The Big Bong Theory: Why naming your bong is important
I have been smoking cannabis for the past 20 odd years of my life. Throughout my lifetime I have had many different smoking pieces. Since I was a wee-stoner, I was naming my pipes and bongs and so forth and I believe it is almost a stoner’s rite to do so.
Of course, this isn’t something you ‘HAVE TO DO’ but it does provide a bit more entertainment when it comes to toking up. Below, I’ll go through the Why’s to naming your bong from a purely subjective point of view so take it with a grain of salt. However, for those who also name their bongs, let’s see if I hit the marker on this one.
Giving your Bong Personality
One of my favorite bongs is “The T.A.R.D.I.S” named after one of the shows I am completely obsessed about. It was one of my most expensive weed-related purchases ever. I named it after I took my first hit and was sent to another dimension.
I immediately understood that this bong could not remain nameless and thus I dubbed her “The T.A.R.D.I.S”. Now, every time I have people coming over and we are having a ‘weed party’, we know to ask for The T.A.R.D.I.S.
When I mention her to my friends, they immediately associate past experiences with her, creating a deeper expectation of the effects and reinforcing the power of the bong. She has now developed a personality and my friends and I love her for it.
I believe the same is true for any of my smoking pieces, whether it’s “The Dabbatron” or “Pipes McGee”, I now have created a subconscious link with my smoking pieces that in one way or another enhances my trips.
Why does naming ones pipe create a more profound experience?
Have you ever driven on a bumpy road and your tire hit a pothole? What do you do when this happens? If you’re like most people, you’ll probably say something like “Ouch”. This is called “Inanimate Transference” and is something we humans do quite often.
Your favorite shirt, your car or your bong all begin to link to you subconsciously. Of course, the object itself can’t feel anything, however you start ‘feeling for it’. You start creating the personality and embedding it onto the object. If anything happens to the object, you react in its stead. There is some sort of symbiosis that occurs on a very minimal level.
The link you establish within your mind towards this object in turn will create a different experience on a subjective level. As your experience with the object grows, so does your affection and your brain will begin to respond to it differently than smoking from a nameless pipe or bong.
This is principally the reason why I think naming your bong, pipe or what have you is so important. More than just being “cool”, you’re actually influencing your trips in the future. When more people start buying into the fantasy, the experience becomes collective and suddenly it is no longer ‘just a pipe’ or bong your smoking from, but an imaginary friend that visits you when you’re high.
They last longer
Secondly, once you give a certain importance to these inanimate objects, you take better care of it. I have seen this a million times throughout my stoner life. Every pipe and smoking device that remained unnamed either got lost or broken. The ones that I did name somehow stay with me longer.
I can only conclude because I am actually taking more care of it. I clean it more often, I place it in a safe space when I’m not using it not only because of the price-tag, but because I care for it.
Thus, by giving your bongs and pipes and other smoking devices a name and a personality will influence your own behavior in taking better care of it. Unless you’re a sociopath of course.
How do you name your bong?
I personally have my ritual that I developed for naming my bong. If you don’t have a naming technique then you can copy mine.
Essentially what I do is the following:
- I buy the piece that ‘speaks to me’ – When I’m in a headshop I stroll for a while until something catches my eye. If there is an immediate ‘pull towards’ the object, I buy it. Sometimes I don’t find this connection and don’t buy anything.
- The first toke – If I smoked before buying the device, I won’t spark up until the very next day. This is because I want my first fresh toke of weed to come from this new device. I want to feel how the bong/pipe hits me with a strain I know. This way I know exactly how the object behaves, whether it gives a smooth hit or a monster hit, whether there is a lot of smoke or not so much. This gives me indication on what to name the piece.
- Finally, comes the naming aspect. I’m stoned now, I have felt the bong first hand and now I am ready to name her/him. It usually takes me a few minutes until I come up with a perfect name. If nothing comes up, I’ll wait another day and repeat the process until the name comes to me.
Do you name your piece?
So now, the question goes…do you name your smoking pieces and if so…what are their names? Feel free to comment below.
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