DOSE: T+ 0:00	39 mg	sublingual	4-HO-MET	(edible / food)
T+ 2:45		smoked	Cannabis
T+ 2:45		smoked	Syrian Rue	(seeds)

BODY WEIGHT:

115 lb

After my first experience with metocin I felt inclined to try to achieve “vegetable television” with this material. “Vegetable television” is a term that was used most famously by Terence McKenna to describe the state of combining psilocybin/psilocin mushrooms with a dose of smoked Syrian rue (Peganum harmala) seeds. The effect, as described by McKenna, is a closed-eye visionary state that one passes through in a state of near-stupor, allowing amazement to overtake one for about 15 minutes. Hearing about this technique sparked my interest in it very much, and considering that I still had a stash of 39mg of metocin and 5g of Syrian rue seeds, I decided, with much resolve and respect for these materials, to try it.

Because I already submitted a report on the effects of 4-HO-MET alone, I feel the need to keep this one short, and to really only describe the psychoactive synthesis of metocin and Syrian rue seeds. FYI, Syrian rue seeds contain reversible MAO inhibitors of the beta-carboline class, specifically all related to the primary compound, harmaline. The seeds also contain harmane, harmine, harmalol, and tetrahydroharmaline. It is my understanding that the action of these chemicals by themselves and in the presence of each other is not yet fully understood, as is the situation with cannabis, in that individual cannabinoids are not psychoactive by themselves.

[T+00:00]
This is my second experience with metocin, or 4-HO-MET. After a thoroughly ecstatic psychedelic, visionary trip on 32mg, dosed carefully and in one-and-a-half-hour increments, I decided that I was ready to fully hand myself over to the metocin. I believe that a major part of this decision is its extremely close relationship to psilocin; I'm not a big fan of research chemicals with psychedelic activity, but metocin has a very easy-going, organic feel. Almost indistinguishable from an experience with the sacred mushroom to anyone except for the coinnosseurs of psychedelia and mycology. So I decided to let three 13mg doses (39mg total for those of you who aren't keeping up) dissolve under my tongue. I swallowed the melted chocolate and tryptamine material after about ten minutes.

[T+01:45]
I'm rolling along very nicely on a high peak of metocin. Like last time I feel that 39mg of this material could easily be compared to psilocin. In this case, I would say it was more in the 10g range of the sacred mushroom. Like I said before, metocin does not come pre-packaged with ego death or trip-anxiety. I notice that it is important to force these ideas of ego dissolution and respect of the material and the neural pathways it affects in order to experience something truly psychedelic. As I am enjoying the building visuals (Mayan designs and inscriptions emblazoned in reds, yellows, and some colors that don't really exist emerging through the texture in my walls, so on and so forth), I decide to ride this for a little while longer and hold off on the Syrian rue.

[T+2:30]
I feel I have reached the plateau of this trip. It happened much faster this time, as I took all of the 4-HO-MET at once, instead of re-dosing twice like last time. But it still came in waves, like psilocybin mushrooms.

I have noticed some change or distortion in effects when cannabis was combined with metocin in my previous experience, but it was much more subtle than the “vegetable television” effect, which leads me to believe that the Syrian rue really is the active component in this equation. This is interesting to me, as it affirms an even stronger relationship between metocin and psilocin.

[T+2:45]
I notice that the vegetable television effect does not manifest immediately, as does the marginal interaction of high-quality cannabis with metocin. It takes about fifteen minutes. In these fifteen minutes, I suggest remaining indoors, turning off all lights and sound, and preparing for a near-meditative state. Again, I must say that metocin is very gentle, and things like focus come easily as I seek something tangible, memorable, or insightful from this experience.

At this point I decide to fill the bottom of a pipe with some medical-quality cannabis. On top of this I place about Ľ or 1/3 of a teaspoon of Syrian rue seeds. I proceed to smoke, making sure to inhale all the fumes coming from the seeds and to extinguish any burning embers once my lungs are full. I continued to do this over the course of 15 minutes, until I noticed that the vegetable television effect was already beginning to happen with my eyes open.

The onset of this combination is typical of harmaline by itself: it is relaxing, almost mildly sedating. However, it does not dull the experience. The visual content of the 4-HO-MET seemed to become more than what it is, added to, tweaked around with. Hints of synesthesia occurred as open-eye visual patterning distorted itself here and there. It was the feeling of hearing the shift in visual distortion. At this point I closed my eyes and meditated easily. It's interesting that meditation came easily, as I was bombarded with closed-eye visions immediately!

The images didn't seem to have much content, emotionally or philosophically, as do the closed-eye visions on metocin or psilocin alone. However, it was a lot of fun to understand exactly what Terence McKenna meant when he described this state: it is as if one is channel-surfing through hallucinations. This is a very novel concept for those of us who do not watch television regularly at all, let me tell you! I felt as though I was floating by different samples of the visual qualities that the combination of 4-HO-MET and smoked Syrian rue seeds: if I found one interesting, I could easily focus on it and watch it build in complexity into a geometric and colorful wonder. If I found another vision somewhat less interesting (I shy away from using the term “boring” with any psychedelic, because that is just not the case), it was just as simple to float on to the next one.

All throughout this state, which lasted for about two hours, I was very relaxed. One very intriguing effect I noticed was that this combination (again: metocin and Syrian rue, smoked) has the ability to manifest the properties of drugs temporarily. For instance, when I would focus on how sedate and relaxed I felt, I felt as though I had taken benzodiazepines or opiates for about 5-10 minutes. If I noticed the metocin coming back in a stronger wave under the influence of Syrian rue seeds, I would feel stimulated and rarin'-to-go with pure psychedelic energy. It occurred to me that pharmaceuticals and especially street drugs are just worthless. Pretty simple, right? Well, it wasn't always like that for me. I really believe that this trip showed me that the sacred mushroom, and its chemical brother, metocin, can feel like any drug around, while being safer, non-addictive, and much more temporary, producing no feeling of craving.

[T+05:00]
All the effects of the Syrian rue seeds are gone now. The final two or three waves of the metocin experience come on sharper, more clear, more in focus, than the visions during the vegetable television experiment. I was back in mushroom-land, and it was wonderful to return before the experience ended. After about 5 more hours, almost all of the effects of the 4-HO-MET were gone, also probably due to the fact that I took all of it at once, instead of extending the plateau while adding small amounts to my dosage.

[Conclusion]
This experiment, the vegetable television, was very fun, and it absolutely worked just as well with 4-HO-MET as I've heard and read it does with psilocin. However, I find that it lacks the insightful, inspiring, and emotive qualities of metocin or mushrooms alone, but it does wear off, and it is not unpleasant in the least. It is just very much in my nature to try to get the most out of a tryptamine that I possibly can, as far as wisdom and guidance ae concerned. But if you scare easily while under the influence of psychedelics, I would recommend nothing else but Syrian rue seeds, as it does create a very mild sedative effect while not diminishing the trip at all, as a pharmaceutical most likely would.

Overall, it was fun to experience something new, even if I did lose touch with the truly unknown and astounding for a little while. In the future, though, I don't see myself combining these two materials again. I enjoy both of them much more by themselves: 4-HO-MET causes in me a sort of hyper-awareness of my surroundings and of the nature of everything, while Syrian rue seeds dull my senses somewhat, decreasing my awareness. I'm not trying to make Syrian rue sound bad; I think it's absolutely wonderful. But Syrian rue is for sleep, for me. Metocin is for visions and super-exponentially-increased consciousness experience.

Exp Year: 2011	ExpID: 91252
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 26
Published: Jul 22, 2011	Views: 12,033
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4-HO-MET (436), Syrian Rue (45) : Alone (16), Combinations (3)