Finding Wonderland

Three anonymous readers share how it feels to trip on psychedelics!

- Niraj Kakade

Alice fell through the rabbit hole for miles, wondering if she might slip right through the ends of the earth until she finally landed on solid ground. She noticed a three-legged glass table and a little door beside it.

Fearing yet another series of pitchblack corridors, she opened the door to find the loveliest garden and the most beautiful fountain she had ever seen. Had Alice found a wormhole to Wonderland, or was she tripping? As with all good things, the word 'psychedelics' comes from the Greek etymology чuxń (psyché, meaning 'mind, soul') and бŋAɛív (děleín, meaning 'to manifest'), which translates to 'mind manifesting" or 'soul manifesting'. This literal description is echoed by anonymous user "Ted" whom we spoke to.

Ted remembers consuming lab-grown mushrooms at a plantation in the Nilgiris and vividly describes his experience: "At the edge of a plantation bordering a reserve forest, there was a beautiful stone house with a garden overlooking the forest. In this serene setting, I ate the mushrooms in their raw and dry state.

Within the first 15 minutes, I experienced a deep body relaxation, akin to the sensation of blood pressure dropping. With Bach playing on my headphones, I noticed clouds in the sky forming shapes synchronised with the music, intensifying the blue hue of the sky.

Feeling excitement and a hint of paranoia, I returned to the house, wrapped myself in a blanket, and settled into a comfortable bed with a giant glass window providing a view.

This window became the focal point of my trip for the next few hours. As someone who enjoys meditation, I had set up an album by Baba Ram Dass, called 'Ram Dass,' which proved to be an excellent trip playlist.