4 ms·

Simple size of 1, but you're correct in how a heroic dose psilocybin trip completely cured my existential depression, to the extent I can't even relate to the s

Simple size of 1, but you're correct in how a heroic dose psilocybin trip completely cured my existential depression, to the extent I can't even relate to the struggles of my past self. It certainly FELT to be a property of the transcendent experience and not a biological side effect of the substance. Being blasted out into the infinite space of all possible chaotic realities but being able to successfully "crawl back" to THIS reality as an oasis / point of stability was a life changing experience. Although it was what you'd otherwise describe as a "bad trip", it flipped a switch in my brain from "existence is pointless" to "existence is a miracle." Haven't felt existential dread since.

RHSman2 3y ago
If you’d had a crazy life experience that took you to the edge without said product, let’s say a full on mountaineering epic that bought close to the edge, would that remain in your consciousness and alter your being? Perhaps but data would suggest not or it has limited efficacy. There is something within these molecules that combine experiences and some change to alter awareness. And you don’t need to mountaineer
- dr_dshiv 3y ago
  So the life changing nature of a cancer diagnosis relies on the “molecules” — or else it isn’t effective? I don’t understand.
- lewispollard 3y ago
  I'm somewhat experienced in mountaineering and have done several dangerous trips that have been incredible and memorable experiences. I would say, firstly, yes they have had a positive impact on my mental health, I have less fear, and the memory of those expeditions make me happy. But, as someone who tripped a lot in their 20s, I would say that trip experiences are just an entirely different "level" of experience to conventional experiences. There's something inherently transcendent in the way psychedelics alter your perception and inner world that you can't experience by mountaineering or extreme sports or what have you. You could argue that it's down to the chemistry, which would be partially true, but I don't think it's entirely mechanical, it's the quality of the experience that's different. I have never been pulled into inner space to meet fantastic beings of light who told me everything was going to be fine during a scrambling experience, nor have I dissolved my experience like a mist into complete, transcendent emptiness and calm at the peak of a mountain. Mostly, I've just been cold, hungry and tired up there :)
  - RHSman2 3y ago
    I used it as have a good amount of experience being cold, tired and hungry! And also trips. From my own experience I’d say they changed me profoundly. But I’d rather be cold, hungry and tired now thanks:)
- saiya-jin 3y ago
  I am a (tiny bit) mountaineer plus other sports up there related (ski touring, climbing, paraglide etc), ad I've also tried psylocybin. Psylocybin was by far the most intense experience in my life (and I've been to both births of my kids and cut both umbilical cords, that was intense), all of those few times I tried it, some 15 years ago. Had a standard dose in dried form that I grew myself from growkit from Amsterdam, but mixed with raw lemon juice, which based on some erowid reports dramatically increase intensity while making trip shorter. I'd say its actually a cheat - you get some of the effects of efforts that others take years or decades to achieve, ie via meditation. But effects can be random (ie based on your personality and unresolved issues), both good and bad. And you get absolutely 0 of 'character building' which happens only if you face actual obstacles in life and overcome them with your inner strength, or via sustained focused effort on some goal. I can attest that instead of rather mild 6 hour experience (1 dose on non-empty stomach of almost 100kg male isn't that much), with lemon I've had maybe 2.5h absolutely brutal trip of dissolution of myself, ego, senses and everything else into mist of atoms, swirling in background music like hot steam droplets in wet sauna. I was laying in the bed, alone, with nice shamanic music in the background, eyes closed. Coming down back to reality one nanometer at a time, rediscovering my senses, body etc was very very interesting and pure happiness-inducing. Then afterwards an absolutely brutal headache, literally feeling I've burned every last energy molecule with that expanded mind, and now whole brain is spasming. Still worth it. Whether it rewired something in my brain or changed something I cannot say, I didn't have any previous issues (and TBH if you have ones, stay the fuck away from these powerful substances, the chances that they will mess you up for long/forever are non-trivial. Rather work with the issues sober and come to this afterwards, or in future hopefully this can be done with professional supervision). Mountaineering or generally coming close to death and overcoming the fear of it on the other hand is something you do sober, you can do every weekend without your friendly neighborhood drug dealer, and it just improves your health and happiness (not so much during the adventure if its intense, but definitely afterwards). I'd say proper climbing is distilled essence of mountaineering - just focus on scary parts, where you battle with your mind which just wants to give up dangerous stuff and go home. You can't reach the top if you can't conquer your fears. Now do it a hundred times during 1 evening, once of even few times a week. I've come close to death a few times, but those experiences don't have immediate massive effect, rather they are being incorporated one 'atom' at a time into your personality. I'd say both leave lasting effects, but how do you want to measure subtle gradual changes in one's personality. Haven't touched mushrooms for 15 years, never had a bad trip but I feel they gave me what they could, and continuing is just about getting wonderfully wasted. For father of 2 amazing small kids this is absolutely useless, a bit of weed here and there is enough for me to process anything these days.

RHSman2 3y ago

If you’d had a crazy life experience that took you to the edge without said product, let’s say a full on mountaineering epic that bought close to the edge, would that remain in your consciousness and alter your being? Perhaps but data would suggest not or it has limited efficacy. There is something within these molecules that combine experiences and some change to alter awareness. And you don’t need to mountaineer

dr_dshiv 3y ago
So the life changing nature of a cancer diagnosis relies on the “molecules” — or else it isn’t effective? I don’t understand.
lewispollard 3y ago
I'm somewhat experienced in mountaineering and have done several dangerous trips that have been incredible and memorable experiences. I would say, firstly, yes they have had a positive impact on my mental health, I have less fear, and the memory of those expeditions make me happy. But, as someone who tripped a lot in their 20s, I would say that trip experiences are just an entirely different "level" of experience to conventional experiences. There's something inherently transcendent in the way psychedelics alter your perception and inner world that you can't experience by mountaineering or extreme sports or what have you. You could argue that it's down to the chemistry, which would be partially true, but I don't think it's entirely mechanical, it's the quality of the experience that's different. I have never been pulled into inner space to meet fantastic beings of light who told me everything was going to be fine during a scrambling experience, nor have I dissolved my experience like a mist into complete, transcendent emptiness and calm at the peak of a mountain. Mostly, I've just been cold, hungry and tired up there :)
- RHSman2 3y ago
  I used it as have a good amount of experience being cold, tired and hungry! And also trips. From my own experience I’d say they changed me profoundly. But I’d rather be cold, hungry and tired now thanks:)
saiya-jin 3y ago
I am a (tiny bit) mountaineer plus other sports up there related (ski touring, climbing, paraglide etc), ad I've also tried psylocybin. Psylocybin was by far the most intense experience in my life (and I've been to both births of my kids and cut both umbilical cords, that was intense), all of those few times I tried it, some 15 years ago. Had a standard dose in dried form that I grew myself from growkit from Amsterdam, but mixed with raw lemon juice, which based on some erowid reports dramatically increase intensity while making trip shorter. I'd say its actually a cheat - you get some of the effects of efforts that others take years or decades to achieve, ie via meditation. But effects can be random (ie based on your personality and unresolved issues), both good and bad. And you get absolutely 0 of 'character building' which happens only if you face actual obstacles in life and overcome them with your inner strength, or via sustained focused effort on some goal. I can attest that instead of rather mild 6 hour experience (1 dose on non-empty stomach of almost 100kg male isn't that much), with lemon I've had maybe 2.5h absolutely brutal trip of dissolution of myself, ego, senses and everything else into mist of atoms, swirling in background music like hot steam droplets in wet sauna. I was laying in the bed, alone, with nice shamanic music in the background, eyes closed. Coming down back to reality one nanometer at a time, rediscovering my senses, body etc was very very interesting and pure happiness-inducing. Then afterwards an absolutely brutal headache, literally feeling I've burned every last energy molecule with that expanded mind, and now whole brain is spasming. Still worth it. Whether it rewired something in my brain or changed something I cannot say, I didn't have any previous issues (and TBH if you have ones, stay the fuck away from these powerful substances, the chances that they will mess you up for long/forever are non-trivial. Rather work with the issues sober and come to this afterwards, or in future hopefully this can be done with professional supervision). Mountaineering or generally coming close to death and overcoming the fear of it on the other hand is something you do sober, you can do every weekend without your friendly neighborhood drug dealer, and it just improves your health and happiness (not so much during the adventure if its intense, but definitely afterwards). I'd say proper climbing is distilled essence of mountaineering - just focus on scary parts, where you battle with your mind which just wants to give up dangerous stuff and go home. You can't reach the top if you can't conquer your fears. Now do it a hundred times during 1 evening, once of even few times a week. I've come close to death a few times, but those experiences don't have immediate massive effect, rather they are being incorporated one 'atom' at a time into your personality. I'd say both leave lasting effects, but how do you want to measure subtle gradual changes in one's personality. Haven't touched mushrooms for 15 years, never had a bad trip but I feel they gave me what they could, and continuing is just about getting wonderfully wasted. For father of 2 amazing small kids this is absolutely useless, a bit of weed here and there is enough for me to process anything these days.