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> would you recommend it If you're healthy enough, I think it's something that people have an obligation to society to try. It's also just an important part of

> would you recommend it If you're healthy enough, I think it's something that people have an obligation to society to try. It's also just an important part of the human experience, and imho going through life without ever trying psychedelics is akin to never going through school, dating, having a job, starting a family, etc.

tzar 8y ago
> ...never going through school, dating, having a job, starting a family, etc. Are those things really an important part of “the” human experience? I'm surprised to hear psychedelics mentioned in the same sentence as such a normative prescription.
- Alex3917 8y ago
  > Are those things really an important part of “the” human experience? Yes, but important in the sense of them being the most salient human experiences, not important in the sense that you should do them. E.g. I’d put going to war in the same category.
tptacek 8y ago
People don't have an obligation to society to go through school or start a family, and they certainly don't have an obligation to try psychedelics. My experiences with them have not been pleasant and I have a problem with anyone suggesting to someone uncertain about the prospect that they're in any way obligated to move forward with them.
- Alex3917 8y ago
  > People don't have an obligation to society to go through school or start a family I didn’t say they did. The reason I think people should try different drugs is largely that it’s not possible to fully understand the art, laws, institutions, culture, etc. of a society without having had the qualitative experiences that inspired them. The reason I think there is an obligation is the potential to have new ideas and experiences that benefit society. E.g. given the current drama around gay rights, if you can swallow a pill that gives you the qualitative experience of being gay for a couple hours then I believe that’s something you have the moral obligation to do. "I am human, I consider nothing human alien to me."
stinos 8y ago
I understand you getting downvoted; I wouldn't oblige it but would like to see psychedelics to not be frowned upon and considered complete evil by most of society. Because imo there is some truth in what you say: especially with people around my age I can tell after a couple of conversations with a pretty good success rate (say 80%) if they have ever taken psychedelics. Yeah yeah, small sample size, anecdotal and whatnot, but still... There's this particular openness of the mind quite a lot of non-users just seem to lack.
- andai 8y ago
  Ahh, but is it correlation or causation? :)
  - stinos 8y ago
    That is of course the major question :] Looking at myself though, psychedelics did definitely change something (as in, bascically from one day to the other, not only gradually, so there is something causal there)

tzar 8y ago

> ...never going through school, dating, having a job, starting a family, etc. Are those things really an important part of “the” human experience? I'm surprised to hear psychedelics mentioned in the same sentence as such a normative prescription.

Alex3917 8y ago
> Are those things really an important part of “the” human experience? Yes, but important in the sense of them being the most salient human experiences, not important in the sense that you should do them. E.g. I’d put going to war in the same category.

tptacek 8y ago

People don't have an obligation to society to go through school or start a family, and they certainly don't have an obligation to try psychedelics. My experiences with them have not been pleasant and I have a problem with anyone suggesting to someone uncertain about the prospect that they're in any way obligated to move forward with them.

Alex3917 8y ago
> People don't have an obligation to society to go through school or start a family I didn’t say they did. The reason I think people should try different drugs is largely that it’s not possible to fully understand the art, laws, institutions, culture, etc. of a society without having had the qualitative experiences that inspired them. The reason I think there is an obligation is the potential to have new ideas and experiences that benefit society. E.g. given the current drama around gay rights, if you can swallow a pill that gives you the qualitative experience of being gay for a couple hours then I believe that’s something you have the moral obligation to do. "I am human, I consider nothing human alien to me."

stinos 8y ago

I understand you getting downvoted; I wouldn't oblige it but would like to see psychedelics to not be frowned upon and considered complete evil by most of society. Because imo there is some truth in what you say: especially with people around my age I can tell after a couple of conversations with a pretty good success rate (say 80%) if they have ever taken psychedelics. Yeah yeah, small sample size, anecdotal and whatnot, but still... There's this particular openness of the mind quite a lot of non-users just seem to lack.

andai 8y ago
Ahh, but is it correlation or causation? :)
- stinos 8y ago
  That is of course the major question :] Looking at myself though, psychedelics did definitely change something (as in, bascically from one day to the other, not only gradually, so there is something causal there)