
Relationship between psychedelics, the brain, well-being, and creativity - kenta_nagamine
https://mythirdbrain.substack.com/p/what-psychedelics-teach-us-about
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pengstrom
LSD is very, very interesting if you have a somewhat disciplined mind. When
the border of reality becomes diffuse, you're for some reason able to reason
about your own consciousness. You see how arbitrary your perception of reality
really is. You start thinking about where thoughts come from, and the
difference between a state (mind) and a process (the underlying biology from
which the consciousness emerges). Fun stuff.

It's extra fun when you realize you're seeing fractals and thinking recursion.

Be safe. Your experiences may differ.

~~~
helloimbob
Seeing fractals is great! Getting stuck in a thought loop less so...

~~~
pengstrom
Yes that's very unpleasant. I guess that's why they recommend starting slow.
But it also gives some insight, as I (feel) I'm more able to control my
thoughts the next time it happens. But yes, do not take psychedelics lightly.

~~~
mettamage
> But yes, do not take psychedelics lightly.

Some thought loops can actually be life threatening (e.g. suicidal ones). This
can also happen when there are no apparent signs of it during your normal day
to day life. YMMV, but I was happy to have a sober trip sitter.

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pdamoc
> "It's like a stepladder to look over a brick wall that's a little bit too
> tall for you. You use a stepladder, you get to see this crazy landscape that
> you kinda had an inkling about every time you walked by this wall, and then
> some people, you know, can sit in front of the wall, and, like, meditate,
> and then the wall becomes transparent, and they see beyond it, you know? So,
> there are many pathways to arrive at the same realization." \- Reggie Watts
> - Have a good trip (Netflix)

I believe that the responsible use of psychedelics could open the door to a
new leap in human civilization. They are powerful tools and should be
approached with upmost respect.

~~~
yowlingcat
> I believe that the responsible use of psychedelics could open the door to a
> new leap in human civilization. They are powerful tools and should be
> approached with upmost respect.

A lot of folks believe that much of religion and early human societal
organization actually originally came about as a result of early human
utilization of psychoactives. It makes sense when you think about, for
instance, shamanic utilization of ayahuasca and its tradition stretching back
historically. As you point out, "They are powerful tools and should be
approached with upmost respect." But the flip side is that, as powerful tools,
they can be dangerous when not used in a safe setting. But I always am a
little bit specious when folks say that "responsible use of psychedelics could
open the door to a new leap in human civilization" \-- the tool itself, while
useful, has been around for a while.

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sealjam
I just read I Have America Surrounded[1] a biography of Timothy Leary and
found it fascinating. His descriptions of levels of consciousness are a bit
wacky but I think helped me understand the appeal of psychedelics.

I assume Timothy Leary is a pretty divisive figure for some, I didn't know a
lot about him before reading, so went in with a relatively open mind.

[1]:
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123706.I_Have_America_Su...](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123706.I_Have_America_Surrounded)

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ldeangelis
Another great article that's kind of on the same subject
[https://qualiacomputing.com/2019/08/27/carhart-harris-
fristo...](https://qualiacomputing.com/2019/08/27/carhart-harris-
friston-2019-rebus-and-the-anarchic-brain/)

------
otterpop
gosh i've heard so much about how good psychedelics are for treating
depression, but they're obviously illegal to get a hold of.

hopefully we can see some clinical trials and find a theraputic use for them
within my lifetime.

~~~
zeta_
I believe shrooms are not illegal on most western countries

~~~
ttonkytonk
They're most certainly illegal in the U.S.A.!

I did a lot of street acid as a teenager and it caused me a lot of problems it
seems. Only did some half decent psilocybin shrooms once, more recently (but
years ago), but I liked the fact that I actually came down, acid seemed to
just linger and linger long after the main trip was over.

~~~
trabant00
> I did a lot of street acid as a teenager and it caused me a lot of problems
> it seems

Can you expand on that?

~~~
ttonkytonk
One year I did about 40 hits of acid, often multiple hits at a time, and
started stuttering and just felt like I had less going on mentally. It really
seemed like I had permanent brain damage. I'm not sure exactly what was going
on, there were definitely extenuating factors (e.g. family dysfunction,
depression etc.) but it took years for me to recover.

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dep_b
Haven't done it in years but I always kept a bit of an interest in it. No idea
how it'll affect me after more than 10 years.

~~~
jamil7
I felt similarly but I recently tried it again after about 10 years with a
very small amount and had a really positive and fun experience.

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sejtnjir
I don't see how you need some sort of health benefit as justification to enjoy
psychedelics. Why not do it for its own sake?

~~~
smitty1e
Long-term negative effects?

~~~
tpetrina
You mean more or less severe than long-term negative effects of sugar or
alchocol? And there is greater stigma for non-drinkers than for drinkers in
our societies so go figure...

~~~
currymj
i am honestly slightly worried that in certain social circles, things will get
to the point where not taking psychedelics carries a stigma.

i am guessing this is already the case in certain subcultures but I think
there is a chance it could reach the mainstream in blue coastal cities.

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braindead_in
The entropic brain hypothesis reminds me of the Mandukya Upanishad. I or Ego
is neither the waking state, neither the sleep state and nor the dream state,
but the one from all these states emanate from.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGKFTUuJppU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGKFTUuJppU)

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nsajko
I missed any mention of the potential of some psychedelics for triggering
mental illnesses (psychosis, etc.) in some people.

I try not to judge users, but I think it is best to dodge the risk and not
mess with your mind until science knows a hell of a lot more about the brain
and the effects of some substances on it.

Decriminalization is a must, though.

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the_dripper
Cool article! I recently bought a book on LSD but I'm still waiting to read
it. What surprised me is that OCD was on the low entropy side, because I feel
like it makes the brain more active.

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_reza
I once read somewhere that while designing Hypercard, Bill Atkinson used to
consume LSD in order to get some mental boost.

