7 ms·

Wouldn't this story be a reason to actively research these drugs?

avodonosov 12y ago
I am all for research. But instead of putting into the title words "psychedelics" together with "exciting", I would prefer the article to be called for example "Psychedelics may help terminal cancer patients to die at peace".
- dang 12y ago
  We took the word "exciting" out of the HN title, since doing so makes the title more neutral. I'm sorry about your friend and can easily understand your feeling. But could you please not turn these threads into off-topic arguments about the topic being on HN? This article is substantive and of interest to the community. Upvoting it doesn't imply endorsement, just curiosity.
  - avodonosov 12y ago
    It's my opinion, based on facts I witnessed, not vendetta. And I don't want somebody else to share the same fate. You say it doesn't imply endorsement, but I think threads like this lower the barrier and increase probability of drug consumption. Multiplied by large audience, this gives some new drugs users. Mentioning an object plants seeds in people minds. Mention oranges, you will have increased oranges consumption, mention Facebook React - more React users, mention coca-cola - increased cola consumption. Also, humans are very social. Seeing group enthusiasm in the subject, individuals can lean to it. There are many experiments about this, one example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asch_conformity_experiments https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asch_conformity_experiments.
    - gress 12y ago
      I know people who have been essentially cured of otherwise intractable PTSD through the use of psychedelics. Would you prefer them to have suffered for the rest of their lives? All medicine carries risk, and it is through research that we learn how to apply it safely. Suppressing research is what leads to uninformed use, and increased danger.
    - rosser 12y ago
      It's my opinion, based on facts I witnessed... And I've known hundreds of people who have taken one of the most powerful psychedelics on the planet between 3-5 and hundreds of times each. Of them, there's been exactly one case of an adverse reaction that I've seen, on the part of a woman who had a pre-existing, but occult mental health issue. My anecdata can beat up your anecdata. Of course, none of that means it doesn't happen, but it happens radically less often than you seem to want people to believe.
    - Igglyboo 12y ago
      I personally know many people who have taken psychedelics with 0 adverse reactions. Personal anecdotes are worthless.
    - dang 12y ago
      > not vendetta Ok, I've edited that word out of my comment. You may be right that there is a problem with social proof deluding people into thinking psychedelics are more harmless than they are. But that can't be the only factor here. If it were, we'd have to bury all stories about serious psychedelics research. That isn't going to happen. Therefore, please stop re-litigating the presence of these stories on Hacker News. You're creating a gigantic off-topic diversion. If you want to comment on the topic, that's fine, but please make an effort to ensure that your comments aren't flamebait.
    - andyl 12y ago
      I know hundreds of high-functioning drug users, and know that sometimes illegal drugs can be beneficial. But also have many friends and family who were killed by drugs - the #1 cause of death amongst my peers. More than war, car crashes, cancer combined. Mark, John, Sue, Bryan, Dan, Jeff RIP. Also many more that are alive but seriously damaged. Drug addiction creates second-hand victims, the parents/children/siblings/family. Unbelievably painful. The town I grew up in was torn apart by drugs and gangs. Watch 'The Wire' - art imitating life. The costs of drugs are truly staggering. Seems I'm the lone person who agrees with @avodonosov. The mods have told us that anti-drug views are not welcome on HN. At this point many of you are reaching for the downvote button. :-) Sorry but - yes it is possible - drugs can have a downside!
      - rosser 12y ago
        Please consider that at least some of the downvotes you're receiving may have more to do with your claim that you and 'avodonosov's positions are "not welcome" on HN than with the positions, themselves. Delusions of persecution aren't conducive to the kind of discourse we're trying to maintain here. EDIT: It's also fallacious to lump all "drugs" together under the same banner. I'm very skeptical that psychedelics factor significantly into drug-related gang violence and trafficking. I also very much doubt that there are very many LSD or psilocybin "addicts" around. This article was about legitimate scientific exploration of a repeatedly claimed benefit of psychedelics. It has nothing whatsoever to do with gangs, violence, trafficking, or addiction. As such, those issues are tangential at best, and probably also diversionary and specious.
        andyl 12y ago
        > very much doubt that there are very many LSD "addicts" around My cousin - big LSD user - messed up his brain function. After that: drooling/voices/psychosis. Years of hell for his parents. Hell is an understatement. He died at a rehab / halfway house - killed by a fellow resident - stabbed in the heart with a butcher knife. My childhood friend - took LSD/psychedelics in Japan & never came out of it. Bumbling around in the streets naked, didn't know his name etc. His parents had to go bring him home. 20 years later he lives with them still, can't hold a job, can't handle a relationship, doesn't even come out of the house. Me and tons of others took psychedelics with no side effects - it works that way for most people. But when it goes wrong, the downside can be staggering. > re: you and 'avodonosov's positions are "not welcome" If you think HN is open to anti-drug views, you're kidding yourself.
- forloop 12y ago
  It's the subtitle. And 'exciting' was used to describe the results, not psychedelics.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]

I am all for research. But instead of putting into the title words "psychedelics" together with "exciting", I would prefer the article to be called for example "Psychedelics may help terminal cancer patients to die at peace".

dang 12y ago
We took the word "exciting" out of the HN title, since doing so makes the title more neutral. I'm sorry about your friend and can easily understand your feeling. But could you please not turn these threads into off-topic arguments about the topic being on HN? This article is substantive and of interest to the community. Upvoting it doesn't imply endorsement, just curiosity.
- avodonosov 12y ago
  It's my opinion, based on facts I witnessed, not vendetta. And I don't want somebody else to share the same fate. You say it doesn't imply endorsement, but I think threads like this lower the barrier and increase probability of drug consumption. Multiplied by large audience, this gives some new drugs users. Mentioning an object plants seeds in people minds. Mention oranges, you will have increased oranges consumption, mention Facebook React - more React users, mention coca-cola - increased cola consumption. Also, humans are very social. Seeing group enthusiasm in the subject, individuals can lean to it. There are many experiments about this, one example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asch_conformity_experiments https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asch_conformity_experiments.
  - gress 12y ago
    I know people who have been essentially cured of otherwise intractable PTSD through the use of psychedelics. Would you prefer them to have suffered for the rest of their lives? All medicine carries risk, and it is through research that we learn how to apply it safely. Suppressing research is what leads to uninformed use, and increased danger.
  - rosser 12y ago
    It's my opinion, based on facts I witnessed... And I've known hundreds of people who have taken one of the most powerful psychedelics on the planet between 3-5 and hundreds of times each. Of them, there's been exactly one case of an adverse reaction that I've seen, on the part of a woman who had a pre-existing, but occult mental health issue. My anecdata can beat up your anecdata. Of course, none of that means it doesn't happen, but it happens radically less often than you seem to want people to believe.
  - Igglyboo 12y ago
    I personally know many people who have taken psychedelics with 0 adverse reactions. Personal anecdotes are worthless.
  - dang 12y ago
    > not vendetta Ok, I've edited that word out of my comment. You may be right that there is a problem with social proof deluding people into thinking psychedelics are more harmless than they are. But that can't be the only factor here. If it were, we'd have to bury all stories about serious psychedelics research. That isn't going to happen. Therefore, please stop re-litigating the presence of these stories on Hacker News. You're creating a gigantic off-topic diversion. If you want to comment on the topic, that's fine, but please make an effort to ensure that your comments aren't flamebait.
  - andyl 12y ago
    I know hundreds of high-functioning drug users, and know that sometimes illegal drugs can be beneficial. But also have many friends and family who were killed by drugs - the #1 cause of death amongst my peers. More than war, car crashes, cancer combined. Mark, John, Sue, Bryan, Dan, Jeff RIP. Also many more that are alive but seriously damaged. Drug addiction creates second-hand victims, the parents/children/siblings/family. Unbelievably painful. The town I grew up in was torn apart by drugs and gangs. Watch 'The Wire' - art imitating life. The costs of drugs are truly staggering. Seems I'm the lone person who agrees with @avodonosov. The mods have told us that anti-drug views are not welcome on HN. At this point many of you are reaching for the downvote button. :-) Sorry but - yes it is possible - drugs can have a downside!
    - rosser 12y ago
      Please consider that at least some of the downvotes you're receiving may have more to do with your claim that you and 'avodonosov's positions are "not welcome" on HN than with the positions, themselves. Delusions of persecution aren't conducive to the kind of discourse we're trying to maintain here. EDIT: It's also fallacious to lump all "drugs" together under the same banner. I'm very skeptical that psychedelics factor significantly into drug-related gang violence and trafficking. I also very much doubt that there are very many LSD or psilocybin "addicts" around. This article was about legitimate scientific exploration of a repeatedly claimed benefit of psychedelics. It has nothing whatsoever to do with gangs, violence, trafficking, or addiction. As such, those issues are tangential at best, and probably also diversionary and specious.
      - andyl 12y ago
        > very much doubt that there are very many LSD "addicts" around My cousin - big LSD user - messed up his brain function. After that: drooling/voices/psychosis. Years of hell for his parents. Hell is an understatement. He died at a rehab / halfway house - killed by a fellow resident - stabbed in the heart with a butcher knife. My childhood friend - took LSD/psychedelics in Japan & never came out of it. Bumbling around in the streets naked, didn't know his name etc. His parents had to go bring him home. 20 years later he lives with them still, can't hold a job, can't handle a relationship, doesn't even come out of the house. Me and tons of others took psychedelics with no side effects - it works that way for most people. But when it goes wrong, the downside can be staggering. > re: you and 'avodonosov's positions are "not welcome" If you think HN is open to anti-drug views, you're kidding yourself.
forloop 12y ago
It's the subtitle. And 'exciting' was used to describe the results, not psychedelics.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]