To those who believe, no explanation is necessary. To those who do not
believe, no explanation is possible."
                                                       - Anonymous


THE DXM ZINE.
Issue 6.  September 1998.

A Symposium of Articles Pertaining to DXM Use
(c)1998 UAF/Gravol Publications

Email at [email protected]
Please visit our IRC channels on EFnet at #High, #Dxm, and #Uaf.
Official Zine Web Site at http://www.alaska.net/~zorak/dxm/.
Official #High Web Site at http://www.amvalue.com/~ben/.
Official #Dxm Web Site at http://abuse.dxm.net/.
Official #Uaf Web Site at http://uaf.lycaeum.org/.
Edited by Gravol, with article contributions by fellow DXMers.
Now over 190 subscribers strong, in 10 countries.

DISCLAIMER: The authors of this zine do not condone the use of
Dextromethorphan in any way. This text is simply used as an informative
guide to issues relating to Dextromethorphan use and should be used
for entertainment purposes only. We are not responsible for any
actions taken by anyone reading this text.

ADVERTISEMENTS: You may now advertise your products or your services
in this section of the zine. Advertising is free for all who are
interested, I just ask that you provide a link on your Web site to
the Zine Web Site at http://www.alaska.net/~zorak/dxm/. The editor
has the sole discretion to edit or remove any advertisements he deems
inappropriate. Send your advertisements to [email protected] with the
word "Advertisement" in the Subject line. Thanks!
---
Hi!
  Dxm.net offers shell accounts and complete virtual hosting
solutions through e-systems.net. We are just cool!
  Apply today by contacting [email protected] Thank you!
---
Greetz!
  The UAF is looking for a few good men and women that can help out
on the zine with artwork, articles, and other related activities.
  If you are familiar with the UAF, and have any experience with
ascii art, jpg/gif artwork, coding, or drug-related chemistry, you
are strongly persuaded to email the founder, RESiST0R, for further
information on how you can help out. If you're not familiar with
the UAF, please check out their website at http://uaf.lycaeum.org
or email at [email protected]
  The UAF Chemicals & Crime is again back up after a short leave of
absence, and it is released each month along with the DXM Zine. The
zine is presented as an alternative to all those small zines out there
about H/P, drugs and other "taboo" topics. We believe in free speech and
mean no harm by material published.
  We hope you will take a part in this exciting organization!
---
Hello!
  To subscribe to the DXM Zine, email [email protected] To get back
issues, go to http://www.alaska.net/~zorak/dxm/.
  Subscribing is safe and easy, and only the editor has access to
the subscriber list. It will never be sold or shared with anyone else,
so subscribe today!
  Please note that we no longer take subscriptions from juno.com
because Juno does not allow attached files exceeding 100k to be sent
to its users, so please provide an alternate email address if you fall
into that category.
---


CONTENTS

1  From the Editor - by Gravol
2  Letters to the Editor
3  DXM News - from Internet reports
4  DXM Survey
5  The Power of Astral Projection - by various authors
6  Returning to the First Plateau - by Walt, William White
7  A Complicated View as to How DXM Works - by William White
8  Hallucinogenic Drugs for Inner Space Exploration - by Donald DeGracia
9 *Nightmares and Paranoid Delusions - by Alpha
10*Tripping at Virginia Beach - by Gravol
11*Redosing in New Zealand - by Yahuel
12*My Theory on Life, Existance, and the Universe - by Gravol
13*Space Alien Conspiracy - by Anonymous
14 A Fishy Experience - by Legion
15 Cough Syrup Extraction - by Anonymous
16 Miscellaneous DXM Tidbits - by various authors
17*How DXM Affects the Stomach - by various authors
18 Background Info on OTC DXM Manufacturers - from Internet reports
19*DXM Drug Combos...DXM Humor - by Muha
20 DXM and Hypnosis - by Sick-boy
21*DXM Poetry - by Gravol, DrQbert, et al.
22 DXM Site Review - by Gravol
23 Info on Ordering Pure DXM Powder - from compiled information
24 DXM Music and Movie Reviews - by Gravol, Al Crawford, MattC
25 Various DXM Sources (from the PDR for Non-Prescription Drugs)
26 Various DXM Internet Sites
27 Various Trip Reports - from Internet reports
28 Credits/Zine Information

* DXM Zine exclusives

FROM THE EDITOR
by Gravol

Welcome to another issue of the DXM Zine. So far, we've had 5
issues published which are all available on our website. I hope
you will take the time to review all the articles in each issue...
they provide a lot of information on Dextromethorphan.
  There is not much change to tell you about. I am now living
in St. Augustine, FL, and have adjusted quite nicely. I will
continue to work on the zine in my spare time, but I need help
from our subscribers as far as sending in articles, returning
surveys, and other things which would really help me out and
get the zine published a lot faster. If I had an overload of
articles, I'd release two zines in the same month, but so far
I've had no such luck.
  So I encourage you to become a part of the DXM culture and
send a story or article to be published and get your name out
in the ranks of robo-trippers and psychonauts. Or tell me more
about you by emailing me with your personal information for me
to include in an upcoming Bio section of this zine.
  There will be a lot of changes, and for the better. I will
always be expanding the zine to make it as complete and well-
rounded as possible. I just hope that you will be part of the
changes and take an active role in the DXM community.
  One final note... it is by a sheer miracle that you are even
reading this month's issue, because it was nearly deleted due
to an unknown disk error. That is why I've split it up into
two smaller files. Also, because this is the largest issue
to-date and I know many of your text editors simply won't
support very large text files, so I hope this helps.
  Thank you and have many wonderful trips. :)

                                                       Gravol
                                                       St Augustine, FL
                                                       September 22, 1998


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

From [email protected]:

HI, Jeff.  Thanks for the great zine.  I am at least a part-time writer
as a way of life, and though time is at a premium, both in terms of
having time to write and having time to trip, I hope to become a
contributor to your community of writers soon. This is too good to
pass up!  Best wishes.
                                                       - Edward Levy

From [email protected]:

Hey there.  Just a word to find out if I need to write to you every month
for the newest issue, or will I receive it automatically?  Anxiously
awaiting issue 6.  I really like the zine, man.  I've enjoyed DXM at the
fourth plateau for a very long time with only a very few select people and
it's nice to have a forum to read through put together by people who
recognize this as a very serious tool, as well as a recreational trip.
Loads of fun, and very insightful, DXM has been a favorite for a long time.
I've been documenting as many trips as possible as thoroughly as I can,
with complete database listings for each trip (all the facts, times,
consumptives, feelings, reactions, etc) and even photos and tape recordings
of thoughts and visions.
  Just want to offer my sincere thanks for giving this chemical and the
people who love it a voice to be heard and expressed and also offering to
those who are uninformed a very thorough look at all of DXM's many aspects.
Take care.
                                                       - Cliff Alexander

From the Editor:

Cliff -
I am glad you enjoy the zine so much. You do not need to keep writing
to me each month to subscribe to the zine... once your name is on the
subscriber list, it will always be on the subscriber list... just as
long as the email address stays valid.
                                                       - Gravol

From [email protected]:

Keep up the good work!
                                                       - DrQbert

From [email protected]:

By the way, thanks for your efforts in compiling DXM information
and making it available to the psychedelic community. I think that's
an important contribution to the development of the drug culture and
all seekers of spiritual growth.
                                                       - Adriano

From [email protected]:

Good to know that the zine is back.   I missed it.  I found the first 3
issues really informative and entertaining.  Keep up the good work.
Looking forward to future issues.
                                                       - Yahuel

From [email protected]:

Nice job with the zine!
                                                       - Gizard

From [email protected]:

I took LSD long before I first took DXM.  I dont think that me having
taken LSD has effected DXM.  The only effect LSD has had was that I didn't
really enjoy my first trip as much because I didnt know much about DXM and
kept anticipating something similar to acid.  DXM, however, has affected
the way I percieve things when I'm on acid, or even just stoned.  It's
like DXM has somehow connected with a part of my mind and whenever I get
any kind of intoxicated, it's there in the back of my mind shining a light
the color of a DXM trip (no, not the color of Robitussin, but a strange
abstract color that you don't really see, but feel with another unident-
ifiable sense that I've gained as the result of psychoactive drug use) on
my other highs.  Well anyway, thats how things are to my perception.  Hope
I've possibly helped you out somehow, or just told you some crap about the
intricateness of my DXM use.  Peace and perfect trips.
                                                       - J


DXM NEWS
from Internet reports

"Dxm.net services cut back"

Some services that dxm.net used to offer, such as an open window to
IRC and use of the dxm.net server while connected to IRC have been
restricted due to a computer hacker attacking the domain.
  The main services, such as ftp/http/pop3/gopher/slip still remain
and the cost is $100 or $30 in 3 monthly installments.

"DXM Zine and Chemicals & Crime merger"

Effective immediately is a merger between the DXM Zine and the UAF's
e-zine Chemicals & Crime. This simply means that when you receive
either one of these publications, the other will be included with
it as well. This simply allows more people to receive both publications,
and in no way changes the actual format of either zine.

"DXM Zine announces new contest"

The DXM Zine has announced a new drawing in which anyone who sends
in survey results from each the current issue will be put in a drawing
for a 5 gram giveaway of DXM. People who contribute articles or trip
stories will be put in a drawing for a 10 gram giveaway of DXM.
  Each month, 15 grams total of DXM HBr will be given away to 2
different subscribers. Hopefully, this will get more people involved
with contributing to the DXM culture and this zine.

Last Updated: September 25, 1998


DXM SURVEY
A Survey on DXM Use

Hello and welcome to this month's survey. Please take the time to fill
out the following form and return it to [email protected] with "Survey"
in the subject line. Results will be posted in Issue 7 for this survey.
Last month's results are posted below.

1. Y/N Has anything paranormal ever happened to you while under the
      influence of DXM?
2. Y/N Do you like DXM better than LSD?
3.     What form of DXM do you take most often? If it's over-the-counter,
      name the brand, otherwise name the distributer you buy from.
4. Y/N Have you ever tried DXM polistirex (Delsym)?

As you can see, this survey is related to a wide variety of topics...
please do your best to answer and return promptly.
  Last month's survey results are posted below:

There were 59 participants, or 35% of the total number of subscribers.
86% of those who participated claim they have experienced CEVs.
69% of those who participated claim they have taken LSD in the past.
54% of those who participated claim they have had an OBE on DXM.
2% of those who participated were undecided.

These results show that CEVs are almost commonplace for tripping on
DXM... it also shows that LSD does not directly influence the
DXM trip in most cases, nor does LSD affect whether or not you
get CEVs. About half of the subscribers claimed to have experienced
OBEs (out-of-body experiences) at some point, but it is not clear
whether they were just feelings of being out of your body or
full-blown astral projection.
  Thank you to all who participated in this survey.


THE POWER OF ASTRAL PROJECTION
by various authors

[Editor's note: The following article contains viewpoints that
doesn't necessarily include that of the Editor. They are simply
included in this zine to give a more complete understanding of
the Out-of-body experience.]

In the last issue we discussed how to leave your body, or astral
project. In this issue we're covering the basics of out-of-body
travel, what to expect, the theories behind it, etc.
  This article is divided into smaller sub-articles, written by
various authors. The first sub-article is about using the OBE
for consciousness research, followed by another sub-article
regarding an actual OBE description. The third sub-article is
taken from "The Complete Ascension Manual."
  Due to size and space limitations, you may expect more on
OBEs and astral projection in Issue 7. There is simply too much
to discuss to fit into one article.
  Also, keep in mind that this all relates to DXM because DXM
is a dissociative and it is very simple to induce an OBE on
DXM. For more information on how to induce OBEs with DXM, see
Issue 5. This article simply relates to general OBEs and personal
experiences with them.

Consciousness Research Using the Out-of-Body Experience
(by Kevin de La Tour)

Do you wonder why you are in this life? Would you like to know where you
have been before this physical existence and what will happen to you
after physical death?
  If we accept the premise that we are not simply physical beings who have
a single life on this planet, but that we have experienced a multitude
of physical existences and will continue to do so, then we will probably
have a natural curiosity about our past lives. How can we access this
information to find out who we have been and what we have done? And if
we have had past lives, is it not logical to presume that we may have
spent a period between lives - perhaps preparing for our upcoming
physical existence? If this is the case, then how can we tap into this
information that can tell us what our existential program (task or
"mission") is in this physical life?
  The International Institute of Projectiology is a Brazilian institution
of research and education that instructs individuals how to work with
bioenergy and employ the out-of-body experience (consciousness
projection, astral travel) in order to perform individual consciousness
research. In this way we can begin to arrive at answers to age-old
questions such as: Who am I? What am I? Where am I from?; Where am I
going?; and Why am I here?
  Dr. Waldo Vieira, founder and president of IIP, is a Brazilian physician
who has been researching consciousness full-time over the past 30 years.
From his independent research, he has codified a wealth of information
in the fields of consciousness (spirit, soul) and out-of-body experience.
The result is the body of programs offered by the International
Institute of Projectiology. The goal of these programs is the effective
dissemination of IIP's research findings in a format that is both
informative and useful.
  If we are going to begin to find answers to the questions that have been
taunting mankind for millennia, then we are going to need a technology
that will allow us to directly access this much needed information about
ourselves and the multi-dimensional nature of the world in which we
live. IIP is dedicated to the research of consciousness and the
development of technology that allows the interested individual to
perform this investigation on his or her own.
  A tool that is most useful for this purpose is the out-of-body
experience (OBE) or projection of consciousness (PC). What makes PC so
effective is that we are all multi-dimensional beings or, rather, we are
able to transcend this physical dimension and participate in the
infinite number of non-physical dimensions that exist beyond this world.
Since we invariably come from these non-physical dimensions and return
to them upon biological death, we can appreciate that the physical
dimension is not our source. Actually, our origin is the extraphysical
(non-physical) dimension. Indeed, we are all essentially consciousnesses
that are repeatedly reborn into physical life for a relatively brief
period of time.
  Although physical life is somewhat short, it is very important. Many
individuals refer to their existential program (task or "mission") that
they feel they need to realize. IIP research indicates that many of us
prepare for this physical life before being reborn into this dimension.
We do this in order to take maximum advantage of this physical
opportunity to grow, learn and develop - in order to accelerate our
evolutionary process. But if we have performed this preparation, why can
we not recall it? How can we reclaim this information from our
multi-dimensional data banks?
  What is the out-of-body experience? OBE is not a new phenomenon. IIP
research indicates that it is a perfectly natural physiological
phenomenon. It is, in fact, innate to being human. It occurs when one's
physical and non-physical bodies are in a state of non-alignment.
Everyone leaves their physical body every night when they sleep.
Statistics from international surveys, however, show that approximately
10% of the population has OBEs with relatively little awareness, while
only 1% (55 million) has fully conscious OBEs.
  OBE is a completely different experience from dreams (lucid or not) and
also from any other altered state of consciousness. It is not an
imaginary event. OBE is a real situation experienced in another
dimension.
  OBEs can occur in a number of conditions: while walking, sitting,
relaxing, meditating, or sleeping. Most often, for those who are not
developed projectors, OBEs are experienced spontaneously, when the
individual is in one of the foregoing conditions.
  Projections of consciousness can also be provoked using various OBE
techniques, many of which are taught through IIP courses. If one is
going to develop their capacity to willfully produce projections, it is
essential that they also develop their capacity to work with bioenergy.
Also called life force, prana, chi, etc., bioenergy acts as a kind of
adhesive, serving to maintain the physical and non-physical bodies
connected with each other. If one wishes to promote their ability to
have projections, they must develop a certain looseness between the
bodies. This is accomplished by working with the bioenergy that holds
the bodies together, in order for it to become more supple and pliable.
This will, in turn, allow the easier separation of the bodies when
desired.
  Projection of consciousness can also be forced, resulting from a
traumatic incident, such as an accident, surgery, illness, etc. The
near-death experience (NDE) - an example of a forced type of OBE, in
which the individual is resuscitated from a traumatic incident, and
sometimes from clinical death - is currently being widely researched.
References to it are made in ancient Egyptian and Greek records as well
as the teachings of Buddha, Herodotus, and Plato. Nowadays, it is
receiving much more attention as more scientists investigate this
phenomenon. Laboratory experiments, for example, have been conducted in
the last 3 decades by American researches such as Dr. Charles Tart, Dr.
Karlis Osis and Dr. Janet Lee Mitchell.
  Why can the out-of-body experience be regarded as the most important of
all psychic phenomena? All psychic phenomena (clairvoyance,
clairaudience, psychic readings, etc.) involve the utilization of
non-physical capacities to perceive non-physical events and/or
information. They thus require that the individual consciousness be
operating, to some degree, from a non-physical body or vehicle, using
its perceptive capacities. In order for this to occur, one must be at
least slightly projected from the physical body - in an altered state of
consciousness.
  One reason that OBE is such a valuable tool for self-development is that
it allows direct access to information about ourselves and the
multi-dimensional nature of life. We can access information about past
lives, for example. There are also educational facilities outside the
body that one can frequent in order to gain information that would
otherwise be unattainable. Many of the greatest insights throughout
history have been achieved through projections of consciousness.
  The out-of-body experience allows us to access not only
multi-dimensional reality, but facilitates our regaining the road map or
"blue prints" that we drew up for use in this physical life. If we can
access these directives, we will be able to live much richer lives in
the here-and-now; lives that are more clearly focused on our personal
goals and allow us to realize the next step in our evolutionary
development.
  One of the most important uses of projection is assistance to others. As
we develop our capacity to�project, we can perform much needed energy
treatments while outside the body. This can be applied to imbalanced and
ill non-physical consciousnesses, as well as to physical consciousnesses
who are temporarily projected outside their body for the purpose of
receiving energy transmissions.
  There are a multitude of individuals, for example, who do not pass
through the transition of biological death in a good condition. These
consciousnesses, when they return to extraphysical status, end up as
psychotic post-mortems or "earth-bound spirits". In other words, they
are not able to completely orient themselves in their new non-physical
environment. In this case, an extraphysical consciousness may conclude
that they are still physically alive or may simply remain confused and
disoriented regarding their unfamiliar surroundings. In other cases, the
newly extraphysical consciousness is aware that they have passed through
physical death, but are upset about having lost their human body.
Regardless of the specific reason for their disorientation, the result
is that they are dysfunctional citizens of the non-physical dimensions.
  While this problem is not readily perceived in our day-to-day physical
life, it remains a very real one. Whereas there are a multitude of
practitioners and therapists who attend to a variety of physical issues
in this dimension, there is a severe shortage of competent extraphysical
therapists. As our energetic abilities, projective capacities,
understanding of multi-dimensionality and maturity develop, we can begin
to serve as much needed projected therapists in increasing partnership
with the extraphysical Helpers (spirit guides, guardian angels).
  An example of this is illustrated in Dr. Vieira's book Projections of
Consciousness: A Diary of Out-of-Body Experiences, when he relates, "I
moved away with the extraphysical consciousness and transmitted energy
to him, focusing the emissions on the extraphysical brain of the
suffering consciousness. I sensed the transmission of a great flow of
energy that was not my own. The ailing extraphysical consciousness
immediately recovered and stated, 'It's gone! I'm better!' "
  The variety of experiences one can have while outside the body is quite
extensive. This book relates 60 of Dr. Vieira's most illustrative OBEs
(he has been having lucid projections continuously since the age of
nine), serving to give the reader a realistic idea of what can be
experienced through OBEs. Nevertheless, the best way to understand the
scope of what awaits us in the extraphysical dimensions is to develop
our own capacity to have projections.
  Following is a possible scenario of what one could experience during an
OBE:
  After sleeping a short while, you find yourself lucid, but having
sensations unlike the ordinary waking state. Feeling numbness and a
difficulty in moving, you begin to experience a certain lightness and
then a floating, bobbing sensation. You start to feel a kind of
electrical current running throughout your body. Suddenly you see
interesting, but perhaps unrecognizable images and hear things that are
quite different from the ordinary, ranging from light whistling or
hissing noises to loud successive pops. After feeling neither here nor
there for a while, you sense that you are rising out of and leaving your
physical body. Feeling amazingly light and without the need to walk or
breathe, you are swept up in a sudden euphoria - you are free from the
heavy process of physical life.
  You experience a degree of lucidity that you have never had before,
feeling much more intelligent, perceptive and creative than in physical
life. It is clear that you are not physically awake, as you can see your
body calmly sleeping below.
  Slowly turning away from your static physical figure, you glide
effortlessly out through the window of your bedroom - which is still
closed! Rising higher and higher into the night sky you sense an
unequaled freedom that words cannot convey.
  After zooming around a bit, you sense that your return to the physical
body is imminent. Your landing is as effortless as the takeoff. As you
begin to experience breathing again, you open your eyes. The vivid
memory of this brief but vibrant journey confirms that this was not a
dream.
  This is a very simple example of a projection of consciousness. As one
develops their projective capacity and relationship with the Helpers,
the benefits and problem solving possibilities available through the use
of OBE increase exponentially. The experience of cosmic consciousness
(also known as nirvana, samadhi, oneness with the universe, etc.), for
example, is actually a very high-level projection of consciousness.
  Dr. Vieira relates such an experience in Projections of Consciousness:
"I was suddenly sure of being a participant in a formless gathering,
composed of bodiless points of mental focus, of masses of energy that
was taking place in a nirvanic atmosphere that was of an unimaginable
level of mental elevation, unapproachable with earthly descriptions, and
indefinable in known terms....This projection, having a curious
distortion of the time-space continuum, had gone from a temporal and
spatial level to the cosmic level - beyond all material restrictions and
physical impediments."
  The point here is that we are all able to achieve extremely high quality
results if we are willing to dedicate ourselves to this end. As well as
a fair degree of perseverance, a certain amount of courage, sincerity
and ethics are necessary to achieve truly profound results. But the
technology needed for this is currently available and is offered through
the International Institute of Projectiology.
  IIP gives experiential training seminars through its Consciousness
Development Program (CDP). It includes both theoretical classes that
serve to orient the participant to the dynamics of the out-of-body
process and practical classes that allow one to practice with
time-tested OBE techniques.
  Participants of the CDP have experienced specific benefits as a result
of the program in the following areas:

o Health: prevent and correct illness; manage stress and emotional
 problems; maintain good health; promote sound natural sleep; assist
 others to improve their health.
o Personal Success: expand problem-solving ability; amplify intellectual
 capacity; build confidence; improve interpersonal relationships.
o Consciousness Development: expand self-awareness and psychic abilities;
 learn how to provoke and use the out-of-body experience (OBE) to gain
 insights and understanding; develop past life recall capabilities and
 use them to define and accomplish current life projects; eliminate the
 fear of death.

Anyone can project him or herself if he or she can overcome the fears
and insecurities that most people have, knows how to work with
bioenergies and acts in accordance with the cosmoethic. The long-term
benefits of interdimensionality are so many and transcendent that the
effort and discipline required to realize lucid projections is well
worthwhile.

My First OBE
(by Jim Lagerkvist)

I'm going to share this with all of you in the hope you find some value
in my experience. First of all, I want to say that while I enjoy reading
about OBEs, I never had a serious desire to have one myself. This now
seems ironic after reading posts from those who are knocking themselves
out trying to do it.
  Last Thursday night, I went to bed feeling really stressed and hoping to
have interesting dreams as sort of a "poor man's vacation". I think my
desire to escape the events of the day may have been the catalyst for
what happened next.
  I must have drifted off for awhile, but then awoke suddenly. My entire
body was vibrating intensely. I layed there awake while the vibrations
increased. From reading about OBEs I recognized the sensations and
wasn't scared. I had full choice to either stop it or let it continue.
The vibrations escalated until I felt I could leave my body if I wanted
to. In my eyes, I saw flashes of blue light the color of static
electricity. As I was laying on my left side, I rotated clockwise and
gave myself a mental "push" out.
  I floated up and looked down to see my body on the bed and my dog still
sound asleep next to it. I wouldn't have recognized the body as mine...
it was white and featureless. The 'me' that was out of my body was
everything I identified as myself, but no vibrations. I don't remember
trying to look at my new form, but was puzzled as how I could see
without physical eyes.
  I recalled I should have the ability to pass thru the bedroom to go
outside the house. The thought of safely trying to go thru the glass
window concerned me, so I went up to the solid wall. I felt a slight
resistance but pushed and went thru with the sensation of wet soft
cardboard. I floated to roof level and traveled about a 1/2 mile to the
house I grew up in. Travel time seemed instantaneous.
  I entered thru the garage roof and exited out the front wall with the
same sensations of soft wet cardboard. I headed home and the next I knew
I was back in my body. Another OBE happened that same night and I don't
remember where I went. But the initial "launch" was identical.
  For the next couple days I was excited at the privilege of the
experience, but now I'm not sure what it's really useful for. For those
of you who have been having these, what value do you find that I may be
missing. And for those who are trying so hard, what is it you are hoping
for. I'm not ungrateful for having experienced it, just curious what's
beyond the entertainment of it.

From "The Complete Ascension Manual"
(by Joshua David Stone)

Between Lifetimes --- [...] I am going to attempt to give a glimpse of
what goes on the astral, mental, buddhic, atmic, monadic, and logoic
planes of consciousness after the death [or passaway] of a soul
extension. Where a soul extension goes after the death is determined by
how it had lived throughout all its past lives, including the most
recent past life, and how it dealt with its bardo experience. It will
gravitate like a magnet to the plane that is most appropriate to its
soul development. [...] The choices for a soul extension first entering
into the spiritual world are:

o A quick return to Earth life

For the average person who has attained even the smallest level of
enlightment, an immediate return to incarnation on the Earth would be
unthinkable. The average person gravitates to the middle astral plane.
Paramahansa Yogananda said that if a person has the slightest degree of
a spiritual belief in life, his passin would be a pleasant one. [...] It
is usaully only the lower impulses of Earth life that draw a soul back
for immediate rebirth without some kind of review and assessment period.
This path is followed very often.

o Hell regions

There is a lot confusion as to whether there is actually a hell region.
The most fundamentalist religions say there is, and that if you don't
accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour you will burn there forever. Some
metaphysical schools of thought say there no hell region, it is just a
state of mind. In my opinion the truth is somewhere in the middle. Hell
is most definitly a state of mind. It is also a location, but it is not
as the fundamentalist religions describe it. People are in hell when
they are run by the negative ego, by material and astral desire, and
hence are cut off from their own souls. [...] Hell, however, is not a
place of eternal damnation. It is really just the very lowest level of
the astral plane. Some have referred to it as outer darkness. [...] Soul
extensions will stay there indefinitly until they begin to take
responsibility for their actions, or until they can't take the torture
of their own deluded consciousness any longer and cry out to God for
help. Each time they cry out to God for help, a guardian angel will come
and offer some aid and assistance. Over time, such a soul extension will
begin to emerge out of the darkness. There is no eternal damnation in
God's plan or consciousness. God, in His infinite mercy and forgiveness,
gives all soul extensions, no matter how deluded, a chance to return
home.

o Purgatory

The term purgatory is also a term that has been confused by the
fundamentalist religions. It has very negative connotation and has been
associated with hell, but this is not true. Purgatory is a region where
soul extensions go who are not evil like those in the hell regions, but
rather just misled and not educated properly on Earth. They are those
who have been misled in their education through unsound religious
practices, those who have been overtaken bad habits, those who are
atheists, those obsessed with material desire and attachments, those who
have gone insane, and so forth. This would be the lower astral region.
It is often very difficult to awaken such people to their spiritual
path. There is a great mass of humanity living in this region of
consciousness.

o Lower, Middle and Upper astral plane

There is a borderland zone that is above the purgatory and hell regions
and that actually superimposes itself on Earth life. Here are good
people who have found what they consider to be contentment in areas
close to the Earth. This particular area is like an astral counterpart
that duplicates life on Earth, except it is still in the astral plane.
Life is so much like that of Earth it is often hard to realize that once
has even left. At some point these soul extensions begin to yearn for
something better.
  [...] It must be understood now that life after death looks not much
different from life on Earth. The astral and mental and higher planes
have whole thriving life with cities, beaches, mountains, homes,
streets, concerts, libraries, social halls, clubs, churches, and temples
just like we have on Earth.
  Many soul extensions, when they pass over, do not even realize they are
dead. They are in their astral bodies which look just like their
previous physical bodies. The unique thing about life after death is
that astral bodies travel with the mind. If they want to go to the
beach, they just think "beach", and they are immediatly there. There is
no need to get in a car, train, or airplane to travel.
  Very often when soul extensions pass over like this, they will think of
the family they have just left and they will immediatly be with a given
family member. What they don't realize is that they are in another
dimension, and their family members can't hear or see them. This can be
quite confusing for people who haven't realized that they have died.
  There are some soul extensions who are so attached to the material world
that they don't allow themselves to go through the tunnel to the other
side and are stuck on the earthly plane even through they are in their
astral bodies. There are called "Earth-bound souls". They may continue
to live in the same house they lived in before death. They don't realize
that it is their own consciousness that is keeping them stuck on Earth
and not allowing them to continue their spiritual evolution.
  There are some soul extensions who are able to get hold of some vital
force and play tricks on people who are still in earthly bodies. [...]
Many people, when they die, stick arround and watch their own funerals
before passing on the astral plane. Those soul extensions of a more
evolved nature will gravitate to their higher astral realms and possibly
to the mental realm. Many soul extensions, when they pass over, sleep
for a long time before awakening on the inner plane. This is especially
true of those who have experienced lingering illness or uncontrollable
grief and of those with a strong desire to continue life in the physical
body.
  [Editor's note: More on the Out-of-body experience and astral
projection can be found in Issue 7.]


RETURNING TO THE FIRST PLATEAU
by Walt, William White

Recently I started experimentation with the First Plateau after
several nasty experiences at higher dosages. If you are like me,
then you may want to go back to the basics and return to the First
Plateau to renew your pleasures of DXM.
  Keep in mind that it is very easy to overstep the First Plateau  
and jump right into the Second. So it's best to start out low, then
increase your dosage over time. I usually took Coricidin Cough &
Cold, and only took 90mg to 120mg (3-4 pills). Keep in mind that
I weigh about 135-140lbs. I would also take one Tylenol PM (containing
25mg of Diphenhydramine HCl) to further the effects of the DXM.
  [Editor's note: Taking Tylenol PMs or any form of diphenhydramine
hcl is not recommended at larger DXM doses. It has been reported that
people have gone into seizures after mixing diphenhydramine/dimen-
hydrinate and DXM combos, so steer clear of Dramamine, Benadryl,
and Marezene when taking large doses of DXM.]
  These First Plateau experiences totally rejuvinated my view of
DXM and got me totally back into tripping. If you have any marijuana
around, you may also wish to smoke a joint while on a First Plateau
trip. It's more like a slight alteration of consciousness than an
actual trip. And the best thing is you can totally function and go
places without people really noticing that you are high. Oftentimes
I would start out the day with 4 Coricidins, 1 Tylenol PM and this
would be all it took to get a decent 5-6 hour buzz going, without
anyone else knowing that I was high. By doing this, I also steered
clear of tolerance and most of DXM's nasty side effects, and also
experienced minimal stomach discomfort.
  This is what William White has to say about the First Plateau,
for reference purposes:

The first plateau generally occurs around 1.5 to 2.5 mg/kg (some net
users suggest 2.7mg/kg as ideal for regular users), but this may vary
enormously depending on metabolism and other factors. The first plateau
is probably the hardest to hit; many people "overshoot" it. Please keep
in mind that these effects listed are general effects, and that
individual results may vary considerably.
  A general narrative of the first plateau can be constructed. At about 30
minutes to 1 hour after dosing, an "alert" sensation is noticeable; this
is simply a feeling that is unique for individual and signals the begin
of altered consciousness. The experience has only a vaguely "drug-like"
character for about 10 minutes, after which restlessness and slight
stimulant effect are noticeable. After another 10 minutes or so,
movement and position sense are altered; those with motion sickness
begin to notice nausea. Gravity starts to feel weird, and one may bounce
around a lot. Emotions may start to become intensified. There is a
slight feeling of dissociation from reality, but overall the experience
is slightly intoxicating, with intensified emotions and sense of
importance from everyday events. This effect peaks and then slowly
subsides until it is unnoticeable.
  A first plateau trip usually takes between 20 and 40 minutes to start
(on an empty stomach), peaks about 1.5 to 2 hours later, and lasts
between 4 and 6 hours. Gel capsules take up to 1 hour additional to
dissolve. Hangovers are very rare from this plateau, but if they do
occur, they tend to consist mainly of lethargy.
  The primary effects of the first plateau are general euphoria, euphoria
specifically linked to music and motion, slight disturbances in balance,
moderate stimulation, and very slight intoxication. The intoxication and
balance disturbances are similar to that induced by alcohol, but much
weaker and without the mental confusion; there is little if any mental
sluggishness or confusion with a first plateau trip.
  Some people have difficulty hitting the first plateau. It can take
several trials; as a general guideline, if you notice double vision,
you've gone way too far. A lot of the more pleasurable first plateau
effects, in particular the music euphoria, are set and setting
dependent. Being in good physical condition, avoiding excessive
caffeine, and being in a good mood are all important factors in
achieving a good first plateau dose.
  Positive first plateau experiences are one of the first to go with
regular use. Part of this seems to be tolerance (which builds quickly
and lasts for considerable time). Another part seems to be a familiarity
with the first plateau experience; after awhile it no longer seems quite
so profound or interesting. Some have suggested changing set and setting
as a way of regaining the more interesting aspects of the first plateau.

Anyway, if you are like me and have experienced nasty effects of DXM
at higher dosages, I hope you will not totally give up on DXM and
return to the First Plateau... you never know how much fun you may
have until you try it!


A COMPLICATED VIEW AS TO HOW DXM WORKS
by William White

DXM binds to at least four sites in the brain, which can be
arbitrarily labeled DM1, DM2, DM3, and DM4; there is probably also a
fifth binding site (DM5). Some of these sites are sensitive to
pentazocine, a known sigma ligand; some are sensitive to haloperidol,
another sigma ligand. On the following table, information from several
sources has been gathered and combined. The binding affinity of DXM,
DTG, and 3-PPP are listed, along with (+)-pentazocine sensitivity,
and haloperidol displacement ability (binding values in nM
unless otherwise specified). "Low" means micromolar binding affinity.
  DXM binds to four separate places, two with high affinity. The first
receptor is accepted to be the sigma1 receptor based on the binding to
pentazocine and haloperidol, and the potency of (+)-3-PPP. The second
receptor is almost certainly the PCP2 receptor, given the insensitivity
to pentazocine, and the very high affinity for DXM. The third site is
probably sigma2 (based on the potency of DTG) but it is possible that
"DM1" in this table represents both sigma1 and sigma2 and that the third
site is something else. The fourth site is probably the NMDA receptor's
open channel site, although it might be the ion channel binding site.

The PCP2 binding site is probably the dopamine reuptake complex, so
blocking it would prevent the uptake of dopamine in much the same way
that the antidepressant bupropion (WellbutrinTM) or cocaine does.
Of course, DXM is considerably weaker than cocaine (and stronger than
bupropion, incidentally) at this site. This probably accounts for the
euphoric effects of a low recreational dose, and almost certainly
explains the stimulant effects of a low dose. Interestingly, the
stimulant effect seems qualitatively different from amphetamines to most
people (I have no comparison information on cocaine). One user compared
DXM and bupropion favorably in stimulant effect. Incidentally, it seems
that DXM may bind noncompetitively at the dopamine reuptake site whereas
bupropion binds competitively.
  The music euphoria and motion euphoria are probably partly due to PCP2
activity, and partly due to other activity. As NMDA blockade and sigma
activity can both lead to dopaminergic activity (see below), reuptake
inhibition would potentiate these effects.
  Interestingly, DXM seems to be much more potent at this site than other
sigma/NMDA ligands (such as PCP or ketamine) in comparison to activity
at other sites. Also interestingly, at least one tricyclic
antidepressant has been found to be active at related receptors (sigma,
PCP); it is possible that the PCP2 site may be a target of some anti-
depressants.

As the sigma2 site is a fairly recent discovery, it is not known what
sigma-related effects and behaviors are attributable to which receptor
(sigma1 or sigma2). There is very little data on the subjective effects
of sigma ligands, in part because only recently have selective ligands
become available, and in part because most researchers aren't very
willing to dose themselves to find out. DXM binds to the sigma1 receptor
and is generally considered to be an agonist at this receptor. DXM is
probably also an agonist (as opposed to an antagonist) at sigma2, though
it is much weaker there.
  The disruption of sensory processing may be due in part to sigma
activation (and partly due to NMDA blockade) (63-65). Sigma receptors
may be specifically involved in the auditory effects of DXM (65), and
these effects may relate to a disruption of sensory input persistence.
  The psychotomimetic (literally "psychosis-like") effects of DXM may be a
result of sigma activity since sigma receptors seem to have some
involvement in schizophrenia. People who have used both DXM and
ketamine have remarked that DXM is much more likely to induce delusional
and hyper-abstract thought patterns. Sigma receptors may temporarily
modulate cholinergic receptors, so sigma activity may produce
temporary effects somewhat like the delusional anticholinergics.
  The effects on motor skills may be a result specifically of sigma2
receptors. Expect to see more data on this subject as sigma2
receptors are investigated more fully. There may also be a contribution
from NMDA receptors, of course.

Dextrorphan (DXO) is much more potent than DXM at the NMDA receptor,
which accounts for the slow onset of most of DXM's effects even when it
is injected. The NMDA receptor is the central site of dissociative
action, and is probably the main contributor to most of DXM's effects.
Dissociatives, including DXM, act on the NMDA receptor by binding to its
channel once it opens up, essentially plugging it up.
  Most of the "stoning" or intoxicating effects of DXM are due to NMDA
receptor blockade. Alcohol's intoxicating effect seems to be mediated in
part by NMDA receptor blockade (alcohol's depressant effect is due to
GABA activity; DXM has no activity at GABA receptors) (28,61,62). The
dissociative anesthesia of high DXM doses is also likely due to NMDA
receptor blockade.
  As stated before, sensory processing disruption, especially at higher
doses, is probably due in part to NMDA receptors and partly to sigma.
NMDA blockade is probably responsible for most if not all of the
flanging effects of DXM, especially visual flanging. This is likely an
indirect effect, i.e., the blockade of NMDA receptors induces changes in
the way the brain processes information, leading to flanging.
  The effects on memory are almost certainly due to NMDA blockade. NMDA
receptors are intimately involved in long-term potentiation,
the primary mechanism behind intermediate-term memory (ITM) and
long-term memory (LTM). By blocking NMDA receptors, long-term
potentiation, and thus intermediate- and long-term memory encoding, are
disrupted.
  NMDA blockade indirectly increases dopamine activity in the
striatum, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercule, and prefrontal cortex.
Increased activity at dopamine D1 receptors is responsible for the
increased locomotor activity seen in rats on dissociatives, and
may be responsible for many of the effects DXM has on motion. Chronic
use of DXM may result in upregulation of dopamine D2 receptors.
  DXM's ability to suppress respiration at toxic levels is most likely due
to NMDA receptor blockade or (in my opinion) ion channel blockade. Some
of the effects from very high dosage levels may be due to overall
disruption of neural networks. There is some preliminary evidence that
both the "spontaneous memory" effect and the sensations similar to
near-death experiences may occur as limbic areas (the hippocampus and
hippocampal formation and surrounding areas) are disrupted by NMDA
blockade. Most drugs target specific, small clusters of neurons (or
their receptors, which can be scattered about). Both excitatory amino
acid secreting neurons and NMDA receptors tend to be more evenly
distributed, although they too are concentrated in certain areas of the
brain to a lesser extent.

Probably the greatest degree of DXM's effects come from consequences of
the aforementioned receptor binding on the temporal lobe limbic areas.
The blockade of NMDA receptors by DXM has specific consequences in these
areas. The normal functioning of the hippocampus and amygdala are
disrupted since NMDA blockade prevents long-term potentiation. The
posterior cingulate and retrosplenial cortex paradoxically become more
active. There may be spontaneous "noise" effects in the entire limbic
system amplified by feedback. One paper suggested that dissociatives may
induce "microseizures" or limited areas of high activity in the limbic
system.
  There is also the suggestion of a "top-down" inhibition of the senses,
i.e., inhibitory signals from the limbic areas and surrounding cortical
areas are sent "down" to sensory networks, lowering the strength of
sensory data. This "top-down" inhibition of the senses may be the
mechanism behind dissociative anaesthesia; sensory information is still
processed by the brain, but never makes it to the conscious mind and is
never encoded in intermediate-term declarative memory (in the
hippocampus).
  Finally, dissociatives seem to alter the flow of signals through the
limbic areas, possibly increasing the degree of internal feedback within
these areas (or between these areas and the neocortex) and diminshing
the amount of sensory data that comes in. Gating of signals coupled to
the theta rhythm through the posterior cingulate may be altered.
  Putting this all together into some sort of cohesive theory may be too
soon but I'm going to do it anyway. My belief (which will probably
change as new research becomes available) is that the diminished sensory
data (from top-down inhibition), and the decreased encoding of
intermediate-term memory, combined with the enhancement of activity in
the posterior cingulate and retrosplenial cortex, all lead to an
increasingly closed feedback loop. Within this loop, random noise,
individual differences in temporal lobe "wiring", the contents of
intermediate memory, and the influence of electromagnetic fields
all combine to give rise to profoundly abnormal neural patterns.
  An interesting aside to this is that the sense of smell is sometimes
reported to be enhanced on DXM. This hasn't been formally studied, and
may be all in one's mind, but since olfactory data is treated somewhat
differently by the brain than the other senses, it may be spared from
the descending inhibitory signals that attenuate other sensory data. If
so, then the feedback loop could actually serve to increase the strength
of olfactory data, by repeatedly adding the same, small signals
together.

Many of DXM's effects are undoubtedly due to indirect activity at other
neurotransmitter systems. For example, it may indirectly increase 5HT
activity, especially at the 5HT1A receptor. This could explain some of
its mood-altering properties. Another example is dopaminergic activity;
DXM has a fairly strong ability to increase dopamine activity (both from
activating sigma receptors, and from preventing dopamine reuptake at PCP
2 sites). NMDA receptor blockade also has been shown to increase
dopaminergic activity, as well as activity of other neurotransmitter
systems.

One of DXM's most prominent effects if the flanging of sensory input.
This happens to some extent with many drugs, and I have a hypothesis on
this. Note in particular the relation of flanging to "stoning" and
"buzzing" - in some ways, flanging is a more profound degree of stoning.
Some people have noticed a flanging or strobing effect after smoking a
great deal of cannabis, and nitrous oxide users are also familiar with
flanging of sounds. Even alcohol can produce it.
  What it seems many of these drugs have in common is the ability to
inhibit hippocampal long-term potentiation. Some have suggested that
there are more than one set of signals that pass through the same limbic
areas, with those in phase with the theta frequency and those out of
phase being gated differently. Perhaps one set of signals is more
strongly involved with memory, and the other set more strongly involved
with sensory data. Or, perhaps all drugs which inhibit hippocampal LTP
all activate the posterior cingulate cortex. In either case, signals at
one phase of the theta rhythm could be disrupted, leading to a pulsing
of perception in step with theta rhythm.
  A different theory is that networks in the brain will re-process the
same data repeatedly until a stable configuration is formed, and that
DXM (and other drugs) slow down this process. With some networks slowed
down and others operating at normal speeds, the characteristic
frequencies of the two sets of signals would differ, leading to a "beat
frequency" in much the same way that two very similar sounds can lead to
a beat frequency (for a quick demonstration of this, listen to someone
tuning a guitar by ear).

Another interesting effect of DXM is its ability to induce peculiar
cognitive disturbances, which I lump together under the term of
"hyper-abstraction". Two examples:

o A meme is a "particle" or "virus" of thought - an idea which is in some
 ways self-contained, and which spreads like a virus. For example, the
 idea of civil liberties is a meme, which at some point sprang into
 existence, spread rapidly, and has now become an integral part of our
 consciousness. One user during a DXM trip suddenly became aware of (or
 thought up) "The self-invoking, self-creating meme", which was the
 concept of a meme whose identification creates and invokes it. It seemed
 that this meme was timeless in the sense that it must have always
 existed, or it could not have come to mind, since it is not easily
 deducible from anything other than itself (of course, the brain doesn't
 work on the rules of logic, but ... you get the point)
o Another user wrote of thinking about convergent infinite sums
 (e.g., 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + etc., which sums up to 1). Although one
 can add these terms up forever, it's easier to abstract the process
 and get the answer that way. This user imagined an infinite series of
 abstractions, and then imagined abstracting that infinite series to get
 a new level or plane of abstraction.

Many DXM thought patterns involve what some have called "Strange Loops"
in logic. Like the self-contradicting statement "this statement is
false", some of them cannot be embodied in logical form; others can be,
but cannot be derived without presenting them as hypothesis. Thinking at
this degree of abstraction is very difficult (unless you are fortunate
enough to be Kurt G�del).
  Several people who have written first-person accounts of psychosis and
schizophrenia have mentioned increasingly abstract thought patterns (Zen
and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance springs to mind). This may of
course be complete bunk, and it may be that the increasingly "abstract"
thoughts are just increasingly loony (and thus difficult to relate to
concrete ideas). On the other hand, it may be that something about
schizophrenia and psychotic states is related to a blurring between
levels of abstraction. Once blurred sufficiently, a thought which cannot
be represented at a concrete degree of abstraction could be
representable in the mind.
  Thus, DXM may induce a sort of temporary blurring of these levels of
abstraction. Whether this is due to NMDA or sigma activity, I don't
know, although I suspect the latter, since other NMDA antagonists don't
tend to induce such changes in thought patterns.

As stated above, sigma activity may modulate cholinergic receptors in
the brain, leading to a temporary decrease in cholinergic function
similar to (but considerably safer than) that caused by anticholinergics
like atropine, scopolamine, cyclizine (Marezine), etc. It is known that
cholinergic activity is important in memory, and many nootropics ("Smart
Drugs") enhance cholinergic function. Sigma activity may very well cause
temporarily lowered effectiveness in some cholinergic receptors, thus
distorting memory and thought processes. Some people have in fact said
that DXM makes them feel temporarily stupid ("Dumb Drugs", anyone?)
although this by no means happens to everyone.
  Many of the biogenic amine systems seem to have a modulatory role, and
some researchers think these modulating systems operate much like
"control knobs". For example, one theory on LSD is that it upsets the
"gain control" on sensory recognition networks (possibly by descending
inhibition, although through different pathways than those postulated
for dissociatives). As a consequence, the random noise input (necessary
for any pattern matching network) becomes much stronger than the sensory
input. Sensory recognition becomes increasingly less and less precise -
ergo, hallucinations.
  LSD's effects are almost certainly more complex than this, but there may
be some truth to the "control knob" idea of the biogenic amine systems.
If so, then the cholinergic systems may be the "control knobs" for
cognitive networks in much the same way that 5HT2A/5HT2C systems are for
sensory recognition networks. Delusions may simply be the cognitive
equivalent of hallucinations. Or to put it another way, the difference
between thinking you look like a flower and thinking you are a flower
may be a question of which network is disrupted.
  Memory problems derive to some extent from NMDA blockade, although some
users of ketamine have remarked that DXM can have a stronger effect on
memory than ketamine. It is possible that, in addition to inducing
delusional thoughts, a decrease in cholinergic function could be
responsible for some of the memory problems. This is certainly
consistent with the effects of the delusional anticholinergics.
  Incidentally, the anticholinergics also affect acetylcholine receptors
that govern the functioning of the heart and respiration (these
receptors do not seem to be modulated by sigma activity). Recreational
use of anticholinergics can be extremely dangerous, leading to collapse
of respiration or heart failure.


HALLUCINOGENIC DRUGS FOR INNER SPACE EXPLORATION, PART ONE
by Donald DeGracia

The following was written by an expert in the field of hallucinogenic
drug research, and the exploration of the Inner Self. It doesn't
directly relate to any DXM issues, but since DXM is a hallucinogenic
substance, it can be applied to the following article.

Introduction

There are a variety of tools available to anyone interested in exploring
altered states of consciousness. Such tools include meditation,
out-of-body experiences, brain and biofeedback instruments, occult type
rituals, visualization exercises, and also in this category are
hallucinogenic drugs. Each of these tools provides a different doorway
into the inner spaces of our subjectivity and consciousness. In this
article, I would like to provide a brief overview of hallucinogenic
drugs as one means among many for achieving altered states of
consciousness. It is not my intention here to debate whether it is right
or not to use hallucinogenic drugs, whatever is ones motive, though I
will discuss the variety of opinions that exist in this regard. My
purpose here is twofold: 1. to give a broad overview of hallucinogenic
drugs in general, and 2. to show how hallucinogenics can provide, if
used reasonably and responsibly, a valuable and substantial tool for
exploring inner spaces.

History Of Hallucinogenic Substances

The history of mankind's involvement with hallucinogens seems to go back
thousands of years. Some modern scholars speculate that the soma of the
ancient Hindus was indeed a hallucinogenic substance that was used for
purposes of religious ritual and ecstasy. The use of opiates in China
and the Far East is well documented. The religious uses of
hallucinogenic mushrooms by Native Americans is also a well documented
fact, as well as being a point of controversy in modern legislation.
However, the modern West only really became involved with hallucinogenic
drugs after World War II. It was in 1948 that LSD was first produced
from rye mold by Albert Hoffman, who was at the time looking for
antibiotic substances in fungi. Also around this time, mescaline was
identified as the active agent in certain hallucinogenic plants. Within
a few years after being recognized, these substances began to cause
severe polarization in opinions about their use and benefit.
  On one hand, there were in the 1950s and early 1960s, small groups of
avant garde intellectuals who began to associate religious and mystical
qualities with the effects of these drugs on human perception. Perhaps
best known in this regard was Aldous Huxley's "The Doors of Perception",
which highlighted Huxley's personal experiences on mescaline. Also in
this vein was Alan Watts' "The Joyous Cosmology" which also extolled the
philosophical and mystical virtues of the hallucinogenic experience.
  On the other hand, during this same period, hallucinogenic drugs such as
LSD and mescaline were seen by the medical and psychiatric fields as
being agents that seemed to simulate psychosis. Initially, the term
"hallucinogenic" did not even exist. In the 1950s and 1960s these drugs
were generally called "psychomimetics", meaning that their effects
mimicked symptoms displayed by psychotics and paranoids. Perhaps the
crowning tribute to this view of LSD was the book "One Flew Over The
Cuckoos Nest" by Ken Kesey, which reflected Kesey's experiences as a
volunteer in medical experiments on the effects of LSD. Incidentally,
Kesey, in the late 1960s went on to be one of the leaders of the West
coast psychedelic movement with his "Band of Merry Pranksters" (as
described in the book "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Tests").
  So from the very beginning the hallucinogenic drugs have been viewed
from totally opposite points of view: doctors initially equated the
drugs' effects with psychosis, and intellectuals equated the drugs
effects with profound religious experiences.
  The story of LSD climaxed in the early 1960s with the research of
Timothy Leary at Harvard University. Initially, Leary, who was a Harvard
psychologist researching the nature of personality, had only an
impartial scientific interest in these so-called psychomemetic drugs. He
soon found out however that their effects were so great as to cause him
to essentially abandon his roots as an elitist East coast intellectual
and to become the founding father of the psychedelic movement in the
United States. It was Leary's contention that hallucinogenic drugs
opened up to human perception things long lost from Western tradition,
things that were well understood in older cultures and religions.
Timothy Leary recognized, like other intellectuals a decade before him,
that these drugs have the potential to cause profound religious and
mystical experiences, experiences that could easily be distorted and
misconstrued by Western reductionistic intellectuals as being symptoms
of insanity. Leary, like any other person made sane by LSD, came to the
conclusion that it was the modern West that was insane, not some poor
individual in a psychiatric ward who was experiencing visions and
hearing voices.
  I do not think there is a need here to attempt to recount in full the
story of Timothy Leary. However, we will return to the contention that
hallucinogenic drugs cause religious and mystical experiences. At this
point, it is enough to say that Leary started something much bigger than
himself. The psychedelic movement gained much momentum through
1965-1967, culminating with events like Woodstock. However, quick as it
came, it was gone. LSD was made illegal, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin
died, Leary got off his soap-box, and the United States, after failing
miserably in Vietnam, drifted into a depressing 1970s.
  And here we are, some 20 years later. LSD has not gone away, it is
simply not talked about anymore. The best of the actual psychedelic
movement turned into the Grateful Dead, who have been riding a
successful music career ever since. And the basement scientists who in
the 1960s made and sold LSD turned into the "designer drug" community on
the West Coast, giving us such wonderful poisons as "Ecstasy" (which
causes severe nerve damage if taken enough - so beware!).
  Well, with this bit of history under our belts, I'd like to discuss a
little about the hallucinogenic drugs themselves both in terms of what
their subjective effects are and also what is known about how they react
in the body. After that, I will then go into more detail about their use
as a tool for exploring inner space.

The Effects of Hallucinogenic Drugs

So doctors call it insanity, and intellectuals call it enlightenment,
but really, what is it? What are the effects caused when on
hallucinogenic drugs?
  In terms of effects, one of the most important generalizations about
these drugs' effects was laid out by Leary when he spoke of "set and
setting". What he meant by this is that what an LSD user actually
experienced was critically dependant on the user's state of mind (set)
and where he was at and what company he was in (setting). This fact is
completely true. It is very difficult to classify the effects of
hallucinogenic because they *are* so dependent upon set and setting. If
the user is depressed and in bad company, the experience will be vastly
different than if the user is relaxed, happy and in good company.
  But, keeping this idea of "set and setting" in the front of our mind, we
can still make some generalizations about the subjective effects of the
LSD experience. Some of the most commonly reported effects are:

o Visual hallucinations.
o Audio hallucinations.
o Sensory mixing (hearing sights or seeing sounds).
o Weakening of ego boundaries (a weakening or loss of sense of self).
o Enhanced ability to think abstractly.
o The uncontrollable urge to laugh.
o Enhanced ability to sense the emotions of others.
o Inability to maintain focus or concentration for long periods.
o Feelings of extreme joy.
o Feelings of extreme depression and terror.
o A direct apprehension of God.

Now this list is by no means complete. It only states some of the more
commonly reported effects. It is also important to state that not all of
these are experienced by a LSD user. As a matter of fact it is possible
that none of these effects will be experienced. It is important to be
aware that: THE EFFECTS OF HALLUCINOGENIC DRUGS ARE EXTREMELY
UNPREDICTABLE. The rule of "set and setting" is the best guide for
anticipating what the effects of a hallucinogenic experience may be. As
a matter of fact, I have a close friend who is quite experienced at the
use of hallucinogens, and his rule of thumb is the following: "if you
have a garden in your mind, then you'll be in it. If you have a garbage
can in your mind, then you'll be in it". This is very useful advice.

Explanations of Hallucinogenic Effects

At this point I would like to begin to discuss what it is that these
drugs are doing in the body. There is no question that hallucinogens
cause profound effects. The really key question is: where do these
effects come from?
  To answer this question I would like to lay out two very different
theories of what it is the hallucinogens are doing to the human being.
We will see that these theories are complimentary in that they both shed
light on mode of the action of hallucinogenic drugs. However, these two
theories I am about to discuss are products of vastly different
world-views that most people consider to be contradictory. In this
article, I take the attitude that we can learn from both. The two views
of how hallucinogens affect humans that I will now discuss are the
scientific view and the occult view. Both science and occultism offer
reasonable and useful views about the nature of the hallucinogenic
experience. However, what I intend to illustrate here is that the occult
view is simply better. Let us begin with the scientific view. There are
philosophical problems we must as well address as we proceed.
  A drug such as LSD offers a severe challenge to the conventional
scientific wisdom. Science tells us that our consciousness is somehow
the product of our brain; that our psychology is the software, and the
brain is the hardware. At first glance, the LSD experience seems to
completely support this view for we have eaten a chemical that severely
alters the hardware, and thus, expectedly, alters the software (i.e. our
thoughts and perceptions). For the moment, let us just accept this
contention and work with it.

Scientific Explanations of Hallucinogenic Effects

Modern scientific investigations into the structure of the brain shows
that it is made of lots of different layers of tissues such as the
cortex, cerebellum and others. These tissues in turn are, in total, made
of some one trillion cells. These cells are called neurons. Neurons look
a lot like tree branches, branching off in myriad directions touching
many, many other neurons. And the neurons align themselves like fibers,
making thick tracts of cable throughout the brain. It is well known that
neurons conduct electricity along themselves. This electricity is
created by salts like sodium and potassium, chloride and calcium. And
these salts act in the cells, much like the salts in a battery work to
make electricity.
  Now it is also well known that neurons do not touch each other directly,
but that there is a small space between adjacent neurons. This space is
called a synapse. Now the way neurons conduct electricity from one to
the next is that, the electrical impulse travels the length of the first
or sending neuron until it gets to the synapse. At this point, the
electricity at the synapse causes the first neuron to release chemicals,
called neurotransmitters, into the synapse. these neurotransmitters
float across the synapse where they then encounter the second or
receiving neuron. Depending on the nature of the second neuron, once the
neurotransmitters contact it, it will either continue the impulse (and
this then would be an excititory neuron), or it will not conduct the
impulse (this is an inhibitory neuron). It is important to appreciate
that there are two types of neurons in the brain, excititory and
inhibitory. This is important for understanding how science explains the
mode of action of hallucinogenic drugs.
  As it turns out, the chemical structure of the hallucinogenic looks
very, very similar to the chemical structure of the neurotransmitters in
the brain. Scientist therefore conclude (and quite reasonably) that what
happens when you take a hallucinogenic drug is that the drug gets into
the brain and interferes with the normal operation of the
neurotransmitters. The hallucinogenic drug fools the neurons into
thinking it is a neurotransmitter and it then disrupts the normal flow
of business in the neurons. Now the specific details of how this happens
do not exist. Yet, because the hallucinogens expand the activity in ones
consciousness, scientists believe that whatever hallucinogens are doing
in the brain, ultimately they are disrupting inhibitory synapses. The
idea here is that inhibitory synapsis serve a filtering function in the
brain and that unwanted or unnecessary stimuli are inhibited. If
hallucinogens disrupt this filtering function, then one would expect an
increase in the "noise" level of the brain leading to such activities as
hallucinations or even delusions. Thus, the effects of hallucinogens are
generally seen by scientists to be "noise" (similar to static on a
radio, for example).
  There is no question a certain degree of merit to this hypothesis.
However, one could ask as well: are there perhaps latent functions in
the brain that are turned on by hallucinogens? This point of view has
not been well addressed by scientific research for the simple fact that,
how can you look at something if you don't know it exists? If there are
functions turned on by hallucinogenic drugs in the brain that do not
normally operate in our usual states of consciousness, then scientists
have nothing to compare these states to, and thus are affected by a
blind spot. Still, though this question of turning on latent functions
is not easily addressed in terms of scientific thinking, we shall see
below that occult views provide us a basis to reasonably address this
question.
  In spite of any hypothesis scientists may provide as to the operation of
hallucinogens in the nervous system, we must put this discussion in its
proper perspective. Whatever scientists may profess to know about the
activity of hallucinogenic drugs is colored strongly by the fact that
the current scientific understanding of how the brain and nerve cells
work is highly incomplete.
  And this point leads us back to philosophy. Because, on one hand,
scientists like to believe that the brain creates consciousness, but on
the other hand, scientist have only a partial and incomplete
understanding of how the brain works. This seems like putting the cart
before the horse to me. It is possible that science will come to
understand in very full detail how the operation of the brain leads to
memory formation and other psychological phenomena. But the point is,
they only have a partial understanding at this point. If you took a
brain scientist (a neurologist, or neurochemist, or whatever) and sat
them down and asked; "How does the brain create consciousness?" They'll
either B.S. you with a bunch of details and never directly answer your
question, or they will out right honestly admit that this question
simply cannot be answered with current knowledge (if you can't dazzle
'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit!). So, the bottom line is,
that science's contention that the brain creates consciousness is more
belief and dogma than it is cold, hard, provable fact.
  Now it's important to appreciate this situation, because what it does is
leave the doorway open for alternative explanations. And in this quest
for alternative explanations, we do not have to take an attitude that
science is wrong and the alternatives are right, or vice versa. We can
take a more balanced and reasonable attitude and realize that different
explanations will give us a broader scope on the issue and therefore, in
the end, make our understanding fuller than if we defensively or
dogmatically cling to only one view of things.
  So having said this, let us turn to an alternative explanation of LSD's
effects (and any other hallucinogen for that matter), and this is the
explanation given by occultists.
  [Editor's note: The second half of this article will be continued
in Issue 7 due to size limitations. Thank you for your patience.]


NIGHTMARES AND PARANOID DELUSIONS
by Alpha

We've all been there. Well, maybe not all of us, but a large number
of us can relate to what happens when you take too much DXM on a
regular basis. And for all of you who are fortunate enough to not
know what I'm talking about, read on, because I'm about to shed some
light on the darker side of Dextromethorphan.
  First of all, if you abuse psychedelics on a regular basis you're
setting yourself up for a strain on your mind, and quite possibly
a mental collapse if you overdo it. Drugs such as LSD, when taken
in large and frequent amounts, can really take a toll on the mind,
not to mention other negative effects such as depression, personality
changes, etc.
  Such is the case with DXM. Only DXM's longterm effects are much
different than those with LSD or other psychedelics. Listed below
are some of the things I'm talking about:

o Paranoid delusions while under the influence of DXM
o Longterm paranoia
o Personality change
o Depression
o Nightmares
o Slight alterations of consciousness/headaches
o Breakdown/mental collapse

Okay, first up is paranoid delusions while under the influence of
DXM. What this means is simply becoming overly paranoid about something
while you're still under the influence of the drug. Specific examples
of mine are when I believed that I was having a heart attack because
I had a toothache after doing a hefty amount of DXM, or when I thought
I had developed lazy eye and my eye would forever be that way because
I took too high a dose of DXM, or when I thought I had a hole in my
throat because I couldn't feel it (since my skin was so numb), and
so on. Some people feel that they have either been hurt somehow or
are going to die. Unlike LSD's paranoid delusions, these delusions
are more related to the body than of the mind. If you freak out on
DXM, it's most likely because of something to do with your body.
A friend of mine thought his throat was closing, for instance.
While these can be very scary when they occur, most of them are
limited to higher doses and bad trips. As the DXM wears off, you'll
be fine. It's also been proven that the antihistamine found in
Coricidin can affect your sinuses and even your eyes, so be
careful when using large amounts of DXM in the form of Coricidin
Cough & Cold.
  There's also instances of false psychic phenomenon occurring
while on DXM. Have you ever felt you "knew" something while doing
DXM... but later it turns out you were totally wrong? One time
I just knew my friends had died somehow... it came to me as more
than a thought, but more like a psychic flash telling me so. And
I believed it with all my heart. It's so easy to get tangled up
in the paranoid aspects of DXM... too easy. Whenever you find yourself
starting to believe or "sense" things, tell yourself it's just
part of the DXM and to ignore it, and that really does work.
  What's even worst than all of the above, however, is longterm
paranoia, because it occurs after the DXM has worn off and you
often don't realize it's happening until after you've made a fool
of yourself with everyone around you. For instance, after doing
DXM heavily and almost daily throughout 1997, I soon began to
think that the world was going to end. I "knew" the world was
going to end, and soon. I spent all day on the Web researching
Nostradamus, etc., and as every day passed by, these feelings
grew stronger and stronger, until finally I had to see a
psychologist. There has also been an impending sense of doom
related to taking too much DXM too frequently. The sad thing
with these sorts of paranoia are the fact that you don't realize
they're even occurring because you're no longer under the influence
of DXM... but trust me, DXM can affect you long after the trip
wears off. Simple things like this equation just added to my
paranoid hysteria:

                       3 x 666 = 1998


I figured that since there were 3 Antichrists (the third one yet
to come) according to Nostradamus, and the number 666, being the
Mark of the Beast, obviously meant there might be a major event
unfolding in 1998 since the Bible said he who is wise can calculate
the number 666, and calculate obviously met manipulate with
a mathematical function. What was even scarier was when I read
that Nostradamus wrote that in the seventh month of 1999, the
"Great Terror" from the sky will come down upon all of mankind.
Since he actually named a month and a year, this just added to
my delusions of impending doom and death. All these are just
examples of how these simple paranoias can grow out of control
and totally envelope your life. If you do stop using DXM and
can get thru the withdrawal symptoms, then all this will eventually
go away, but it took about two months until it eventually subsided
for me and I could see clearly what all DXM had done to me.
  Another sad aspect of doing too much DXM is personality change.
Many people who I had contact with on chatlines over the Internet
went thru subtle personality changes until finally they seemed
like totally different individuals. And these personality changes
weren't for the better. More often than not, they'd become moody,
depressed people who acted totally opposite than how they should
have, and lost a great deal of friends over it. They'd also babble
and make crazy rantings about ideas and theories, and often go
off on their own and be by themselves. Over-use of DXM is the
perfect way to isolate yourself and stay in your room all the
time. You get lost in the paranoid and ethereal world of DXM,
like a prisoner who is blindfolded and led thru a dense forest,
only to be abandoned by his captors. Like all the other paranoid
aspects of longterm use, your personality will eventually change
back to normal, but not until after you've stopped using DXM
for a substantial amount of time and no longer go thru withdrawal
symptoms.
  Depression is just another part of personality changes, but
it happens more frequently than you'd expect. Even mild depression
occurs frequently between trips. Some people only go back to DXM
again and again because they get bored and depressed after stopping
its use. This just leads to a snowball effect which can eventually
lead to other problems. By taking certain antidepressants such as
Effexor, you may be able to stop a lot of the depression, but more
natural remedies such as St. John's Wort are recommended, because
most drug interactions aren't clearly known. Depression only seems
to go away when you beat the symptoms of withdrawal, because
depression is one of withdrawal's biggest symptoms.
  Nightmares are another symptom of withdrawal. Usually the dreams
are vivid and emotionally terrifying. When you stop DXM after
frequent use, you'll notice a few days later that you start getting
vivid nightmares, which only go away when you do more DXM. While
some users report that nightmares can be fun, these nightmares
can get way out of hand and you may end up getting 7 or 8 a night
and waking up in a cold sweat, frightened out of your mind. I've
dreamed of everything from the end of the world to ghosts and
the police pursuing me. Now I realize that most of these nightmares
were based on the same paranoid realizations that occurred during
waking hours on DXM use and after-use. These nightmares will go
away only when you beat DXM withdrawal, but often nightmares
are the easiest things to pass by. Usually they recede faster than
the other withdrawal symtpoms such as headaches and depression.
  If you survive the nightmares, then a second barrage of
slight alterations of consciousness can occur, which may be
more like head rushes or headaches to some users. At either
rate, I've gone far enough in the past to get rid of the nightmares
(about a week after ceasing use of DXM) but then the headaches
and head rushes got so intense I couldn't go for more than 5
minutes without one of these occurring, and it wasn't pleasant
at all. Like I said, the only way you can get rid of them
once they start is by either taking more DXM or by continuing
to put up with them until eventually they subside, which could be
a few weeks later.
  Finally there is breakdown. Mental collapse. It's all the same.
I've had two instances of this. The first one came on a rainy
day when I had stayed over at a friend's house and got my car
stuck in the ditch overnight. I couldn't wake my friend up and
was locked out of the house, so I walked home in the pouring
rain at 4 AM which took several hours, and got a ride from a
neighbor the following day back to my friend's house (my parents
weren't around), only to find my car was vandalized and the
sides dented in with a hammer of some sort. I was out of drugs,
my parents were about to kick me out of the house, I was also
paranoid and delusional, and appeared to have nothing. I just
wanted to kill myself. But I remembered the words my friend
told me... "At least now it can only get better." And it did.
I believe the DXM made what would've just been a real bad day
into a totally breakdown for me. As the day went on, a darker
and darker cloud developed above me and I never had such a
lonely, desperate feeling of anguish and pain in my life.
Of all the fun I had on this drug, and all the wonderful memories
it made, I knew this was the end... it had finally come to
this. It was over.

To look on the bright side, I eventually recovered and got
a job and spaced the DXM out to once a week, sometimes more,
sometimes less. Right now I do DXM every couple days, and
whenever I get paranoid about something I wouldn't normally,
I say to myself "It's just the DXM" and forget about it.
And it really does work. So now I hope I have shed some
light on what you should expect if you're an adventerous
psychonaut who is planning on doing Dextromethorphan on
a frequent basis. Be careful!


TRIPPING IN VIRGINIA BEACH
by Gravol

The summer of 1998 found me on the Outer Banks of North Carolina,
with two friends at a condo and a load of drugs. This also meant
much fun, and many experiences with visiting new places and people.
  One such experience was the day that we all decided to head up
to Hampton, Va. and later to Virginia Beach. We started out by clean-
ing up the car, vacuuming it out and later washing it at one of those
cheap car wash places. Anyway, we stopped at the local Kmart and my
friend stole a box of Coricidin Cough & Cold and later took 10-12
pills (300-360mg). Keep in mind that he is 6'7 and weighs about
200lbs. My other friend declined to take any. And since I can't
stand Coricidin because of the antihistamine, we then went to
Walmart and I bought some cough syrup. Since Robitussin wasn't
available, I had to settle for Vicks. A very thick and nasty-
tasting experience, I chugged the bottle after getting back onto
mainland North Carolina from the Outer Banks, followed by 3 or 4
Coricidin pills. We then headed north in my silver 1973 Buick Electra
into Virginia but ran into some major traffic near the Hampton
Tunnel. We were heading to Hampton first so I could meet a fellow
female friend that I got to know from IRC (Internet Relay Chat)...
her name was Amber.
  Anyway, after what should've been a 1 hour drive turned into
a 3-4 hour drive, we finally made it to Amber's house. About this
same time, we were peaking on DXM. As we pulled up and parked on
the side of the road which seemed to be a dangerous neighborhood,
we began to get second thoughts. However, as we were all standing
around my car, Amber drove up and parked in her driveway and invited
us into her house.
  Inside we met her mom and sat in the back room while a talking
parrot rambled on in the front room. I took things pretty calmly,
but I could tell my one friend who took the Coricidin was starting
to freak out. We went up there for the sole purpose of finding some
marijuana, so I had Amber make some calls and finally, it was time
to go pick up a half ounce. We all got in the car and headed over
a couple streets to her friend's house.
  This was when the Hell began for my other two friends. Once
inside, we met a guy that was at least 6'4 and 350lbs. He was
tremendously big and muscular, and was ranting and raving about
how a machine gun was stolen from his house the other week. We
had to sit around for a while too until it was time to go pick
up the weed. In the meantime, this ogre was starting to freak out
my friends, but I still took things pretty mellow. His other
friend was about my size and wore glasses... not a likely match
for the two... kind of reminded me of Laurel & Hardy, only these
guys were no laughing matter, at least for us.
  Finally, the call was made and it was time to go pick up the
weed. Tripping quite hard, I got in the car with the second guy
(the one who wore the glasses) and Amber, with me sitting in the
back seat. We headed to some unknown neighborhood, and I mentioned
how we were going to Virginia Beach later that day, but was warned
that it probably wouldn't be a good idea since there were a lot
of cops there. But I didn't really care... this was a once-in-
a-lifetime experience and since my parents lived in Va. Beach
in the 60's, I kind of wanted to see what it was like.
  Anyway, we got to the house where we were to pick up the
weed and inside we met the dealer's pretty girlfriend. She let
me weigh it out on the scale and I paid approximately what I
would've paid for a quarter in Ohio, so I was pretty pleased.
However, there was hardly any odor from the bag and the guy
who was with us mentioned how there were probably "additives"
in it, without really going into further detail.
  We drove back to the ogre's house where I found my two
friends looking very pale. After we left and dropped Amber
off, they explained to me that they were scared for their
life, and they actually thought that they were about to die
in that guy's house. I guess a lot happened while I was away
picking up the weed, but I attributed most of it to my friend's
DXM trip and simple paranoia. In the meantime, back at Amber's,
we smoked two joints simultaneously and then decided to head
to Va. Beach at that point.
  I said goodbye to Amber and had my friend who didn't take
any DXM drive. But something wasn't right... it was as if the
weed was laced with crack, and all of our hearts were racing.
I can still hear my one friend's shakey voice saying "My
shit doesn't feel right." This only freaked us out more and
we thought at any minute we were all going to die of heart-
attacks.
  But things wore off (at least the crack-like effects of
the weed did) and with the easing of the DXM trip, so did
our paranoias dissipate, so everything was looking good by
the time we were cruising down the main road (which appeared
to be The Strip) in Va. Beach. There was no boardwalk... just
this long road, parallel to the beach, with a ton of people
walking on the sidewalk and going in and out of the shops.
We decided to park and went up to where a band was playing
some classic rock. We went to a food stand and then sat down
on the grass with our grub and chowed down (which is very
common after starting to come down from DXM) while listening
to the band and watching the day begin to turn into evening.
I can still remember the pretty sky, and the white swirls
of clouds against a pale blue backdrop, and the ocean gleaming
in what was left of the day's sunlight. It was a wonderful
experience, and a perfect way to end what started out as a
scary day.
  After we ate, we got in the car and headed back to the
Outer Banks and to our condo. The weed lasted us the entire
rest of the vacation, and we never again experienced the
weird effects that were experienced the first time we smoked
it. But then again, we never again did DXM during that
vacation.
  Just another wonderful day in the world of DXM...


REDOSING IN NEW ZEALAND
by Yahuel

[Editor's note: Yahuel is a 38-year-old male, weighing 75 kg. The
initial dose was 320 mg and the second dose was also 320 mg.]

After a couple of low plateau experiences under my belt I was feeling a
little more ambitious.  Previously I had dosed on 160 and 240mg and
experienced some but not all of the effects and few of the side effects
mentioned in the FAQ and other web sources.  In my country (New Zealand)
the only source of pure off the shelf DXM is in a cough suppressant lozenge
which contains a paltry 5mg per loz.  So my first foray involved 2 boxes of
16 loz. and my second involved 3 boxes or 48 loz.  I have never experienced
nausea or any other gastro intestinal effects and I attribute this to two
reasons:

o I ALWAYS take DXM on an empty stomach and NEVER eat when I'm high.
o I only take DXM, no other active ingredients like guaiefensin or
 pseudoephedrine.

So, anyhoo, this particular day I decided to drive down to visit my best
buddy and turn him onto DXM if he was keen, which he was.  We had done weed,
acid, e and San Pedro cactus together so were no strangers to the High
frontier.
  After much searching we finally found a supermarket which had these
particular lozenges in stock.  I still relish the experience of buying DXM.
I've been busted for buying acid so being able to purchase potent psychedelic
drugs over the counter legally from the local mall is a thrill in itself.
  The plan was for me to take 4 packets and my friend Mike to take 3.
This would give us both around 4mg/kg for a moderate 2nd plateau dose.
These lozenges are a real asspain to take, menthol and aniseed or licorice
flavor overdose!  But thats a small price to pay.  So it took me about 30
minutes to crunch my way thru the 64 loz and Mike took about 45 minutes to
eat his 48.  Mike found the taste of the lozenges to be most unpleasant.
  Then we waited for a bus to take us into the city to maybe catch the
opening day of the XFiles movie.  By the time we got to the theatre I was
on a full body stone and having serious doubts about exposing my raw soft
wet brain to the XFiles paranoia scenario.  So we nixed the movie idea and
opted to walk around the city and talk some.
  My sense of smell was incredibly heightened.  I remember smelling the
fart of some guys who were about 50 yards ahead of us down the road.  It
smelt neither pleasant or unpleasant, it was just fart molecules. Spoor.
  I remember also an incredible sensation when I sat and closed my eyes:
the sensation was of being carried upwards and backwards, as if  I was
sitting on an escalator travelling at high speed.  I remember  trying to
alter the direction to upwards and forwards and "realised" that for me,
backwards = the past = myself = memory = the known = comfort = naivete
while to go forward would mean embracing the opposite qualities: the
future = others = plans and dreams = the mystery = risk = responsibility.
There was a very clear "directive": if you want to go forward an upward,
then this is the ride that you are signing on for.  So I chose forward and
upward and away I went.
  Most of that night was passed in a pleasantly stoned frame of mind. We
caught the bus back to his place and watched some TV and talked before bed.
He reported that he was having somewhat of a bad trip and was seeing the
world as being empty and meaningless.  I pointed out that he was making
this "insight" mean something.  When he realised that his supposed insight
was itself meaningless in its own terms he was able to drop it and his mood
brightened considerably. The poor guy had to work the next morning whereas
I was on vacation and this may also have contributed to just how much more of
a better trip I was having.
  As I drifted off to sleep I felt as though some kind of sentient
mothership-type being was somehow standing gaurd over me while sending
down little shuttle craft which relayed messages back and forth between us.
It was all very pretty with speilberg twinkly-light stuff and did not seem
to be at all unusual at the time. The next morning I woke up at 11(!), wrote
Mike a letter and wrote a little in my journal. I skipped breakfast, deciding
to fast for the rest of the day.  By "fast" I mean drink water only.
  I hopped in my car feeling mildly exhilarated and cleansed and
commenced the 2 hour drive home.  I had originally left home with the
intention of driving up into the wilderness for two nights, but had opted
on a whim to visit my friend instead. This time my whim hadn't settled on
whether to return home or make the 5 hour drive up to the wilderness for
one night and then home the next morning.  I opted for the wilderness and
opted also to repeat my previous nights dosage. (Kids, don't try this at
home!)
  The place I was headed is a special place: a hidden cave on a steep
hillside overlooking the sea.  I had tripped there before and was keen to
take some DXM there, get on up to that Second Plateau and then come what
may! About one hour from my destination, I started munching my way through
the 64 loz and had downed them all in about 25 minutes with no problem.
I had some amazing choral music (Thomas Tallis's Motet in 40 voices:
Spem in Allium 500 year old Psychedelic Church Music!) on the tapedeck as
I drove, and was feeling very high and happy.  Not the least intoxicated,
just really refreshed and glad to be where and who I was.
  I arrived at my destination just as the wintry sun was setting.  I
had chosen this particular date because it was full moon and that would
make it easier to find my way for walking on the beach etc.  Unfortunately
the sky was darkened with low thick cloud cover and the only light was my
torch and the sweep of a far off lighthouse.  I packed my sleeping bag, a
towel, a torch some water and my journal and set off to try and find the
cave.  Big mistake.
  The cave is as I said well hidden, and not easy to locate at the best
of times, in broad daylight with a clear head.  Also, it had been raining
heavily in this region and the stream I had to wade was almost waist-deep
rather than knee-deep.  The water did not feel cold or wet.  I was aware
only of the weight and resistance of the water and my now saturated-from-
the-waist-down-clothing.
  Across the stream the progress was even worse: the heavy rain had turned
most of the hillside into a bog, with landslides here and there to confuse
things even further.  And thats when my sense of balance left me!  Oops!
Carrying a backpack up the side of a muddy scrubby hillside in pitch
darkness about 100 feet above sea level.  I spent more of the next 1/2 hour
on my ass than on my feet, but I remained jubilant and still confident of
finding the cave, which by now had become something of a point of personal
honour: The Quest for the Cave.  I was by this stage feeling no pain,
literally. I didn't feel the least bit cold although I could see my legs
shaking.
  I was however still capable of rational thought because I remember
thinking about the three Ws: windchill, wetness and winter and concluded
that I stood a very high chance of suffering hypothermia and perhaps facing
actual death rather than simply ego death! The degree of intoxication I was
experiencing went way beyond that of the previous night. Whether this was a
simple result of re-dosing or was exacerbated by my fasting I don't know
(it was by now some 30 hours since my previous meal -not, of course, counting
the 128 lozenges!).
  More than once I collapsed from loss of balance and lay too exhausted to
get up.  More than once I found myself stuck, literally mired in ankle deep
mud, beset by brambles and bushes.  While part of me was still definitely
attending to the ongoing tasks of risk management and survival, another
part of me was still feeling incredibly clear, peaceful and happy, almost
exhilerated.  I finally concluded that my best hope for survival was to
try and make it back to the car.  The three risks being death by exposure
to the elements (it had by now begun to rain as well as gust (presumably!)
icy winds, death by falling off the hillside onto the rocks below or death
by drowning: falling into the sea, or losing my balance in the river and
being swept out  into the ocean.
  It was an exhilerating and truly adventurous journey back to the car,
not without moments of peril.  All the way I felt, however, as though I was
being helped.  Not necessarily by other entities, maybe just by inner
reserves of strength and survivability which I had never known I had.  All
the while the sense of exhilaration never left me.  I found myself repeating
like a mantra the intention of that evenings trip: "to deepen my experience
and further my adventure!" over and over again, all the way back to the car.
And at no stage did I feel like I had failed in my mission to find the cave.
In my state of high exhileration there was simply no place for thoughts of
failure.
  I peeled off all my wet clothes and dried myslf with the towel before
climbing into my sleeping bag and making myself comfortable in the front
passenger seat of the car.  I put on a tape (Sheila Chandra's The Zen Kiss),
found some dried apricots and almonds and started to eat- not from any sense
of hunger but rather to replace te energy I knew I had lost up on the hill-
side.
  Finally I could close my eyes... and WOW!
  This extraordinary spectacle was unlike anything I've ever experienced
before or since.  Mere language cannot convey the majesty and power of the
everchanging spectactle before me.  It was beyond words. It was Third Plateau.
  I remember taking out a piece of fragrant amber from a small box in my
jacket and inhaling its pungent fragrance in one mighty sniff.  As I did so
with my eyes closed, the face of an angelic being drawn somewhat in a cartoon
or airbrushed style appeared in the midst of the shifting visual kaleidoscope
that was previously my all.  She was smiling.
  Amidst all the multimedia, sensory overload synesthesia euphoria, I still
had the presence of mind to turn off the car stereo, so as not to flatten the
car battery.  All night I drifted in and out of pleromic hyperreality, aware
of the sound of rainfall on the car roof and the multiple images of the cars
digital clock.  I remember the feeling of leaving my body and how OK it was
to do that and remember learning how dying is a good thing waiting for me,
not a bad thing, and I can remember finding my soul and embracing it and
bringing it back, and wondering in an amused way: �How on earth did I ever
think I could make it on earth without THIS?!
  The next morning at 6 a.m., some 14 hours after second dose ingestion,
and 35 hours after first dose I awoke feeling refreshed and ready for the
drive home.  I was still somewhat intoxicated, I now realise, although at
the time I felt fine.  (Note: In NO way do I recommend driving, wading
rivers or rockclimbing on DXM.  I was stupid to do DXM without having a
sober sitter to take care of me. I've learned my lesson. If you're
smart you'll learn from my lesson too!)
  About 40 minutes into the drive home, everything suddenly shifted into
sharp focus and I realised that for the previous 40 minutes I must have
been fighting to maintain binocular vision.  The rest of the journey home
was uneventful.  My overall feeling was of being blessed: Peace on Earth
and Goodwill to all!
  Looking back through my journal for those 72 hours I find the following
jottings:

o The body is alive and intelligent at every level.
o Patterns which satisfy, persist.
o I am a sacred pure being at every level.
o An entity which we cannot relate to meaningfully becomes (or is) just a
 "thing."
o To move beyond something, seek not its opposite but rather be free to
 have the thing, its opposite, and the unknown.
o The universe is alive and sentient at every level.
o There are levels which we cannot apprehend or comprehend.

Much Love and Blessings to my Brother and Sister Psychonauts.


MY THEORY ON LIFE, EXISTANCE, AND THE UNIVERSE
by Gravol

These are my beliefs as to what happens when we die, and the whole
working of the Universe. Keep in mind that this is just not my personal
experience, but the result of several years of research I've done
from religious documents, out-of-body reports, and my own experiences
with DXM and astral projection. If it weren't for DXM, I would probably
not have a full understanding of these beliefs, but DXM has helped
me perceive life in a much fuller way... in a more complete way,
and for that I am very grateful.
  Now, as far as my theory goes, the universe is made up of dimensions.
We are in the 3rd dimension right now... the 3rd dimension is made up
of matter, and material things. The next dimension is the 4th dimension,
which is where we go when we die. In this dimension thought becomes
reality... thought takes on a form similar to matter in this dimension...
and there is perfection like no other that we know.
  Did you know that you can't even draw a perfect circle? It's impossible...
it's also impossible to perfect anything in this dimension. However, the
dimensions overlap... that's why we exist in both our bodily and mental
states. Think of it this way... your brain dies, but your mind goes on.
Whatever knowledge you gain in this lifetime will only help you in the
next dimension.
  A little more about the 4th dimension... you can visit it without
actually dying, thru astral projection... and its description from people
who have visited there is similar to the Bible's description of Heaven.
The 4th dimension is basically what the Bible calls Heaven. Hell was only
instituted to force people into believing religion. Look back to the Middle
Ages, when you could pay off your sins with money, even before you sinned.
These same people also said if you don't come to my church, you're going
to burn in Hell. What kind of love and universal character is that? Surely
God isn't that way... and I assure you, He's not.
  At the top of all these dimensions is God, and he is all-powerful.

It doesn't matter what religion you are... or what you believe in...
the Great Power still exists... you can call it whatever you want...
but He is your creator and your sole existance. And all we're doing
is moving up from one dimension to the next... not back down. However,
to pass from one dimension to the next, you must become a more spiritually
developed being, and that brings me back to this dimension... the planet
Earth.
  We are all volunteers... we existed before we were born but we retain
no memory of this. We, the brave ones, volunteered to come to this
Earth as a test to accomplish some sort of mission, which is also unknown
to us at this present time, and then die. By completing this mission,
you are developing into a higher spiritual being and are capable of moving
onto higher realms. But you must complete your current mission... life.
People ask why their son may have been killed after just living a few
days, or other similar tragedies, and I tell them their son was put on
this earth to bring the family closer together... perhaps their son's
mission was to create the atmosphere and situation that would allow
his parents to bond and experience the grief of losing a newborn.
Nobody is taken out of this world without first accomplishing their
mission, unless they commit suicide. If you don't kill yourself,
then you will accomplish your mission.
  Now, there's also a thing called Karma I believe in. What goes
around comes around... you're going to have as many really good days
as really bad days. And all the other days are going to be so-so.
Don't you notice how life evens out? If you do something you know is
wrong, maybe a day or two later something just as bad will happen
to you... but it's all by coincidence. You can't prove a thing. But
it's the great circle of life... Karma.
  That's where Cosmic Coincidence Control comes in... your life is
controled by forces both good and evil... thru the result of coincidences.
You can't prove them... they just happen, and the only thing you can
do is to keep on living your life the way you were. If you command
a ghost to appear before your eyes, it won't... because otherwise it
wouldn't be a coincidence anymore, now would it?
  There's also Fate... the day you die, along with your life's mission,
is already planned out. Just think back to when you were two years old...
what if you woke up an hour later than you actually did, thus eating
breakfast an hour later, forcing your mom to miss her flight... a flight
in which the plane crashes and everyone onboard dies. Little things like
that can influence larger things... matters of life-and-death. Do you
really think you'd be on this Earth still if something wasn't keeping
you here, wanting you to accomplish a mission? Do you think you shouldn't
go thru pain to accomplish your mission? All of the pain and tragedy
of life must be experienced to be able to develop into a higher spiritual
being.
  Some quick notes... if you ever use DXM to leave your body, you may
see thought forms because you are in the 4th dimension. These are people's
thoughts, hovering over time and space like clouds... for instance,
if a couch is in a room for 30 years, and one day it is moved away and
you visit that place at night while leaving your body, you'll still
see the couch because of the lasting thought impression it left... everyone
else's thoughts of that couch still exist, and everyone still expects
to find it there... even tho the actual couch is gone, the thought
form of it still exists, and slowly fades with time. Did you ever break
up with a girlfriend and become depressed because you found yourself
thinking of her day in and day out? Well, this is the same thing...
that's how powerful thought can be.
  And as far as ghosts are concerned, they are simply souls that don't
want to move on because of loved ones that are still living, or they
have grown so attached to someplace on Earth that they refuse to leave
it... they are somewhere inbetween the 3rd and 4th dimensions, and that's
why you can see ghosts but not all the other dead people.
  It has also been proven that upon death the body weighs slightly less,
which philosophers believe to be the astral material of the body departing.
When you die, you visit your loved ones and float up thru a tunnel of
light to meet your maker. All the pain and heartache that you've caused
everyone else must be experienced by YOU... like I said, what goes
around comes around... you will feel in a split second everything bad
you've ever done to someone. But then all the love and kindness you've
ever given out will also be experienced by you... and a complete
evaluation of your life follows.
  I realize this is going very deep, but this is truly what I believe
happens, and this is truly how I believe the universe is made up. No
joke. That's why I must keep on living, and give out as much love and
friendship as I can, and at the same time gain as much knowledge and
insight into life and everything else that may someday be able to aide
me on my journey.
  I hope I have shed some light into the way things work... like I
said, it matters not what your religion is... it only matters who
YOU are.


SPACE ALIEN CONSPIRACY
by Anonymous

It started out as any other day... I woke up, got in the shower, and
ran to the local Publix to buy 8oz of Robitussin Max Strength Cough.
I usually only bought 4oz, but today was special... my parents were
gone all day and I had the house to myself... so I decided to up
the maximum dosage to approximately 700mg and have a fun-filled day.
That is not what happened, however...
  I ingested the syrup, a fourth of the bottle at a time, every
fifteen minutes or so. Pretty soon I was feeling the effects, and
it only grew stronger. After trying to get online and type, I found
it to be pretty much useless, so I laid down on my parents king-
sized bed and got under the covers. I closed my eyes and immediately
was taken into another world. I saw myself hovering by some large
spacecraft, then all of a sudden I felt like I was being beamed
up to the spacecraft and next thing I knew I was onboard, and some
alien-looking being was standing directly in front of me. He had
a narrow, slender body and a large head with two large slanted
black eyes... since all of this was in the form of closed-eye
hallucinations, he looked pretty sketchy, but I could still make
out clearly what it was and what was happening. Next thing I knew
he reached inside me and a tremendous wind ripped thru me from
up into the atmosphere, and he kept reaching deeper, until finally
he joined all the energy that was flooding into my body and
actually entered me thru my chest area.
  Next thing I know, I was lost in the world of the 3rd plateau,
floating around aimlessly, seeing CEV after CEV, not knowing what
to do... I could barely breathe, walk, talk, see, hear, or move...
and everytime I shut my eyes reality was totally obliterated and
I saw things such as my dead grandfather jump out of his coffin
and kiss my grandmother (who is still alive) and stuff like that.
These were 3D visuals, clear as day, but more like a pencil sketch
than full of color... and they were full of life. I saw hour after
hour of them, though I forget what most of them were... in fact,
I forget what all of them were... it was much like a dream... you
know what is happening at the time but upon later examination,
you find that you've forgotten just about everything that
happened.
  Finally, it turned into a worse and worse trip for me. As
the peak wore off, I could still not see straight, nor could
I hardly walk or do anything... the time on the clock read
2:22 and seemed to stay that way for an eternity. It wasn't
until after 3pm or 4pm when I could again open my eyes and
make out shapes and objects. A number of times I jumped up
gasping for breath, thinking that the end was finally here...
and cursing myself for every trying that much cough syrup.
Yes, I've done high plateau trips before... but I always
forget how bad they are until after I experience them.
  Anyway, to get back on the subject... the trip finally
wore off but I was feeling high all day long and into the
next day. Then I got an email from my friend up North...
it seems that what I had told him about Karma and Cosmic
Coincidence Control came true for him.
  While he was down here visiting, I told him once while
tripping on DXM about Karma and how what goes around will
come around... and how you shouldn't do bad stuff or else
you'll have something else bad happen to you. Especially
if you're a DXM user...
  Anyway, while he was down here he broke into someone's
house to steal some pills and I did know about it, but didn't
participate in it. My punishment came later that night when
we had some friends over in my house and my parents came
home early to find beer bottles and blunts everywhere.
Needless to say I got the car keys taken away, the house
key taken away, and was totally grounded. My friend didn't
receive his punishment until after he went back up North.
  The email he sent me follows.

 Subj:   (removed)
 Date:   9/19/98 2:53:25 AM EST
 From:   (removed)
 To:     (removed)

 what did i do, man i wish i would have never done that at (removed)
 house, i'm getting the negative effects bad, damn, man, tonite, i got
 fucked again.  what am i going to do,  i got another ticket, but for a
 first degree misdemeanor,  man,  i can't take this much longer, i really
 can't, i don't know what to say to my parents, and i have to go to court
 on this friday, and that's when i am supposed to go to school, fuck, man
 what did i do to get all this shit, i don't have this money to pay for all
 this shit, man, i really don't know, what to do, i'm going crazy,  it was
 for (removed) bought some beer with money that we gave him, and we got
 fucked, for chipping in, man, i swear there is some negative vibes all
 over me, and i can feel it, i can feel the heat, just like tonite i knew
 someone was watching us, i felt it, but i couldn't do anything about it
 cause i didn't know what it was, then bbaammmmmmmm  we got hit up, by
 two undercover feds. i swear man, i'm loosing my wits, what the fuck am i
 going to do, i really hope they let me off this easy, i'm going crazy sorry,
 i didn't die on the air flite, but i'm getting punished, right now,  i'm
 feeling the guilt.  damn, and i hate it and i'm scared.  damn.  well i need
 a smoke so i'll talk with you later, i'm quitting it all, i think, i can't
 take all this bull shit, and that's what it is, damn.  i hate it.
 well take care, and hope things are looking up for you.  see ya, your bud.

Anyway, it's pretty freaky about what happened and I wish him the best
of luck with his problems. And remember what I say about Karma...
what goes around really does come around, it seems.
  And watch out for those aliens... the bad ones are up to no good. :)


A FISHY EXPERIENCE
by Legion

The moment I heard that DXM could get you high I rushed to the pharmacy
and bought a wonderful product which is made out of DXM on a mix of natural
ingredients. After that, at my house alone I started working on my computer
and decided to use it. Since I wasn't waiting for a major experience I
drank the dose while working on the computer. After a few minutes I
started to get deeper and deeper inside the computer. Then, my head
started to gain weight and my eyes where closing.
  At that moment I realized that the DXM was acting a lot faster and more
intense than I was expecting. I saved my work and arranged a quick "set
and setting"; prepared my stereo with my "tripping" music, then I
putted the beanbag between the two speakers, turned off the lights and
sat. The visuals, even though not as intense as with DMT (mostly
colorful lights), I felt they were real, palpable. The most impressive
characteristic was the physical sensation. It is difficult to describe
with words but if you have used DMT, X and Special K, imagine them together.
I was lucky, not everybody obtains a psychedelic experience with DXM.
[Editor's note: this statement is not necessarily true; it depends on
a variety of factors as to whether or not you have a "psychedelic"
experience... namely your body weight, the amount you take, and
whether or not you have a certain enzyme that allows metabolism
of DXM.]
  The most incredible visual was an entity that appeared floating
over me. It was looking at me and slowly getting it's face closer to
mine. Suddenly it started to introduce itself to my body through my
mouth while I was trying to pull it out. I kept trying without success.
When it was almost completely inside i tried one more time and pulled it
out. When I looked at my hand I saw that what I pulled out was the entity's
skeleton which had the shape of a fish skeleton. What was kind of strange
was the feeling of peace I had while this was happening. [Editor's
note: I have had similar experiences where "entities" have tried
to enter my body.]
  About 5 hours later my roommates found me in the same place I started
the trip and still tripping. My girlfriend helped me stand up (I lost a
lot of my body's control) and took me to bed where I instantly fell
sleep. About two hours later I woke up and tried to tell my girlfriend
about the incredible trip I had but I still couldn't talk very well.
[Editor's note: It is very common not to be able to talk after ingesting
a sufficient amount of DXM.]


COUGH SYRUP EXTRACTION
by Anonymous

[Editor's note: This message was posted anonymously to the alt.drugs
newsgroup.]

What follows is the procedure and effects of extracting Dextromethorphan
hydrobromide from OTC cough syrup.

Materials:

o Methanol (used automobile product "HEET" as tech grade methanol, $.79)
o Sodium Hydroxide (used lye in form of "Red Devil Lye drain cleaner,"
 $1.88)
o 8 oz (250mL) bottle Robotussin Maximum Strength Cough, $6.76
o (5) Drixoral Cough Caps (optional, about $4.99 for box/10)
o 500mL Beakers
o 250mL Beakers
o 50mL flask
o Coffee filter-basket type
o Funnel
o Stirring rod
o Empty gelatin capsules

[Editor's note: The Drixoral Cough Caps are no longer available.
Use syrup instead.]

Note:
I had previously taken the liquid out of 20 Drixoral Cough caps and
collected it in an ampule for quicker administration (the 20 gelcaps
previously had upset my stomach and I don't like the time it takes for
them to dissolve). I had 5 Cough Caps remaining and decided to use the
fluid out of them in my extraction to "boost the octane" and compensate
for the likely loss of product that would occur in the extraction. I
mention this because it wasn't necessary to the procedure. Admittedly, I
don't know what form of DXM is in the Cough Caps and how they could have
affected the extraction, but I'm guessing not much.

Precautions:
The solutions of NaOH and water, as well as the overall mixture are very
basic and can burn your skin. Wear latex gloves, wash your hands
thoroughly many times, and try not to spill ;-)

Procedure:
The entire bottle of cough syrup was poured into a 500mL container. The
additional DXM fluid from the Cough Caps was poured in. In another
container a solution of 200mL water and approximately 2 grams of sodium
hydroxide was prepared, then poured into the cough syrup. The mixture
was stirred until a pinkish milky emulsion formed. At this time 50mL of
methanol was added and stirred. The mixture was covered and let stand.
At :30 minutes after the addition of the methanol no settling of any
solid product was observed. Another solution of 30mL water and 1 gram
sodium hydroxide was added, followed by 30mL more methanol.
  At 1:30 there were still no signs of settling. Dejected, I decided to
put the mess away for the rest of the day.
  The next day, after approximately 20 hours had elapsed, the container
had a scum of whitish particles on its bottom, floating on the surface
of the mixture, and suspended in the mixture. The coffee filter was
folded to fit a funnel, which was put in the mouth of a large jar.
Filtering the mixture took almost half an hour as the sediment quickly
clogged the coffee filter. Fresh water was periodically used to wash the
filter paper down and concentrate the sediment in the cone of the
funnel. After all the mixture was filtered another 200mL of water was
passed through the filter to wash the sediment and remove any remaining
mixture. This is an important step! The DXM is in its base form and
water can't hurt it, so the more water the safer.
  The filter was opened up and a thimbleful of crystalline, fluffy wet
off-white powder was it its center. This was allowed to dry for an hour.
A razor blade was used to scrape it off the filter and the powder was
loaded into a gelatin capsule.
  Given its weight, the amount of product seemed consistent with 900mg or
less of DXM (the amount going into the procedure).

Comments:
I think I jumped the gun when nothing was observed after thirty minutes.
Maybe the extra NaOH didn't hurt, but the added methanol probably just
dissolved the DXM back into solution and made me wait longer. Oh well.
Other brands of cough syrup contain alcohol, so they may not even need
the methanol.
  The filtered liquid has been sitting in a flask now for a week and
practically no sediment has showed up.

Subjective effects:
Setting was a walk on easy hiking trails in a state park well known to
me. Weekend, no demands on my time, etc. Nice day.
  The capsule was taken at 1:30pm. No discernable effects were felt until
3:10, when an intense but quick episode of stomach pain occured. It
lasted about five or ten minutes, and was gone.
  At 3:30 effects came on rapidly. Felt cross-eyed, sudden lack of concern
for what other hikers might think if they saw me. Tried out a exercise
from one of the Castaneda/Don Juan books where you cross your eyes to
merge two pebbles into one and then examine details, but I was too
easily distracted to maintain it. I had been getting weary but now I was
full of energy again. There was an immense satisfaction in sitting on
the ground and examining plant structures. There was the familiar
"time-dilation" effect where something thrown into the air seems to
linger there endlessly. Occasional, casual insights (i.e. "this would be
a great place to read a book!" or "mud is cool!") but nothing to earth
(or me) shattering.
  By 6:30 effects were noticably tapering. By 9:00 I felt almost totally
"normal" except of that bizarre DXM "edge" one gets for the next 32
hours.

Comments:
Well, the time delay after dosing was peculiar. Taken as a syryp I
notice effects at about thirty minutes usually. Is it possible that the
gelatin capsule could have been prevented from dissolving properly? it
was taken with plenty of water.
  The effects were within what I've come to expect from DXM, that is they
had a "DXM feel" to them. They came on very swiftly (from initial
effects to full in about 3 minutes!), though, which may be what other
people are talking about when they say the free base has a stronger
effect. There was a very "in the body" feeling to this, though. Also,
once the experience was beginning to subside, I came down very quickly.
Unfortunately I don't have access to a balance so I don't know exactly
how much I took, but it had to be less than 900mg.

A comment on this procedure from DXM FAQ author William White:

Date: Sun, 28 Jan 1996 15:50:35 -0800
From: William White ([email protected])

The listed DXM extraction process suggests using methanol as an
extraction solvent. This isn't advisable due to the possibility of
extracting NaOH along with the DXM; furthermore, DXM free base itself is
only moderately soluble in methanol. A totally nonpolar solvent (e.g.,
naptha) is preferred, and can even be used with DXM plus guaifenesin
syrups.


MISCELLANEOUS DXM TIDBITS
by various authors

Severe Histamine Reaction Theory

Some users have reported severe reactions after either suffering from
hay fever or taking certain drugs for the treatment of allergies such
as Claritin and Allegra.
  Peter Helyar writes: My take on this one is that there is the potential
for some significant adverse effect in some people. My own experience
(posted a week or so ago) included what I interpret as a fairly severe
histamine reaction. It might be interesting to find out if Jane Ellis
has other problems with histamines - for instance hay fever.
  A friend of mine who happens to be a nurse is the one who first proposed
this theory. I would very much appreciate anything anyone here has to offer
in the way of more educated viewpoints on the subject. If it gets posted
soon enough, I might even get to read it before I experiment with the
combination of 540mg DXM and 50mg Benadryl which my nurse friend suggested.
  In the meantime, it might be wise for any sufferers of hay fever to move
very carefully with this stuff, in case there is a corelation.

What A Medical Source Has To Say About DXM

From "The Merk Manual" 16th edition: Dextromethorphan: a congener of the
narcotic analgesic levorphanol, possesses no significant analgesic or
sedative properties, does not repress respiration in usual doses, and
is nonaddictive.  No evidence of tolerance has been found during long-
term use.  The average dosage for adults is 15 to 30 mg. 3 to 4 times/day.
Given as a tablet or syrup; for children 1mg/kg/day is given in divided
doses.  Extremely high doses may depress respiration  [It acts to] inhibit
or supress the cough reflex by depressing the medullary cough center or
associated higher centers.
  [Editor's note: Several statements in the above paragraph are obviously
false, having to do with DXM being nonaddictive and no evidence of
tolerance. It may be true, however, that in small doses there is no
addiction or tolerance, but it fails to mention what "extremely high
doses" consist of.]
  Guaifenesin: is the most commonly used expectorant in OTC cough remedies.
It has no serious side effects, but there is no clear evidence for its
efficacy.

Some Terms Defined

From "Dorland's Pocket Medical Dictionary" 23rd edition:
o Analgesic: an agent that relieves pain
o Congenor: ... a chemical compound closely related to another in
 composition and exerting similar or antagonistic effects, or something
 derived from the same source of stock.
o Dextromethorphan: a synthetic morphine derivative (C18H25NO) used as an
 antitussive (cough supressant) in the form of the hydrobromide salt.
o Guaifenesin: the glyceryl ester of guaiacol (C10H14O4), used as an
 expectorant.
o Levorphanol: a narcotic analgesic (C17H23NO).
o Morphine: the principal and most active alkaloid of opium (C17H19NO2),
 its hydrochloride and sulfate salts are used as narcotic analgesics.
o Narcotic: a drug that produces insensibility or stupor, especially an
 opioid.

Poor Man's PCP

The June 1993 Harper's magazine has a cool little article about
robo-ing.  I believe they got it from the Spring issue of Pills-a-go-go,
whatever that is.  The article is by Jim Hogshire, and it is pretty accurate.
He tells of his adventures following drinking eight ounces of the magic
elixir.  I especially liked the part about being a reptile. The article
follows:
  This issue's pill review is devoted to a chemical called
Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide, the "DM" in DM cough syrups such as
Robitussin Maximum Strength Cough. It's one of the most mystifying drugs
in the pharmacopia. Even though it can be found in virtually every
over-the-counter cold, flu, and cough remedy, most reference works
hardly mention it; when they do, their information is sketchy and
sometimes contradictory.
  One reference book called it a "narcotic antagonist" with "very good
analgesic" properties. Other descriptions say DM is cough suppressant
only and does not kill pain. It is supposedly non-addicting. And it's
not supposed to get you high -- though legions of high-school and
college students have formed an entirely different opinion. DM produces
"full warping of subspace," in the words of one experimenter, who took
more than the recommended dosage. "Pin Head with expansive arms/legs.
Incredible head size. Warping and folding of body. Incredible spatial
distortions."
  With this in mind, your faithful editor decided to carry out a
Robitussin experiment of his own.
  Last night I drank about eight ounces of DM cough syrup. I was feeling
kind of achy and wanted to see if it would kill pain. After a couple of
hours all my pain had gone away, and I went to bed. It was midnight, but
I felt neither awake nor asleep. It was like a typical narcotic high --
mildly content, kind of nodding -- but not as pleasant.
  At four o'clock in the morning I woke up suddenly and remembered that I
had to go to Kinko's copy shop and that I had to shave off about a
week's worth of stubble from my face. These ideas were very clear to me.
That may seem normal, but the fact was that I had a reptilian brain. My
whole way of thinking and perceiving had changed. I had full control
over my motor functions, but I felt ungainly. I was detached from my
body, as if I were on laughing gas.
  So I got in the shower and shaved. While I was shaving I "thought" that
for all I knew I was hacking my face to pieces. Since I didn't see any
blood or feel any pain I didn't worry about it. Had I looked down and
seen that I had grown another limb, I wouldn't have been surprised at
all; I would have just used it. Looking back, I realize that I had
already lost all sense of time.
  The world became a binary place of dark and light, on and off, safety
and danger. I felt a need, determined it was hunger, and ate almonds
until I didn't feel the need anymore. Same thing with water. It was like
playing a game. I sat at my desk and tried to write down how I felt so I
could look at it later. I wrote down the word "Cro-Magnon." I was very
aware that I as stupid. I think I probably seemed like Benny on L.A. Law.
  I thought I would have trouble driving but I had none. I only felt
"unsafe" in the dark street until I got into the "safe" car. Luckily
there were only a couple of people in Kinko's and one of them was a
friend. She confirmed that my pupils were of different sizes. One wasn't
quite round. I was fucked up.
  I knew there was no way I could know if I was correctly adhering to
social customs. I didn't even know how to modulate my voice. Was I
talking too loud? Did I look like a regular person? I understood that I
was involved in a big contraption called civilization and that certain
things were expected of me, but I could not comprehend what the hell
those things might be.
  All the words that came out of my mouth seemed equal. Instead of saying
"reduce it about 90 percent" I could have said "two eggs and some toast,
please." The whole world was broken down into elemental parts, each
being of equal "value" to the whole -- which is to say, of no value at
all.
  I sat at a table and read a newspaper. It was the most absurd thing I
had ever seen! Each story purported to be a description of a thing or an
event, or was supposed to cover "news" of reality in another place. This
seemed stupid. An article on the war in Burma was described as "the war
the West forgot." It had an "at-a-glance" chart that said Burma was
approximately three times the size of the state of Washington. This was
meaningless and I knew it. The story did not even begin to describe the
tiniest fragment of the reality of what was happening in that place.
Since I hadn't always been a reptile, I knew things were what they call
"complicated" and that the paper's pitiful attempt to categorize
individuals as "rebels" or "insurgents" or to describe the reasons for
the agony was ridiculous. I laughed out loud.
  I found being a reptile kind of pleasant. I was content to sit there and
monitor my surrounding. I was alert but not anxious. Every now and then
I would do a "reality check" to make sure I wasn't masturbating or
strangling someone, because of my vague awareness that more was expected
of me than just being a reptile. At one point I ventured across the
street to a hamburger place to get something to eat. It was closed and
yet there were workers inside. This truly confused me, and I considered
trying to find a way to simply run in, grab some food, and make off with
it. Luckily, the store opened (it was now 6 A.M.) and I entered the
front door like a normal customer.
  It was difficult to remember how to perform a money-for-merchandise
transaction and even more difficult to put it into words, but I was
eventually successful. I ate the hamburger slowly and deliberately. If I
had become full before I finished the hamburger, I think I would have
simply let it fall from my hands.
  The life of a reptile may seem boring to us, but I was never bored when
I was a reptile. If something started to hurt me, I took steps to get
away from it; if it felt better over there, that's were I stayed. Now
twenty-four hours later, I'm beginning to get my neocortex back (I
think). Soon, I hope to be human again.

A Journal Article On DXM

      AUTHOR:  Schmid B; Bircher J; Preisig R; Kupfer A
       TITLE:  Polymorphic dextromethorphan metabolism: co-segregation of
               oxidative O-demethylation with debrisoquin hydroxylation.
      SOURCE:  Clin Pharmacol Ther (DHR), 1985 Dec; 38 (6): 618-24
    LANGUAGE:  English
COUNTRY PUB.:  UNITED STATES
ANNOUNCEMENT:  8603
   PUB. TYPE:  JOURNAL ARTICLE
    ABSTRACT:  Dextromethorphan hydrobromide, 25 mg po, was given to 268
               unrelated Swiss subjects to study urinary drug and
               metabolite profiles. Rates of O-demethylation yielding the
               main metabolite dextrorphan were expressed by the urinary
               dextromethorphan/dextrorphan metabolic ratio. We found a
               bimodal distribution of this parameter in our population
               study, which indicates that there are two phenotypes for
               dextromethorphan O-demethylation. The antimode at a
               metabolic ratio of 0.3 separated the poor metabolizer (PM; n
               = 23; prevalence of 9%) from extensive metabolizer (EM)
               phenotypes. Urinary output of dextrorphan was less than 6%
               of the dose in all PMs and was 50% in the 245 EMs. Pedigree
               analysis of 14 family studies revealed an autosomal-
               recessive transmission of deficient dextromethorphan O-
               demethylation. In these families, 37 heterozygous genotypes
               could be identified; however, through use of the urinary
               drug and metabolite analysis it was not possible to identify
               the heterozygous genotypes within the EM phenotype group. Co-
               segregation of dextromethorphan O-demethylation with
               debrisoquin 4-hydroxylation was also studied. Complete
               concordance of the two phenotypic assignments was obtained,
               with a Spearman rank correlation coefficient of rs = 0.78 (n
               = 62; P less than 0.0001) for dextromethorphan and
               debrisoquin metabolic ratios. Presumably the two drug
               oxidation polymorphisms are under the same genetic control.
               Thus the innocuousness and ubiquitous availability of
               dextromethorphan render it attractive for worldwide
               pharmacogenetic investigations in man.
MESH HEADINGS:  Dextromethorphan--urine (UR)/metabolism (*ME); Dextrorphan--
               urine (*UR); Levorphanol--analogs & derivatives (*AA);
               Morphinans--urine (*UR); Administration, Oral; Adult; Aged;
               Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Hydroxylation; Middle
               Age; Pedigree; Phenotype; Female; Human; Male; Support, Non-
               U.S. Gov't
CHEMICAL SUBS:  0 (Morphinans); 125-71-3 (Dextromethorphan); 125-73-5
               (Dextrorphan); 77-07-6 (Levorphanol)
STANDARD NO.:  0009-9236


HOW DXM AFFECTS THE STOMACH
by various authors

Several people have reported negative effects on their stomach after
ingesting DXM. I myself have reported such incidents in the form
of acid reflux.
  As far as my experience goes, I started experiencing negative
stomach effects after about 6 to 9 months of constant use. It was
as if my stomach refused to digest the DXM any longer, and spit
it right back up my esophagus. Since my gag reflex was disinhibited,
all I could do was spit out the half-digested DXM muck that came
back up from my throat. I'd spend the entire trip just spitting out
this DXM, still tripping, but very unpleasantly. Sometimes I'd
fill up an entire pan with spit. I know it's quite disgusting,
but that's how every single one of my trips were for at least
5 or 6 months of occasional DXM use. Since I was addicted and
desperate for this malady to go away, I continued use until finally
one day early this year, the acid reflux symptoms subsided and
I had a normal trip. After that I realized that DXM is one of
the weirdest drugs I've ever done, and if I spend the rest of
my life researching it to find out why it reacts the way it
does, then let it be... because I've yet to find a similar
substance known to man.
  As far as my acid reflux is now concerned, it does still
happen occasionally, especially when I use DXM too frequently.
While this symptom is not painful, it is very annoying and
takes away from the pleasures of tripping. Sometimes I'll
continue spitting out crap until 24 hours after the trip.
I can actually feel the spit coming up my throat too, because
DXM seems to make all my insides (at least as far as the
throat and stomach go) very sensitive and I squirm in my
chair each time this happens. Truly a very nasty experience,
and I would appreciate it if anyone else that has experienced
this would contact the zine, because as far as I know, I
am the only unfortunate soul which this has ever happened
to. What makes me the special one?
 
As far as others are concerned, there are a number of stomach
problems associated with DXM use.
  One person writes "I feel sick, and puke EVERY TIME I ingest DXM.
I've tried eating a bit before, taking pepto bismol. Nothing. You just
have to hold on tight, and make it to the bathroom or keep a bucket next
to you. Or you could shove it up your... uhh... I mean take it rectally.
I've never done this, but there's been some allusions to this on this
newsgroup, and apparently some people swear by it."
  Another user states "My stomach can't take it either, although I've
found I can hold *real* still, concentrate on my breathing, and avoid
puking for the hour or so it's real bad. I don't suggest trying rectal
administration; I've never had colonic cramps before then, but I was
doubled over on the toilet for about 45 minutes.
  "The one solution I've found is to take 2 dramamines about a half-hour
before, eat a very small amount of bread about 10 minutes before, then smoke
a bowl of MJ about 2 minutes before taking the capsules. If you can spread
the DXM over about 20 minutes, like in 3 caps, that helps too. The MJ is
the best thing for nausea I have ever experienced. I was not all that
optimistic the first time I tried it, but my normal cramps completely
disappeared, and I felt fine. I wouldn't do it without any more."
  [Editor's note: my own personal experience tells me that spacing
out the ingestion of DXM seems best for preventing the initial onset
of nausea. For instance, if ingesting syrup, drink half the bottle,
wait 15 minutes, then take the other half. This way the entire bottle
doesn't kick in at once... I've totally avoided a stomach-ache by
ingesting DXM in this manner. If taking pills, I usually pop 3
Coricidins to begin with, then pop another 2-3 every 15 minutes
until I get where I want to go. Since syrup kicks in faster, that
may be a more convenient method. Also, I recommend drinking clear
soda and eating crackers while taking DXM. Don't eat anything
greasy, or really any large amount of food directly before or after
ingesting DXM. If you must eat, eat after you ingest the DXM.]
  Yet another user reports that "When I used to drink robo I never really
puked but about an hour after drinking it my stomach would start growling
and rumbling every time.It was because of that, that I only use powder and
sucrets now but my stomach still growls."
  Stash420 states that "DXM makes me puke and makes me really nauseous no
matter what. Powder, syrup ..any kind. But then again, I have an ulcer
(alcohol related- that's why I don't drink anymore). I always look forward
to puking, because from then on, it's smooth sailing."
  Bait writes that "While in high school in Okinawa, Japan, there were
very little real drugs, for example a dime of marijuana was $100 US. So
everyone heavily abused unorthodox ones, i.e Ritalin, Robo DXM, Dramamine,
and a codeine loaded medicine called Bron. I heard from a friend about
Robo (DXM) and went to the local shopette and stole some. I liked the
shit, and quickly began taking it daily (not weekends). After awhile I
thought I couldn't go a day of school without it and would skip 3 classes
and walk 2 miles just to get some. Towards the end (about 1 1/2 months)
I got really sick, took some, puked everywhere, and remained sick for
about 4 days, mainly stomach problems. I heard that it eats away at your
stomach lining and can cause brain damage when used to extremes.
  "I was taking what was available at the military shopette, 1 to 1/2
bottles of AAFES DM, which has same ingredients as Robo DM, however, the
AAFES bottle was at least 3/4 bigger and when we tried to get high off of
the Robo shit, we took 2 bottles with hardly anything, if anything at all
happened. I am worried about brain damage. I can't concentrate much, I
know that, but I also used codeine heavily for a couple weeks, and have
been smoking lots of weed and tripped four hits. But, it all started a
couple months ago when I stopped using DXM, maybe it's just paranoia,
who knows."
  [Editor's note: DXM does not eat away at your stomach lining and
any apparent damage to your brain caused by heavy or frequent use
is certainly reversible if you stop taking the drug and complete
withdrawal.]
  Robert F. Golaszewski writes (in response to Bait's experience)
"There are several issues here.  As to any harm to the stomach, after going
off of it, and giving it a chance to heal, this should be completely
reversible (if you still have problems, go to a doctor who will likely
prescribe something like Pepcid, Prilosec, etc. which reduces stomach acid
and will allow full healing.)  Long term stomach damage should not really be
a problem with cough syrup (by the way, it is typically  *not*  the DXM, but
the  *other*  shit in syrups that is hard on the stomach.)  [Editor's note:
And also the liver and kidneys.] As for withdrawal, if you were doing it
daily, then most definitely you developed some sort of addiction  (certainly
a psychological one, and quite possibly a physical one also.)  Like any
drug abuse, if you do the crime you gotta pay the time.  Just like an opiate
or cocaine abuser.  However, all withdrawal (at least the physical kind)  
goes away after a relatively short time; it's just hell for that period you
have to go through it.  The last issue is possible brain damage.  You do
not say what the doses you were taking were in mg/kg, or how often, so
possible exposure is difficult to estimate. Since you were only doing
this for 1 1/2 months, I estimate the possibility of permanent cognitive
impairment is very low.  This tends to be rare with DXM, and in many
cases that it has been reported, the user was also abusing *other*  
drugs that may very well have been the cause.  If you can still read,
write, do math, etc. as well as before, I seriously doubt you have anything
to worry about."
  FrequencyQ states "I've been on DXM for weeks on end... I don't
experience any problems when I'm on it, but when I come off, I get chills..
violent uncontrolable shaking, hangoverish feeling, headaches, moody..  tho
my friend can be on it everyday for two months and jump off with no problem..
depends on the person. It can fuck with your stomach, REALLY fuck with it.  
I have never thrown up, yet my friends throw up everytime... I have been
extracting the DXM lately to create Agent Lemon (see the Agent Lemon
extraction method in the FAQ)...  It does create serious brain damage and
retardation in excessive amounts..."
  [Editor's note: Again, I disagree with this theory, unless the amount
is close to the lethal dose, or above 1500mg in most adults. Obviously,
if you don't think you can handle it, don't do it.]


BACKGROUND INFO ON OTC DXM MANUFACTURERS
from Internet reports

The following information was collected off the Internet and was
written by Schering-Plough Corp. (makers of Coricidin and Drixoral)
and Medeva PLC (makers of Delsym). Obviously, everything is written
in the point-of-view of these two companies.

Schering-Plough:

Schering-Plough is a worldwide pharmaceutical company committed to
discovering and marketing new therapies and treatment programs that can
improve people's health and save lives. The Company is a recognized leader
in biotechnology, genomics, and gene therapy.
  Core product groups are allergy/respiratory, anti-infective/anticancer,
dermatologicals and cardiovasculars. Schering-Plough also has an
expanding global animal health business.
  Pharmaceutical product lines are complemented by health management
programs as well as leading consumer brands of foot care, sun care and
over-the-counter products. Innovative research, dynamic marketing and
solid financial management have enabled the Company to deliver superior
financial results, outperform its peers and reward shareholders.
  Executive offices are located at:

  One Giralda Farms
  Madison, N.J. 07940-1010
  Telephone: (973) 822-7000
  Facsimile: (973) 822-7048

Capitalizing on such popular brand names as AFRIN, DRIXORAL, TINACTIN,
CORRECTOL, DR. SCHOLL'S and COPPERTONE, Schering-Plough HealthCare
Products is building on its position in North America as a leading
manufacturer and marketer of over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical and
personal care products.
  Understanding market trends and consumers' changing needs is critical to
the success of Schering-Plough's OTC, foot care and sun care businesses.
Today's customer is more knowledgeable, with an active interest in
self-medication. Through extensive market research and targeted R&D;, the
Company strives to be customer-responsive, anticipating and responding
rapidly with innovative and cost-effective products.
  Following is a brief description of Schering-Plough HealthCare Products'
major product groups. For more details about products, click here to
link to Our Consumer Products.
  OTC Pharmaceutical Products: This segment includes such leading
products as AFRIN nasal decongestants; CHLOR-TRIMETON allergy products;
DRIXORAL long-acting cough, cold and allergy medications; and CORICIDIN
cold tablets.
  [Editor's note: It is interesting to point out that Schering-Plough
is actually losing money in the OTC market... in 1995, they grossed
250 million dollars, which dropped to 210 million in 1996 and 208
million in 1995... perhaps it's because of the popular trend of
stealing Coricidin...:)]

Medeva:

Headquartered in London, Medeva PLC is an international company which
develops, manufactures and markets prescription pharmaceutical products
and vaccines. With over 2,700 employees and operations in the UK, USA,
France, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium and the Republic of Ireland the
company's business is focused principally on the following therapeutic
areas: central nervous system, respiratory, vaccines, hospital products,
gastrointestinal and dermatology. Medeva PLC is listed in the UK on the
London Stock Exchange and in the USA on the New York Stock Exchange.
  "Medeva's goal is to build a significant and self-sustaining
prescription pharmaceutical company through the exploitation of market
opportunities for existing products, by acquisition of products which do
not enjoy full marketing support from other companies, by continuing
development of its international infrastructure, and by state-of-the-art
development of licensed-in compounds and proprietary technology."
  Respiratory Medications make up 19% of Medeva's gross annual income.
These include both diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract.
Delsym fits into the upper respiratory tract, along with Tussionex
(a 12 hour acting prescription cough treatment containing hydrocodone)
which is sold in the USA, and other similar medications. Delsym itself
is made and sold in the USA and is a 12 hour acting "non-narcotic"
OTC cough treatment, primarily for children.
  [Editor's note: This may be due to the fact that Delsym is one
of the best-tasting syrups available, and its effects are not as
strong as DXM HBr, because it is a time-release formula. The effects
last for a longer period of time, but aren't as intense. It is also
interesting to note that Medeva markets morphine and other opiates
for use in hospitals around the globe.]


DXM DRUG COMBOS...DXM HUMOR
by Muha

Hello there.. this past summer, my friends and I took a little sojourn
into the realm of lucidity by means of taking LSD.  When we got bored of
that we started mixing drugs with LSD. LSD + DXM, LSD + Shrooms;  LSD +
DXM + Shrooms; LSD + E; LSD + DXM + E; LSD + DXM + E + Shrooms; these
were all combos we tried.  And in our experimentation, we found that
many of these combo's are wondeful, while others are not worth trying...
but I'll leave that for the reader to decide.
  The thing that troubled us the most about these new and wonderful
combos of drugs is that there weren't any proper names for them (an
example of this is mixing E with LSD which is called Candyflipping, and
Mixing Shrooms with LSD which is called Hippy Flipping) .. so one night
we decided to come up with some names.  I like em' and if you wanna use
'em too, that's just great... So, here's my little addition to modern day
drug lingo:

LSD + DXM :  Dexelflippin
LSD + DXM + Shrooms : DippityFlipping
DXM + Shrooms : Dippyflipping
LSD + DXM + E: Dandyflipping
LSD + DXM + E + Shrooms: Lunacy

Well...  there they are... take 'em or leave 'em.. Just me and my friends'
two cents.
  These were made up and written down through a collaborative effort by me
and my counterparts while on 7 hits of acid, 500mg's of DXM, and ~1/10th
of an oz of shrooms.
  Out of these.. Dippityflipping was the most fun.. and I recommend it...

Recipe For DippityFlipping:

o Don't eat anything for at least 6 hours beforehand
o Drop the LSD
o +30 minutes after the LSD take ~350mg - 500mg's of DXM dependant on
 tolerance.
o +30 minutes after the DXM Eat between 1/2 an eighth, and an eighth,
 depending on potentcy, and your own body weight.
o Lock yourself and any you took with you in a soundproof room, with a
 bed, and some good music.  Trust me.. you will NOT want to see anyone
 who isn't tripping while on this combo.  And you will make a lot of
 noise.

Have Fun... More to come in Issue 7.


DXM AND HYPNOSIS
by Sick-boy

The following comes from an experience that happened on October 15, 1996.
The dosage is 600mg of DXM in one hour... from the long-extinct Drixoral
Cough Caps brand. This story takes place in Virginia.
 
It is very difficult to describe.
  I remembered how to look at things in this other, "special" way, that
was hard to do and took concentration. I just felt this kind of reverse
deja vu. When I did it, at least, it felt familiar. Anyway, I
concentrated and vibrated my eyeballs a little while staring at my
phone. After a few seconds of deepening noise and depth of perception,
suddenly a new image would pop up before my eyes; this one was the same
phone, but it looked closer and bigger and brighter and more *real*. All
of a sudden I was within this new, hypnotic state of mind. I didn't
realize it the first time, though, that I was in a trancelike state.
When I continued staring at the phone, I became aware of slowly moving
toward it, slowly, slowly....I felt the definite sensation of floating,
and a sense of blueness seemed to fill my vision a tiny bit, although
not obscuring it. I continued slowly moving toward the phone on my desk,
all the while encountering strange abstract shapes and wreckages and
hearing thousands of voices all around me. Always. While I was flying
through this semi-realistic mental plane, I began to think about my
physical self; and hoping I was not moving about and hurting myself in
the real world.. As i thought about it, the flying scene seemed to go
away like a dream does and I was once again perched in my chair, albeit
with a definite feeling of energy and vibration. Truly; my muscles were
minutely vibrating and my nerves were all jumping like mad in an effort
to join in the fray. It was not unpleasant at all; but upon coming out
of this state, I remember being very aware of the strange "vibrating"
feeling that slowly went away, as if an electrical force-field had been
moved away from my body. Yes - Exactly like that.
  After that, I was still quite "high", shall we say, and so I did not
attach too much importance to this odd out-of-body flying that I had
done. I continued to do my usual things on IRC and the internet, talking
to the man who later killed himself. His irc nick was "rubberneck". He
shot his head off with a shotgun.
  The next time I decided to try it, I had thought about it a bit more.
This was perhaps 5:00am. I put all my computer activities on hold, got
myself comfortable in my stupid chair, and began: I stared directly at
the top portion of my computer monitor. I kind of helped the process
along by vibrating my eyes a little. Everything was deep and drunk. The
desk and its inhabitants were shaking, blurring, and then suddenly,
everything cleared -- All became lucid and real. After about five
seconds the monitor gained Life. Suddenly it was in control. It was
looking right at me, and I at it. I was now directly before the center
of the screen, seemingly, and the monitor had on overall quality of
"bigness". It looked proportionally huge to everything else around it. I
waited to see if I was going to move toward it; I did, I did. I begen
sensing that the monitor was getting closer, closer...my vision was
strange and incorrect, for my eyes were literally going in different
directions (not up and down directions, but leftright+updown). I knew
this in the corner of my mind and made a mental note to remember "that
my left eye is looking at the ceiling over there and my right eye is
trained on the monitor". All the while, remember, I'm moving toward this
monitor. I'm staring to rise, and go upside-down in space. I don't
really see things in my room as one would see if they were doing a
virtual upside-down somersalt in the air, but it doesn't matter, because
the feeling of motion is perfectly real, and Oh! I can see my starting
point right ahead of me. I can see it.. Can see it... I am easing into
it; kind of merging with the transparent form that it is, sitting there
on the chair, and as I fit more and more perfectly with the form, I
regain consciousness slowly and likewise the vibrating/electric warmth
goes away accordingly. This time, I did it right. I came back, and it
felt really good. Keep in mind, of course, that the above episode
occured over a space of, ohh.. 2 or 3 minutes.
  It became really interesting. I thought, even in my fucked-up state,
about the significance of the muscle-sensations I had been having, and
realized the importance of hypnosis in all of this. What I had been
doing during these strange "flights", was easing myself into a
drug-induced state of hypnosis. The hypnosis is no less real, mind
you -- it is just easier to invoke. What the drug does is to weaken the
barrier between conscious and unconscious thought, and thus even when I
wasn't in the trancelike state I was hearing voices and seeing things
and thinking random thoughts. So, a little later, I decided to try
another time, although I was sleepy. It was hard to get myself to commit
to anything, you see. This time was around 5:30am maybe. So I began
quickly. You may not understand while sober, but in the state I was in,
it was very very easy to do it. To cross the line between reality and
fantasy. The line was *right there* and there was an almost tangible
feeling of it in the air. I started by watching a flashing-light program
I dl'd somewhere. I set it at, um.. 22 flashes per second. It made me
very sleepy, of course, in the state I was in, and I used it to enter
the other reality in which i could fly. I began moving toward the
monitor again, and this time completely through it and through the wall.
I could see and literally feel the rocks and the cement in the brick
wall as I passed through it. I wasn't definitely in my room.though, or
definitely in the wall... I was constantly bombarded by subtle audible
sensations welling up from behind the depths of my perception. People
laughing; people answering my mental queries. I flew and saw blue shapes
that moved as I flew through them. I always flew very slowly though.
Very, very slowly. As I was passing through this mental dreamscape, some
reason or the other caused me to think about my physical self and i
unhappily and unwillingly lost the whole scene. I opened my eyes and I
was propped up against the monitor, the lights still flashing at 22
flashes per second. I turned it off and went talking on irc.
The interesting thing about Irc was that, when I typed anythng or
thought anything, if i concentrated I could hear the "crowd" behind me
answering my queries and statements. I had a direct tap into the
subconscious inner-workings of my brain. The crowd was always there;
throughout the night I was aware of hearing all kinds of things behind
me, but never once did I judge them to be real. It was a very useful
tool, as I will illustrate a little later, but my mental state at the
time just kept me from using it adequately.
  For example, I'd be on Irc, and ask someone "Did you see so-and-so
tonight?" Immediately the little voices of the crowd babbled on about
this and that: "Ohh, yes I saw 'im 'ere", crooned an old lady's voice.
"Haven't heard that name fer a long time!" whispered an old man. "He's
my daddy!" cried a little girl. You get the picture. The point is, it
was always there, It's just that only when I payed attention could I
make out what they said. It was very, very realistic. I couldn't see the
people, but I didn't look -- This is all when I am typing at my
computer, high as a kite, and I *know* the voices are in my head.
Anyway. I believe there was one more instance of flight. But it mimics
the others in every way, so I will not recount it here. Later, it all
went away, and I slept.
  [Editor's note: I have often times heard voices after trying to
go to sleep during a comedown of DXM. The voices are barely audible,
but usually result after laying in my bed for a while, listening to
the silence. They're always of people talking, and it happens in a
very subtle way, as if your brain is just unloading information
after a very long day/trip.]

DXM POETRY
by Gravol, DrQbert, et al.

Something I wrote a while back... while it wasn't written under the
influence of DXM, it is related to DXM in a certain way.

Slowly, listlessly, it comes to stay;
It brings a night as bright as day.
Slow and painful, without remorse
Watching me die, it runs its course.

Images appear before my eyes;
They trample me down in soft surprise.
I slowly rot behind Death's Green Mask;
I know my sanity will never last.

Pills to mock and pills to stun;
I slowly bleed beneath the sun.
The times that stayed are here no more,
From silver moons to golden shores.

And now I lay my head to rest;
I know I'm surely doomed, unless
I awake and sigh within the dawn,
Ever so glad this nightmare's gone.

Phantom of the Opera:

While on DXM one night, I happened to listen to a song from
the Phantom of the Opera and could not believe how closely
related to DXM it was. Here is some excerpts from the song.
Just close your eyes in a darkened room and play it... and
the words will speak directly to your heart and soul, as if
spoken by DXM itself. Listen and learn...

Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness awakes and stirs imagination.
Silently the senses abandon their defenses
Helpless to resist the notes I write
For I compose the music of the night.

[In that stanza it talks about the heightening of each sensation,
which is exactly what DXM or other hallucinogens can do. It also
talks of darkness, which is when most trips take place, and the
fact that your senses will abandon their defenses... the weakening
of your senses while on DXM.]

Close your eyes for your eyes will only tell the truth
And the truth isn't what you want to see
In the dark it is easy to pretend
That the truth is what it ought to be.

[It directly tells you to close your eyes, which is how you see
CEVs, and how easy it is to pretend you're in a strange new world
with your eyes closed on DXM.]

Softly, deafly, music shall caress you
Fear it, feel it, secretly possess you
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night.

[This seems to relate to the music euphoria associated with DXM,
and how music can flow thru your body and "caress" you. It
also tells you to open up your mind and let your fantasies
unwind, and how you are helpless while tripping on DXM in
this state.]

Close your eyes, start a journey through a strange new world
Leave your thoughts of the world you knew before
Close your eyes and let music set you free
Only then can you belong to me.

[Again, a reference to closing your eyes and starting a journey,
much like what might associated with CEVs.]

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darkest side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night.

[This seems to give a reference to what feelings are associated
on a DXM trip... namely the floating and falling sensation.
It also tells you to savor each sensation, something everyone
does if they are having a good trip.]

You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night...

From DrQbert:

One night after peaking on 540mg of syrup I was unable to sleep and found
myself wandering the city streets at 3:00 in the morning.  When I got home
I wrote this poem before falling asleep:

Late at night I walk the streets
My footsteps play a lonely beat
The footsteps echo, loud and slow
All are asleep in their houses though
Where I'm going, I know not where
But I trust my feet will take me there.

From Hedsgoat:

Aaww fuck
You shove it in a pipe and suck it
Smoke it back
Shoot it up
Pop them pills
Don't matter coz they ain't doin nothin'
You've got tolerance Beotch
And you hafta deal with that
Quit Quit Quit
Ok I Quit I quit I QUIT!
No wait I want a fix
Damn still doesn't do nothin
Fuckin Tolerance I hate it

From Anonymous:

Chickens never really existed
Bingo is fun for the blind
And the braindead
For the dead never amounted to anything
Simply a smell
Nothing but lemonade
On a Snowy August day
In southern California
with chemicals in the head
and television without a tv
fed through tubes into the end
of a pool of water
that smells like air
without the oxygen
and people without a future
strive to be something
meanwhile people drive airplanes
to the store
in their shoes
fascinated by weather reports
containing irrelevant topics
like people who cant fly
even in their dreams
you are dead
and so is your cat
monobrows are bad
and so are telephones
that bite your ear
and tell you lies
in wierd langauges
but Santa is coming
and if you're awake
he will kidnap your step-mom
as a bribe
for your soul

The following poem is also from the same person:

The cold moon needs the maid
finding dead bugs with heartbeats
All the while being cool
living in istanbul
without an independant thought alarm
narrowing in on the future
digging for gold in new york
wanting to be aware of something
wearing nothing but clothes
thinking of skiing in saskatchewan
and sleeping in a rave hall
chasing smarties down the street
with underwear blocking your eyesight
growing up with non-anotomically correct barbies
flying into trees
and smelling the music
with baseballs crying
and green kernels of corn
throwing people into the emptyness
also known as life
finding people who cant handle religion
soap on a rope
with boys skipping school
and taking the bus
to catch bad guys
that need floors
to stand on the roof

Yet another poem from the same person:

Say hello to the tinker-toys on the wall
when they throw away the fire
smearing peanut-butter on their scalps
eat the spoon
nothing but a rubber chicken
on a rotary phone
timberrrrrrrrrrr goes the tree
as it falls into the neverending beginning
ask the man about his gold
when she thinks about trains floating
and deers eating spam
while people manifest in their blood
dying to live a life of death
where the train packs its bags
the boat sinks on land
the fish drown and the birds fall
people kill and girls smell
artificial food colouring
filling in the void of nothing
think of the lilly fields
filled with poppies
death is a friendly reminder
kind of like a repo man
eating chilli at 2 in the morning
with a thick red haze
trying not to find nothing
but a fresh loaf of bread pops up
and attacks the president
with his bowling balls
and insanity peppers of love


DXM SITE REVIEW
by Gravol

This month we are reviewing the DXM Appreciation Page. This page
can be found on the Web at http://www.ugmadness.com/Ledderson/DxM/.
  The following information was taken directly from the site.

"DxM, otherwise known as Dextromethorphan, comes in forms like
Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide. It is a pharmeceutical experience that
everyone must know about. This page is dedicated to DxM Appreciation,
not abuse!
  "OK, you know it, you probably love it too. It's DxM, otherwise known as
Dextromethorphan. You may remember it from such good times as "Ska night
at The Vibe" and "Living it up at Makiki". This page will be a homestead
for DxM lovers everywhere, well at least for those who know about it. It
will chronicle the adventures of David Ledderson, Sheba, Ultra VioleNt,
Strict-9, Sick-Boy, Todd, IgNiOuS and Jimbo as they explore the realms
of reality with their god and mentor, DxM. It will also chronicle the
experiences of other DxM worshippers. Hint, hint: email your favorite
DxM experience and you can see it right here on the DxM Appreciation
Page. Hell, send all your experiences in so that we can correctly
present this pharmaceutical phenomenon to the whole world!"

The site is divided up into the following categories that you may
choose from:

o DxM authorities (simply a link to the FAQ)
o Great DxM links (DXM links)
o Dave's Chronicles
o Sheba's Chronicles
o Ultra VioleNt's Chronicles
o Strict-9's Chronicles
o Sick-Boy's Chronicles
o Todd's Chronicles
o IgNiOuS's Chronicles
o Jimbo's Chronicles
o Visitors' Comments & Tips

You may also leave your name, email, and description of your own
chronicle to be included in the page.

  "Announcements: Well, it won't be long until the DxM Appreciation Page
will be fully functioning again. I hope it won't be later than September
1st when I get all my updates done. Much thanks for the mass of
chronicles and tidbits all you roboheads sent in to me. Also, please
e-mail me if you have any stats on DxM brands or you if you want to get
the DxM Mailer. Note: don't expect any frills."

The site also shows a nifty little graph/design with the following
printed directly below it:

  "DxM and THC together. This graphic somewhat explains their
resulting expansion of the universe. Each in its own right are damn good
but together they open the keyhole opening to the truths of the universe."

As far as art credits on the page, thanks go to Slave Boy and Strict-9.
Be sure to visit this site! More reviews coming up in the next issue!


INFO ON ORDERING PURE DXM POWDER
from compiled information

Currently, there are many DXM suppliers that will ship to private
individuals. They do not condone recreational use and will only ship
for research purposes. Listed below is some basic information on them
taken off the Internet. For a more precise review of these suppliers,
see Issue 1. Current prices are listed, and where current prices are
unavailable, I posted the old price. Just get in touch with them for
the current price.
  Also note that a supplier who was listed in previous issues,
Biogenesis Laboratories of South Africa, no longer sells DXM or
Ketamine. They are still selling GHB, however (http://www.pix.za/
biogenesis). Also, these companies are no longer selling DXM:
Wanman, Kris Kindell, Softearth, Plateau Labs, DxMan, DXM King,
and Zachary Earnest (due to his extremely limited supplies).

Biotech International:

Prices (current)

10g......$3.00/gram
25g......$1.80/gram

50g......$1.60/gram
100g.....$1.30/gram
250g.....$1.20/gram
500g.....$1.10/gram
1kg......$1.00/gram
5kg......$0.90/gram
10kg.....$0.80/gram
20kg.....$0.70/gram

Make checks/money orders payable to Adriano Sanchez.
Shipping and handling is included in the above prices.
International orders please add USD $7.00 to the price.
We accept (International) Money Orders, Cashier's Checks and COD (Charge
On Delivery) orders. Cash and personal check payments are also accepted
but not recommended. COD is not available on international orders.

Shipping

After receiving the payment or placing the order via E-mail, the buyer
will be confirmed that the order was received. We will then proceed to
dispatch the order within 24 hours of receiving it. If there is a delay
for any reason, the buyer will be notified immediately. After the
dispatch of the order, the buyer will receive a notification informing
him/her of the estimated time of arrival and any other useful
information.
Samples of up to 10 grams are packaged in plastic bags and dispatched
via USPS First Class Mail.
Samples of 25 grams and over are packaged in plastic bottles and
dispatched via USPS Priority Mail (included in the sale price).

Address

 Biotech International
 2221 Saxton Hill Ave
 Las Vegas, NV  89106

Internet

You can reach Biotech via email at [email protected]


Robo K:

Prices

500mg....$3 (capsule form)
1000mg...$5 (capsule form)

Cash only.
Each capsule contains 500mg. Two capsules cost $5 total.
Shipping and handling included in prices.

Shipping

E-mail will be sent upon receipt of payment and upon shipping of
substance.

Address

No information known.

Internet

You may reach Robo K via email at [email protected]


Sean McKeon:

Prices

1-15g....$8.00/gram
16-25g...$6.50/gram
26-50g...$5.50/gram
51-100g..$4.75/gram
100+g....Email for price

The powder has already been placed into convenient 250mg gelcaps.
Payment in cashier's check or money order only.

Shipping

No information known.

Address

No information known.

Internet

You may reach Sean McKeon via email at [email protected]


SUNSET PH:

Prices (current)

15g.....$45
30g.....$75
50g.....$99

The price includes shipping within the US only.

Shipping

They accept international orders by payment of an international money
order only. International orders must add US $5 additional for shipping.

Address

 SUNSET PH
 P.O. Box 180684
 Austin, TX  78718-0684

Please send an email with your address before you send your money so
they can have your order prepared beforehand.

Internet

Contact [email protected] for more information.


Chemical Resale of Santa Barbara (CRSB):

Prices

Check their web site for their current prices, since they tend to
change from time to time.

Shipping

No information known.

Address

 Chemical Resale of Santa Barbara
 6 Harbor Way, Suite #171
 Santa Barbara, CA  93109-2353

Internet

Visit CRSB's site at http://www.sb.net/wirehead. Orders can also be
emailed to [email protected]


JLF Poisonous Non-Consumables:

Prices (current)

5g......$25
50g....$130

It is best to do business through their website, due to the fact that
DXM is just one of the hundreds of products they sell. All products
carry a 100% money-back guarantee of authenticity.
  Orders are usually sent in unlabeled/mislabeled (could say anything from
pampers to motor-oil on the box), recycled containers. To order from them,
you must call them and read their "Ordering Agreement Statement & Required
Release" into a tape recorder. This is necessary to solve any legal problems
that they may encounter. More information on this, including the statement
itself is located at http://www.jlfcatalog.com/disclaim.html.

Shipping

No information known.

Address

 JLF Poisonous Non-Consumables
 P.O. Box 184
 Elizabethtown, IN  47232
 Phone: 812 379-2508

Internet

Visit their website at http://www.jlfcatalog.com/, or email
[email protected]


DXM MUSIC AND MOVIE REVIEWS
by Gravol, Al Crawford, MattC

Hello and welcome to the DXM Music and Movie Reviews. This month
we're reviewing mainly Industrial music once again and taking a peak
into cult films. I'm personally not a big industrial fan, but I felt
it best to review a wide range of musical tastes. In the next issue
we will probably be reviewing some classical music and some more
rock/techno. Hope you enjoy...

Studio 54 - starring Mike Meyers, Neve Campbell

I went and saw this movie with a friend at the local Movieworks
and all I have to say is that this is the stupidest movie I've
ever seen... the only part that stands out right now is when
Mike Meyers (I believe it was him) asks to suck some guy's cock.
Okay... seriously, folks... I don't recommend anyone seeing this
movie on OR off DXM.... it'll probably make for a bad trip. :)
Now, on with the music reviews...

Nine Inch Nails.  The Downward Spiral.

Label:  Island
Loc:    UK
Year:   1994
Time:   65 min 10 sec
Tracks: Mr Self Destruct 4:30; Piggy 4:24; Heresy 3:54; March Of The
       Pigs 2:58; Closer 6:13; Ruiner 4:56; The Becoming 5:31; I Do
       Not Want This 5:41; Big Man With A Gun 1:36; A Warm Place 3:23;
       Eraser 4:53; Reptile 6:51; The Downward Spiral 3:56; Hurt 6:14.

Trent Reznor isn't a very happy person. We know this because he's told
us so. Repeatedly. In fact, most of Reznor's musical output to date (2
albums, 2 EPs, several singles) has been lyrically centred on how
terrible life and the universe in general are. To be honest, I'm getting
a little tired of it, especially when, as in the case of this new album,
it detracts from what is otherwise a rather interesting release.
  Not that I'd suggest that Trent jump ship and join the socially-aware
"isn't capitalist society awful?" brigade or indeed, start recording
songs that include the words "Cyber" or "Virtual" anywhere in the title.
That'd just be moving from one clich� to another. It's just that
perpetual teenage angst-ridden "music to whine to" gets very tired, very
quickly, especially coming from someone who isn't exactly a teenager any
more.
  That's enough about what's obviously wrong with the new album though,
now for some of what's right about it. The Downward Spiral is musically
interesting. His first album, Pretty Hate Machine was a reasonably
skilful piece of synth-based rock given an industrial edge, while Broken
downplayed the synthesisers considerably in favour of a harder,
Ministry-style guitar based sound. This new effort, however, is a more
musically mature effort entirely - if Reznor hasn't progressed much
lyrically he's certainly moved forward musically - as The Downward
Spiral fuses the best elements of all his previous releases, throwing in
a few new tricks besides. The synths are back in force, but the harsher,
guitar-driven sound of Broken has survived, and considerable
(excessive?) use is made of the juxtaposition of loud (guitars,
distortion, screaming) with quiet (pianos, whispered vocals, silence).
  Proceedings get off to a good start with "Mr Self Destruct". The intro's
worthy of mention, with an irregular thump gradually increasing in speed
until it becomes a regular beat that lies behind a wall of rhythmic
electronics over which Reznor's vocals and thrashy guitars are added.
Trent's favourite new trick, the sudden but brief quiet interlude,
manifests itself briefly, before normal service is restored and the
track comes crashing back. The second track, "Piggy", reveals another
development - Reznor's bacon fixation. Two tracks here feature pigs in
their title and this is just evidence of a further animalistic trend,
whereby the lyrics mention pigs, generic animals, cattle, flies and
insects in general. The song itself is unlike most NIN material to date
- a slower track with Trent almost whispering over a background of quiet
guitar and subtle electronic effects.
  "Heresy" opens very nicely indeed - good solid driving beat - and the
vocals hark back to the Prince comparisons that were occasionally made
with regard to Pretty Hate Machine. High-pitched, decidedly Prince-like,
but distorted. The chorus (screamed) and the guitar backing are rather
more typical of Broken-era material though. There's more of those
electronic noise effects too, which by now are becoming a little
overused. "March Of The Pigs" is the first single from the album. I
believe it's already out in the US and is due here in the UK on 28th
March. It's definitely one of the harder, thrashier tracks on the album
and, despite the techno-ish bleeps in the intro, would have fitted in
quite well on Broken. The by-now standard formula of hard, fast verse
and slower chorus is livened by a decidedly odd and equally brief piano
melody which pops up occasionally for a moment or two before
disappearing beneath a wall of noise. I find it a surprising choice for
the single - with the exception of those few seconds of piano, the song
doesn't really stand out much and I can think of several tracks which'd
make a better single. "Closer" is stylistically much closer in feel to
Pretty Hate Machine - vaguely funky synth-line, more subdued vocals -
but has considerably more sexually explicit lyrics than anything that
appeared on that album. About vaguely funky synth-line, more subdued
vocals - but has considerably more sexually
  Next up is "Ruiner", another synth-based track but one that's
considerably noisier than "Closer". Lots of electronic noise, big
grandiose synth brass in the chorus, a borrowed-sounding beat and a
little synth melody that's rather reminiscent of the theme of the old TV
show Knight Rider. The loud/soft contrast appears yet again, with a
quiet-ish guitar bridge leading back into the chorus. "The Becoming"
features, in order of appearance, sampled screams and cries, a nice
meaty analogue synth line and Trent Reznor doing his "average" voice (ie
neither screaming nor whispering). The percussion's interestingly fuzzed
and there's a decent assortment of electronic clinks and ticks buzzing
around too. Oh yeah, and Adrian Belew on ring modulated guitar.
  I think it'd be fair to say that the lyrics to "I Do Not Want This"
pretty much sums up Trent Reznor's attitude to life. Musically it's
more interesting - quiet vocals and piano over jerky stop-start
percussion. Of course, it eventually thrashes up (almost all the tracks
on the album do) creating yet more of those loud/soft contrasts. It's a
nice idea musically that's quite effective the first half dozen times,
but I think it's been a little overused here. "Big Man With A Gun" vies
strongly with "Closer" for this years Unsubtle Sexual Lyrics award.
Yawn. So blatant that if you're looking for hidden meaning here you have
to conclude that maybe he actually is talking about a gun. "A Warm
Place" makes a pleasant change from the rather formulaic material that
precedes it, and is a quiet, emotive, subdued and downright pretty
instrumental. I'd like to hear more of this - it demonstrates that
there's considerably more to TR than meets the ear elsewhere on this
album. "Eraser" would best be described as a pseudo-instrumental - quiet
noise gradually building, adding synths, drums, guitar until (what a
surprise!) all goes quiet and Reznor intones the minimalist lyrics then
(how unusual!) everything gets loud and thrashy again.
  "Reptile" has an interesting clanking intro, some nice whirring
electronic noises (didn't the same sample appear in FLA's "Mindphaser"
?), rather odd lyrics and an interesting brooding rhythm that disappears
during the choruses. Not a bad track at all, the samples and noises add
a lot of texture. The title track's another interesting one - badly
tuned guitar over strange electronic effects, piano, fuzzy guitar,
screams, half-spoken (over-)distorted vocals. Again, not bad. The final
track, "Hurt" finds Trent in familiar mood, quietly singing about how
awful life in general is over gentle guitars (nice melody) which some
sort of distortion or gating hanging around to make you wonder if your
headphones are faulty. While the chorus is rather less fragile than the
verse, it's nice to find another track that manages to avoid bringing on
the thrashy guitars except for one brief burst towards the end.
  As you'll have guessed from the length of this review (or by the more
immediate method of reading the track listing at the top of this
article) there's quite a lot of music on this disc. That in itself might
be part of the problem with this album. I want to like it - Reznor's
obviously put considerable effort into hauling his sound into something
of a new direction after Broken - but I keep getting the impression that
he's come up with one or two new approaches and tried to squeeze ten to
twelve tracks out of them. Too many of the songs here use the same
"synth-based verse/thrashy guitar chorus" (or vice versa) technique,
while the "unexpected quiet bit" would be much more effective if it
didn't feature on so many of the songs here. These similarities tend to
mask the fact that in other ways the songs are quite varied. For this
reason the standout track for me was the most atypical one - "A Warm
Place", the quiet instrumental that's totally unlike anything else on
the album and that most fans of Broken will likely loathe with a
vengeance.
  A bit of a shame really - full marks to Trent for trying, and the album
is technically excellent in places, but the lasting impression for me is
one of too few ideas spread too thinly.

Nine Inch Nails.  Broken.

Label:  Island/TVT/Interscope
Loc:    UK
Year:   1992
Time:   37 min 45 sec
Tracks: Pinion 1:02; Wish 3:46; Last 4:44; Help Me I Am In Hell 1:56;
       Happiness In Slavery 5:21; Gave Up 4:08; Physical 5:29; Suck 5:06.

Broken - I'm not sure if the title refers to the equipment this new EP
from NIN was recorded on (it sounds in places as though it was recorded
at the bottom of a swamp, albeit a very loud swamp) or the fact that it
makes you think your CD player is broken when you play it and your CD
informs you that contrary to all indications on the packaging, the CD
has 99 tracks.
  It might be very clever to have the two bonus tracks (which aren't
listed anywhere on the packaging) as tracks 98 and 99 (don't believe the
track numbers above), but having to skip through 91 "blank" tracks, each
of which consists of 3 seconds of silence, is annoying in the extreme,
especially on a Discman where you have to hit the forward button once
for each track. They also exaggerate the amount of music on the disc
considerably - the total time appears to be almost 38 minutes, but six
minutes of that is blank space and the disc's true length is just under
32 minutes.
  Right, what else can I complain about? Oh yeah, it's in a Digi-pak.
Quite well designed, admittedly, with fold out panels and nice artwork,
but I'd rather have had even a slimline jewel box to this. If this had
been at full album price, rather than the "expensive single" price of
5.99, I wouldn't have even bought it. Digi-paks are OK for singles, but
I demand better packaging for albums. As it is, even given the good care
I give my collection, it probably won't be too long before Broken is, if
not actually Broken, then at least Badly Scuffed.
  OK, I've complained about the dumb gimmicky tracking and the cruddy
packaging, now how about the music?
  Hmmm. I liked Pretty Hate Machine without ever being too blown away by
it, and I guess I'd say the same about this one. The synths have receded
into the background and been largely replaced by guitars, the overall
sound being much heavier than the majority of PHM, perhaps rather closer
to recent Ministry. I don't know exactly what I could describe this one
as sounding like though - PHM was angsty pop with a "new industrial"
sensibility, Broken seems more like the same sound shifted "sideways",
angsty thrash-pop with a "new industrial" sensibility perhaps? Meaning
it's got lots of thrashy guitars, angst-ridden lyrics, metallic boings
and clanks, but some of the tracks still retain something recognisable
as a pop hook.
  Trent Reznor still seems quite convinced the entire world exists only to
make his life miserable but he's obviously getting a little pissed off
with the whole situation, the whining having been supplemented with a
great deal of screaming, much of it apparently reflecting the view that
if the world is nasty and unpleasant, saying "Fuck" at it a lot will
make things better. It's a shame though, as while Trent's angry scream
comes over here much of the time as sadly cliched, at times on PHM he
did actually seem capable of emoting rather more convincingly and in a
rather less one-dimensional manner ("Something I Can Never Have") than
is demonstrated here. It's quite possible to demonstrate anger and
resentment without screaming your head off but this seems to have
escaped Trent this time round. Oh well.
  There's no standout tracks quite as obvious as "Head Like A Hole" or
"Down In It" here, but "Happiness In Slavery" is pretty good
(reminiscent of "HLAH" in having a relatively restrained verse followed
by a considerably louder chorus) and "Last" and "Gave Up" are also worth
a listen.
  Here in the UK we seem to have been quite lucky as far as the bonus
track situation goes. Unlike some US copies, the two bonus tracks
(bonuses - hah! Given that there seem to be almost no copies without
bonus tracks calling them bonus tracks is little more than a display of
false generosity on the part of the record company) are both on the disc
itself rather than a separate bonus CD. Buyers of the UK 12" though,
will have to make do with a separate bonus 7" containing the two tracks.
  The first of the bonus tracks is "Physical", a competent but non-amazing
Adam Ant cover, the second is a new version of the track "Suck", which
was Trent's contribution to Pigface. I definitely prefer the original
version, which was much more atmospheric and beside which this version
is about as subtle as a brick to the cranium.

  So. Was it worth the wait? Well, I was never exactly waiting with baited
breath in the first place - the "legend" that grew up around Pretty Hate
Machine far exceeded its quality and the quality of a release has
nothing to do with how long it took to appear. Broken is competent, a
decent listen if you can find it at an acceptable price, and there's two
or three good tracks but overall it's not so much "brilliant" as "quite
good in places."

Nine Inch Nails.  Fixed.

Label:  Island
Loc:    UK
Year:   1992
Time:   40 min 22 sec
Tracks: Gave Up 5:24; Wish 9:09; Happiness In Slavery 6:08; Throw This
       Away 4:13; Fist Fuck 7:19; Screaming Slave 8:01.

During recent years the big-name remix has become a fixture of the music
industry, with most major artists who can be remixed (and some who
can't) at some stage undergoing the remix treatment. This time it's the
turn of NIN. Despite my usual dislike of remixes where the track is
thrown away or reduced to a couple of strategically placed sound bites,
I found myself rather looking forward to the prospect of what might
emerge when NIN's recent EP Broken was remixed as Fixed. Given the
quality of the producers who were originally mentioned in conjunction
with the remix EP (Coil's Peter Christopherson, Jim "Foetus" Thirlwell,
Adrian Sherwood, Paul Kendall) it seemed we could expect a reasonable
spread of remix styles and Trent Reznor's claim that they'd been given a
completely free hand to do whatever they wanted with the tracks boded
well.
  While the mix of tracks that eventually appeared doesn't reflect what
was initially announced (with no Sherwood mixes but with one featuring
Butch Vig and another being done by Reznor and no less than five other
people) the end result certainly does live up to expectations with no
two mixes here sounding the same (or that close to their originals, for
that matter).
  First up is the Coil/Danny Hyde remix of "Gave Up". They've chosen what
was probably the most atypical of the tracks on Broken, which meandered
between driving thrashy guitar with added screaming and quieter, more
plaintive (although distorted) vocals in the chorus. Apart from the
inevitable restructing of the song and some additional electronics, the
main addition here is a beefed-up (and extremely fast) beat and some
wonderfully chopped up vocals. The latter is particularly clever, since
it sounds like vocals, but you can't actually make out a word Reznor is
saying (reason enough for doing it, some might say). The beat is...well,
it's fast. I can normally work out the BPM for songs up to about 140BPM
simply by counting the beats whilst looking at a stopwatch, but this one
escapes me, I just can't count fast enough. A good, fast, dance-ish
remix that manages to maintain a frighteningly high BPM whilst retaining
the feel of the original song and not mutating into just another piece
of hardcore techno.
  J.G. Thirlwell's remix of "Wish" adds...drums. The whole track now
revolves around a driving, martial drum track which sounds suspiciously
live in places. Add a quiet choral/orchestral bridge and the expected
cut and paste with the song structure and the end result is a really
good remix that drags the song by its neck back towards dance-industrial
territory without causing too much harm.
  The Reznor/Vrenna/Kendall remix of "Happiness In Slavery" is also a
rather nice reworking of the original, shifting the track back the way
Reznor came - this'd have sounded much more at home on Pretty Hate
Machine than on Broken. Lots of additional synth work, a very nice remix
generally. This one should appeal to those who didn't like the direction
Trent moved in with the last EP.
  "Throw This Away" - umm, I know it says "this recording contains various
interpretations of songs that appear in their proper form on the
`broken' ep" on the box but I'm having great difficulty figuring out
just what the hell this is supposed to be a remix of. It sounds very
much like a new track to me, unless I'm very much mistaken (which I may
be (I am - it's "Help Me I Am In Hell")). The first couple of minutes
are a dark, atmospheric brooding piece of subdued guitar and electronic
effects but a steamhammer rhythm gradually builds, the guitar ceases to
be subdued and bingo...it's something much more Broken in sound. Very
much a song of two parts, the quieter section being the work of Reznor
and Chris Vrenna with Butch Vig handling the loud bit. Pretty good, but
not the highpoint of the EP.
  The second Thirlwell remix, the charmingly titled "Fist Fuck" is another
remix of "Wish". Those big, thumpy drums are back again, but this time
the track follows the structure of the original only loosely, adding in
a bundle of spoken word samples, weird noises and screeches. This
continues relentlessly for five minutes before dropping into a pleasant
little film sample followed by an incessantly looped guitar riff from
the original track (one can't but help feel that Thirlwell wishes CD
were more suitable to lock grooves, since that's the effect he seems to
be aiming for here). Good, if lacking in structure and slightly annoying
in places.
  Eventually we hit "Screaming Slave". Methinks this track is going to be
the subject of some heated discussion. The most obvious reference point
here is Skinny Puppy's "Download" - eight minutes of effects, noise and
general weirdness with very little in the way of music actually getting
in the way. As was the case with the Puppy track, you'll either love
this one or hate it. I've not really been able to make up my mind yet -
it certainly makes very attention-grabbing listening but while I
generally enjoy the collage of noise, phased drums and bizarre effects I
do sometimes find myself wishing they'd just stop pissing about and get
on with it since the studio cleverness does get a little overdone at
times. I suspect my eventual verdict on this track will settle in a
generally positive direction, but for the moment I'm reserving
judgement. Either way, if only for its outright weirdness, the pick of
the mixes here.
  So, there we have it - the EP has something for the fans of old-style
NIN, something for those who're into high BPM techno, something for
people who like noise collages a la SP's "Download", something for those
who're into thumpy dance-industrial percussion, something with lotsa
spoken word samples and film clips for the Puppy fans who didn't like
"Download", and "Throw This Away" for those who liked Broken but haven't
liked anything else Reznor had done before. Like I said, the EP covers a
pretty wide range of styles. Very varied, and I find most of the
material here an improvement on the Broken originals. I was surprised at
who did what though - one of the Reznor remixes coming out on top was
not something I'd anticipated. However, I'd also expected something more
atmospheric and less rhythmic from Coil and something considerably
messier and louder from Thirlwell, so what do I know?

Nine Inch Nails.  Further Down The Spiral.

Label:  Nothing/TVT
Loc:    US
Year:   1995
Time:   63 min 59 sec
Tracks: Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now) 4:02; The Art Of Self-Destruction,
       Part One 5:41; Self-Destruction, Part Two 5:37; The Downward Spiral
       (The Bottom) 7:28; Hurt (Quiet) 5:08; Eraser (Denial:Realization)
       6:33; At The Heart Of It All 7:13; Eraser (Polite) 1:15; Self
       Destruction, Final 9:52; The Beauty Of Being Numb 5:06; Erased.
       Over. Out 5:58.

Straight to the point - Further Down The Spiral is to The Downward
Spiral what Fixed was to Broken. It's a remix album, taking material
from The Downward Spiral, putting it through a mincer and spitting it
out again.
  The degree of remixing employed here spans a wide range, from minor
frills to all-out reconstructions. In fact, in the case of the Aphex
Twin "remixes" here the tracks included are not so much remixes as
variations on a textural theme by Reznor, constructed from sampled
material.
  The remixers involved on this one are NIN themselves (2.5 remixes), the
Aphex Twin (1.5), Rick Rubin (1), J.G. "Foetus" Thirlwell (2) and Coil
(4). The most minimally remixed material comes courtesy of Reznor Co.,
in the form of a crunching, distorted "Mr Self Destruct" and a
stripped-down, almost `unplugged' "Hurt". They also contribute a
wall-of-noise intro to Richard James's "The Beauty Of Being Numb"
creation.
  Jim Thirlwell adds a percussion edge and an ill camel to "Mr Self
Destruct" to not inconsiderable effect, later giving the same track a
second, not too different, slant. The Foetus remixes are, to be honest,
rather dull compared with that he's done in the past. They certainly
have their moments though, such as the grinding to a halt of the second
remix, and both have a nice solid heft to their sound.
  I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by Rick Rubin's reworking
of "Piggy" with its odd squeal'n'moan percussion in the verse, and high
BPM boost to the chorus. Not exactly radical surgery, I'll admit, but
highly effective nonetheless.
  Radical surgery would, however, be an ideal description of the Coil
remixes. "The Downward Spiral (The Bottom)" strips the song down to its
underwear, adds a truckload of atmospheric electronics, then explodes
via a heavily treated scream into a subtle combination of synth melody
and burbling rhythm under which Reznor mutters unintelligibly. The other
three Coil remixes are all of "Eraser", although they vary enormously.
The first, "Denial:Realization" is noisy and chaotic, eventually leading
into an enjoyable guitar/percussion drone creation. "Polite" is very
short indeed, with Reznor's " you" variations over a pastoral
synth line. The final Coil reworking, "Erased. Over. Out" is an atonal
noisescape of electronic drones and processed Reznor vocals (not a
scream as it sounds, but heavily stretched vox - play it fast to hear).
  The first Aphex Twin track, "At The Heart Of It All" is a clunking,
pounding industrial instrumental underpinned by a deeply majestic
synth-orchestral melody. The other, "The Beauty Of Being Numb", is a
two-part affair. The first noisy sequence sees NIN remixing Aphex Twin's
Reznor-inspired piece, while the second is decidedly odd, with a
subdued, laid-back melody gently drifting along over industrial clanks
and burbles. Nice stuff, but it does seem jarringly out of place.
  Overall, a good disc. These who dwell on Reznor's angstful lyrics or the
aggressive guitar-industrial sound may well be disappointed, but this
disc takes my own personal favourite feature of The Downward Spiral (the
sonic textures) and let's a bunch of talented people loose to have fun
with it. The results are never short of interesting.

KMFDM.  Money.

Label:  Transglobal
Loc:    UK
Year:   1992
Time:   54 min 42 sec
Tracks: Money 5:29; Vogue 4:05; Help Us/Save Us/Take Us Away 6:02;
       Bargeld 7:14; Spiritual House 5:21; Sex On The Flag
       (Jezebeelzebuttfunkmix) 4:24; I Will Pray 5:58; We
       Must Awaken 5:01; Under Satan (Dub) 4:11; Vogue (2000) 2:59;

       Money (Deutschmark Mix) 3:39.

The new album from KMFDM continues in pretty much the same vein as their
previous one Na�ve, a fun mix of techno and heavy metal with some funk
thrown in for good measure.
  Before discussing the music, a word about the packaging. It is, in a
word, crap. Sure, there's a nice bit of Brute cover art but the leaflet
is almost non-existent, consisting of just a blow-up of a section of the
cover art and big logos for Transglobal and KMFDM Enterprises - all the
useful info (y'know, stuff like the names of the tracks and other things
that only the truly obsessive would want to know) is restricted to the
back of the jewel box.
  Still, at least it's in a jewel box and not a Digi-pak.
  First up is the title track "Money", which is catchy enough although for
obvious reasons this isn't going to become an airplay favourite until
someone censors it.
  Other points of interest...
  "Spiritual House" - is it my imagination or does this sound more than a
little like NIN's "Head Like A Hole" in places?
  "Sex On The Flag" - lacks the sheer oomph of the version on the "Vogue"

CD single. Almost a different song, much lighter.
  The seventh through ninth tracks are a bit disappointing. They all sound
pretty much the same and merge into each other. Bits of "Die Now : Live
Later" and "Godlike" pop up here and there.
  I don't rate the album quite as highly as I did Na�ve. There's a few too
many down-beat tracks for my tastes, and nothing to match the downright
poppy title-track of that album. It also seems rather less varied and
slightly more commercial. Not a bad thing in itself, but the most
obvious candidate for a hit single rules itself out, at least until a
radio-friendly version appears.

KMFDM.  Nihil.

Label:  Wax Trax/TVT
Loc:    US
Year:   1995
Time:   49 min 01 sec
Tracks: Ultra 4:33; Juke Joint Jezebel 5:40; Flesh 5:01; Beast 5:06;
       Terror 4:49; Search & Destroy 3:26; Disobedience 4:42; Revolution
       4:26; Brute 4:24; Trust 6:48.

After the treading of water that was Money and the guitar-ridden Angst,
KMFDM's new album Nihil is a welcome return to form, if not precisely to
their old style. The guitars aren't exactly hiding in a corner, but the
synths have returned with reinforcements, giving the album a more
balanced sound. Raymond "Pig" Watts also returns to the KMFDM fold after
a long absence.
  Like my previous KMFDM favourite, Na�ve (the original, not the remixed
imposter that's available in the shops nowadays), Nihil is chock-full of
memorable songs. It's perhaps not quite the industrial pop of Na�ve, but
the affable KMFDM blend of dance industrial, funk and speed metal
coupled with a straightforward pop sensibility throws up a good
selection of songs, with only a couple of real duds. Watts takes over
most of the vocal duties,although Sascha is far from silent and there
are plenty of those female backing vocals too.
  Although the metal-isms are still rather excessive in places, the sounds
on this album are remarkably fresh. There's steel guitar, Hammond organ,
harmonica, and even a brass section all make appearances. Good songs?
Lots! I'm particularly fond of "Juke Joint Jezebel", "Disobebience" and
"Revolution". The only track that leaves me cold is "Flesh", although
both "Search & Destroy" and "Trust" tend a little too much towards a
generic speed metal sound for my tastes. Other than that, fun listening.
I'd imagine that some of those who were put off by the direction of
Angst might still find this one unpalatable, but I personally consider
Nihil to be a lot more approachable, and almost on a par with Na�ve.
1995

KMFDM.  Xtort.

Label:  Wax Trax/TVT
Loc:    US
Year:   1992
Time:   48 min 39 sec
Tracks: Power 5:26; Apathy 3:10; Rules 4:07; Craze 3:33; Dogma 4:06; Inane
       5:29; Blame 4:05; Son Of A Gun 4:23; Ikons 4:11; Wrath 10:09.

After the return to form that was Nihil, the latest album from KMFDM is
a decidedly odd bird. In an attempt to escape from possible stagnation,
KMFDM supremo Sascha K has enlisted the help of a number of guests who
contributed both to the composition and performance of Xtort's ten
tracks. This has resulted in a very varied album, with material that
ranges from the familiar to the innovative to the downright odd. How the
listener will react to this will vary greatly from person to person -
those who seek something cosily familiar, another Nihil or Angst, might
find their expectations being thrown for a loop here.
  The track that's closest to the stereotypical KMFDM sound (or perhaps to
that of Sascha's side project, Excessive Force) is "Power". There's
heavy guitars, synth work, female backing vocals on the chorus - it's
fairly standard issue KMFDM industro-metal-pop. The lyrics suggest it
might have originally been intended as an Excessive Force track, but
with the KMFDM fondness for recycling their own work, who knows?
"Apathy" is markedly heavier, guitar-dominated fare. Since I wasn't ever
fond of their more overtly metal stuff, I'm not very keen on it. "Rules"
marks the first significant guest spot, with Chris Connelly (of Fini
Tribe, RevCo, PTP, and, erm, Chris Connelly) contributing vocals. Mark
Durante also provides some interesting slide guitar work, and the
combination of these two gives the track an interesting twist,
especially since it's combined with more familiar KMFDM ingredients.
  Connelly also provides some of the vocals on "Craze", an even more
atypical yet excellent song. The difference from the typical KMFDM sound
might confuse or disappoint some, but I find the mixture of the trumpet
samples, Connelly's vocals and the fast, shouted verse and slower chorus
(now there's a reverse on a recent industrial clich�) an interesting
one. However, "Craze" is positively mundane when compared to "Dogma".
"Dogma" is a song you'll either love or hate. To date, I've encountered
a lot more people who hate it, which is a shame, since I personally
love. it. It's completely unlike anything you've ever heard from KMFDM.
It's a lengthy spoken word rant by Nicole Blackman over a wonderfully
crunchy rhythm track by Einst�rzende Neubauten's F.M. Einheit. Yes,
there's a more typically KMFDM-ish chorus, but as a whole the song is
way off the beaten track. If you find Blackman's lecturing annoying
(something I can understand) you'll probably hate this, but I personally
love the track for its refreshing originality.
  Having thrown the listener completely, KMFDM seek to bring them back to
earth with "Inane". Yep, it's that perennial favourite, the KMFDM song
about KMFDM. Some find these rather self-indulgent and pretentious, but
I personally love them. Cheesy though they are, they've got a lot of
humour, something that's so often missing from modern industrial. This
particular ad for the band manages to include a respectable number of
single and album titles. The slightly self-mocking "German engineering,
astounding ingenuity, over a decade of conceptual continuity" voice-over
is just icing on the cake.
  Connelly's back on "Blame", this time with a complete brass section and
Bill Rieflin (who appears in a few places on this album) on drums. It's
decent rock, but those who're expecting "standard issue KMFDM" will be
disappointed. "Son Of A Gun" seems to be one of the more popular tracks
on the album, but I personally find it a bit generic. It'll reassure
those who want the KMFDM they know and love though. "Ikons" sees the
combination of Connelly (on vocals) and F.M. Einheit (on lawnchairs,
rubbles, rocks and dirt). They're joined by Bill Rieflin, Dorona Alberti
(who provided backing vocals on "Craze") and, oh yeah, Sascha and G�nter
(who seems to be a full-time KMFDMember these days). I like this one a
lot, although it's once again a departure from the sound of their recent
albums.
  The final track, "Wrath", doesn't do a lot for me. Those who like their
KMFDM fast, loud and aggressive will like it. The track's rounded off by
a burst of fairly gratuitous and generally annoying noise courtesy of
John Van Eaton. Then, after a brief silence, comes the hidden track. I
won't go into too much detail and spoil the surprise, but it's a strange
little story about a horny fairy and a punk. Yes, it's every bit as odd
as it sounds.
  Actually, "odd" is a pretty good description for Xtort as a whole. It's
definitely the most original and varied KMFDM album I've encountered in
years, and it's quickly become a personal favourite (although it's no
Na�ve). However, this quirkiness also seems to have alienated a lot of
fans - I've seen many rate it as the worst KMFDM album they've heard.
Given such widely divergent opinions, the potential buyer is advised to
try before they buy if possible or, if this isn't possible, to at least
expect the unexpected.

Information Society.  Don't Be Afraid.

Label:  Cleopatra
Loc:    US
Year:   1997
Time:   60 min 40 sec
Tracks: Empty 8:32; Closing In 8:11; On The Outside 6:47; Ending World
       5:31; Seek300 4:33; The Sky Away 3:59; Are 'Friends' Electric? 5:41;
       Ozar Midrashim 6:51; The Ridge 9:40; White Roses 0:55.

Information Society have always been somewhere on the periphery of my
synthpop tastes, not so remote from what I like to be ignored, but at
the same time not really one of the bands I was very big on. This was
reflected in which of their releases I bought - their self-titled debut
was on my short-list of stuff to buy the very first time I visited the
US, their second was picked up a long time after its release, and their
third just wasn't picked up at all. The formula that worked so well on
their first album, a danceable, club-oriented synthpop, saw them briefly
likened to the Human League in the UK media (they used synths, they had
a male vocalist with female backing, hey, it's close enough). However,
the departure of Amanda Kramer combined with a more self-consciously hip
approach to alter their sound, and there was evidence of musical
differences within the band.
  These differences came to the surface after the third album, Peace And
Love, Inc., an album which turned up in cutout bins with alarming
rapidity. Paul Robb went off to pursue his own musical direction as
Think Tank, who knows where James Cassidy went, and Kurt Harland was
left alone to remake Information Society in his own image.
  Don't Be Afraid is the first release from Harland's new InSoc. Perhaps
the greatest indicator of the band's sound (short of actually listening
to the disc, anyway), is the considerable presence of Steven Seibold's
name in the credits. He produced and mixed many of the tracks, as well
as supplying guitar and drums on a number of the tracks here. Yep,
Kurt's gone electro-industrial. The end result...well, the end result is
very difficult to describe. The Harland and Seibold influences have
combined in some surprising ways. Some of these combinations are so-so,
some are decent enough, and a couple are spectacular. I'd imagine which
of the tracks fit which category will depend to a large extent on the
listener.
  The album's opening track, "Empty", opens with something that seems to
characterize the album, a somewhat surreal narrative by Harland. The
black deer mentioned in this section, and illustrated on the cover,
seems to be a somewhat confused individual. OK, I can live with a deer's
head on a human body, I see stranger things than that on an almost daily
basis, but breasts and antlers? Woah, that's kinky. Gender-bending
woodland animals, whatever next?
  These odd, paranoid narratives appear in a number of places and, well,
they're a bit weird. I suspect this was the intention. The track's an
interesting one, and rather good. It's got a certain dark energy to it,
with decent vocals (sometimes distorted, but never in a cookie monster
fashion), a smattering of samples, and some very nice use of swiping,
slightly queasy string synths. "Closing" opens in a rather grandiose
fashion, with lots more of those strings and some pleasantly rich synth
sounds. The track itself is pretty decent, with some aggressive
drumming, plenty more of those layered synths, and so on. The guitars
though don't do it for me. The next track, "On The Outside" opens with a
lengthy and slightly odd sample - it might be supposed to be disturbing,
but its got a definite patina of self-centred teenage angst to it, so I
ended up finding it more amusing than anything. The track probably the
weakest on the album up to this point, although the chorus has a certain
something. "Ending World" makes some creative use of an interesting
selection of samples, but doesn't really go anywhere. It's followed by
"Seek300", which follows in the "Seek" tradition of being a decent
instrumental, albeit more aggressive. Again there's some decent use of
samples, and what InSoc album would be complete without a Star Trek
sample?
  Then, after five tracks which while generally above average don't really
astound, there's "The Sky Away". On the first listen to the album I
somehow didn't hear it (must have left the CD playing while I went out
the room). Next time I played the album and it stopped me dead in my
tracks. It's definitely more synthpoppy than everything else here, but
that isn't the track's main appeal for me. It's got a real air of
grandeur about it, with a strong vocal performance from Kurt, some
glorious string synths, and it's just drop-dead gorgeous. Even the
pounding percussion and stabs of guitar help rather than hinder. In
short, wow!
  Harland makes a decent attempt at following it up in equally spectacular
fashion, with a competent, chunky, cover of Gary Numan's "Are 'Friends'
Electric?" Again the clanging depth-charge percussion is a big plus, and
it's one of the better covers of the track that I've heard. Stuck
between this and the next track, "Ozar Midrashim", we're treated to some
dark, satanic back-masking (well, not really - reverse it and see!).
"Ozar Midrashim" itself is an odd beast indeed, with another of those
strange monologues leading into a rather filmic, atmospheric piece. It
reminds me a little of a darker, denser take on the sound Delerium
achieved on Syrophenikan. It's pretty impressive.
  The album's final "real" track is "The Ridge". This is really quite
good, especially once it gets going, but it is eclipsed somewhat by the
sequence that precedes it. The real final track, "White Roses", isn't
music, it's a puzzle. It's 55 seconds of 300 baud modem data that,
decoded, gives a further clue as to where the actual track "White Roses"
can be found.
  The album comes as part of a two disc package, the other disc of which
contains data. This was a pleasant surprise, not because it was
technically stunning (it isn't, believe me) but because it seems a lot
more personal than the usual Shockwaved, glitzy multimedia you normally
get packaged with music CDs. It's files, plain and simple, all sorts of
odds and ends, from IRC transcripts to images, to video snippets of
Kurt's beloved car. There's stuff provided by Kurt, there's stuff put
together by fans. None of it's technically amazing, but it's a lot of
fun just to explore the disc, and see what's there.
  The reviews I've read of this album have been very mixed. That's not
entirely surprising, since in some ways it's neither fish nor fowl. It's
moved too far towards a harsh, industrial sound for the synthpop fans,
but still retains enough rounded edges to be insufficiently "hard" for
that other genre. It's a shame, since it's really a pretty good album,
and deserves a bigger audience than the tiny intersection between the
two genres it straddles. It's got several standout tracks, and nothing
rates noticeably below average. True, the monologues are either
horribly, horribly pretentious or at least partly tongue-in-chways it's
neither fish nor fowl. It's moved too far towards a harsh, industrial
sound for the synthpop fans, but still retains enough rounded"The Sky
Away", which should count for a lot.

Front 242.  Kampfbereit.

Label:  Bundy
Loc:    Unknown
Year:   1992
Time:   66 min 11 sec
Tracks: S. Fr. Nomenklatura 4:20; Don't Crash 4:10; Lovely Day 6:43;
       No Shuffle 3:42; Body To Body 3:32; Take One 5:23; Funkahdafi 5:17;
       U-Men 4:31; Commando Mix 5:56; Operating Tracks 3:43; Body To Body
       2:18; U-Men 3:09; Take One 4:39; Kampfbereit 3:17; In November 2:38;
       With Your Cries 2:35.

First off, a disclaimer - this CD, despite the fact that I found it in a
perfectly reputable shop is in all probability a bootleg. This means
that it's quite possible you won't be able to find it in your local
store and that even thinking about it may (depending on where you live)
be a heinous crime punishable by all sorts of unimaginable things. You
have been warned.
  This live CD on the mysterious Bundy label compiles a selection of
tracks from two 1985 concerts, one in Amsterdam and one in Brussels.
There's eight tracks from each, with considerable overlap between the
two.
  The first eight tracks (it's not made clear which concert is which) are
very clearly recorded, with almost no hiss whatsoever - probably a
soundboard recording. There are no real surprises here, with decent
versions of songs from Front 242's first two albums. The arrangements
differ from the album versions by enough to be interesting to the
serious collector and are rather longer too but there's nothing that
makes the material on here a must-have. Sound quality is excellent and
the stereo separation is pretty decent too.
  The second eight have rather inferior sound by comparison with the
first, with noticeable hiss but still reasonable stereo. However, the
hiss is only really apparent during the quieter passages and with a
decent pair of headphones it's still quite listenable. The material is
from the same period as the first concert, although probably not the
same tour since those songs that do overlap differ in their
arrangements.
  Although the sound quality is excellent in places, this CD is really
only recommended for the serious Front 242 fan especially when you
consider how expensive bootlegs can be. If you're either new to Front
242 or have just started with them, you'd be much better off going for
the real albums than this live boot.
  Note that the cover art and disc are riddled with mistakes, from the
mislabelling of "No Shuffle" on the disc as "Lovely Day" to mislabelling
"With Your Cries" as "Take One" on the back cover and misspelling the
title of the first track. They even get the length of the disc wrong
(managing to get the length of every single track wrong and resulting in
the disc being over 3 minutes longer than listed on the insert).

Front 242.  Live Target.

Label:  Guzzi
Loc:    Italy
Year:   1992
Time:   73 min 34 sec
Tracks: Rhythm Of Time 7:33; Soul Manager 4:20; Don't Crash 4:13; Im
       Rhythmus Bleiben 3:36; DSMO 123 & Moldavia 12:23; No Shuffle 3:44;
       Gripped By Fear 4:48; Never Stop 4:21; Headhunter 5:06; Tragedy
       >For You< 4:58; Welcome To Paradise 4:00; Punish Your Machine 5:33;
       Intro + Circling Overland 8:56.

Front 242 seem to be very popular with the bootleggers these days, as
evidenced by the appearance of yet another "live, rare and probably
illegal" F242 CD in my local shop. Apparently the new single European
market (or something) is going to make bootleg availability in the UK at
least much better than it has been in the past (it's been illegal to
import them) but since this review is going worldwide and since even the
possession of bootlegs is illegal in many places I'd better make it
quite clear here and now that this is a bootleg which means that a) no,
I can't buy a copy for you and send it and b) even if I did,
dangerous-looking men in expensive suits and mirror shades would break
down your door the minute you started playing it and you'd never be seen
again, except maybe on the side of a milk carton. Well, perhaps I
exaggerate, but you get the general idea...
  What's nice about this disc is that, unlike most boots I've found, the
unknown Italian label is about the only thing that marks this release
out as being of dubious origins. It's well packaged with nice screen
printing on the CD itself and the sound quality...well, that certainly
seems to support the "Digital Recording From The Mixing Desk" claim made
on the back cover, as this is (for the most part) crystal clear.
  The disc is a record of Front 242's 1991 Tyranny >For You< tour, and
seems to have been recorded at more than one show. The bulk of the
material appears to be from the Bonn gig with the last few tracks from
the Cincinatti show on the US leg of the tour.
  The tracks themselves are a reasonable mix of material from the most
recent album Tyranny >For You< and older material. With as much of the
show on tape or sequenced as you'd expect from a very electronically
oriented group like Front 242, the mix and sound here don't differ too
drastically from the studio originals, but the live quality of the
(surprisingly intelligible) vocals and some differences in arrangement
do make this something rather more than just a Best Of compilation with
added crowd noise. The crowd interaction is pretty limited - exortations
to sweat, move, dance etc - and the majority of the material sounds just
like the album, but there are touches that stand out such as many of the
vocal samples on "Welcome To Paradise" being sung live. The only really
new piece here is the extended (4 minutes or so) intro to "Circling
Overland", an extended mood piece of dark synths and samples of mission
control dialogue from various space missions.
  Overall, rather a nice live disc (good enough that any legitimate live
F242 album would have difficulty bettering it), but like most live
bootlegs this is definitely one for the seriously fanatical rather than
the merely interested.

Front 242.  06:21:03:11 Up Evil.

Label:  RRE
Loc:    Belgium
Year:   1993
Time:   58 min 38 sec
Tracks: Crapage 4:56; Waste 4:12; Skin 3:33; Motion 3:50; Religion 4:05;
       Stratoscape 4:33; Hymn 3:26; Fuel 4:45; Melt 3:30; Flag 5:08;
       Mutilate 4:10; (S)Crapage 6:11; Religion (Pussy Whipped Mix) 6:06.

Front 242's new album 06:21:03:11 Up Evil sees the group surging
strongly in the direction of the musical mainstream. Whether this is a
bad thing or not will depend largely on whether you view the mainstream
as something terrible or not. I don't, so the changes in the group's
sound that this album reveals don't disturb me particularly. However,
those who became familiar with Front 242 at their "hardest" on 1991's
Tyranny >For You< album might find the almost-pop-in-places sound of the
new album hard to take as the new album fuses the sound of their
previous album with dribbles of ambience, shards of electric guitar and
even harks back to the Frontmen's own prehistory in places.
  The main reason for the shift in style seems to have been the recent
change in the group's lineup. Richard JK (aka Richard 23) has been
pretty much sidelined, and is credited only with some of the vocals on
the album, while new members Jean-Marc and Pierre Pauly have taken over
lyric-writing and added their names to the compositional team. It's also
likely that after the almost-hit status of Tyranny >For You< they've
tried to make their sound more easily palatable to the masses in the
hope of achieving a long-awaited breakthrough.
  The most noticeable change in the sound is that for the very first time
Front 242 sound positively lush in places. Leaving aside the individual
songs for the moment, the album flows beautifully with many of the
tracks being separated by atmospheric noises, bleeps and whooshes. The
songs themselves are often smoother in sound and more melodic, although
those who like their Front 242 with more of an edge shouldn't be
disappointed either, as there's plenty of that too.
  The album opens with "Crapage", an interesting piece that moves from an
ambient intro (containing various electronic weirdnesses reminiscent of
Jean-Michel Jarre's Zoolook) evolving into something that sounds vaguely
like "Rhythm Of Time" from their last album before finally turning into
a track that oscillates between sounding slightly like An Unexpected
Groovy Treat-era Finitribe and a more melodic than usual Front 242. The
sound is very busy yet at the same time very clear and this track is one
of the highpoints of the album.
  "Crapage" flows smoothly into "Waste" (I'd rather not dwell on the
imagery of that) via an atmospheric bridge. "Waste" sounds more 242-ish,
but the synth sounds used are smoother and they're supplemented by
occasional bursts of noise. Again, it's more conventionally melodic than
the group's older material.
  "Skin" is more subdued and less rhythm based, with the stress being on
the vocals and some wonderful synth sounds. Think "Felines" or Geography
era material for a reference point. The distinct feeling of deja vu
continues with "Motion", the intro for which is slightly reminiscent of
"Kampfbereit" although the track itself is much more up-tempo. Guitars
make an appearance, but it's still very much a synth track. A lengthier
burst of noise leads into "Religion" , the lead-off single and probably
the most aggressive track on the album. Loaded with guitar samples and
with heavily distorted vocals, it's pretty atypical of the group's prior
output but a great track nonetheless.
  After a minute or so of ambience "Stratoscape" begins. This is fairly
lightweight stuff, combining harshly whispered vocals with almost tinkly
synths. It reminds me a lot of something else, but I'm damned if I can
remember what. Chris & Cosey ? Maybe. The refrain of "over and over" is
more than a little reminiscent of Cabaret Voltaire too. "Hymn" (no
relation whatsoever to the Ultravox song :-)) is similar in some ways to
"Crapage" - again there's the feeling that sometimes you're listening to
Front 242, sometimes you're listening to Finitribe.
  "Fuel" is very interesting indeed, combining a driving verse and guitar
samples with an odd, slightly silly sounding chorus. "Melt" is
surprisingly conventional. The basic song structure and sound are
typically 242, but the chorus is very "rocky" and there's a lot of
guitar work. Were it not for the distinctive beat, this would (in
places) be impossible to identify as Front 242.
  The intro to "Flag" reminds me rather a lot of one of the Eno remixes of
Depeche Mode's "I Feel You" single. The resemblance ends there though as
the rest of the track features both a typical Front 242 beat and another
sound entirely that features light, sparkly synths and female backing
vocals. "Mutilate" is another standout, a quiet almost-ballad that's
utterly unlike anything they've ever done before.
  The disc is closed by two remixes. "(S)Crapage" is an extended
instrumental of "Crapage" - nothing drastic has been done to the track
but the absence of vocals increases the impact of the music
considerably. Finally (and rather redundantly, IMHO) we have the
"Religion (Pussy Whipped Mix)" which sees J.G. Thirlwell beefing up that
track in his own inimitable manner (ie big chunky drums, lotsa guitar,
sudden quirky changes of style). Of the remixes that appeared on the "
Religion" CD singles it's the best of a bad bunch, but I'd rather have
had something new here.
  All in all, I'm very impressed indeed. Front 242 purists might be rather
disheartened by the more obviously commercial approach, but I personally
think that the group have gained more than they've lost in their search
for mainstream success. This album still has plenty evidence of their
old sound but, due perhaps to the greater attention to melody rather
than rhythm, it's much more interesting musically with a far wider sonic
vocabulary. After six albums (and 11 years) of producing uncompromising
electronic body music it's no real surprise that they've mellowed a
little and perhaps got bored with the limitations of the genre, so it's
a good sign to see them spreading their net a little further. Oddly
enough for the first Front 242 album to feature guitars, in many ways
this is their synthiest album yet with more creative use of that
instrument.
  It's surprisingly difficult to pick out standout tracks from this album.
Partly this is due to the overall standard being so high, partly it's
also due to the songs sometimes being difficult to distinguish. Often
this would be a bad thing, but this is very much an album rather than
merely a collection of singles. In fact one of the reasons "Religion"
does stand out is that it sticks out like a sore thumb since the rest of
the album fits together so nicely. The best thing they've done? Hmm,
it's too soon to say, but once I'm used to the album I'm certainly going
to have to put it head-to-head against Front By Front to see how the two
measure up.
  Of course, this isn't all we're getting from Front 242 this year - the
more ambient album 05:22:09:12 Off is due for release (in Europe at
least) on 23rd August. Definitely one to look forward to.
  One final aside - the packaging. The particular copy I'm reviewing here
is the limited edition poster pack of the album (hence the CDX catalogue
number rather than the regular CD). While the disc itself isn't any
different, the limited edition comes in a decidedly odd cardboard and
plastic package called a "Compac Plus" which, as cardboard packs go,
leaves the Digi-pak standing (although it's still not as good as a jewel
box). The package is far sturdier than a Digi-pak and seems to go some
way to rectifying that format's faults (ie it closes solidly and the
edges of the cardboard can't get scuffed) while at the same time being
slightly annoying (it's the same thickness as 1 1/2 jewel boxes and so
will wreak havoc on people whose CDs are kept in racks with jewel-box
sized slots). The poster itself, while depicting the rather stylish
cover art, is next to useless, since the album details are printed on
it.

Front 242.  05:22:09:12 Off.

Label:  RRE
Loc:    Belgium
Year:   1993
Time:   71 min 21 sec
Tracks: Animal (Cage) 3:00; Animal (Gate) 3:02; Animal (Guide) 2:44;
       Modern Angel 4:12; Junkdrome 7:35; Serial Killers Don't Kill Their
       Girlfriend 5:57; Skin (Fur Coat) 3:59; GenEcide 6:53; Crushed 6:13;
       offEND 1:38; Animal (Zoo) 4:02; Serial Killers Don't Kill Their
       Boyfriend 3:08; Happiness (More Angels) 6:39; Crushed (Obscene) 4:09;
       Melt (Again) 5:06; Speed Angels 2:52.

05:22:09:12 Off is the second album by Front 242 this year, following
hot on the heels of the excellent 06:21:03:11 Up Evil which appeared in
the spring. Despite some new elements appearing in the group's sound,
that album was still easily recognisable as a Front 242 album. The same
is not necessarily true for this new one though - while several tracks
have that familiar F242 sound, the rest show the group experimenting a
lot more than in their recent releases and many tracks have only a
little in common with 06:21:03:11 Up Evil and almost nothing in common
with their earlier works. I suspect that many fans of the group may find
that this new disc takes some getting used to since it's so different
from anything they have done before.
  The disc kicks off with three versions of "Animal" - well, that's what
the insert claims anyway. The second and third tracks are definitely
what they claim to be, but "Animal (Cage)" is an ambient piece of
low-pitched chords, electronic effects, the occasional split-second
snippet of melody, distant screams and a wide variety of difficult to
identify noises. It's all quite hypnotic and gets the album off to a
good start although it bears no resemblance whatsoever to any of the
other mixes of the track. The next version ( "Animal (Gate)" is,
superficially at least, back on a more familiar track. The rhythm is
more than a little reminiscent of "Headhunter" but the rest of the song
is considerably different - it is somewhat minimalist, consisting of
little more than the rhythm track and vocals, and the vocals themselves
are something entirely new for Front 242 - they're heavily distorted
(gated?) and sound distinctly female! There's also a soulful female
backing vocal that appears from time to time. The third mix of "Animal"
adds more meat to the bones of the rhythm track introduced in the
previous mix. The sound is richer and denser, with the usual Jean-Luc De
Meyer vocals, and other than being slightly more techno-oriented than
most of the material on Up Evil there's nothing here to frighten off
fans of 242's earlier work.
  "Modern Angel" also appears in several versions on the CD, although
these are spread out across the disc rather than clumped together. The
techno influence is again strongly in evidence, along with aggressive
yet androgynous screamed/distorted vocals and more of those soft female
backing vocals. It's all rather appealing - especially the haunting
melodic interludes - although the extended tinkly outro does go on a
little too long. "Junkdrome" is the first of the three remixes from
06:21:03:11 Up Evil on the disc, and is a lengthy and drastic
instrumental remix of "Crapage" that moves from an ambient intro that's
almost three minutes long into something that sounds like Jean-Michel
Jarre on steroids. "Serial Killers Don't Kill Their Girlfriend" is also
worth a listen - an odd, bouncy beat combined with Jean-Luc singing
interesting lyrics and a really melodic chorus that's pure Front 242.
  The second of the 06:21:03:11 Up Evil remixes is "Skin (Fur Coat)",
which takes the original track and beefs it up into something more
substantial with plenty of rich synthesizer sounds and a chunkier beat.
True, it also has some slightly cliched bleepy sequences, but it still
preserves the essence of the original track. "GenEcide" starts as a
tinkly Orb-like piece, with pretty female vocals but the beat that
eventually emerges and the addition of distorted, shrieking vocals mark
it as something a little different. The contrast between the distorted
screams and the untreated female vocals is interesting but the track on
the whole has a distinctly un-Front 242 feel to it - it is impossible to
make any comparisons to earlier releases since they've never done
anything that sounded like this before.
  Compare this with "Crushed", where the first notes show clearly that
we're back in safer territory. While the contemporary beat and the
presence of yet more of those female vocals jars slightly, the synth
sound is unmistakable. The distorted yet melodic vocals work very well
indeed, making this track one of the more enjoyable ones on the album.
  "offEND" is presumably meant to be the tailpiece of the LP version of
the album - a short ambient track that takes the album out in a similar
manner to the way "Animal(Cage)" brought it in. However, both the CD and
(to a lesser degree) cassette versions of the album offer additional
tracks - another six in the case of the CD.
  The first of these is yet another version of "Animal" - this time it's
the "Animal (Zoo)" mix that sounds even more like "Headhunter" than
either of the earlier versions did. In many ways it is a mix of those
versions, combining the more substantial sound of the "Animal (Guide)"
mix with the vocals of "Animal (Gate)" and thickening the sound still
further in the process. "Serial Killers Don't Kill Their Boyfriend" is a
noisier (and considerably shorter) version of "Serial Killers Don't Kill
Their Girlfriend" that is to all intents an instrumental - there are a
few vocals here and there but they are so heavily distorted that they
are almost completely unintelligible.
  "Happiness (More Angels)" is a somewhat repetitive remix of "Modern
Angel" that strongly stresses the techno aspects while dispensing with
the vocals. As such it's quite good but there are hundreds of artists
putting out anonymous identikit techno like this and I personally think
Front 242 (or what is left of Front 242 - Richard 23 seems to have gone,
and Jean-Luc De Meyer isn't much in evidence on this album either) would
be better off pursuing their own distinctive sound instead of just
following the trend. "Crushed (Obscene)" gives that track a similar
treatment and in the process throws out most of those lovely lush synths
but the combination of the distorted yet haunting female vocals and the
subtle rhythm track still works reasonably well and is reminiscent of a
hard-edged Single Gun Theory.
  "Melt (Again)" is the third and final track from 06:21:03:11 Up Evil to
be remixed here. The differences are minor - the track has been stripped
down, the percussion has been pumped up and a bucketful of extra effects
have been thrown into the mix for good measure. Oh, and doesn't that new
intro sound just the teeniest bit reminiscent of an old Skinny Puppy
track? "Smothered Hope" or "Far Too Frail", I can never remember which.
The CD is rounded off by "Speed Angels", the third remix of "Modern
Angel". This, as the name suggests, is fast and marries the atmospheric
synths and some of the vocals of the original with a high BPM breakbeat
techno rhythm track. Short but sweet.
  My general impressions of this album are mixed. There is no doubt in my
mind that this is the most innovative album Front 242 have released in a
long time - all their past albums have developed their sound steadily
but 05:22:09:12 Off seems to leap in several different directions at
once. I think it is the precise directions they've taken that concern me
- while it's interesting to hear Front 242 trying their hand at
commercial techno that's the one time when the album seems to lose any
distinctive flavour. Their attempts at ambience work well, although the
pictures they conjure up would only fit in with the trendily peaceful
ambient techno imagery of tropical rain forests and dolphins etc if you
were willing to throw Agent Orange and perhaps a couple of
dolphin-unfriendly tuna fishing operations into the equation. The tracks
that seem to work best are those where they've thrown all the
ingredients - the usual Front 242 EBM sound, techno influences from
hardcore to ambient, heavily distorted vocals - in together, mixed them
around a bit and stuck them together.
  Like 06:21:03:11 Up Evil the album is nicely put together, with tracks
flowing together via subtle bridges. However, unlike the previous album
where the overall effect was of a seamless whole (with the possible
exceptions of the add-on remixes on the CD and "Religion") this new
album just doesn't seem to hold together as well. This might be due to
the jarring contrast between some of the tracks, it might be because of
the way that where 06:21:03:11 Up Evil flowed from beginning to end,
05:22:09:12 Off has loops in its flow with tracks seeming to pop up
again and again. Either way the result is discontinuity and
disorientation, although that might (given the schizoid nature of the
album) be intentional.
  As with the previous album, the initial release of 05:22:09:12 Off in
Europe at least comes in a special poster pack in the "Compac Plus"
card/plastic box that has the dubious privilege of being about the only
cardboard CD box I've seen that can give a jewel box a run for its
money. Those who object to cardboard packing in general rather than just
to Digi-paks should (in Europe at least) probably hold off a few weeks
before buying this, as by that time the regularly jewel boxed version
should be appearing.
  Speaking of who should buy this - fans of older Front 242 who found
06:21:03:11 Up Evil a little too adventurous or those who liked it for
its moves towards the guitar-oriented end of the dance-industrial genre
should probably steer clear. However, the ambient and techno influences
that abound here mean this album might appeal to some people who didn't
particularly warm to 06:21:03:11 Up Evil . So I'll give it exactly the
same rating I gave that album, since what this album lacks in memorable
songs it more than makes up for in its variety and experimentation.

Fear Factory.  Fear Is The Mindkiller.

Label:  Roadrunner
Loc:    Germany
Year:   1993
Time:   32 min 37 sec
Tracks: Martyr (Suffer Bastard Mix) 7:14; Self Immolation (Vein Tap Mix)
       5:31; Scapegoat (Pigfuck Mix) 4:36; Scumgrief (Deep Dup Trauma Mix)
       6:19; Self Immolation (Liquid Sky Mix) 6:06; Self Immolation
       (LP Version) 2:45.

Yet another addition to the serried ranks of Ministry clones? Not quite.
Fear Factory are, apparently, more in the old fashioned purist death
metal/grindcore vein (although they do have a keyboard player, albeit a
very small one) and this EP is either the result of cynical commercial
manipulation on the part of their label or a desire on the part of the
group themselves to dip a toe into the currently fashionable thrashy
guitars plus synths and samplers genre.
  Either way, the end result has been for five tracks from their Soul Of A
New Machine album to find their way into the hands of Bill Leeb and Rhys
Fulber (of Front Line Assembly, Noise Unit, Intermix etc) to be given
the remix treatment. The finished product, it must be said, isn't at all
bad. The approach Leeb and Fulber have taken is not the one I had
expected though, with the house-ified beats they've added to most of the
tracks being more typical of their releases as Intermix than their own
synth'n'sampled guitar material (eg Caustic Grip-era FLA, recent Noise
Unit).
  Not having heard the album on which the vanilla versions of these tracks
appeared, it's difficult to compare them with their originals, but
Roadrunner have thoughtfully included the original LP mix of "Self
Immolation" which is remixed twice here, and this does give the listener
a "Before" to compare with the Leeb/Fulber remodelled "After". If the
approach taken on "Self Immolation" is typical of the other tracks, Leeb
and Fulber have shown a decent level of respect for the original
material. Most of the changes have been accomplished by rearranging,
cutting and pasting and manipulating rather than the wholesale
replacement that so often characterises much of what passes for remixing
today.
  While they have made major changes, they've managed to retain the feel
of the tracks quite well, with the only instantly noticeable addition
being the beat itself. Most of the other manipulations and changes have
been more subtly done. They are, it must be said, fairly wide ranging
and include vocal and instrumental treatments as well as the occasional
well-blended synth chord or sample.
  The EP contains three versions of the track "Self Immolation" plus the
tracks "Martyr", "Scapegoat" and "Scumgrief". It's no surprise that
they've picked on "Self Immolation" for extra attention, it's definitely
the strongest track here. In the "Vein Tap" mix Leeb and Fulber have
taken the original track's mix of grinding guitars, tinny percussion and
almost ludicrously distorted vocals and married it to a medium-tempo
house beat whilst adding looped vocals and guitars. The overall effect
is enjoyable - the flavour of the original track is preserved at least
in part and the remix definitely adds something. The second "Liquid Sky"
mix is rather different in feel. The same remix tricks as before are
used, but they've also added a very distinctive Front Line Assembly
style synth line which shifts the whole track rather strongly in the
direction of that group's sound. The original LP version, presented
largely for comparison, is passable if unexceptional stuff.
  The other three tracks are all worth a listen. "Martyr (Suffer Bastard
Mix)" is decent enough but vocally repetitive. "Scapegoat (Pigfuck Mix)"
is fairly cliched stuff - dully grinding guitars, demonically distorted
vocals - but is saved from oblivion by an oddly tuneful chorus. There's
not much in the way of Leeb/Fulber shenanigans here, with the obvious
signs of their meddling being limited to some samples and effects.
Finally, "Scumgrief (Deep Dub Trauma Mix)". This starts off in almost
Delerium-esque repetitive clunk noise vein (is it my imagination, or
have Leeb and Fulber sampled SPK's Zamia Lehmanni in the intro? Some of
those clunks and that steam whistle sound familiar) but quickly reveals
itself to be fairly standard fare, with the FLA intervention remaining
subtle. Not too bad a track, but nothing to write home about.
  Overall? Well, there's nothing here that's blown me away, but some of
the tracks have really grown on me, which is a surprise since I'm not
normally into the likes of grindcore or death metal. I guess the
Leeb/Fulber influence on these tracks has moved them just close enough
to my "territory" to appeal. The juxtaposition of big, chugging guitars
and growled vocals with the occasional melodic touch and the dance beats
works well. I'm unlikely to search out anything else by Fear Factory,
but this release does suggest that Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber may be
worth watching should they remix any more outside projects.
  One gripe though - those titles. "Scapegoat (Pigfuck Mix)". "Martyr
(Suffer Bastard Mix)". Cliche city or what? That sort of title is to the
Ministry-clone market what titles like "Disco Boogie Inferno (Get On
Down)" were to the mid-to-late 70s. Bleah.

---
House Music

Joshua Seamless: Demo

Joshua offers a great U.K. energy house set akin to the perfect night at
a big-city house club. The basslines are anthematic, the drums beat low,
and some of the tunes are recognizable. Joshua's set is very tasty and
groovy, and should funk up anyone craving a good club set to start the
evening off right. To contact Joshua for bookings in the U.K., mail him
at: [email protected] 9/10 (MattC)

Dub Gnostic: Welcome to the Next School

Wow! Talk about original. I've never heard such cool-sounding tracks as
this. Very morning-style, lucious trance/house tracks with blippy and
filtered elements throughout. Like an alien's dance party to the hilt!
Through all the atmosphere's, Dub Gnostic still manages a spactacular
groove. This IS psychedelic house if I may say so myself. He definitely
takes you to the "next level" of house. Open your eyes. To contact Dub
Gnostic for bookings, call at: 604.876.5410. 9/10 (MattC)

DJ Kered: Tales From the Sunrise and Beyond...

Beautiful morning house set to soothe your soul as the sun rises above
the horizon. The sounds are glistening, the groove is subtle, yet deep,
and the glory is intact. Side one kicks in a mellow and glossy groove,
while side two provides a minamilistic quality to slowly bring in the
sweetness of a fresh, new day. Very original and fresh tracks unlike any
I've heard in a while. Add him to your next party for a different house
flava. To contact DJ Kered for bookings, contact VR Management at:
203.226.8706. 9/10 (MattC)

DJ Stan: Funk House/Get On the Floor!

This unique U.K. DJ shows us two sides. The first side of the tape,
"Funk House," takes us back to the historcal days of Run DMC and the
magnificant MCs, providing the house beat every bit of the way. The
second side is a full-on, energy-packed club crank with trancey TB-303s
screaming to the hand-rasing anthems. The mixing is very smooth, and
overall a great mix to warm up to before going out! To contact Stan
Syversten, mail him at: [email protected]/10 (MattC)

Brent Borel: Evolution

Brent's been pumping out the tapes lately, but he's got the talent and
power to do it. This tape showcases his speed garage/funky breaks talent
and it is the flava of the day. So if ya get into the funky, chunky
beats and whailing divas, sample this. The speed Garage sound is eating
up the U.K., and Brent shows off why.To contact Brent, mail him at:
[email protected] or check out the Paradoxx collective.. 7/10 (MattC)

Brent Borel: Live @ MELT

Having a house party? Forget the DJ (well, support your local ones), but
play this mix by Brent Borel...featuring a pumping party mix that will
keep all hands in the air. Lots of great club-style buildups here, with
some acid-house flava mixed in for good measure. There's even some
trancy breaks to keep spirits floating! The tape contains some fave
tunes known amongst all DJs, as well as strictly underground grooves
that only Borel could dig up. This is live, so you know he picked the
cream of the crop to keep the floor movin'. To contact Brent, mail him
at: [email protected] or check out the Paradoxx collective..8/10
(MattC)

Eric Davenport: High Roller

If you like your house soulful, Eric is da man! Groovalicious is the
name of the game in this mix. Side one starts out strong and continues
the smooth, soulful groove throughout, with fun and adventurous mixing
techniques, yet containing the smooth flow throughout. Davenport does
need to pump up the volume on his mixes more though, but aside from the
lack of volume, if you have a good amp, give it the juice and jam all
night! To contact Eric Davenport from the Dreamland collective, contact
him at: 1.212.378.9527.6/10 (MattC)

Coy West: Bacchus

Coy, another great breed of DJ from Austin, brings us a tried and true
house pumper. What sets his mix apart from the generic house mixes you
hear every Saturday nite is the interesting usage of the vocal samples
within the tracks. These aren't the standard diva-whining vocals, but
snippets of vocalists used in unusual ways, intertwined within melodic
and funky grooves. Give this guy a medal for originality in set choices!
For more info on Coy, contact him at: [email protected] 10/10 (MattC)

Chris Specht: Summer High

Finally got a good Austin, Texas house DJ sending us some stuff! Nice,
soulful house here with lotsa fun and soulful vocal samples to boot!
Chris takes us on a groove ride for a good 1997 summer stroll, but trips
us up every once in a while by smothering us with too much at once. The
style is cool, but Chris's stylings could be a little cleaner and more
simplified, especially for a soulful house trip. Good tunes for your
summer house musings though. What I do like is that the tracks are
listed...ever so important for a DJ to do this on their mixtapes!
Artists include DJ Sneak, Coco Steel and Lovebomb, Int., and Kenny Dope.
For more information on Chris Spect and to order "Summer High," give his
booking company a ring at 512-371-7770 or check out the Harlequin
Studios site at http://www.io.com/~studios6/10. (MattC)

Schwa: Generic Mixtape

Schwa delivers a dreamy house blend, the kind where you close your eyes
and slowly bounce and groove all night long. The mix is smooth, with
some full vocal tracks appearing every once in a while. Then he
trancends the realism of funky house and takes you into a realm of
spiritual bliss, bouncing all the way. Sounds good in the background as
party music, or to mellow down to at 7a.m while driving home after that
full-on blowout party. For more info and to order, contact Audrey at
Generic Management ([email protected]) 8/10 (MattC)

---
Trance Music

gfire: The Space Between the Lines

Austin's gfire is back with a scortching psychedelic trance set! This
one sets her apart as she mixes the best tracks from the likes of
Darshan, S.U.N. Project, Dimension 5, and Eat Static all into a sci-fi
spactacular that will have you keep reaching for the volume knob to turn
it UP! The mix even starts out with a short mellow psy-intro written by
gfire herself!, To book her for one night of amazing 604 trance, contact
gfire at [email protected]/10(MattC)

Miki: 3-tape demo

Italian DJ Miki sent us a package from across the great ocean consisting
of 3 tapes of crunching and unique trance/techno. I have to say that out
of all three tapes I had only heard one track before, so this stuff is
totally original and fresh to the ears. One tape was live at the Club
Imperiale in Pisa, while another was from a live 1998 summer tour. The
third was a studio mix entitled "The dolphin" which was the smoothest of
the three. The quality wasn't all there on some of these though. Chrome,
Miki, chrome! If you're interested in these different sounds, contact
Miki at http://www.mhki.com/.7/10(MattC)

Dread: Revolution

VERY nice, super acid-tinged trance traxx to keep you going for a long
time! Dread has quality, good mixing skills, and a wide variety of
tracks to keep the mix interesting while always keeping the beat at a
constant pump! At times heavenly trance, at others, scathing acid, and a
sweet cassette design to boot! A must have! To contact Dread at VR
Productions, call to book him at: 203.226.870610/10(MattC)

DJ Fritz: Intelligent New Energy

If you are craving hard trance, look to this Arizona DJ. Mixing classic
Union Jack tracks to the harder-hitting tracks of today, DJ Fritz keeps
it smooth, glossy, and driving. In fact, we loved driving to this mix!
Lots of high builds and head-nodders, with some verging on the realm of
psycedelic. To contact DJ Fritz, call him at: 520.792.91477/10(MattC)

DJ Kairon: Manipura

From the Outer-Realm collective in California comes DJ Kairon with this
psy- trance masterpiece for 1998. Starts out ambient with strange vocals
like you're on some reddish planet in a cave, but soon picks you up with
a nice snare roll and the journey begins, and let me tell you, its quite
a weird trip. For those who like their trance acid-flavored, this is the
treat. And the alien sounds coming out of your speakers match no other.
You even get Scooby Doo banging to the beat in this one, so be sure to
pick it up for some swirling, acidic, and psycedelic fun!. To contact DJ
Kairon at Outer-Realm, connet via web at: Outer-Realm or email him at:
[email protected]/10(MattC)

DJ Grommet: The Dream Factory

Grommet spins a strange hybrid of trance and hardcore called
"trance-core." And that it is. All clocking in at around 150-170 bpm,
Grommet, who also spins hardcore, takes us on a fast-paced trance
journey not to be forgotten. The tracks are O.K., but tend to lack that
specific element of trance that makes trance, well, trancey. The tracks
sound a tad too "ravey," lacking harmonies and the richness that trance
offers. It's more techno-oriented than trance. The mixing style is well
planned, and the production sounds great, especially when turned up.
It's certainly driving! However, this particular set didn't break any
new ground or sounds for me. I'd like to hear one of his hardcore/gabber
sets instead. For more info on Grommet and his label, Indepth Records,
in Florida, call 305) 556-1512 or check out his home site on the web at
http://www.techno-world.com.7/10 (MattC)

Mark Neutron: For So Long/Onkyo#1

Oooooh, some of the cleanest and tightest progressive trance I've heard
in a while on side 1, with a super cool space/ambient trip on side 2. My
only complaints are that the tape wasn't recorded loud enough, so it can
sound muddy on systems that can't pump it up with EQ, and I heard one or
two "train wrecks" mixwise. Yikes. It may have been recorded a little
hot too. Just a tad of distortion here and there. The tracks are
top-notch quality tho. I bet Mark kicks live! He's part of the galactic
soul collective in upstate NY, so if you're looking for a slammin'
trance DJ, look him up here------>[email protected] or at his home site
on the web at http://members.aol.com/etherlucid.7/10 (MattC)

gfire: gfire

Geez, Austin has quite a lot of good DJs! Keep 'em comin'! I'm
especially glad to see more female DJs getting into the scene. So far of
the few I've heard, they blow away a lot of the guys! gfire (aka Pam
Mayo) is no exception, providing us with a groovy trancer. She starts
out subtle, then unleashes wicked, yet funky acid trance to your ears.
The quality shimmers like premium tinsel on the Christmas tree. gfire
gives us the straight trance beat, then transmutes the sound into funky
break-trance for that summertime groove. For more info on gfire, mail
her at: [email protected] 9/10 (MattC)

DJ's Crazy J & Angel: Candy Flip Vol. 1

Ooof! This has to be the most spaced-out trance journey I've ever heard!
These guys are completely psycedelic. Side A (DJ Crazy J) soars you to
the heavens with some of the most beautiful melodic trance to date, yet
it's not necessarily Goa/psy-trance in nature...but its angelic and
hand-raising stuff. Side B (Angel) sweeps you slowly from the clouds
even deeper into the heavens until you reach the inner core of a black
hole and are lost forever (at least that's what I thought it sounded
like). The mix becomes pure, dark ambience. At times the mixing can be
shaky, but the tracks definitely make up for it, making these mixes a
definite cool collector's item for any fan of blissed-out trance. For
more information on DJ Crazy J and Angel and to order "Candy Flip Vol.
1," email DJ Crazy J or Angel. 9/10. (MattC)

DJ Hybrid: Spiritual Invincibility

A beautifully, full-on psycedelic trance journey to another dimension.
This new guy on the block storms his way across your speakers and will
have you waving your fist in the air screaming for more cosmic eruptions
as the energetic rush surges out of the earth and into your head. The
only downside of the tape is that the first side ends very early,
leaving about 20 min. of tape left (what?). But he redeems himself on
the second side with a continued rush of acidic Goa! If you ever get a
chance, book this guy. He will make your dance floor explode, if not
implode! For booking info and tapes, call Jay Selway at (410)-377-0639.
9/10. (MattC)

Chris Lee: Dreamtime: Live In Australia

One of the most well-produced, solid, uplifting hard trance DJ mixtapes
I have heard in a long time. This live set, recorded in Adelaide, South
Australia as part of the "Lost Angels '97 Summer Down Under Tour" in Feb
and March, really kicks it stong, bright, and driving. Lotsa
hand-raising tunes here including tracks from Dawntreader, Eat Static,
Brainbug, and Lucky Monkees light up the Australian sky! Chris's mix is
superb and the quality is outstanding. A must for any fan of any type of
trance! For more info and to order, contact Audrey at Generic Management
([email protected]) 10/10. (MattC)

Ellis Dee: Andromeda

Another sci-fi, psy-trance adventure in sound, Ellis Dee grabs you by
the brain and takes you into what is first a philisophical lesson on why
drugs should be legal (puts all the dealers outta business), then shoves
you into the middle of it all. Swirling chasms of sound engulf you, beam
you up to that newly-discovered planet NASA was talking about, and bring
your soul down to cosmic bliss. The only mishap is that the music cuts
off on both sides of the tape with no definitive ending...leaving you
lost in the void with no where to go. What's up wit dat?? Overall, a
good trip. For more info and to order, contact Audrey at Generic
Management ([email protected] 8/10. (MattC)

DJ Efex: Protocol

The midwest's foremost trance and hardcore DJ once again pulls ahead
with this 90min. psycedelic trance stomper. Dan really knows how to
introduce new twists into the mix, utilizing tracks with full stereo
field effects and layers of sonic psycedelia. The melodies start off
sweet, but are then dashed into a frenzy of static acid that will keep
you hopping. Lots of new, original tracks in Protocol that push
psy-trance to unchartered realms. Watch for Dan Efex and his mad,
uplifting psy-trance sets at parties throughout the midwest! To order,
contact Pureacid Mixtapes online. 9/10 (MattC)

Jason Green: Divine Intervention

Ah, another psycedelic trance scortcher. Jason shows off the latest
spiritual blasters in this genre of heavenly energetic music with acts
such as O.O.O.D., Athena, Prana, Juno Reactor, and a downright
barnburner of a track by X-Dream! The mixes are pretty smooth and the
music is all-encompassing and deep. A must for beautiful dance demons of
the night! For more info on Jason and his mixtape, contact him at
(408)-353-8470. 9/10. (MattC)

---
Detroit-Style/Acid Music

Big Bad Lou: Resist All!

From the Bronx of New York comes Big Bad Lou, spinnin' banging techno to
kick start the city that already never sleeps. Lotsa reverby, mechanical
sounds to entice the warehouse techno fanatic, and a range of kicks are
presented so each four chambers of our hearts gets a good pumping! The
mixing is smooth enough to get you lost and the tracks are wickedly
original, but Lou has to learn how to record his mixes to chrome
cassette to achieve full-bottom impact!! To contact Big Bad Lou for your
next party in New York or elsewhere, contact him at: Big Lou Productions
7/10. (MattC)

Kris Moon: Acid is Reality

Wheew...this is pure techno sludge! Imagine techno dregged in swamp
slime, only emerging every once in a while to show off its evil acid
beats and patterns. Crazy and deep, dark experimentalism on the
turntables. It's nervous to know that people produce music this
acidically strange. This is from a live performance on 6/18/98....Go
Kris! To contact Kris Moon, email him at: [email protected] or throw him a
call at his collective at 1.360.7521839. 6/10. (MattC)

DJ Fiz: Sp1nn1ng +ek-n0 4sa+an

Stripped down and cold, this hard minimalist DJ keeps it machinistic,
with morbidity weaving in and out through and through. Acid-tinged
construction in your face, with scraping blips and bleeps to keep you
ducking your head, waiting for the next dark engine to begin. Although
decent, the tape doesn't display the peak originality that can be found
in this genre (but there's a lot to sift through). This is truly dingy
warehouse party music, prepared for big speakers with lotsa bass bins.
You know Richie Hawton's on here, and he is...the last track, "you can
guess," finishes off this repetetive thumper. To contact DJ Fiz, email
him at: [email protected] or throw him a call at his collective at
(508)-371-7335. 6/10. (MattC)

Misha: Velocity

Found this mixtape in my mailbox today from Misha. No documentation or
anything, just the tape. It's banging. I mean really banging. Full-on
straight techno mix here with lots of acid and hard trance influences.
The production is very nice as you can turn it up and it sounds even
better! Misha gives a colorful performance as he weaves pounding drums
with building acid and synth lines through your head with the greatest
of ease. This is one tape to play on your way to a party or hell, even
at one! Side 2 was my fave, as the surging techno breaks loose with
increasing breakouts!! For more information on Misha and to order
"Velocity," e-mail him or check out his site at
http://www.Insync.net/~misha 9/10. (MattC)

JBondy: Inner Course

I don't think there are many strictly acid-style DJs around much
anymore. Maybe some are tired of that "303" sound. But once you're away
from it a while, and come back to it, acid is quite tasty! JBondy serves
up the squelchy stuff right. Slick acid is the game here. JBondy starts
out smooth, gets nasty every once in a while, but never throws you into
an acid hell (gives you a taste though). Lotsa groovy samples thrown in
for good measure, and cool black and white graphics to boot on the
cassette cover! For more info and to order, contact Audrey at Generic
Management ([email protected]) 8/10. (MattC)

Brent Borel: Virtual Gallery

Hailing from Lake Charles, LA, Brent Borel gives us a nice techno mix
that was just recently recorded live on June 15th! He throws a little
bit of everything at you. From groovy house to acid-tinged trance, Borel
keeps the bass pumpin' and the percussion in full swing! Borel's sounds
are different for each mixtape tho...some are straight beats (like this
one), and some go for the funky breaks styleeee. But all will not
dissapoint! "Virtual Gallery" kept me hoppin up and down all week and it
will you too! So for the latest '97 techno-groove tunes, check this mix
out! For more information on Brent Borel, mail 808Produkt 8/10. (MattC)

---
Electronica

Joshua Seamless

Ooh, our first U.K. mixtape has come in! Joshua claims to only spin only
U.K. tracks, so you know you probably haven't heard any of these, and we
hadn't..it was fresh. If ya are into the funky break thang, don't
hesitate to contact him about this one. Lotsa breaks with crazy vocal
samples throughout, but he doesn't leave out the straight-beat fans
either..give a listen to the sped-up version of the early Beastie Boys
track, and it'll have ya goin' crazy. The overexcitement of this tape
actually began to wear on me after the second side started, but my wife
danced to the whole thing! Great warmup to the party I guess. To contact
Joshua Seamless at International Grooves, contact him at:
[email protected].8/10 (MattC)

DJ Rush: Electronica Dark

This is a very epical piece of work, bordering on stunning. Rush grabs
some very well known tracks from the likes of Emperion, Faithless, BT,
and Slacker, and gives you a good dose that akins to some of the best
deep, dark, club nights I've ever been to. Mix pumping techno tracks
with some sly funky breaks on the other side, all to today's electronica
greats. To contact DJ Rush and hear him spin live on the Web on The Rush
Hour Radio Show, drop by: The Rush Hour Radio Show..10/10 (MattC)

---
CULT MOVIES

Below are a listing and brief description of some interesting cult
movies that would be a blast to watch on DXM.

THE ACID EATERS (1968).

Drug-addled sexploitation doesn't get more lovably idiotic than this
colorful piece of shit (clocking in at a record 62 minutes), in which a
bunch of bored 9-to-5'ers exit their dreary jobs, leap on cycles, and
hit the rural highways in search of kicks. At first, it's nothing but
'60s swill, including topless swims, body painting, and inane comedy.
But this is one of those rare films that refuses to follow any law of
narrative cinema, as you'll quickly realize when these Weekend Whoriers
discover "the white pyramid", a 40-foot tower of giant LSD sugar cubes
sitting in the middle of nowhere. They climb onto it, strip down, and
finally go inside to meet the Devil, who comes complete with
ill-fitting, red body stocking, limp horns and a pitch fork that has a
block of 'acid' (a big chunk of Styrofoam) stuck on the end, which the
leads chew on---and who helps them indulge in their most lurid
white-trash fantasies. This amazing, perplexing, T&A; (Tits 'n 'Acid)
delight will leave you wondering just how much the filmmakers took
before production---not to mention, where can we get some of the same?

AMERICAN BOY (1978).

We all know Martin Scorsese makes damned good films, but this 55 minute
documentary is one of his weirdest, funniest, least known works.
Remember the twitchy gun salesman in TAXI DRIVER? Well, his real name is
Steven Prince, and this long-time friend of Marty's is even wackier in
real life. He sorta reminds me a real-life, '70s version of a Steve
Buscemi character, and Scorsese simply dumps the guy on a sofa and lets
him tell stories about his checkered past, such as working at a gas
station outside of Barstow and having to waste a speed freak with a .44
Magnum. It's no surprise his best tales are drug related---like road
managing Neil Diamond while strung out on smack, visiting a typical
Village shooting gallery, and encountering a fully-grown, domesticated
gorilla while stoned out of his gourd. His funniest story even has
present-day resonance, because when Prince tells us about giving an
O.D.'ing girl an impromptu adrenaline shot, you suddenly realize that
his true story was ripped-off verbatim in PULP FICTION, right down to
the tiniest details. A ragged, but totally compelling portrait.

APOCALYPSE POOH (1987).

This is four-star guerilla filmmaking, and the funniest ten minutes
worth of video I've ever seen. T. Graham had the revelation to take
clips from Disney's Winnie the Pooh cartoons and then dub dialogue from
APOCALYPSE NOW over it. The result is perfect, with Piglet suddenly
transformed into Dennis Hopper's mind-blown journalist, Pooh pulled by a
runaway kite to The Stones' "Satisfaction", and Tigger popping up for
the "Fuckin' Tiger!" sequence. This is sheer brilliance, and I must've
watched this tape at least twenty times by now. Also includes "Blue
Peanuts" (Charlie Brown meets BLUE VELVET) and The Archies doing a Sex
Pistols ditty.

THE AWAKENING OF THE BEAST (1969).

Jose Mojica Marins has been cranking out his sadistic South of the
Border horror pics since the '60s, proving himself a cross between
Alejandro Jodorowsky and H.G. Lewis. This self-reflexive, drugged-out
masterwork proves that drugs "stimulate perversity and promote
corruption" (yeah!)---with Marins playing a dual role as that top-hatted
ghoul, Coffin Joe, as well as himself, a director besieged by critics
for his violent imagery. It begins with several b&w; nudie-roughie
vignettes, showcasing pretty young gals smoking grass, shooting up,
losing their inhibitions, stripping, and becoming crazed sex maniacs
(this is a problem?). Add bizarre sojourns with Marins defending his
beliefs and movies; then end it with an L.S.D. experiment, as volunteers
dose up, experience rapid-fire hallucinations and are tormented by
Coffin Joe. Marins expertly meshes fiction and reality, then whips it
into a garish freak-out featuring some of the silliest trip sequences of
all time!

BAD TIMING: A SENSUAL OBSESSION (1980).

One of the most unrelentingly grim films ever made about the "joys" of
love. Nicolas Roeg's psycho-sexual tale uses a fragmented narrative
structure to show us the dysfunctional (to put it mildly) relationship
between womanizing louse Art Garfunkel and slutty, self-destructive
Teresa Russell. From their first steamy encounter to the sick
suicide/finale, Roeg pours on the liquor, pills, and emotional
manipulation posing as love. In other words, this is NOT a good 'date
film'. Though Roeg's obtuse eye almost overpowers the characters, it's a
sleazeball, arthouse masterwork! Co-starring Harvey Keitel, who's drawn
to these type of obsessive dramas like a fly to shit.

BEAT GIRL [a.k.a. WILD FOR KICKS] (1960).

Terrific British juvenile delinquent trash, filmed with a grimy,
tough-as-nails energy that puts comparable U.S. teen angst flicks to
shame. Gillian Hills stars as Jennifer, a pissed-off teen whose Dad
spends more time with his new French floozy bride than with her. The
answer? Hang out with all the lowlife Beatniks, go for joyrides, and
dance your ass off in their "underground cellars and caves".
Unfortunately, this sultry blonde dish also gets involved with strip
clubs and murder. Ignore all the curdled family melodrama, because this
rebellious gem perfectly captures the swinging Beat milieu, complete
with dingy locales, wild slang, and appearances by real-life rocker Adam
Faith as the local heartthrob, Christopher Lee as a sleazy strip club
owner and a pre-stardom (not to mention, pre-liver damaged) Oliver Reed
as a supporting social outcast. Without question, one of the coolest,
dingiest flicks ever made about the London scene.

BLACK CAESAR and HELL UP IN HARLEM (1973).

Blaxploitation doesn't come much better than this pair of Larry Cohen
grindhouse masterworks, which chart the murderous misadventures of Tommy
Gibbs, as he rises from shoeshine boy to mob kingpin by killing all his
old white bosses. And Fred "The Hammer" Williamson was born to play this
macho role, strutting his stuff like he could hit out-of-the-part homers
with his dick. CAESAR is a Harlem variation on the Warner Brothers
gangster pics from the '30s, overflowing with cliched melodrama and
sledgehammer social commentary. But Cohen pushes all the right buttons
and kicks ass during a dizzying climax, as Williamson runs from
torpedoes thru midtown Manhattan with a hole blown in his stomach!
HARLEM, tossed together after CAESAR's unexpected success, is pure
adrenalin in a film can---a totally whacked actioner that tosses logic
in the toilet and runs on high-octane, velour violence. Often copied,
but never equalled, this pair set the tone for a years of shitty, 42nd
street triple bills to come. The brightest gems from Williamson's CAESAR
salad days.

BLOOD FREAK (1974).

There are plenty of bad movies. But every so often there comes a movie
that's cosmically horrible. How else can you describe an inept,
no-budget, anti-drug, pro-Christian monster movie that revels in gore
and features a cast spawned from a century's worth of in-breeding?
Director Steve Hawkes stars as a biker who smokes a laced joint, samples
some experimental poultry, and promptly develops a taste for human blood
and a ridiculous paper mache bird head. After savagely murdering the
cast, he's finally saved by some "Faith in God" bullshit and a religious
dish (subtly) named Angel. This film bites, but it's such a
mind-roasting mix of genres that I'll never forget it.

THE BRAINIAC (1961).

Mexploitation at its seedy best---so weird and ridiculous you'll choke
on your warm beer. It kicks off in high gear when a 17th century
necromancer is burnt at the stake and vows to kill all the descendents
of his badly-dubbed inquisitors. Sure enough, the guy returns to Earth
(via a comet, for Christ's sake) 300 years later in the form of a
rubbery, claw-handed monster with an 18-inch-tongue that can suck the
brains outta his victim through a pair of holes bored in the back of
their neck. Oh yeah, he also has chameleon-like powers, which enables
him to crash society events and make it with exotic babes. Believe it or
not, even nuttier than it sounds. If you dig this one, check out DOCTOR
OF DOOM, which even tosses female pro-wrestling into the stew.

A BUCKET OF BLOOD (1959).

I tend to rave incessantly about Roger Corman, but this, folks, is his
finest film (even though it was shot in only five days). It's horrific,
satirical and layered with subtext about Corman's own aspirations. Dick
Miller is Walter Paisley, the ridiculed busboy at a beatnik coffeehouse,
whose dream in life is to be an artist. Unfortunately, the guy's
talentless. Fate plays a hand when Walter accidentally kills a cat,
covers it with clay, entitles the work "Dead Cat", and is promptly
acclaimed a genius by local Beats. Of course, then Walter has to move
onto larger pieces, like "Murdered Man". Packed with enough hip slang
and excruciating poetry to make you choke on your espresso.

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1979).

Where would a SHOCK CINEMA Best-Of list be without Ruggero Deodato's
Italian cannibal gut-sucker? When a crew of journalists mysteriously
disappear in the depths of the South American jungle, a search party
pieces together their fate, thanks to their crude, handheld film
footage. It seems they encountered a tribe of half-naked savages and
after chronicling lotsa atrocities (a fetus is ripped from a woman's
womb, another woman is staked out in a field with the spike up her ass
and out her mouth), the wacky natives finally get sick of having cameras
shoved in their faces by the asswipe Americans and end the film with a
four-star Entrails Orgy. Its high-fallutin' tone is particularly
hilarious, in light of the gore-fest they're actually shoveling; and
though utterly detestable, it's a beloved fave for the truly sick at
heart. Add'l note: The Japanese laser print is the easiest available
source, but all the frontal nudity is marred by optical hazing.

COMBAT SHOCK (1984).

One of the ugliest, nastiest, most depressing movies of the decade. Is
it any wonder I love it?! A labor of twisted love from director Buddy
Giovinazzo, it features a down-and-out vet and his pathetic, urban
cesspool existence. No job. No money. Beaten by street thugs. Accosted
by junkie pals. Waiting in employment lines. Roaming skidrow streets.
Dealing with his shrewish wife and ERASERHEAD-esque mutant baby. Not to
mention his graphic Nam flashbacks, complete with P.O.W. torture. The
tone alternates between hallucinatory psychosis and a reality so grim
that you'll wanna open your own wrists. Spectacularly rancid!

THE CRIPPLED MASTERS (1982).

This chopsocky fest isn't for the easily offended. It's the type of
movie that'll clear the room within 20 minutes, and wreck any chance of
you getting laid that evening. But it's a total field day for twisted
kung fu fanatics, with Li Ho and Tang Chu Sing starring as a pair of
recent cripples (Ho has his arms hacked off by a vicious warlord, while
Sing's legs are burnt into shrivelled sticks by acid). What makes this
film disturbing is the fact these guys are actually handicapped, and for
the first half we watch 'em tortured, teased and treated like shit. Of
course, under the tutelage of a wise old fart, they're taught to work as
a team, with the cheers coming fast and furious the moment the
once-pissed-on pair begin kicking ass. These guys are fucking
incredible, especially when half-pint Sing leaps on Ho's back and they
become an unstoppable whirling dervish. Though no great piece of art,
this demented pic will definitely stick in your memory (whether you want
it to or not).

DARKTOWN STRUTTERS [a.k.a. Get Down and Boogie] (1974).

A beloved, brain-damaged grindhouse fave. This
blaxploitation/musical/comedy/biker movie is unapologetically surreal
and stooopid, featuring a female motorcycle gang decked out in threads
that would've given Liberace wet dreams. Searching for the leader's
missing mom, these funky femmes encounter cycle-straddling KKK'ers in
red leather hip boots, a Colonel Sanders look-a-like who's into cloning
experiments, plus more watermelon 'n' ribs jokes than you'll believe.
Kudos to whacked scripter George Armitage (MIAMI BLUES) and set designer
Jack Fisk, who mixes Willy Wonka with Ken Russell.

THE EXECUTIONER (1981).

Director/star Dominic Miceli (a.k.a. Duke Mitchell, the Dean Martin
clone from BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA) brings us the most
unintentionally hilarious tale of Mafia mayhem ever! Dom stars as Mimi,
who takes over the mob with a non-stop barrage of bloodshed, extortion,
murder, and extended monologues about the suffering of the Sicilian
people (sniff, sniff). And any film with over a dozen murders in the
first five minutes is a gem! Don't forget the groanable songs written by
Micelli himself. Strives for the scope of THE GODFATHER, with a budget
less than what Coppola spent on Brando's cannolis.

THE FALLS (1980).

Peter Greenaway has a rep of being one of the most visually dazzling,
unapologetically pretentious directors on the planet. But wait until you
see his first feature, which clocks in at nearly 3 1/2 hours and makes
THE COOK, THE THIEF, ET CETERA seem as accessible as The Frugal Gourmet.
This mock-documentary presents us with 92 short biographies of average
people affected by the V.U.E. (Violent Unknown Event)---a vague
ecological upheaval that has something to do with ornithology and seems
to be changing the entire nature of human civilization. Methodically
constructed, frustrating as hell at times, but also strangely compelling
for extremely intrepid filmgoers.

GHOSTS...OF THE CIVIL DEAD (1988).

This Aussie prison pic makes PAPILLON look like Fantasy Island. Based on
actual incidents, there's no gloss on this bleak tale, set at a high
tech, maximum security "containment" facility. And though the inmates
are actual incidents, there's no gloss on this bleak tale, set at a high
tech, maximum security "containment" facility. And though the inmates
are a scurvy bunch of felons and miscreants, the guards are even
worse---brutalizing the captives and casually stripping them of their
humanity. It's a depressing slice of life, complete with grizzled lifers
who've been in the clink since they were teens, gang rapes, terminal
boredom, and acres of razor wire. But when the administration goes
totally power-hungry (watch out for those cavity searches!) and begins
trucking in full-blown psychos, it leads to self-mutilations, fires,
hunger strikes, and a relentless finale. The cast is so realistic you'd
think they were pulled outta some local lock-up, with Nick Cave (who
also provided

HOME MOVIES (1979).

Back in my younger days, when Brian DePalma could do no wrong (was I an
idiot, or what?), I was one of the seven moviegoers in the country who
laid out hard cash to see this screwball comedy. Filmed during a
teaching stint at Sarah Lawrence, DePalma returned to his low-budget
roots with this overdose of obscure in-jokes and slumming Hollywood
pals. Keith Gordon stars as Denis Byrd, a teenager grappling with his
dysfunctional family. Dad is cheating on Mom. Mom is continually
threatening to commit suicide. And his Ego-Monster older brother (Gerrit
Graham) is planning to wed a reformed bimbo (Mrs. DePalma herself, Nancy
Allen, in her only likable screen moment), who Denis yearns to do the
bonedance with. Let's not forget Kirk Douglas' overwrought antics as a
college Prof chronicling Denis' pathetic life. Sounds silly? You betcha.
Besides, what other film in recent memory can boast of gags about
bikers, health food, voyeurism, and even a live sex act with a rabbit? A
severely guilty pleasure.

THE HOLY MOUNTAIN (1973).

Alexandro Jodorowsky's most daring film, and well as THE celluloid
mind-roaster of all time! An epic hallucination crawling with
wall-to-wall mega-weirdness, in which Christ, The White Master (Alex),
and a pack of symbolic thieves (each named after a planet, and each
representing a different ill of society) link up to raid The Holy
Mountain and steal its secrets. This pic would cost a billion dollars to
make nowadays, and its first half hour of in-your-face imagery
(crucified, skinned animals; storm troopers; cripples; flowers blooming
from stigmata; exploding toads) is like prime Fellini on really prime
Peyote. Outrageous, pretentious, unbelievable, and unforgettable.
There'll never be another film remotely like it!

HUMAN HIGHWAY (1981).

One day, director/star Neil Young and a bunch of his equally stoned pals
stumbled into the desert with a camera, and emerged with this mess. Part
fantasy, part social commentary, part slapstick comedy, part concert
film, and all so wrongheaded that I loved it! Most of the film is set at
a roadside diner near a leaky nuclear power plant, with Dennis Hopper as
the psycho cook, Dean Stockwell as the new owner, Russ Tamblyn as a
dim-witted gas pump attendant, Sally Kirkland as a waitress, and Devo as
glowing nuke workers. Neil himself gets the biggest laughs mugging like
a reject from HEE HAW. As for a plot? Your guess is an good as mine. But
you'll definitely dig all the mutant-age moments, like the wild "It
Takes a Worried Man" music number featuring the entire cast dancing with
shovels! It's no wonder this nuclear comedy was never released.

Look for more music and movie reviews in the next issue!


VARIOUS DXM SOURCES
from the Physicians' Desk Reference for Non-Prescription Drugs

Note: Acetaminophen is very deadly. DXM products which contain this
substance can kill very easily. The original list contained products
containing Acetaminophen but in order to shorten the list we have taken
those products out and included all other DXM-containing products.
This list is (c) 1998 by Jeff Sothen. You may copy without permission.

Included below are 48 non-prescription medications containing various forms
of DXM. Listed are the active ingredients, any relative notes or cautions,
and a rating of the medication. Ratings are based on the amount of DXM in
the medication and if any harmful ingredients are available. Ratings range
from one * to 4 *'s, with no *'s being the worst rating; if something is
rated with no *'s, you should avoid taking it, probably because of the
presence of Acetaminophen in the medication or very low amounts of DXM.

1. Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough Medicine
  by Miles Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per tablet): Aspirin 325mg,
  Chlorpheniramine Maleate 2mg, Phenylpropanolamine
  Bitartrate 20mg, DXM HBr 10mg.
  Notes: In water the aspirin is converted into its
  soluble ionic form, sodium acetylsalicylate.
  Rating: *
2. Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-Time Cold Medicine
  by Miles Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per tablet): Aspirin 500mg,
  Doxylamine Succinate 6.25mg, Phenylpropanolamine
  Bitartrate 20mg, DXM HBr 15mg.
  Notes: In water the aspirin is converted into its
  soluble ionic form, sodium acetylsalicylate.
  Doxylamine Succinate is an antihistamine.
  Rating: **
3. Benylin Adult Formula Cough Suppressant
  by WARNER WELLCOME
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 15mg.
  Rating: **
4. Benylin Expectorant
  by WARNER WELLCOME
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 5mg,
  Guaifenesin 100mg.
  Notes: Guaifenesin may cause nausea in high doses.
  Rating: *
5. Benylin Multisymptom
  by WARNER WELLCOME
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 5mg,
  Pseudoephedrine HCl 15mg, Guaifenesin 100mg.
  Rating: *
6. Benylin Pediatric Cough Suppressant
  by WARNER WELLCOME
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 7.5mg.
  Rating: *
7. Buckley's Mixture
  by W.K. Buckley
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 12.5mg
  in a sugar-free base.
  Rating: **
8. Cerose DM
  by Wyeth-Ayerst
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 15mg,
  Chlorpheniramine Maleate 4mg, Phenylephrine HCl 10mg,
  Alcohol 2.4%.
  Rating: **
9. Cheracol-D Cough Formula
  by Roberts
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 10mg,
  Guaifenesin 100mg, Alcohol 4.75%.
  Rating: *
10.Cheracol Plus Cough Syrup Multisymptom Cough/Cold Formula
  by Roberts
  Active Ingredients (per tablespoonful/15mL): DXM HBr 20mg,
  Phenylpropanolamine HCl 25mg, Chlorpheniramine Maleate 4mg,
  Alcohol 8%.
  Rating: *
11.Children's Vicks NyQuil Cold/Cough Relief
  by Procter & Gamble
  Active Ingredients (per tablespoonful/15mL): DXM HBr 15mg,
  Chlorpheniramine Maleate 2mg, Pseudoephedrine HCl 30mg.
  Rating: *
12.Coricidin Cough & Cold Tablets
  by Schering-Plough HealthCare
  Active Ingredients (per tablet): Chlorpheniramine Maleate 4mg,
  DXM HBr 30mg.
  Rating: ***
13.Cough X Lozenges
  by Ascher
  Active Ingredients (per lozenge): DXM HBr 5mg, Benzocaine 2mg.
  Rating: *
14.Dimetapp DM Elixir
  by A.H. Robins Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): Brompheniramine
  Maleate 2mg, Phenylpropanolamine HCl 12.5mg, DXM HBr 10mg.
  Rating: **
15.Dorcol Children's Cough Syrup
  by Sandoz Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): Pseudoephedrine
  HCl 15mg, Guaifenesin 50mg, DXM HBr 5mg.
  Rating: *
16.Drixoral Cough Liquid Caps (No longer available)
  by Schering-Plough HealthCare
  Active Ingredients (per softgel): DXM HBr 30mg.
  Rating: ****
17.Drixoral Cough + Congestion Liquid Caps
  by Schering-Plough HealthCare
  Active Ingredients (per softgel): DXM HBr 30mg,
  Pseudoephedrine HCl 60mg.
  Rating: **
18.Novahistine DMX
  by SmithKline Beecham Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 10mg,
  Guaifenesin 100mg, Pseudoephedrine HCl 30mg.
  Rating: *
19.PediaCare Cough-Cold Liquid
  by McNeil Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): Chlorpheniramine Maleate
  1mg, Pseudoephedrine HCl 15mg, DXM HBr 5mg.
  Rating: *
20.PediaCare Night Rest Cough-Cold Liquid
  by McNeil Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): Chlorpheniramine Maleate
  1mg, Pseudoephedrine HCl 15mg, DXM HBr 7.5mg.
  Rating: *
21.Pediatric Vicks 44d Dry Hacking Cough & Head Congestion
  by Procter & Gamble
  Active Ingredients (per tablespoonful/15mL): DXM HBr 15mg,
  Pseudoephedrine HCl 30mg.
  Rating: *
22.Pediatric Vicks 44e Chest Cough & Chest Congestion
  by Procter & Gamble
  Active Ingredients (per tablespoonful/15mL): DXM HBr 10mg,
  Guaifenesin 100mg.
  Rating:
23.Pediatric Vicks 44m Cough & Cold Relief
  by Procter & Gamble
  Active Ingredients (per tablespoonful/15mL): DXM HBr 15mg,
  Pseudoephedrine HCl 30mg, Chlorpheniramine Maleate 2mg.
  Rating: *
24.Robitussin Cold & Cough Liqui-Gels
  by A.H. Robins Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per softgel): Guaifenesin 200mg,
  Pseudoephedrine HCl 30mg, DXM HBr 10mg.
  Rating: *
25.Robitussin Maximum Strength Cough Suppressant
  by A.H. Robins Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 15mg.
  Rating: ****
26.Robitussin Maximum Strength Cough & Cold
  by A.H. Robins Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 15mg,
  Pseudoephedrine HCl 30mg.
  Rating: **
27.Robitussin Pediatric Cough & Cold Formula
  by A.H. Robins Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 7.5mg,
  Pseudoephedrine HCl 15mg.
  Rating: *
28.Robitussin Pediatric Cough Suppressant
  by A.H. Robins Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 7.5mg.
  Rating *
29.Robitussin-CF
  by A.H. Robins Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): Guaifenesin 100mg,
  Phenylpropanolamine HCl 12.5mg, DXM HBr 10mg.
  Rating: *
30.Robitussin-DM
  by A.H. Robins Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): Guaifenesin 100mg,
  DXM HBr 10mg.
  Rating: *
31.Sucrets 4-Hour Cough Suppressant
  by SmithKline Beecham Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per lozenge): DXM HBr 15mg.
  Rating: **
32.Sudafed Cough Syrup
  by WARNER WELLCOME
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): Pseudophedrine
  HCl 15mg, DXM HBr 5mg, Guaifenesin 100mg.
  Rating: *
33.Triaminic AM Cough and Decongestant Formula
  by Sandoz Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 7.5mg,
  Pseudoephedrine HCl 15mg.
  Rating: *
34.Triaminic Nite Light Nighttime Cough and Cold Medicine for Children
  by Sandoz Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): Pseudoephedrine
  HCl 15mg, Chlorpheniramine Maleate 1mg, DXM HBr 7.5mg.
  Notes: In a palatable, grape-flavored, alcohol-free liquid.
  Rating: *
35.Triaminic-DM Syrup
  by Sandoz Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): Phenylpropanolamine
  HCl 6.25mg, DXM HBr 5mg.
  Notes: In a palatable, berry-flavored, alcohol-free liquid.
  Rating: *
36.Triaminicol Multi-Symptom Cold Tablets
  by Sandoz Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per tablet): Phenylpropanolamine HCl
  12.5mg, Chlorpheniramine Maleate 2mg, DXM HBr 10mg.
  Rating: **
37.Triaminicol Multi-Symptom Relief
  by Sandoz Consumer
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): Phenylpropanolamine
  HCl 6.25mg, Chlorpheniramine Maleate 1mg, DXM HBr 5mg.
  Notes: In a palatable, cherry-flavored, alcohol-free liquid.
  Rating: *
38.Vicks 44 Dry Hacking Cough
  by Procter & Gamble
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM HBr 15mg.
  Rating: **
39.Vicks 44d Dry Hacking Cough & Head Congestion
  by Procter & Gamble
  Active Ingredients (per tablespoonful/15mL): DXM HBr 30mg,
  Pseudoephedrine HCl 60mg.
  Rating: **
40.Vicks 44 LiquiCaps Non-Drowsy Cough & Cold Relief
  by Procter & Gamble
  Active Ingredients (per softgel): DXM HBr 30mg,
  Pseudoephedrine HCl 60mg.
  Rating: **
41.Vicks 44e
  by Procter & Gamble
  Active Ingredients (per tablespoonful/15mL): DXM HBr 20mg,
  Guaifenesin 200mg.
  Rating: *
42.PediaPressin Drops
  by Quintex
  Active Ingredients (per drop): Pseudoephedrine HCl 15mg,
  Guaifenesin 50mg, DXM HBr 5mg.
  Rating: *
43.Scot-Tussin Sugar-Free DM
  by Scot-Tussin
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL): DXM 15mg,
  Chlorpheniramine Maleate 2mg.
  Notes: This contains pure DXM, not DXM HBr.
  Rating: **
44.Scot-Tussin Sugar-Free Cough Chasers Lozenges
  by Scot-Tussin
  Active Ingredients (per lozenge): DXM 2.5mg.
  Notes: This contains pure DXM, not DXM HBr.
  Rating:
45.Sucrets 4-Hour Cough Suppressant
  by SmithKline Beecham
  Active Ingredients (per lozenge): DXM HBr 15mg.
  Rating: ****
46.Suppressin DM Caplets
  by Quintex
  Active Ingredients (per caplet): DXM HBr 15mg,
  Guaifenesin 200mg.
  Rating: *
47.Delsym Extended-Release Suspension
  by Fisons
  Active Ingredients (per teaspoonful/5mL):
  DXM Polistirex.
  Notes: DXM Polistirex is equivalent to
  30mg of DXM HBr.
  Rating: ****
48.Rondec-DM
  Active Ingredients: DXM HBr, Pseudoephedrine HCl,
  Carbinoxamine maleate.
  Notes: No other information is known on
  this product at this time.
  Rating: N/R

As far as DXM sources available in Europe, one user who lives in Italy said
he used Fluprim by Roche (which should be available all over the European
community). It contains 300 mg of DXM per bottle of lozenges or syrup and
327 mg per box of tablets (each box contains 20 tablets), and DXM is the
only active ingredient. He also mentions Vicks for Dry Cough but it only
has 150mg per bottle of syrup and has a very nasty taste (not recommended).
 However, another person living in Italy said Fluprim was not available
anymore (at least in his area), and to stay away from a similar brand
called Formitral Sucrets
 Also, some users in the United Kingdom pointed out Vicks Vaposyrup, which
contains DXM and guaifenesin, and Robitussin Dry Cough. The other ingredients
in the latter are ethanol, disodium edetate, sodium benzoate, and amaranth
(not sure if these are active or inactive ingredients).
  If you have any information on any other DXM cough preparations please
let me know and I'll include them in this section.


VARIOUS DXM INTERNET SITES

Listed below are several Internet sites containing useful information
about DXM. Special thanks to Greendrag for help with compiling this list.

The DXM FAQ - Highly recommended
       http://www.frognet.net/dxm/contents.html

The Third Plateau - The most definitive DXM site there is
       http://www.third-plateau.lycaeum.org/

The DXM Appreciation Page
       http://www.ugmadness.com/Ledderson/DxM/

Chris's Web Page - Home of the DXM calculator for windows
       http://advicom.net/~chris/

Erowid's DXM Page - Another good source of DXM information
       http://www.erowid.org/entheogens/dxm/dxm.shtml

Sputnick's DXM Page - Another DXM archive
       http://hepenthes.lycaeum.org/Drugs/DXM/

Hyperreal's Dissociative Page - Dissociative and DXM information
       http://www.hyperreal.org/drugs/psychedelics/dissociative/

The Lycaeum's DXM Page - More on DXM
       http://www.lycaeum.org/drugs/synthetics/dxm/

Medline - Search this for information on studies done on DXM
       http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/

Infomed's DXM frame - Information regarding low doses of DXM
       http://www.infomed.org/100drugs/dextfram.html

DeeXMan's DXM Page - Has a big collection of trip stories.
       http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Venue/3391/dxm.htm

Old reports on DXM abuse (circa 1993)
       gopher://hemp.uwec.edu/00/drugs/misc/robo/

Deja Vu: Confessions of a Serial Robo Killer - Highly recommended
       http://www.wideawake.org/robo.html

Dev/Null/The Happy Place in your Brain - various DXM information
       http://www.kelani.com/hull/

Microsoft Dextromethorphan Experiments - Bill Gates's use of DXM
       http://sefi.satelnet.org/~ccappuc/rants/msd.html

Lycaeum Trip Stories - DXM trip reports
       http://www.lycaeum.org/drugs/trip.report/dxm.shtml

A Night in DXM Space
       http://www.julian.org/journal/100597.html

Poor Man's PCP - An article about DXM taken from Pills-a-go-go magazine.
       http://hepenthes.lycaeum.org/Drugs/DXM/poormanspcp.html

The Rave Zone Drug Archive - DXM information in German
       http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Club/6549/

Liber DxM: The Cough Syrup Hypothesis
       http://www.brotherblue.org/csh.htm

Tussin Space: Transdimensional Emergence
       http://www.unc.edu/~veritas/dissoc.html

DXM Page from the Motacracy Homepage
       http://pw2.netcom.com/~nickc/dxm.html

Plateau Sigma - A DXM-related band; you can download their MP3s.
       http://kelani.com/sigma/

Official DXM Zine Web Site - includes Issues 1 - 4
       http://www.alaska.net/~zorak/dxm/zine.html

Another DXM Zine Web Site
       http://phun.dreamhost.com/dxm/zine/

Usenet - drug newsgroups on the Internet
       alt.drugs hierarchy, rec.drugs hierarchy, talk.politics.drugs

DXM EFnet IRC channels - DXM chat
       IRC channel #high, #dxm, #uaf, #robo, #syrup, #dex

DXM DALnet IRC channels - DXM chat
       IRC channel #dxm

If you would like to get your site added here, just email [email protected]
with "Web" in the subject line and your site name with a brief description
in the body of the email.


VARIOUS TRIP REPORTS
from Internet reports

Listed below are a few of the more interesting trip reports we have come
across floating around out there on the Internet. Dosage and other relative
information are given when available, and we made no attempt at correcting
grammatical errors, so read at your own risk. Enjoy!

Raz.  900mg + Tylenol codeine.

Hey kids. Did you know DXM and codeine both interact with that great
psychotic toy, the SIGMA RECEPTOR. Codeine also acts on Mu and Kappa.
And DXM does on PCP-2. But thats not important. What's important is the
Sigma.
  What this means in basic english is that mixing DXM and opiates is bloody
potent, if not hazardous. Never mix both at the same time.
  I decided to conduct a little Sigma experiment (sigma is the receptor most
responsible for psychotic like effects I hear). I took 900mg of Delysm syrup
one night (which stays in your system WAY longer than normal syrups). Had a
good buzz, blah, blah, blah.
  The next day, with the Delysm still heavy in my brain, I smoked some bud.
Everything was simple, light buzz. Then at around 4PM things changed. I took
3 Tylenol 3's. Thats 90mg of codeine, which isn't much really, as most
codeine abusers extract it (so they don't OD on the other ingredient) and
often take 150-230mg. Normally 90mg codeine would just make me feel a little
light headed or relaxed, if anything at all. Not this time though. That silly
Sigma site was at it again.
  It made it feel like a low dose of meperdine (Demerol) or a HUGE dose of
codeine. Good thing I didn't take more than I did. When it kicked in it was
real good. Things were wavy and cloudy. Really dreamy. My brain had a floaty
sensation that lasted maybe 6 hours. I had to lie down. At one point, looking
at the base of my bed and the wall, things seemed like they tilted, and the
wall was the floor, and the floor the wall, like no gravity. Cool beans.
  Anyways, I nodded out kinda, like 3 or 4 times. Drifted into trancy states.
Fell asleep once, when I woke up, I was dizzy as HELL! And high too ;)
  Anyways, thats my story. Mix with caution. Definatly would increase
chances of an overdose.

Dave.  695mg.

Began with approximately 354 mg and one hour later reached 695 mg.
Talked on Irc for about an hour and a half. Speaking to people was more
fun than usual, the screen grew more and more incomprehensible as time
went on until I could not read what the screen said. It wasn't blurry so
much as it was foreign, and didn't make any sense. I decided to go next
door and proclaim my godliness to my neighbors. I startled them a little
but returned to let them know what was up. Eventually the strong buzz
let me know that it was time to lie down, as Sheba had. Then I began to
explore the universe. I usually like to lie down on the hard ground,
with as soft and small a pillow as possible because the back of my head
tends to get unbearably sore.
  My senses were obviously altered. Vision was double in many cases. My
body and especially my face were very charged with chi. I slowly
vanished, falling outwards and sideways out of my body.
  One of the many realizations I came to was that reality, that reality in
which we live, is but an iota of what "being" is. The term I used to
describe "being" (the concept of life and being) was Ing, I believe.
Everything falls under the Ing. The ng is everything and everything is
Ing. Our reality is like the cilia of a finger of a minute portion of
one of the many masses that make up the Ing. We are small,
insignificant, and forgotten. We want to leave this reality and go to a
better one but doing so is very very hard. Our material selves keep us
here. I want to forget all the matter I am attatched to but I can't. We
are like the air filling a balloon. The balloon is the matter that makes
up our physical selves. We can leave this laborsome reality, leave our
balloons, but to do so we would leave behind a crystalized lump of
matter that like a lump of crystalized salt would suck up any other soul
that would pass by and that just can't be done. I guess it's not in our
power to leave this world.
  I went on to analyze a whole bunch of other things, mostly social. I
won't mention these things because they are mostly minor and I don't
feel like listening through all my recordings. I fell asleep and woke up
suddenly, about six and a half hours into my trip. I went to bed and
woke up at 6:00 am, about three hours later. I could not get back to
sleep and my vision was still very blurred. Not as double visioned as my
trip though. I stayed up doing homework until I finally ended up falling
asleep until 10:00 am.

Anonymous.  1008mg.

Took all 1008 mg in the time period of about 30 minutes. Watched TV then
relaxed. Wanted to try listening to music. Music sounded happy and made
me want to skank. I felt a dump coming on so I took it. It was all
liquid but it felt like it was meant to be like that. I resumed relaxing
but turned off the music to sit in my doorway. Music from nearby rooms
was soothing but totally incomprehensible. Sometimes I could here words
but usually it all just sounded like jumbled up noises. I asked Sheba to
say something and I could repeat every word in my head but the sentences
themselves made no sense. I could only recal key words afterwards.
  Finally I'm on my way to Makiki with my comfortable beach chair. I relax
with A. Freak, Paka and his woman. I'm starting to feel even better. I
try a bite of Paka's gyro. It tastes crunchy. It doesn't feel crunchy,
it tastes crunchy and it feels like a burrito. Eventually Ultra VioleNt,
Muppet and Horn-E arrive and story talking begins. I cannot understand
anything said. I'm confused. I start thinking that my ears are
hallucinating because I hear some key words that do not in any way go
together. Then while this verbal nonesense is going on Ultra returns
with papers and splif #1 is lit. After some time, life stopped. I did
not realize when it happened but it did. I became very frightened. I was
staring straight ahead into the bushes and I suppose I knew that but
visually and sensually I was not in that reality. I was not affraid that
I was absent from this reality, in fact I was scared shitless that I was
ever part of this reality. I had a hint that I was though and I was sad
because I knew that if I was, I could not permanently escape it. Then
somebody says we are going to ditch A. Freak and run away. I understand
this concept and everyone gets up to run away. I try to follow but I
don't know how to move. I try just thinking about moving but I figure
"I'm not even in this damned reality, I'm just dreaming about it." I try
it anyway and it works. Everything I see is on a movie screen. I'm
imortal, I've escaped, I'm not in that piece of shit world. But when I
start to be able to move in this reality I realize that I really am part
of this reality. I almost start crying. We run away from A. Freak and
return. Movement is extremely difficult and awkward. We return to the
park and sit down again. I can still picture this world throught he
movie screen. I try to convince myself that these people I'm sitting
with are all made up by me, they aren't real. These things do not belong
in my reality.
  The cannabis begins to wear down and I return to this reality. I'm
strucken with sadness as I accept my mortality. I basically listen in
while everyone talks. I'm not in my body but if I try to use it a
certain way I can reenter it. I try to listen to everyone talking but I
go off on my own trips every now and then. Lots of hallucinations
checker my vision. I don't really care what's real. Some time here the
second splif is lit. I take one hit, plenty. I notice that I can feel
the stone coming on, usually it's a creeper (this is not a purposeful
incringement on The Creepers) and I can't tell when it hits. I know I'm
making faces and must look spaced out on the outside but I can't help
it. The night continues and the guys ask me about things. I tell them
that I've seen heaven and reality and the meaning of life, which I have
but I've seen beyond all that. Someone says something about Christ or
the Anti-Christ and I say that Christ is the tablecloth that catches us
as we die, filters us out, and the Anti-Christ is a large sharp conical
object that falls and tears the tablecloth so that we all fall down into
hell. I think they think I'm gone.
  The rest of the night has little to do with my DXM chronicle. I was
looking at these three pieces of trash on the ground for about two hours
and they looked like a race car, a bird-shaped space ship, and something
else I can't recall. I knew that the less and less they looked thus, the
soberer I would get. First one returned to being a piece of trash, then
another. The last to change back was the race car. Eventually the trip
was over as far as I was concerned, at about 5:00 am. I was still
feeling the DXM, but mostly I was feeling tired. I went to sleep and
woke up at 2:00 pm. I has extremely tired but in no way sick. I was just
too exhausted to do anything constructive and this continued the rest of
the day.

Dave.  700mg.

First off I must explain the new Longs brand that we tried. Sheba told
me about a DXM product made by Longs that is dirt cheap and choke full
of wholesome DXM. I picked up 5, 8 oz. bottles at $2.50 each. Good deal
was all I thought. I checked the active ingredients list and saw no
Guiffasen or Acetamenaphine so I thought I was in the clear. The dosage
was 10mg/5mL which means each bottle had 474mg of DXM. There were two
other active ingredients besides DXM though. They were Brompheniramine
Maleate at 2mg and Phenylpropanolamine Hydrochloride at 12.5mg. I had
never heard of these chemicals having bad side effects so I took no news
as good news. I don't know what these chemicals do but I believe they
are responsible for the worst situation possible under low DXM dosages.
  I began by taking one bottle straight and starting on another. I had
planned to take about 950 mg. About a half hour into it, Sheba was
getting his usual symptoms. He said the buzz was starting to come into
effect but with his usual upset stomach. His stomach got worse though
and when I returned from the bathroom he was writhing on his bed. He
complained of the worst headache he had ever had. I became concerned of
course and tried whatever I could to help him out. The buzz was starting
to effect me now. I laid down and relaxed but I may have relaxed too much
because I eventually fell asleep. Note: this is bad news for me. Whenever
I fall asleep while under an influence it usually means that I'm going to
throw up. I don't know why this is but it happens all too often. When I did
wake up I knew what I had done and decided to go to the bathroom to prepare,
just in case I was going to throw up and when I saw the toilet it happened.
It may have been the easiest time I've ever had throwing up. I finished and
cleaned it up without any more bad feelings. In fact once the gooey pink
liquid was out of my poor insides I felt pretty good, as if I had a weight
lifted from my head and soul.
  The same was not true about Sheba though. His headache was as bad as
before but was coming on in timed intervals. I proceeded to work on the
computer because I didn't feel like sitting down or lying down and
relaxing any more. As I was doing so Ultra, Muppet and the crack-lipped
trumpeter came in. We went outside to talk so we wouldn't disturb Sheba
but a few minutes later, after some miraculous recovery, he joined us
out on the balcony. His headache had since dissipated.
  The rest of the night felt like a weak 400 or 500mg trip with television
sight, some blurred backgrounds, tingly skin, and a week stoned-like
loss of short-term memory. I had after all taken about 600-700mg but
thrown up most of it.
  The moral of this experience is that DXM cannot be taken for granted and
just because there's no Tylenol of Guiffasen in the active ingredients
doesn't mean that its all that safe. Only pure DXM is all that safe and
then only in reasonable amounts if you're not allergic to it and if you
haven't been taking any other drugs or medication that may conflict with
it. Ok, maybe there is a brand of DXM out there that is dirt cheap and
of highest quality (and if you discover it please tell me) but even
then, always be sure to pay due tribute to lord DXM. He does not like to
being belittled.

Anonymous.  400mg.

This DXM session was under small dosages because all I had was the
dreaded Longs brand and I was extra cautious because I didn't want to
end up like Sheba did. By the way, Sheba vows to work up the courage to
DXM again soon with a friend of ours Bio. Anyway, I took a little more
than half the bottle which is about 400 mg of DXM. The taste was not
pleasant at all. I had a lot of inhibitions because Sheba was in the
room watching me as I took it and he couldn't stand it and I think that
kinda rubbed off on me. Well, I finished my juiced down DXM (I added a
can of Strawberry-Guava to it) and proceeded to the bathroom. I did this
half because I felt sick and half because I had to take a crap anyway. I
ate three Whoppers and a mixed Teriyaki plate through the course of the
day.
  After about 20 minutes or so my stomach settled down and just in time
because that's when some of the guys came over. They had a bottle of
Cuervo, salt and a lemon : ). Well sufficed to say, I took my share of
shots and still didn't feel sick. After all, I only took 400 mg and I
weigh about 240 lbs. But don't worry, I had enough to feel awfully
pleasant. We were listening to music and I loved it. I was in an empty
warehouse and it was pitch black and I could see the music playing
around me. Stereo is one of the coolest inventions when you're on DXM.
Well, some of the guys, mostly just pART-jAPANESE wanted to go to
Internet C@fe to meet up with some of Muppet's punk-rock-girl friends.
So After I took my official DXM dump we left.
  We did finally meet up with them but overall we just wasted our time. UV
and pART-jAPANESE were fairly horny so they were all hyped to see these
chicks. Well, we met up with them and they talked a bit while I sat in
the car tripping on my minds own cosmic creations. The guys didn't even
get a number so they were still horny. As a result we had to take a ride
through Waikiki to look for women but of course none were to be found. I
sat in the back of Muppet's van with Bio and we talked of the wonders of
DXM. Soon the mystical music playing on Muppet's tape deck told me that
talking was unneccesary and I should just relax and listen to the
soothing reggae beats. This I did until finally we returned to my dorm
and the night ended. I was still feeling the DXM so I just laid down on
my bed in that half-sleep state with my DXMaginationTM.

Anonymous.  600mg.

Valentine's day, no date, little money....this calls for DXM!!! This was
the night when I popped Bio's DXM cherry. Yep, that stoney guy had his
first injection of DXM bliss. From what I got from him, he loved it. I
started out with the Vicks and while Bio and UV were choosing their DXM
buggy for the night I decided to pick up a friendly bottle of Benylin. I
was a little disappointed in my initial trip to be honest but about an
hour after I gulped the disgusting orange syrup, it all hit me like it
was ambushing me. This was no creeper, although it took hella long to
set in. All I could do was lie down on my floor with a text book under
the back of my head while I dreamed of far off lands within my own
psychy. I could see myself in a meditative position in the center of a
globe with mystic colors and patterns rotating around me. I tried
leaving my body for a short amount of time but the DXM fare was too
steep for anything like that.
  Bio was living it up as we watched From Dusk Till Dawn on Sheba's 13"
screen. The vampire sounds and gunshots seemed too unreal to be unreal.
I received these strange sounds about 2 seconds after the TV speaker
uttered them, piece by piece. My brain must have been processing things
pretty slowly.
  After a while we decided to go up to the roof to cruise and talk about
life. Bio and I conversed about the powers of DXM once again and he was
enthusiastic to have another go in the near future. For his first time i
recommended that he keep his dosage low and he did so and he handled it
very well. Looks like another DXM-friendly bastard has come along.
  We talked for three hours about all sorts of things. Real deep bonding
kind of thing. Those are my favorite times. Eventually all the guys had
to go home but Horn-E who had arrived late in the evening stayed up with
me until about 11:00 am or so. I could still feel that sticky syrup
sloshing around my insides as I ate my breakfast sandwich. Finally, I
konked out and Horn-E went home without sleep for the second night in a
row. Ooh, on the DXM trip.

Sheba.  400mg.

November 22, 1996, 2:13pm: Ok, all you cool cats and dogs. I got one hell
of a story for you. I'm writing this right after it happened so I won't
forget because I feel it must be said and the word must get out to as
many people as possible. My friends and I have conducted in DXM trips
for some time now, actually my friends more than myself. But I have
heard no such cases of what just happened to me. The story begins when
my roommate, David Ledderson, went to the Longs Drugs to buy some DXM
for tonight's little adventure. Now, I know most of you guys don't have
a Longs up in the mainland and outside of America., unless you're from
the West Coast cause I know there are a few up there. But basically it
was was just a generic kind of cough syrup that all small grocery store
type chains have. He bought Longs Cold & Cough Elixir DM. It contained
10 mg of DXM per 5 mL of cough syrup. It was $2.50 for 237 mL. We
thought that was pretty damn good after buying $5.00 bottles for way
less than that. We thought we found the fucking Tut's Tomb of the DXM
world. He checked if there was any of that aceta. Tylenol shit or the
Guifessen. It had none in there. However, there were these other weird
chemicals on it: Brompheniramine Maleate, and Phenylpropanolamine
Hydrochloride. We didn't hear of anything bad about it, so my friend
took about 600mg and I took about 400. I figured that was pretty good
just to get level 2 for my 137 pound frame. I usually get a little sick
about a one hour to one and a half hours after, so when a slight
nauseous feeling came over me, I didn't think much of it. But it came on
damn fast, like half an hour later. But I thought maybe it was just
because I didn't eat much that day. Then I started getting a slight
headache. I thought maybe this is just a new weird side affect and just
kept relaxing. Then it started getting worse and worse. I asked my
roommate to close the door and turn off the lights. I just lay there in
my bed with this massive headache. From now on, I'm going to try and
recreate as much of what I was thinking and feeling from what I remember
of it. So just bear with me:

o It's starting to hurt right now, but it's not that bad.
o Shit it's hurting. Why is it doing this?
o Fuck what was in those damn things?
o It feels like my head is going to explode, shit. Shit.. shit.
o If I OD or whatever, if die man, just tell Amber (not the real name,
 but someone I really love) I love her, ok. And play Amazing Grace at my
 funeral.
o What the fuck is wrong? (At this point, I'm rolling around in my bed
 nearly crying out for help, holding my head.)
 
(Still rolling, but now just sitting up holding onto my head for dear
life) This is what torture must feel like. Like I just feel pain and
there's nothing I can do about it, unless I tell them my secrets.
But I don't fucking have any secrets. This ain't a fucking torture
room. I can't even do anything to stop it, even if wanted to.
How can martyrs goes through this much pain? Could I do this if I had
to? Or would I give in? NO, I won't give in. I'll withstand the pain.
(Now sometimes there is a "quiet period" where it doesn't hurt as bad
and I stop rolling around, but about 2 minutes later, it starts up
again.
  I can't go to the hospital. My parents would kick my ass if they found
out. But shit it hurts. I'm glad my roommate isn't taking me to the
hospital, but if I saw him the way I am now, I would take him. MAKE THE
PAIN GO AWAY!!!!!
  (I threw up in a garbage can next to me. Felt a little better for a
few minutes. I thought I had gotten all the crap out of my system.)
  I was wrong.
  When is this going to end? (I look at the clock) What?!? 9:14? Fuck,
it's only lasted less than an hour. IT seems like hours have gone by.
9:28- It's only been 15 minutes?!? It seems like an hour.
This is what hell might be like. I know the last time I DXMed I felt
like I was almost going to heaven. Maybe this is the bad side of it.
Maybe this is what hell is like.
  No. fuck, don't give in. This is just a test, a trial, to see if I
can handle it. I can. I can.
  Maybe this is a sign to quit drugs all together. Maybe if I think
about smoking and all that other shit, then I'll associate this pain
with them when I try to do those activities again. (So I thought about
all the bad habits I have.)
  Please..... No I can't ask God for help,. I gotta get through this on
my own.
  I don't care if I don't get to enjoy the DXM later. Just make the pain
stop.
  This sucks. I know these are the other chemicals cause I kind of feel
the DXM in the background. So maybe every time I DXM again I'll
associate this pain with the DXM feeling. I'll never DXM again. Nooooo
  It's getting a little better now.
  Wait. Fuck, back again. Ahhhhhh..
  I'll never DXM again. I can't. Never again.
  Why won't the pain go away.
  No. What if this lasts as long as when I'm feeling DXM. That could
take hours. I don't know what I can do. I can't make it go away.
  (I throw up again.) Maybe this will be the end.
  No wrong again.  (Head continues to throb and with each throb a
feeling of pain goes over me, continuously. )
  How can people be martyrs?
  I can see myself floating up, but my friends are holding me down. I
float up. But they bring me back down. No fuck this can't mean I'm
dying. It doesn't seem real enough. I'm just imagining.
  Must reach out for help. Please. But there is nothing anyone can do.
  Now my stomach feels warm. Not a good warm. A bad warm, but my head
isn't as bad.
  Oh, shit. Now I have a bad feeling in my stomach and my head hurts
too. No please no more. Ahhhhh. I can't take this anymore. This can't
last for more hours. Head feels better, but my stomach just feels weird.
(I keep switching positions trying to get comfortable. But nothing feels
good.) (It lets off for a while. I go the bathroom to try and take a shit.
It doesn't work. But some of the pain goes away.)
  (I try to walk around my room.) Maybe it will make me feel better. No,
I can't. (I lie on my bed again.) It feels so good. But wait.. fuucckkk
Must get shit out of me. (I try to throw up again, but unsuccessfully.)
  Feeling a little better. Just keep still; just keep still. No, I can't.
It's not as hard and long as before. Maybe I'm getting over it. Shit, it
still hurts, but maybe I'm getting used to it. Getting better.  Must try
to relax and not move around. (I try not to move around as much)
  It works for longer periods now. I can relax now pretty well. Headache
is going away. Weird feeling is going away.
  (UltraViolent, Muppet, and another guy come over. I'm just lying there
and they think I'm fucked up. I pretty much am.)
  (Dave takes the to the balcony to tell my story without upsetting me.)
But I can hear now what's going on.
  I'm alright now. ( I put on a shirt and take my key and join them on
the balcony.) I'm alright now. I can tell them coherently what happened.
(20 minutes later, I have a headache again.) (We go back to the room. I
just relax on my bed and they go on the internet.) I'm wide awake, but I
look like I'm sleeping. (Headache goes away and I hear that they're going
to smoke, so I join them. Smoking usually helps me to relax.)
  I'm getting up. Wow, this feels like a DXM buzz, without the headache
I had earlier. Good deals. (But it is short lived.)
  Yes, I came through it. It only took a little over one and a half
hours of excruciating pain. But I'm alive and my head doesn't hurt
anymore! So I want this to be a warning to all of you. DXM can get damn
expensive sometimes. But do not buy the cheap shit generic stuff, unless
you know what the hell the other chemicals are. If anyone knows what the
ones I listed are and know which one is bad and causes this shit to
happen, please email David Ledderson for future reference. I'd also like
to say that I am not invalidating DXM, just the stupid chemicals that
fucked me up. I still believe DXM to be a great recreational drug
because of its many good effects. However, I have never felt as bad as I
did tonight. I really think I need hypnosis or therapy to disassociate
the pain I felt and the DXM feeling I got in the background or I'll feel
that damn pain every time I DXM again. And there is no way I'm ever
going through that again. So like all things be wary of something that
looks too good to be true because it probably is.

Anonymous.  712mg.

2/8/97 3:46 pm.
I did the dxm thing last night, as the night before. The first night was
relativey uneventful because i'd (unwittingly) taken some ephedrine
before and the dxm took too long to dissolve in my stomache.
Last night, I drank the bottle (712 mgs) at 10:45 -11:45. Throughout the
night, I was on irc and internet, and it was very hard to concentrate or
read or type, but near the end very strange, good things started
happening. It is a good sign. the monitor started getting distorted,
like the new photoshop 4.0 free-distortion thing. one end went far away,
and it was very hard to read the words. then the other end got small
too, but both of them met up in the middle, so I could read ok for a
while. (I was semi-conscious of how much of this was happining inside my
head.) I kind of had the impression that my photoshop program, being a
beta after all, had somehow leaked out and distorted my whole monitor
instead of just image3.gif. But it looked real the entire time. I
eventually gave up (or blacked out) and went back to bed.
  10:24 pm. I've started drinking it now. So out of control, and yet in
control. Soon I will have lost my head and lapsed into the free-wheeling
world of insanity.
  11:48 pm. Still. Nothing yet. I want to regain that same sensation that
i had last night. The "flaring" feeling in the mouth, the beavis and
butt-head/AMP visions and groggy hallucinations, the foggy, melted chat
with svetlana on irc and trying to read nine inch nails pages on the web
even as they grow smaller and dance out of my fields of perception.
A bad feeling of things to come. I'm chewing up my fingers. My fingers
are a testament to the horrible life i've soon to realize i've been
living. Blood. I seriously consider suicide, because it is for the best.
It seems like my death would be the best alternative to living
(obviously), but that it's just a game that I've lost.
I'm listening to music (AMP on MTV) and the beats are creating a
seperate reality each time they dissolve into the past. The different
colors of life are defined by the pulsating rhythm of the Trance and
techno music. I'm lulled into a coma-like sleep by the regular
destruction of silence.
  1:37 am. Late. quite messed up. I don't know. Death. It's so.. FINAL.. A
comittment. gravity kills. sounds just like the other gravity kills song.
guilty. my video/!!!k] afraid to Perfect dru g
  2:26 am.stillcrazy. i am convinsed...?ha\\that I should die. I can set
it all off with a blink of my eyelids. Do you believe? What is belief?

TJ.  200mg.

One week after my last DXM experience I decided to indulge again and it
was the second most amazing experience of my life (that I can recall). I
took whatever Longs brand DXM I had left which was a little less than
half the bottle just before we herbed. I chased it with a Diet Mug
rootbeer for good messure and once the THC kicked in, the yucky pink goo
was a forgotten memory on my taste buds. I took maybe five good sized
hits from a joint rolled from Hilo's finest and that alone was enough to
send me to heaven. I knew, though, that my journey had not even begun.
  This DXM/THC journey proved to be 100% trip, not much philosophical
enlightenment. I saw so many cool things going on all around me and I
could imagine even more. The guys all wanted beer so we made a run and I
elected an Olde E due to its 7.5% alcohol content. I was flying,
flipping and soaring on a lacy pedal of the most beautiful blossom
incarnate of DXM. I wasn't laying into my 40 because as usual the
alcohol was slowing down my trip. I noticed however that the usual fast,
high pressured beating of my heart caused by DXM + THC was slightly
subdued by the alcohol. Anyhow, Muppet wanted to go eat so he agreed to
finish the rest of my 40 to speed up the process. He finished it, I
suppose, and we left Tantalus for the yummy treats of Taco Bell.
  All this time, everyone was telling me things to try to trip me out and
asking me what I was feeling. I was feeling so damn good that I decided
not to move a single muscle. I was content with letting them think I was
fucked up while I sat in Robo-bliss. At some point I started rolling my
head back and forth on the head rest of the car seat in a motion
resembling the mathematical sign for infinity. It just felt so damn good
I had to do it.
  By the time we got to Taco Bell I wasn't feeling too hot anymore. The
trip was still there, believe me, but something seemed wrong. I was so
out of touch with my senses, I didn't know what my body was trying to
tell me. All I knew was it probably wasn't good. I started in on my soft
taco supreme and got halfway finished when that feeling came back...only
now it had a sense of urgency. Amidst these past three hours of heaven I
had forgotten that I had taken DXM, therefore was prone to vomitting if
I drank and/or ate. I came to this realization when I began to taste
rootbeer in my mouth. I realized that I might be needing to puke so I
got out of the car and found the most discreet hiding place where I
could unload my insides. I ended up puking between two cars but when I
was done I was rejuvinated.
  Horn-E once said, "the best is when you puke and you don't remember it."
To add to this I'd like to say the second best is to puke on DXM. True,
others may not have the same DXM puking capabilities as myself but I
find that throwing up DXM is about 450% better than throwing up alcohol.
You feel great afterwards, you keep your buzz for up to five hours
later, you don't get too many painful dry-heaves, and you don't pass out
after you're done. Well, I cleaned myself off but everyone else was
tired already and wanted to leave so we did and I spent the rest of the
night in that DXM half-sleep.

--

Credits: I wish to thank everyone who either contributed to the
zine or helped provide information on DXM. I also would like to
thank IRCers in their endless efforts to shed light on DXM use and
experiences, along with their help and cooperation in putting
the zine together. I especially wish to thank William White,
Greendrag, and Zorak. Without your help, this zine just wouldn't
be what it is.

Next Issue: Biotech Interview, Mixing DXM with Psilocybin, plus much more!
           
About the Editor: Gravol, also known as Jeff, is 20 and works on the zine
in his spare time. Born in Phoenix and having lived in Akron, Ohio, for
most of his life, he has just moved to St Augustine, Florida. He is also
the author of the Dramamine FAQ, found at lycaeum.org.

* If you'd like to contribute an article or any information to the
DXM Zine, email [email protected] The Zine is free, but any contributions
reduce the tremendous amount of time it takes to complete it and would
be helpful in maintaining its free distribution. Thank you! *

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