I never really realized how much psychedelic drugs, specifically shrooms, were a trigger for me. The only thing I can think of when people start talking about psychedelic drugs is that I knew someone who died while on shrooms.

RIP Robert Zamora

I also know someone who may have been on shrooms when he died as well, though it was never confirmed.

RIP Joseph Orbeso

There will be no amount of convincing that will ever get me to even consider trying psychedelic drugs or even think that they’re a good idea. It doesn’t matter what credentials you have that consider you a professional on the topic; it doesn’t change the fact that my friend(s) has died after taking shrooms. There may be little to no deaths directly (directly defined as deaths in which the main cause of death was the drug) associated with any psychedelic drugs, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t contributed to any deaths. Robert was only 19, he was intelligent, and the sweetest kid ever. He would never hurt a fly, much less attempt to break into multiple homes and attack another person in his normal mind.

You cannot tell me that psychedelic drugs don’t change how you think or act. You can’t tell me they’re safe when you can’t know how you’re going to react to them before taking them. You don’t know if you’re going to have a good or bad trip. They are hallucinogens. You will see and hear things that aren’t real, and that’s frequently not a good thing.

Ingesting hallucinogenic drugs can cause users to see images, hear sounds, and feel sensations that seem real but do not exist. Their effects typically begin within 20 to 90 minutes of ingestion and can last as long as 12 hours. Experiences are often unpredictable and may vary with the amount ingested and the user’s personality, mood, expectations, and surroundings.

How Do Hallucinogens Work?

I’m pretty sure Robert’s death certificate doesn’t list “drug-related,” I’m pretty sure it’s closer to homicide. Same goes for Joseph; pretty sure his cause of death is suicide rather than getting lost in a national park while possibly being under the influence of shrooms. And honestly, it doesn’t even have to be confirmed that they were on those drugs for me to stay as far away as hell from hallucinogens. It will never be a good idea to me because I will always think of my friends that have died when I think about hallucinogens, which will inevitably give me a bad trip. Robert died seven years ago. Joseph died five years ago. I still think of them whenever the topic of hallucinogens comes up, and it hurts my heart to think their lives were ended so prematurely and possibly because of hallucinogens. It just hits too close to home.