Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Blotter Acid

Blotter Acid: “LSD that comes on a small square piece of paper. The LSD is put in the middle of the paper (blotter) with an eyedropper. It comes in four different strengths; single hit, two-way (two hits), or four-way (four hits). If it’s two way, you tear it in half. Four-way, you tear into quarters.”



I was sitting at home reading “A Separate Reality,” by Carlos Castaneda. It was released in 1970. The title of the book, when combined with the release date, should give you a hint relating to the subject matter.

A few days earlier, a friend had given me a hit of “blotter acid.” I didn’t have to start work for a couple of hours, so I decided to take a quarter of it. Not enough to make me totally stoned, but just enough to get a bit high. After more than a half hour with no results, I took another fourth. After another thirty minutes, still nothing! What the hell, I took one more fourth and saved the last one for later than evening.

Finally, I was feeling a little something. I was also thinking how crappy the acid was, and no wonder my friend gave it to me. Eventually I had to go to work.  The drive was uneventfual, still just feeling  a bit odd, but nothing to shout about. I was very happy that I hadn't paid for it.  I was at work for less than an hour when they let some of us go home, because there wasn't enough work to do.

On our way out the door, a co-worker friend named Scott asked me if I wanted to smoke a joint before I hit the road. Of course, I said yes (you know, just to be polite).  The pot must have been a catalyst for the LSD, because I started getting ripped in a hurry.  I knew I had to get home and wasted no time going to my car.  I was driving an old VW bus (of course) and I started hallucinating just a couple of minutes into the drive.

It was like one of those hallways in a fun house. You walk through a tube and everything but the floor you’re walking on, is rotating. It was just like that, except in this case, I’m driving through the tube and I'm stoned on LSD!  Holy shit! I was really "tripping!"  (I always hated that word. Not sure why.)

If you've driven a VW bus, you know that the steering wheel is huge and you hold it from the bottom. Just like a "real" bus. You would have to lean very far forward to get into the suggested "10 to 2" driving position, it just doesn't work. My point is... what the hell was my point. Oh yeah, my point is that its hard enough to steer a VW bus during the best of times. Steering one through the "fun house from hell," while stoned on acid, is somthing only a professional should attempt. Experience is everything!

After what seemed like hours (10 minutes at the most), I made it home. My girlfriend was playing the mandolin and her friend Lori, was playing the banjo. Maybe it was the other way around, but I do remember that they were playing Bluegrass music. The news was on TV with the volume off.  I was sitting on the couch, listening to them play, and watching the TV.  I was very high and feeling somewhat content.  That was all spoiled when the face of the guy on the TV started melting.  It ran down his shirt, onto his desk, and dripped down the front of the TV, onto the floor.

It was getting much too intense in there, so I went to my bedroom. I took off my clothes and got into bed. Something told me to cover up with the sheet only. I remember thinking that if I changed positions even the slightest bit, I would die. So I’m lying there, motionless, watching my bedroom ooze and melt in the semi darkness.

My dresser said something to me. I couldn’t quite make out the words though.  I was positive that it said something profound, so I asked it to repeat what it had said. I didn’t say it out loud, but in my head. It must not have liked what I was saying, because the drawers started opening and slamming shut. Not all at the same time but randomly. 

I had taken LSD on many occasions, but never had I been this far gone.  Can’t my friends here all this noise? Why aren’t they coming to help me? This went on for what seemed like hours. I remember thinking that I was “too high” and I might need some help. I tried calling out to my friends, but no words escaped my mouth. So, I lay there. Everything in my room started flying around in a whirl wind.

From somewhere in my self induced insanity, rule #1 hit me. It didn't exactly "hit me," it was barely a glimpse of a whisper, on the edge of a thought  If I’m still sane enough to know that I’m too high, then my brain isn’t totally fried. I’m going to be okay. At that point, I knew I could ride it out.

The next day I was pretty low key. Physically, I felt fantastic. Mentally, I was a bit vacuous. About two weeks later I spoke to the friend that gave me the acid. I told him what happened. He started laughing and said, “Oh my God, those weren’t quarter hits. That was a four-way blotter. You took three full hits!”

And that ladies and gentlemen, probably explains why I am, the way I am, today...

30 comments:

  1. Ah yes. I was at a party in college where everyone was doing this. I watched them and decided not to. Lesson learned! You seemed to have recovered nicely though. I doubt if the people I watched are even standing up without leaning today.

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  2. Jeezed, I love the fact that you offer all these real world experiences to drugs of the 70s. Fun houses and talking dressers? Classic. BTW...didn't LSD come with Disney stickers?

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  3. I don't know what is crazier, the fact that you drove like that or the fact that you took those before working lol!.

    The first time I even took acid I had no idea what I had taken, it was dripped onto a cookie and my friend was like " hey you want a cookie" bam that was my first time..

    Scared the crap out of me till I knew what the hell was going on.

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  4. I think your drug stories are my favs. The divide between people that have and have not done drugs is wider than the gender gap.

    I've done acid a couple times and while it was fun, I've never had realities alter, even on four hits. Things were vibrating or swirling, but no talking furniture. Perhaps I am at my core too logical for hallucinogens. Perhaps I simply need to meet your friend. And be able to time travel.

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  5. One of my friends has always been curious about LSD. I feel that if I link this to him, he'll get all the info he needs....lol

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  6. I have never taken LSD, and I have always regretted it, because I am so curious to know what it is like. Too late for me now, I reckon.
    Oh well.

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  7. Betty - I know a few people from "back in the day" who are like that. Mostly a "mental lean."

    Copyboy - oh yeah, there was a whole "underground" blotter acid art culture. there's a lot of examples on the internet.

    Alle - Seriously, I had done it so many times before, that I didn't really worry about driving. I scared the crap out of myself a few times.

    The Illustrious D - Especially so during that time period. We really didn't trust people that do some form of drugs. There were many different types of acid. Some of would never cause you to hallucinate, not matter how much you took. A lot of it (especially later on) were mostly speed.

    soft nonsense - Seriously, I wouldn't "advise" anybody to take it. You just never know what's in it these days. I wouldn't even do it on a dare...

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  8. Joe - I agree with you, it's too late. In some cases it's better to experience things vicariously. Espcially something like this! Better to let idiots like me tell you about it...

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  9. That is a great story from a bad trip. Your story telling was awesome because in my mind's eye I could see everything happening as I was reading it. I could almost feel like I was high with you and I have never tried LSD.

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  10. Jerry - From that point forward, I was very careful about what I took. It was close to the last time I did it. I have no idea how many times I took it before though...
    thanks!

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  11. Wow, that sounds pretty wild!

    "My dresser said something to me. I couldn’t quite make out the words though. I was positive that it said something profound..." That made me laugh! :)

    Amazingly, I've never tried any drugs before (not even weed)!

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  12. Brandi - It was wild...
    I think I really pissed my dresser off by not listening. Hmm, I get that from my wife also..lol
    Nothing wrong with not trying drugs...

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  13. Real life is scary enough, without talking dressers and spinning rooms. Heck, I can get those without taking anything. (the spinning anyway, not talking dressers... yet)

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  14. Wow, now that sounds like an interesting LSD experience. I've tried it a few times and though it was entertaining, maybe even a bit of a mental awakening, there comes a time where, like riding a roller coaster, you just want to get off. Good for you for keeping your mind intact, and great story!

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  15. This scares and fascinates me at the same time...

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  16. Man, I don't miss those days. That's all I'm gonna say. Ha ha.

    Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing

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  17. That story brought me right to the brink of a flashback, thankfully I stayed in the present.

    Being trapped in the bathroom with a perceived SWAT team across the bedroom in the dark is something I don't want to relive!

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  18. Visiting from Alice In Wonderlands blog! She suggested I come and read your post! Wow that was some story! Brought me back a little!

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  19. Wow you crazy bastard! That is Balls doing even a 1/4 hit before work. But that made for an interesting story.

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  20. That would scare me to death. I saw someone on a bad acid trip once and it lasted me a lifetime. Not even tempted to go there!

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  21. Christiejolu - thanks for reading, commenting, and signing up. You are my 100th reader. I'm going to have to send you some virtual pizza or something..thanks!

    I'll get back to the rest of you in a bit!

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  22. Group 1, Those of you who have - It was indeed very intense. This one was the craziest ever at it's peak.

    Group 2, Those of you who haven't - Don't ever move to group 1. "Drugs are bad."

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  23. I hate loosing control of my speech and ability to walk straight when I drink to much....I can't even imagine all that....great story.

    I love that most of it reminded me of a Disney film somehow.

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  24. Ah yes. The days of my youth. I don't think I could handle it anymore! Too intense indeed!

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  25. Wow! What a scary story.... Three full hits! You 70's kids are insane!

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  26. I wish I could still dose. You make me really miss it.

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  27. asblackasobama - If I wasn't crazy before, I sure was afterwards.

    Jhon - I enjoyed the hell out of it at one time. But I did it so many times, that it ended having a negative impact on me. So no more for me either.

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  28. You were right. I love your drug stories. This was my favorite. It reminded me of a little 'creeper weed' incident I had once. :)

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  29. Edie - Thanks! I thought you might like it...

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