The Science of Altering Consciousness

Sort of something interesting I heard about on NPR the other day. For some people with terminal illnesses or similar experiences, psychedelics can help treat depression. I know that some people who try cannabis can also hallucinate – maybe it could help there too?

Thoughts?

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I have a few close friends that micro-dose mushroom tinctures for help with their depression. I definitely think it helps more people than just the terminally ill, or similar. But there are many cases as well for treating depression with cannabis.

I definitely think we (as a country) should be studying the affects of psychedelics more. It has been used as a medicine before it became illegal. And the UK just said last year that psilocybin mushrooms are the safest recreational drug. I think there is huge potential there.

There has been a big push in Denver for the decriminalization of mushrooms. I’m not sure if it will go anywhere, but it’s a start!

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The researcher was explaining on NPR that psilocybin is the preferred hallucinogen by researchers because it doesn’t last nearly as long as LSD (>12 hours), only acting from 6 to 8 hours, and there’s no demonstrated safety concerns (beyond what the person’s body does during the trip).

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Who was it that had terminal cancer and chose to be euthanized while on an LSD trip? I remember the circumstances of his being surrounded by supportive relatives, etc, but can’t place the name. Marshall McLuhan?
As for THC having hallucinagenic effects, my experience is that as THC overflows the brain’s cannabinoid receptors, anxiety is the result and not a trip. Of course, hemp derived CBD oil is the cure as it balances your brain chemistry.

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Ben and Jerry’s is giving away copies of this. I have a few of his books. He is a great writer.

I LOVED LSD in the 80s! I don’t think I would have gotten through high school without it. I would like to try microdosing mushrooms for basic happiness and well-being. I haven’t had them in 30 years.

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I believe it was Aldous Huxley. He requested that his wife administer IV LSD on his death bed.

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My fiance and I are HUGE believers in the use of psychedelics in the use of mental healing.
We use to participate a couple of times a year. But it was never as simple as “down the hatch and here we go!”.
We always prepared for up to a month prior. It’s important to remember when using things like Mushrooms, LSD and Peyote, is that they reveal your consciousness to yourself, good or bad. So you need to be ready to handle your own thoughts. Keeping that in mind, we made sure we were in the right place mentally. There have been many times we have cancelled our session because we were having a bad week or day. If you go on a trip with a negative mentality, that can absolutely destroy a person. A positive mentality creates a postive result. We have resolved many emotional issues because of this process. We were taught this by my therapist who uses Ayahuasca for his own self benefit on an annual basis. His emphasis was that although psychedelics can help, they need to be taken responsibly and with a plan in mind in order to achieve the desired result. Taking them just for the fun of it can have some real negative effects. This is why it’s highly recommended for the really powerful ones, to have a shaman present or at least somebody who knows the experience well to guide you, and put you back on the positive path of your mind should start slipping. This person should be completely sober!!!
Unfortunately, the rise of fetynal has forced us to stop our psycadelic treatment for almost 2 years now. Because we have to buy these from a street dealer, the risk of fetynal cross contamination is just to high to risk.
I’m hoping the research will prove just how beneficial these are and our governments will allow safe access (never do I think full recreational use should be allowed!) and education to it. I imagine in the next 10-20 years there being a major shift in opinion, much like we have seen in Cannabis.

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Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell by Huxley are very insightful reads studying one great mind while in an altered state of consciousness. I highly recommend that anyone interested in the subject check out. Furthermore, check out the dates they were written!

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