Personally, I feel the opposite way and enjoy opiates and other downers because it makes everything mellow and quells any anxiety. Then again, uppers don't seem to work on me. But I still haven't tried acid or anything similar, so we'll see if that is enjoyable to me or just freaking scary. I hate scary.
Exactly what I meant. It makes me feel nothing at all, except for good. But it's a very artificial good, because as soon as I start coming down I just want more.
My "gateway" drug happened to be a prescription for opiates when I had my wisdom teeth removed. The doctor said to just call if I needed any more. I went through a two week supply in five days. I liked numbing the pain, but I really, really liked feeling good...opiate good. That's the point I knew opiates were dangerous for me. I didn't call him back, even though I was still in a bit of pain, and my body was craving the dopamine rush. I experienced first hand the intense pull of an opiate addiction. I can't even begin to imagine what heroin feels like, and how easy it would be to become physically hooked.
Oh, and Bamboo, I agree. Riding my bicycle on a nice day is really nice after some mj. So is swimming. And so is running. It just seems like I'm so relaxed I can easily get into this rhythm where everything just syncs perfectly without having to think about it.
Acid trips are most beneficial for me when I prepare for them. I like to make them a very special occasion, and plan a special trip or whole day of activity, or inactivity, around it. If something's been on my mind for awhile, I make a point to think about it during the trip. These are best for me when alone, or with a few friends I trust dearly. I've had some similar experiences you've described, and while I didn't panic, they certainly weren't ideal. In some cases, when it was really intense, I had to consciously focus on staying in reality, because I couldn't trust the environment to do otherwise. This was extremely mentally draining, and after awhile I had to remove myself from the environment, and go be by myself, or with other similar folk who wanted to get away from the "party".
I'm sure if it weren't for the fact that I'm a very calm person by nature, an unideal environment during a trip could turn quite scary.
I get the most out of a trip when I feel absolutely safe, physically and emotionally, and I can just let it flow.