So people kept asking me, dude how do you even steer those crazy visuals when things go wild? Like, can you actually control that stuff? Honestly, I had no clue. Every time I went deep, it felt like getting slammed by a psychedelic tsunami. Just totally swept away, man.
Starting Point: Feeling Helpless
It sucked. Big time. One minute you’re fine, the next you’re drowning in kaleidoscopic chaos. Shapes morphing too fast, colors screaming. Zero control. Made me not wanna dive back in, ya know? Felt like I was just along for a terrifying ride.
I kinda just accepted it for a long time. Like, well, this is just how it is. Gotta surrender. But then… I met this old hippie dude at a campfire gathering last summer. Guy was calm. Talked about these experiences like he was describing a walk in the park.
The “Oh Crap” Moment
He called it “surfing the wave”. Said freaking out against the current just pulls you under. Blew my mind. He wasn’t fighting it; he was… navigating it?
My brain went click. Maybe you can’t grab the steering wheel, but can you kinda… nudge things?
First Attempts: Baby Steps
Okay, experiment time. Next time I prepped, I focused like mad beforehand. Simple stuff first:
- Set & Setting: Made sure everything was ultra comfy – soft lighting, chill music, familiar smells.
- Intent: Right before going in, I mentally whispered: “Just show me shapes. Calm shapes.” Not a demand, more like a gentle ask.
Took a deep breath, dove in. Bam! Still intense, waves crashing. But then… for a split second, amidst the chaos, some geometric shapes kinda pulsed slower. Barely noticeable. Could I have nudged that? Maybe. Placebo? Maybe. Didn’t care – felt like a win.
Leveling Up: The Breath Trick
Kept trying. Same set/setting/intent combo. Then added this:
- Focused Breathing: When things got too much, I remembered to breathe deeply. Not gasping, just slow, deliberate inhales and exhales.
Man, what a difference! It didn’t make the visuals “obey” me. But it was like turning down a dimmer switch on the intensity. The frantic energy calmed just enough to feel less panicked. The visuals seemed… softer? More flowing than jagged? Suddenly, I wasn’t drowning; I was, well, kinda floating.
The Anchor Idea
Okay, confidence building. Next session, I tried anchoring.
- Physical Anchor: Held a super smooth stone in my hand. Focused on its weight, its coolness.
- Mental Anchor: Kept repeating a simple word in my head: “Flow”.
When the chaos hit, I squeezed the stone, anchored myself to that “flow” feeling. Suddenly, those morphing patterns didn’t feel so chaotic. They felt more like… water moving. Still powerful, but now it felt like I could kinda move with it. Like directing my attention through the visuals instead of trying to stop them.
What I Learned (The Nitty Gritty)
Don’t get it twisted. It ain’t like directing a movie. You’re not Steven Spielberg in hyperspace. Trying to “control” DMT visuals like flicking a switch is a surefire way to have a bad time. Forget hard control, think soft steering. It’s subtle.
- Preparation is Key: Comfy place, calm mind beforehand. Non-negotiable.
- Intent Matters (Sometimes): Planting a gentle thought can sometimes guide the starting point.
- Breath is Your Lifeline: Deep breaths genuinely, reliably dial down the raw intensity. Think volume knob, not an off switch.
- Anchor Yourself: Something physical or mental to tether to when things get overwhelming. Prevents total disorientation.
- Surf, Don’t Fight: Acceptance is the secret sauce. Flow with the current. Fighting the wave guarantees a wipeout.
It takes practice. Lots of it. It’s not 100% reliable – sometimes that wave just hits too hard, too fast. But most times now? I feel like I’ve got some basic paddling skills. I can keep my head above water and maybe guide myself towards a slightly calmer cove. That feeling, knowing I have some influence? Game changer.