“Your sense of smell increases tenfold; you can taste the moisture in the air, the earthy bark on a tree and smell vibrantly the gentle fragrance of honeysuckle from afar…”

After nearly 2 years, I finally quit smoking a week ago. I have since had zero cravings, no desire to overeat, and am feeling better physically, emotionally and spiritually than I have in months. This is not to gloat, and I will not go around to smokers twisting my face at how they can do it to themselves; I’ll give myself at least 6 months before I start with the hypocrisy. The reason I find it so fascinating is because of the circumstances leading up to it; I didn’t plan on quitting at the time, and it hadn’t even entered my mind. I had been smoking heavily and enjoyed it (save for the cardiovascular effects). I have not used any gum, patches or listened to motivationally corny audio books with the inspirational, cheesy music, and all the same, something “clicked” in my head Saturday evening and the desire has vanished.

How did it happen, you may ask? I can definitively say that the revelation and total mental reversal is a direct result of “imprinting” during a powerful psychedelic trip, although many people need more help than this so the use of a rehab clinic from https://bestrehab.uk/inpatient could be the best choice for them.

As anyone who has had a psychedelic experience knows, sense perception goes off the charts, among other things. Your sense of smell increases tenfold; you can taste the moisture in the air, the earthy bark on a tree and smell vibrantly the gentle fragrance of honeysuckle from afar. In a city setting, you can be overwhelmed by the acrid smell of car exhaust (I could feel a metallic taste at the back of my throat and desperately sought nature) and, in my case, cigarette smoke.

“Out of habit I asked for a drag, and hesitantly put the ghastly thing to my lips and inhaled. I immediately gagged and nearly threw up, coughing heavily as my body resisted it.”

As the trip got heavier and the mental filters of reality began to gently dissolve, I became acutely aware of the toxins entering my nostrils and passing through my body, the heaviness of my chest, and the thin membrane of phlegm perpetually parked in my lungs from smoking and I decided to buy wholesale delta 9 gummies to help with the anxiety and insomia. Out of habit I asked for a drag, and hesitantly put the ghastly thing to my lips and inhaled. I immediately gagged and nearly threw up, coughing heavily as my body resisted it. In an instant, it was decided for me that smoking was over. For the rest of the night, as I continued to revel in wonder and absurd insights, I would cough violently, and out would come chunks of brownish, yellow phlegm (sorry for the visual). There must be a purging element present in certain psychedelics when they encounter toxicity in the body. Anyway, I was actually grateful for the purge, and I breathed deeper, fresher air than I have since I can remember. In hindsight, I had been “talking” about quitting for a few weeks, so I did have some momentum on that intention. But what smoker doesn’t say they want to quit? It is rare to find a long time smoker happy in their habit. And so, I believe when my subconscious desire to quit was met with the hyper-awareness of the psychedelic experience, I over rid the old programming – that I enjoyed smoking, that I would quit some day, that it goes great after meals, its a great social lube, etc – and imprinted a new, lasting perception; the deathly reality of the cigarette and how much it destroys my body.

So basically, if you wanna quit smoking, get some good drugs, a pack of cigarettes and smoke up. Just kidding. But really, what I am trying to say is that not all drugs are the same, some can have lasting, positive effects -despite the propaganda and arcane laws- and psychedelics can offer tremendous insight, growth and awareness for those with an open mind and adventurous spirit. The laws in place on substances like cannabis, MDMA, psilocybin and LSD are ridiculous and hindering serious medical advancement, here is were you learn how to get certified for medical cannabis in West Virginia for cannabis possitive effects. These natural plants, cactai, fungi and assorted substances that bond perfectly with our physiology, that can answer deep, metaphysical questions, provide lasting spiritual wisdom and peace and help us see and feel things previously underneath our perception can help us better understand almost all schools of thought. Neuroscience, cognitive behavior, psychotherapy, psychology,parapyschology, philosophy, spirituality, creativity,  et all. Best of all, most of them grow naturally on the planet. Doesn’t it seem, I dunno, effing ridiculous to make pot illegal? A beautiful herb growing naturally, that can be utilized a thousand different ways and makes you feel happy, relaxed and creative? Or funky mushrooms sprouting from cow shit that make you laugh uncontrollably, love unconditionally and lie on your back in awe of it all?  DMT, a chemical we release every night when we dream, is classified as a schedule 1 drug! For those that don’t know, schedule 1 can be defined as:

” A drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse, A drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and is dangerous drug with serious potential for harm.””

Now, with John Hopkins U releasing data like this, showing how psilocybin – also a schedule 1 drug- can lead to permanent or lasting mental health improvements in “openness, which includes traits related to imagination, aesthetics, feelings, abstract ideas and general broad-mindedness”, it is downright evil to have the government directly contradicting facts and throwing people in jail. Psilocybin also alleviates end of life anxiety in patients and helps people more fully express their emotions. The Earth is in desperate need of humans who embody all of the aforementioned characteristics.

There’s also this study about how a single dose of LSD can help long time alcoholics “give up drinking permanently”. Or this fascinating story about a woman who CURED her life long depression through the ceremonial use of ayahuasca, a peruvian vine that releases DMT when mixed with an MAO inhibiting plant, leading you on a 5-8 hour jungle trip through the depths of your soul (psyche or collective unconscious, for the materialists), from the darkest corners to the brightest vistas. Groups have also recorded group telepathic experiences and shared visions, something I have personally experienced with a healthy dose of awe, grandeur and a “what-the-fuck-just-happened” moment of lucidity. Imagine being able to go to your doctor and say, “you know what, I don’t like how my depression meds make me feel and I don’t like messing with my brain chemistry; can I sign up for a safe, controlled session for ayahuasca treatment that will help balance my serotonin and dopamine receptors naturally, and release negative trauma I experienced when I was a young impressionable toddler ?” and he looks at you with a gentle smile, pats your shoulder and says he thought you’d never ask. I am sure you have imagined this exact scenario repeatedly in your mind, but alas, such treatments are only now beginning to become known. Oh, and theres also Ibogaine, a potent african psychedelic bark that can cure heroin, opiate, alcohol and tobacco addiction in one sitting. Read about this remarkable substance here.

It should be noted that most of these substances are not supported by long-term or scientific studies about addictions, unlike those found at https://inpatient-rehab.co.uk/gambling.

MDMA, post popularly known by its derivative ‘ecstasy’ and Cannabis also have incredible healing properties. In fact an endocannabinoid deficiency may be linked to PTSD, according to studies. By modulating this deficiency, medical cannabis may help to alleviate symptoms, to learn more here you have Your Comprehensive Guide to Oklahoma’s Medical Marijuana Card. So far, besides being abused in night long neon raves, it is being used to help treat post traumatic stress disorder, and shows promise in treating anxiety, depression and overcoming suppressed emotional trauma. I have done it 4 times, and 3 out of the 4, I have been present for a serious emotional breakthrough with an individual. One girl began crying, talking about her parents, how her mother left when she was in grade 2 (she remembers every detail of the night vividly), and how it kills her inside that her father blames her.

She also apologized profusely to her close friend I was also with, saying that she knows she is mean all the time but its only for protection so she doesn’t get hurt, and that deep down she loves her more than anything. She carried those feelings with her even after the effects wore off, and her friendship with her friend – as well as her awareness of how her traumatic childhood is effecting her present moment – all improved. And to think, she just wanted to party! http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2004887,00.html.

UPDATE (3/26/15): As of today, the DEA has allowed for MDMA assisted studies in treating anxiety in end of life therapy, and by 2021, MAPS – the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies – is hoping it will be legal with a prescription! Read more here.

And no big deal, but cannabis could like, you know, hold the key to curing cancer, but whatever, lets keep it illegal. Doesn’t matter that Pubmed is coming out with encouraging science for cannabis literally every day. http://www.examiner.com/article/cannabis-could-cure-cancer-us-preventing-marijuana-research-study)

It is time we start openly discussing psychedelics, without stigma or preconceived notions, without parroting the “reefer madness” type bullshit spewing out of televisions and politicians mouths. The amount of positive results we have found with psychedelics are overwhelming, and yet, if you mention LSD or even smoking pot to most people they look at you like a dirty hippy from the “this is your brain on drugs” commercial. The hypocrisy of the inexperienced, uninformed masses  in the drug debate is astounding. I am open about my fondness of pot, and get recoiled looks from people sometimes, as if it is an evil thing, will make you stupid (it actually has been proven to stimulate the growth of new cells and neuropathways in the brain), or is a gateway to lying on an alleyway strung out on heroin giving blowjobs for smack. Those same people drink alcohol to excess on the weekend, smoke cigarettes, take prescription drugs and have serious emotional issues and fevered egos. As reasonable, informed people, we should be able to have a dialogue about these medicines without the immediate wall and programmed reactions we are used to. The thing about the psychedelic experience though is that it is just that; an experience. Similar to The Matrix, no one can be told what tripping out of your mind is like; you must see and feel it for yourself. Otherwise, the whole lexicon of psychedelic culture, about love, unity and peace remain nothing more than cliche buzzwords, lived as concepts and nothing more. And until we have had first hand experience, it lies outside our consciousness, while Morpheus stands watching with those cute little glasses, entreating you to choose between the red and the blue pill. But if you don’t want the red pill, and have no desire to alter your consciousness or explore alternate and natural medicines, thats fine. But don’t be one of those assholes telling others they aren’t allowed to take the red pill and melt into a mirror of silver goo while discovering the true nature of reality and plundering the depths and grand mysteries of the psyche, the soul and the cosmos itself; it’s just not cool.

And that is my story about how I quit smoking.

*As a disclaimer, psychedelic drugs are powerful tools and are not to be trifled with, and just as they can imprint positive life changing perceptions, behaviours and revelations, a “bad trip” can leave you reeling. Tripping in nature is always best. Drugs are also unjustly illegal, so be careful, and this is mostly a fictional story. Mostly.

**Also, this was written awhile back. I have since started smoking again, proving that while you may stop smoking after the realizations associated with a strong psychedelic trip, it is no “magic pill”. Quitting smoking takes dedication, willpower and the strong desire to quit. Read about the great work John Hopkins has done on psilocybin assisted smoking cessation here.