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Easy, Euphoric, Contemplative Substance
2C-I
Citation:   the scientist. "Easy, Euphoric, Contemplative Substance: An Experience with 2C-I (exp31033)". Erowid.org. Aug 19, 2004. erowid.org/exp/31033

 
DOSE:
16.5 mg oral 2C-I (liquid)
BODY WEIGHT: 150 lb
Before I explain the nature of the trip/experience, allow me to give some background in terms of my drug experience, and general state of mind...

Academic/Social background: I'm 21 Y/O, double major in Physics and Philosophy. I believe that we need a strong reconsideration of our collective-conscious regarding drug use and law. Though I don't value external measures of intelligence too highly, I do recognize that our greater society does; On external measures of intelligence (testing, grading, ... blah blah blah), I fall near the top. I am generally poor at hearing music, but I can write it. I Enjoy art, and can discern many subtleties within art, but I am not skilled at drawing or painting. Sadly, artistic expression by way of drawing or musical ability are two areas I highly value and unfortunately fall short on. I guess that's life-- I'm very satisfied with what I can do, however.

Previous Drug Use: Drink moderately to heavily once a weak (consider this to be one place where I would like to cut down), I smoke marijuana around once a month-- more when I go skiing, less during school. I've tried MDMA twice (two single best chemical experiences), Mushrooms once, traditional opium once, oxycontin 4-5 times spaced out over a three year period, minor tranquilizers to sleep on long plane flights, and once in a while for purely recreational purposes, and I've tried ritalin twice for study purpose (found it to be nearly worthless, but quite enjoyable). I tend to shy away from caffeine because I want it to work well in the few instances where I desire the effect (5+ hr drives, late night studying once a month). I respect every chemical, whether it's something in coffee to oxycontin.

T + 0 (3.30pm) Myself and J and R, all male subjects in the same age range, ingested approx 16.5 mg of 2C-I at around 99%+ purity, disolved in 18 ml of vodka per 16.5 mg dose.

T + :30 the chemical starts making itself apparent in our perception-- a twitchy, positive energy, similar to the come up of MDMA, but more gentle, more manageable and less stomach tightening.

T + :45-1:0 visual distraction starts taking place. The edges of vision seem blurred and small difficulty with focusing the eyes. We were watching Clockwork Orange and decided that this was not the movie to be following pre-trip and turned it off. The energy continued to build and all three came to the conclusion that this would in fact be desirable for a club setting because of the euphoria, intense (and importantly, positive) energy, and the lack of distortion in mental processing. Eyes dilate, but not to MDMA or Psilocybin 'lickin your pupils' level. Pupils also keep the ability to constrict in brighter light.

T + 1:30 at this point we are all at 85% to peak and over the next 15-30 minutes we all hit 100%. About half the mental confusion of psilocybin and about half the euphoria of MDMA, but the increased speed of thinking overcomes the confusion that can show in conversation-- nothing like trying to converse with someone sober while tripping from 3.5 grams of shrooms. Colors are brilliant, everything looks like it's glowing, all very manageable. All three subjects decide that this is a wonderful substance-- taking only the less pushy aspects of shrooms and taking many of the less intoxicating aspects of MDMA. There is a decidedly non-organic nature to the substance (as one would expect) and I tend to find this enjoyable-- unrefined substances are more difficult for me to mold; that may be personal.

T + 4:00 a 4h friend, D, comes over after work and I am able to measure out a dose for him, even though I am fully peaking (before my own ingestion I wrote down instructions for D in the case that we were not able to help him administer the 2C-I. As a necessary precaution I had D read my instructions and watch as I prepared his dose-- it's called minimization of risk).

T + 1:45-5:00 The peak lasts almost the entire time. During this time we watch part of Finding Nemo (not really watching the movie, but feeling it, being immersed and enjoying the perception of being wrapped by the color), listen to Sasha and Digweed, discuss the I Ching, play, for 10 minutes a computer game, but mostly just talked with the music in the background. Our discussions were very philosophical and calculated-- nothing too out of the ordinary for us sober, but with a slight change in how we made indirect connections in concepts. Which was positive. This being our first 2C-I experience, we decided at the onset that this was not to be a deeply profound personal experience, but rather, a group experiment to work out the nature/language of the substance so that subsequent use might prove more workshopable.

Grapes, fruit, food is amazing. But grapes rank up at the top. All senses are heightened and everyone shows some of the MDMA like kindness such as looking after the general well being of the group, making sure we are all drinking water in reasonable amounts, offering to get grapes, cigarettes, or whatever anyone needed to feel most comfortable. Similar to MDMA we discussed what would happen if certain world leaders had a session together on this substance, if certain opposing groups had a session, if certain family members had such a session. Like MDMA, 2C-I is very very stimulating (the meth/amphetamine skeleton), but it is not pushy. I wouldn't claim that Bush and Saddam would end up best friends, nor that they would have any MAJOR breakthroughs, but the possibility might exist that they would move in the right direction-- together. Oh well, it's not going to happen anytime soon.

T + 5:00-10:00 The acute affects are mostly gone, however, the speedy nature still exists and a slight mental confusion lingers-- maybe from dehydration, maybe from exhaustion, maybe the chemical metabolites being cleaned away. It's by no means a heavy confusion, but similar to the inability to come up with the right word at the right time when you are tired. We each go out to the bar, no one can tell we've done anything, we hold fine conversations, and we each have a single drink which magnifies any remaining euphoria that was part of the acute effects. I do think that alcohol in small doses, as a dopamine agonist, might highly enhance this substance.

The next day was slightly cloudy for me, but no one else. I can't think clearly the day after drinking, smoking weed, or almost any substance including valium or opiates, so I am not shocked. Emotionally I feel fine the very next morning and get up early for a big breakfast.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion:

2C-I is definitely a reasonable substitute for MDMA. Nothing that I have experienced quite catches that magic of MDMA, but maybe that's just a social construction. 2C-I is euphoric, but not quite as much as MDMA, and emotionally it's not quite as bubbly. But again, not a major concern. The substance is less speedy than MDMA, but last much longer, and indeed the language might be more difficult to figure out, but no less positive.

2C-I is its own substance, and I don't think we will ever find a mirror to MDMA (do any drugs have EXACTLY similar effects? even different trips on similar substances can be different, even oxycontin and opium are different [ and they are almost identical in function]). But I am amazed at how close 2C-I is to that MDMA feeling-- just a different magic, that's all.

In the club 2C-I might be indistinguisable from MDMA if not for the duration and the increased level of open eyed visuals. But the visuals are what you would expect from MDMA if increasing the dose cause an increase in visuals (very swimmy, very bright, slight blurring of edges). 2C-I is 10x more gentle on the body and there was no feel of neurotoxicity or body toxicity. A slight tightening of the stomach for the first 45 minutes, but so slight that it might simply be apprehension.

I've never experienced MDMA in a calm setting like I did the 2C-I, and I wonder if MDMA would be even closer to 2C-I in this settting?

Treat this one with respect, don't spread abusive use because the sooner this gets scheduled (and it will, and soon) the worse we are off. Also, like all research chems... no one has studied, in depth, the specific toxicity of 2C-I. Chances are it's less toxic to MDMA because of a lower level of dopamine agonism, but chances are it can be just as toxic at high enough and regular enough doses. Less is more. This one goes right next to MDMA in overall ranking! Safe Experiencing, and lets try to keep this as academic and credible as possible so that the rest of society has less of an ability to deride our research as quackery.

Exp Year: 2004ExpID: 31033
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Aug 19, 2004Views: 12,174
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2C-I (172) : General (1), Small Group (2-9) (17)

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