Corpus

I think the rush to pass a judgement upon the book, which requires one to open it and read it, overlooks the import of the front cover, and title, which borrows from Wittgenstein to state a truism which is as it were overlooked by the work itself. Not through ignorance or false notions of what the book can deliver but simply because in order to attempt to communicate that which cannot be other than obliquely gestured towards using the medium of language does not prevent the urge to do so, despite knowing that it cannot succeed. If one has deeply contemplated Ralstons previous trilogy and made the perspectival shifts those works also can only gesture towards then the quality of the latest offering is evident. Language as representation and as a generating "function" and its pivotal role in conceptualisation and thus in "creating" mind, thought and "self" is an immensely important area for contemplation, and once grasped, makes the differences in how different persons calculate their evaluation of such books clearer in terms of the overlooked assumptions they have operating in their system of meaning making.

I think this is a good answer. However, a clinical exam is necessary before going on to imaging, which, if their are no signs of chronic liver disease, is not typically indicated provided that the raised bilirubin is largely indirect (unconjugated),and the FBC/reticulocyte count are normal excluding hemolysis. A urine dipstick demonstrating no bilirubin and low levels of urobilinogen also points towards Gilberts. A serum iron level and blood ferritin are necessary to get more details of the raised Transferrin Saturation, and finding out if there is any history of hemochromatosis in the family is necessary. If the iron studies suggest iron overload then an ultrasound would not give you the resolution you would need to establish any liver damage; an MRI would be preferable. If everything points to Gilberts then repeating the bilirubin level after a period of fasting would cause it to rise further which is effectively diagnostic of Gilberts. Why were these tests done? Any symptoms of any nature? And it is good to see another medical doctor here. Remember, according to Leo, we are "the worst".

Ketamine is seriously impressive but there are (or have been) better longer-acting agents with very similar effects. MXE was preferable in this regard, IME. If you compare ones thinking when in the normal state compared to on a classic psychedelic such as psilocybin/LSD, a useful metaphor might be to compare the latter state as "3-dimensional" compared to the normal "2-dimensional" way of thinking. I find that agents like MXE/ketamine "create a 4th dimension" which goes as deep again beyond the conventional agents (LSD/psilocybin). It is not possible to intuit this mode without having experienced it, irrespective of how many acid/mushroom trips one may have taken. In terms of effecting personal behaviour change I find the class of drugs which ketamine/MXE belong to far exceed the capacity of LSD/psilocybin to produce enduring change. And that is saying a lot. A fantastic book which explores what ketamine can achieve in terms of consciousness work is "The Scientist- A Metaphysical Autobiography" by Dr John C Lilly.

I find 5 MeO DMT has some really enigmatic properties. The immediacy of its effects when vaped on dissolving the sense of self to the extremely clarified state it reliably produces becomes utterly natural to surrender to in my personal experience. So much so that I quake internally much more when presented with a dose DMT these days. A real paradox at work if we consider that the power of the former (5 MeO) exceeds that of the latter. And then the notion of power itself gets transcended. I am fully able to appreciate how Martin Ball vaped hundreds of doses of the stuff these days. I also would state without hesitation that vaporizing DMT on the back of full MAO-A inhibition is a much more challenging endeavour than vaping 5 MeO DMT by a clear mile, IME.

Again, see how hung-up you are on the words? You may be happier if "ego-death" as a descriptor were used but the ego is not alive so cannot die if we consider death and life as opposite counter-points. Ego-death means different things to different readers so the limits of language are not done away with. You appear to think language can transmit in an absolute fashion. That may be the source of the disquiet these communicative efforts are producing in you. Language clarifies, but only through the prism you receive or view it through. It is a canny invention. If you think reading some text will give a definitive "answer" to an issue then you are missing what is beyond language. You may well have read something in the past, say a text or an item of literature, and then read it again at a later time and gleaned something new or previously unrecognized from the very same "bunch of words". Your thought-stream is not wholly different as its a linguistic construct. Confusion does not have to be the enemy as without it newer perspectives will not be sought or realized. Embrace your confusion!

The contradictions arise as a consequence through, and as a function of, language; if the comments were read out loud then with a little contemplation it becomes apparent that the sound of the words uttered are a means of representation of ideas whereby meaning is applied and conferred to what are simply sounds. What is probably meant by "die" refers to death of the ego; if one contemplates further then one may discern that the ego is not actually alive, and hence subject to dying so the whole notion is a linguistic quirk which comes with the use of language. Hence the only real way to grok this stuff is to understand how language creates and limits the transmission of ideas. Ways of knowing are accessible which can transcend language, and attempting to experience stuff through a linguistic mode only will hamper progress.

The efficacy of plugging is highly variable. Correctly vaped, and that is not a given, then 6-8mg will be a substantial experience with the advantage of a shorter duration which is sensible for a first go. If snorted I would suggest around 10-12mg only.

Strictly from a neuroscience perspective, deja-vu (and its corollary jamais-vu) is seen with seizure activity within the temporal lobes of the brain.

@Leo Gura Nice generalization. There may well come a time when you revise this stance.

As a doctor here, you offer me no new insight. The question is, and its perhaps doing a poll on, what proportion of those using 5 MeO DMT rectally are having the kind of experiences that you are, and what proportion find it to be ineffective or very inefficient in terms of dosages required. And to get more data, perhaps ask the same question but pertaining to insufflated 5 MeO DMT?

@Leo Gura, why is the suggestion I offered dumb? You may be a master "rectal-naut" but perhaps consider how your experiences have not been repeatedly confirmed by others, whereas the snorted routes' success with 5 MeO DMT was well established before you even became aware of the compounds existence. You have been known to ascribe this variation in rectal absorption to genetics but it is worth considering that even with genetics being deemed responsible there are no reports of insufflated 5 MeO DMT not working.

Forget what you have "heard" about plugging; the success rate with snorting is much higher if your substance is as labelled.

LSD and other ergot derivatives have a pressor effect which produces a degree of vasoconstriction; if one is not sufficiently relaxed this will cause the BP to rise. However, a transient mild BP rise would not typically detach ones retina unless there are other co-existent conditions.

Snort it, if it is HCl.

"Powerful" has many connotations. Irrespective of what the descriptor "means" to the one asking the question, you would not be felt to be short-changed by vaporhuasca (vaporized DMT on the back of full MAO-A inhibition) or the combination of a long-acting NMDA receptor antagonist with LSD/psilocybin. These examples IME, particularly vaporhuasca, exceed what 5 MeO DMT provides. But these evaluations are subjective.