The shaman sits alone in a dimly-lit shack, only thin beams of sunlight penetrating the leather walls.  A look on his face reveals how removed he is from the outside world. Within his mind a connection is being made, however profound or illegitimate, to the spiritual realm. Communication is made between dead ancestors, deities, and even abstract concepts.

In the days before missionaries and indoctrination, thousands of these men and women existed, some even in places removed from all outside influences. Shamans are seen in anthropological history as a common figure throughout most cultures. They are looked upon with mystical reverence, though sometimes seen as a bit of an “other.” Their unique ability to connect to a spiritual realm makes them a desirable addition to a society, but it also has a tendency to cause hesitation in fully accepting them into a civilization.

Still, the shaman was generally considered simply a normal person, if one with a rare and difficult to comprehend profession. While they are sometimes paid well for their efforts (most times in food or other trade items), they generally still have to work hunting or farming just like all the others. Many times they have children and act as a completely typical member of society, however the solitary ones are not uncommon.

In our modern world of advanced medicine and science, the role of shaman has been replaced by men in lab coats, or doctors bearing needles and pills of now-commonplace synthetic chemicals to cure our ills. Though some of us still turn to a more modern version of a spiritual leader, it’s one who doesn’t communicate with an alternate reality, they simply fantasize about it.

It’s a tragic loss, one that is magnified by the common perception that people who attempt to communicate with alternate realities are weird, crazy, or worse, junkies. This brings about an important question to me, one that most likely has a fairly depressing answer. What has become of the shaman, a person once revered and thought as integral to humanity as we know it? And the follow up to that; what will become of the collective human psyche without them?

I believe the first question, at least, is fairly easily answered. It started with the advent of religions and societies that say, “this is how everything works, you can take our word for it. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!” It’s a trite concept, but one that I think has at least some merit, that a major reason drugs are outlawed is to keep people from thinking too much. ‘They’ want you to keep working, playing and all around existing as ‘they’ want you to.

Whether or not a large conspiracy exists to keep the masses from having a spiritual awakening is up for debate. But it certainly seems that a large consequence of the disappearance of shamans and tolerable drug use is a near-complete cessation of any semblance of spiritual and shamanic experiences. Only a very small minority of “civilized society” makes any attempt at achieving a higher level (or at least a different level) of consciousness.

The second question, addressing the implications of that phenomenon, is much more difficult to pin down. It may contribute to the utter collapse of good will and human nature, or perhaps it will help all humans become logical, rational actors. Or, equally likely, it will have no perceivable effect whatsoever. One thing seems to stand out, however, when looking at the history of humans. We have generally always needed or, if nothing else, possessed, some sort of “larger than ourselves” concept to appreciate.

At first glance, the two ideas of logic and spirit don’t seem to be cohesive. We have all but eliminated the possibility of a sky-god, we seem to have pinned down the sun’s antics to a fair degree, and the cycles of weather and season don’t seem to mysticize us all that much anymore. It would appear that eventually science will outperform religion and spirituality on all or most explanations of the universe.

But that doesn’t rule out utilizing both at the same time. There are certain notions science may not ever address, some of which we couldn’t even begin to explain, let alone set up an experiment for. It has also been shown that while medicine is a true miracle, it isn’t necessarily the only means to an end. In some circumstances, shamanic healing has done just as much good as medicine could have. The brain is, after all, a very powerful tool.

Many of these mysterious, unintelligible notions can be experienced and discovered through the use of psychedelics. Natural psychedelics like psylocibe mushrooms, mescaline-containing cacti, DMT containing plants, tobacco, marijuana, and countless more have helped spirit-seekers achieve new planes of understanding since we’ve recorded history. There’s no reason the newer psychedelics, like LSD, the 2c series, the DO series and anything and everything else that exists or does not yet exist shouldn’t be shown the same attention.

Most psychedelic users would probably agree that something completely novel and sometimes magical seems to happen when they ingest their favorite chemical. However, even among many pro-psychedelic use people, it has become somewhat taboo to utilize them for any spiritual purpose. People who do so are sometimes stigmatized as new-age hippies at best, and amoral drug-addled junkies at worst.

In a different world, one focused more on meditation and cognitive understanding, psychedelics are used universally and with great reverence. Instead of turning to blind faith, people turn to a very real experience to cope with reality. In this fantasy, there exist a number of ‘shamanic’ individuals, who are more experienced than most with the art of the mind-expanding chemical use. When the average person needs guidance with a trip, or needs some abstract insight on a personal issue, they see this person.

The role a psychedelic enthusiast could have in modern society is one that could be very useful to our culture, and one that doesn’t necessarily involve strange, drugged-up individuals running rampant on the streets. They could be like the common shaman, simply an average citizen who happens to have a large hobby involving deep spiritual experiences.

It would naturally take a huge divergence from the current mainstream perception of drug use. Something generally reserved for experimental young adults. A pursuit that is essentially forbidden by any self-respecting, upstanding member of society. A pursuit that is, at best, looked upon as a phase to grow out of, and at worst a dangerous habit to be severely punished and outlawed.

Does it seem likely that psychedelics are a doorway to mystical dimensions, separate from and equal to our own? Well, perhaps when LSD still has a firm grip on your serotonin receptors. But in general, of course not. Can we make productive use of the strange, seemingly other-worldly, experiences they produce? Absolutely. Go forth, shamans of the modern era, experience what you can, and expand the collective human consciousness so that we may become more in tune with ourselves and our reality. After all, life is nothing but a chaotic molecule in the limited perception of an incomplete reality in an abstract universe.

Lotus

I am inevitably going to fail, as I am admittedly extremely biased towards the responsible use of drugs. I believe that almost any drug can be used responsibly, and if everyone was thoroughly educated on them, it would be much more common that people could do so. Drug education could also have loads of other positive effects, of course, including a reduced stigma, further research, and better addiction assistance, but that’s another topic entirely.

So without further delay, let’s begin!

For our purposes, I’m going to have three categories. The first is mostly non-addictive, low risk drugs, the second is moderately addictive/some risk, and the third is high addiction potential/high risk drugs.

First you’ll see the name of the drug, with nicknames next to it in parenthesis. Next will be the medical use, if any. Then addiction. I’ve rated addiction as follows: low means that most people cannot be addicted, and if they do, withdrawals will be relatively moderate. Moderate addiction means that most people can become addicted with frequent use/abuse of the drug, and withdrawal will usually be fairly uncomfortable, lasting a few days. Extreme means that the drug is highly addictive, and can take hold of a user within one or two uses of the drug. Withdrawal from these is very difficult, and can be accompanied by fevers, nausea, diarrhea; the works. Overdose potential is just to give an idea of how careful you should be with administration of the drug. Effects are a brief description of the psychoactive effects. You can find more detailed experiences of some drugs right here on Stoner Culture.

This list is mostly based on my experiences, or experiences that I have seen, and research I have done over the years. It is in no way reflective of every user, and as with any drug I highly suggest taking your own steps to ensure safe use of them. Keep in mind your own experiences, and your own limits.

1st Category

—————-

Drug:

• Cannabis (marijuana, pot, weed, dro, shwag, etc)

Medical use:

• Low–it can be used for for minor pain relief and insomnia, but is banned in most states.

Addiction potential:

• Low-most people will have no trouble quitting, some may experience mental addiction. Any withdrawal symptoms will generally be mild and disappear within 2-3 days

Overdose potential:

• None. It is physically impossible to overdose on cannabis.

Effects:

• Can vary from an upper to a downer to a psychedelic. Read the rest of this wonderful site to learn more. Lasts an hour or so, depending on other factors.

—

Drug:

• Lysergic Acid Dithylamide (LSD, acid, blotter, etc)

Medical use:

• None. Some research has been done showing promise of some psychiatric use, but there is not enough information at this time. It is banned in all states.

Addiction potential:

• Low–most people will actually be discouraged from frequent use, and the tolerance is so steep that it becomes nearly unusable after a few consecutive days

Overdose potential:

• Extremely low/none. There have been no confirmed LSD overdoses, and in most cases it would take absurd amounts of LSD to reach the LD50. It is feasible to do so, though.

Effects:

• Psychedelic trip. Altered perceptions of reality and visual patterns/coloring are common. Usually lasts about 6 hours for the peak, but the entire experience can last anywhere from 6-15 hours.

—

Drug:

• Mescaline (peyote, san pedro, etc)

Medical use:

• None. As with other psychedelics, not enough research has been done to have any conclusive evidence.

Addiction potential:

• Low–most people will actually be discouraged from frequent use, and the tolerance is so steep that it becomes nearly unusable after a few consecutive days

Overdose potential:

• Extremely low/none.

Effects:

• Psychedelic trip. Altered perceptions of reality and visual patterns/coloring are common. The peak usually lasts anywhere from 6-10 hours, and the entire experience has been reported to last up to 3 days.

—

Drug:

• Psilocybin (magic mushrooms, shrooms, etc)

Medical use:

• None. As with other psychedelics, not enough research has been done to have any conclusive evidence.

Addiction potential:

• Low–most people will actually be discouraged from frequent use, and the tolerance is so steep that it becomes nearly unusable after a few consecutive days

Overdose potential:

• Extremely low/none.

Effects:

• Psychedelic trip. Altered perceptions of reality and visual patterns/coloring are common. Usually lasts 4 hours for the peak, but the entire experience can be anywhere from 4-10 hours.

—

Drug:

• DXM (tussin, robotrip, etc)

Medical use:

• Moderate–used as a cough medicine.

Addiction:

• Low to moderate–most users will have no addiction, but it can be addictive to some especially if used frequently. The tolerance has a long recoup time, however.

Overdose potential:

• Low. It would take a significant amount of DXM to overdose. You would need approximately 5 times the normal trip dose to overdose in most cases.

Effects:

• Dissociative with some psychedelic properties. Nausea will sometimes be present. Visuals and different perceptions of reality are common. Usually lasts about 4 hours.

—

Drug:

• Nitrous Oxide (hippy crack, laughing gas, etc)

Medical use:

• Moderate–occassionally used in dentistry to anesthetize patients.

Addiction potential:

• Low to moderate–it is fairly addictive in the short term, and with consistent use can be fairly addictive.

Overdose potential:

• None

Effects:

• Pain killer with some psychedelic properties. Usually a huge boost of well being.

—

Drug:

• Dimethyltryptahmine (DMT, spice, etc)

Medical use:

• None.

Addiction potential:

• Extremely Low–most people will actually be discouraged from frequent use, and the tolerance is so steep that it becomes nearly unusable after a few consecutive uses

Overdose potential:

• None.

Effects:

• Intense, short acting psychedelic. Visuals and different perceptions of reality are common. Usually lasts about 15-30 minutes, and the entire experience lasts up to an hour and a half.

—

Drug:

• MDMA (ecstasy, x, rolls, candy, etc)

Medical use:

• Low/none–MDMA was once prescribed by psychiatrists for a number of experimental reasons, including marriage counseling and depression. It is now banned in all states

Addiction potential:

• Low to moderate–Some people can become addicted to MDMA, and it is a relatively dangerous addiction. Brain damage is rare, but not unheard of in some situations.

Overdose potential:

• Low–The main issue with MDMA is forgetting what you’re doing and over– exerting or dehydrating yourself. However, you can overdose on extremely high amounts, and it can induce high heart rates, blood pressure, and panic attacks.

Effects:

• Intense euphoria. Tactile senses are heightened, as are most other senses. Usually lasts about 4-5 hours.

2nd Category:

——————-

Drug:

• Low intensity opiates (hydrocodone, codeine syrup, vicodin, watson, codeine, etc)

Medical use:

• Moderate–Can be used for mild to moderate pain

Addiction:

• Moderate–With frequent use most users will become physically or mentally dependent. Withdrawal will usually be fairly difficult, but in some cases can be extreme

Overdose Potential:

• Low to moderate–It would take a huge amount of hydrocodone to overdose, however most pills have acetaminophen which is toxic in high doses. Doses as high as 4 grams are generally considered safe as far as one time uses, but prolonged uses can lead to severe liver damage.

Effects:

• Pain killer, usually inflicts a feeling of warmth and well-being in the user. Usually lasts about 6 hours

—

Drug:

• Benzodiazepine (xanax, valium, bars, etc)

Medical use:

• Moderate–Can be used to treat anxiety and panic attacks. In rare cases it is prescribed for insomnia

Addiction:

• Moderate–With frequent use most users will become physically or mentally dependent. Withdrawal can range from less difficult to extreme

Overdose potential:

• Low–It is difficult to overdose on benzodiazepines alone, but combined with alcohol or opiates it can be very dangerous. Also, at high doses most people experience blackouts.

Effects:

• Removed inhibitions, usually inflicts feelings of well-being and comfort. Usually lasts about 8 hours

—

Drug:

• Ketamine (special K)

Medical Use:

• Moderate–used extensively as a general anesthetic, especially in lower income countries. Mostly used in America in veterinarian offices, though occasionally for surgery on children and rarely on adults.

Addiction:

• Low to moderate–Many users will experience addiction with extensive use of the drug, however, with some restraint most people will find it is not heavily addictive.

Overdose Potential:

• Low–It is extremely unlikely that one would overdose on this drug. It would require an exceedingly high dose, and the average person would pass out long before they succeeded. It would require a third party to dose the subject after they passed out.

Effects:

• Dissociative with sedative and psychedelic effects. Lasts approximately 1 hour, depending on method of administration.

Drug:

• Amphetamine salts, Dextroamphetamine (adderall, concerta, etc).

Medical use:

• Moderate–Can be used to treat ADD/ADHD, or to help focus.

Addiction:

• Moderate–With frequent use most users will become either physically or mentally dependent. Withdrawal is usually not extreme.

Overdose potential:

• Low to moderate: High doses of amphetamines can cause high heart rates and blood pressure, which combined with exercise can lead to heart problems in the short term.

Effects:

• Increased focus, sometimes a sense of well-being is inflicted. Usually lasts about 8 hours

—

Drug:

• Alcohol (booze, beer, liquor, etc)

Medical use:

• None.

Addiction:

• Moderate to high–With frequent use most users will become either physically or mentally dependent. Withdrawal can be extremely dangerous, and it is one of two drugs that has a potentially deadly withdrawal (the other being barbiturates).

Overdose potential:

• Moderate–it is very possible to overdose on alcohol, and relatively easy if you are an unexperienced drinker.

Effects:

• Downer, usually with sedative effects and decreased inhibitions. Usually lasts about 4 hours.

—

Drug:

• Tramadol (ultram, trammies, etc)

Medical use:

• Moderate–Mild to moderate pain killer

Addiction:

• Moderate–With frequent use most users will become either physically or mentally dependent. Withdrawal is usually not extreme.

Overdose potential:

• Moderate–The biggest risk with tramadol is taking too much and inducing a seizure. If you stay within a lower dose, you should be completely safe, but if you have a history of seizures or plan on taking a significantly higher amount than normal, I would recommend against it.

Effects:

• Pain killer, the user will usually feel a heightened sense of well–being, and will be put into an overall good mood.

3rd Category:

——————-

Drug:

• Morphine or intense opiates (heroin, oxycodone, smack, etc)

Medical use:

• Moderate–Can be used for intense pain, usually for very brief times after traumatic injury

Addiction:

• High–Addiction can be sparked with very low use, and will usually result in extreme withdrawal. Addiction will vary depending on which method of ingestion is used.

Overdose potential:

• High–It is fairly easy to overdose, especially for experienced users who take a break and whose tolerance may have dropped without their knowledge.

Effects:

• Very strong pain killer, usually inflicts intense feelings of warmth and well- being in the user. Can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on method of ingestion.

—

Drug:

• Cocaine (white, coke, crack, etc)

Medical use:

• Limited–some analogues like novocaine can be used as a localized anesthetic, but are fairly rare and usually single use

Addiction:

• High–Addiction can be sparked with very low use, and can result in extreme withdrawal. Addiction will vary depending on which method of ingestion is used.

Overdose potential:

• Moderate to high–Due to variance in quality, it is sometimes easy to overdose on product that is much stronger than expected, especially in high doses.

Effects:

• Removed inhibitions, extreme sense of well being. Usually lasts about 30 minutes to an hour.

—

Drug:

• Methamphetamine (speed, meth, etc)

Medical use:

• Limited–in very rare cases it can be prescribed for ADD under the name desoxyn.

Addiction:

• High–addiction can be sparked with very low use, and will usually result in extreme withdrawal. Addiction will vary depending on which method of ingestion is used.

Overdose potential:

• Low to moderate–as with all amphetamines, high heart rates plus a desire to achieve can lead to short term heart problems

Effects:

• Rush of energy and desire to accomplish things. Usually gives the user a sense of well-being and happiness. Can last anywhere from hours to days.

—

Drug:

• Datura Stramonium (jimson weed, angel’s trumpet, etc)

Medical use:

• None

Addiction:

• None

Overdose potential:

• Extremely high–it is nearly impossible to properly estimate a dose, as one seed can contain anywhere from no active chemical to enough to overdose on. Overdoses are extremely common.

Effects:

• Deliriant. Can last for days, the user will usually not realize that he or she is a part of reality. The vast majority of experiences are extremely unpleasant and hospitalizations are not uncommon.

I hope this list can be of use to some people, as drug information is usually sparse, incomplete, and unreliable. I plan to update this later on, and provide more information.

-Lotus

Nobody can fully prepare you for what you’re going to experience on a psychedelic, so you must keep that in mind at all times. Remember that there are risks of permanent mental issues, but they’re fairly low. If your family has a history of schizophrenia, or you believe you have latent mental issues, I would highly discourage the use of any psychoactive drugs (this includes marijuana, psychedelics, etc).

Once you’ve decided that you want to take the step into a psychedelic world, you should always know that you will come back out of it. It can be an overwhelming experience sometimes, but it won’t last more than a few hours, so try not to freak out and think it’ll never end. I’ve personally gone through every type of trip, from the confusing, to the magical, to the hilarious, to the downright terrifying (some of which I’ve documented right here on Stoner Culture). I’ve come out of every single one of them, and usually better than I went in.

Alright, so you’ve accomplished the most difficult part of any psychedelic adventure, and decided you’re going to do it and procured the necessary chemicals. What comes next is totally up to you. I prefer to have a meticulously planned trip, with activities, alternate activities, and things set up for me to avoid any type of involved thinking during the actual trip. I love playing guitar, so having an amp set up and ready to go is a must. Anything else, including recording equipment, art supplies, video games, etc, I prefer to have ready to go before I dose. Some people just like to go where the trip takes them, with no planning. Again, it’s totally up to you.

As far as dosing, it’s difficult to know how much to dose. With LSD, I’ve had single hits that were plenty to handle, and two hits that were fairly underwhelming. I usually start out with one, wait about an hour, and use my judgement as to whether I should re-dose or not. Some people prefer to take it all at once, again it’s totally personal preference.

With LSD, I usually like to take it by sticking it under my tongue for about 5 minutes, then swallowing the material. I don’t think it particularly matters, however, as I’ve swallowed them immediately and tripped just fine. With shrooms, I usually just eat them slowly, breaking them up into pill sizes, then washing them down with water. They taste kind of nutty to me, and even though I’m extremely picky when it comes to foods, I can stomach them no problem. Some people can’t stand the taste, and prefer to grind them into smoothies or some other type of drink to make them easier to go down. Mescaline is difficult, as it comes in such a wide variety of methods. If it’s a pill, just take it. If you’re extracting it, I’d recommend extracting it as much as possible, as the goo tastes absolutely terrible. As far as DXM goes (and some people would even count this in the psychedelic category), I usually prefer the drinkable kind. The pills work fine, too, but when you take a lot of them they all burst and disrupt your stomach more so than the liquid form.

With most psychs it will usually take no less than fifteen minutes, and no more than an hour to kick in. Other extenuating circumstances can drastically affect this time, however. I recently took some acid, then went mountain biking, and it took two hours to fully kick in. My hypothesis is the adrenaline slowed it down, but who knows? Just be patient, and give them a few hours before you fully blow them off as bunk.

During the actual trip, there are many activities that are appropriate, but you should keep in mind that your mind is in a fragile state, and treat it as such. I would avoid any movies or even video games that are overly violent, and probably not watch anything involving serious topics, like news stories (that doesn’t sound any fun, anyway). Any really colorful visually appealing shows should be great fun.

Music is usually indescribable. Get a nice set of headphones, or a nice set of speakers, and blast whatever music you usually enjoy. You’ll find that music is far more spiritual than usual, and it may be difficult to find something you can stick with. I usually like psychedelic rock (go figure), and some choice favorites are Jimi Hendrix, Tool, Pink Floyd, Mars Volta, Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, and the Smashing Pumpkins.

I would fully recommend having a “trip sitter,” someone who you trust, that will be able to keep an eye on your during the trip. Ideally this person will be an experienced tripper, with a fairly laid back attitude, who is excited to help you on your journey. It’s an amazing benefit to have someone to drive you around (something that is highly discouraged to do by yourself while you’re tripping), and generally help keep you grounded in reality. Especially on your first trip, I would suggest having a friend around to help you out. I have tripped alone, and it’s usually just not as fun as tripping with people.

While taking other drugs to supplement the experience, like cannabis, nitrous, MDMA, or DMT can be fun, I would suggest waiting until you are fairly experienced and comfortable with the psychedelics before attempting this.

The final suggestion you should take into consideration is tripping in a comfortable environment. Keep in mind that while tripping in an outdoor setting can be really fun, you’re also usually miles away from a safe place. You don’t want to have a freak out and then require a 45 minute transport to a safe area (as I once did, and wrote about on this site). As far as tripping in public areas (like concerts or movies) I would recommend against it at first, but only you will know whether or not you’re ready. Once you’re tripping you’ll be able to tell whether or not you’re a social butterfly, or you’re like me and you’d rather just sit in a fairly isolated area and jam to your favorite tunes.

Psychedelics are probably my favorite drugs, even if I don’t use them more than a fraction as much as other drugs. They’re absolutely the most intriguing activities I’ve ever been a part of, and they never cease to amaze me. Use them with discretion, don’t overdo it, and you’ll be just fine. If you have a good mindset, and a good place to trip, you should have an incredible experience that you wont soon forget.

At 5:40 PM, I ingested 2.9 grams of slightly damp psilocybin mushrooms at a friend’s residence. Shortly after consuming the magical fungus, my friends and I made our leave and walked back to my own residence at a brisk pace. The air was not warm, and this coupled with my fast walking caused me not to feel the initial come-up. After a quarter-hour of travel we arrive at our destination and I am coming up hard. I sit down at my computer and initiate play of the song Sheep by Pink Floyd. I’m tripping hard at this point, and some serious visuals are manifesting in front of my open eyes.

Between approximately 6 and 7 PM, I had a very fun and entertaining time listening to music, chatting, smoking cannabis and thinking. Earlier in the night, my friend N, who is also tripping shrooms, decided with me that we should go to a particular chain retail electronics store. It’s probably about 6:45 PM now, and driving is absolutely out of the question for me. My normal cognitive state is out on vacation, and decision-making is not easy. With some difficulty, I reintroduce the idea of going to the aforementioned store. Our group at this point comprised the following: myself and N (both tripping), and three others (stoned). Only one of the stoned individuals was in possession of a properly-sized-and-fueled automobile, so there wasn’t much decision-making necessary. As we’re about to leave, our would-be driver, L, mentions off-handedly that he’s not a great driver. I assumed he was being facetious, but the next hour would prove me very, very wrong.

After walking to where L had parked, I caught the first glimpse of our ride. It was a late ’80s Honda sedan. Automatic seatbelts. No real safety features to speak of. I shrug off my initial uneasiness as psychedelia-inspired paranoia and board the car. My faculties were still just present enough for me to avoid riding “bitch.” I buckle my seatbelt as our driver gripes about his broken power steering. Uh oh. Turning from the parking lot onto the street, another of my friends tells me that our driver, L, is something of a joker. This was not what I needed to hear, but I sat tight and rationalized my own safety. After all, these guys get stoned and drive around all the time without problems. What could go wrong? What could go wrong, indeed. As we head toward the freeway, we encounter some road work. It’s dark now, so there’s a huge light tower providing illumination. This freaks our driver out and it finally clicks in my head that everyone else in the car is very, very stoned. We get to the freeway entrance ramp. Entering the freeway is not usually very memorable, but the few seconds we spent doing so are indelibly recorded in my memory. Our driver did not realize that this entrance required us to merge onto the freeway, and we almost hit the retaining wall before being let on. I’m peaking on the shrooms at this point, but my endocrine system went into overdrive and I was SLAMMED into reality. We take the next exit, and L has great difficulty picking a lane. I point out the correct one and we eventually get to the store, but not before driving poorly in front of a cop and narrowly avoiding a pull-over.

I find it impossible to enjoy myself in the store, because in the back of my mind I know that the drive back is going to be intensely unpleasant. I don’t buy anything, but N buys 2 video games. We leave after this. I had to navigate. Various mishaps on the way back included hitting a curb at speed, tons of weaving, almost turning into oncoming traffic, etc. After reading what I’ve just written, I now realize that there’s no way I can possibly convey the full extent of the terror I felt while riding in this car. Just know that when we returned to my residence, I felt an intense euphoria like none other. Waves of relief flooded through me. The rest of the trip consisted of me listening to music, playing guitar and watching N play video games. I also cooked some bacon, which was tasty. Ultimately, though, no possible activity can compare to almost dying.