Describe Your Tobacco Trance

[GothPiper]

The effects of nicotine are well mentioned and cited in various places. You're just, I'm guessing here, a bit new to this and trying to cloak smoking as some sort of mysterious activity. It's not! Millions of people smoke. Pipe, cigarette, cigar or chew ... the nicotine is pretty much all the same, enjoyable.

I am indeed rather new to the hobby, but I don't see it as a mysterious activity. I was more observing how most modern articles on tobacco take a kind of drug war-era "just say no" approach to the leaf, and neglect to mention even the most rudimentary aspects of its effects on the mind.

Millions do it, for sure, but you don't often hear about why we do it, beyond simply "addiction".

 

[F4RM3R]

Not sure "trance" is the right word. It is possible to enter a trance with tobacco, but it's probably not good idea unless you are a highly trained shaman.

For me, the effect varies.

If it is the morning, the smoke wakes me up, sharpens the mind, while giving a certain sense of calm.

If i am exhausted, usually around mid-afternoon, it serves as a pick me up, keeps me going.

In the evening, it relaxes me.

All of these different effects from the same tobacco (dark burley for me).

I think trance fits it pretty well for me. Trance state isn’t really on or off, there can be light trance states and deep trance states. Most of the time it’s light but can be deep with certain tobaccos(several heavy inhales of straight rustica outta do it)

 

[warren]

I was more observing how most modern articles on tobacco take a kind of drug war-era "just say no" approach to the leaf, and neglect to mention even the most rudimentary aspects of its effects on the mind.

Nicotine displaces oxygen in the blood. Nothing good about that. The nicotine also pleases the brain whether or not the smoker notices is dependent on the user, the blend, and such physical conditions as blood sugar, empty stomach, tiredness, and such. Most modern articles don't what you desire as there is no documentation to "support" rudimentary (efficacious?) aspects. (I think you omitted a descriptive word.)

The effects of nicotine on the brain are well established medically and not obscured. The fact that some people need a crutch to relax, concentrate or whatever is also well known. Those with bad study habits may need a pill, booze or whatever to get through "finals" or whatever crisis they find repugnant as their heart simply isn't in it and they need the crutch. Others may not have the self-control needed to relax without a crutch or other diversion.

Health wise there is absolutely nothing efficacious about tobacco use. I defy you to name on with citations. And, again one cannot/should not equate clinical studies with medical grade nicotine to smoking and chewing tobacco.

If you imagine tobacco to be a substitute for self-discipline then, I imagine that is your reality in spite of the known health consequences. But, substituting oxygen for nicotine in your blood is not a wise thing to do no matter the hoops you jump through or other contortions you perform to justify your selfish decision to smoke.

Again, I suggest you simply do what many of us have, accept your wee vice, embrace it even, and enjoy your pipe and the effect it has on your brain. Your brain embraces the hit, noticed or not. And fully accept the consequences when and if they raise their ugly head. It's simply a risk v reward decision.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

Warren is a master of fact and reality as always. I don't argue with him on any point.

I use an oxygen meter and I have noticed that quite often after a smoke, my oxygen levels are higher than they were before the smoke.
My guess about what happens in my particular case, is that I easily get stressed and emotional, and when I try to restrict the stress and emotions, I'm also subconsciously restricting my breathing pattern.
And then, when I have a smoke the stress and emotions ease off and my breathing returns to normal. Yhis seems to have have a more powerful effect in regards to supplying oxygen to my blood than the effect of nicotine restricting the blood vessels.
There may well be other ways of easing stress and emotion, but I like pipe smoking, so I shall stick with it.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Nicotine displaces oxygen in the blood. Nothing good about that. The nicotine also pleases the brain whether or not the smoker notices is dependent on the user, the blend, and such physical conditions as blood sugar, empty stomach, tiredness, and such. Most modern articles don't what you desire as there is no documentation to "support" rudimentary (efficacious?) aspects. (I think you omitted a descriptive word.)

The effects of nicotine on the brain are well established medically and not obscured. The fact that some people need a crutch to relax, concentrate or whatever is also well known. Those with bad study habits may need a pill, booze or whatever to get through "finals" or whatever crisis they find repugnant as their heart simply isn't in it and they need the crutch. Others may not have the self-control needed to relax without a crutch or other diversion.

Health wise there is absolutely nothing efficacious about tobacco use. I defy you to name on with citations. And, again one cannot/should not equate clinical studies with medical grade nicotine to smoking and chewing tobacco.

If you imagine tobacco to be a substitute for self-discipline then, I imagine that is your reality in spite of the known health consequences. But, substituting oxygen for nicotine in your blood is not a wise thing to do no matter the hoops you jump through or other contortions you perform to justify your selfish decision to smoke.

Again, I suggest you simply do what many of us have, accept your wee vice, embrace it even, and enjoy your pipe and the effect it has on your brain. Your brain embraces the hit, noticed or not. And fully accept the consequences when and if they raise their ugly head. It's simply a risk v reward decision.

No trance, thank God. I agree, as usual, with @warren

 

[GothPiper]

Again, I suggest you simply do what many of us have, accept your wee vice, embrace it even, and enjoy your pipe and the effect it has on your brain. Your brain embraces the hit, noticed or not. And fully accept the consequences when and if they raise their ugly head. It's simply a risk v reward decision.

I'm unsure where you got the impression that I am looking for justification for my vice. I'm not - I wholeheartedly embrace it as such. I'm also baffled as to why you feel so many use this as a crutch, or a substitute for self-discipline. Methinks you have your own axe to grind that has nothing to do with me, or with this thread.

And while I appreciate your detailed explanation behind the science of nicotine's effects, the purpose of my thread was to hear more personal, individual accounts of how the pipe makes folks feel - nothing more. If such a discussion isn't welcomed, or wanted, then I'd request that the mods please close this thread.

 

[warren]

Surely if humans have been enjoying this plant for thousands of years, there must be a pleasant effect on the mind and/or body.

A couple of points in your post prompted me to post. The effects of nicotine on the brain are widely and often cited. Almost universally known I might add. I admit you might not have known unless you researched the effects of nicotine before taking up the "hobby or, wee vice as I like to refer smoking.. Nicotine effects the brain, sometimes unnoticed or, at worst, denied by the smoker. It is a drug which the brain thoroughly enjoys. Nicotine also displaces oxygen in the blood, thereby depriving the brain of what it needs most. So, it's a tradeoff. But, good feelings aside, there is nothing healthful in the use of tobacco. Besides the nicotine, which we enjoy, putting light to tobacco and then taking the carcinogens into the body ... well, that's another hazard. There are no upsides to tobacco us for the smoker, only for the farmer, the manufacturers and vendors of the blends, cigarettes, etc. All, we smokers get is the hit to the brain and the fulfilling of any rebelliousness we might possess, figuratively giving the finger to the antis by engaging in our wee vice, be it cigars, cigarettes, blends, a pinch in the cheek or a full blown, jaw stretching cud of tobacco. Oh ... and for some a crutch, much a booze, sweets, etc. are for others.

My "crutch" comment references the need of some people for some sort of outside agency, food, nicotine, "uppers", music, "study buddies", etc. as they are unable to study, write, etc. without the outside agency or "crutch." In other words, they do not possess the necessary self-discipline to perform certain activities without the assistance of an outside agency of some sort. Such doesn't make them "bad" or deficient people. It simple means they lack the self-control/self-discipline of others. We all have our own personality and ways of getting things done. Nothing personal was meant by such a general observation. It was meant as a simple statement based entirely on my personal observations of how people function/react.

I apologize if I failed to make my points as clear enough for you. Me bad!

You started a fun, robust discussion. I thank you.

But I noticed that even those that detail the history of tobacco always seem to leave out one key piece of information: not one of them ever mentions how tobacco makes the user feel.

My initial response was directed at the above observation. A simple, probably less contrary response, should have been, "To what purpose?"

 

[SourShank]

I like to browse the internet as I smoke, but nonetheless the pipe is front and center to my attention. There is a moment in my bowl. Usually about 10~20 minutes in. Some towards the end seldom only the beginning, where the burn is just right. The flavor is at the maximum, temperature optimal and the smoke tastes and feels just right. Mild enough but has enough punch to tickle the nose. Every draw as delicious as the last and a quick tamp is replied to with a layer of ash and an even burn. It's a feeling like no other to get the most you can from your favorite blend in your favorite pipe.

 

[gamzultovah]

I apologize if I failed to make my points as clear enough for you. Me bad!

You started a fun, robust discussion. I thank you

This.

 

[gamzultovah]

The “trance” state you speak of I experience quite often. It is akin to meditating with the focus on my pipe, instead of on my breathing. Of course, the nicotine content helps the process along.

 

[Strandsbeachlocal]

A couple of points in your post prompted me to post. The effects of nicotine on the brain are widely and often cited. Almost universally known I might add. I admit you might not have known unless you researched the effects of nicotine before taking up the "hobby or, wee vice as I like to refer smoking.. Nicotine effects the brain, sometimes unnoticed or, at worst, denied by the smoker. It is a drug which the brain thoroughly enjoys. Nicotine also displaces oxygen in the blood, thereby depriving the brain of what it needs most. So, it's a tradeoff. But, good feelings aside, there is nothing healthful in the use of tobacco. Besides the nicotine, which we enjoy, putting light to tobacco and then taking the carcinogens into the body ... well, that's another hazard. There are no upsides to tobacco us for the smoker, only for the farmer, the manufacturers and vendors of the blends, cigarettes, etc. All, we smokers get is the hit to the brain and the fulfilling of any rebelliousness we might possess, figuratively giving the finger to the antis by engaging in our wee vice, be it cigars, cigarettes, blends, a pinch in the cheek or a full blown, jaw stretching cud of tobacco. Oh ... and for some a crutch, much a booze, sweets, etc. are for others.

My "crutch" comment references the need of some people for some sort of outside agency, food, nicotine, "uppers", music, "study buddies", etc. as they are unable to study, write, etc. without the outside agency or "crutch." In other words, they do not possess the necessary self-discipline to perform certain activities without the assistance of an outside agency of some sort. Such doesn't make them "bad" or deficient people. It simple means they lack the self-control/self-discipline of others. We all have our own personality and ways of getting things done. Nothing personal was meant by such a general observation. It was meant as a simple statement based entirely on my personal observations of how people function/react.

I apologize if I failed to make my points as clear enough for you. Me bad!

You started a fun, robust discussion. I thank you.


My initial response was directed at the above observation. A simple, probably less contrary response, should have been, "To what purpose?"

Any thoughts on the binding of oxidoreductase creating reduced neuronal vulnerability in the brain? It’s nice to have someone versed on the research to ask.

 

[JOHN72]

What is the meaning of life, without these pleasures? We are going to shit daisies until the extinction of the planet? For me smoking is more than a trance, it is better than a trance.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Nicotine is such a weird drug. Most pipe smokers say that they are not into the nicotine, but then demand to smoke tobaccos with glee, when they could just smoke some candy vape thing or smoke some of those herbal tobacco supplements without nicotine. And, many of us get addicted, without there being much of a reward for smoking, and then later down the line we smoke so we don't get a reaction from lack of.
But, I'm not complaining. I happily smoke for the nicotine. I am just not sure about this trance thing. Funny, I may have avoided nicotine if it did something like that to me.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

I’ve had some of those moments when the blend, pipe, situation just make it a terrific experience. But, never transcendental. I don’t think that hard about it. Just enjoying is good enough for me. ?️

 

[Chasing Embers]

Now if some cleaning fluid was added to the blend......

 

[cigrmaster]

I think I was 13 the last time I felt any kind of buzz from tobacco. In my world it is a light weight drug that is never something I would ever chase. I smoke a pipe because I like the flavors more than most cigars and definitely all cigarettes

 

[Scottishgaucho]

Been smoking tobacco regularly for 50 years since I was 15. Can't say I've experienced anything out of the ordinary. I just do it because I like it.

 

[mso489]

Lighting up a tobacco pipe is ceremonial down time, set aside to sit back and ask myself what I have to say about all this, listen to my thoughts instead of broadcasts, posts, ambient noise. I don't think of it as a trance, rather a kind of pause for centering and clarity. Other versions of this might be a walk, a nap, composing my thoughts in writing, or communing with a creature, my cats or birds outdoors. The ritual exceeds the effects of nicotine.

 

[warren]

Any thoughts on the binding of oxidoreductase creating reduced neuronal vulnerability in the brain? It’s nice to have someone versed on the research to ask.

The research seems to speak for itself.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

My WarHorse Bar reaction...