People of Galveston

CULTURE CLASH (FEATURE) What are your thoughts on psychedelics?people of GALVESTON From my experience, I’ve found that psychedelics are incredibly life-changing. I used to use drugs to escape from reality and for a while that worked for me. Interviews By Savanah Walser Whatever you’re feeling right before you take them will effect your entire trip. One time I was extremely upset, had some mushrooms on hand, and decided that they would make me feel better- horrible decision. For three hours I was tripping balls and ANONYMOUS filled with so much anxiety that I just kept clicking In my personal opinion, psychedelics my heels together and said “There’s no place like are neither good nor bad. I don’t home, there’s no place like home.” It’s funny now, believe that you can label something but back then it was probably not the best idea. as either because too much of a good thing can indeed be a bad thing. Water for example; over-hydrating can result in nausea, vomiting, and in rare cases, fatal swelling in the brain. For psychedelics, it’s a little different though. Each brain reacts differently to drugs as well as which ones are taken. Some find I’ve also had some very good trips though. I remember my first time taking shrooms I kept seeing neon smiley faces pop up like bubbles all over the room and felt overwhelmed by joy. it was a real one-love moment for me. that they can continuously take drugs such as mushrooms, Whether bad or good, psychedelics definitely affect acid, and DMT and continue to have pleasant experiences. As cognitive brain function. I have learned a lot from with others, a single bad trip and it’s game over. One thing’s for taking different variations of them and would not be sure though, these drugs permanently alter the way your brain the person I am today if I hadn’t. There are ups and works. downs to them, but overall you never know what it’s In my lifetime, I’ve definitely dipped my toes into the sea of drugs, dare I say plunged into the ocean headfirst. I would consider myself a middle man regarding drug use though, because I’ve used a lot more than some people, but never to the point of no return. Psychedelic-wise, I’ve done a good amount of both acid and mushrooms. all about until you try them. That being said, PLEASE don’t take this as an open invitation to take them. These drugs seriously alter the way you think and to decide on a whim to take some would be foolish. I would love to tell you to just say no to drugs but I’m not that person either. I used to do a lot of them in the past and though I’m sober now, they’ve deeply Each experience I’ve had has been different. Some trips lasting contributed to where I am today. My advice is that longer than others, depending on which drug I used as well. if you do, be extremely careful. Your surroundings, Acid tends to last a lot longer than shrooms and even though who you’re with, and your mental state will affect they’re both psychedelics, they have very different effects on you more than you know especially while on the mind and body. psychedelics.

ANONYMOUS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT

I think they (psychedelics) are amazing because they open up your mind to things you couldn’t possibly think about when you’re completely sober and it doesn’t really make much sense unless you try them and it’s not like what everybody says it is where it’s like everything like moving and it’s crazy. From all of my experiences with psychedelics, I believe shrooms are the most eye-opening, expanding drug that you can take. It’s very spiritual and you’re not supposed to take it in something like a party setting. You need to take it for yourself to really open your eyes, see the world how it really is. Shrooms make everything so beautiful and vibrant. You’re able to really think about your own thoughts. You’re able to examine yourself as a person and open yourself up to other thoughts and things. Now when trying acid which is a more synthetic type of uhhhh psychedelic, things do move, it kind of feels like everything’s breathing a little bit. It’s very overwhelming. And if you’re not in the right mindset it can be very bad for your health and it can make you have horrible thoughts. You can see things that are not really there, and depending on the dosage you take, it can make you feel really good or really bad. When my mental health wasn’t very good and I took a tab, thinking I would be able to have fun, it just made my thoughts come to life and I cried for hours. It was really scary honestly. I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t get away from my thoughts. Taking acid regularly can damage your serotonin receptors. You need to do it with people who you trust cause if not, it can be very dangerous. You can get stuck in loops talking about the same things. The next morning when you get up it’s called green life, where you are kind of on the drug because it can stay in your system for up to 24 hours. The morning after you wake up everything’s still very vibrant. If you do this drug at night, you stay up most of the night, and then when you wake up in the morning you’ll still see some effects where all colors are more vibrant.

UTMB DOCTOR

I don’t know anything about this (psychedelics). My opinion? Well I know a lot of people did ‘em in the Vietnam War era, ya know the 60s. The famous phrase was “tune in, drop out.” And so young people in the age of The Vietnam War did a lot of that stuff, I don’t think a lot of people do it anymore. I mean I think those are pretty dangerous, it’s not like marijuana. Cause y’know those trips that those people take, they’re not conscious really, they don’t know what they’re doing or saying. But I’m not a good expert on this. I would say from a doctor’s opinion those drugs are not very well regulated. Y’know people make em in their labs and you don’t know what’s gonna happen, it’s not like taking an aspirin, everyone’s different. They’re all homemade, so they’re pretty dangerous and people that experiment with them, uh don’t live long usually. *laughs* That’s not true, but you can’t do it for very long because it’s dangerous.

BRINGING TOGETHER ART, AWARENESS, AND ADVOCACY!

Turtles About Town is a community art project that highlights the City of Galveston and the conservation efforts of Turtle Island Restoration Network to protect endangered sea turtles on the upper Texas coast. Turtle lovers of all ages have the opportunity to see 50 colorful Kemp’s ridley sea turtle statues that have been installed around the island since 2018. Businesses, individuals and organizations graciously sponsor the turtle statues while local artists are commissioned to give each one its own personality and meaning.

Download a FREE map and go on a tour at seaturtles.org/turtles. Be sure to tag Turtle Island Restoration Network in your images (@TIRN-Gulf on Facebook and @TIRN.Gulf on Instagram) and tag #TurtlesAboutTown!

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HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTT!

No, really. Hold onto it.

Cigarette butts can take 25 years to decompose, are 98% plastic, and are toxic to marine life! Please help Galveston Surfrider reduce butt litter on the island, and in the ocean, by disposing of your butts in one of these cans provided by local businesses and individuals. #hotyb

For more info, go to www.Galveston. Surfrider.org To volunteer or sponsor a can, email hotyb@galveston. surfrider.org

By Culture Clash Staff