DM Turner- The Esseential psychedelic guide

substances where appropriate
I consider ecstasy and other synthetics of the phenethylamine family
exceptions in terms of psychedelic safety. These are amphetamine relatives
which can mess up one's equilibrium, leaving one feeling physically drained
and mentally frizzled. I definitely monitor my intake of these substances
but have not found occasional use of moderate doses to do any lasting harm.
There have been a few cases reported in which people died from
dehydration after taking ecstasy at hot, crowded dance clubs, and attempting
to dance for several hours straight without drinking any water. Extreme
situations like this have been avoided by most users by exercising some
forethought.
PHYSICAL SAFETY:
Aside from the use of ecstasy and the Belladonna alkaloids, I know of but
one case where someone experienced physical harm from psychedehc use.
And this was with the ultimately potent combination of Harmaline and
5-MeO-DMT. Anxiety about physical illness is a frequent response the
mind can generate when undergoing the psychedelic transformation, and
often the increased awareness of bodily functions can cause one to feel sick.
It's useful to be able to distinguish whether a symptom is actually the result
of a substance, or just the mind's imagination. The book The Psychedelic
Experience describes this quite well. On psychedelics it's also possible for
one to become aware of the complex body/mind relationship, and discover
how to ease bodily discomfort by releasing mental/emotional blocks.
Whenever working with a new substance, the more cautious users will start
with a small dose and work their way up. During this period they can watch
how their body and mind responds to the drug and determine which dosage
works for them. This can be important since some people may have
powerful reactions to amounts which produce only minimal activity in most
people. Some psychedelics, such as LSD, have a wide margin between the
active dose and the amount which may be considered toxic. Other
psychedelics, such as ecstasy, can exhibit toxic effects at just twice the
average dose. Unfortunately, legal scientific research on these substances is
practically non-existent, and the maximum safe dosages have not been
accurately calculated.
It is not uncommon to feel nauseous on many of the psychedelics. Users
generally report that if they feel the urge to vomit it's best to not resist it,
and that they usually feel better afterwards. Nausea is not an indication that
there is something wrong with one's trip. Indigenous people are known to
say that Peyote, or Ayahuasca, acts as a purge, and is cleansing the body and