Just wondering if anyone else has experienced a reverse tolerance in terms of psychedelics. I just can't seem to tolerate as much fungi as I once did, this started happening around the time I was approaching 2nd path. Dosage has had to come down to what would have to be called microdose levels, about 15-20 times lower than what would once have been normal. Best I can put it is that if I do more than that there is an unpleasant tension.

I have not noticed this with other common drugs, other than my predilection for such things has dropped off, but not due to sensitivity.

Hmmm... there is that anecdote, when Maharaji took the acid that he psychically sensed Ram Dass had brought with him, took an extremely over-sized dose, and then proceeded to just sit there, without any apparent effects. Who knows?

I don't think I would show any apparent effects either.

I did have an experience of doing a bit too much last fall, I'm wondering if that caused some kind of synapse potentiation (talking out of my a**). Like the body overlearned something.

The other thing is that advanced meditator's brains show similar changes to a brain on psilocybin, i.e. reduction in default mode network activity. Seems plausible that advanced meditation + psilocybin would in fact be similar to a higher dose, since they're both doing the same thing. So that's another reason I was throwing it out here.

Well, in my experience, psychedelics definitely potentiate the progress of insight and jhana for their duration. I remember taking acid (done only a few times, I don't do it often), and while everyone was peaking and starting to have energy and such, I had cruised down from the A&P (or 2nd jhana), through 3rd jhana and was chilling in equanimity for basically the whole night. Just sitting there, feeling extremely still and calm, emotionally balanced, and rested. I basically spent the whole night perfecting equanimity, and for the next week or so, the sense of equanimity stayed quite strong. A different time while taking mushrooms, before I had heard of the stages of insight, I definitely went through the nanas up to EQ clearly, spending the whole time just sitting, trying to balance my experience. First there was the mild pleasure of the body (mind and body), then a bunch of uncomfortable, itchy, electric feelings in my body (cause and effect, 3c), then the rapturous, energetic, joyous A&P event, with timelessness, enlightened feelings, etc... then cruising down the other side and sitting, content and happy (3rd jhana or early dissolution). Then, the fear was next, with death being so inevitable that it seemed like I was on the edge. Also, a sudden and unfounded belief that the police were already on their way, a belief which I didn't believe at all logically, but it just felt so true that it was going to happen.

Anyways, ever since I got to the point of being able to reach EQ consistently, I've noticed that while on psychedelics, none of the stages have as much weight, and I'm more likely to just cruise on to EQ and spend the majority of the time there. Maybe psychedelics act to open energy channels (pure speculation) temporarily, but if they're already open from doing enough practice, the effect is minimized. I've also heard how people who have gotten 1st path or higher don't feel drunk at all after drinking. I dunno. Heh... there is only drunkenness, no drunkard.

None of this is encouragement to do psychedelics or get drunk, but it's an interesting topic which could possibly be useful.

I have noticed that I need waaaay smaller doses to get the effect.

It makes it a bit trickier to introduce someone to psychedelics, they become suspicious when I take a much smaller dose than I recommend :-) Then, even if they do take the dose I recommend (a dose on which I would trip balls), they feel hardly anything... a little tingling... a bit more joyous...

Thanks. Not for everyone I guess, but there are certain things I've never seen clearer than with a tiny amount of fungi in me, like the basic Progress of Insight or the jhana run of 5-6-7. Like a magnifying glass.

Looking at my diet, I think my daily dose of piracetam clearly has something to do with the sensitivity as well, although that should only account for a multiplier of around 2-3.

I dont feel drunk at all after drinking. I tried it twice over a span of 6-7 months. One time when I drank way too much (maybe 8 months ago), everything just chilled out while I remained the same. Everyone, including me had a distinctively kinder tone to their voice like everyone's being way too nice. I was in DN but it felt more like normal during that time.

I also have a very strong aversion to the taste of spirits/beer, and I haven't gotten path. I tried smoking weed a 4-5 times, doesn't make me feel good but gives me supercharged vipassana related sensations and takes me into very deep thoughts, slows down time like acid. I dont think psychedelics can play any part in tangible progress, there's a reason Buddha asked to refrain from intoxicants. Just my 2 cents.