Credit: Dangerous Minds / Mishal Ibrahim

Admittedly, I’ve been teetotal since I was 15, so apologies if this sounds like a narc talking. However, whether it’s psilocybin or Datura, I don’t think I’ll ever get the appeal of chasing the next big drug high.

Now, I know that’s definitely because I’ve never felt it. I also know that it’s barely a rational reaction. It’s a chemical reaction that cuts through all rational responses. People don’t do it because they think it’s a good idea; they do it because their body is telling them to do it, but at the same time, there has to be a point where you have a moment of clarity. Preferably, one that comes before you do something stupid like experiment with the aforementioned Datura.

If you do want a truly psychotic high, that’s exactly what you’ll get from this otherwise pleasant enough-looking flower known as Datura. It’s called ‘The Devil’s Trumpets’ for a reason, because this isn’t the kind of high that will make you laugh tears of mirth at a film you’ve seen dozens of times before, or get through that multi-pack of crisps you should have been saving for a friend’s birthday party. No, Datura gives you the kind of high that ruins your life.

Need proof? A video circulated on Reddit a few years back, which was horrifying. This was someone who’d decided to thwack the ‘Do Not Press’ button, take Datura and report back about the experience. This was clearly a guy who knew what he was doing when it came to substances. In the immediate background of the video is a table covered in bongs and other assorted drug paraphernalia. All stereotypes about people who view drugs as a lifestyle aside, this is a guy who probably knows exactly how to have a drug habit and make it an enriching, pleasurable experience.

Then, unshaven, gurning and clearly in distress, he begins muttering about how this trip has been going on for two months straight, and shows no sign of letting up.

Now, a two-month-long high is the kind of story that reads like a made-up tale that an anti-drugs counsellor would warn about in school. It’s a terrifying prospect, long before you take into account what Datura specifically does to you, and the fact that Datura only seems to deal in nightmarishly bad trips. The kind that don’t just cause horrific, intense hallucinations, but also visceral physical reactions that resemble the worst panic attacks you’ll ever experience. Imagine that, but for two months straight.

However, then you start looking into it and find that the longest a Datura trip can last is about two weeks. Which is still absolutely frightening, but casts some doubt over the video. After all, according to all medical research into the drug, a two-month-long Datura high would kill even the hardiest user. So, is this a con? A prank to scare people? Essentially a creepypasta but with more bongs? It could very much be. After all, it’s on the internet, and nothing on there is actually real.

Or, it could be something even more terrifying than we initially thought. After all, drug highs do several things to your consciousness. Yes, they make you see things, yes, they make you feel things, yes, they make you go to the shops for a multi-pack of Mars bars. Y’know what they also mess with? Your perception of time. No, this man probably wasn’t actually trapped in a Datura high for two months in our time.

He almost certainly felt like he did, though, and isn’t that so much worse?