The re-birth of psychedelics.
I’m glad psychedelics, both micro-dosing and, macro-dosing, are becoming more of a topic of discussion. They’ve been unjustly vilified for too long — vilified by the people who could most benefit from ingesting them.
Many of these drugs were created and used medically until they were made illegal. There was and is growing medical data to strongly suggest their benefit. If you need proof, there are ongoing studies that prove their worth.
Psychedelics like LSD, Psilocybin, Ayahuasca, Peyote, and MDMA are showing positive results in treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction and aiding people with a terminal illness. The research is ongoing…and being performed by reputable institutions like Johns Hopkins, NYU and Yale, among other private studies like MAPS.
I’m a fan:
7 Things I Learned Microdosing LSD
Did it change my life? It certainly added value.medium.com
Yes, there are stories of bad experiences. While those stories are unfortunate, they’re far from the norm. But you know what? There are bad stories about people drinking or taking Penicillin…or Nuprin.
It’s unlikely you will see a pharmaceutical company conduct studies because Ayahuasca and Peyote grow naturally and the patents have expired on LSD, Psilocybin, and MDMA. Because big pharma wouldn’t be able to hold the patent hostage, they have no incentive to do research. Of course, that won’t stop them from trying should (when) these drugs ever make their way to market (Ketamine is now legal).
Psychedelics can open your mind and let you experience life in an ego-free world and allow you to look inward. You can experience many things and, if you’re open to it, you may just encounter overwhelming peace and a feeling of endless joy and love.
With some of these, depending on the dosage, it’s also not uncommon to have some type of invigorating spiritual encounter.
And couldn’t we all use a larger dose of any of those things these days?
One of the reasons that they’re proving beneficial is the potential is available for you to obtain a much clearer perspective about issues that may have been concerning you beforehand. Or at least a different perspective.
You may even exit your journey with a profound quiet and calm that didn’t exist before. It’s by no means a fix. Just look at the results from the John Hopkins study on mushrooms in assisting with patients facing an end of life illness.
These drugs aren’t cures and shouldn’t be touted as such. They’re alternatives that can help you find some balance or wipe the slate clean — a little like hitting CONTROL-ALT-DEL on your computer.
Writer Michael Pollan has referred to it as “shaking the snowglobe.” Which I think is a fair analogy.
After your trip, your snowglobe has been shaken, your psyche somewhat re-aligned and perhaps you’ve gained clearer insight.
Now, you’re VERY unlikely to overdose on psychedelics. Yes, you can take too much but the likelihood of you dying is virtually non-existent. Of course, provided you don’t feel compelled to walk out into traffic or jump off a building.
Note that psychedelics aren’t addictive like prescription opioids (legal), tobacco (legal) and alcohol (legal); BUT because of the experience, there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that they can be habit-forming (however, there is no point because it lessens their efficacy). Marijuana can be habit-forming too and that’s trending toward legalization.
Psychedelics are illegal (although slowly progressing towards legality) and they’re powerful.
Also worth noting and simply put, psychedelics are not for everyone.
If you’re open to having your snowglobe shaken about, then do your research, and do a lot of it. If you’re still interested, be responsible, be smart and proceed with caution.
Related:
These are not your parents psychedelics.
“Life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves.” — Bill Hicksmedium.com
Trip of Compassion
Trip of Compassion is an Israeli documentary about a clinical case study at the Beer Yaakov Mental Health Center that…medium.com