HaCKeRz KrOnIcKLeZ 3/HaCKeRz_KrOnIcKLeZ.iso/drugs/high.dose.2cb

Text File | 1996-05-06 | 32KB | 593 lines

A HIGH DOSE 2-CB TRIP

...a note from underground by "Gracie and Zarkov"

Copyright December 1984 by Gracie and Zarkov Productions. We believe
that in a truly free society the price of packaged information would
be driven down to the cost of reproduction and transmission.  We,
therefore, give blanket permission and encourage photocopy, quotation,
reprint or entry into a database of all or part of our articles
provided that the copier or quoter does not take credit for our
statements.

Number 2.

Introduction

We had planned to take approximately 30 mg of 2CB orally to experience
full effects.  However, unknown to us at the time, a systematic error
in the scale raised the dose to almost 40 mg each. The 2CB was taken
orally, encapsulated, on an empty stomach.  First effects were
noticeable in 15-20 minutes, with a steep climb to a peak at about one
hour.  The peak lasts about an hour, there is a plateau until hour 3,
then a very precipitous return to nearly straight. There is a long,
low-level tail to the trip; we were fully down after 6-8 hours total.
Lonqer-term effects (mood changes) last 5-6 days.

Setting

Earlier that day, before the 2CB trip (which started about midnight),
we had smoked some DMT.  Zarkov did approximately 10-15 mg around 10
AM; Gracie smoked about 30 mg at that time and the same amount again
at noon.  For Gracie, the DMT experience was somewhat frustrating and
not very intense, it seemed blocked by neurotic or distracting modes
of thought during the trip.  Gracie had lingering gastrointestinal
upset (psychosomatic?).

2CB Effects

Initial effects began 20 minutes after ingestion.  They included
general arousal: piloerection, muscular hypertonus, the characteristic
hallucinogenic amphetamine local "pump" of the pelvic area, nipple
erection and facial flushing.  While the "pumping-up" effects are less
localized and less perceptually sexual then on MDA, they were similar
in essence.  The flush was much more pronounced than on MDA or MDMA,
including itching of mucus membranes.  This was followed by
generalized chills and tremors similar to, but much more intense than,
methamphetamine shakes.

About 45 minutes into the trip, we drew a hot bath to warm up in,
(very effective, but not recommended if you feel like you are about to
pass out) using visual positioning of the water valves to set the
temperature.  From past experience, we knew the water must have been
quite hot, yet in our shivering states the water felt only warm.  Both
of us were hallucinating and were becoming increasingly agitated.

The peak effects could be roughly categorized under visual, emotional
and somatic modes.  However, these three modes were out of synch: the
visual disturbances did not correlate to the emotional feelings, nor
either of the former to somatic sensations.  By concentrating
attention on one of the modes, all three would moderate. This was
especially noted by Zarkov, who was able to deal with the peak effect
without losing it by focusing attention on a particular effect.  For
example, the overwhelming feeling of terror at the peak was unlike a
DMT, LSD or Psilocybian mushroom trip where there is an apparent
causal or precipitating incident, vision, encounter or meaningful
train of thought (e.g. something is threatening one, or one encounters
personal demons, etc.)  2CB terror had no discernible "cause".  Upon
self-reflection, no cause could be found.  "Why am I terrorized?" was
a question with no answer.  This self-reflection produced a
significant decrease in the feeling of terror.  Zarkov remarked, "It
was as if 2CB was a specific chemical agent exciting a 'terror
circuit' in your brain to overload with no object, no insight and no
cause."  (This comment relates to the "lizard hypothesis" below).

Visual Effects

With open eyes, the hallucinations were very unpleasant (both
aesthetically and emotionally ugly).  Multiple outline images formed
around objects or people and were made up of small angular geometric
components.  Colors were ugly blue-greens and oranges, not very
bright, rather grey-toned.  Unlike LSD "time-slicing" (our term) or
"trails" (Stafford's term), the multiple images were incoherent;
"trails" tend to leave a track like a meteor, 2CB multiimages were
scattered around the object like dozens of TV ghosts.  At points in
the bathroom tile, edges of walls or window frames, ugly little
geometric forms appeared to crawl out.  Visuals became more intense
and more ugly during the peak hour--they squirmed in an icky,
disjointed fashion.

With eyes closed, a myriad of jiggling forms with the same polyhedral
geometric components bounced or squirmed around.  The overall pattern
was horizontal (wider than they were tall) and very disturbing to look
at.

The hallucinations obscured reality to a greater extent than anything
but smoked DMT or high-dose mescaline (400+ mg).  Facial distortions
were subtle but noticeable by both of us - the facial changes were
unpleasant.

Somatic Effects

For 30 minutes to 1 hour, 30 minutes we felt increasing nausea, GI
cramps, the kind of symptoms Gracie associates with extreme anxiety,
fear or anger.  Chills and shakes appeared physiological rather then
psychosomatic, since they went away with the hot bath. The somatic
sensations were quite overwhelming, and like the terror described
above, had no discernible cause except (speculating) limbic
hyperarousal.  Animal arousal continued throughout the trip,
accompanied by tactile sensitivity, skin flushing and erectile tissue
engorgement.  However, neither of us found those effects erotic.  Any
level of activity -- bathing, removing contact lenses, crawling around
-- reduced somatic effects.  There was no appetite suppression, unlike
methoxylated amphetamines.

Emotional Effects

The most unpleasant aspect of the trip: overwhelming feelings of fear,
anger, pain, rage, demand; but lacking the usual human social or even
mammalian associations or meanings.  The emotions were strong and
clearly felt, but are not well described in words.  They were very raw
and undirected, thrashing around in one's bodymind.

Our present model for understanding this is based on the Leary-Wilson
8 circuits model, which seems to place such raging neurosomatic surges
into the lowest (biosurvival) circuit. Metaphorically and
phylogenetically speaking, it represents the lizard component of your
bodymind -- the limbic system which controls and produces "fight,
flight, feed or fuck" behavior (the 4 Fs).  Think of an aroused
alligator, thrashing snake or cranked-up dinosaur: powerful and
active, but with a surging chemical or emotional drive more primitive
and older than our monkey ways of behaving. Interestingly, the
emotional effects were clearly related to some of the somatic effects
in that concentrating on emotions relieved the body reactions.  For
example, Gracie found that the gastrointestinal cramps, nausea and
unpleasant (to put it mildly!) feelings melted away when she focused
on the emotional pain, rage, fear or desire -- crying, sobbing,
wailing, howling or clinging all helped to alleviate the discomfort.
As described above, focusing on one component of the trip made the
others fade away.  Physical activity would also relieve the physical
and emotional distress, e.g. dancing, thrashing, crawling around.

After the Peak

Gracie remarked that the trip was like a Puccini opera -- lots of
emotional manipulation but lacking in depth.  We returned to our trip
room and payed heavy metal rock (Blue Cheer) which helped greatly to
restore our equilibrium.  Gracie danced, growled, crawled around and
raved about "barbarian hordes from the Id" (not a rock band).  From
then on, we both improved markedly, became euphoric and stayed
aroused.  The unpleasant body symptoms slowly faded.

At about hour 3, Zarkov came down very quickly (over about 3 minutes)
and Gracie followed shortly thereafter.  We were left tired, but not
particularly "strung out".  At this time the hallucinations simply
switched off.

Lingering Effects

We noted lingering effects for about 5 days: disturbed visual field
with flashes and discontinuities; our mental states were excellent,
bordering on low level euphoria.  Zarkov noted, "I was cheerful,
unflappable even though it was a difficult week at work.  It felt
great to be alive and embodied as a monkey."  Vivid but confused
dreams laden with emotional affect in realistic, even mundane settings
occured for 2-3 nights after the trip.

A final image - the Jurassic must have been quite a time! If our own
experience reflects lizard-like programs, the dinosaurs become more
comprehensible and more horrifying.

Conclusion

It is reported in the literature that 2CB can produce a very different
trip (milder and more pleasant).  We believe the quality of our trip
to be highly dosage-related phenomenon -- the recommended
"therapeutic" dose is 15-18 mg.  2CB might prove useful for those
neurotic individuals so alienated from themselves that they cannot
experience their own embodiment.  Nevertheless, our experience, while
short, was one of the most terrifying trips we have had.  Therefore,
we recommend caution in using 2CB, in fact, we do not particularly
recommend it at all, especially for inexperienced users of
hallucinagens who may find it effects too much, too soon.

Stay high and stay free!

Gracie and Zarkov

Afterword

To round out the information in our article above we have attached a
2CB "Fact Sheet" that has been prepared and is being distributed by
advocates of the drug.  While we would not violently disagree with the
information, even though the "new age" therapist tone is cloying, we
would suggest that this piece is more of an advertisement for the
substance, rather then a dispassionate analysis. As such, it reminds
us very much of the "fact sheets" that the salesmen for so called
"ethical pharmaceutical" companies distribute to M.D.'s along with
free samples of their products.  Some of the euphemisms are quite
striking.  "Energy tremor" was in our more degenerate youth referred
to as "speed shakes".  "Physical Body-Load" is usually referred to in
the pharmacological literature as either "physical side effects" or
"onset of toxic side effects", etc.

In a more general sense we find it unfortunate that fact sheets such
as this one and the touting of substances by professional colleagues
are often the only sources of information that a health professional
uses in deciding whether or not to administer a psychoactive drug to a
patient.

Patients put their trust in the health professional as an "expert" --
a person with both a breadth and depth of specialized knowledge.
Before health professionals undertake to use psychoactive substances
in their practice we would hope that four conditions hold:

1.  The health professional has conducted extensive and intensive
literature search on all areas of psychoactive drugs.

2.  The health professional has personal direct experiences with a
range of psychoactive substances: from low dose experiences through
high dose to overdose levels (within physical safety).  The substances
should include LSD, Psilocybian Mushrooms, DMT, mescaline,
Methamphetamine, MDA, MDM, and hopefully an Ayahuasca-like mixture.

3.  Based on direct repeated experience with a range of substances and
based on the knowledge of that patient, pick the right substance for
that patient firmly believing that the particular substance is well
matched to that particular patient's needs.

4.  The health professional should not use a particular substance just
because it is conveniently available or "in" that year.

Unfortunately, it is rare to find a therapist where any of the above
four conditions have been met and given the current legal situation
and therapeutic practice, we doubt that these condition will be met.
At the very least, we would hope that every ethical health
professional experiences 2CB or any other psychoactive substance that
they use in their practice at extreme high dosage levels before they
subject their considerably more naive patients to the experience.

We base these recammendations on 20 and 5 years experience
(respectively) of usually weekly psychedelic experimentation.  We are
personally experienced with low to extremely high doses of all the
substances cited above (as well as others) both alone and in
combination.  It has always been our practice to personally experience
a psychoactive substance in the range of at least up to 2 to 3 times
effective dose (limited only by toxicity) in order to fully judge the
substance before recommending it to others.

One Final Note

Recreational use of 2CB has taken a peculiar twist.  The method of
administration is often to ingest a dose and then to immediately
"snort" an equal second dose.  Each dose has been in the range of
15-25 mg.  This combination has acquired a certain cachet for "slam
dancing" among Marin County punks.  To say the the results are very
intense and bizarre is an understatement!

Stay high and stay free,

Gracie and Zarkov

=============================================================================

General Information: 2C-B

(Chemical Name: 4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine)

2C-B should be considcred for use in psychotherapy only under the
following circumstances: (1) When the therapist has personally
explored the use of the material, at the different levels described
below, and has become familiar with its complexities, both physical
and psychological; (2) When the patient or client has had considerable
experience with MDMA or with other psychoactive chemicals previously.
We can conceive of no circumstances under which the use of 2C-B might
be justified without prior experience of at least MDMA. This applies
to both therapist and patient.

The information in this paper is addressed to the therapist who is
considering possible use of 2C-B in his practice, and wishes to become
familiar with the character of the 2C-B experience.

The initial experiment should be at a dosage level of no more than 16
mgs.  If there is no apparent difficulty at this level, the next
experiment can be 18 mgs. (There should be a minimum of one week
between experiments.)  Following this, one can take 20 mgs., and
finally, 25 mgs.  Please note: some people are found to be very
sensitive to low levels of psychoactive materials.  If there is any
reason to suspect such sensitivity, start 2C-B at 12 mgs. instead of
16.  For such people, 18 mgs. may be the eventual maximum level.

At 16 mgs., the intensity of the experience should not be above what
we call "museum level," which means that, at this dosage, one should
find it possible to walk around a museum and enjoy the enhancement of
color and an increased ability to interpret and become involved with
the paintings and other forms of art. (It is not, however, advisable
to visit a museum or any other place outside the home until you have a
great deal of familiarity with the effects of 2C-B.) At 16 mgs. there
will probably be an awareness of the so-called ╥energy tremor,╙
which can be very disturbing to a person unfamiliar with other
psychoactive materials, but should not produce anxiety in an
experienced person. This energy surge may be felt most intensely
during the onset (usually within 20 to30 minutes after ingestion) and
may become less obvious by the time the plateau of the experience is
reached (one to two hours after ingestion) and walking around may be
quite comfortable.  There are many people, however, who continue to be
keenly aware of the energy tremor during the entire experience (usual
duration, to baseline, about 5 hours minimum) and who may prefer to
move around as little as possible. No one can anticipate the response
of another person; each has to discover his or her own.

At 18 mgs., the visual effects are stronger and the energy surge is
also felt more strongly. The duration of the experiment may be a total
of 6 hours or more. The variations in the length of time before return
to baseline will be discussed later.

20 mgs. is yet again more intense.  This is the maximum level at which
2C-B should be taken, even by experienced people, when it follows
MDMA, which will be expanded upon later in this paper.  Of course,
there are exceptions to this rule, also. One therapist has found that
he has no response to 2C-B at a level lower than 25 mgs., even after
an earlier MDMA session, but this is exceptional.  Another therapist
has found that dosage over 12 mgs. is far more intense than desired,
for himself; this, too, is exceptional.

25 mgs. might be considered, in general, the maximum level for patient
use. Seasoned experimenters have used 2C-B at 30 mgs. without
difficulty, but there seerns to be general agreement that, above this
level, there tends to be an increase in the physical body-load -- such
as energy tremor or perspiring -- without any corresponding increase
in mental or psychological reward.  (During early research with 2C-B,
several years ago, one veteran researcher accidentally ingested 45
mgs. and experienced considerable difficulty, both physically and
psychologically, but without lasting ill-effects of any kind.  The
most lasting positive effect was a determination to avoid accidents in
the future.  Another person, experienced with psychoactive materials,
obtained 2C-B and -- for reasons unknown -- took 60 mgs. The result
was an experience remarkable for its dark and threatening aspects,
unrelieved by either light or insight.)

When using 2C-B for the first time, the duration of the experiment
will probably be about 6 hours, but the time set aside for the
experience should be considerably longer, for the following reasons.
The chemical allows the opening of emotional and psychic doors which
-- depending on the nature of the psychological contents released --
might well choose to stay open longer than anticipated.  Although
there has been reference to a physical energy surge, there is, of
course, a corresponding energy surge in the psyche and it has been the
finding of several researchers that this aspect of the interior
experience -- eyes-closed imagery, emotional disinhibition, insight
into problems, among others -- tended to continue past the time when
the chemical effects in the physical body could reasonably be expected
to have ended.  (This is more likely to happen at levels higher than
the initial 16 mgs., but it has been known to happen at this level,
and one cannot expect to predict such an event; it is better to allow
the additional time, in advance.)

The reverse has often happened, and is equally unpredictable. There
are sessions during which an effort at problem-solving and emotional
release has been apparently successful, usually involving considerable
intensity of emotion and imagery, often touching on what might be
called the archetypal level, and this has been followed by an earlier
than usual descent to baseline on the part of the patient -- to the
surprise of both patient and therapist.  It is as if the psyche has
recognized a completion of its project, and finds no reason to
maintain the state further.

In the ideal situation, as with MDMA, the therapist has taken the 2C-B
along with his patient.  In this case, an early descent to baseline
might well be avoided, due to the patient's contact with the
therapist╒s continued consciousness-alteration.  However, this is
also impossible to pretict.  The desirability of such an extension, in
this kind of situation, is open to question.

A "good" 2C-B experience involves, for most people, some or all of the
following. Eyes-open vlsual effects; objects moving, a rippling effect
in walls or ceilings; intensification of color; familiar faces
appearing in unfamiliar guises -- pleasant or unpleasant, depending
perhaps upon the relationship between experimenter and the people
perceived; familiar scenery assuming strange aspects (a large rock
suddenly becomes a huge face, or a field of grass is a moving spread
of green velvet, etc.).  The intensity of such visual effects appears
to diminish with repeated use of 2C-B, as if the psyche learns to
screen out distractions.  Eyes-closed fantasy and imagery are, to the
best of our knowledge, common to all experiments, and do not
particularly diminish with experience.  As with MDMA, there is a
general sense of being in control of one's actions, although at the
higher levels one tends to avoid telephone conversations or other
forms of interaction with people outside the experience.

Under no circumstances, short of life-or-death emergencies, should
anyone taking 2C-B attempt to drive a car or any other vehicle.  The
alteration in time-sense and space-perception makes any such
undertaking extremely dangerous and irresponsible.  No driving should
be attempted after an experiment until baseline has been achieved and
carefully tested.  At night, the experimenter should be taken outside
in the dark, and a flashlight beam directed at his face for a second.
If after-images persist against the dark, driving should be postponed.
He should be alerted to the impression of light-flashes at the
periphery ot his vision, another indication that the eyes have not
returned to normal.  The pupil of the eye, which is usually enlarged
during the experiment, should resume its usual size before he drives
home.  (In daytime, a dark room serves for eye tests.)

If there is the slightest doubt as to the validity of baseline, or any
hint of hesitation or unease on the part of the experimenter, as he
prepares to return home, departure should be delayed, or a friend
should be asked to drive for him. To avoid any such problems, it is
best to do the experiment either in the patient's own home, or in a
place where he may conveniently spend the night.

Among the experiences associated with 2C-B are those involving what
have been called cosmic and oceanic feelings and images.  Often, there
is some form of transformation, with emotions and imagery working
together to present a new aspect of the patient's life and problems, a
new way of understanding meanings, possible new ways of approaching
old difficulties and habits of thought.

Another aspect of the 2C-B experience, apparently common to all
experimentcrs, is an intensification of the senses of touch, smell,
taste; an increased response to color and sound.  As with many
psychoactive materials, there is a degree of anaesthesia which affects
the pain-receptors in the skin, particularly. Pinching the inside of
the knee, for instance, produces little discomfort, and care must be
taken to warn a patient not to touch a heated object which would
ordinarily cause him to withdraw his hand reflexively; under 2C-B,
especially at highcr levels, he might not perceive the heat
immediately and a burn coult result.  Paradoxically, the perception of
the faintest touch on the skin is heightened considerably, and
physical discomfort or pain resulting from a broken bone or any kind
of strain or imbalance in the body tends to be increased.  Some people
have reported the use of 2C-B as a diagnostic aid or ally, since it
enables an increased perception of problems present in the body, when
attention is turned in that direction.  There is insufficient data, at
present, on this potentially useful aspcct of 2C-B, and we hope that
more will be available in time.

Perceptions of imbalance -- either physical or emotional in kind --
tend to take the forms of images often intense, colorful and in some
cases, overwhelming to the patient.  If the therapist is not taking
the 2C-B with his patient, he will need well-educated antennae and a
reservoir of emotional warmth to help his patient structure and
assimilate and understand the experience.

A note of caution.  2C-B does not encourage escape of any kind from
either the body or the emotions.  Among those energies intensified
during the experience are the sexual drives and responses.  A patient
who has sexual blocks, fears of sexuality, or a tendency to act out
sexually, may be severely threatened by the 2C-B experience.  The
therapist should be aware of the possibility that he may have to deal
with acute anxiety and/or unexpected transference problems.  Serious
thought should be taken before giving 2C-B (or MDMA, for that matter)
to a patient suspected of repressing homosexuality. Some of the
tragically negative experiences of the 1960s, when indiscriminate and
uneducated use of psychoactive materials occasionally resulted in
psychotic episodes, might have been due to unexpected confrontations
with previously unacknowledged homosexuality.

Shoult the therapist wish to use 2C-B with his mate, however, it can
indeed be one of life's richest experiences.  While MDMA allows
lovingness and warmth, but -- for most people -- tends to make orgasm
difficult, 2C-B allows the fullest possible range of both emotional
and physical expressions of love.

Music played during a 2C-B session tends to be felt deeply, and may
often help a patient to structure his experience and thus better
manage the images and emotions which arise.

An experienced therapist will, of course, avoid the use of any
psychoactive chemical with a patient whose sense of Self (or "core"
or"center") is weak and undeveloped.  In certain unusual cases, the
careful use of MDMA might be argued for, but 2C-B should be considered
out of the question.  This applies also in the case of chiltren and
young people under 16.  However, even in a strongly centered patient,
there might be a tendency to go very deeply into a state similar to
deep meditation, or out-of -body experience.  The therapist should
have experience in dealing with such a state, and if it occurs during
a 2C-B session, care should be taken to keep the patient in contact by
means of quiet, persistent questions and other appropriate ways of
maintaining communication.

2C-B is most effective when taken on an empty stomach.  There should
be no solid food eaten within four hours before an experiment.  During
the session, liquids should be available to help in avoiding
dehydration. Coffee very often becomes distasteful during the session,
so fruit juices and mineral water should be on hand. There is no
anorexia with 2C-B, for most patients, and food will be appreciated
toward the end of the experiment.  Soup and bread and fruit are
usually welcome.  Cheese -- all kinds including yellow cheese -- will
give no problems.  A glass of wine is appreciated by some people, when
baseline is near.

We strongly advise that 2C-B not be used if the patient has had any
kind of psychoactive chemical within 4 to 5 days earlier.  For reasons
not well understood, psychoactive chemicals taken within a few days
prior to a 2C-B session have sometimes resulted in a totally inactive
2C-B.  Occasionally, without any apparent reason, 2C-B can be ingested
with absolutely no resulting experience.  In such an event, one can
only search for psychological blocking, and renew the attempt at a
later date.

The single exception that we know of, at this time, to the above is
MDMA.  MDMA can be taken by the client immediately before 2C-B (that
is, within the same day) without diluting the 2C-B effect.

Some psychiatric pioneers are using MDMA followed by 2C-B in cases
where breakthroughs in both insight and emotional release are sought.
The conditions listed in the first paragraph of this paper should be
noted.

MDMA tends to allow a flow of insight, perhaps by removing the fear
and defensiveness which blocks insight and self-acceptance.
Generally, it is thought of as a"mind and heart" opener, which allows
the patient to be in complete control and to make fully conscious
decisions.  The MDMA-assisted ability to accept and trust, together
with the depth of peacefulness often experienced, sometimes leaves
untouched the deeply buried negative emotions which the therapist
might wish to see explored.  With the later ingestion of 2C-B, such
emotional blocks can be loosened, and valuable work done in the area
of the patient's problems.  Needless to say, this combination will
result in a long and busy day for both patient and therapist, and the
patient can be expected to experience some degree of tiredness the
following day.  If carefully managed, however, the results can be
extremely significant for the patient.

The procedure should be as follows: MDMA at the usual dosage level
(generally 120 mgs. for an experienced patient), followed by 2C-B
three hours or 3.5 hours later, at a dosage level of no higher than 20
mgs. maximum.  The combination produces an increase in the
effectiveness and intensity of the 2C-B.

NOTE: If a supplement of MDMA is taken (usually 40 mgs. at the 1.5
hour point), the2C-B should not be ingested until 1.5 to 2 hours
minimum after the supplement was given.  The 2C-B can be taken as long
as 5 hours after the intial dose of MDMA without losing any of its
increased effectiveness.

The therapist might consider asking the patient to spend time
following a 2C-B experiment writing notes on his experience.  It has
been found that additional insights tend to result from this practice
which may be of considerable value.

An informal note -- a reminder -- to the therapist considering an
experience of his own with this (or any other) psychoactive material.
The earlier reference to"museum levels" of 2C-B shoult not encourage
anyone to be casual in leaving the safety and familiarity of his own
home or office while under the influence of such materials. Most
people are fully aware of the usual problems which may confront them
in the outside world, but often neglect a very serious concern.  It is
usually called "hitch-hiking,╙ and refers to a very real phenomenon
known as a contact-high.  When you are under the influence of a strong
psychoactive material, or any chemical which allows the release of
energy which is not usually that much consciously experienced, your
presence in a room (museum) or a store (let's get something at
Safeway) or a gathering of people who are not (and should not be)
aware of your altered state, your energy-field (or whatever you wish
to call it) can affect others around you in ways that they are not
prepared for and cannot understand.  Unconsciously, they will (some
people, that is, who are more sensitive or open) feel themselves
stimulated, perhaps uncomfortably.  Some may react with hostility,
some with anxiety, some with a great deal of attention to you. for
reasons unknown to them.  We know of one young man who did visit a
muscum under the influence of 2C-B and was followed from room to room
by a museum guard who had apparently translated his awareness of the
exceptional energy field into suspicion of criminal intent on the part
of our friend.  It made the museum visit somewhat less than relaxing.
In summary, it is not just out of caution that you should avoid visits
to well-populated outside places -- caution for yourself, that is --
but out of consideration for the peace of mind of strangers whose
attention you might not need.

June, 1984

=============================================================================

From: Alexander T. Shulgin
Subject: 2C-B

As to the 2C-B fact sheet, I contacted the person I suspected of
of being the anonymous author and she has no objection to its
going out on the net, but had this amendment: "There is a mention
of the desirability of the therapist taking the 2C-B with the
patient. This was common practice among psychedelic therapists
in the early 80's, but at this time, I would say that it is
not good practice, for two reasons: the therapist should be
familiar enough with the altered state to be able to enter it
along with the patient without the aid of the drug, but simply
using the `contact high.'  The second and major argument against
the therapist's taking the drug is that, no matter how
experienced and focused he is, inevitably some of his own private
psychic and emotional stuff is going to leak through and demand
his attention, which should be devoted entirely to the psyche of
his patient."