Sunday, November 18, 2007

Bad acid trips No 23 (circa 1971)

Travelling through Turkey and Iran was quite an intimidating experience for me. Most of the time I could see that the people didn't really want us to be there, and the whole place somehow felt like it was above the law. The arab guys just couldn't quite cope with the way our girls were, and I think they found the whole of the 'hippy' culture very threatening. There was this awful vibe that anything could happen, and no-one would really care. So when we pulled into the 'western' campsite in Tehran, it was like finding a cultural oasis in the desert. No offence guys, if you're Iranian or Turkish, we just had different values I guess.

God alone knows why, but when John, the Canadian whose VW van we were travelling in, suggested we all take some acid, for some unbelievable reason we all agreed. Now as far as I can remember, he just stayed in the van with his girl, I can't remember her name, and spent the whole night shagging. But for me it was another story. I had the full works that night - probably the most scary trip I ever experienced - utter uncontrollable fear! I kid you not, for about six hours I thought I was a goner, with no hope ever of getting back to my sane mind. At one point I sat with Jan, my travelling companion and girlfriend, in a small glade, and all I could see everywhere were snakes. We were sitting in a sea of snakes. They were in her hair, they were all over us. It was truly horrendous.

To make matters worse I had this real big thing about having sex while I was tripping, and it was really pissing me off that John was there doing it, while I was stuck in hell.

OK OK OK, do you know I was chatting to a girl in Second Life the other day, and she said, 'Christ, I'm not used to this, most people I meet in here are so cool and easy-going, and you are so bloody serious'.
'Bloody hell', I thought, 'I'm supposed to be the cool one, what's going on?'
And now I'm looking back and thinking, 'God, I'll take serious babe, I'm just lucky to be here'.

As the sun came up over the Iranian hills, I could feel the warmth on my back. The acid started to wear off, and I began to feel good again. I went for a swim in the pool and felt the water moving over my skin. I ate some bread - it tasted really good. 'Phew, I'm still alive'. I thought.

You know I've always said, let anyone who wants to, take as many drugs as they want. But I'll just say this, I saw a lot of guys wandering around India with not much brains left. And recently in the States, I saw a load of drugged up old guys too. It's a waste of an opportunity, that's all.

So my advice now would be, just go steady OK.

10 comments:

  1. Tommy my love, you're friends with Vicus, are you not?

    Proof in and of itself that the drugs did some evil things to your gray matter.

    I'm glad you're all right and I'm sorry you went through such horrors.

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  2. No no no Pammy, or yes, I am friends with Vicus, but no, I genuinely do think the drugs didn't do me any long term harm. My memory is not the best, but it never was - I always struggled in school with it, and that was way before I hit the weed, or the acid.
    And actually there are one or two things I gained from the drugs too. It was great for pulling gals, the ones that wanted free smoke anyway! But seriously, have you read 'Doors of Perception' - it's basically about how we see the world is dependent on our state of mind. I pretty soon worked that one out for myself, for sure. Also it taught me that the number one important thing is to 'feel good within myself' - from that all that is good comes.
    So sweet Pammy, come with Tommy and take this pill - it won't hurt you.....

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  3. Help me Tommy...he's trying to pull me down the rabbit hole!

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  4. It'll be fine Pammy, just relax and go with the flow. The moment will take care of you.....
    Pammy, why are you up in the middle of the night?

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  5. My fear of bad trips and possible future flashbacks ruined me for any acid experiences. I tried some pot, but in the end, the hassle of acquisition and possibly ending up in prison ruined that for me too, so I ended up settling for good old dependably legal and quite effective alchohol.

    I didn't really have an appreciation for what that dusted joint did to me that one time.......

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  6. Hi the Michael, welcome to my blog and thank you for your comment. I'm a glass of wine only man myself these days too, except at the odd party, I cant resist a spliff.
    You didn't miss much really, heaven and hell, much the same as life itself.

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  7. I'm usually up till 2 or 3 in the morning, sweetie. I have a lot on my plate right now and not enough hours in the day.

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  8. I love that line,"the world is dependent on our state of mind". Now I did my fair share of altering my consciousness back in the 70s but I know that there is no way that I could repeat it now.

    For one thing I my random access memory gets slower every week (atleast it feels like it) and the other reason is that the next peak just never lives up to the last.
    Been there done that.

    That being said I think that our current drug Laws and the agencies that enforce them guarantee the success of the underworld that profits...once the Canadian Government starts selling grass at the Liquor Stores and taxes the crap out of it, like they do with alcohol, people will be far more selective and buy less of it.
    meh.

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  9. what's wrong with snakes?

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  10. I'm going to use this as part of our 'just say no' campaign. Might have to edit out the bit about the bloke who had a rather better time shagging in the van...

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