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Shifting views about psychedelic drugs require a new category for them

192 points by benbreen 3y ago

coder4life 3y ago
https://archive.is/XCkZD https://archive.is/XCkZD
TaylorAlexander 3y ago
About two months ago I was at a festival with friends and a I had a psychedelic experience. What’s funny is earlier that day I had just told my friends “I know this sounds boring but I don’t like dancing that much.” Then while I was tripping I found that I was really enjoying the dancing. I felt like I was tapping in to a part of myself that had been dormant for a long time. I felt really confident and cool and sexy dancing to the music, and had a wonderful time. The thing about this is that in the subsequent weeks and to this day the confidence is still here. I have come to realize that the pandemic messed me up in ways that I hadn’t even realized! I’m pretty in touch with myself - I go to therapy once a week but I’m usually talking about work and relationships. Dating in particular felt hard and I didn’t know why, but since rediscovering my confidence dating has been going very well for me. Now when I talk to people I like I’m finding them asking me for my number or asking me out. I had a cute friend I’ve been crushing on for a while nervously ask me for a kiss! The point is that there are parts of us that are nearly accessible but our brain pathways need a little temporary loosening to strengthen some of those pathways, and psychedelics can do just that. They’re no panacea and it takes some experience to really gain the desired effects. But they can also just be enjoyable and they’re generally harmless, and it’s such a shame that they’re so stigmatized. I live in Oakland where they have decriminalized mushrooms and I’d like to see more decriminalization and ultimately legalization of mushrooms, LSD, and more. I have a friend who has been doing legal ketamine therapy under the care of their therapist and it has helped them realize the ways in which they had been hanging on to old relationships which were holding them back. They’re finding out how to advocate for their own needs and they’re much happier for it. We’ve got a crisis of unhappiness in this country and psychedelic therapies are absolutely a powerful tool we could use to help people find themselves. Though I should say, probably because I just listened to a bunch of Noam Chomsky last night, that allowing broad swaths of the population to become more deeply in touch with their core needs threatens the status quo and current power dynamics. Honestly tho the structures of power are so solidified I’m not sure there’s really much actual risk to them from drug legalization.
- dr_dshiv 3y ago
  Thanks for sharing. Great example.
- jagaerglad 3y ago
  I have been struggling a lot with dating. Despite being a quite social, and often popular guy to be around, there has been some block/hump that always stood in the way of dating. Funnily enough it struck me some weeks ago that I probably have to go on a psychadelic trip to rewire my brain to be able to show my interest romatically to others. What I'm scared of is the possibility of it having some other undesired effect though I had a similar experience with dancing though. Thought I hated it, and I always had to force myself to do it, until I started (modestly) drinking alcohol. My body would dance for me and I would enjoy it. The effect more or less stuck around and I even genuinely have days of more confidence after a night with alcohol. All of this is mildly depressing though. It feels as though we are just our brains (maybe obviously), but just that we're the strange effects of the functions of a non-magical/soul-less organ in our heads primarily just meant to steer our bodies. Those thoughts make drugs both existentially liberating but at the same time also "imprisoning" for me
  - kortex 3y ago
    > All of this is mildly depressing though. It feels as though we are just our brains (maybe obviously), but just that we're the strange effects of the functions of a non-magical/soul-less organ in our heads primarily just meant to steer our bodies. Those thoughts make drugs both existentially liberating but at the same time also "imprisoning" for me That is certainly one way of looking at things, and one of the more frequent perspectives I harbor. But I've also had enough trips down the rabbit hole to realize there's more to it than that. Way more to it. We are definitely strange effects for sure. We are haunted atoms that formed in the core of a dying star. Weird, right? If you find that worldview imprisoning, I encourage you to question it. Magic is often simply what you need it to be, no need to get hung up on whether magic is "real" or not, because that doesn't actually matter. Check out Discordianism if you haven't already. It's kinda like hot swapping reality tunnels. No need to commit to one ontology all the time :).
  - deleted 3y ago
yieldcrv 3y ago
I agree, I sometimes run into people - usually corporate employee, college educated people - “straight edge” people that are just getting around to experimenting with psychadelics and say things like “I’m not really into drugs” and treading carefully for that reason Its a smart approach But being unable to distinguish between “drugs” is sad Its a categorization problem, its a anti drug education problem that also categorized everything together and conflated everything with wild rumors. Its a supply chain problem as substances do need to be tested to ensure you are only getting your psychedelic.
triyambakam 3y ago
> I have met others who only stand and look at you blankly, who have lost their desire, even their self-respect. They have lost, shall we say, the structure through which their mind force previously flowed, and it has not been replaced. > What happens to a Hindu yogi when he enters a superconscious state of bliss in which his mind opens up, turns to light, and he sees the world revolving below the state of his suspended consciousness? He has arrived at this state through many years of practice in concentration, meditation and contemplation, many years of building strong nerve fiber. But in a momentary high on LSD or any other powerful psychedelic, such as mushrooms, peyote, ecstasy or DMT, the nerve structure is strained, in a sense which we can best describe as abnormal, to allow the individual to reach this exalted consciousness. Coming out of it, the result is often a kind of shock in which the person has a great difficulty in readjusting to any kind of normal routine. [1] [1] Living with Siva, 79
jokoon 3y ago
Whatever you do please don't advocate to replace ssri with psychedelics. Listen to a doctor or psychiatrist, just like it was for vaccines. And avoid personal anecdote, they have little value compared to what a doctor says. Thanks in advance.
- bigyikes 3y ago
  I agree with your main point, but the bit about anecdotes is tricky. We live in a society where research and information on these substances has been suppressed. As a result, anecdotes, to a large degree, are all we have. This is gradually changing as we see new studies emerging with the relaxation of regulation. However, the picture the data paint is still quite limited compared to the wealth of personal experiences that have been recorded over the decades.
  - jasonhansel 3y ago
    The fact that you only have anecdotes doesn't make those anecdotes more reliable.
    - p0pcult 3y ago
      [dead]
  - caniszczyk 3y ago
    agreed... I know a lot more folks that SSRIs have messed up in a variety ways than psychedelics... we should offer folks MORE options when fighting depression/anxiety and encourage experimentation
- HeWhoLurksLate 3y ago
  It seems to me that this is a fairly dangerous take- during and after the schooling required to become a doctor, surgeon, or nurse, the real-world experiences that these medical professionals have tends, over time, to outweigh the institutional knowledge they started with. Ideally, reading new research should be part and parcel to everybody's professional career, but a ton of the advice that you'll receive from your doctor will be informed more by experience (compounding anecdote) than anything else.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
andy_ppp 3y ago
My friend summed it up perfectly - “not exactly what you would call recreational is it?”. At some dose psychedelics reveal a huge amount of why we are the way we are to ourselves and give us more powers to change our reality than we had before. But with great power… people who see reality as very fixed or particularly have very black and white moral codes probably shouldn’t try them.
- 18pfsmt 3y ago
  [flagged]
  - dtgriscom 3y ago
    What are you trying to say? Who is "someone"? You complain about "this website" while bringing in an irrelevant political argument. Much heat, no light. Who's the problem here?
    - flangola7 3y ago
      This user was defending the Capitol insurrection 2 years ago with conspiracy theories. Treat everything they say as extremely untrustworthy.
      - mistermann 3y ago
        Setting the discussion of this topic without everyone losing their minds as a goal to be achieved via the intentional use of psychedelics seems like a fun and interesting idea for all the people in this thread who perceive themselves as wanting to "change the world". Before you can run, you must first learn how to walk.
nborwankar 3y ago
To properly categorize these drugs we need to expand our thinking. Hmmm :-)
k__ 3y ago
Read stuff from Thomas Metzinger. I think, he has really good ideas for the integration of psychedelics and meditation to get better insights to your own consciousness.
itomato 3y ago
We can drop the CIA concocted narratives anytime. Calling them out is the first step.
mightyham 3y ago
There are already tons of legal forms of escapism, which is exactly what psychedelics are, so I fail to see why it's so imperative that they become more socially accepted. I've also tried my fair share of psychedelics and find it completely laughable that people try to raise them up as these spiritual or therapeutic tools. Just because they make you hallucinate does not mean they "open up your mind" or make you think any more critically than alcohol or other drugs.
- oslem 3y ago
  Are there alternate tools that you believe can achieve improved critical thinking or “opening up your mind.”
- cthalupa 3y ago
  I have never found psychedelics to be more than an enjoyable way to spend an evening or weekend, but a large body of psychiatrists and medical researchers take the potential of psychedelics as a a therapeutic tool quite seriously and there is scientific research to support this position. If you find it completely laughable, I would hope you have some sort of significant scientific evidence to support that position. As for the spiritual bit, I don't understand how you could begin to argue this point. A spiritual experience is subjective and dependent on the person - if people can find meditation, walks in nature, staring up at the stars, listening to music, reading a book, etc., to be spiritual experiences, why in the world couldn't a trip on LSD do the same?
- themoonisachees 3y ago
  They are being raised as therapeutic tools because research shows that empirically, psychedelics do help with some mental issues, and sometimes in better ways than conventional medicine. They need to become more socially accepted because current legislation bans a lot of research on them under cover of the war on drugs, an that legislation can be changed if public sentiment changes. If tobacco was discovered to be good for say, depression, it'd be stupid to ban researchers from acquiring any under the guise of "tobacco cause cancer so nobody should be allowed to buy it ever". On top of that, drugs are absolutely winning the war on drugs, because the current policy of punishing users for either having fun on their own time or being addicts who literally will die if they stop is absurd. There is a middle ground between throwing addicts in prison and selling heroin in cafes, and that comes with mental help and social assistance to those in positions where hard drugs and dependance on them is preferable to experiencing life sober.
nuc1e0n 3y ago
I think the key factors to consider when talking about the best way to regard psychedelic substances is what potential benefits or harms do they have at the individual or societal level, for example an overdose that causes permanent debilitation or death. In my view, any potential regulation or guidance should be seeking to minimise the harms while maximizing the benefits. I also think historical precedent should be considered as part of the process to identifying that. As an aside to some of the comments made in the article, you can still be religious without theism. And in a way any religious experience could also be considered as a kind of mental health medication.
jl2718 3y ago
Imagine being told that your 50-year-old brain surgeon is returning from to a year-long psychedelic sabbatical just prior to your surgery. LSD, ayahuasca, psilocybin, frogs, everything. They tell you that this has completely changed everything about what they think and know. There is an inconsistency between the ability to “change your mind”, and the right to hold a lifetime credential, or more broadly, an identity or reputation. In the other direction, a person with a new brain may find themselves trapped by an old identity, reputation, or criminal record. Either way, there’s no good way to assess whether someone’s capabilities or behavior has changed to become inconsistent with past labels. This is also true for the sober passage of time and experience, but massively more so with the use of drugs (including alcohol). The main difference with psychedelics is that they affect a broader range of higher-order brain systems, whereas most other abused substances mainly affect the dopamine system, which is also disastrous, but probably takes longer to affect skill and knowledge. Imagine all of this research results in wonderful outcomes for happiness and positive affect and sociality etc. Everybody wants the treatment. Then we discover that all we’re doing is making people dumber, and dumb people are happier. And they’re also more confident, extroverted, and relatable, even creative, as they are no longer bound to their former knowledge, reasoning, or expertise, so the perception is that they are even smarter. It’s perfect for the individual, but a potential disaster for society. And of course, a proper screed today wouldn’t be complete without prognosticating about AI. It’s possible that some form of machine learning could and maybe should replace most forms of crystallized intelligence and skill, such that the only thing left for humans is exactly this type of “dumb genius” that we seem to find so beguiling in the majority of famous people. https://youtu.be/GtBhclCigH0 https://youtu.be/GtBhclCigH0
benbreen 3y ago
I'm the author of the OP. Happy to talk more about the history of psychedelics. I also wanted to flag that if anyone is interested in some of the historical sources I cite here (such as the Jesuit talking about ayahuasca in the 18th century) I go into more detail in this journal article, which is open access: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/historical-journal/article/failed-globalization-of-psychedelic-drugs-in-the-early-modern-world/6ADA9DE0F3FAC7E18591C7A96A53AA58 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/historical-journal/a...
- ImAnAmateur 3y ago
  I've got a question for you. Some people are very carefree with their use of psychoactive drugs. I'd say nearly everyone I've ever seen post online about trying mushrooms, LSD, etc. has done it for fun (or the experience) instead of spiritual, psychological, or medicinal reasons. What risks are they exposing themselves to? I'd hate to have a friend hurt themselves.
  - colecut 3y ago
    I would imagine the same risks as someone doing it for spiritual, psychological, or medicinal reasons
    - operatingthetan 3y ago
      Right, I'm confused what they are trying to accomplish gatekeeping others intent.
      - ImAnAmateur 3y ago
        How is that gatekeeping? I'm trying to ask about what the risks are for people who take it at a party or a festival or at home for fun. >Psychedelics like psilocybin have a remarkably benign safety profile relative to other Schedule One drugs, not to mention very different social, cultural and historical roles. Lumping psychedelics together with powerful opioids like fentanyl misdirects resources, diminishes buy-in from the public and undercuts the legitimacy of federal drug laws. The author of the article does not specify what risks these drugs have. Simply that they are relatively less dangerous than synthetic opioids.

192 points by benbreen 3y ago

https://archive.is/XCkZD https://archive.is/XCkZD

About two months ago I was at a festival with friends and a I had a psychedelic experience. What’s funny is earlier that day I had just told my friends “I know this sounds boring but I don’t like dancing that much.” Then while I was tripping I found that I was really enjoying the dancing. I felt like I was tapping in to a part of myself that had been dormant for a long time. I felt really confident and cool and sexy dancing to the music, and had a wonderful time. The thing about this is that in the subsequent weeks and to this day the confidence is still here. I have come to realize that the pandemic messed me up in ways that I hadn’t even realized! I’m pretty in touch with myself - I go to therapy once a week but I’m usually talking about work and relationships. Dating in particular felt hard and I didn’t know why, but since rediscovering my confidence dating has been going very well for me. Now when I talk to people I like I’m finding them asking me for my number or asking me out. I had a cute friend I’ve been crushing on for a while nervously ask me for a kiss! The point is that there are parts of us that are nearly accessible but our brain pathways need a little temporary loosening to strengthen some of those pathways, and psychedelics can do just that. They’re no panacea and it takes some experience to really gain the desired effects. But they can also just be enjoyable and they’re generally harmless, and it’s such a shame that they’re so stigmatized. I live in Oakland where they have decriminalized mushrooms and I’d like to see more decriminalization and ultimately legalization of mushrooms, LSD, and more. I have a friend who has been doing legal ketamine therapy under the care of their therapist and it has helped them realize the ways in which they had been hanging on to old relationships which were holding them back. They’re finding out how to advocate for their own needs and they’re much happier for it. We’ve got a crisis of unhappiness in this country and psychedelic therapies are absolutely a powerful tool we could use to help people find themselves. Though I should say, probably because I just listened to a bunch of Noam Chomsky last night, that allowing broad swaths of the population to become more deeply in touch with their core needs threatens the status quo and current power dynamics. Honestly tho the structures of power are so solidified I’m not sure there’s really much actual risk to them from drug legalization.

dr_dshiv 3y ago
Thanks for sharing. Great example.
jagaerglad 3y ago
I have been struggling a lot with dating. Despite being a quite social, and often popular guy to be around, there has been some block/hump that always stood in the way of dating. Funnily enough it struck me some weeks ago that I probably have to go on a psychadelic trip to rewire my brain to be able to show my interest romatically to others. What I'm scared of is the possibility of it having some other undesired effect though I had a similar experience with dancing though. Thought I hated it, and I always had to force myself to do it, until I started (modestly) drinking alcohol. My body would dance for me and I would enjoy it. The effect more or less stuck around and I even genuinely have days of more confidence after a night with alcohol. All of this is mildly depressing though. It feels as though we are just our brains (maybe obviously), but just that we're the strange effects of the functions of a non-magical/soul-less organ in our heads primarily just meant to steer our bodies. Those thoughts make drugs both existentially liberating but at the same time also "imprisoning" for me
- kortex 3y ago
  > All of this is mildly depressing though. It feels as though we are just our brains (maybe obviously), but just that we're the strange effects of the functions of a non-magical/soul-less organ in our heads primarily just meant to steer our bodies. Those thoughts make drugs both existentially liberating but at the same time also "imprisoning" for me That is certainly one way of looking at things, and one of the more frequent perspectives I harbor. But I've also had enough trips down the rabbit hole to realize there's more to it than that. Way more to it. We are definitely strange effects for sure. We are haunted atoms that formed in the core of a dying star. Weird, right? If you find that worldview imprisoning, I encourage you to question it. Magic is often simply what you need it to be, no need to get hung up on whether magic is "real" or not, because that doesn't actually matter. Check out Discordianism if you haven't already. It's kinda like hot swapping reality tunnels. No need to commit to one ontology all the time :).
- deleted 3y ago

yieldcrv 3y ago

I agree, I sometimes run into people - usually corporate employee, college educated people - “straight edge” people that are just getting around to experimenting with psychadelics and say things like “I’m not really into drugs” and treading carefully for that reason Its a smart approach But being unable to distinguish between “drugs” is sad Its a categorization problem, its a anti drug education problem that also categorized everything together and conflated everything with wild rumors. Its a supply chain problem as substances do need to be tested to ensure you are only getting your psychedelic.

triyambakam 3y ago

> I have met others who only stand and look at you blankly, who have lost their desire, even their self-respect. They have lost, shall we say, the structure through which their mind force previously flowed, and it has not been replaced. > What happens to a Hindu yogi when he enters a superconscious state of bliss in which his mind opens up, turns to light, and he sees the world revolving below the state of his suspended consciousness? He has arrived at this state through many years of practice in concentration, meditation and contemplation, many years of building strong nerve fiber. But in a momentary high on LSD or any other powerful psychedelic, such as mushrooms, peyote, ecstasy or DMT, the nerve structure is strained, in a sense which we can best describe as abnormal, to allow the individual to reach this exalted consciousness. Coming out of it, the result is often a kind of shock in which the person has a great difficulty in readjusting to any kind of normal routine. [1] [1] Living with Siva, 79

jokoon 3y ago

Whatever you do please don't advocate to replace ssri with psychedelics. Listen to a doctor or psychiatrist, just like it was for vaccines. And avoid personal anecdote, they have little value compared to what a doctor says. Thanks in advance.

bigyikes 3y ago
I agree with your main point, but the bit about anecdotes is tricky. We live in a society where research and information on these substances has been suppressed. As a result, anecdotes, to a large degree, are all we have. This is gradually changing as we see new studies emerging with the relaxation of regulation. However, the picture the data paint is still quite limited compared to the wealth of personal experiences that have been recorded over the decades.
- jasonhansel 3y ago
  The fact that you only have anecdotes doesn't make those anecdotes more reliable.
  - p0pcult 3y ago
    [dead]
- caniszczyk 3y ago
  agreed... I know a lot more folks that SSRIs have messed up in a variety ways than psychedelics... we should offer folks MORE options when fighting depression/anxiety and encourage experimentation
HeWhoLurksLate 3y ago
It seems to me that this is a fairly dangerous take- during and after the schooling required to become a doctor, surgeon, or nurse, the real-world experiences that these medical professionals have tends, over time, to outweigh the institutional knowledge they started with. Ideally, reading new research should be part and parcel to everybody's professional career, but a ton of the advice that you'll receive from your doctor will be informed more by experience (compounding anecdote) than anything else.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

andy_ppp 3y ago

My friend summed it up perfectly - “not exactly what you would call recreational is it?”. At some dose psychedelics reveal a huge amount of why we are the way we are to ourselves and give us more powers to change our reality than we had before. But with great power… people who see reality as very fixed or particularly have very black and white moral codes probably shouldn’t try them.

18pfsmt 3y ago
[flagged]
- dtgriscom 3y ago
  What are you trying to say? Who is "someone"? You complain about "this website" while bringing in an irrelevant political argument. Much heat, no light. Who's the problem here?
  - flangola7 3y ago
    This user was defending the Capitol insurrection 2 years ago with conspiracy theories. Treat everything they say as extremely untrustworthy.
    - mistermann 3y ago
      Setting the discussion of this topic without everyone losing their minds as a goal to be achieved via the intentional use of psychedelics seems like a fun and interesting idea for all the people in this thread who perceive themselves as wanting to "change the world". Before you can run, you must first learn how to walk.

nborwankar 3y ago

To properly categorize these drugs we need to expand our thinking. Hmmm :-)

k__ 3y ago

Read stuff from Thomas Metzinger. I think, he has really good ideas for the integration of psychedelics and meditation to get better insights to your own consciousness.

itomato 3y ago

We can drop the CIA concocted narratives anytime. Calling them out is the first step.

mightyham 3y ago

There are already tons of legal forms of escapism, which is exactly what psychedelics are, so I fail to see why it's so imperative that they become more socially accepted. I've also tried my fair share of psychedelics and find it completely laughable that people try to raise them up as these spiritual or therapeutic tools. Just because they make you hallucinate does not mean they "open up your mind" or make you think any more critically than alcohol or other drugs.

oslem 3y ago
Are there alternate tools that you believe can achieve improved critical thinking or “opening up your mind.”
cthalupa 3y ago
I have never found psychedelics to be more than an enjoyable way to spend an evening or weekend, but a large body of psychiatrists and medical researchers take the potential of psychedelics as a a therapeutic tool quite seriously and there is scientific research to support this position. If you find it completely laughable, I would hope you have some sort of significant scientific evidence to support that position. As for the spiritual bit, I don't understand how you could begin to argue this point. A spiritual experience is subjective and dependent on the person - if people can find meditation, walks in nature, staring up at the stars, listening to music, reading a book, etc., to be spiritual experiences, why in the world couldn't a trip on LSD do the same?
themoonisachees 3y ago
They are being raised as therapeutic tools because research shows that empirically, psychedelics do help with some mental issues, and sometimes in better ways than conventional medicine. They need to become more socially accepted because current legislation bans a lot of research on them under cover of the war on drugs, an that legislation can be changed if public sentiment changes. If tobacco was discovered to be good for say, depression, it'd be stupid to ban researchers from acquiring any under the guise of "tobacco cause cancer so nobody should be allowed to buy it ever". On top of that, drugs are absolutely winning the war on drugs, because the current policy of punishing users for either having fun on their own time or being addicts who literally will die if they stop is absurd. There is a middle ground between throwing addicts in prison and selling heroin in cafes, and that comes with mental help and social assistance to those in positions where hard drugs and dependance on them is preferable to experiencing life sober.

nuc1e0n 3y ago

I think the key factors to consider when talking about the best way to regard psychedelic substances is what potential benefits or harms do they have at the individual or societal level, for example an overdose that causes permanent debilitation or death. In my view, any potential regulation or guidance should be seeking to minimise the harms while maximizing the benefits. I also think historical precedent should be considered as part of the process to identifying that. As an aside to some of the comments made in the article, you can still be religious without theism. And in a way any religious experience could also be considered as a kind of mental health medication.

jl2718 3y ago

Imagine being told that your 50-year-old brain surgeon is returning from to a year-long psychedelic sabbatical just prior to your surgery. LSD, ayahuasca, psilocybin, frogs, everything. They tell you that this has completely changed everything about what they think and know. There is an inconsistency between the ability to “change your mind”, and the right to hold a lifetime credential, or more broadly, an identity or reputation. In the other direction, a person with a new brain may find themselves trapped by an old identity, reputation, or criminal record. Either way, there’s no good way to assess whether someone’s capabilities or behavior has changed to become inconsistent with past labels. This is also true for the sober passage of time and experience, but massively more so with the use of drugs (including alcohol). The main difference with psychedelics is that they affect a broader range of higher-order brain systems, whereas most other abused substances mainly affect the dopamine system, which is also disastrous, but probably takes longer to affect skill and knowledge. Imagine all of this research results in wonderful outcomes for happiness and positive affect and sociality etc. Everybody wants the treatment. Then we discover that all we’re doing is making people dumber, and dumb people are happier. And they’re also more confident, extroverted, and relatable, even creative, as they are no longer bound to their former knowledge, reasoning, or expertise, so the perception is that they are even smarter. It’s perfect for the individual, but a potential disaster for society. And of course, a proper screed today wouldn’t be complete without prognosticating about AI. It’s possible that some form of machine learning could and maybe should replace most forms of crystallized intelligence and skill, such that the only thing left for humans is exactly this type of “dumb genius” that we seem to find so beguiling in the majority of famous people. https://youtu.be/GtBhclCigH0 https://youtu.be/GtBhclCigH0

benbreen 3y ago

I'm the author of the OP. Happy to talk more about the history of psychedelics. I also wanted to flag that if anyone is interested in some of the historical sources I cite here (such as the Jesuit talking about ayahuasca in the 18th century) I go into more detail in this journal article, which is open access: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/historical-journal/article/failed-globalization-of-psychedelic-drugs-in-the-early-modern-world/6ADA9DE0F3FAC7E18591C7A96A53AA58 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/historical-journal/a...

ImAnAmateur 3y ago
I've got a question for you. Some people are very carefree with their use of psychoactive drugs. I'd say nearly everyone I've ever seen post online about trying mushrooms, LSD, etc. has done it for fun (or the experience) instead of spiritual, psychological, or medicinal reasons. What risks are they exposing themselves to? I'd hate to have a friend hurt themselves.
- colecut 3y ago
  I would imagine the same risks as someone doing it for spiritual, psychological, or medicinal reasons
  - operatingthetan 3y ago
    Right, I'm confused what they are trying to accomplish gatekeeping others intent.
    - ImAnAmateur 3y ago
      How is that gatekeeping? I'm trying to ask about what the risks are for people who take it at a party or a festival or at home for fun. >Psychedelics like psilocybin have a remarkably benign safety profile relative to other Schedule One drugs, not to mention very different social, cultural and historical roles. Lumping psychedelics together with powerful opioids like fentanyl misdirects resources, diminishes buy-in from the public and undercuts the legitimacy of federal drug laws. The author of the article does not specify what risks these drugs have. Simply that they are relatively less dangerous than synthetic opioids.