectations. I just went with the flow. I held the smoke in for about ten seconds and let it out slowly. As I was exhaling, I felt the most bizarre sensation. I was sinking. Falling deeper into the couch. It was a warm gradual fall at first, but then I was dropped. I was in complete freefall in an infinite space. A kaleidoscope of color, of feeling. In all my later days of exploring psychedelics, I have yet to experience anything as intense as that first journey. I lost my memory and my ego. I became one with the scene I now lived in. It was like I was on my back in a canoe floating down a canyon. As I peacefully floated by, I could see the rock walls in startling detail. I was absolutely convinced that everything I was experiencing was real. It was even more real than real, not that I knew what real even was at this point. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed with joy and euphoria. Several awe-inspiring minutes (what felt like hours) floated by in the canyon of my mind. I then eased back into my body, my reality, and I couldn't help but laugh. And BOY did I laugh. I guess what I thought was so funny was that up until this point in my life, I had been taking EVERYTHING way too seriously. It was all a joke to me. I laughed until I couldn't anymore. I cried. Tires of joy.
After months of integrating what I had experienced, I came to a few conclusions.
Humans are absolutely incredible (more specifically: the mind)
The ability to create is NOT just a novelty. It is a necessity.
I was going to continue to create as long as I lived.
My first experience with "scary drugs" was a beautiful one. I was filled with inspiration and purpose. And I never forgot that. This experience molded my future music endeavors. And the way I see it, creation goes hand in hand with altered states of consciousness. Salvia taught me that.
In the next episode, I will let my audience into the darker side of the drug world so STAY TUNED!
*DON'T DO WHAT I DID! RESEARCH AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BEFORE YOU TAKE SOMETHING! IF THE RESEARCH SCARES YOU AWAY-GOOD! DON'T DO IT! IF NOT, PREPARE FOR A RIDE!
Thanks everyone!