I Had Sex on Acid

That One Time is a new NSFW series that explores sex and sexuality with the wide-eyed curiosity of a virgin. It delves into the personal narratives of people from ‘that one time’ which they’ll never, ever forget.

Around 160 kms from Mumbai lies a quiet retreat tucked away in the hills: Bhandardara. Close to it is what some people call ‘Maharashtra’s very own Grand Canyon’—a deep, narrow water-carved gorge known as Sandhan Valley. Before we descended into its post-monsoon fissure, my boyfriend and I popped a tiny scrap of LSD-laced blotter into our mouths. As we hiked the length of the canyon—up and down rocks, sidestepping mini streams and gaping at the light coming in from far above—the acid kicked in and made both of us very ‘one with nature’. Conversation was largely missing till this point, but it felt unnecessary—there was one cosmic energy flowing through both of us and everything around, and nothing needed to be spoken out loud. We both understood.

As we made our way back to our resort, I thought that the best part of the day was behind us, and it was all a downer from here. Somewhere along the way, though, it started drizzling. Our final dash from the resort gates to our room was enough to soak us, and we ran in, dripping and laughing. I am not sure at what point the stripping off of wet clothes resulted in us stretching out on the sofa and starting to bone. There was still no talk between us—my rapid stream of consciousness when doing acid usually means that my brain is already on its next amazing thought before I’ve had the chance to verbalise the first one, and make the other person see the profundity in it.

But as my boyfriend moved faster, it suddenly felt like everything I knew about what sex felt like before was crumbling away. This was something else. It felt like I was aware of every little muscle in my body, every contraction and expansion. Every little twitch which would’ve probably gone unnoticed earlier, was a massive sensation with the ability to engulf us both. It was as if I was Eve, he was Adam, and I was a virgin all over again, having the first sex that mankind ever did—it felt as Biblically dramatic as it sounds.

Each sensation was new, each crevice felt unexplored, each thrust seemed synced with our breath, each cell of my body was aflame. There was not a shred of anxiety, insecurity or inhibition; there was no ego, no expectation. It seemed like ‘sex’ wasn’t enough to explain what we are doing—it was something far more trascendental. We could’ve been at it for 2 minutes or 20 hours—I don’t quite know what was it, and an orgasm was merely a part of the package rather than the eventuality you come to.

In retrospect, I also realise that this experience was as magical because it was with a partner I trusted and loved, and probably because our dosage wasn’t so big (a quarter or a half stamp each—I can’t remember but definitely not more) that it would bring upon more disassociation from the body or make the trip weird. LSD advocate and Harvard professor Timothy Leary wrote in his book The Politics of Ecstacy : ‘There is no question that LSD is the most powerful aphrodisiac ever discovered by man.’ Also, in the book: ‘Let me put it this way: Compared with sex under LSD, the way you’ve been making love, no matter how ecstatic the pleasure you think you get from it, is like making love to a department-store-dummy.’

Couple that with the fact that classical psychedelics like acid or mushrooms enhance your sense of touch and are valuable tools for introspection. One of the effects of LSDs seems also to be the breakdown of ego—something that can help you focus on what your partner desires rather than what you want, uplifting the experience for both of you.

However, there’s a real lack of research when it comes to how drugs impact sex. Everyone’s experience is different, and you should definitely not take my word as gospel for what you should put in your body, or make you convince your partner to have something they might be uncomfortable with. Now that the PSA is out of the way, I can say that this trip was unlike any other.

VICE India in no way endorses the illegal usage of marijuana or other narcotics. The content above is intended for entertainment/educational and/or informational purposes only, and is not meant to propagate the use of any illegal substance. See Terms of Use for more.