Whatever does not destroy me, can only make me stronger.  
                                               - Nietzsche

THE DXM ZINE.
Issue 5.  August 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 160 subscribers strong, in 9 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!
The domain www.dxm.net will be giving away free limited webspace.
Users will be able to have a picture, and a bio that can be updated
at any time via username/password. ETA: 2 weeks.
  Dxm.net also offers shell accounts and complete virtual hosting
solutions through e-systems.net. We are just cool!

Contact: [email protected]. Thank you!
---
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!
---


CONTENTS
 
1  From the Editor - by Gravol
2  Letters to the Editor
3  DXM News - from Internet reports
4  DXM Survey
5  Break on Through (to the Other Side) - by Nectar
6  DXM and the Out-of-Body Experience - by Gravol
7  Side Dishes: Other Substances that Go Well with DXM - by Macb3th
8  My Experiences with DXM - by DXMRat
9  DXM Chemistry Lesson - by William White
10 DXM and Drug Screening - by Alan B. Storrow, et al.
11 The Cord of Life - by Anonymous
12 DXM Poetry - by Gravol
13 DXM Made Simple...DXM Humor - by Bem
14 Robo Journey - by Anonymous
15 DXM Replacements - by Sigma
16 DXM Site Review - by Gravol
17 Info on Ordering Pure DXM Powder - from compiled information
18 DXM Music and Movie Reviews - by Gravol, Muha, Al Crawford
19 Various DXM Sources (from the PDR for Non-Prescription Drugs)
20 Various DXM Internet Sites
21 Various Trip Reports - from Internet reports
22 Credits/Zine Information


FROM THE EDITOR
by Gravol

I hope most of you enjoyed Issue 4, and likewise enjoy this one. I
just wanted to shed some light on some recent changes in my life
that have affected the zine, so please bare with me a moment. :)
  First, I broke up with my girlfriend of 10 months. We had planned
to move to Florida and eventually get married, but in June the
relationship ended, and shortly after that my dad's house was
sold in Ohio, so instead of getting an apartment in Ohio I decided
it was probably best to move down for the time being with my
parents until I can find a roommate in St. Augustine, Florida
(which is where I live now). I moved into the area on the last
week of July, so these have all been pretty recent events.
  Also, because of getting everything ready for the move, I
was not able to publish Issue 5 when it should have came out,
in July. Instead, it's being released in August, and I hope you've
remained patient for its release... now I am pretty much adjusted,
everything is moved in, and I can again begin work on the zine.
The zine will be out every month, starting with this issue.
Again, I apologize for not getting it out sooner.
  And if you're ever in the area, be sure to stop by and see me. :)

                                                       Gravol
                                                       August 5, 1998
                                                       St Augustine, FL


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Listed below are a few letters received after the publication of
the last issue and the editor's response.

From [email protected]:

Hey, I'm a subscriber to your 'zine. I was curious as to what supplier
you'd suggest for about $50 or $100 dollars worth? I need a reliable
source, and a company that can get it out quickly would be best. Also,
ya know, the best deals. Thanks in advance.
                                                       - XlMiSeRyIX

From the Editor:

XlMiSeRyIX:
  The only person I have ever ordered from is WANMAN Enterprises.
Since I have not ordered from any other supplier, nor have I heard
too many successful stories of people that have, I cannot personally
back up their claims... only pass along the information they advertise.
  The only problem with WANMAN is that he is no longer in the DXM
selling business, so BioTech is your best bet. His prices change
constantly, so check out his info at http://www.third-plateau.lycaeum.org/
powder/index.html. Other sources may be cheaper... but are they reliable?
                                                       
                                                       - Gravol

From [email protected]:

May I please get the first 3 zines? And also, is there anyway I can send
for a magazine in the mail?
                                                       - IBaNeZsd

From the Editor:

IBaNeZsd:
  To get the first 4 issues, either in plain text or HTML format,
simply go to http://www.alaska.net/~zorak/dxm/. You will be presented
with an index of choices.
  As far as postal mail subscriptions, they are not currently available.
The task of printing up the zine, xeroxing it several times, and then
mailing it out is not only costly but time-consuming, and probably takes
away from time I could be editing and compiling articles. It was tried
once before... just not something I can do right now until I get extra
help.
                                                       - Gravol

From [email protected]:

I don't know what others have found about this person (Kristopher Kindell)
but I sent my Money Order in May.  He e-mailed me 5/30 & said he'd been out
of town & was having trouble with his supplier.  He apologized & said that
my order would be sent out on June 1.  I still haven't received ANYTHING &
he does not answer my e-mails now...
                                                       - Samm

From the Editor:

Samm:
  It is now apparent that Kris Kindell is out of the DXM-selling
business. Several people have informed me that they recently sent
him money, and their envelopes were returned unopened with the
word "DECEASED" written on it; probably an attempt by him to
tell people he's no longer in the business (or never really was
to begin with).
                                                       - Gravol

From [email protected]:

Just wanted to complement your efforts towards what is a well put
together, informative, helpful zine.  I've received my first (#4) and was
very pleased with the content.
                                                       - CRaCKeD

From [email protected]:

Hey,
  Good thing to see you back too... I enjoyed the previous issues and
thought you decided to stop the zine altogether without any notice. Good
thing you didn't cause I enjoy 'em. :) Looking forward to the next issue..

                                                       - Tim Kedis

From [email protected]:

I read the first couple of issues and I thought it was pretty good.
Thank you.
                                                       - James Cohoon


DXM NEWS
Edited from Internet reports

"DXM Supplier Kris Kindell apparently dead"

The controversial DXM supplier Kris Kindell, who was known for his
unbelievably low prices has apprently died, but it's more probable
that he's just writing "DECEASED" on every envelope that is addressed
to him to let people know he's out of the DXM-selling business.
  Many people didn't realize that he was just 15-years-old and
a scam artist, claiming to get wholesale DXM shipments straight
from China. Another popular supplier that was profiled in this
zine was Wanman, who is also out of the DXM-selling business. It
is not certain if he has refunded all the money that people has
sent him, however.

"Biotech goes up on its DXM prices"

Probably the most popular current DXM supplier, Biotech has
raised his prices. If you are not aware of his current prices,
please check out the Info on Ordering Pure DXM Powder section
of this zine.

"EFnet IRC channel #High taken over, then recovered"

The popular IRC channel #High was taken over by a corrupt individual
who goes by the nickname SmokEE. After this action, his dxm.net account
was taken away as punishment from the administration of dxm.net. However,
a hacking group called Injustice then held the #High channel and refused
to give it back. While this may just be an IRC channel with no harsh
feelings, their provocative nature has led to the Editor's computer
crashing and some data intended to be published in the zine deleted.
Meanwhile, #High headquarters was moved to #Robo but that channel
was also taken, so the new headquarters was moved to #GHB.
However, on August 12 #High was given back by SmokEE, and the
channel is once again under the original owner's control.

"DXM Net attacked by computer hackers"

The dxm.net domain has been attacked by an unknown computer hacker(s),
and the employer is contacting the FBI to file a report. If you have
any information regarding this attack, please contact [email protected].

"Several stores now putting Coricidin behind the counter"

We have reports of stores in the Baltimore, MD area and the Akron, OH
area putting Coricidin Cough & Cold variety pills behind the counter
and requiring an ID, proving you are at least 18 years of age or older
to purchase this product. No other form of DXM has been reported
being put behind the counter (e.g., Robitussin Maximum Strength Cough)
which leads us to believe that this is just local cases of kids stealing
Coricidin from the stores and the managers getting fed up with it.
No other variety of Coricidin was put behind the counter either.

Last Updated: August 13, 1998.


DXM SURVEY
A Survey on DXM Use

Please fill out and return this survey to [email protected]. Results will
be published in next month's issue. Include "Survey" in the subject
line.

1. Y/N Have you ever had CEVs (Closed-Eye-Visuals) while under the
      influence of DXM?
2. Y/N Have you ever taken LSD?
3. Y/N Have you ever had an OBE (Out-of-body Experience) while under
      the influence of DXM?

Thank you! I like to keep the surveys brief and to-the-point. Each
month's survey will focus on a different aspect of DXM use. This
month's survey was on CEVs and OBEs, and if LSD usage possibly affects
whether your not you have ever experienced CEVs.


BREAK ON THROUGH (TO THE OTHER SIDE)
by Nectar

The time had come to depart on a wild journey exploring time, space, and
all places in between. I boarded the ship via 500 mg of DXM and 7.5 g of
Morning Glories [Editor's note: morning glories contain lysergic acid
amides, a chemical cousin to LSD].  Awaiting take off, I put in a
Phish CD to help me surrender to the phlow. After about 45 minutes,
I was jetisoned into Robo-space.
  But it was diffrent this time. Way diffrent! The room I was in seemed
so odd to me, and it started freaking me out. I started to feel a little
sick, so I floated across the living room to the bathroom. I stopped at
the mirror and became amazed at my reflection. My reflecton seemed to be
calling to me, in need of attention. Something inside of me (my sub-
consciousness, my inner self, I'm not sure), started having a
conversation with me (My concious self). At this point, my head seemed
to detach from my body as I was looking in the mirror. I don't mean I
saw it come off, but my head was pretty much the only thing I could see
in the mirror. Everything else was a breathing distorted swirl of
colors. This conversation went on for what I guess to have been
around 1-2 hours. I would talk at times, and think at times, but this
conversation wasn't things I was just thinking up in my head, it was an
actual two way conversation. We talked about my ambitions, the path I'm
taking through life, the way everybody's actions and existance effects
everything.
  It was one of the coolest thing to happen to me while tripping. I went
through feelings of joy, sorrow, guilt, ecstacy. This sort of
bombardment of feelings has happened to me before while tripping, but
never like this, and not to this degree. I came back to the living room
and layed back on my couch. With eyes closed, I ventured through my
mind. If you've never done this while tripping on DXM, or anything else
of it's nature, I highly recommend it. Things happened that are hard to
remember, and even harder to explain. All I know is that I was not alone
on my jouney. I communicated with at least one entity that I can remember.
To my great sorrow though, I can't remember what we communicated about.
  After about 4-5 hours into the trip, I returned to reality, though I was
still feeling extremely high. I could feel my body wanted to get rid of
all this, so I went to the bathroom. Theres no need to go into detail,
but most people who have done Morning Glories no how bad MG shits can
be. It was like my body wanted to purge itself of them, so it got rid of
everything in me. Sorry, I don't mean to get graphic, but it was just
apart of the trip I thought anyone who might try this combo should know.
  I've done A LOT of diffrent drugs, and this has to be in the top 5 times
of the highest I've ever been. It's definatly worth a try.


DXM AND THE OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE
by Gravol

This is a two-part article. The first focuses on how to achieve an
out-of-body experience while on DXM and the second part relates my
personal experience of inducing an OBE on Friday, August 7, 1998.

This is quoted from the Dennings & Phillips book on Astral Projection:
In Astral Projection (which I will abbreviate as AP from this point
on), the conscious mind is aware of what goes on, but from a perspective
that is different from that of the physical body, which remains
passive.
  Astral Projection - the Out-of-the-Body Experience - is natural,
and happens spontaneously more often than you realize. AP enables
you to function in two different ways:

o In relation to the Material World. This includes traveling to any
 place, and experiencing material world events; to undertake special
 "at-a-distance" works - such as absent healing; and to meet and
 communicate with other out-of-body people.
o In relation to the Astral World. This includes seeing and investigating
 the underlying "behind-the-scenes" level of things; to effect change,
 first at the astral level, and then - as a result - at the material
 level, which is basically Magick.

The continuum of experience based on mingled inner and outer conditions,
builds up a conviction that the consciousness is "contained within" the
physical body, and sometimes even a belief that the consciousness is
one with that body. We see thru the bodily eyes, and if we close our
eyes we cease to see; we hear thru the bodily ears, and ear-plugs if
we use them will deaden the sound; a pain in the hand or foot seems to
come from the direction we know the hand or foot to be in, although
on waking from sleep we can be mistaken about this. If we want to see
what is behind us, we turn our head; if we want to see something in
the next room, we walk and look.
  But supposing you are not an ordinary present-day adult. Supposing
you are a baby who wants to know if his mother is in the next room?
Supposing you are a primitive man who wants to know what goes on outside
the cave at night?
  You want to go and look. But to take your physical body would be
in the one case impossible, in the other case highly undesirable.
Yet, if you want strongly enough to go and look, in either case you can.
  Young children easily take their consciousness outside their physical
bodies. Primitive people do it. Solitary prisoners sometimes do it too.
You can do it; you have only forgotten how. Modern means of transport
and communication have helped you to forget, and, worst of all, somewhere
along the line you have probably been told that it's "impossible."
  Pure consciousness has two ways of being aware of something outside
itself. One of these two ways can be put right out of the picture
at once, because it is the "direct intution" which only belongs to
the highly developed mystic (quite a different thing from the "intution"
which people may have about a friend's illness or an impending disaster,
but that doesn't come into our present inquiry either). The normal
human way of consciousness to work - and "out-of-the-body" experience
is totally normal and human - is for it to work thru a "vehicle" of
some kind. In its usual state, your consciousness has three vehicles:

o The Physical Body
o The Astral, or emotional, Body
o The Mental Body

In AP, part of the astral body (the "gross astral") remains with the
physical body to keep it functioning, and part of the substance of
the astral body goes forth, with or without the conscious mind.
The astral substance can be ejected from the astral body voluntarily,
and with consciousness. That is what you are to learn here.
  As far as preparing for AP, live as naturally as you can. You should
make dietary considerations... there is a value in a limited/vegetarian
diet. What's good for the physical body is also good for psychic and
spiritual well-being. There is also a need for exercise.
  [Editor's note: The book goes into detail about how to practice
meditation and eventually induce an OBE. Because you will most likely
be doing this on DXM, you need only know the most basic components
of inducing an OBE, because any extra information is just going to
confuse you or make you forget what you're doing at the time. So
I will give you the instructions for what worked for me.]
  Here, by contrast, is something you can hardly practice too much.
Do it anywhere and any time, by day or by night. Begin it, then
tell yourself to continue it while giving your attention to some
other pursuit; note if you are still doing the rhythmic breath
a half-hour later, for example. Go to sleep doing it.
  The Rhythmic Breath has many uses besides the ones in this article.
It can aid long periods of mental concentration, and it can aid
in all kinds of sports. It has both bodily and psychic value. It
can steady nerves, boost energy, and, as you will learn here, it can
help you direct energy.
  The way to do it: First put any noisy timepieces right out of your
hearing. Then lay flat on your back with your hands to your sides.
Next, identify and give attention to your heartbeat. As soon as you
keep track of the rhythm, begin counting beats. Now you can experiment,
to find your own Rhythmic Breath.
  What you are aiming to establish, is a pattern of breathing in
which you can comfortably hold your lungs full of air for a certain
number of heartbeats, then breathe out during twice that number of
heartbeats so that your lungs are as empty as you can comfortably
make them... keep your lungs empty for the original number of
beats, then breathe in during the count of the double number,
your lungs being well expanded at the end. And so on. To make this
clear, here are three examples, one of which is almost certain
to be yours:

Hold lungs      Breathe out     Hold lungs      Breathe in
full during     during          empty during    during
2 beats         4 beats         2 beats         4 beats
3 beats         6 beats         3 beats         6 beats
4 beats         8 beats         4 beats         8 beats

[Editor's note: Basically what you're striving for is to breathe
in during a certain number of counts/beats, then breathe out for
twice that number. For me, it was 2-4-2. For instance, I breathed
in to the count of two, then breathed out to the count of four,
and so on. This put me in a totally relaxed state of mind. I
am omitting the rest of the exercises except a brief description
of the chakras.]
  A Chakra is a Center of Activity. There are certain points in
the physical body which have an evident and special affinity
with more than the material level. A powerful emotional shock
can act like a physical blow upon the solar plexus; either
the blow or the emotional shock could cause loss of consciousness.
The same is true of the top of the head: "they sat as if stunned,"
is said of people who have received startling news, and sometimes
pleasant news can stun as much as unpleasant, if it is startling
enough. Here are the Chakras, or places where the astral and
material levels on your body meet:

o The Crown. A little distance above the top of the head, not resting
 upon the head;
o The Brow. At the mid forehead and as if half inside the head, half
 outside;
o The Throat. Completely outside, just in front of the thyroid cartilage;
o The Heart. At mid chest, and as if half inside, half outside;
o The Sex Organs. At the genital region and as if half inside the body,
 half outside;
o The Feet. The feet being placed with their inner edges just or nearly
 touching, this Center is visualized as being half below the ground-
 surface and half above, slightly interpenetrating the feet at about
 the region of the insteps.

From the Editor:
Basically the practice involves using the Rhythmic Breath and focusing
on each one of these Centers of Activity (ie, chakras), starting with
the crown and ending with the feet, until you are totally relaxed.
However, on DXM, probably the only thing you'll need to use is the
Rhythmic Breath (explained above). That was what was successful for me.
In Issue 6 I will tell you of some of the adventures that you can
find in the Astral World, as quoted from the same book, but I thought
for this issue I should show you a basic understanding of how to
achieve an OBE.

So, in review:

o While on DXM (a high 2nd plateau or low 3rd plateau dose is probably
 the best) lay down with your hands at your side, completely flat.
o You may put on headphones if you like, but make sure you don't have
 to change the tapes/CDs too often or deal with the phone.
o Concentrate and clear your mind of everything, starting rhythmic
 breathing exercises (for me it was inhaling at 2 counts, exhaling
 at 4 counts, inhaling at 2 counts, etc.).
o Picture yourself floating up, and pretty soon you may find yourself
 leaving your body. Keep your eyes closed, because the world that you
 are about to see will not involve your real eyes, just your astral
 vision. But be warned, what you are about to see are NOT CEVs (Closed-
 Eye-Visuals)... if you truly have an OBE then you may see spirits
 (both good and evil) and other things that can be startling to you.
 But you can always return to your body as safely as you left it,
 with just the slightest notion of trouble. So relax, have fun, and
 enjoy your trip!

My Experience (after ingesting a 4oz bottle of Robitussin Maximum
Strength Cough and 2 Coricidins... approximately 420mg total).

I laid down on my bed with my headphones, and relaxed. I was already
getting CEVs so I knew this would be a mindblowing experience. I
started rhythmic breathing to the count of 2-4-2 and pictured myself
floating upwards, and after several minutes of "trying" to escape
my body I finally did.
  Unfortunately with DXM, time gets grossly disproportioned, and
there are several lapses in my journey which I will never be able
to remember... but within a short time I found myself visiting my
ex-girlfriend (seeing her face and her body clearly, floating thru
darkness), feeling her presence, and then flying across the ocean
into China and to the very top of Mount Everest.
  Everytime I "flew" or moved, I felt like I was on a roller coaster,
and I could feel the wind flying around my feet and legs, and this
breeze would always stop everything I hovered someplace without actually
traveling at a fast rate of speed. I also ended up visiting the moon,
but I did this the entire time with my eyes closed, but they felt
as if they were open and that I was focusing on the spirit world.
  Before I start traveling around the world, I saw myself laying
on my bed and also different perspectives of my room. I saw a few
frightening images... one of my swivel chair, and someone being in it,
and it slowly turning around and facing me and finding the most
grotesque demonic person sitting there. And then he started waving
his hands at me in a mocking gesture, as if to scare me, and got
up and start floating over to me and was right in my face. The
only way to end this situation was to open my eyes and clear my
mind and go somewhere else. I saw a lot of stuff in my room while
just hovering around my body. The real fun was actually flying thru
space and time and visiting people. I also got to fly to Europe
and see exactly what my friend was doing at the time (a friend
that I've known back in Ohio for quite some time was visiting
Europe)... and everything I saw is crystal clear, not blurry
and sometimes broken up like CEVs are.
  Finally I found myself traveling a great distance, and an awesome
being came over me, a Moses or Jesus-like figure which I perceived
as God himself, and he pointed his finger up over my head, as if
to go back, and I knew my journey was pretty much over anyway, so
I humbly started floating back all the distance I had traveled
until I was finally back in my room, over my body, and then slowly
dropping back into my body and aligning with it.
  For the next few hours after the experience I felt more "out of it"
than usual, and the experience left me more satisfied than any DXM
trip EVER has. I also got a lot of psychic feelings and intuitions
during the trip as well. It was a profound, wonderful experience.
And after doing Coricidin to the point of my body not being able
to take the antihistamine anymore, I was pretty much enlightened
by this experience. I hope you have many wonderful journeys in
your Robo-travels, much as I have, and I hope you will share these
with the rest of our readers.


SIDE DISHES: OTHER SUBSTANCES THAT GO WELL WITH DXM
by Macb3th            

Hello fellow robo junkies.  This is macb3th, of EFNet's #DXM
([email protected]).  I'm here to tell you about things that can make
your DXM trip better.  So let's get down to it, shall we?
  First of all, DXM is pretty nice by itself.  Make sure to try it
this way first; many people don't like to combine it with anything else.  
I, however, like to hack my head.
  Many of you trip on DXM at night... either because of parents,
spouses, school, or just the added trippiness of darkness. However,
it's never good to fall asleep halfway through a trip, or even worse,
just as the trip is starting.  So let's start with stimulants.

Ephedrine (A smack upside yer brain):

Sources: Mini-Thins, some weight loss drugs, health food store.  Don't
        get ephedra, it's a waste of money, try for pure ephedrine.  
        Often comes in 25mg tabs.  This is NOT the same as pseudoephedrine.  
        Pseudo does nothing.
Dosage:  50mg, as far into the trip as you can stay oriented enough to find
        and take pills.
Effects: Short-term CNS stimulation.  Intense, lasts a few hours.  Gives
        you a kick to get you through the main part of the trip.
Negative:Can cause rapid heartbeat, shouldn't be used if your heart or
        blood pressure is fucked up.  Excessive long-term use may cause
        temporary sexual problems in males.  Symptoms cease after you
        stop taking it.
OD Signs:Chest pain, freaking out (paranoia, fear, bad trip).
If OD:   Take a depressant (small quantity) such as dimenhydrinate or
        diphenhydramine and then lie down and attempt to chill.  Anything
        over 75mg within 2 hours is unwise.

=======

Caffeine (Not just for mornings anymore):

Sources: Coffee, Jolt Cola, Water Joe, 100 or 200mg tabs (No Doz, etc) which
        are avail. from health food store or pharmacy. Also tea to some
        extent.  Pills are preferred for ease of use and precision of
        dosage.
Dosage:  200-600mg, about 45 mins after dosing.
Effects: Relatively long-term (6-8 hrs) CNS stimulant.  Dosage depends on
        tolerance. If you drink lots of coffee every day, have 600mg.  If
        you drink coke about once a week, have 200mg.  Keeps you going
        through the entire trip.
Negative:Can cause rapid heartbeat.  Same precautions as for ephedrine.  
        The prescription anti-depressant Zoloft (sertraline) makes it last
        longer.  Is addictive.
OD Signs:Hot feeling, sweating, shaking of hands, freaking out, tightness
        in chest, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rapid heartbeat.
If OD:   Take a depressant.  Treat symptomatically (ie take Immodium if
        you get the runs).  Anything over 1000mg is unwise.  If you're
        ODing bad, go to the hospital. If not, just lie down and chill.  
        It may help to have a friend talk you down.  Smoking a bowl may
        also help.

=======

Dimenhydrinate (Only if you must):

Sources: Gravol, Dramamine, etc.  50mg pills.
Dosage:  50-100mg as needed for nausea
Effects: Keeps you from heaving if you're feeling really sick during the
        trip.
Negative:Makes you fall asleep.  Avoid.  Only use in first 90 mins of
        trip.  After that, just heave.
OD Signs:Heaviness, hallucination, basically "tripping mad ballz".
If OD:   Enjoy it.  If you took over 1000mg (why?), go to the hospital.  
        Long-term excessive use is not recommended.

=======

ASA (aka Aspirin):

Sources: Aspirin, stupid.
Dosage:  325mg, at the SAME TIME as ephedrine. Does nothing without
        ephedrine.
Effects: Makes ephedrine better.  Inhibits that which inhibits ephedrine.  
        If you're tolerant to ephedrine, this can temporarily fix that.
Negative:Children (under 15) shouldn't take this.
OD Signs:Not sure. Nausea/vomiting, obviously.  Don't take more than 325mg.
If OD:   Go to the hospital.

=======

Grapefruit Juice (Yes, Virginia):

Sources: I wonder.
Dosage:  A big-ass glass of it.  Bitter =  better, active ingredient here is
        naringin.
Effects: Makes caffeine last longer, and removes caffeine tolerance
        temporarily.  Unless you're tolerant to caffeine, I wouldn't
        recommend this.
Negative:If you drink too much, you have to piss.
OD Signs:Having to piss.
If OD:   Piss.

=======

Wellbutrin (bupropion hydrochloride):

Sources: Prescription only.  75mg yellow pills or 100mg red pills.  "Zyban"
        will not work, those are extended-release tabs.
Dosage:  About 450-600mg, an hour before dosing DXM.
Effects: Makes the DXM trip last longer. Much longer. Up to 16-20 hours.
Negative:Do NOT take this if you have epilepsy or any other seizure
        disorder.
OD Signs:Seizures, vomiting.
If OD:   Call 911.

=======

Shrooms (fun with fungus):

Sources: Shrooms
Dosage:  Less than you would usually take.
Effects: Obviously, makes you hallucinate more.
Negative:May cause a bad trip, or distract you from the DXM.  Try both
        at a low dose.
OD Signs:I dunno, trippin too hard.
If OD:   Get a dude to talk you down.

=======

LSD (fuckin cid):

Sources: Erm, blotter.
Dosage:  Few hits.
Effects: More visual hallucinations.  Increase in CEVs.
Negative:May be too intense for some. If you haven't done acid before,
        don't do this.  May distract you from the DXM.  May cause severely
        bad trip on rare occasions.
OD Signs:Trippin too hard.
If OD:   ODs are not medically serious as a rule.  Have a trip-sitter
        talk you down and make sure you don't get stupid.

=======

Well folks, that's the list as I know it.  To give you an idea, here's
what I usually take for a 3rd plateau trip in the night time.

(T minus 1 hour)  600mg Wellbutrin
(T minus 10 mins) Grapefruit juice
(T plus time)     DXM
(T plus 45 mins)  600mg caffeine
(T plus 90 mins)  50mg ephedrine, 325mg ASA

This usually makes me trip balls and keeps me up all night, which is good.
  Another note, if you haven't tried something before, safety first.  
Write on a little note "I took 500mg of DXM and 50 mg of ephedrine etc etc
etc" and put it in your pocket so if you end up ODing and passing out, the
EMTs will at least know what you're on.
  Hope ya'll liked this.  See ya at the morgue.


MY EXPERIENCES WITH DXM
by DXMRat

My name is Josh and I live in the small town of Oxford, Massachusetts.
I have been doing DXM for about two-and-a-half to three years now,
but until recently have never been able to find much info on it.
Generally I stay away from computers because I find it too easy to
sit there for days, but this week I began to peruse the DXM Zine.
Nice work, by the way. Reading all the stories made me want to
throw my two cents in, so here it is.
  My first trip was off a 4oz bottle of Robitussin Maximum Strength
Cold & Cough that I drank before school with a bunch of my friends
from a neighboring town. Since they only had a 1/2 day I went to
their school. They had tripped a bunch of times before so they were
calm (which kept me calm), even when talking to the principal to
gain permission to "shadow" my friends.
  In 1st period I began to feel nauseous because of the coffee and
cookies I ate. I spit up a mouthful of junk in the water fountain
and sat down for a second to ease myself. Then I began to experience
the things that got me hooked:

o An extreme sense of comfort and numbness;
o A cocky, giddy, and playful attitude;
o Fuckin' adrenaline;
o A fluid motion, almost like floating.

So, needles to say, I liked it a lot and began doing it more and more
frequently. But it wasn't until this year that I began experimentation.
I referred to it as "the drug that puts the 'trip' in 'field trip,'"
mainly because I was fucked up at every school function. I started
doing liquid CVS brand, a much cheaper and tastier alternative,
and then I tried some geltabs - easier to take in public and gentler
on the tummy. I also learned that putting pinholes in the end of
the geltabs prevents the slow-release trip which takes the edgy
away. So, anyway, my friends go off to college and I'm a lonely
robo-tripper with a lot of time on my hands. Hmm! I began to
notice a lot of weird shit happening in my life. I was meeting
people from far away places and bumping into them recurrently,
greatly benefiting in some way from our encounters.
  On the way to school one day, I lost a piece of paper with
the names of 10 colleges that I wanted to get information about,
fretting about having to make decisions; that day I stumbled
on a nearby college while on the computer and that's where I'm
going now. My friend and I believe that DXM is a fate-aligning
drug - TOO many coincidences occur in our daily lives since we've
began using. But I have noticed the effects differ when doing it
group vs. alone. When I'm alone, I feel a greater understanding
of nature - a very primal, animal-like feeling. My actions are
very instinctive and generally people confront me about the same
topics per trip.
  One night while walking past a neighborhood dog that normally
explodes into a barking fit when someone passes by, the dog sprinted
to the end of his run nearest me, sat down and wagged its tail.
I found it rather strange. My own dog always seems to know when
I'm fucked up too, because she come looking for a robo-doggy
massage.
  I really enjoy group tripping though, especially with newcomers
because it's as close to the "1st trip" I can get to and it's always
exciting. I've noticed a few things. In boy-girl groups, DXM acts
like a truth serum, often bringing out petty confessions of love
or lust with intense emotions felt by both parties. I also have
noticed what I call "same bottle phenomenon" when tripping in
groups of four. I buy two 8oz CVS robo bottles and split them up.
The two people who have drained the same bottle stay with each
other the whole time, and feel lost without the other. I first
noticed this when we were walking out of the forest by two's
and the pairs of kids were bottle-sharers.
  A few more things. When I robo at night, I hear this constant
roaring in the night sky, where-ever I am. Just wondering if
it's ever heard by others. Also, I had the best robo-trip ever
on Wednesday. I found a brand called Scot-Tussin, a clear,
sugar-free brand made for diabetics and people with heart
disease and high blood pressure. It's active ingredients are
DXM and Chlorpheniramine Maleate and each 10ml contain 30mg
DXM and 4mg of CM, with 118.3ml/bottle. It's clear! And it has
a water-like consistency. I did the whole bottle and felt like
I was floating. The trip went right to my head. [Editor's note:
Chlorpheniramine Maleate is an antihistamine and can affect
the DXM trip in a totally different way. A lot of people have
adverse reactions to it, so be cautioned. It's basically the
same active ingredients that are in Coricidin Cough & Cold].
I recommended it to a friend whose well into 300-400 trips and
he loved it. I was surprised to see him freak out, though. He felt
really nauseous from chasing it with Pepsi but couldn't throw up
due to a lack of Guaifenesin. The shit forces you to trip hard!
Currently, I'm trying to get some DXM powder.
  Thank you for hearing me out. :)


DXM CHEMISTRY LESSON
by William White

I'm going to present this as "kitchen chemistry" as I feel most people
with adequate chemistry knowledge (and equipment) will be able to do it
correctly without my help.
  There are three procedures for DXM extraction that are commonly used:
precipitation and filtration, single-phase acid-base extraction, and
dual-phase acid-bsae extraction (the "Agent Lemon" process). The first
method is by far the least popular because the DXM precipitate is often
so fine that it passes through the filter paper.
  You can, of course, still use the precipitation procedure; I just don't
recommend it. If you do choose to precipitate DXM, try to get actual
filter paper rather than a coffee filter - it will help.

The acid-base extraction process is a common method for isolating a
desired chemical from undesirable "gunk". The theory is that certain
chemicals (generally, alkaloids) occur in two forms: a water-soluble
complex with an acid, and an oil-soluble free base form. For example,
pseudoephedrine (SudafedTM), a decongestant, is usually supplied as the
hydrochloride salt (pseudoephedrine HCl). It can also exist as a base,
without an acid molecule (thus the term "free base"). You can convert an
alkaloid from acid salt to free base (or vice versa) using a base (or
acid).
  The practical upshot is you take your chemical and "gunk", and raise the
pH with a base (e.g., sodium hydroxide) until the chemical converts to
free base form and precipitates out (since it's no longer soluble in
water). Now you add a nonpolar solvent (an "oily" layer) for the
chemical to dissolve in, shake for a long time, and all the chemical you
want is in the nonpolar layer. Discard the polar (i.e., water) layer,
and you're left with a nonpolar layer full of your chemical .....
  Plus anything else that might be oil-soluble. So you reverse the
process, by adding an acid until the free base turns into an acid salt,
and precipitates out of the nonpolar layer. Add water, shake, and you
can discard your nonpolar layer.
  This is the acid-base extraction, and it's very frequently used to
extract the active ingredients from plants (free clue: the THC in
marijuana is not an alkaloid and thus won't extract this way).

So how do we apply this to DXM? Well, it turns out that DXM is an
alkaloid, and you can extract DXM from cough syrups using the same
process. Furthermore, this procedure even works for DXM plus guaifenesin
syrups, e.g., Robitussin DM, and generic equivalents (invariably called
Tussin DM). The "DM" syrups usually only contain 10mg/5ml of DXM, so you
won't get as much yield, but they're usually cheaper (and more commonly
available).
  This is actually a single-phase acid-base extraction, because we only go
from acid form (DXM HBr) to base form (DXM free base). The final product
ends up dissolved in an organic solvent, which is then evaporated to
leave DXM free base.
  I have added a new set of steps to this process to help to remove some
of the gunk that can end up in the final product. These steps are in
italics and may be omitted if desired.
  Do NOT try this extraction procedure with cough syrups or formulations
containing acetaminophen/paracetamol, pseudoephedrine, other
decongestants, or antihistamines. Decongestants and antihistamines are
usually alkaloids and will end up in the final product; as for
acetaminophen, I'm not convinced yet of the safety of the final product.

For this procedure you will need:
o Cough syrup (obviously) or some other DXM-containing preparation. The
 only active ingredients that should be listed are dextromethorphan and
 guaifenesin. Avoid alcohol (check the inactive ingredients). If you can
 get DXM-only preparations, do so; the DXM+guaifenesin preparations tend
 to contain less DXM than the DXM-only ones. �Two plastic two-liter
 bottles, washed and with the label removed. Of course, you can use
 flasks if you have them. �A glass container to make your sodium
 hydroxide solution in (a mason jar works; you can also use a drinking
 glass).
o Two plastic bags with a slide-lock closure (e.g., ZiplocTM), big enough
 to hold the cough syrup plus an additional amount of lighter fluid. The
 plastic bags should be non-pleated. They will be used as separatory
 funnels.
o A nonpolar solvent. The easiest to get is ZippoTM lighter fluid (or an
 equivalent) - note that this is cigarette lighter fluid, not charcoal
 lighter fluid. You want your solvent to evaporate quickly, leaving no
 residue. The easiest way to test it is by placing a drop or two onto a
 pocket mirror, and letting it evaporate; if it leaves no residue or smell,
 you can use it.
o Sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Photography supply stores carry this. In a pinch,
 some people have been known to use Red Devil Lye. I do not advise this!
 Lye is likely to be impure. If you must use lye, make sure you let your
 sodium hydroxide solution settle (see below). Note that sodium hydroxide
 is caustic and severely damaging to the eyes, so wear your safety goggles!
o A heat-resistant glass baking dish (smaller is better).
o Distilled water (tap water won't work as well due to the chlorine and
 dissolved ions).
o A pair of scissors.
o Access to the outdoors.

To speed up the process (from overnight to about 30 minutes), you will
have to evaporate the solvent with heating. For this you will require:

o An electric wok or skillet, or a hot plate with a pot of water on it.
 Basically, you want a flameless (electric) source of heat that will heat
 up a volume of water, which you can put your baking dish in (the hot
 water will heat the baking dish).
o A hair dryer.
o An OSHA-certified organic vapor mask.

WARNINGS ABOUT ORGANIC VAPORS: The solvents you will in all
likelihood be dealing with (hexane, heptane, petroleum ether, whatever)
are bad for you. Really bad for you -- they can give you brain damage if
you inhale too much of them. You do NOT want to breathe the fumes. Get
it? So, if you want to speed up the process, pony up US$30.00 or so for
an OSHA certified organic vapor gas mask (tell `em you'll be painting
with oil-based paint). Sure, it's uncomfortable and looks dorky. But it
sure beats brain damage! Additionally, you absolutely mustdo the
evaporation outdoors (unless you happen to have a fume cabinet handy.
And NO, the stove or bathroom fan does NOT count as a fume cabinet).
  A brief word or two about sodium hydroxide: it's caustic, especially to
the eyes, and when you add it to water it will heat up. Always add the
sodium hydroxide to the water, and not vice versa. If you get it on your
skin, wash it off with water (it won't eat through your hand unless you
let it sit there).

If you can't find sodium hydroxide at your local photo store, go get a
photography magazine and look in the back for mail order suppliers. Many
of them carry sodium hydroxide. It is a very common chemical and
ordering it isn't going to bring the DEA knocking down your door. Please
try to avoid using lye. If you still can't get sodium hydroxide, use the
Agent Lemon process (see the FAQ).

Okay, here we go:
1. Form a solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) by placing one tablespoon
  (15ml) of solid sodium hydroxide in one cup (about 236ml) of distilled
  water in the sodium hydroxide solution container. Stir until dissolved.
  If you are using lye (I don't recommend it), wait awhile to let any
  impurities settle out to the bottom. Note that dissolving the NaOH will
  generate some heat.
2. Empty your cough syrup or formula into the two-liter, rinsing the last
  of the cough syrup out of the syrup bottles with distilled water. If
  using gelcaps, break them open and rinse out the inside of the capsules.
3. The following steps in italics are suggested for removing some of the
  gunk that can make it through the extraction and leave you with a sticky
  residue instead of crystalline DXM. Add in enough lighter fluid to the
  two-liter bottle to make a roughly 1/4 inch (or roughly 5mm) deep layer
  of lighter fluid per 4oz of syrup.
4. Cap the two-liter bottle and shake the living hell out of it for at
  least five minutes. Let it sit undisturbed until the two layers separate
  again.
5. Pour the entire contents of the two-liter bottle into a sealable plastic
  baggie, and seal it shut. Hold it by one of the top corners so that a
  bottom corner is facing down. Let the layers separate again if necessary.
6. Holding the baggie's corner over a CLEAN two-liter bottle, snip off the
  very tip of the corner. Let the cough syrup layer drain into the clean
  two-liter bottle, but pinch it shut right before any of the lighter fluid
  drains out.
7. Discard the lighter fluid by placing it into an empty container and
  letting it evaporate outdoors. Do not put it down the drain or set it
  on fire.
 
That's it ... now you should have cough syrup that has had a great deal
of the flavorings and other gunk removed from it. You can repeat the
above steps if you want to remove even more.

8. Add one tablespoon (15ml) of sodium hydroxide solution to the two-liter
  bottle. You should see a rapid formation of a milky precipitate. Swirl
  the bottle gently to mix the syrup evenly, and the precipitate should
  redissolve (because there's not enough base yet).
9. Repeat the above step, until the precipitate doesn't redissolve with
  swirling. The entire solution should be cloudy (stir well to make sure
  the base is evenly distributed).
10.Add one more tablespoon (15ml) of sodium hydroxide solution to the
  bottle.
11.Add enough lighter fluid to make a 1/8" (0.3mm) deep layer per 4oz
  bottle of syrup.
12.Cap the bottle, shake the hell out of it for five minutes, and let
  it stand until the layers separate again. If the layers don't want to
  separate, try adding table salt.
13.Carefully pour the contents of the bottle into the sealable plastic bag,
  and close it shut ("yellow and blue make green-it's sealed!"). Hold the
  bag by one of the top corners so that one of the bottom corners points
  down.
14.Let the two layers separate again (this should only take a few seconds).
15.Cut off the tip of the bottom corner and allow the water layer (the
  bottom layer) to drain out of the bag. When the water layer has drained
  out, pinch the bag shut. 16.Hold the bag over the baking dish, and allow
  the nonpolar solvent layer to drain out into the baking dish.
17.Take the baking dish outdoors. At this point, if you don't have a gas
  mask and a way to heat the baking dish, you'll have to let the solvent
  evaporate (which may take a day or so), so skip the next 4 steps.
18.Put on your gas mask and take the baking dish, hair dryer, and electric
  heat source outdoors.
19.Place the baking dish into the container of water (electric wok, electric
  skillet, hot plate with pan of water, whatever), and set it to simmer. If
  you can't set the temperature low enough, you'll have to turn the heater
  on and off manually to maintain a near-boiling temperature.
20.Plug in the hair dryer and gently blow hot air into the baking dish.
  Take care not to splash solvent over the sides of the dish. Incidentally,
  make sure you don't overload your circuit; it might be a good idea to
  alternate heating with the hot plate/wok/skillet and heating with the
  hair dryer.
21.Continue heating until all the solvent evaporates. At this point you may
  see a thin layer of crystalline material; you might see a shiny layer of
  goo that looks a lot like the glass itself (which can be confusing); or
  you might see a layer of brown gunk. Whatever. Anyway, make sure all the
  solvent has evaporated.
22.If your baking dish is covered with an oily substance (goo, gunk,
  whatever), you in all likelihood managed to extract some propylene
  glycol (or something else) along with the DXM. Blow hot air from the
  hair dryer onto the surface of the dish until the material dries
  completely (this may take 5 to 10 minutes). This should evaporate
  the propylene glycol, leaving behind only DXM.
23.Scrape the DXM off the baking dish with a razor blade or other convenient
  sharp edge. You now have DXM free base.

A few comments. First, guaifenesin seems to itself convert to an oily
layer if you add too much sodium hydroxide, so don't overdo it. Second,
if you happen to have lab equipment you can of course use a separatory
funnel (which is what the plastic baggie is for). Third, if you don't
think you got anything, make sure the baking dish is completely dry;
sometimes the DXM free base plus propylene glycol can look a lot like
the glass itself.


DXM AND DRUG SCREENING
by Alan B. Storrow, Michael Magoon, Glenn Mitchell

Editor's note: Many people have reported taking DXM and passing drug tests.
However, I have heard other reports of people getting false positives for
opiates after ingesting DXM before a drug test. If you do need to take a
drug test, chances are you have nothing to worry about. To confirm most
peoples' suspicions that DXM abuse is fairly safe for drug screenings, I
have included the popular study The Dextromethorphan Defense: Dextro-
methoprhan and the Opiate Screen. It was conducted at the Joint Military
Medical Centers Emergency Medicine Residency in San Antonio, Texas.
  If you have any experiences regarding DXM and taking a drug test, I
welcome you to share your experiences at [email protected]. The study follows:

Since dextromethorphan is structurally related to opiates, people
undergoing urine drug screenings have claimed it has produced falsely
positive results.

Objective.
To determine if a single oral dose of dextromethorphan liquid would
produce a falsely positive qualitative urine opiate screening.

Design.
Prospective, randomized, triple-blinded, crossover drug protocol.

Setting.
Urban Level I emergency department.

Participants.
Twenty adult volunteers, who did not take routine medications, were not
pregnant, were without known sensitivity to dextromethorphan, and were
negative for urine toxicologic screening immediately prior to testing.

Interventions.
Fifteen male and five female volunteers underwent three separate urine
enzyme-multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT) opiate screenings (Syva Co.,
San Jose, CA). Each screening was performed six hours after ingestion of a
single liquid medication, either dextromethorphan, codeine, or placebo.
Each volunteer took all three medications randomly, at least three days
apart. Half of the volunteers took the standard adult dose of dextrometh-
orphan (20 mg), while the other half ingested twice this amount (40 mg).
The amounts of codeine (30 mg) and sucrose placebo (10 mL) remained
constant.

Results.
Six hours after ingestion of dextromethorphan at both dosage levels, all of
the urine EMIT assays were negative for opiates and all other drugs. This
demonstrates with 95% confidence that, at most, 16% of the population could
expect to have a positive opiate screening after ingestion. After codeine
and placebo ingestion, all assays were positive and negative for opiates,
respectively.

Conclusion.
Although dextromethorphan is structurally similar to opiates, the ingestion
of a single normal (or even twice normal) dose of dextromethorphan is not
likely to produce a falsely positive six-hour urine opiate screening.


THE CORD OF LIFE
by Anonymous

Here's an account of my fourth DXM experience, the first I tried that
would correspond to the "4th plateau". The experience itself happened
several months ago, but I just wrote it up from initial notes today.
  1200 mg of DXM were ingested on an empty stomach in the form of 40
Drixoral gelcaps.
  Waiting for the effects to take hold, I worked on some noise
compositions with my 4-track recorder. After about 45 minutes, I felt
nauseated and as though I had a fever. I no longer had the ability or
desire to concentrate on my compositions, so I set the recorder aside
and lay back on the bed.
  The nausea and feelings of vague but potent physical discomfort
increased. I wondered if the dosage would be too much for me to handle.
Some ten minutes later, I stumbled drunkenly to the bathroom and
vomitted. The discomfort vanished almost immediately; I returned to bed,
no longer afraid of being unable to handle the experience.
  I do not remember how long it took me to become almost fully dissociated
from my body, nor do I remember what happened during the process. Soon,
however, I found myself beholding fully three-dimensional crystalline
formations, the components of which rotated slowly in synch with one
another. Behind the formations there seemed to be a void of infinite
space, which flashed strobe-like in brilliant colors.
  As the formations rotated, they changed and evolved, always producing
beauty and symmetry with mathematical precision, determinacy, and
clarity. Only vaguely aware of my body, I felt as though I was soaring
through the patterns at unimaginable speeds. Gradually, I moved through
the crystalline formations: they seemed to each contain the enormity of
the universe itself.
  My speed increased, as did the gradual loss of a sense of identity. The
patterns gave way to more abstract but no less colorful patterns: wave
upon wave of interference patterns, cyclones of flashing colors and
spirals that swallowed me. After some time, the boundary between myself
and the patterns dissolved almost completely.
  Now my being -- which was really a universal "we" as opposed to an
individual identity -- seemed to contract into a single point then
explode outward countless times, the infinity of space and time and
perception and being contained within each explosion. "We" were the
whole of the multidimensional universe collapsing upon itself and
exploding outward over eons of unimaginable time, terrified, relentless,
ecstatic. Once in awhile the explosions resulted in vortices, through
which something utterly "alien" seemed to emerge.
  I recall approaching and merging with these "alien beings" several
times, though I do not recall what happened during the merge itself. One
such being I recall only in association with a sense of vastness and
strange angularity, like a huge mountain tapering to a perfect point.
  Sometime later (I do not remember how long), a sense of identity as well
as an awareness of my body returned -- at first in brief moments, then
for longer episodes. During these moments, I asked "who am I?" I
received a flood of intuitive information, very little of which I was
able to comprehend rationally. The gist of the matter, however, was that
I was both an individual and the whole of creation; both the creator and
the created, and that this is true for all beings.
  Remembering that viewing my self and life from my first DXM experience
had been one of the most emotionally profound experiences of my life, I
attempted to do so again. Now I had a vision of myself as a ribbon or
cord wrapped around itself and around other cords. The cords traced the
history of my life, and once again I felt an all-encompassing compassion
and love for that life, self, and everything within it. Again, I was
aware of the possibility of abandoning it and not returning to it, and
it struck me as the most precious of all things; I was even more
horrified at the thought of leaving it than I had been on the first
time.
  To see if I could identify the "cord" of another -- for the universe had
become a network of these cords -- I "called" to my friend Betty. I
witnessed her cord and mine separating from a common cord, then
rejoining each other in a dance or braiding, yet still retaining their
separate identities.
  This aspect of the experience was emotionally overwhelming in a way that
I really cannot convey; when I chose to end the experience, I did so
because I could no longer bear its sheer intensity.
  I managed to open my eyes; the sunlight made the room appear maddeningly
bright. I could recognize few features: the room was a patchwork collage
of textures, shapes, and colors that were sparkling, glittering, and
pulsating.
  When I closed my eyes, it seemed I still had them open and was looking
at the ceiling. I guarentee that I was not and to block out the light, I
placed my elbow over my eyes.
  Now what looked as though it were the ceiling gently fell apart into
chunks of abstract shapes. The shapes "morphed" into other ceilings of
other rooms similar to my own. Just as each one attained such a level of
coherency and clarity that I felt I would be able to stand up and walk
around, the room would fall apart then reform into another. One such
room attained coherency for longer than the rest; it was dimly lit, as
though by candle light, and it seemed to be some sort of basement. There
were three others in the room, watching me -- I wondered if I was
experiencing some sort of alternate self, who was also experimenting
with dissociative states, but in the presence of others. In this room, I
was able to sit up for a moment -- how odd it was to sit up and look
about me while still feeling the weight of my elbow over my eyes.
  Two times, perhaps more, the rooms transformed into seemingly "alien
universes". Once, I found myself beneath a tree of huge orange flowers.
Each blossom had a face; three of them were watching me, remarking
without speaking about what a ridiculous sight I was. Another time, I
was running through a labyrinth of stones that were somehow plant-like
and alive. I understood that I was searching for God within the
labyrinth; the labyrinth seemed to reply that God could never be found
within it, though the path I took through the labyrinth in my search was
God.
  I still wondered, nonetheless, whether I could "call" some
representation of Divinity to my presence. The shapes formed an angular
and somewhat abstract illustration of a female, crone-like face. The
face, like the rooms, cycled relentlessly from one form to another. I
tried to speak to the face, but the visions seemed too incoherent to
produce a response -- though I got the impression the incoherency itself
was an aspect of my own being.
  After some time of this, I regained enough awareness of my body to stay
in the here-and-now for as long as I chose. I managed to pick up and
dial a phone to call my friend Li to come by or pick me up -- I felt
somewhat shellshocked from this experience and no longer wished to be
alone.
  Shortly after calling Li, I couldn't remember whether I had actually
called her, or, if she had, whether she agreed to pick me up. She
arrived about forty minutes later; I staggered down the stairs of my
apartment in what seemed like a dream from which I could not awaken.
  The next few hours were spent drifting in and out of my body and of the
crystalline formations with which the trip had begun. Each time I closed
my eyes, I felt as though I shot through space terrifyingly fast. When I
was able to speak, I attempted to relate to Libby the nature of my
experience. I found it difficult to keep track of what I had just said.
  After the DXM had worn off the point that I could move around on my own
and interact with others in a somewhat coherent way, I smoked some
marijuana. The THC had the effect of ending of my grogginess almost
immediately. I became extremely hyper -- it was not at all unlike a
dissociated version of a cocaine rush. I felt as though the whole world
had turned into a video game and I had tremendous fun rushing from room
to room as though an animated character in some comptuer-game scenario.
  After I'd settled down a bit, I tried again to relate my experiences to
Li. This time, a received a flood of rational knowledge about the nature
of the manifestation of duality from unity, the emergence and nature of
consciousness and of language. Still simultaneously hyper and detached,
I spoke endlessly to Li about these subjects, as though it was vital
that she know them. She was blessedly patient, and, after I had come
down more solidly, drove me home.


DXM POETRY
by Gravol

I welcome our readers to send their poems and writings while under
the influence of DXM to the zine to be published. They don't
necessarily have to be works of art... just interesting, informative,
funny, or downright weird. :) To get this section started, I have
included some more of my writings. Enjoy...

"Lost"

This little child has lost its way
Wandering too far from noontime play.
His mother will search as evening prevails
But luck begotten to of no avail.
While night has fallen with stars to guide
Not a sound be heard from the countryside.
What will become of Little Boy Lost?
Now it is that only Fate will decide.

"First Born"

Child, Child open your eyes
To a world of wonder,
To a land of delight.
Child, Child hush your cries
No longer in slumber,
No darkness in sight.

Eager and innocent,
Curious defined.
Sad but content,
Meek and benign.

Frivolous child, dream yourself away
To a world of wonder,
To a land of delight.
Child, child in your crib you lay
With your thoughts asunder,
I turn out the light.

"Left Behind"

Endless nights strike my mind
A masterpiece that you may find
In the morning, only to distort,
Destroy, and confine
Me to this place of Hell, with
All your trouble and your things
Left behind for me to clean.

"Critical"

Complete. Powerful.
Totally commonsensical.
Absolutely cosmogonical.
Never hypothetical.
Nor hypocritical.
Only logical, theatrical,
Mystical... critical.

"Forever and Never"

Forever and Never entwined,
Will you be mine?
We can chase the sun
And all its glory
Into nothingness, the
Sublime.


DXM MADE SIMPLE...DXM HUMOR
by Bem

Alright, so you're some lame jerkoff who read through the DXM FAQ and still
doesn't know wtf it does.  You want a quick simple explanation to cater to
your tiny little pea brain.  You fear that if you think too hard it'll
explode, so we better just insert the thoughts right in.  Right-o!  We're
perfectly willing to brainwash anyone willing to be brainwashed by us.  
Of course, you'll have to sign this waiver right here: ____________________.
That was good.  Now, on to the business.  What is DXM?  DXM is several
things.

1. DXM is God.

No, we're not kidding.  There's this ancient Babylonian God named DXM who
controlled agriculture or something.  So DXM is your Lord first and foremost.
You will remember that at all times, or we will kick your ass.   Basically,
DXM can be described as this big red puddle up in the sky.  If you're good,
he makes rain, and you don't cough no more.  If you're bad, you get a drought,
and your local Walgreens closes down causes dozens of people to lose their
jobs.  you don't want your mother to lose her job at walgreens, do you?  Good,
then play nice with the God.

2. DXM is your bitch

Yeah, that's right, you got yer own little ho, and her name is DXM.  You can
smack her around a bit, or even go to different hos, but you'll always come
back to DXM.  Abuse her, she's yours for the taking.  You paid for her, she is
your personal Goddess.  Yes, it's Burger King, and then sex for you and the
missus.  You'll find DXM to be a fine partner in bed, knowing all the
gory details of not just tantric yoga, but the cherry goodness doggy paddle
as well.

3. DXM OWNS YOU

You think DXM will let you off that easily?  You got another thing coming.
DXM beats you with a coathanger daily, and if you complain, you wind up in
some alley where we dare not venture.  When Mistah Robitussin sez, 'Slam me!'
you best be slammin', cuz you gonna get one hell of a beatin if you don't
later. DXM is definitely a control freak, so if you don't fall into line,
it's no bomb for you.

4. DXM is your one true love

Yeah, that's right, DXM is that chick whose locker happened to be near you in
high school, so you fell madly in love with her, and eventually married, had
2.5 kids, and assassinated the president.  But how do you *really* feel about
her?  If she hadn't been in Math 101, would you still have met up?  You don't
know?  Well then, it's couples therapy for you, buddy!  Yup, that's right.  
You and Ms. Romilar (I'll call her by her maiden name for these sessions)
are gonna be spending looooong hours in my office.  Now, tell me about your
childhood. Hm, so your mother put the rubber nipple on a bottle of robitussin
instead of a bottle of milk.  Interesting...

5. DXM will leave you.

Did you see that guy who just walked by?  10x more attractive than your fat
ass, easily.  So what do you do when your lover starts to stray?  Nothing.
Not with DXM.  She goes where she wants, and she'll fuck you over in the
process if she wants to.  Our Mistress goes where she pleases, and with whom
she pleases.

6. DXM is just your mother.

No, really.  In terms of freud, slamming that bottle of robo is just trying
to get back on your moms milky tits from when you were a kid.  But don't
tell her that.  The robo, that is.  We don't give a fuck what you tell your
mother.  But Miss DXM doesn't like simply being thought of as an oral
fixation. And anyway, she's got style.  Your mom don't.  Not judging by the
clothes she wears while she's down by the streetcorner.

7. DXM is Satan

If you draw a pentagram around a bottle of Robitussin Maximum Strength Cough,
you can summon satan himself.  Course, it takes awhile, since they usually
send him a letter of summons by ground mail, and it's a long way from here
to hell, but i digress.  That cherrry goodness is actually cherry sinfulness.
You're going straight to Hell, mister, soon as you die.  Yeah, yeah, it's not
very fair, but who ever said it had to be?  We'll roast your ass on a stick if
we want to.  DXM is actually extracted straight from the river Styx.  Word
has it that Asmodeous is actually Wanman's supplier.  Satan has a wide variety
of various pharmaceuticals.  See your sunday paper for a coupon for 50% off
tooth brushes this week only.  And btw, hell isn't as bad as it sounds, it
just sounds weird cause everyone there is b0mbed off their ass.

8. DXM is the International Chinese Communist Conspiracy

Well, it is.

9. DXM is watching you.

Ever feel like someone was looking over your shoulder, but turn around and no
one's there?  That's DXM.  She has to keep her information up.  Especially
information about her followers.  Are you actually a double agent?  Are you
now or have you ever been a members of the Nyquil Party?  You do realize that
the penalty for espionage against this country is death, right?  Maybe if you
reveal your true dramamine loyalties, and expose a few of your friends, we'll
be lenient...But don't count on it, scum.

10. DXM is the Final Solution

The DXM race has proven to be superior to other cough suppressants.  We will
form the 3rd Robo and put an end to the Opiate Problem.  You know you have a
true DXM boy by the blonde hair, blue eyes, and red liquid in the middle.  
The DXM race will one day rule all others.  Muhahahah.

So there you have it.  Go buy the biggest bottle of robitussin you can find
and swallow it.  Or be one of the first against the wall when the revolution
comes.


ROBO JOURNEY
by Anonymous

At about 11:30pm myself and two friends, A and L, each ingested about
330mg of DXM. It was in powdered form, so we mixed it into glasses of
Coca-Cola. (Before this I tasted a small amount of the powder; it was
extremely bitter and unpleasant.) Unfortunately the soda did little to
mask the taste. It was gross. I smoked a menthol cigarette while
drinking it, and my friends prepared chasers. I finished it in about 10
minutes, and A finished his in about 15. L was so repulsed by the drink
that he began adding more soda after every sip, and eventually began to
add fruit juice as well, making for a very disgusting mixture. It was
about 30 minutes before he finished. In any event it was probably better
than chugging cough syrup would have been, and we resolved to use
capsules next time.
  The immediate effect was slight nausea. I didn't want to expel the DXM,
so I laid down in the bedroom. The room was very dark, except for the
blacklights and fluorescent posters on the walls. I decided to stay in
there for awhile, hoping that it would accelerate the onset of the trip.
Having tripped on LSD before, I started looking for the same
indications. I stared at the wall to see if it would breathe. It didn't,
however I noticed that one of the posters seemed like it was moving
straight towards me, then back again. A mild stoning effect came on,
along with more nausea. It reached the point where I was sure I was
going to heave, but after another 15 minutes or so the nausea subsided.
A came in to put on some music, but was unable to get his CD player to
work. He tried to use his roommate's player, but could not get that to
work either. He then began to complain repeatedly that everything was
broken, and was quite frustrated. At this point I knew he had begun to
trip, as I had experienced similar frustration with electronic devices
while on LSD.
  I stood up and felt extremely dizzy, and sat down on the bed. I
scratched my head. Again. "Shit, I got robo-itch." A and L subsequently
became afflicted with the itch as well. I began to get worried that the
itch would not go away, and was afraid that it would cause a bad trip.
Thankfully, after a few minutes of vigorous scratching it did go away. I
stood up again and forced myself to walk. Motor skills and coordination
were severely impaired, and my friends remarked that I was walking like
a robot. I realized that the trip had started, which confused me because
I was expecting LSD-like visuals. The only visuals I had gotten were a
couple short CEVs, and auditory effects were minimal--yet I knew I was
tripping. It was simply a fantastically altered state of mind, and not
at all similar to LSD.
  A and I went outside to have a cigarette. We noticed that the smoke
dispersing in the air looked very weird, and all movement began to seem
discontinuous. I had had a cough for the past couple of weeks, but
hadn't been coughing at all for the past hour. I forced myself to cough
and it felt very strange, obviously due to the cough suppressing quality
of DXM. My entire body felt very numb, and dissociation began to occur.
I accidentally bumped my head against a metal railing, and hardly felt
it. Out of curiosity I banged my head into it a few more times, when A
asked what the fuck I was doing and told me to stop.
  I suggested that we go for a walk, and we went inside to get L. He was
vomiting (probably from having mixed so much shit into his DXM
cocktail), so we left without him. I found it very difficult to walk,
and could not focus on anything. My vision was not blurred, but I had
difficulty processing visual input. I lost track of my surroundings, and
just followed A. We heard music coming from the woods, so we attempted
to find its source. When we arrived there, we found nothing and the
music had stopped. We ventured in further, and came to a clearing which
A announced was a "black hole". In the middle of the clearing was a
tree, although it took us a few walks around it before we were convinced
that it was indeed a tree. We then came to a lake, and the water
appeared as if we could walk on it. Fortunately we had the sense to
realize that this was not a quality idea. We stumbled back through the
woods to the apartment.
  L was feeling much better now, and said that throwing up was the best
thing he had ever done in his life. He was overjoyed that, despite
having vomited, he was still tripping hard. Some girls from a nearby
apartment had come to visit, and we sat in the living room. Time had
become nonlinear, and I had trouble recalling the events of the day and
the order in which they had taken place. Visuals were still limited,
although depth perception was noticeably altered. Everyone went into
another room to hang out, while I stayed and rested on the couch. Every
few minutes the girls would come out into the kitchen to get some vodka;
they kept talking to me but I had difficulty identifying them and
understanding speech. Everyone in the other room was either drunk, high,
or tripping, and it sounded like they were having a great time. I wanted
to join them, but thought that I should stay on the couch. I closed my
eyes and enjoyed a few CEVs.
  After an indeterminate amount of time had passed, A and I decided to
return to the woods. I still had trouble walking and seeing, and the
"black hole" and the lake were still mystical. We again remarked on the
solid appearance of the water, and returned. It was now about 3:00am,
and the girls were leaving. As we watched them walk away, one girl
started to run, and A exclaimed that she had ran in the fourth
dimension. I did not observe this, but found it plausible. We went
inside, watched TV for a little while, and went to sleep at around
4:00am.
  I woke up the next morning and felt completely back to normal. I was
pleased with the DXM experience, and surprised at the intensity of a
Level 2 dosage. We all had a very good trip with minimal side effects,
and all of us were perfectly fine in the morning. Although I found that
DXM lacks many of the psychedelic properties of LSD, it did provide a
unique trip with no residual effects. In fact, DXM is the only drug I
have ever taken that didn't have a lingering effect the next day (except
MDMA, whose after-effects I happen to enjoy). The nature of the trip was
much more confusing than with LSD; as A summed it up: "nothing made
sense." I was glad that the trip was over in the morning, and I look
forward to exploring the next plateau...


DXM REPLACEMENTS
by Sigma

You may be well and tired of DXM at some point, so you will need to find
some replacements. Maybe you've tripped too much, and you need a break,
but are still looking to get high. Or maybe you're sick of DXM because
of too many bad trips or hangovers. Or maybe you're just sick of the
drugs you've been abusing in general. Well, here are three legal (or
semi-legal) replacements that I highly recommend to anyone looking
for something new to try.

Genesis.

This is a fairly new drug, making its rounds in the United States and
the UK as a club drug, with effects similar to those of XTC. It contains
LSA (which is the chemical cousin to LSD) and when combined with the
other drugs it contains, makes the trip more like XTC than like LSD...
but you definitely trip and get massive visuals.
  The doses come in a little plastic bottle and the four capsules contained
therein are green. You should take one every half-hour on an empty stomach,
or you may not totally get the desired effects. It also takes a while to
fully kick in, but when it does, you'll find it extremely difficult to
talk or walk. People will be able to tell you're on something and you'll
already be paranoid from the LSA.
  The active ingredients per dose (4 capsules) are: Sida Cordifolia
Extract standardized in base of Maltodextrin, Maytenus Krukorii Herb
Extract (5:1), Turbina Corymbosa Cominuted Seed, D-L Phylalanine
(free form), L-Tyrosine (free form), and Pyroglotamate.
  It's the Turbina Corymbosa Seed that is actually the Heavenly
Blue variety of morning glory seeds. Typically you'd eat about 300-500
seeds to get a good trip, but this would be preceded by a gut-wrenching,
terrible stomach ache which would practically make LSA undesirable
and not worth doing. But with the LSA in Genesis, you don't get the
stomach ache because it's already extracted the correct way and
doesn't contain the alkaloids that cause stomach upset which the
seeds contain.
  Many people have tried Herbal XTC products before from headshops
or from Vitamin suppliers on the Web and have been disappointed. But
make not mistake, Genesis is a very powerful, mind-altering substance.
The first time I did it, it was beginning to kick in while I ate supper
with my parents. I got the giggles before too long and quickly finished
just in time, because once I got back to my room, there were waves of
pure ecstacy flowing up and down my body... and I felt like I was having
a full-body orgasm, from my head down to my toes. It was pure euphoria
in every way possible. It eventually wore off about 8-12 hours later,
and falling asleep was not a problem. Also, the comedown was not like
that of LSD, but it still felt very similar to an acid trip.
  I'd recommend getting the Pinwheel program as well if you're going
to take Genesis or acid. You stare at the pinwheel on the screen for
20 seconds and look away, and the entire room around you starts melting
and changing form! It is a totally mindblowing experience, and I highly
recommend Genesis to anyone looking for something new, that can't get
acid or shrooms.
  It's available for about $10 a dose at http://www.mindcandy.net and
http://www.capricornconcepts.com.

GHB.

GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate, is not yet scheduled by the DEA but it
is very close to being made illegal. It used to be available almost
anywhere, such as health food stores and GNC, but the FDA launched a
campaign against it after it was discovered that mixing alcohol with
it depressed breathing to the point of death in some individuals, so
it was taken off the market and only simple possession of the drug
was allowed. In most states it's still legal to possess, but in a few
others it is outright banned.
  By now you're probably thinking this is a very dangerous substance,
but it's not. It's not toxic... you can take as much as you want and
you're not going to die (unlike alcohol)... you'll just be sleeping
in coma-like sleep for the next day. A lot of people mistakenly get
sent to the hospital after taking too much GHB and passing out, so
I recommend starting low at first, then working your way up. There's
no tolerance to it, so you're never going to need to adjust your dose
once you find a suitable one.
  GHB's effects are like alcohol, only without the mental confusion.
By taking a gram or two, it's like there's a couple drinks inside you,
it disinhibits you (makes you less shy), makes you extremely talkative
and quite horny. It's also referred to as the Date Rape Drug, but only
because some guys in California put it in womens' alcoholic beverages
without them knowing and making them pass out, then raping them
(about 30 in all). In low doses it will make you horny, however, and
one of its street names is Liquid X. This is not why it's known as
the Date Rape Drug, however.
  What amazes me is that it is one of the safest drugs out there, but
the FDA and media has demonized it to the point that everyone is afraid
to try it.
  I first discovered it on the Internet and ordered a kit (you have
to order the two chemicals used to make it with... ordering pure
GHB is illegal) and made a 100g bottle of it. It totally made me
unshy and I picked up a lot of women. A lot of times I'd just take
a gram or two, get in my car, and see where I ended up. My social
life was so outrageous the first week on GHB, that I didn't even
have time to log onto the Internet anymore. I saw maybe 30 people
a day or more (hey, I hang out with large groups of friends),
and it made me a lot friendlier. Maybe too friendly. Sometimes I'd
honk at everyone I'd pass on the road, or I'd make the moves on
a chick I liked a lot sooner than I ever expected I would.
  If you haven't done GHB before, I'd definitely do some reading up
on it at http://www.erowid.org/entheo.shtml. Just click on GHB to
read GHB-related information. If you decide to order a kit to make it,
you can find links there to order from. Personally, I'd recommend
Pelchat, but you have to send them the money first and it takes about
2 weeks to arrive for a 200 gram kit (it costs approximately $55).
You can also order the chemicals used to make GHB straight in bulk
form for wholesale prices from two separate chemical suppliers.
The chemicals are Lactone and Sodium Hydroxide (don't use lye
because it's impure). The directions are also on the Internet
for preparing your kit or mixing the chemicals together.
  Overall, I'd rate GHB as the best alternative to DXM, even though
it's not a psychedelic... it's just a good mood enhancer and can
really make your social life blossom. It's also great to mix with
psychedelics such as DXM... just don't mix it with alcohol!

Salvia divinorum.

Last but not least, we have the Salvia divinorum plant (also known
as Diviner's Sage). The active ingredient is Salvinorin-A, and this
is a psychedelic that will make you trip for about 2-3 hours after
smoking the leaves of the Salvia plant. You may also extract
the Salvinorin-A for effects which are more intense than normal.
  It's also legal and available over the Internet (do a search
for it), because its chemical structure resembles no other scheduled
chemicals on the DEA's list. When ordering, you should just order
either the extract or the leaves (I prefer either one).
  If you order the leaves, you'll have to grind them to almost a
powdery form and smoke it thru a bowl or bong (bong is the best...
see DXM Zine, Issue 4); you have to take very deep hits and hold
the smoke in for as long as you possibly can... but beware, it
burns! After smoking a few bowls' worth, you will start to feel
different. If you keep smoking bowls for as long as you possibly
can, then you will basically trip sack and have full-blown out-
of-body visuals. Some trip reports of Salvia experiences are the
wildest trip reports there are.
  When I first did it, I smoked some crushed leaves thru a bowl,
and did about 3-4 bowls' worth until I started tripping. It was
a weird trip... sort of like acid without any side effects. I
had to smoke it in my car in the middle of the night, or else
my parents would know. After I started to trip, I kept thinking
someone was in the seat next to me the entire time. The trees
and shadows outside turned into very long, distorted silhouettes
of God-only-knows. I somehow made it inside (I doubt if I was
physically capable of smoking another bowl at this time... I
kept getting lost in my own thoughts), went upstairs and tripped
harder than I had since I took windowpane acid. It was a great
trip, and as the effects gradually subsided, I laid down and
could actually see my thoughts develop into full-blown CEVs
while I started to drift off. It was totally amazing, but
when I introduced it to my friends they were pretty impatient
with it (you have to smoke enough of it to trip or else it's
a waste... and since the smoke is harsh a lot of people are
ready to give up after just 1 bowl), but I personally have
never had a problem with it. The trip can arrive in a very
subtle matter, too... almost to the point that you don't know
you're tripping until you catch yourself staring at the wall
for 10 minutes. :)


DXM SITE REVIEW
by Gravol

This is a new section for the zine. Each month we will be displaying
information on a DXM-related web site that we find informative and
interesting - and something that promotes the DXM culture. Probably
no better site could have been found for this month's review than the
Third Plateau (http://third-plateau.lycaeum.org). It is written and
maintained by Greendrag ([email protected]). It is a very well-put-
together site that includes everything you'd want to know about DXM use
and abuse. I think my favorite aspect of the site is the fact that it
has a section on DXM and Creativity, and contains several message boards
for viewers to post their opinions.
  The information below was taken directly from the site, and can explain
more about it in detail. Once again, I highly suggest you check out this
site!

The contents of the site include:

o Main
o The Powder Page (List of Bulk DXM Suppliers)
o Beginner's Guide to DXM
o The DXM Message Board
o The Psychedelic Bulletin Board
o The Creative Side of DXM
o Updates
o Third Plateau DXM Guestbook
o List of all OTC Medicines containing DXM
o DXM Tips and Tricks
o DXM Trip Reports
o Links and Downloads
o Bad Comments section
o DXM Zine (Mirror)
o Downloadable DXM FAQ

This site has to do with the psychoactive drug dextromethorphan (DXM,
robo, tussin, cough-medicine), found in many over the counter cough
medicines. If you are new to DXM, please refer to the Beginner's Guide
to DXM and the DXM FAQ for the best information.

The Third Plateau is no longer in a dormant period. Although I am no
longer accepting trip stories (for the most part), I am still accepting
tips, tricks, poems, artwork, etc. Thank you for your patience.

About this site:

This website exists in order to provide information on DXM not found
elsewhere on the Internet. It contains information not found in the FAQ
and is a place where the internet DXM drug-culture can call home.
Experienced users of DXM, inexperienced users, and non-users of the drug
are welcome here.
  This site is a non-profit website and is written and maintained by
Greendrag. I thank everyone for their support and positive comments.
This site would not be possible without it's readers.
  The idea for The Third Plateau came to me in a dream in July, 1997. It
originally was housed at tripod and in November, 1997, was moved to the
Lycaeum. It will stay here as long as they want me around. :)
  I started this site because, at the time, there was no collection of
updated information about DXM. Because the FAQ is only updated every
couple years, new information didn't have a "home." I decided to take
all the information found on usenet and from other people's experience,
and put it all on one website. This is what it came to be.
  Another reason for starting this site holds true to what the Internet is
all about: information. Information is the key to DXM because there is
more to "getting high off cough syrup" than drinking any cough syrup
available. I don't want people going out and drinking the wrong syrup
(anything with acetaminophen).
  The goal of this site is to not spread the word around, but rather
provide factual information about DXM so that people don't go out and do
something stupid (namely, acetaminophen overdosing). It is also here to
provide interesting and entertaining DXM experiences for those who use
DXM.
  I tell you now. If you HAVE to rush out and drink a bottle of cough
medicine before reading any information about it, just please do not buy
anything that contains acetaminophen as an active ingredient (Nyquil is
one of them). In high doses, acetaminophen will poison your liver and
will most probably kill you. I don't want anybody to die as a result of
ignorance.
  Misuse of DXM will cause it to become illegal. So Shut up and Keep
it Legal!

NOTE: The information presented at this site is for EDUCATIONAL purposes
only. Neither I, nor my sponsors (the lycaeum), take any responsibility for
what anyone does as a result of what they read here. Neither I, nor my
sponsors suggest the use of any physical mind/mood/behavioral-altering
substance, legal or illegal, for recreational purposes. Neither I, nor
my sponsors, recommend the use of any product in any way inconsistent
with its labeling. The information found at this site is for reference
only and the author does not intend for anyone to carry out any of the
activities described at this site. All information provided here is for
the sake of completion. I can not be held liable for your actions.

Comments or suggestions should be directed to [email protected].

[Editor's note: Please look for a new site in the spotlight in next
month's 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, Muha, Al Crawford

Saving Private Ryan (starring Tom Hanks, Matt Damon).

A great movie to dex on... it is powerful, graphic, totally encompassing
of all thought and emotion... it will grip you, twist you, and leave
you in utter disarray for what is inherent and true... War. Bloodshed.
Misery. It's all there...
  The movie opens up with a battle sequence of the storming of the
beach at Normandy, D-Day. It shows you from the point of view of
Tom Hanks, and his troops (he has about a dozen men he is commanding).
It doesn't show you the enemy... just what the enemy looks like when
you are facing him with a gun pointed down your throat.... a crude
and graphic look at WWII like we've never seen in a theatre. Much
like Platoon or Apocalypse Now, only there's something different
about this movie... something better. And it's WWII, not Vietnam,
which is refreshing.
  Most of the movie takes place on the German countryside as Hanks
and his men are in search of Private Ryan. Finally, they do meet up
at the end in a gripping display of tragic heroism... anguish...
as the Nazis come marching in with their men and their tanks thru
a barren and shelled-out town (just like those pictures you saw in
history books)... and the final battle takes place. Just be warned...
the movie is almost 3 hours long and will almost definitely affect
your DXM trip to a more morbid side.
  But it's worth the experience for anyone who wasn't in WWII, to
see what it was really like. Just be glad you didn't fight in it, boys. :)

Muha recently went to see Godzilla on 780mg of DXM, and lived to tell
about his encounter:

Godzilla (1998)

It's a big lizard.  Yep.  The same people who thought up "Independence Day"
had to find a new way to stomp all over america.  The marketing blitz has
been going on for months.  It's not barney (though he may have done more
damage to America than Emmerich and Devlin's creature does)
  The first thirty minutes of the film (which is over two hours) relates
how Godzilla comes to New York.  It's a simple tale.  Nuclear tests in the
nineteen-sixties in French Polynesia warp him into existance (what's he
been doing for the last thirty-five years, studying for a classical music
degree?).  He sucks down a canning ship in the South Pacific, then a few
fishing boats off the East Coast. Then he finds the supermarket in New
York City.
  So what goes on in the next one and a half hours?  It's a sad answer.  
The writers shift to the story of the humans.  Sorry.  The writers shift to
the "non-computer-generated image complexes."  It's the story of Nick
(Matthew Broderick) and Audrey (Maria Pitillo).  Yes, he's a scientist
who specializes in radioactive mutant species (so, on what has he spent
his time up till now?), and she used to go out with him when they were
in college.  She is a reporter for TV News (does this sound like "Deep
Impact"?).  Acting?  Miss Pitillo is like a TV screen with nothing on it.  
One keeps waiting for the cane to yank her off the screen.  Broderick
spends most of his time staring (with his mouth open).  Ah, but the
REAL suprise of the film is Jean Reno (who plays Phillippe Roach).  
The guy is wonderfully slimy.  His teeth, eyes, unshaven face, cynical
attitude - it's refreshing in a film that isn't going anywhere.
  Oh! The plot? Some chase scenes, Nick and Phillippe go looking for
the lizard, then the lizard goes looking for them.  But that's the end
of the film.  It's the middle thats the disaster.  Let's just say that
Godzilla develops an unexpected child-care problem.  There is only one
scene at which you can even manage to laugh.  Our heroes are snapped up
by Godzilla on the Brooklyn Bridge and manage to drive their yellow cab
right out of the lizards mouth... RIGHT!
  The creature has no personality at all.  He has poor table manners
and prefers the subway.  As the directors did in "Independance Day",
they have him trash three major buildings and part of the Brooklyn
Bridge.  Maybe this film is just a gag about the Japanese tourist from
hell.
  "Godzilla" is not a movie.  It is a tiny grain of a movie wrapped up
inside a lot of mayhem.  It was not designed for anything remotely close
to serious attention.  It's as close as the viewer may ever come to
experiencing the feeding frenzy of the Roman circus -- howl for more blood.  
Don't let any shred of intelligence ruin the spectacle.
  Seriously, is America getting stupider by the day or have the movie
directors been getting brain damage?
                                                       - Muha

In other words, the movie sucked. :) I also asked Muha to review
some music he likes to get a different perspective in this section.
Audio clips of all the music reviewed here can be found at:
http://abuse.dxm.net/mp3/.

Alec Empire - Bonus Beats
This is a hard core trip.  Strange electrics, speedy voices, with
extremely heavy beats mix to make one hell of a hardcore techno mindfuck.
But its kind of repetitive, and boring at times... I give it a 5/10

Aphex Twin - Come to Daddy (Pappy Mix)
I WANT YOUR SOUL, I WILL EAT YOUR SOUL, COME TO DADDY
This track will seriously fuck with your head.  Repetitive demonic
voices chanting the above mixed in with some damn good beats and crazy
warping effects will fuck with your head.  Really hardcore metal guitar
effects mixed with the screaming insanity and warped spacey background
will take you to hell and back with the help of a little Dextromethorphan.
Good stereo effects also.. I give it a 9/10

Hallucinogen - LSD
Six minutes and Forty four seconds of pure spacey trip.
This (duh) was MADE for listening to while in an altered state. It goes on
and on with more and more trance inducing sounds, which keep building on
each other with helpful trip tips given you along the way.  It keeps going
on and on with new and different tracks being layed over each other, till
it reaches a climax which includes tons of nice stereo effects.  Like a
trip through outer space. All in all very well done, and is able to keep
your interest... I give it a 8.5/10

Death in Vegas - Dirt
Nice mixing effects, with some good advice embedded in it.  Sounds like
you are at a live concert.  Crowd effects, synthesized hardcore guitar
riffs, mixed with the nice voice effects will leave you dancing.  Although,
despite its length, it still gets a little boring, but its still good fun
to listen to... 7/10

Meat Beat Manifesto
HELTER SKELTER.  Switching beats completely gives this seemingly neverending
song new and completely different twist every minute or so.  This is a damn
good tripping song, and just seems right.  Sends you off in many different
directions at once. Intense tripping music that just keeps going and
going... Better than the energizer bunny... 8/10
                                                       -Muha


Radiohead - The Bends
This is an OK album from a great group which I recently discovered,
with Planet Telex, High & Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Just, My Iron
Lung, and Street Spirit being the best tracks. A good blend of melody
and vocals, Thom Yorke is really good.

Radiohead - OK Computer
An even better Radiohead album. It won a Grammy for being the Best
New Album of '97... definitely worth being checked out. Airbag,
Paranoid Android, Exit Music, Karma Police, and No Surprises being
the best tracks. Great melody!

The following reviews are all by Al Crawford, an Industrial Music
expert. They are also all copyrighted.

Skinny Puppy.  Last Rights.

Label:  Nettwerk
Loc:    Belgium
Year:   1992
Time:   53 min 04 sec
Tracks: Love In Vein 5:35; Killing Game 3:49; Knowhere? 4:19;
       Mirror Saw 3:50; Inquisition 5:18; Scrapyard 3:52;
       Riverzend 6:41; Lust Chance 3:45; Circustance 4:38;
       Download 11:01.

OK, I know it's been out a while in Canada and the US, but it's just
been released here in Europe, so...
  The first question that has to be asked here is whether it's had the
timecodes screwed up like the US release. It hasn't, the European
release seems to be a cross between the Canadian and US releases - the
disc has just 10 tracks (i.e. no zero length track 10) and doesn't have
the 39 second skew problem that marred the US pressing, but the cover
features the rather drab white Letter Gothic (?) font from the US
release instead of the I Braineater font used on the Canadian version.
They have also, unfortunately, kept the Braineater artwork. Sorry, but I
just don't like his artwork - it's got an unfinished, art-college look
that I associate with 3rd rate metal albums by groups with too many
umlauts in their names. Stephen R. Gilmore may have been expensive but
at least his album covers had style.
  With that trivia out of the way, onto the review of the music...
  The same as Too Dark Park but different.
  What? You mean you want more details?
  OK, at first listen Last Rights does sound very much like Too Dark Park
put through a rusty mincer. Which, when you consider that Too Dark Park
wasn't exactly a stroll through a sunlit meadow, is saying something.
However, with repeated listening it does become apparent that they've
moved on a bit since then. Going over the tracks one at a time...
  "Love In Vein" - the second single - is pretty good single material,
similar in overall sound to material from TDP and very much typically
Skinny Puppy. Ogre growls away and the music itself lopes along in a
purposeful manner.
  "Killing Game" is a very odd bird indeed - a Skinny Puppy ballad. Ogre
tones down his vocal style here considerably, and even attempts to sing.
It's rather endearing and it's interesting to hear him manage to vocally
convey emotions other than anger (regret and anguish both make brief
appearances here).
  "Knowhere?" pounds explosively back into more familiar territory.
Thundering percussion and churning guitars with...lots of noise.
  "Mirror Saw" is more in the conventional dark dance industrial vein.
Some nice swirly electronic noises, unusually subdued vocals for Mr Ogre
(well, they would be if there wasn't a ballad two tracks earlier). The
obligatory extra weirdness is provided by some nice backwards samples
from what sounds like an old ad or radio jingle.
  "Inquisition" was the first single released from this and in retrospect
it was a fairly obvious choice. A purposeful beat and more clearly in
dance industrial territory than anything from the previous album. In
many ways the lightest Puppy track I've heard in a while.
  "Scrapyard", by way of contrast, is by turns noisysick and acoustic.
Very on and off. Typical Ogre lyrics delivered in a typical Ogre voice.
Not my favourite track by a long shot.
  "Riverzend" sounds rather like "Rivers" crossed with "Chloralone".
Hardly surprising, since that's what it is, literally. Rather more
surprising though is the fact that while "Rivers" and "Chloralone" are
both good tracks, this fusion of the two manages to be less than the sum
of its parts.
  "Lust Chance"? Hmm, interesting musically but I'd always thought cEvin
et al were sufficiently original to avoid the rather cliched dance
industrial "let's sample a porn flick" routine. Perhaps they knew it was
a corny idea for a track since it sounds like the worlds most
oversampled man, James Brown, turns up here and there too.
  "Circustance". Almost ambient initially - hints of Mark Shreeve and Bill
Nelson's instrumental stuff. Gradually though the track winds up and it
strikes me as being more like a Doubting Thomas track with added Ogre
than a Skinny Puppy track. Samples abound again, including bits of Too
Dark Park.
  "Download". This seems to be a track that you either love or hate. I
love it. Starting out very dissonant and unstructured, over the space of
its 11 minutes we are taken through a palindromic maelstrom of crashing
electronics, a quick scan through a CD, lots of samples and, eventually,
a rather delicate and beautiful synth melody. It's like tuning a radio
and eventually finding something you want to listen to.
  Although I at first saw a number of parallels between this album and Too
Dark Park, in retrospect it's definitely a superior piece of work. The
material is more varied and while there are one or two duds that strike
me as filler, the Good Bits (tm) more than make up for them. Not my
favourite SP album of the lot, but certainly one of their better
efforts.

Skinny Puppy.  Brap.

Label:  Nettwerk
Loc:    USA
Year:   1996
Time:   (1) 69 min 24 sec; (2) 76 min 54 sec.

The release of Skinny Puppy's final album The Process earlier this year
was a disappointment to many of the band's fans, documenting as it did a
period when the band was beginning to lose cohesion and was also coming
under pressure to commercialize their sound from their new label,
American. Many felt that it wasn't a fitting finale for one of the most
critically acclaimed industrial acts of the past decade.
  Although I personally found The Process to be quite an enjoyable album,
even I'd admit that Brap makes a far better tailpiece to the Skinny
Puppy story. Subtitled Back & Forth Vol. 3 & 4, it continues where
Nettwerk's earlier Back & Forth Vol. 1 & 2 left off. That release
combined Puppy's first cassette release (Back & Forth), with a handful
of outtakes and leftovers. Brap is in a similar vein, with its two discs
containing a selection of outtakes, leftovers and live material.
However, each disc also contains a multimedia track, and it's these that
lift Brap out of the "just another rarities and outtakes compilation"
category into another league entirely.

Tracks: (1) Multimedia 19:23; Jackhammer 4:18; Splasher 3:51;
       Double Cross 5:31; Yo Yo Scrape 4:39; Carry 5:18; Guilty 3:13;
       The Soul That Creates 4:03; Brap 3:03; Sparkless 3:01;
       Dead Doll 2:17; Deadlines 4:42; Last Call 6:05.

The first disc is, unsurprisingly, Volume 3. Oddly enough though, the
back of the case has the track listing of this on the right rather than
the left, which could lead to some confusion as regards track titles.
  This disc contains older material, most of which sounds as though it's
of a similar vintage to that which appeared on the original Back & Forth.
This is supported by the rather meagre sleevenotes, which indicate
that it was recorded during the 1983/4 period on 4 track cassette. It
shows, but sophisticated sound and production never were a trademark of
early Puppy releases.
  The sound is very much what you'd expect from this period in Puppy's
pre-history - heavily distorted vocals, complex synth work marred a
little by primitive equipment, and a grab-bag of assorted samples. I
won't go into each and every track in detail - some of them are rather
difficult to describe - but there's a typically Puppy-esque balance
between dissonance, noise, melody and texture. "Yo Yo Scrape", for
example, is one of the most annoying SP tracks that I've ever heard,
stripped, harsh and disjointed. "Carry", by contrast, has quickly
established itself as a personal favourite, with a percussive base that
reminds me a great deal of early (Ralf & Florian era) Kraftwerk,
overlaid by smooth synth washes and enormous slabs of 1984 samples.
Individually the parts are simple, but they combine beautifully.
  Other favourites here include "Double Cross", the upbeat "Deadlines",
and "Last Call", which combines the characteristic Puppy sound of this
period with some samples that remind me more of the sort of thing Tom
Ellard was doing at around the same time.
  The multimedia content of this disc is impressive to say the least.
There's a discography, complete with album and single cover shots,
sleeve notes and supplementary notes, and a "sample track" for pretty
much every Puppy release (though not all - the European-only Remission &
Bites is missing for some reason). This pales into insignificance beside
the Brap - Back program itself though. This, when started, places you in
a 3-dimensional Quicktime VR environment, with the various monsters from
the Too Dark Park cover art wrapped around you. You can turn around,
look up and down, and by clicking on various beasties, view a number of
interesting multimedia "exhibits". There's a band history (with copious
still images), a plethora of videos (including "Dig It", "Stairs &
Flowers", "Spasmolytic", and several others), and a selection of
interesting video and pictorial snippets, ranging from press release and
photographic coverage of the band's arrest for disembowelling poor 'ole
Chud on stage.

Tracks: (2) Multimedia22:52; Uranus Cancelled 4:21; All Eyes 6:07;
       Reclamation 2:57; Spasmolytic 3:54; Grave Wisdom 3:42;
       Tin Omen 6:15; Gods Gift 4:47; Convulsion 3:10;
       Nature's Revenge 3:58; Love In Vein 6:56; TFWO 4:17;
       Shoralone 3:38.

The multimedia content (Brap - Forth) on the second disc is rather
different in nature. Rather than a Quicktime VR environment, you find
yourself placed in a room. By turning on lights or lighting candles, you
illuminate different parts of the room, allowing you to click on objects
which once again trigger various "exhibits". To be honest, I found these
to be inferior to the first disc's multimedia. There's a paean to Skinny
Puppy written by Greg Clow, there's a bunch of live videos that vary
greatly in quality (although it has to be said that the video with the
worst quality is by far the oldest. Puppy's first ever live
appearance?), and then there's the globe.
  The globe? By clicking on the globe that appears in the corner of the
room, you find yourself facing a map of Europe, with various cities
highlighted by coloured markers. Click on the marker and you find
yourself viewing a snippet of one of Puppy's "home movies". True, the
locations of the clips don't always match the locations ofmap of Europe,
with various cities highlighted by coloured markers. Click on the marker
and you find yourself viewing a snippet of one of Puppy's "home movies".
True, the locations of the clips don't always match the locations of the
markers (unless Canada is now considered an Eastern European country),
but they're fascinating to watch and definitely one of the best things
in the set. Gape at behind the scenes drama and intrigue! Thrill to
cEvin and Ogre's impromptu beer commercial! Gasp as the band sample some
of Amsterdam's best known tourist Skinny Puppy" or whatever.
  Oh, yeah, the CD contains music too. The music on the second disc dates
from the end days of the Puppy story, specifically the Too Dark Park/
Last Rights era. The sleevenotes indicate a mixture of outtakes and live
material, but the vast majority of the music sounds live. It's rather
difficult to tell, but I'd suspect that at least "Uranus Cancelled" and
"Love In Vein" are studio tracks. The former is a new track, dominated
by chugging guitar, while the latter is considerably different from the
original album mix, adding a lengthy and highly enjoyable intro. Much of
the live material is familiar, but there's some unfamiliar stuff too,
like "All Eyes". I'm not generally a huge fan of live material, so I
have to admit that I preferred the first disc on the whole, but the live
sound quality is pretty good. The one exception is "Tin Omen", the first
half of which seems to have been recorded in a cupboard several miles
from the concert but which suddenly increases in volume midway through.
Still, it's pretty enjoyable as largely live discs go, and at least it's
not all fused into a single track like the Ain't It Dead Yet live album.
  Overall, very impressive. It's difficult to rate though, as how
enjoyable this disc will be depends largely on how big a Puppy fan you
are, and whether you have access to a suitably equipped PC or Macintosh.
Serious fans will want to pick this disc up regardless of access to a
multimedia-capable computer, since it's composed entirely of rare and
previously unreleased material. Those who're less keen on SP and don't
have access to a PC or Mac should probably steer clear - much of the
material here is a lot less accessible than the likes of The Process or
Rabies, and is occasionally rather lo-fi in nature. However, even if
you're only a borderline Puppyphile, if you've got the facilities to
have a look at the multimedia material in this set, that alone is worth
the price (a very reasonable $20 or so). It's not just the multimedia
content that's great, it's the presentation - it's very slickly put
together, with a consistent feel that's very appropriate to the band's
sound.
  For the serious fan/if you like multimedia. Everyone else.

Kraftwerk.  The Mix.

Label:  EMI
Loc:    UK
Year:   1991
Time:   65 min 15 sec
Tracks: The Robots; Computerlove; Pocket Calculator; Dentaku;
       Autobahn; Radioactivity; Trans Europe Express; Abzug;
       Metal On Metal; Homecomputer; Music Non Stop.

Well here it is, the first "new" official Kraftwerk album to see the
light of day since 1986's Electric Cafe. As the title suggests, it's an
album of remixes covering all of Kraftwerk's albums from Autobahn to
date.
  I'll go over the tracks one at a time and then sum up afterwards.
  The Robots. After the familiar intro, this remix veers sharply into
techno territory - very up to date, almost house-like. Little of the
original instrumentation remains - it's been replaced with more modern
sounds and even the vocals have been rerecorded. This version is also
slightly different from the mixes that appear on the current CD single.
  Computerlove. A completely new intro and once again this remix is a
major refit of the original track. The original melody remains but most
of the other instrumentation has been beefed up with a stronger dance
beat. Vocals the same? The spoken vocals may be (I haven't compared them
directly) but the modulated "Computer Love" refrain has been changed.
  Pocket Calculator. With the exception of the added thumpy drums this
retains the flavour of the original quite well. This is perhaps due to
the prominence of the vocals in this, one of Kraftwerk's sillier tracks.
  Dentaku. I'm not familiar with the original. Sounds very much like
"Pocket Calculator", in fact there's no join between the two.
  Autobahn. The highpoint of the album for me. Starts out very much like
the original (car door slam, engine starts - but the horn at the end has
changed!). It then moves into a very relaxed beat which flows into a
version of "Autobahn" sounding very like the 1974 version. Most of the
original analogue synths seem to be there but there are changes - the
beat is noticeable in places and seems to change the entire pace of the
track which seems to amble down the autobahn instead of driving. The
synthesized traffic which was one of the highpoints of the original have
been partially replaced with samples of traffic. A shame. Still, to make
up for it there's some very nice heavily processed vocals later on that
show, I feel, that Kraftwerk can still sound leading edge even playing a
tune that's 17 years old.
  Radioactivity. Hmmm, this starts out sounding very much like it could be
a Front 242 track. Driving synths and percussion. When the melody starts
up though, it's quite definitely a Kraftwerk track. Some nice squelchy
synth sweeps, choral effects and other effects give this track a very
solid feel. Good.
  Trans Europe Express. To be perfectly honest, there's not much
difference at all between this and the original. It doesn't sound out of
place next to the 90s remixes which for a 1978 track (or was it 77?) is
pretty good going.
  Abzug. Pretty much the same as the previous track - this seems to act as
a bridge between "TEE" and the next track which is...
  Metal On Metal. Again, not drastically different from the original. The
metal on metal of the title has been replaced with something that sounds
rather less solid than before (tinplate on tinplate?) but otherwise
there isn't much of a change to report.
  Homecomputer. Slightly less subtly remixed than the last three tracks,
this still doesn't move too far from the original. There's a more
prominent beat than the original but that's about it. Although it's
labelled as "Homecomputer" there's a sizeable chunk of "It's More Fun To
Compute" in here too. The track hasn't really advanced as much as it's
subject matter has in the past ten years :)
  Music Non Stop. Not much of a difference between this and the original
at all. Sure, there are differences but they seem to fit in with the
track as though they were part of it from the word go.
  Now for my overall opinions. I was rather worried before this album that
they might overdo the remixes and ruin what were otherwise perfectly
good songs. Now that I've heard the album I feel it's a bit of a shame
that only the first seven tracks feature any serious remixing given the
imagination that has been put into the remixes of, say, "Autobahn" and
"Radioactivity". Why have the later tracks been remixed less? Possibly
because they were that much closer to a contemporary sound to start
with, possibly because they wanted to get the album out reasonably
quickly (!), possibly because they wanted to leave something familiar in
case the more drastic remixes didn't go down well.
  I feel that "The Robots" was a bad choice for a first single - it's too
mainstream and is one of the less imaginative remixes. I'd hope they'll
either release "Radioactivity" or "Autobahn" next although the
distributors notes I've seen indicate that only the one single is
planned.
  The track choices are OK but seem rather biased towards the Computer
World period (4 tracks) and Trans Europe Express (3 tracks). Man Machine
was one of their best and has been all but ignored. If they'd even put
"The Model" or "Neon Lights" on instead of "The Robots". Ah well...
  On the whole I'd say this album bodes fairly well for the future - as
long as their composition muscles haven't atrophied.

Download.  Furnace.

Label:  Cleopatra
Year:   1995
Time:   74 min 38 sec
Tracks:  Mallade 2:34; Seel Hole 4:20; Omniman 6:00; Cannaya 8:28;
        Sigesang 4:40; Stone Grey Soil 7:09; Mother Sonne 4:51;
        Attalal 7:16; Lebanull 6:53; Beehatch 7:21; Noh Man's Land 5:06;
        Marred 9:00; Hevel 0:50.

Damn, this is a difficult one to describe. Download is (was?) a
collaboration between cEvin kEy and the late Dwayne Goettel from Skinny
Puppy, Philth (a Goettel acquaintance), and Mark Spybey of Dead Voices
On Air, with guest vocal contributions by Genesis P. Orridge. The end
result manages to sound like a fusion of the sounds of all those
involved (Dead Psychic Gristle Puppies on Throbbing TV Air?) with the
music having, for the most part, a chaotic, improvised feel. This is
matched by the track titles, which were obviously decided on by someone
with a lifelong grudge against spell checkers.
  The first track, "Mallade", blends unintelligible vocals, electronic
shrieks and distorted guitar in a manner that recalls Skinny Puppy at
their weirdest (or, perhaps more accurately, Hilt) blended with Spybey's
industrial ambi-noise. "Seel Hole" fuses more non-vox with a dazed,
stumbling beat, and staccato drum-machine blasts a la SP, giving the
track a feel that's more obviously reminiscent of that band's later
work.
  "Omniman" - plucked guitar, guttural beast noises, and weird
unintelligible lyrics give way to occasional bursts of Genesis P.
Orridge, and a pounding, driving techno beat. By itself, only a little
above average, but considerably enhanced by its context and schizoid
internal structure. The next track, "Cannaya", has a similarly strong
rhythmic element, albeit a less frenetic one, over which more non-vocals
are intoned. In time it too mutates into a maelstrom of crashing
percussion, tortured brass, electronic drones and more of those guttural
beast noises (the best kind!). This in turn warps into chattering
mechanical sounds and distorted voices, before once again developing a
rhythm and an odd, haunting melody. In this it's a little reminiscent of
the Skinny Puppy track from which the band take their name, constantly
changing and never standing still long enough for you to really grasp
what's going on.
  "Sigesang" combines a weird spoken sample, squelchy synths and a
clattering rhythm track, before collapsing into something that's almost
techno, almost industrial, and almost noise. Eventually a (high BPM)
beat emerges, albeit well hidden under a wall of noise, shattered
samples and all-out strangeness.
  By this point you learn to expected the unexpected. While the music is
bound by the areas previously explored by the participants, it careers
out of control around that space, bouncing off the walls.
  "Mother Sonne" combines techno bleeps, skewed stringy synths and
distorted vocals. As (un)usual, it progresses via mutant funk, into
something altogether different. Well, let's be honest here, into two or
three altogether different styles.
  The next track, "Attalal" is unusual in having intelligible vocals,
distorted over a bed of fluid noise, for a short while at least. The
noise is joined by twisted percussion which disappears, then warps, then
returns, then...
  "Lebanull" is yet another track with a thundering beat, this time fused
to what sounds like muezzin chant, and spoken word soundbites from
Genesis P. Orridge. There's (relatively) little progression in this
track, although the sound does thicken briefly before a prolonged and
painful death. After so many tracks of chaos, noise, and general mayhem,
"Beehatch" is surprisingly lightweight, with a drowsy beat and gentle
guitar melody. True, there are still dissonant, chaotic elements, but
it's positively tame by comparison with what has gone before.
  "Marred" continues in unexpectedly conventional vein - a relaxed dance
rhythm with light electronics. However, darker clouds soon obscure the
view, and both rhythm and `melody' distort and waver as other denizens
of the soundscape appear, such as a distorted 78 (or at least what
sounds like one), and more P. Orridge vocals. Finally, the track heads
back into the customary hotch-potch of mutant techno, warped industrial
noise, just plain straightforward noise, and one or two other
unidentifiables. The final track is the brief, treated guitar'n'building
wall of thunderous percussion of "Hevel".
  Furnace is difficult but rewarding listening. Like the Skinny Puppy
track that gave the group its name, it veers out-of-control between
horror and beauty, dissonance and melody, chaos and structure, something
and something else. The contrast between the seventeen different kinds
of musical nightmare explored here and the brief moments of lucidity
appears both at a track level - "Beehatch" sandwiched between more
experimental tracks - and within the tracks themselves.
  This is one that'll doubtless spawn the usual debate (which has
surrounded the last n Puppy related albums) about whether or not it can
be fully appreciated by those not in a pharmaceutically altered state.
There's little doubt in my mind about whether or not the band themselves
were on this planet while recording (if they were, I'd urgently
recommend that they seek professional help). As usual, though, there'll
be no resolution, although I personally got a great deal out of this
album with the aid of nothing more mind-altering than a strong cup of
tea. If it takes more for you to feel you've got the best from this
disc, fine, but I'll stick to my view that everything's already there to
be found and appreciated simply by making the effort and listening
intently.

Download.  The Eyes Of Stanley Pain.

Label:  Nettwerk
Year:   1996
Time:   71 min 22 sec
Tracks: Suni C 5:29; Possession 4:07; The Turin Cloud 4:31; Glassblower
       3:01; H Sien Influence 4:45; Base Metal 5:00; Collision 10:37;
       Sidewinder 4:18; Outafter 4:56; Killfly 4:04; Separate 5:53;
       Seven Plagues 4:48; Fire This Ground (Puppy Gristle Part 1) 5:06;
       The Eyes Of Stanley Pain 4:47.

Download seem to be remarkably productive these days, and The Eyes Of
Stanley Pain is the fourth release and the second full length album from
the group in less than a year. However, it's most certainly not a case
of "that difficult second album" for Download, as TESP is, if anything,
even more impressive than Furnace was. It retains the chaos, density and
energy of the first album but moderates it a little, adding a stronger
rhythmic element that holds everything together much more cohesively
than on their debut.
  The album gets off to a very impressive start with "Suni C", a
well-crafted and deeply layered fusion of complex, high-BPM rhythms,
clever electronics, and Mark Spybey's distorted, half-spoken vocals. The
lyrics are a little too "hey, wow, let's all be trees and groove with
the universe" for me, but they don't detract from the overall effect too
much. Also, it might just be my imagination, but the track has a much
more Puppy-esque feel than Furnace did. I'm certainly not complaining
about that.
  "Possession" is equally energetic, with further hints'o'Puppy, and a
more distorted, aggressive vocal. Again, the track is technically
outstanding - with layers upon layers of rich, dark noise twisting and
mingling. It doesn't take a huge leap of the imagination to see this as
being the sort of thing Skinny Puppy might have come up with around now
had they been left to their own devices. "The Turin Cloud" is a little
more conventional, with a pounding techno beat under the heavily
distorted vocals. Generic techno it ain't, but the reference points here
are definitely more strongly biased towards contemporary dance.
"Glassblower", which appeared in a remixed form on the "Sidewinder" EP
is another driving dance track, with some wonderfully crunchy percussion
battering away behind more distorted vox and assorted electronic burbles
and twangs. Dense and dissonant, it's an outstanding track.
  The next track, "H Sien Influence" sees the return of Genesis P. Orridge
on vocals. GPO provided some of the vocal contributions to Furnace,
although they were remarkably annoying in places. This time he's largely
restricted to spoken word material and his voice lacks that irritating
whiny quality. Musically the track's an interesting combination of
strained cornet (shades of old TG material), the GPO vox, interesting
samples and a very familiar Puppy-style beat. "Base Metal" is another
"Sidewinder" track, and I like this original version as much as I did
the remix from the EP.
  "Collision" is notable both for its (excessive?) length and the
possession of an improvised quality that's more reminiscent of Furnace
than the other material on the album. While most of the music on
Stanley Pain is pretty chaotic and complex, it always seems planned, as
though every sound has been precisely placed. This wasn't the case for
Furnace, which was less disciplined and more spontaneous, and it's also
not the case for "Collision", which careers back and forth between
techno, DVOA-style noise, and Puppy-isms (particularly towards the end,
where it turns into something straight off a recent SP album, albeit
with different vocal processing). The hints of that band continue in
"Sidewinder", where you half expect Nivek Ogre's voice to start at any
time. It doesn't, though, and the track grinds down into something like
dub reggae put through a car crusher. "Outafter", by contrast, is a
remarkably light techno track with only a distinctive synth melody and
darkly fuzzy bass line hinting at its origins. Oh, and there's what
sounds like a sample of TG's "Discipline" in there too, although whether
that came from the source or via FSOL's "Central Industrial" is
anybody's guess. Heading rapidly past the rather pedestrian "Killfly",
Genesis P. Orridge reappears on "Separate". He's a bit more irritating
this time, but his vocals contrast nicely with the distorted Spybey vox
and his lyrics are, if nothing else, interesting. Musically the track is
slow and dark, more reminiscent of the Key/Goettel side project Doubting
Thomas than Skinny Puppy.
  The twelfth track, "Seven Plagues", is an interesting gobbit of dark,
thumpy dance. "Fire This Ground", which features instrumental
contributions from GPO and Psychic TV colleague Larry Thrasher, is
subtitled "Puppy Gristle Part 1", perhaps indicating that it's supposed
to be a fusion of Skinny Puppy and Throbbing Gristle. The fact that it
doesn't sound it, but rather sounds more like Puppy in one of their
noisier moods, is perhaps a testament to the fact that Genesis P.
Orridge and Throbbing Gristle were not (as GPO seems to think) one and
the same, and that the other three members of TG also made important
contributions to the band's sound. Not a bad track, but it does seem to
trade off the reputations of those involved a little too much. Finally,
the title track is dark and noisy but ultimately not particularly
satisfying.
  I've got mixed feelings about the album. It's certainly an excellent
album, but at times one gets the impression that the high production
values, and the intricate, dense and fascinating layers of noise form a
beautiful sonic edifice surrounding...not very much. For those who liked
the last Download album it's worth getting just for the technical
accomplishment, and I'd also imagine that many Puppy fans who were put
off by Furnace will find this one much more palatable. However, where
Furnace sounded truly original, heading off in half a dozen new
directions all at once without sounding too obviously derivative of
anything, The Eyes Of Stanley Pain is without a doubt something that
Key/Goettel had a hand in.
  So, a triumph of form over substance perhaps, but when you've got a form
like this, who cares? While on the subject of "form over substance",
mention must also be made of the packaging. While this is very
attractive to look at, with little folding panels and yet another
example of Dave McKean artwork (the man's almost as ubiquitous as
Stephen R. Gilmore was a few years back) it is also unbelievably flimsy
and looks likely to scratch the disc.
  Rating this one's tricky, since while Furnace is more original, more
innovative and more deserving, The Eyes Of Stanley Pain is just great
listening. So I'll chicken out and give it the same rating I gave the
first album.

Download.  Charlie's Family.

Label:  Metropolis
Loc:    USA
Year:   1997
Time:   47 min 45 sec
Tracks: Beautiful 4:35; Gristle Dog Corr 6:12; Trick Or Treat 4:18;
       Fill Her 5:07; Tweeter Blower 4:46; Catblower 8:35; Yes 4:04;
       Interlude 5:00; Thank You 5:08.

Charlie's Family was originally released last year by Nettwerk as an
absolutely, positively, guaranteed not to be released anywhere else
limited edition that was sold only at venues on Download's tour that
year. Needless to say, as is so often the case with absolutely,
positively, guaranteed not to be released anywhere else limited edition
discs, it's now on general release, this time through Metropolis.
  The album's a soundtrack to a Jim van Bebber film of the same name. As
you might guess from the title, it's about that individual who figures
so infrequently in the preoccupations and interests of industrial
musicians, Charles Manson. That was sarcasm, by the way. Oh well, if
it's not such a hugely original subject for an industrial release to
obsess on, at least it's by somebody who can be expected to make
something decent of it.
  However, those expecting The Eyes Of Stanley Pain with the odd
"helter-skelter" thrown in may be in for a surprise. It's a much
more...soundtracky album than previous Download releases. I suppose this
isn't entirely unexpected, however, since it is...well, a soundtrack.
What this means in Download terms is 1) no vocals, 2) lots of
appropriately Manson-esque samples and 3) less in the way of obvious
rhythms or, for that matter, structure.
  The album gets off to what I'd have to describe as a fairly weak start.
Flowing synths distort and merge with suitably 60s-ish hippy chants
which in turn give way to that industrial staple, the sounds of the
female orgasm. In its defence I do have to say that it does fit in with
the theme of the song (clarified by a sampled quote) and it's pretty
impressive as sampled female orgasms go. Then there's samples from 'ole
looney tunes himself, as Mr Manson rants and raves in his own inimitable
fashion, all over a flowing, mutating, tableau of synths and effects.
OK, so perhaps "a weak start" wasn't an entirely fair evaluation of this
track, but it does pale in comparison to some of the treats that are in
store later.
  The second track, "Gristle Dog Corr", opens with the sound of dive
bombers. Why, I don't know, maybe there's some obscure Manson-related
reason for this. Some of the sounds floating around in the mix seem
familiar, the samples fit the period nicely, (well, apart from the pig
noises, perhaps) and the music crunches and grinds and is generally
weird. Not exactly atypical for Download, and weird in a positive "hey,
has my CD player broken?" sense. By comparison, "Trick Or Treat" is
positively conventional. There's a beat, there's something that could be
mistaken for a melody in a poor light. It's got a lot of the same
sinister, drug-crazed atmosphere as the first two tracks though, just
placed in a more musical setting. After the madness of "Gristle Dog
Corr" it offers a moment of (relative) before the onslaught that is
"Fill Her". How to describe "Fill Her" - well, it's percussive. Not just
"a few drums" percussive, but psychotic Buddy Rich on amphetamines in a
berserker rage in a metal-crushing plant in Hell percussive.
Alternatively, if you put a million monkeys in front of a million
typewriters - then gave each monkey a large sledgehammer and told it to
beat the hell out of the typewriter, then recorded it. Then sped it up a
bit. Then played it really loud. I think you get the idea by now. It's
great.
  "Tweeter Blower" is by contrast a nice tame chaotic maelstrom of
electronic noise from which a nice, sedate dance beat emerges,
accompanied by some appropriate screechy noises that might indeed blow
your tweeters, were not your speakers already lying shattered into
smouldering fragments after "Fill Her". The track after it, "Cat Blower"
opens with noises that suggest geese (which in turn suggests Mark
Spybey, although the credits seem to peg this as a post-Spybey release).
The main sonic theme of the track though, suggests a cat being slowly
tortured over a typically warped Download backing. Of course, since
these are the people that gave the world the amazing Chud, it's fairly
safe to assume that no cats were harmed in the recording of this track.
Equipment, now that's another story...
  It'd be nice to think that "Yes" featured Jon Anderson and co. being
slowly tortured over a typically warped Download backing. Alas, this is
not to be. Instead it features lots of odd electronic noises, a charming
little "they're eating my skin, help me!" sample (though whether this is
from one of their favourite horror movies or documents the hallucination
of fanged peanut brittle is difficult to tell - in a Manson context it
could easily be either. Or both). Oh, and there's "No" and "Yes" samples
in there too, just to reinforce the title. "Interlude" begins with
another pleasant explosion of speaker-shattering sound, but this quickly
gives way to a downright relaxed track (the little chimy noise sounds
familiar - sampled from an old Laibach track, perhaps?), albeit one with
typical Downloadisms abounding.
  The album's final track is "Thank You". This has a pleasantly open,
reverberating feel to it that reminds me a little of one sequence in the
old Skinny Puppy track that gave the band it's name. Various electronic
gurgles, whistles, and so forth bounce around this echoey sphere in
typical Download fashion. I guess the phrase "typical Download fashion"
describes the album very well. It's got a lot of ingredients in common
with the band's two studio albums, they're just arranged in a different
manner to suit their function as a soundtrack.
  All in all, not a bad album at all. If you've liked Download's previous
stuff, you'll probably enjoy this one too, although it can take a while
to get into it. It's not another Stanley Pain though. This is partly due
to its being a soundtrack, and the restrictions that imposes on form,
but the fusion of rhythm and noise was what made The Eyes Of Stanley
Pain such a great disc. That balance is disturbed here and while it
doesn't ruin the album by any means, I have to rate this disc just that
little bit lower.

Front Line Assembly.  Flavour Of The Weak.

Label:  Metropolis
Loc:    USA
Year:   1997
Time:   61 min 12 sec
Tracks: Corruption 8:00; Sado-Masochist 6:24; Autoerotic 6:20;
       Colombian Necktie 6:53; Evil Playground 8:42; Comatose 6:34;
       Life=Leben 6:39; Predator 11:40.

Flavour Of The Weak is the first album from the new look Front Line
Assembly. Rhys Fulber is out, and busy indulging his fondness for heavy
metal guitars as a member of Fear Factory, and Chris Peterson, who has
been a member of FLA in all but name for years, is in. At the time of
Fulber's departure many were ready to write FLA off, as rumour had it
that he'd become the driving force behind the band's sound, and that
Bill was just there to write the basslines and growl over the top.
However, those rumours were firmly stomped when the "Colombian Necktie"
single was released, and dead and buried by the time Flavour Of The
Weak appeared.
  Ah, yes, that title. Originally considered a joke working title by many
in the know, jaws dropped when it turned out to be the album's final
title too. Let's face it, Flavour Of The Weak is a decidedly punny
title, and I found myself wondering just what degree of irony was behind
it - there's a fine line between clever and stupid, as Nigel Tufnel once
said, and it wasn't entirely clear which side of the line Leeb was on.
Having heard the album (where some of the lyrics are either a clever
attempt at self-parody or a new low) I'm inclined to think Leeb's being
somewhat clever here, and if his tongue isn't planted firmly in his
cheek, it's at least more towards one side of his mouth than the other.
  Things get off to a surprising start with the excellent "Corruption".
Excellent because it's a superior example of Leeb's work, surprising
because the track has Noise Unit written all over it. It's certainly a
lot closer to some of the material on Decoder and Drill than anything
released under the FLA name. There are no vocals, for example. The music
itself is a combination of familiar synth sounds and melodies and a more
techno-influenced drum'n'bass rhythm track. It's an excellent choice for
a first track, and is definitely one of the best tracks on the album.
  The second track, "Sado-Masochist", also has a techno-style beat, but
it's not as smooth and polished a track as "Corruption", with harsh
grating synths. Leeb's vocals are interesting, as he switches between
the more typical FLA distorted growl in the verse and what seems to be
an untreated vocal in the chorus. Yes, he actually sings. The lyrics in
the chorus also had an unexpected resonance for me, but one that's
probably lost on anyone who isn't from either the UK, Australia or New
Zealand, and remembers a certain mid-70s UK TV show. It'll be
interesting to see if it had the same effect on anybody else.
  "Autoerotic" is passable but unexceptional, with Leeb delivering
something that sounds like a rap. Musically, the track's closer to
techno with an FLA twist than FLA with a techno twist. "Colombian
Necktie" is the album's first single, a strong track that blends the FLA
sound and dance influences with rather more finesse than either of the
previous two tracks. Leeb's vocals are restrained and surprisingly
smooth, while the track incorporates contemporary sounds and rhythms
without losing the distinctive Front Line Assembly sound. The track runs
smoothly into "Evil Playground". You can tell it's a playground because
there's lots of children chanting. Bill can be remarkably unsubtle at
times. Where the track trips up, however, is that it doesn't sound
particularly evil. FLA are capable of radiating menace when they want
to, but this instrumental track is just another piece of techno-fied
instrumental FLA. The distant echoing bass that lurks in the first part
of the track is nice, but it's all too quickly replaced by a fairly
generic breakbeat. This could have been a great track, but it misses the
mark.
  The next track, however, is excellent, and will be the album's second
single. Lyrically, "Comatose" is decidedly atypical, and seems to be a
not-very-hidden jab at the whole genre, with either a large dollop of
honesty or an equally large amount of self-parody. "Fame and fortune are
everything," says Bill, and "What's the flavour, can I borrow?" Read
into that whatever you will, but it certainly sounds to me like Bill's
attacking the fickle nature of trends in the genre, and even his own
participation in it. It's just so refreshing to see a Leeb lyric that
isn't about post-apocalyptic thingies, and is both cynical and
self-referential. The lyrics aren't the song's only strength, either.
Musically, it's one of the best tracks on the album, and it combines
those big anthemic FLA choruses with some varied percussion.
  However, the lyrical streak doesn't last, as we reach "Life=Leben".
Musically, it's not a bad track at all, with militaristic percussion in
the intro, plenty of bleeps and burbles, a drum'n'bass rhythm track and
so forth. With the exception of the drum'n'bass influence, it harks back
to the older, sparser FLA sound. Unfortunately, it also plumbs new
depths in lyrical inanity. Some of the lyrics here make me wonder if
Leeb's trying to see just how bad the lyrics can get. His lyrics have
rarely been above average in the past, and often downright embarrassing,
but lines like "Disturbed Emotion/Greased With Lotion" mark an all-time
low for Leeb. Discussion of the song's meaning in rec.music.industrial
have concluded that it's either about prostitution or fish, which I
think says a lot about the lyrical quality, and also quite a lot about
the denizens of rec.music.industrial.
  The album's final track is "Predator", a largely instrumental track
that's got a strong techno influence. There are lyrics, but they're best
forgotten, believe me. It's a decent enough track, but doesn't really do
much for me. Hidden away at the end is an unnamed track. Stylistically
it's out of the ordinary, being at the same time much more heavily
influenced by the likes of recent Aphex Twin material and downright
noisy. Yes, yes, I've heard "Ventolin", I'm aware that's pretty damn
noisy. The track reminds me most of the untitled track at the end of
Front 242's "Angels Versus Animals" EP, largely due to the repetitive
use of a siren-like sound.
  Overall, Flavour Of The Weak bodes well for the future of FLA. The
departure of Rhys Fulber hasn't really hit the band's sound, and even
Leeb's declaration that he's going to try to be more commercial in
future shouldn't be too much of a problem, as long as he doesn't ditch
too many of the ingredients that make FLA sound like FLA in the process.
Those FLA fans with a strong aversion to all things techno, and
particularly the use of breakbeats, should probably steer clear though,
and hope Leeb returns to a more EBM-oriented style in either his next
release (unlikely) or one of his many side-projects. My own personal
take on Flavour is that it's a pretty strong album overall, and I have
to say that there's more material here that I like than on either of the
band's say that there's more material here that I like thTactical Neural
Implant to find an album that I consider superior.

Look for more reviews in next month's 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!

W. A. 150mg.

An entire 100ml bottle of 15mg/10ml DM was ingested, in about the same
timeframe as the first experience. There was no pseudoephedrine (or any
other active ingredients) in the preparation - just DM, and I believe a
bit of alcohol, tho at the dose taken, I don't believe this altered the
experience any. The same friend who had tried it with me the first time,
also ingested it. (same amount as I used)
  The effects came on in a similar fashion to the ones stated above, only
the drunkenness became much worse, as did the disassociated feeling (as
if my mind was separated from my body and the surrounding physical
world). Friend's condition appeared to be the same, perhaps a bit more
intense. The motion-perception became very very unusual, it really did
feel as if I were gliding smoothly along (like a slug), or hovering,
when I walked.
  For awhile this was interesting, we spent what felt like perhaps an hour
in subjective time (I'm not sure how much time actually passed) playing
in a park with all sorts of stone structures & fountains and waterfalls,
and twisting pathways, trees, and a big pond. (I love that place.
Whoever designed it had psychedelic users in mind ;) It was night-time.
Eventually the effects (especially the slowed down, drunken feeling)
started getting really intense, and we decided it would be best to
return to the apartment. Again, there were no significant visual or
audio hallucinations. There were some slight visual effects, similar to
those experienced on pot or hash. My thoughts still felt fairly clear
and lucid, although there was a very odd feeling, again it sort of felt
as if I were nearing a threshold to a real mind-altering experience, but
not quite able to make it there. Something in my head was definitely
f*cked, but in a subtle way - I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It
was more of an emotional change than perceptual, as with acid.
  After returning to the apartment, things got really bad. Both of us
could barely move, we ended up laying on the balcony moaning and
thinking we were dying. It was not fun, certainly not an enlightening
"psychedelic" experience that most people seem to think DM is.
Eventually we realized that we were starting to come down, and believed
that perhaps we might survive the experience. The fear that I was dying
was almost unbearable. I also got the diarrhea again, however it was not
as severe (perhaps because I had ate plenty of solid food that day,
unlike the previous experience). It might be worth mentioning that
neither of us mentioned that we were afraid we were dying until we began
to return to reality a bit- so this rules out suggestion being the cause
of it all.

Anonymous. 240mg.

The next day, I got a little bolder. I downed the remaining portion of
the bottle. This amounted to 240 mg (80 ml or 16 teaspoons or 2/3 of the
bottle). I ate some food both times, so this may have delayed the start
of the effects. Perhaps there was a little bit left in my system from
the day before.
  I was sitting down, doing some reading, and nothing happened for well
over an hour or maybe two hours. Then, all of the sudden, I got a severe
heat flash. It felt like a sick wave flowing over my entire body. I
could even feel a strong buzzing (almost like pain) in the roots of my
teeth. Every inch of skin on my body felt like it was next to a hot
water bottle. I was very light headed and thought I was going to die. I
quickly scribbled information on a piece of paper to tell anyone that
found me what I had taken. The heat flash went away after what seemed
like 5 or 10 minutes. Actually it was probably only a minute or two. I
felt my forehead and it was dripping with sweat.
  I was OK for a while after that. I talked with a friend for about 10 or
15 minutes, but it seemed like hours. Again, I was very talkative. I
felt like I was making sense, and having an enjoyable time. I just felt
spacy. There were no visual hallucinations, but things did look a bit
foggy.
  After my friend left I got several more heat flashes. They seemed to be
getting closer together. Each time, I thought I was going to die or at
least pass out. Each time it happened, I just kept telling myself, "I'm
going go get through this." over and over. VERY unpleasant!
  I walked around a little bit. My head seemed to be bobbing up and down
like you feel while sitting in a small boat on the waves. Things were a
little distorted. I felt like a midget walking down the hall. I had some
difficulty talking coherently. My eyes started to burn, and my mouth
became excessively dry. I couldn't concentrate on anything for more than
a few seconds. I tried to focus on reality so I wouldn't loose control.
I used to use MJ so I was able to keep from panicking, but it is still a
scary to face the unknown.
  As the frequency of the heat flashes increased, I began to wonder if the
DM was still getting into my system, and making things worse. I had
serious doubts about whether or not I could get myself home in this
condition. I determined that if things got any worse, that I might die,
so I picked up a phone book and started looking for emergency numbers. I
remember being totally frustrated because I knew I wanted to find a
number to call to get help, but all I could do was flip the pages. I
couldn't figure out exactly what to look up. Finally, I looked inside
the front cover. 911 seemed a little drastic. The only other number was
poison control. After several attempts, I finally dialed the number
successfully. The problem was that I couldn't remember which digit I had
just dialed or which one to dial next. I was quite incoherent on the
phone, and had a lot of difficulty giving my address, phone number, etc.
The lady told me that I had taken quite a lot, and that I should have
someone take me to a hospital. I asked what might happen to me if I
didn't go, and she said that I possibly could go into a coma and/or stop
breathing. This scared me enough that I decided I needed to go in.
  I found a friend that was willing to take me in. Thank goodness for
friends. In the Emergency Room, I experienced several more heat flashes.
My heart rate was up to almost 120 beats per minute when I was at my
calmest point. They pumped my stomach and put activated charcoal down me
to absorb any remaining DM. That is an experience well worth avoiding! I
even preferred the blood and urine tests to the gastric lavage.
  My nose and throat were quite sore for several days afterward. I started
coming down in less that an hour after these treatments. The doctor told
me that the dose wasn't fatal, but if I hadn't come in, I might have
passed out, and probably would have continued to experience the symptoms
for at least another 8 hours. It would have been a real trick to explain
that one to my family. It was hard enough to explain as it was. DM seems
to be much more toxic than I had anticipated.
  As I came down, my vision cleared up. I realized that the emergency
sprinkler system in the ceiling was actually covered with dust. When I
first got in there, it looked like it was covered with some crystalline
jelly; I didn't even know it was a mild hallucination at the time. So,
what good is a hallucination if you don't know it's a hallucination? I
wonder what else I hallucinated.
  They let me go within about 4 hours after I was admitted to ER At that
point, I had a significant head ache, like a heavy hangover. My nose
ached deep inside where they had put the tube in. I think it took
several more hours for my heart rate to go back to normal. There was
also a jittery twitchy feeling in the back of my legs. I didn't sleep
well that night. The hangover feeling lasted for another day.
  Three days later, I took half of an imipramine (a prescription
antidepressant left over from a legitimate prescription) because my head
felt a little foggy. A few hours later, I got a miniature heat flash,
and felt a little spacy. That never happened before when I was on these
antidepressants.
  All in all, I think it was a VERY bad experience! Sure there were a few
weird effects, but the negatives far outweighed the positives. The dose
I took was significantly lower than what some people claim to have
taken. I'm just glad I didn't chug the whole bottle at once. Perhaps
some people's bodies can handle DM better than mine, but I have also
noticed a large increase in people telling about bad experiences with
it.
  I don't think it's a very good idea to take a chance with DM. But, if
you do, please start with lower doses, let a few days pass between
doses, and increase the doses gradually. Not like me where I took twice
as much as the time before. As for me, I don't think I will ever take DM
again! As for you, try something safer, or at least be very careful!
BTW, I now hear that the tussin high is quite a bit different than being
high on LSD, so I guess I still don't know what acid is like.

Anonymous. 300mg.

As the result of a car accident, my friend had a freak stroke at the age
of 18. (The circumstances which caused the stroke are too long and
complicated to explain here.) The stroke left him with minimal control
of hiwhich caused the stroke are too long and complicated to explain
here.) The stroke left him with minimal control of his left arm and a
permanent blind spot in a portion of his left eye. One night, over three
years after his stroke, he decided to try dextromethorphan with a group
of friends. He drank 5 ounces of generic "tussin" (300 mg of
dextromethorphan hydrobromide.) Although he consumed less syrup than the
rest of us, the drug effected him more than anyone else in our group. In
addition to experiencing extreme de-personalization, he reported active
hallucinations in his blind spot. He could only describe these
hallucinations as "cartoon-like." It was the first time images had
appeared in this spot.
  My friend did not like the experience and said that he would probably
not try DM again. Despite his stroke, my friend is a normal, intelligent
guy who does not seem prone to "bad" trips. He enjoys mushrooms and
marijuana. Neither of these drugs produce any activity in his blind
spot, nor do they have the de-personalizing effect of DM.

Anonymous. 360mg.

Let me provide my testimonial about roboing. Yesterday I picked up an 8
oz. bottle of generic brand extra-strength cough syrup, containing only
Dextro as its active ingredient. I immediately downed somewhere under 4
oz. of the stuff. Taste wasn't as bad as I expected. Chugged a good deal
of water to wash it down anyway, and nibbled on some bread. Nausea was
not a problem at all.
  About an hour later it started to hit. Motor skills were definitely
impaired. Pupils were very large. I felt like I was on shrooms, but
without mood-alterations or significant visuals. Television images
appeared to be moving in slow motion like when on acid. Unlike what I've
heard posted here, music did not sound very interesting. This was a big
disappointment since claims to the contrary were what convinced me to
give it a try. I did not feel particularly euphoric or bad. My mood was
essentially an unchanged neutral, which was weird since in other
respects I was definitely "tripping". I kept saying to myself, "OK, the
good part of the trip should be coming soon..." but it never did!
  Walking was definitely difficult, although mental functioning seemed to
be OK. I carried on many conversations with little difficulty, in
contrast to my experiences with shrooms and 'cid. I was hoping the
amount I consumed would be a mild dose, but I must say I was
significantly affected. I can't imagine what would have happened if I
finished the bottle!
  It's now 16 hours after the initial consumption. I slept fine last
night, but I still feel the effects. My pupils are still huge and I
still feel like my motor skills are impaired. (I'm typing much slower
now than my usual 100 wpm.).
  In short, I guess it was worth the experience but I can't see any reason
to try it again. It's lasting longer than any shroom or acid trip I've
ever had, and it just ain't nearly as much fun. I'll stick with pot
thank you.

AN45874 (male, 81kg). 540mg (6.66mg/kg).

The Chronology:

0730: Cold cereal & coffee breakfast.
0830: Took Drixoral (300 mg.)
0930: No effects, took Tussin (240 mg.)
1000: Difficulty walking without noticeable effects (but I think I was
     able to.) Not unlike mild alcohol inebriation.
1030: Everything kicks in. (I think the caps took a while to dissolve).
     Only severe motor control difficulties and a general loss of tactile
     sensation. Lay down.

At this point I spent the next 3 hours lying in bed, not out of
necessity, I just didn't feel like moving. I alternated between
eyes-open and eyes-closed 'images'. Not acid-like hallucinations, more
like visions. Static, unchanging (as opposed to 'melting' or 'swirling')
images. I distinctly remember three: The bedspread looked like a far-off
mountain range; my leg looked like it was hundreds of feet long, and I
remember the peculiar feeling of rotating in a plane in both directions
at once (like alcohol 'spins') with no feeling of nausea. This was
accompanied by the inexplicable visual equivalent (of spinning both ways
at once). There was a period when I was beset by words rather than
images. At some point I crawled across the room and pet the cat. I
believe that walking would have been practically impossible.
  There were no periods of ego-loss or understanding the mysteries of
existence, no epiphanies experienced, no greater truths discovered. But
hey, it's a narcotic, not a hallucinogen.

1330: Made it onto the couch, watched TV. Feeling pretty much 'normal'
     except for an unpleasant, whole-body 'ache' and lack of motor skills.
1600: Able to move about almost normally, ache diminishing. Tried to eat
     a cookie (could only nibble) and drink some Diet Coke(*) (could only
     sip. WAY to sweet). No nausea.
1700: Able to 'fake' normality (movement, conversation).

The ache continued for another 36 hours, I had very little appetite that
evening and the next day. Never felt nauseous. All in all I doubt that I
will do it again.

T. M. 1560mg.

It was an interesting experience to say the least. I had been going
through some of my old Amiga disks and came across the game 'Lemmings'
and popped it in the drive. I started from the very beginning (since I
no longer have any idea where the sheet of paper is that I wrote the
level codes down on when I first played it a few years ago) and
alternated swallowing Drixorals and smoking bowls in between levels. (I
never realized that that game would be so much fun when stoned!). Later,
I washed down the Drixorals with some syrup and decided to logon and
send my buddy some email. This endeavor didn't last very long as I soon
found myself floating in a pink space with planets in beautiful pastel
colors around me. My dorm room and everything in it were completely
nonexistent.
  I've roboed several times before and NEVER have I had visuals like that
WITH MY EYES OPEN. Always I see things around me and only interpret them
differently; it's not until I close my eyes that I completely lose
myself. The closest I have come to that in the past was when I was
tripping on 1260mg and I thought I was in a forest. But then my desk and
computer were in the forest with me. This time I had no connection with
this world whatsoever. When I came out of that hallucination I decided
the email thang just wasn't going to happen - can't type if I can't see
the keyboard!
  So I went over to my bed to smoke one last bowl. I was lying on my
stomach and looking out the window. For some reason I got it into my
head that I was a cat. This didn't bother me.. felt perfectly normal in
fact.. I thought I had always been of the feline persuasion.
  Some time later (It's really hard for me to put the events of that night
together.. There are a lot of gaps in my memory and what I do remember I
just remember as events without any kind of time stamp on them) I was
lying down listening to music and I had another full blown vision like
the pink space one... oh boy, this is gonna be hard to describe.. hummm
I was no longer in my body - I was just a consciousness floating in
space - and I was looking at a spiral. It was like a spring but instead
of each loop being circular, they were perfect squares. This square
spring extend out to infinity in both directions. Each square loop was
flat on the top and bottom and thick.. as if someone had cut a square
spiral out of paper and pulled it out. The loops were divided into
sections and each section was a window into another reality. I was
looking at a portion of the spiral that had the window to this world.
Each window opened onto a different part of my existence: moving down
the coil, the window adjacent to the one I was looking at opened onto
the world of my life before this one and the next window after that
revealed my life before that and so on. Likewise, moving up the coil,
the window adjacent to the one I was looking at revealed the my next
life after this one and the next window after that revealed one more
life and so on. So, up were my future lives and down were my past
lives..
  The next thing that happened to me I'd like to mention because it was
rather scary. Normally, I use the music coming through my headphones as
that one last thread of this reality. I know that no matter what
happens, if I can still hear music then (a) my body is still alive and
functioning properly no matter what I may think and (b) I will always be
able to find my way back; there's no possibility of getting lost. It's
like a security blanket.
  I had been looking at a large blue shape that was a sphere with a
concave trench dug out around its equator and there were movies playing
inside the trench that I was watching (I can't for the life of me
remember what they were unfortunately). Suddenly, everything stopped
and.. oh man, here we go again.. I felt myself falling into the very
fabric of the universe. As I was falling I had the vague notion that I
was dying. It didn't bother me at the time and I was curious so I
reached out further with my mind. It was like I was growing smaller and
smaller.. I shrunk down past the subatomic level. And as my mind
reached.. outward?.. inward?.. downward? I dunno.. I touched something.
  Unfortunately I only retained part of the feeling and nothing more.. but
I remember being overwhelmed. I really wish I could remember more of it.
Any words I could use to describe what I felt just don't seem to
correctly describe it.. a surge of energy and a feeling of 'correctness'
like I actually belonged somewhere for once. Anyway, the full meaning of
my earlier thought of death sunk in. I was sure I had died and I felt
that if I stayed there any longer I'd never get back. I pulled myself
away, which was no easy task because I didn't want to leave.. it felt so
good there.. so right. But once I made that initial move, I started
racing back faster than I had come. I found myself floating above my
body and looking down at it. It was then that I realized that I wasn't
hearing any music.. In fact, when I thought about it, I couldn't
remember hearing any music during that entire trip.. my security blanket
was gone and I freaked out.
  In a frenzy I forced myself back into my body and with some difficulty
managed to open my eyes. I could hear the music once again but this was
little consolation since my body was cold.. felt like I had been lying
outside with my clothes off. And I couldn't feel any part of it.. not
even the familiar beating of my heart (yes, I know this is normal for
robo but I was in a big paranoia fit at the time and the MJ wasn't
helping). I tried to reach over and feel my heart, but I only got my arm
a few inches off the bed before it feel limply at my side. That did it..
I was really scared now and I was sure that my heart had stopped and if
it hadn't yet it was real close to it and I only had seconds left on
this earth. I decided my only chance at survival was to try and get my
body moving to keep my heart stimulated. I gathered up all my willpower
and with one big effort managed to sit up. I pulled the headphones off,
got out of bed and started jumping up and down.. Then I did some push
ups.. I did those push ups like a wild man; thinking that if I stopped,
my heart would stop and I would die.
  Eventually I calmed down enough to think, "if you can do all these push
ups, your body must be all right." So I sat back on my bed and just for
peace of mind I checked my pulse (by this time I had come down enough
that I could accomplish this task.. still had to close one eye though
because of that double vision). It was at a low 47 bpm.. and I had just
been exercising not too long ago! my body was still cold and numb but 47
is a good healthy pulse rate (my norm is around 52-55 resting) so I had
a cigarette and then went to bed.
  The next day I woke up late.. late enough that my vision was back to
normal. But my body felt weird. felt all tingly all over like there was
a layer of helium just under my skin. And when I walked I felt like I
was sloshing around inside it. I went outside and everything was new to
me. The world engaged my senses like never before.. sight, smell,
hearing, touch.. it was pure sensory overload. I passed by a group of
people and a wave of energy hit me that nearly knocked me to my knees.
This happened several more times but each time it was less intense until
I could stand next to someone again and only feel mild sensations within
me.
  It is now 5 days since then, and my body still feels different. My
overactive senses have managed to return to normal, but I still feel
like I'm sloshing around in my body.. even now while I'm sitting down.
And I still have that helium feeling only it's no longer all over my
whole body at once.. it's localized to various areas and those areas are
constantly moving around. I played some vball and it doesn't seem to
affect my coordination.. in fact I feel that I can use my body better
now than I could before (a good thing too 'cause I've gotta play away
games in Reno and Chico this weekend.. I'd hate to have to explain to
the team that I can no longer play ball because I roboed to hard and
fucked my body up!)
  I wasn't expecting this to turn out to be so long.. but I just had to
share this experience.. I couldn't keep it to myself any longer. I hope
I didn't bore y'all too much! :)

AN17016. 720mg.

It hit pretty fast (within a half an hour) with light headedness and
slight disorientation. After an hour there was SEVERE disorientation and
depersonalization. He felt almost as if he were outside himself looking
in. There weren't especially harsh visual effects as in real
hallucinations. Things were very grainy and somewhat distorted. Unable
to keep focus on much of anything. He got severe itching fits several
times (the only way around it was to ignore the itching, stop and wait
til you forget about it). Breathing often felt slightly constricted as
if you were wearing a tight shirt collar. There were severe heat flashes
so that we had to turn a fan on high in an air conditioned house.
Walking was very difficult. Hard to keep a balance. Time was VERY
distorted. The whole trip lasted about an 1.5-2 hr. for the strong
effects but it seemed like FOREVER. He was also very dehydrated and
found it hard to get the damn cherry taste out of his mouth. Also, this
person has taken many trips on acid and several shroom trips and has
never had anything as scary as this experience. Several times he
wondered if he would makethere was SEVERE disorientation and
depersonalization. He felt almost as if he were outside himself looking
in. There weren't especially harsh visual effects as in real
hallucinations. Things were very grainy and somewhat distorted. Unable
to keep focus on much of anything. He got severe itching fits several
times (the only way around it was to ignore the itching, stop and wait
til you forget about it).

Anonymous. 720mg.

By the time I finished the second bottle things started getting weird, I
felt like I was getting hot flashes in my head (sort of like doing 500mg
Niacin) shortly after that all hell broke loose, I was projectile
vomiting, thank god I made it to the can, the next two hours were spent
just trying to get over the nausea. I have been hesitant to repeat this
experience.

Anonymous. 720mg.

Needless to say, many of my would-be companions to the outer planes of
consciousness faltered somewhere along this path-not many could keep up
past step 2. In fact, once we were watching the "Grateful Dead Movie"
and, at the first there's this little animation sequence that's kinda
neat but not too heavy, and, just as the robo was beginning to take
effect, one unfortunate traveler arose suddenly, and proclaimed that he
"could not take it anymore", then fled from the room at approximately 4
am, alone. To this day, neither I nor my other companions of that
fateful night have seen him since. Wherever he is, may his road be clear
and burdens be light.

--

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 Amanda M. Without your help, this zine just wouldn't
be what it is.

Next Issue: More on Astral Projection, and much, much more!
           
About the Editor: Gravol, also known as Jeff, is 20 and works on the zine
in his spare time, when he's not working and partying. 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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