This is from a few months back, but is so full of innocent wonder that I have to post it! In September, @hella_brad took his first dose of acid and decided to live-tweet the trip. Considering the frequency and quality of the tweets, not to mention his ability to walk around and socialize, I imagine he took a low dose.

Some have questioned the veracity of the tweets, but to me it seems real, and it would be a silly thing to fake. Hella_brad’s Twitter persona comes across as genuine and endearing, not just in these tweets but in general, so it would surprise me if this was some kind of hoax.

He captures the emotions and visual spectacles of a psychedelic trip perfectly. I bolded some of my favorite lines and added some pictures from around the Web.

Serious tweet: should I take acid and go to a frat barbeque. I trust you guys to make the right decision for me

well, wish me luck, please pray i don’t get hit by a car or arrested, and we’re going to do this

aaand it’s on the tongue.

the bus is on time. I am listening to R Kelly to keep a positive headspace going. #livetweet

it’s a beautiful day outside today, I could not imagine a better day to be doing this. so many flowers, nice breezes

a cute girl just sat down on the bus and leaned up against my legs like an armrest but then realized they were legs and apologized profusely

it was v awkwardly cute, I think acid must be magic

we’re at roughly 30 minutes now and I feel very happy and am having weird thoughts: “wow my fingers look so alive” “I feel like a chameleon”

“I feel like a chameleon.” I know the feeling, Brad.
Artwork courtesy of PaintMyWorldRainbow.

WHAT THE HECK THIS GUY NEXT TO ME JUST POPPED THE EMERGENCY EXIT WINDOW OUT I’M LAUGHING SO HARD LET’S GET OFF THE BUS NOW

DAMN everything is WAY prettier without a window in between me and it

green things are so green, flowers are so beautiful and intricate, shiny things are radiantly shiny

I’m glad I showered before doing this because smells are EXTREMELY NOTICEABLE

it seems a little early for anything visual at 45 min but all the signs on this grocery store are glowing so lets go inside

just a tiny glow, like the sunlight sticks to it. maybe it does that normally and I’m just noticing it for the first time today

I helped a cute girl back her car out of a parking stall in the grocery store parking lot. maybe that’s why I was supposed to come here

normally I would be too shy to do that but today I am trying to live w/ PURPOSE now let’s go buy VEGAN ICE CREAM I just decided that’s next

the biggest piece of evidence that these drugs are effecting me so far has to be the differences in my signature. it looks so much happier

there’s a wedding party in this pizzeria, lets check that out. the bride is eating pepperoni and mushrooms.

I didn’t intrude on them but it was nice to see, just a bunch people in wedding clothes eating pizza. what a weird cool day

WOW shade feels so nice I’m just gonna sit in the shade and watch how Light plays over everything in the street

are you aware of the tremendous amount of reflective surfaces visible in the day to day world. there’s so many

like every single part of the standard automobile is capable of reflecting light and you can see those beams of light as it drives, wow

we’re at 1hour and ten minutes so far. I’m not even sure if this is what acid is supposed to be like but SO MANY people are talking to me

so I guess we’re doing something right, here. I’m sitting in a really nice big plush armchair for a moment to get my bearings

oops I left the bookshop w/out saying goodbye to the lady who owns it. I hope she forgives me for just sitting in her chair to eat ice cream

I probably should have bought a book but for some reason I don’t feel like buying books today and I’m tying to go with my instincts

oh a soap attendant is grilling me about what soaps I like best I don’t know what to say

she left me alone after that

there’s so much green stuff in the world. when did all of the green stuff get here, I don’t remember it showing up.

I like it, it makes me curious

literally every point of light in my vision is catching my eye and it’s getting a little difficult to tweet. let’s find some more shadow

I forgot I have my iPod maybe let’s listen to music while we walk around and look at lights

it’s getting a little insane the degree of perception I have today, I can hear levels I’ve never noticed before in these tracks

I’m gonna take a break & eat more ice cream it’s starting to thaw out so I want to enjoy it. we”re at 1 hour 30 minutes for those counting

I think this is the nicest day I’ve ever spent outside in my life

Photo by TouchingHeaven

the shadows of the tree I’m sitting under bobbed as I tweeted that and I’m imagining that’s nature saying “yes that’s right”

.@Labrite34 probly how everything seems to POP in my vision. I feel like everything is important & cool to look at, I like everything a lot

surreptitiously touching all the trees on the side of the road. oops that’s a lightpost. there that’s a tree. I like this.

I found a really nice tree, I’m gonna hang around this one for a bit. a good tree to lean on and touch.

little seed things are falling from it, I can hear them hitting the ground

I went into a music store for the first time. did you guys know this many kinds of guitars exist. this is mindblowing

I’m looking at all the drums and cymbals and imagining what they all sound like. boom, crash.

did you know: there is no actual music playing in this music store and it’s starting to weird me out. let’s leave

have you ever really stared at an apartment building and tried to compreheld like how many people were in there doing life stuff

go outside and stare at an apartment building. try to guess how many people inside are reading a book. guess how many are kissing.

just went up to a car and touched it. just ran my hands all over a strangers car. nobody saw. I’ve never done that before. it was dusty.

so much stuff I’ve never done before today I don’t care if it’s mundane it’s all new and that’s fun

the sun keeps getting brighter the longer I’m outside and I can see more and more light everywhere. some things are almost glowing.

have you ever sat down in a field of grass and sat really still and watched every blade of grass move individually in the breeze

that’s what I’m doing right now only I’m not sitting still and instead of grass it’s the world. I can see everything moving individually

I’m watching this one tree right now and seeing every individual movement of every individual leaf and it’s completely hyonotizing

I could probably sit in front of this cafe and stare at this tree for hours but there’s more interesting stuff to do

a homeless man just asked me for some smokes and I told him I didn’t have smokes but he could have this ice cream if he wanted

he gave me a fist bump and said I was great and blessed me so things are going pretty great around the two hour mark

I knew that ice cream would come in handy sooner or later

I opened a can of soda and it sprayed all over me and instead of getting mad I laughed because it felt good and new and weird

the soda is also delicious, I’m licking it off my hands and feeling happy to be alive.

I went into a convenience store to wash my hands but the slushy machine was making a terrifying noise. lesson learned. let’s stay outside

sharing the ice cream with that old homeless man made me feel really buoyant like I took some of the glowing outside world into my heart

Photo by Spikewolfsoul.

there’s a little bird hopping around on the sidewalk and no one is noticing him. I said hi.

I wish I could have gently reminded people to look at the bird but they all seemed busy. they missed out, he was friendly & nice to look at

I’m on campus now and it’s very nice, the campus smells great. everything smells great today. I’m glad we’re doing this.

I think I’ll do a lap around campus and then I’ll they and find the frat house where I’m supposed to go for a barbeque, that sounds nice

there are so many bird songs going on right now this is incredible to listen to I wish you could hear this I love birds

everything sounds beautiful even the snippets of conversation I hear as I walk past people sounds like a song.

that bike is a song. these leaves are a song. that AC vent is a song. that door hinge is a song. those wind chimes are a song. my footsteps

I’m in the middle of campus and everything is still except for that squirrel in the tree right there hey squirrel

everything smells so fantastic and there are so many new smells everywhere and there is a little brook of running water

just sitting in the middle of this area behind the library and listening to nature and feeling like I’m at the center of something beautiful

I wish the squirrels could come over to my table so I could look at them & pet them but I get their apprehension. we can’t ALL be on acid

we’re at 2.5 hours and I feel like we’re going really strong at this point so that’s very good. I feel really in tune with nature.

Photo by Gavin Kerslake

WOW JUST AS I TWEETED THAT LIKE A HUNDRED PIGEONS FLEW UP OUT OF NOWHERE AND ALL CIRCLED ABOVE ME AND STARTED COOING IN THE TREES

I THINK I CAST A SPELL OR SOMETHING BECAUSE THAT WAS HONESTLY MAGICAL

wow for a second that was like completely overwhelming to me, I felt really dizzy and there was so much movement, so many birds

hey it’s the wedding party from earlier they’re on campus now it’s nice to see them again I hope they enjoyed their pizza

haha the wedding people came here in a weird limousine and I’m laughing really hard at how weird the limousine looks haha

limousines have to be the funniest looking cars they must be very secure and emotionally confident to go out every day looking like that

theres a big fenced off area in the main quad but I’m going inside because it’s just a fence around some grass it seems pretty harmless

this was a good decision, there is a really nice warm table sitting here and it’s nice to just feel the sun all over me

I’m glad everyone is sending me these supportive messages even if I’m not responding to many of ny interactions right now

I’ve actually gotten a weird amount of hate tweets over this but I’ve been ignoring them in a manner truly disrespectful to the haters

DEAR HATERS. I APOLOGIZE FOR IGNORING YOU. I’M JUST LIVING MY LIFE. HAVE A GOOD AFTERNOON. NAMASTE.

found a rly nice waterbottle on the ground in quad but I misspelled every word in this tweet the first time I typed it so I’m not keeping it

just noticed the beauty of everything and also my skin feels amazing to be in and today is so great and all of that at once made me tear up

very overcome with emotion, momentarily there, like a huge cresting wave

that’s exactly what it felt like, like standing in one of those wave pools I’d go to as a kid &letting it lift you up like you’re weightless

I feel wrapped up in a thousand cushioning thoughts thank you to everyone joining me on this trip today this has truly been amazing to share

currently walking down the longest road I’ve had to walk down today in search of this barbeque, it’s scope is breathtaking

I have walked through like three distinct neighborhoods looking for this frat house. so many houses and all of them sadly not the one I seek

very nice houses though. one or two of them I was hoping would be the house I was looking for because they looked fun to party in

I think I see it! I think I see the place! I’m very excited by this development!

there’s a pool in the front yard and water is spraying everywhere it’s pretty wonderful

I like this but I might have to cut down on the tweting because so many people are interacting with me and it takes a large amount of focus

@big_dick_brutal: do they know you’re on ac!d

@big_dick_brutal nope

this house is like a maze, so many twists and turns

it used to be two houses but they knocked out a bunch walls. there’s secret stairwells and ceiling panels that slide out to reveal secrets

“have we met?” “yes.” “really?” “no. probably not. but I wondered what your reaction would be. you look familiar.”

I think I’m actually putting THEM off balance. how weird is that.

I’m walking around the maze house feeling like I’m exploring my own mind while I sip beer and we talk about hotwiring cars

I’m making them listen to purity ring and were all laughing while they try and get the Jacuzzi working

maybe I should make some friends Here they seem pretty okay for a buncha crazy dudes in a maze house with a Jacuzzi on the lawn

haha this place was trashed by a party last night and there’s body paint everywhere, all ovrr the place

“buncha tribal savages tappin away on glowing screens”

“you’d think that this would be easy to clean up. I mean, it’s paint… made for bodies. it shouldn’t stick to things like this.”

we live in a world where there is neon paint made and manufactured for our bodies but we also have iPads and that juxtaposition is hilarious

buncha tribal savages tapping away on glowing screens

“don’t swear, that lady across the street is carrying a baby”

there are gnats dancing in the sunlight like a beautiful cascade of flickering sparks

aww some tweets got saved in the drafts folder while I was in the soap shop here you can see them now

oh wow this soap shop is almost overwhelming but it feels so good to be in here right now. I feel like I can smell everything

I said I like “that soap” and she said “why that one in particular” and I said “why do I have to have a reason to like a soap. or anything”

I’m teaching the frat guys how to juggle and the front yard is just a sea of flashing flying glittering goofy pool toys

what a delightful afternoon

I wonder if they just think I’m full of childlike wonder and easygoing optimism or if they figured out I’m on acid yet

taking all the frat guys to the organic market, teaching them about vegan food, laughing my butt off

no joke it’s cool as hell that they’re accommodating me as the only vegan guy here at the barbecue and I really like that

phone is dying a bit these tweets may experience a brief interruption I will continue to tweet until I power down

four frat guys walking out of an organic market with their arms full of Portobello mushrooms & me leading them like some kind of pied piper

they’re all trying kombucha for the first time because one of them bought a jug when I wasn’t looking lmao that’s hilarious

It seems that’s where his phone died. Probably for the best—no one needs to spend an entire trip tweeting. I can barely handle typing a single text when I’m down the rabbit hole! And it sounds like he made some friends at the party. I wonder if anybody figured out the secret ingredient to his uncommonly loving and open nature?