The bulk of my psychedelic experimentation has, up until fairly recently, been concentrated in the lysergamides and tryptamines. However, through a combination of literature such as Shulgin's PiHKAL and Huxley's Doors of Perception, discussions with a psychedelic enthusiast friend, trip reports, and forum posts, I became increasingly persuaded that phenethylamines deserved more of my attention. When some initial probes into the DO[X] series failed to spark my passion, I turned to the 2C-[X] series. I was particularly drawn to 2C-B, one of Shulgin's most popular creations, and reportedly his personal favorite[1], so I set out to try it for myself.
I was not disappointed.
Timeline
I dosed 15 milligrams of 2C-B HBr orally in a glass of water on an empty stomach. There was virtually no unpleasant taste. Having been accustomed to the more rapid onset of most tryptamines and lysergamides, for the first hour or so, I was somewhat concerned that I had drastically underdosed, though thankfully that was not the case. The come-up was long and gradual. As usual, I didn't bother to pay much attention to the clock, but I believe it didn't reach its climax until at least 1.5, maybe 2 hours past dosing. I had read that 2C-B was a relatively short-acting psychedelic, but the peak and comedown seemed to last as long, if not longer, than most 4-substituted tryptamines. I'm satisfied with the duration.
Headspace
2C-B lived up to its reputation for being relatively easy to handle. I remained quite grounded for the duration of the trip. Despite having the capacity to cause anxiety, I find that some psychedelics can be paradoxically calming in an almost alcohol-like or benzodiazepine-like way (which I suspect is the human brain's natural stress response kicking in), and this was quite apparent in 2C-B.
However, I should emphasize that it still was not lacking the quintessential psychedelic cognitive shift by any stretch of the imagination, albeit less forcefully so. I found my mind wandering down familiar existential roads. I recall feeling that life is miraculous, so I should humble my expectations, and take nothing for granted.
The lucid headspace worked brilliantly for socializing. I felt expressive, and uniquely capable of capitalizing on the enhanced empathy psychedelics generally tend to elicit. Giggles abounded.
Senses
One of my primary motives for seeking out 2C-B specifically was its reputation as an excellent sensory enhancer, and in fact this was perhaps the most impressive aspect of the trip. I dosed on an exceptionally windy day, which initially annoyed me, but as soon as the drug kicked in, I began to enjoy the sensations of the air rushing all around me. The colors in the sunset were startlingly vibrant. Music was equally pleasurable as I find it on LSD; that is to say, heavenly.
The visuals were highly reminiscent of 4-HO-MPT, which was very welcome indeed, as I consider 4-HO-MPT to have among the most exquisitely beautiful visuals of any psychedelic I've taken. Closed-eye visuals were not as blatant or sharply defined as they might be on DMT or psilocin, but appeared to be a more natural extension of my visual imagination, deeply seated in the mind's eye. There were lots of smoothly flowing curves, rich colors, and some minor geometric patterning, and it was all heavily intertwined with my thoughts via synaesthetic bond. The visuals closely corresponded to the emotional arc of the music I was listening to (deadmau5 -- here's the drop!).
Body
I couldn't detect much of a body load during the trip. There was no nausea or gastrointestinal discomfort. Maybe some muscular tension, which cannabis seemed to alleviate. As seems to be the case for phenethylamines in general, 2C-B dialed back the physical stimulation that I find with many indoles, which has both advantages and disadvantages.
Phenethylamines tend to give me headaches, and I did have a slight headache for most of the following day, although it wasn't as bad as usual, which I attribute to my efforts to stay well hydrated throughout the trip.
Conclusion
While 2C-B may not be the best choice for those who wish to achieve the most bizarre or extreme states of consciousness accessible to the human mind, it does an excellent job of giving me what I personally value most in a psychedelic drug at this time in my life: it firmly roots me in the present moment, opens my senses to the beauty of my surroundings, stimulates my visual imagination, and helps emotionally center me. And importantly, it accomplishes this at the cost of minimal body load, anxiety, or other unwanted side effects. I look forward to further experimentation with this drug in various dosages and settings, and I would also be thrilled to see its potential investigated in a clinical context.
References
[1] https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/avjewz/the-last-interview-with-alexander-shulgin-423-v17n5