No sentence summarizes this book better than the Mythbusters quote, "Remember kids, the only difference between screwing around and science is writing it down." Shulgin and his experimental group conducted countless experiments on his creations, all while documenting the dosages, effects, and durations. As anyone who has done psychedelics knows, recounting the experience is at least as hard as remembering dreams. This, alone, makes the data extremely impressive.

The so-called "magical half-dozen" refers to Shulgin's self-rated most important phenethylamine compounds, all of which except mescaline he developed and synthesized himself. They are found within the first book of PIHKAL, and are as follows: Recreational use was observed shortly afterward and it was briefly manufactured and sold commercially under such names as "Erox" and "Nexus" in "head" / "smart" shops and adult video stores before being federally scheduled in 1995. [5]Subjective effects include open and closed-eye visuals, time distortion, euphoria, and ego loss. User reports have described the effects of 2C-B as moderate, warm, colorful, and highly sensual. Similar to mescaline, it is described as possessing a less serious or grandiose headspace than tryptamines like LSD or psilocybin mushrooms, placing greater emphasis on the visual and tactile domain. Alexander Shulgin spent his life as a researcher / scientist for the CIA developing, designing and creating all sorts of drugs that alter the way that the brain interprets senses and works. These drugs were considered a dangerous asset by the United States government, and for the longest time banned the publication of the information. In the 1970s, it first saw use as a therapeutic aid by a small circle of American psychotherapists and was considered one of the best substances for this purpose due to its short duration, relative absence of side effects, and comparably mild nature. [4] Shulgin's life is remarkable, simply because he gets away with so much. Most chemists of international accalim don't typically advocate illegal drugs for example. Every weekend Shulgin and a close group of friends take differing doses of newly-devised psychoactive drugs. It seems Shulgin himself has probably been ingesting psychedelic substances every second day for his entire adult life, perhaps inadvertently proving that responsible drug use is no detriment to scientific genius. You have to read the book to fully appreciate what he has done for science, for the appreciation of sympathomimetic amines that we have today.

Shortly after gaining traction in the underground psychotherapy community, 2C-B became popular in the recreational drug scene. It was well-liked as a MDMA substitute in raves and club parties due to its minimal comedown and a clear, euphoric headspace. Users have reported experiencing hypertension, hyperthermia and tachycardia at higher doses. [19] As such, those with pre-existing heart conditions should avoid using 2C-B, and users monitor their temperature and heart-rate and respond accordingly. Heavy physical exertion while on 2C-B is discouraged. Nitrous - Nitrous oxide is commonly used in combination with psychedelics. The two are known to possess powerful cross-synergistic effects, including the capacity to send the user directly into an "ego death" state. The speed and intensity with which this occurs are very rapid and the euphoria that can result often leads to the urge to compulsively redose. This book makes specialist reading for anyone intrested in recreational drugs and organic chemistry. Currently there is a vast amount of misinformation about drugs in our society, particularly about ecstasy and designer drugs. Reading this book is a step in the right direction. The cognitive effects of 2C-B are often described as both insightful and relatively normal in their thought processes even at moderate to high dosages. They are often described as being halfway between LSD and MDMA.

The book is arranged into two parts, the first part being a fictionalized autobiography of the couple and the second part describing 179 TiHKAL is divided into two parts. The first part, for which all rights are reserved, begins with a fictionalized autobiography and then continues with a collection of essays on topics ranging from psychotherapy and the Jungian mind to the prevalence of DMT in nature, ayahuasca, and the War on Drugs. The second part of TiHKAL, which may be conditionally distributed for non-commercial reproduction, is a detailed synthesis manual for 55 psychedelic compounds (many discovered by Alexander Shulgin himself), including their chemical structures, dosage recommendations, and qualitative comments. WARNING: Always start with lower doses due to differences between individual body weight, tolerance, metabolism, and personal sensitivity. See responsible use section. Australia: 2C-B is considered a Schedule 9 prohibited substance in Australia under the Poisons Standard. [23] A Schedule 9 substance is a substance which may be abused or misused and the manufacture, possession, sale or use of is prohibited by law except when required for medical or scientific research, or for analytical, teaching or training purposes with approval of Commonwealth and/or State or Territory Health Authorities. [23]

Anu" (February 1996) [Modified 2016]. "The Nexus Factor: An Introduction to 2C-B". Erowid . Retrieved October 10, 2020.PLUS / MINUS (+/-) The level of effectiveness of a drug that indicates a threshold action. If a higher dosage produces a greater response, then the plus/minus (+/-) was valid. If a higher dosage produces nothing, then this was a false positive. It is perhaps the most well-known member of the 2C-x family, which are structurally related to the classical psychedelic mescaline. The mechanism of action is not fully known, although serotonin receptor binding activity is thought to be principally involved.

Along the same lines as Huxley, Dr. Shulgin has opened doors for me. If it weren't for these authors I never would have even begun to appreciate organic chemistry. Its nuances, its complexity.

Tryptamines i Have Known And Loved:

While reading this book I attended a lecture given by Nobel laureate Kary Mullis. Kary Mullis received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1993 for the development of PCR. During his lecture he commented on the first scientific paper he published in Nature, in 1968. He described it as a sophomoric astrophysical hypothesis called "The Cosmological Significance of Time Reversal." He told the audience he ate LSD while writing it. Needless to say Nature is still probably a little embarrassed about publishing it. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there are no negative health effects attributed to simply trying it by itself at low to moderate doses or using it very sparingly (although nothing can be completely guaranteed). Tabella I" (PDF) (in Italian). Ministero della Salute [Ministry of Health]. p.8 . Retrieved January 7, 2020.