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‘Psychonauts’ by Mike Jay review

106 points by prismatic 3y ago

photochemsyn 3y ago
If you find this topic interesting ignore everything in the above post and get yourself a copy of: Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers by Richard Evans Schultes (Author), Albert Hofmann (Author), Christian Rätsch (Author)
- nico 3y ago
  For the ones who might not know, Albert Hofmann discovered LSD
  - anon____ 3y ago
    He wrote another book about that, titled "LSD — My Problem Child". https://maps.org/images/pdf/books/lsdmyproblemchild.pdf https://maps.org/images/pdf/books/lsdmyproblemchild.pdf.
- neom 3y ago
  Couple of additional great reads around the subject: The Doors of Perception - Aldous Huxley Food of the Gods - Terrence McKenna. And honestly reading Erowid trip report is super interesting/fun (especially DMT! Heh).
  - c420 3y ago
    And PiHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved): A Chemical Love Story by Drs. Alexander & Ann Shulgin
    - bozhark 3y ago
      Also TIHKAL: The Continuation is a 1997 book written by Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin about a family of psychoactive drugs known as tryptamines. A sequel to PIHKAL: A Chemical Love Story, TIHKAL is an acronym that stands for "Tryptamines I Have Known and Loved" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TiHKAL#:~:text=TIHKAL%3A%20The%20Continuation%20is%20a,I%20Have%20Known%20and%20Loved%22 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TiHKAL#:~:text=TIHKAL%3A%20T....
  - mellavora 3y ago
    Cleansing the Doors of Perception by Hudson Smith.
- selimthegrim 3y ago
  Do they cover datura?
  - capableweb 3y ago
    In my experience, Datura isn't something I'd use for healing, it's something I'd use to break down myself. The experience with that is unlike others, and not in a good way.
    - c420 3y ago
      I'd liken it to the salvia experience.
      - jurynulifcation 3y ago
        I'd respectfully disagree. For the first part, datura is an anticholinergic neurotoxin, a deliriant. Salvia is a kappa-opioid dissociative, without any known toxicities. The important thing to keep in mind with salvia is minimalism. It has no tolerance to speak of, so nothing is lost by starting small, well smaller than you know will give noticeable effect. Then build up from there. (An effect of salvia overdose is 'automatic action', where your body moves on impulse without the intervention of your waking mind)
        amts 3y ago
        Though toxicity seems the main difference, comment above is talking about experience and not molecular mechanisms of action. In a similar vein, if someone would ask a distinguished professor of neuroscience to provide a full description of the exact brain molecular state that "generates" an exact salvia experience (including any communicative content), s/he would fail.
        capableweb 3y ago
        > Though toxicity seems the main difference, comment above is talking about experience and not molecular mechanisms of action. As someone who has done both, in similar settings, I'd still disagree with this. Datura was devilish like none other and probably one of the few psychedelics I'd never do again.
- max_ 3y ago
  I have searched for an EPUB copy and unfortunately I can only get Richard Evan's "Where the Gods Reign: Plants and Peoples of the Colombian"
  - ngai_aku 3y ago
    Appears to be on Anna’s Archive if you’re still looking
    - max_ 3y ago
      Such a great resource. Thanks.
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
  - wyre 3y ago
    I found it on archive.org. Search creator:”Albert Hoffman”
whimsicalism 3y ago
Maybe it’s just because I have moved to the West coast but it seems we are in a localized upswing of exploration of psychedelics.
- barnabee 3y ago
  From where I’m sitting it doesn’t appear to be localised.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- fullspectrumdev 3y ago
  It’s not localised and it’s not new either tbh. That said, I do think there’s certainly been renewed interest since the pandemic in some of the classical psychedelics like mushrooms, etc. Certainly a lot more people asking around for good picking spots the last couple of seasons here.
- playday 3y ago
  It’s definitely localized. most societies don’t look favorable on drug use including most of east Asia, south and south east Asia, Middle East, and more.
username135 3y ago
There's a fairly popular onion domain called Psychonaughts wiki that delves into a lot of drugs and their effects, history, etc. Interesting read for sure. Dark Fail has the most current link since it changes so frequently.
- janderland 3y ago
  There is also something like this accessible on the light web: https://m.psychonautwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page https://m.psychonautwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page
  - username135 3y ago
    Ya, I think it's the same one. Didn't realize it was also on the clear net
- srge 3y ago
  Erowid is also a great ressource to when using psychoactive drugs. https://www.erowid.org/ https://www.erowid.org/
WallyFunk 3y ago
I recall Terrence McKenna (everyone's favorite historical psychonaut) saying "It's hard to do psychedelics". I agree with him. These things are dangerous when the set and setting is wrong, or if they're done at an off-kilter phase of your life, or that you simply over-indulge in them. I appreciate the mini renaissance period they're having these days, but these things need plenty of research before trying them. They're not something you do for a giddy high, they're tools. One thing people need to do is integrate the various lessons they've gained from tripping into their daily lives. All too often, trips are like dreams, they fade and we suffer amnesia after trying them. It's crucial to take notes and integrate the ideas you've gained, otherwise you've wasted the trip(s) IMHO.
- abyssin 3y ago
  I wonder if there exists a framework for integration that follows a rational approach. Psychology in general is a field full of esoteric and hardly scientific approaches. What I found about its psychedelic subfield is even worse. Behind a facade of science, it’s still very much New Age stuff. I had a psychedelic experience in a group setting with people that are supposedly experienced and knowledgeable about the science. It was actually worse than when I tripped alone and integration has been hard. Does anyone know of a rational technique or theory to do the integration work?
  - jurynulifcation 3y ago
    I'm a psychedelics enjoyer. imo, the only good knowledge of the science we currently have stops at the level of chemistry. We know what these molecules look like. Sometimes we have a good idea of what their action in the body is, including the brain. After that, imo, the "science" breaks down. In large part because it's so particular to the individual. I don't think we yet have a rational framework for radically deconstructing and reconstructing something so idiosyncratic as the subjective experience. Not one that well transcends the borders of individuality and intersubjectivity, that can be readily applied by all people (or even all types of people). I think we solidly enter the realm of philosophy... to my mind, the employment of psychedelics is most profitable when seen as a different facet of the art of living with yourself well.
swayvil 3y ago
It's like we're in the Matrix. And the Matrix is a little island in the middle of a big ocean. Tripping, meditating, dreaming and a hundred other methods will get you into the ocean. Show it to you, splash around the shoreline, go for a swim, meet the people who live there... I've tripped some. Psilocybin is my favorite psychedelic substance. My favorite method is Vipassana meditation. (Also, is it just me or is the psychedelic culture markedly saner than the meditation culture?)
- abyssin 3y ago
  For having dabbed into both, I’m not sure psychedelic culture is better. The promises of psychedelics are higher and in my case the hopes were higher too, so it took me longer to acknowledge the issues with that culture. But many prominent people lie about their respect for science, and in the end I doubt there are fundamental differences with the field of meditation.
  - swayvil 3y ago
    Not better, saner. By saner I mean they seem to be more organized and grounded. I mean look at Erowid. Here's the method : here's the report. We have some pudding, we have some proof. Straightforward as heck. Whereas the meditation scene seems to be full of grifters, dogmatists and hand-wavers. The psychedelic culture has a substance in hand. If the substance is bunk then that becomes apparent pretty quick. Solid evidence. Good science. Whereas the meditation scene has a thousand methods and if it doesn't work for you... well.. maybe you are doing it wrong, or maybe you need to try another app subscription... (not to say that there aren't some very straightforward meditation techniques that pay off quick.)
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
    - Karrot_Kream 3y ago
      It's a much older tradition that's been tried by hundreds of different cultures. It comes from long before empiricism became a strong value. It's kinda like cooking in that there's an objective part of it but also a bunch of hearsay that's been passed along for generations.
bluepod4 3y ago
[flagged]
- BHSPitMonkey 3y ago
  Did you mean to post that on a different thread?
  - bluepod4 3y ago
    No. There is/was another post on the front page about the SAG-AFTRA strike related to voice acting and its relevance to gameplay. I wanted someone who has played Psychonauts (more than I have) to give their opinion about the voice acting in this game lol.
    - Sebguer 3y ago
      ... This isn't about the game, it's about psychedelics, the drugs.
      - bluepod4 3y ago
        Hilarious. Yes, I didn’t click on the article.
Jerrrry 3y ago
DMT only lasts 10-15 minutes, and will be so overpowering, glorious, and delightful, that one can only compare it to losing one's virginity, or being born again. Mushrooms and LSD are way too longer/overrated and I fear those who haven't further explored the latent chemical/consciousness space misrepresent the dimension that, quite frankly, BETTER chemicals have to offer. Dont do shrooms, 4acoDMT is far superior. Dont do acid( edit: alone for the first time), at least not without taking a xanax (edit: read: or being in a well-intended state of mind) first. DMT will sidestep all that. iykyk, yk?
- Euphorbium 3y ago
  Mushrooms are incredibly varied, and I feel you just have not experienced good/strong mushrooms. I had trips which were indistinguishable from dmt.
  - Jerrrry 3y ago
    I have, which is why I recommend beginners to NOT start with anything above a microdose of shrooms. If you think tripping at near-DMT levels for that duration is something a noobie should experience, please do not trip sit or further give shamanic/healer advice. Shrooms, especially alone, is the worst thing a beginner could start with, exactly because the potency between stems right next to each other vary wildy. 15mg of volumetrically dosed 4acoDMT with a -zolam is perfect, with no stomach pains because there is no metabolizing needed, it is a direct prodrug of psilocybin. Little body load, less mental, more visual. It's a shame that, what, 6+ generations of synthetic awesomeness are suppressed because people think "shrooms" are more "organic and natural"
    - jurynulifcation 3y ago
      I do agree with the principle of minimalism. Great idea. Big fan of that idea. People should start low and ow. But holy shit. Please please please stop recommend benzodiazepines so casually.
      - 3y ago
throwaway20222 3y ago
California bill SB 58 just passed out of the “suspense file,” and actually has a path to pass. Summary An act to amend Sections 11054, 11350, 11364, 11364.7, 11365, 11377, 11379, 11382, and 11550 of, to add Sections 11350.1 and 11377.1 to, to add and repeal Section 11214 of, to repeal Section 11999 of, and to repeal Article 7 (commencing with Section 11390) of Chapter 6 of Division 10 of, the Health and Safety Code, relating to controlled substances. Would move forward access to a subset of these substances in California. Full text of latest version here: https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB58/2023 https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB58/2023 I am personally strongly in favor of this bill, and more broadly decriminalizing a wider variety of drugs, and focusing more resources on research, medical uses, addiction prevention, treatment and prosecuting related secondary crimes like robbery etc… I do worry about folks who perhaps have experienced the legal weed phenomenon stepping up to DMT or large mushroom doses and not being prepared. I know this is just decriminalizing, but access follows. Ultimately I believe it is the individual choice and the benefits outweigh the damages, but I am not certain how it all plays out when the real numbers are in.
- runnerup 3y ago
  > I know this is just decriminalizing, but access follows. I just want affordable, trustworthy, fast, and legal quantitative testing so that people actually know what they're taking.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
jurynulifcation 3y ago
I see people giving prescriptions in this comment section. I am but a humble seeker. I can not claim to give anyone access to the best knowledge, or even lasting knowledge. Neither, I believe, can any of our fellow commenter. Anyone saying "you must integrate these lessons," or "ignore all else and read these books," are not wrong. They are giving advice that, to them, sounds good and wholesome. Perhaps they are. However, I would push back against such dogma (and it is dogma even if it is only propagated by a single individual). Here are some of my own personal lessons from my psychedelic explorations: Do what you are curious about, no more and no less. Listen to the advice of your peers. Take it as freely as they give it. Yet, if you find no sense in it, also know you are not bound by it. Be curious. Explore and research the things you do to your body, to the best of your ability, before you do them. Keep an open mind and an open heart. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be kind to yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here. (Max Ehrmann, Desiderata) Finally, I believe my best approach to the psychedelic experience is to treat it as a new aspect of philosophy. To me, it is about the art of living well with myself. I love all you people. Be safe and be kind.
- Jerrrry 3y ago
  Agreed, I didn't mean to trivialize DMT, I shoulda prefaced it by saying I tripped last night, 75mg vaporized, and managed a 16 minute torrent of geometry without ego death, which was unique (stim/dizzos). Really, it may be the best choice for _readers here_, given it's short length, penultimate intensity, less (statistically) common cases of HPPD, and massive perspective change. That is, after all, how it has earned its informal title as the "business mans trip," Regarding the chances of HPPD, I have seen far more people (even adjusted for LSDs and DMT rarity relatively) blame acid for their mental discontinuity then DMT. LSD makes you feel like you had an eureka moment; DMT makes you think you had it then forgot it, as it's nature. Shrooms....are a dice roll, especially comparivitly
  - jurynulifcation 3y ago
    I've never heard it called the business man's trip, but I love that. Totally agree with it. It's part of why I'm so enamored with DMT as a substance. Coffee-sized psychedelic, imo. Also, thank you for engaging with me as productively as you have been. I appreciate the good spirit of your messages; looking back at some of mine, I wish I had taken the time to write them more personably.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
neilv 3y ago
In case there's anyone skimming the comments and thinking that it seems everyone else is doing all sorts of drugs... you'd be getting a skewed perception. There are plenty of other people who are averse to drugs, so are less likely to be commenting on a post that appeals to enthusiasts. Personally, if anyone I work with is doing drugs, I hope they'll be OK, and that it won't make them ill, stupid, or flaky. BTW, if someone decides they have a problem with drugs, and needs help from their employer to get better, they can see which HR/labor programs apply (and how much they have to say), and whether there's a trusted manager who will help support. Like in other facets of work, I'd much rather someone said they needed help with something early, rather than the problem becoming apparent later. Be well.
- Aurornis 3y ago
  > thinking that it seems everyone else is doing all sorts of drugs... you'd be getting a skewed perception. I’ve had a few friends and acquaintances fall into problematic drug use. The common theme among all of their situations was that they moved into social circles with a lot of drug users. When everyone around you is doing a lot of drugs it’s easy to start thinking that everyone in the world must be doing a lot of drugs. After all, that’s what you see all around you and what everyone you know is talking about. This creates a second layer of hazard where the recovered people or even moderate users self-select out of the social circle while the social group starts accumulating up even heavier drugs users from people’s friends-of-friends who so drugs together. As this compounds, it becomes easy for people in the group to think that their own drug use is low because it’s not as bad as so-and-so, or they haven’t overdosed or developed major health problems (yet) like the guy in the friend group who is a complete wreck. They start losing touch with reality because the “normal” they surround themselves with is anything but. I don’t think the average HN drug use commenter is at that stage, obviously, but I do pick up hints of this dynamic in a lot of comments. The way some people post “everyone’s doing it” type reasoning without a second thought is kind of weird to see, not to mention contradictory to actual statistics. It’s more telling about the commenter’s social circle and how entrenched they are in their bubble. If you really think everyone is consuming drugs frequently or that semi-frequent (yearly or more often) psychedelic use is “common” then you’re likely in a bubble.
playday 3y ago
People should be allowed to take whatever substances they want, as long as they stay away from my neighborhood. I’ve moved as far away from drug users as I could and it was the best decision to increase my productivity, lower my stress, and increase my physical safety I’ve ever made.
- serf 3y ago
  > I’ve moved as far away from drug users as I could and it was the best decision to increase my productivity, lower my stress, and increase my physical safety I’ve ever made. i'm honestly unaware of places without drug users, so honest question : did you move away from drug users, or did you move away from users of a specific drug? The only way I can fathom that someone may be truly away from drug users is that they're also totally away from populations of any kind. Antarctica comes to mind, but i'd probably be surprised.
  - eru 3y ago
    Out of sight, out of mind. I say that unironically. I don't care what my neighbours do in the privacy of their own home, as long as it doesn't affect me. (Eg as long as tobacco or pot smoke doesn't waft over to me.)
    - tmccrary55 3y ago
      What about neighbors having backyard campfires or BBQers?
      - eru 3y ago
        My objection is mostly based on how much things annoy me, not necessarily on health. Health-wise backyard campfires and BBQ are probably no better (or worse) than burning tobacco or pot. Many places already restrict backyard campfires and similar. See eg https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/17/wood-burners-urban-air-pollution-cancer-risk-study https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/17/wood-bur... To expand a bit on my original comment: > I don't care what my neighbours do in the privacy of their own home, as long as it doesn't affect me. So I might care about them doing a backyard campfire. If it's both legal and long-standing custom in that neighbourhood, I might just not move there in the first place. If it's illegal and I already live there when they start, I might object.

106 points by prismatic 3y ago

If you find this topic interesting ignore everything in the above post and get yourself a copy of: Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers by Richard Evans Schultes (Author), Albert Hofmann (Author), Christian Rätsch (Author)

nico 3y ago
For the ones who might not know, Albert Hofmann discovered LSD
- anon____ 3y ago
  He wrote another book about that, titled "LSD — My Problem Child". https://maps.org/images/pdf/books/lsdmyproblemchild.pdf https://maps.org/images/pdf/books/lsdmyproblemchild.pdf.
neom 3y ago
Couple of additional great reads around the subject: The Doors of Perception - Aldous Huxley Food of the Gods - Terrence McKenna. And honestly reading Erowid trip report is super interesting/fun (especially DMT! Heh).
- c420 3y ago
  And PiHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved): A Chemical Love Story by Drs. Alexander & Ann Shulgin
  - bozhark 3y ago
    Also TIHKAL: The Continuation is a 1997 book written by Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin about a family of psychoactive drugs known as tryptamines. A sequel to PIHKAL: A Chemical Love Story, TIHKAL is an acronym that stands for "Tryptamines I Have Known and Loved" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TiHKAL#:~:text=TIHKAL%3A%20The%20Continuation%20is%20a,I%20Have%20Known%20and%20Loved%22 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TiHKAL#:~:text=TIHKAL%3A%20T....
- mellavora 3y ago
  Cleansing the Doors of Perception by Hudson Smith.
selimthegrim 3y ago
Do they cover datura?
- capableweb 3y ago
  In my experience, Datura isn't something I'd use for healing, it's something I'd use to break down myself. The experience with that is unlike others, and not in a good way.
  - c420 3y ago
    I'd liken it to the salvia experience.
    - jurynulifcation 3y ago
      I'd respectfully disagree. For the first part, datura is an anticholinergic neurotoxin, a deliriant. Salvia is a kappa-opioid dissociative, without any known toxicities. The important thing to keep in mind with salvia is minimalism. It has no tolerance to speak of, so nothing is lost by starting small, well smaller than you know will give noticeable effect. Then build up from there. (An effect of salvia overdose is 'automatic action', where your body moves on impulse without the intervention of your waking mind)
      - amts 3y ago
        Though toxicity seems the main difference, comment above is talking about experience and not molecular mechanisms of action. In a similar vein, if someone would ask a distinguished professor of neuroscience to provide a full description of the exact brain molecular state that "generates" an exact salvia experience (including any communicative content), s/he would fail.
        capableweb 3y ago
        > Though toxicity seems the main difference, comment above is talking about experience and not molecular mechanisms of action. As someone who has done both, in similar settings, I'd still disagree with this. Datura was devilish like none other and probably one of the few psychedelics I'd never do again.
max_ 3y ago
I have searched for an EPUB copy and unfortunately I can only get Richard Evan's "Where the Gods Reign: Plants and Peoples of the Colombian"
- ngai_aku 3y ago
  Appears to be on Anna’s Archive if you’re still looking
  - max_ 3y ago
    Such a great resource. Thanks.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
- wyre 3y ago
  I found it on archive.org. Search creator:”Albert Hoffman”

whimsicalism 3y ago

Maybe it’s just because I have moved to the West coast but it seems we are in a localized upswing of exploration of psychedelics.

barnabee 3y ago
From where I’m sitting it doesn’t appear to be localised.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
fullspectrumdev 3y ago
It’s not localised and it’s not new either tbh. That said, I do think there’s certainly been renewed interest since the pandemic in some of the classical psychedelics like mushrooms, etc. Certainly a lot more people asking around for good picking spots the last couple of seasons here.
playday 3y ago
It’s definitely localized. most societies don’t look favorable on drug use including most of east Asia, south and south east Asia, Middle East, and more.

username135 3y ago

There's a fairly popular onion domain called Psychonaughts wiki that delves into a lot of drugs and their effects, history, etc. Interesting read for sure. Dark Fail has the most current link since it changes so frequently.

janderland 3y ago
There is also something like this accessible on the light web: https://m.psychonautwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page https://m.psychonautwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page
- username135 3y ago
  Ya, I think it's the same one. Didn't realize it was also on the clear net
srge 3y ago
Erowid is also a great ressource to when using psychoactive drugs. https://www.erowid.org/ https://www.erowid.org/

WallyFunk 3y ago

I recall Terrence McKenna (everyone's favorite historical psychonaut) saying "It's hard to do psychedelics". I agree with him. These things are dangerous when the set and setting is wrong, or if they're done at an off-kilter phase of your life, or that you simply over-indulge in them. I appreciate the mini renaissance period they're having these days, but these things need plenty of research before trying them. They're not something you do for a giddy high, they're tools. One thing people need to do is integrate the various lessons they've gained from tripping into their daily lives. All too often, trips are like dreams, they fade and we suffer amnesia after trying them. It's crucial to take notes and integrate the ideas you've gained, otherwise you've wasted the trip(s) IMHO.

abyssin 3y ago
I wonder if there exists a framework for integration that follows a rational approach. Psychology in general is a field full of esoteric and hardly scientific approaches. What I found about its psychedelic subfield is even worse. Behind a facade of science, it’s still very much New Age stuff. I had a psychedelic experience in a group setting with people that are supposedly experienced and knowledgeable about the science. It was actually worse than when I tripped alone and integration has been hard. Does anyone know of a rational technique or theory to do the integration work?
- jurynulifcation 3y ago
  I'm a psychedelics enjoyer. imo, the only good knowledge of the science we currently have stops at the level of chemistry. We know what these molecules look like. Sometimes we have a good idea of what their action in the body is, including the brain. After that, imo, the "science" breaks down. In large part because it's so particular to the individual. I don't think we yet have a rational framework for radically deconstructing and reconstructing something so idiosyncratic as the subjective experience. Not one that well transcends the borders of individuality and intersubjectivity, that can be readily applied by all people (or even all types of people). I think we solidly enter the realm of philosophy... to my mind, the employment of psychedelics is most profitable when seen as a different facet of the art of living with yourself well.

swayvil 3y ago

It's like we're in the Matrix. And the Matrix is a little island in the middle of a big ocean. Tripping, meditating, dreaming and a hundred other methods will get you into the ocean. Show it to you, splash around the shoreline, go for a swim, meet the people who live there... I've tripped some. Psilocybin is my favorite psychedelic substance. My favorite method is Vipassana meditation. (Also, is it just me or is the psychedelic culture markedly saner than the meditation culture?)

abyssin 3y ago
For having dabbed into both, I’m not sure psychedelic culture is better. The promises of psychedelics are higher and in my case the hopes were higher too, so it took me longer to acknowledge the issues with that culture. But many prominent people lie about their respect for science, and in the end I doubt there are fundamental differences with the field of meditation.
- swayvil 3y ago
  Not better, saner. By saner I mean they seem to be more organized and grounded. I mean look at Erowid. Here's the method : here's the report. We have some pudding, we have some proof. Straightforward as heck. Whereas the meditation scene seems to be full of grifters, dogmatists and hand-wavers. The psychedelic culture has a substance in hand. If the substance is bunk then that becomes apparent pretty quick. Solid evidence. Good science. Whereas the meditation scene has a thousand methods and if it doesn't work for you... well.. maybe you are doing it wrong, or maybe you need to try another app subscription... (not to say that there aren't some very straightforward meditation techniques that pay off quick.)
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - Karrot_Kream 3y ago
    It's a much older tradition that's been tried by hundreds of different cultures. It comes from long before empiricism became a strong value. It's kinda like cooking in that there's an objective part of it but also a bunch of hearsay that's been passed along for generations.

bluepod4 3y ago

[flagged]

BHSPitMonkey 3y ago
Did you mean to post that on a different thread?
- bluepod4 3y ago
  No. There is/was another post on the front page about the SAG-AFTRA strike related to voice acting and its relevance to gameplay. I wanted someone who has played Psychonauts (more than I have) to give their opinion about the voice acting in this game lol.
  - Sebguer 3y ago
    ... This isn't about the game, it's about psychedelics, the drugs.
    - bluepod4 3y ago
      Hilarious. Yes, I didn’t click on the article.

Jerrrry 3y ago

DMT only lasts 10-15 minutes, and will be so overpowering, glorious, and delightful, that one can only compare it to losing one's virginity, or being born again. Mushrooms and LSD are way too longer/overrated and I fear those who haven't further explored the latent chemical/consciousness space misrepresent the dimension that, quite frankly, BETTER chemicals have to offer. Dont do shrooms, 4acoDMT is far superior. Dont do acid( edit: alone for the first time), at least not without taking a xanax (edit: read: or being in a well-intended state of mind) first. DMT will sidestep all that. iykyk, yk?

Euphorbium 3y ago
Mushrooms are incredibly varied, and I feel you just have not experienced good/strong mushrooms. I had trips which were indistinguishable from dmt.
- Jerrrry 3y ago
  I have, which is why I recommend beginners to NOT start with anything above a microdose of shrooms. If you think tripping at near-DMT levels for that duration is something a noobie should experience, please do not trip sit or further give shamanic/healer advice. Shrooms, especially alone, is the worst thing a beginner could start with, exactly because the potency between stems right next to each other vary wildy. 15mg of volumetrically dosed 4acoDMT with a -zolam is perfect, with no stomach pains because there is no metabolizing needed, it is a direct prodrug of psilocybin. Little body load, less mental, more visual. It's a shame that, what, 6+ generations of synthetic awesomeness are suppressed because people think "shrooms" are more "organic and natural"
  - jurynulifcation 3y ago
    I do agree with the principle of minimalism. Great idea. Big fan of that idea. People should start low and ow. But holy shit. Please please please stop recommend benzodiazepines so casually.
    - 3y ago

throwaway20222 3y ago

California bill SB 58 just passed out of the “suspense file,” and actually has a path to pass. Summary An act to amend Sections 11054, 11350, 11364, 11364.7, 11365, 11377, 11379, 11382, and 11550 of, to add Sections 11350.1 and 11377.1 to, to add and repeal Section 11214 of, to repeal Section 11999 of, and to repeal Article 7 (commencing with Section 11390) of Chapter 6 of Division 10 of, the Health and Safety Code, relating to controlled substances. Would move forward access to a subset of these substances in California. Full text of latest version here: https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB58/2023 https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB58/2023 I am personally strongly in favor of this bill, and more broadly decriminalizing a wider variety of drugs, and focusing more resources on research, medical uses, addiction prevention, treatment and prosecuting related secondary crimes like robbery etc… I do worry about folks who perhaps have experienced the legal weed phenomenon stepping up to DMT or large mushroom doses and not being prepared. I know this is just decriminalizing, but access follows. Ultimately I believe it is the individual choice and the benefits outweigh the damages, but I am not certain how it all plays out when the real numbers are in.

runnerup 3y ago
> I know this is just decriminalizing, but access follows. I just want affordable, trustworthy, fast, and legal quantitative testing so that people actually know what they're taking.
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jurynulifcation 3y ago

I see people giving prescriptions in this comment section. I am but a humble seeker. I can not claim to give anyone access to the best knowledge, or even lasting knowledge. Neither, I believe, can any of our fellow commenter. Anyone saying "you must integrate these lessons," or "ignore all else and read these books," are not wrong. They are giving advice that, to them, sounds good and wholesome. Perhaps they are. However, I would push back against such dogma (and it is dogma even if it is only propagated by a single individual). Here are some of my own personal lessons from my psychedelic explorations: Do what you are curious about, no more and no less. Listen to the advice of your peers. Take it as freely as they give it. Yet, if you find no sense in it, also know you are not bound by it. Be curious. Explore and research the things you do to your body, to the best of your ability, before you do them. Keep an open mind and an open heart. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be kind to yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here. (Max Ehrmann, Desiderata) Finally, I believe my best approach to the psychedelic experience is to treat it as a new aspect of philosophy. To me, it is about the art of living well with myself. I love all you people. Be safe and be kind.

Jerrrry 3y ago
Agreed, I didn't mean to trivialize DMT, I shoulda prefaced it by saying I tripped last night, 75mg vaporized, and managed a 16 minute torrent of geometry without ego death, which was unique (stim/dizzos). Really, it may be the best choice for _readers here_, given it's short length, penultimate intensity, less (statistically) common cases of HPPD, and massive perspective change. That is, after all, how it has earned its informal title as the "business mans trip," Regarding the chances of HPPD, I have seen far more people (even adjusted for LSDs and DMT rarity relatively) blame acid for their mental discontinuity then DMT. LSD makes you feel like you had an eureka moment; DMT makes you think you had it then forgot it, as it's nature. Shrooms....are a dice roll, especially comparivitly
- jurynulifcation 3y ago
  I've never heard it called the business man's trip, but I love that. Totally agree with it. It's part of why I'm so enamored with DMT as a substance. Coffee-sized psychedelic, imo. Also, thank you for engaging with me as productively as you have been. I appreciate the good spirit of your messages; looking back at some of mine, I wish I had taken the time to write them more personably.

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neilv 3y ago

In case there's anyone skimming the comments and thinking that it seems everyone else is doing all sorts of drugs... you'd be getting a skewed perception. There are plenty of other people who are averse to drugs, so are less likely to be commenting on a post that appeals to enthusiasts. Personally, if anyone I work with is doing drugs, I hope they'll be OK, and that it won't make them ill, stupid, or flaky. BTW, if someone decides they have a problem with drugs, and needs help from their employer to get better, they can see which HR/labor programs apply (and how much they have to say), and whether there's a trusted manager who will help support. Like in other facets of work, I'd much rather someone said they needed help with something early, rather than the problem becoming apparent later. Be well.

Aurornis 3y ago
> thinking that it seems everyone else is doing all sorts of drugs... you'd be getting a skewed perception. I’ve had a few friends and acquaintances fall into problematic drug use. The common theme among all of their situations was that they moved into social circles with a lot of drug users. When everyone around you is doing a lot of drugs it’s easy to start thinking that everyone in the world must be doing a lot of drugs. After all, that’s what you see all around you and what everyone you know is talking about. This creates a second layer of hazard where the recovered people or even moderate users self-select out of the social circle while the social group starts accumulating up even heavier drugs users from people’s friends-of-friends who so drugs together. As this compounds, it becomes easy for people in the group to think that their own drug use is low because it’s not as bad as so-and-so, or they haven’t overdosed or developed major health problems (yet) like the guy in the friend group who is a complete wreck. They start losing touch with reality because the “normal” they surround themselves with is anything but. I don’t think the average HN drug use commenter is at that stage, obviously, but I do pick up hints of this dynamic in a lot of comments. The way some people post “everyone’s doing it” type reasoning without a second thought is kind of weird to see, not to mention contradictory to actual statistics. It’s more telling about the commenter’s social circle and how entrenched they are in their bubble. If you really think everyone is consuming drugs frequently or that semi-frequent (yearly or more often) psychedelic use is “common” then you’re likely in a bubble.

playday 3y ago

People should be allowed to take whatever substances they want, as long as they stay away from my neighborhood. I’ve moved as far away from drug users as I could and it was the best decision to increase my productivity, lower my stress, and increase my physical safety I’ve ever made.

serf 3y ago
> I’ve moved as far away from drug users as I could and it was the best decision to increase my productivity, lower my stress, and increase my physical safety I’ve ever made. i'm honestly unaware of places without drug users, so honest question : did you move away from drug users, or did you move away from users of a specific drug? The only way I can fathom that someone may be truly away from drug users is that they're also totally away from populations of any kind. Antarctica comes to mind, but i'd probably be surprised.
- eru 3y ago
  Out of sight, out of mind. I say that unironically. I don't care what my neighbours do in the privacy of their own home, as long as it doesn't affect me. (Eg as long as tobacco or pot smoke doesn't waft over to me.)
  - tmccrary55 3y ago
    What about neighbors having backyard campfires or BBQers?
    - eru 3y ago
      My objection is mostly based on how much things annoy me, not necessarily on health. Health-wise backyard campfires and BBQ are probably no better (or worse) than burning tobacco or pot. Many places already restrict backyard campfires and similar. See eg https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/17/wood-burners-urban-air-pollution-cancer-risk-study https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/17/wood-bur... To expand a bit on my original comment: > I don't care what my neighbours do in the privacy of their own home, as long as it doesn't affect me. So I might care about them doing a backyard campfire. If it's both legal and long-standing custom in that neighbourhood, I might just not move there in the first place. If it's illegal and I already live there when they start, I might object.