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The possibilities for psychedelic drugs to treat and shed insight into mental health issues are exciting. But I think it's worth pointing out (especially if you

The possibilities for psychedelic drugs to treat and shed insight into mental health issues are exciting. But I think it's worth pointing out (especially if you are a recreational user or are considering it) that we don't understand the side effects very well. Low resolution, we know they don't kill you or lead to addiction (though they can cause problems in people with underlying mental health problems). But I'm concerned about the subtler, not-obviously-harmful-but-not-necessarily-desirable ways in which they permanently alter the brain. Slate Star Codex has a few recent articles that are worth considering: http://slatestarcodex.com/2018/06/06/hppd-and-the-specter-of-permanent-side-effects/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2018/06/06/hppd-and-the-specter-of... http://slatestarcodex.com/2016/04/28/why-were-early-psychedelicists-so-weird/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2016/04/28/why-were-early-psychede...

Alex3917 8y ago
The risk of HPPD seems to be very related to frequency of use, dosage, how strongly the substance binds to the receptor, and the anxiety levels of the person taking it. It's a risk that should be taken very seriously, but if you're just taking a low dose of mushrooms once a year or so it's not a huge risk.
- rebuilder 8y ago
  This is a tough subject. Like the first link in GP's post notes, HPPD can't really be caused by LSD persisting in the body. The article presents another hypothesis, where LSD might kill off important neurons. But LSD and other psychedelics have been taken by millions of people, and the odds of getting HPPD seem fairly low, although significant. Is it reasonable to assume a direct chemical action as the cause here? We accept that e.g. PTSD results from experienced trauma, and psychedelics like LSD can certainly induce very intense mental states. Could that not be enough to explain "flashbacks" etc?
  - Alex3917 8y ago
    > Is it reasonable to assume a direct chemical action as the cause here I don't think so. There might be a chemical cause, but to me the correlation with anxiety makes it more likely that it's a state-shifting phenomenon, more like depression.

Alex3917 8y ago

The risk of HPPD seems to be very related to frequency of use, dosage, how strongly the substance binds to the receptor, and the anxiety levels of the person taking it. It's a risk that should be taken very seriously, but if you're just taking a low dose of mushrooms once a year or so it's not a huge risk.

rebuilder 8y ago
This is a tough subject. Like the first link in GP's post notes, HPPD can't really be caused by LSD persisting in the body. The article presents another hypothesis, where LSD might kill off important neurons. But LSD and other psychedelics have been taken by millions of people, and the odds of getting HPPD seem fairly low, although significant. Is it reasonable to assume a direct chemical action as the cause here? We accept that e.g. PTSD results from experienced trauma, and psychedelics like LSD can certainly induce very intense mental states. Could that not be enough to explain "flashbacks" etc?
- Alex3917 8y ago
  > Is it reasonable to assume a direct chemical action as the cause here I don't think so. There might be a chemical cause, but to me the correlation with anxiety makes it more likely that it's a state-shifting phenomenon, more like depression.