3 ms·

I don't think psychedelics are a panacea but they'll likely help the world move in a positive direction: https://jakeseliger.com/2023/09/25/strange-trip-psyched

I don't think psychedelics are a panacea but they'll likely help the world move in a positive direction: https://jakeseliger.com/2023/09/25/strange-trip-psychedelics-and-confronting-the-fear-of-death https://jakeseliger.com/2023/09/25/strange-trip-psychedelics.... MDMA may also be the only, or among the few, things that really work in and for couples therapy (it's also not a panacea). Banning it is a travesty. There's an interesting alternative world chronicled in part by Michael Pollan in How to Change Your Mind, and by others, in which psychedelics are integrated into therapy, psychiatry, and other forms of medicine and improvement.

cubefox 3y ago
Unlike LSD or psilocybin, MDMA causes addiction, so there is some ground for a ban.
- LoganDark 3y ago
  The effects of LSD and psilocybin can still sometimes result in some degree of psychological addiction, just not physical dependence. MDMA can cause permanent tolerance and brain damage, and even though there has been plenty of research and testing by harm-reduction communities (like Bluelight), it's still not fully understood how this works or how to guarantee the substance's safety. This is probably why it should stay banned, at least for now. LSD and psilocybin are much safer, in my opinion. I would probably say LSD is the safest, since high doses of psilocybin can render me unconscious, but that could just be me.
  - amanaplanacanal 3y ago
    I'm not sure what good comes from "banning". The people who want to do it are going to do it anyway, but now you have a lot of folks taking unknown substances at unknown doses, and sometimes getting arrested and ending up with a record. Bad all around.
    - LoganDark 3y ago
      Yes, I share this sentiment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38992990 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38992990 Simply unbanning MDMA with no further action though wouldn't be very productive right now when it still is quite unknown. I hope more research and clinical trials can be done in the future, with all sorts of things and not just MDMA.

cubefox 3y ago

Unlike LSD or psilocybin, MDMA causes addiction, so there is some ground for a ban.

LoganDark 3y ago
The effects of LSD and psilocybin can still sometimes result in some degree of psychological addiction, just not physical dependence. MDMA can cause permanent tolerance and brain damage, and even though there has been plenty of research and testing by harm-reduction communities (like Bluelight), it's still not fully understood how this works or how to guarantee the substance's safety. This is probably why it should stay banned, at least for now. LSD and psilocybin are much safer, in my opinion. I would probably say LSD is the safest, since high doses of psilocybin can render me unconscious, but that could just be me.
- amanaplanacanal 3y ago
  I'm not sure what good comes from "banning". The people who want to do it are going to do it anyway, but now you have a lot of folks taking unknown substances at unknown doses, and sometimes getting arrested and ending up with a record. Bad all around.
  - LoganDark 3y ago
    Yes, I share this sentiment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38992990 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38992990 Simply unbanning MDMA with no further action though wouldn't be very productive right now when it still is quite unknown. I hope more research and clinical trials can be done in the future, with all sorts of things and not just MDMA.