perception altered out of sessions

[crawdad]

compared to most on here (my perspective) im likely considered quite the newcomer to mind expanding/altering substances so perhaps this is a common thing not needed to be analyzed much beyond simply being aware of it, but id like to ask you to give me an impression of how common this is and if you experience it please describe it.

when i partake of cannabis its pretty easy and quick for me to blast past feeling high to stoned and usually a short while later im usually tripping, in varying amounts depending on setting and amount. my visual perception of things alter considerably, see figures of human-like beings, soft white lights will shine on and off slowly (usually left side first, then right, then repeats but never together at same time), my body movements are only observed after they happen and usually are snap shots of it happening but very fluid snap shots, colored lights, and yes even voices, like real ones. probably not a huge trip for some, but thats where im at now.

im cool with all of it, very open, etc. however ive noticed some of the perceptual alterations will show up outside of a sessions when im pretty darn sure the effects should be done with. the most pronounced effect i have now is when im done loading my bowl and i raise it up for the first hit, they arrive pretty hard with my body movements and im already high.

thought it was pretty interesting, it started about a couple months ago and ive been toking nightly for about a year, before that i was only an occasional toker and not much at that. appreciate positive feedback.

 

[biojuggernaut]

I want what you are smoking good sir! Sounds medicali!

Most vape highs to me are extremely cerebral and introspective, but not to the point where my pupils mis-interpret light. I would watch as to make sure these visions don't interfere with your "real life". Whatever that may be, I feel as if seeing people might not be entirely healthy.

 

[Tstat]

Wow. I've been at this for 30 plus years. The only time ... wait nope never. Even several hits of Orange Sunshine or those crazy dolphin paper hits at an 80's Dead show never got me there, man.

 

[Magic9]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but that doesn't sound like herb. Do you know your source well? It could be laced, but it could be even more serious. Are you by any chance a 18-23 year old male? A little background on me. I've smoke for 12 years. Daily for the last 6 or 7. I've had all kinds of herbs. Many types of delivery methods (except vaping, it's on the way). I have smoked massive amounts in the younger days. I know many people over many years who also smoked. I've seen sone newbies semi-freak out with too much of the good stuff. This has never been experienced by myself or anyone I know (as far as I know).
Normally, I wouldn't mention it, but if you have a psychosis (again, no offense), the herb may make it worse. Hopefully some others chime in, and report similar experiences. I hope I'm overreacting, but you should research.

 

[OO]

I've only once "seen" something while under cannabis' effects, and it was an extremely minor illusion, comparable to a desert mirage.

Nothing like what you're experiencing.

I'm no expert in psychology, but I'm aware of the prevalence and onset of schizophrenia, and the typical age of onset is late teens early twenties, and prevalence is about 1 in 100 (all schizophrenia, effects of which vary greatly).


I'd look further into the mental illness route. I say this because in all of my cannabis exposure (a bit), i've never come across this type of experience.

 

[crawdad]

(so sorry for the long post)

appreciate the responses, was hoping folks would take me seriously. im 35, only vape late at night each day.

the visuals i described are not the only ones i have and those are just open eyes, when i close i get different ones, not more intense per say just different. id imagine you appreciate the difference in closed vs open, i know i do...least i do now. imagine fractals but they move and you move into them, imagine halos of light passing in front of you like you are moving backwards into a tunnel, the list goes on and im sure i dont even remember it all...who can???

what i get more frequently than all the visuals are significant revelations about life, i think that is more common and i get them most times. i tend to think very deeply on things so i attributed the constant revelations to that.

been wanting to post this as i have read many "trip reports" on other sites (a few different sites, hoping to filter the BS ones if they exist...got a feeling they do) and what i experience seems to be what others see but with different herbs or even straight chemicals (best i can describe it) or mixing it with cannabis. im hardly having the kind of experiences that i read reports from some of the more "hard core" substances exactly but i think what got me wanting to post about this is that none of this i experienced at first, it's been gradual and it keeps going up for me. this week has been no exception.

ive had only one bad trip which was recent and i dont mean getting paranoid (ive had that happen when taking a lot for the first time) but instead i broke a rule of my own and made an effort to take a specific trip and damn, mary was not pleased.

i suppose you could say i got slightly concerned when i began to notice the body visuals (meaning my body, mostly hands but sometimes objects that i touch with my hands) occurring before i even toked, thus far only when im about to toke..holding pipe. im sure its my mind doing it, but seriously the effect used to only happen when in the session, not outside of it so i figured my mind could only do it when in the presence of something like cannabis. from my research there is a name for this but im not sure its what i really have. perhaps im just blowing it out of proportion, ive been known to do that.

so, wanted to know if there was anyone else who noticed this, perhaps even on something other than what im using.

oh, and its not laced...wont go into why i know, but i know 100%. appreciate no one calling BS on me, i know what im seeing and thus far im enjoying it but just unsure where its going, ive yet to really experiment with significant amounts and other substances and likely wont till i have a better idea what im seeing. thus far no interference with baseline life in terms of anything negative.

thanks.

 

[OO]

It seems somewhat obvious that the events are being triggered by your expectations. Have you ever heard of studies where people were given drinks that they were told contained alcohol, and their behavior reacted to what they were told more than the actual content of what was in the drink.

This situation could be similar, your body may be reacting in the way it expects by offering simulations that it's expecting to perceive.

there are a number of things to consider, so do a bit of research into what may be giving you your effects.

 

[tdavie]

@crawdad. Short answer; 'yes, it happens to me all the time, which is why I never took to Cannabis until I was 49 (bout a year ago). Now that I derive a real medical benefit (pain relief and anti inflammatory), I can either accept or ignore what I don't like. The following are some of the 'experiences' I've had on Cannabis. After effects (fairly long after inhalation) will be ****. And I think it's the latter you are referring to?

Acute effects w/in minutes out to a few hours
-visual alterations (repetitive patterns across field of vision, solid surfaces can ripple, objects pulse.

-Synaesthesia (musical notes can be seen coming out of speakers, colours taste emotional, etc).

-Fullout hallucinations (words on a poster looked like they had been written backwards and were melting, inanimate objects start talking, fish are swimming in bathtub, etc

Typically this happened within the first 2-5 years when I started smoking. However, even now, when I switch vaping and/or smoking methods there is a definite enhancement in potency, and I still get weirded out, but can go with the flow.

After effects when I've not used weed for at least 72 hours (although that hasn't happened since Dec/09)

-sometimes get time distortion, although this is very short lived.

Tripping is a pretty good description for it, in my opinion.

-have physically heard voices (2-3 times in 27 years on/off use) when none to be heard, but always within a few days Cannabis use.

I'll also add that in times when I've undergone weight loss exceeding 25 lbs in 6 months, I def get buzzed when I'm not using, and mostly in times of stress. Now when I smoke/vape I try to let my mind just wander; if I focus or fixate too much is when things start to get uncomfortable.

Tom

 

[Deadhead101]

This is a very interesting thread. I've had similar reactions in which I felt light-headed, nauseous, tired, and generally out of it. I was at a concert and I had eaten a special cookie a few hours prior. The cookie was not only giant and very strong, but I had also only smoked a few times in my life prior to the concert. Right as the concert was about to begin I felt the effects of the cookie really kick in (about three hours after eating the cookie). It hit me like a wall. I felt incredibly claustrophobic and after fifteen of the longest minutes of excessive sweating and misery I had to get out and find help. As I started passing through hordes of people I faded away and woke up on the floor with a crowd of people surrounding me. After being out of it for ten seconds, I felt great. I was taken to the infirmary and all my vitals were fine. I had been well hydrated and had had plenty of water that day. I felt better at this point, but another episode came about an hour later, though less severe.


Another time that I had edibles I had similar effects. No more edibles for me!

 

[Nosferatu]

Well THC is a psychedelic. I guess you are getting potent high THC bud. I experience stuff close to that when in chronic use mode. I mean its all in your fat and blood and constantly effecting the mind. So when you blaze your just upping the dose even higher. I think tolerance is simply being use to a certain level of high. Your not going crazy. Your taking a psychedelic everyday could that explain the effects? Take a break maybe, let it out of your system. Then the effects will only be there when you consume, not always. Weed is a mild psychedelic and the only one that has physical medicinal effects also, but weed is still a psychedelic, just like shrooms or peyote or salvia.

 

[Magic9]

Here's a thread from GC on this subject. http://forum.grasscity.com/pandoras-box/218180-marijuana-visual-hallucinations.html

I've never experienced hallucinations (mild altered perception early on maybe). If I did, I'd quit. Knowing people that have had psychotic episodes before (not from substances), and seeing them first-hand, it sounds a lot similiar. I've known 40+ year smokers who never had it happen. No reason to doubt anybody, but in my experience (which is substantial), there has to be an underlying cause to it.

I remember a post you made recently about 7g in a yr with 2 people? Can't remember the thread though. Seems like a tiny amount (been through that in a day back in high school) to cause such a severe reaction. I smoke on avg. now, .5g of high grade/day.
Please feel free not to answer, but any history of mental illness (you or immediate family? Ever been involved with LSD,shrooms,mesc,peyote,etc.? Not saying it didn't happen, just skeptical the cannabis is the sole cause for it.
If you search online, you will find a shitload of bogus info about it causing mental illness. Most of it based on shitty studies that the media ran with. They all ignored the fact that the schizo rates remained flat/declined, while cannabis usage grew quite a bit. If it's in your family though, it MIGHT speed it up if you are pre-disposed. I've added some links below. I strongly urge you take a break and see if these persist w/o any cannabis. I don't make that suggestion often.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/02/...phrenia-in-research-review/?xid=huffpo-direct

latest-research-on-pot-and-schizophrenia-runs-contrary-to-mainstream-media-hype

http://fuckcombustion.com/viewtopic.php?id=4879&p=2

 

[DaProfessor]

figures of human-like beings, soft white lights will shine on and off slowly (usually left side first, then right, then repeats but never together at same time), my body movements are only observed after they happen and usually are snap shots of it happening but very fluid snap shots, colored lights, and yes even voices, like real ones.

I'm going to chime in on this, since my experiences have been 'similar' with multiple high doses. I know my source well and has occurred with multiple strains/batches. I experience everything, except the human-like figures. However, I do feel a little anxiety when I'm in that state and alone at night. I feel like something may be right outside. I experience lights, colors, shadows and delayed body perception that you list. For me, I know they are not real. They only tend to occur in my peripherals and when I close my eyes. I sometimes also perceive some sort of voice or sound. I do not experience this starting right after a t-break, I need to dose daily for a couple of weeks before I can experience these effects.

I've never really thought about why these perceptions occur. Giving a bit of thought into it, I know that lowered/raised blood sugar levels can have significant effects on audio-visual perceptions. I'm vaped right now and don't feel like researching, but Google hypoglycemia and/or hyperglycemia. Combining physiological effects of blood sugar, dehydration, THC, cannabinoids, psychology etc...It's definitely possible for cannabis to produce perception changes and maybe slight 'hallucinations'.

I really enjoy these type of trips. However, I always feel extremely hungover the next day. I don't do it frequently for this reason. I usually don't feel any effects the next day on my normal dose. Just like tdavie, I just let my mind wander and go for the ride. It's part of the fun. Besides LSD and shrooms, it's probably one of the least risky ways to feel like a psychonaut Literally feels like a roller coaster at times. Just close your eyes...

 

[crawdad]

the buildup over time thing makes sense (small doses each day) and only a few times have i been unaware it wasn't real.

i did a great deal of thought and research before i took my first toke, spent right around a year reading through documents online, watching documentaries, meditated, spoke with a couple people at length who had been smoking for many years, etc before i did. reason is, yes i do have some illness in my family and figured it was best to be safe. my wife tends to have a very different reaction to the exact same stuff i take and we take the same amounts, if anything she takes more due to her higher tolerance. she gets revelations sometimes but near to none of the other or else she is lying.

im quite content with where i am at and its reassuring to hear reports from others that echo some of the variance i am experiencing. will check out the links posted. thanks all for sharing thoughts. part of this is likely my lack of experience with this, something you can grasp better with time and answer for yourself perhaps. i tend to be very open to things and aware of much (lol, i guess that means over analyze), i think that helps to intensify my experiences. i wonder if thinking about it enough will make them less intense, lol...yeah i think a lot.

tdavie, the visual and sound experiences...yep, totally. im kind of hoping this does not pass to be honest, its quite manageable the way it is now and desired but who knows. life is quite the journey.

 

[djonkoman]

never had any visual from weed, one of my friends said he had some in the past tough, he is very sensitive to weed(and everything else too btw, half a bottle of whiskey has him puking his guts out and only 2-3 grams of truffles, the milder still legal(around here) version of shrooms, has him tripping heavily while a regular person would need2 tmes that for a less strong trip)
he used to go bad on weed easily but building a tolerance helped him a lot, but he still doesn't need much

but I have noticed that I'm changed since I'm a stoner, I used to be a very sober down to earth person, introvert too(altough I'm still introvert and the introvertness already declined a bit before ever smoking weed, weed was just a part of that change)
amd I couldn't understand any 'floaty' stuff(art, poems, spirituality etc)
now I'm still pretty much down to earth, but weed has pebed me up more and loosened me up more, I still don't understand most poems and I still hate poetry but sometimes I do get the emotions in a poem(wich before I would never be able to see in it), and were I used to hate almost all art there is now art that I understand/like too, altough I'm still not a big art-fan(I mostly like older more realistic art, and I like the impossible buildings of escher)
and I understand emotions much, much better, can't really explain that one but for example I used to see a tree, now I see a majestic tree that radates a sense of power and stability, a perishable eternity
or I see a tamed, suffering delicate fragile citytree

while I used to see a tree in both instances, one just bigger with a thicker stem

 

[crawdad]

yes, it certainly does elevate ones awareness...with things around you and in you.