This recent interview [1] with Jamie Wheal, co-author of <i>Stealing Fire</i> [2] is worth watching if you're interested in this topic.<p>He's observed the psychedelic "revolution" in recent years, and has both positive and negative things to say about it, but on the whole he's deeply pessimistic about where it seems to be going.<p>His observations about fashion-driven, Instagram-performative "enlightenment", and the propensity for a little bit of enlightenment to lead one down dangerous paths (including charging big money to lead others down the same dangerous path), are resonant for me, having been through the journey myself and seen it from both sides.<p>[1] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkPB33bD3hQ" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkPB33bD3hQ</a><p>[2] <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Fire-Maverick-Scientists-Revolutionizing/dp/0062429655" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Fire-Maverick-Scientists-Rev...</a>
I would love to try a psychedelic trip with a trained therapist guiding me toward facing my fears.<p>I’m generally a pretty anxious person (diagnosed with OCD, managed with ERP therapy), and I feel pretty confident that it would force me to face that part of me. I have no doubt that it’d be a beneficial experience.<p>Buuuuut... part of me is super nervous about what I might also find. It’s like part of my mind wants to explore it, and the other part doesn’t, which creates a lot of inner conflict. I honestly don’t know what I’m supposed to do with two parts of my brain fighting with itself.<p>Side note: How To Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan is a fantastic book and worth a read.
The funding discussed here is for scientific studies. But it's not clear what important question is still open and needs further study. From what I've read [1, 2, 3, 4], the psychological benefits are well-established and powerful if used in the right mindset, and the health risks are also well-established and rare or minor if used carefully.<p>So science seems to have answered the questions it can answer. The obstacle to wider use is policy and regulation.<p>Is funding scientific studies where the answers are already known an effective way to change government and social policy? It could be, but I hope everyone involved understands whether they're doing Science or Advocacy.<p>[1] Michael Pollan, _How to Change your Mind_<p>[2] James Fadiman, _The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide_<p>[3] Ayelet Waldman, _A Very Good Day_<p>[4] Dozens of popular articles
From my experience, everything mentioned in the article can be "treated" with meditation. I say treated in quotes because all this is self-caused and treatment is only to realize that it's actually me is the one who is causing stress and anxiety to myself. Once this is realized these things disappear in a matter of days.<p>Meditation is long-established, safe, legal, available to everyone regardless of any status or condition (excluding only severe damage in brain/spine areas) and does not require billion dollar research.
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any link between the melted art visual neural networks produce and the visuals that are reported during various psychedelic sessions? how plausible is the theory that what is occurring is just various networks in the brain deteriorating while the drug is being flushed through the system?<p>a type of audio-visual anesthesia experienced in an otherwise conscious semi-lucid waking state.
When did we forgo<p>> Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness<p>?<p>"Modern" mentality seems to be that everything is illegal unless government specifically approves. Any substance that emerges and becomes popular enough gets banned immediately (unless there's a huge backlash; I can only recall one case like that, kratom. Don't know much about that substance though). Meanwhile invasive questionable medical treatments and supplements are marketed as safe (government stamp of approval) all the time.<p>I recall how green tea extract destroyed someone's liver because the dosage was just crazy high. But it's green tea, so must be good for you? Or how about alcohol or tobacco or opioids which are literally killing people?<p>I think psychedelics should be unbanned first, because it's the <i>right thing to do</i>. The need for more research to treat specific conditions is a separate manner.<p>At the very least this should apply to mushrooms and perhaps LSD. MDMA can be great even in self-administered setting but I think it has more potential for (unintentional) abuse.<p>But mushrooms can be abused right? Sure. What about people who died in water drinking or hot-dog eating contents then? Are we going to ban those?