I measured out 175mg of the substance on my scale, having brushed my teeth a few minutes beforehand. I’m talking to a friend online, who has been guiding me through the process, as this is my first time trying this substance. I downed some under my tongue and stuck the rest in my gums, and laid down.

I’m consciously preventing myself from swallowing, as my mouth fills up with the unpleasant taste, along with saliva from not swallowing. I described the taste and smell as similar to green tea leaves, but more bitter, though my friend said they felt it tasted more like “carrots boiled in soap”, which feels like a more apt description to me.

At this point, I’m wondering when the effects are supposed to kick in, as normally I’m able to distinctly tell once I’m on the come-up of any substance. My friend promptly informs me that it took them around 10 to 15 minutes, which is when I realize the walls are breathing. I had been too focused on keeping the salvia in my mouth without swallowing, that I hadn’t paid much attention to my surroundings.

A few minutes later, I let myself swallow it, and laid back completely to meditate.

As my eyes defocus, my surroundings just melt around me. The somewhat-small room is massive compared to me, with the grain on the wooden ceiling turning into harp strings, that were being plucked to the tune of the music I was listening to. Everything feels incredibly serene and relaxed, and I let myself drift into the visuals.

As the room changes shape and size around me, it separates into horizontal slices and tessellates over itself. I’m lying there in awe, as I had only ever heard of scenery slicing and seen replications of it, but had never experienced it myself.

I dose another 250mg of the substance, having spent the majority of the time meditating and wrapped in the covers like a cocoon. I still feel entirely lucid, so I have no qualms with doing so. The headspace has been surprisingly gentle and comforting, despite how intense the visuals got while relaxed and meditating.

I let myself swallow the remainder of the substance now, and wash out my mouth with some water. The taste isn’t gone, but it’s still more pleasant without the tiny fragments of the leaves in my mouth.

I turned the lights off, curious how things would be in the dark, and was immediately enveloped by sparkling fractals everywhere I looked, in the color of the lights I had just turned off. They slowly unfolded into uniform geometric shapes, with individual spots activating and rippling through my vision, as if they were rain droplets on a flat plane.

I’m absolutely enthralled by this, and I spend the next while absolutely melted into my surroundings, with the geometric shapes reacting to the music and to how I was feeling.

I end up turning the lights back on, to hang out with a couple friends in a call. This entire time I’ve felt very lucid, with very little cognitive effects or headspace changes from the substance, apart from very mild mood elevation. The intensity of the trip was entirely influenced by how relaxed I was, and if I was meditating or focused on anything at all. The experience has been comforting and wonderful, and I’m glad I had a gentle introduction to this substance.

I head off to bed, without any difficulty falling asleep.