
Dr. LSD to Steve Jobs: How was your trip? - DavidSJ
http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/07/09/dr-lsd-to-steve-jobs-how-was-your-trip/
======
blhack
I remember being a teenager, and hearing a lot of rumors that made it sounds
like some big time engineers were pretty serious LSD advocates.

From what I was hearing, most of the top scientists and engineers in the world
had either used LSD, or were still actively using it.

How common is that? Was this all just a bunch of BS? I know there are some
really really fantastic coders that hang out here, do any of you guys actively
use psychadelic drugs?

As somebody that tries to stay away from any sort of drug (except alcohol. I
have a weak spot for beer) as much as possible (including over-the-counter
things etc.), has using these things benefited you in any way?

The way that I have heard LSD etc. users describe its affects, it sounds like
it would be anything BUT beneficial.

~~~
il
I think everyone should try psychedelics at least once in their life. I'm not
exaggerating when I say that it can be a life-changing, very positive
experience that will persist long after the effects of the drugs have worn
off. It will give you clarity and peace. It's very much the opposite of
alcohol- alcohol clouds your mind and dulls your senses, psychedelics enhance
your senses and open your mind.

And if you think LSD can have damaging effects, look at Dr. LSD- he lived to
be 102, and he took LSD in mammoth doses. The first time he took LSD(when he
discovered it), he did not realize how small its active dose is, so he took
something like 100x the standard dose(several milligrams). LSD is completely
safe physically, it's impossible to overdose or cause brain damage of any
sort.

~~~
yan
"or cause brain damage of any sort"

I'm sorry but that's not the case. In high school I ended up emailing David
Nichols (<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_E._Nichols>) to clear up
something they mentioned in health class. I couldn't believe it when he
replied with a two page sized email to a high school student. I don't have it
saved anymore unfortunately, but he said that physically, it is fairly safe,
but if you have existing predisposition to mental disorders such as
schizophrenia, it can push you over the edge and aggravate it immensely. So
while it's _physically_ safe as far as I remember, it has the potential turn
predispositions into actual disorders.

~~~
il
The bit about schizophrenia is true. I was referring to physical brain damage,
like the "LSD makes holes in your brain" myth.

~~~
mikeyur
Well this scratches LSD off the things for me to try. My dad was diagnosed
with schizophrenia quite a few years ago, which would mean I'm predisposed to
it? Not sure how much genetics play a role into getting schizophrenia.

------
zimbabwe
Dr. LSD lived to be 102? Wow.

I've always been curious about Jobs's relation to LSD. I know his famous "Bill
Gates should have dropped acid" line, but I'd like to see how he related
hallucinogenic use to his outlook on design.

~~~
runinit
I'm pretty sure Gates did LSD ..

~~~
rms
PLAYBOY: Ever take LSD?

GATES: My errant youth ended a long time ago.

PLAYBOY: What does that mean?

GATES: That means there were things I did under the age of 25 that I ended up
not doing subsequently.

PLAYBOY: One LSD story involved you staring at a table and thinking the corner
was going to plunge into your eye.

GATES: [Smiles]

PLAYBOY: Ah, a glimmer of recognition.

GATES: That was on the other side of that boundary. The young mind can deal
with certain kinds of gooping around that I don't think at this age I could. I
don't think you're as capable of handling lack of sleep or whatever challenges
you throw at your body as you get older. However, I never missed a day of
work.

[http://beginnersinvest.about.com/od/billgates/l/blbillgatesi...](http://beginnersinvest.about.com/od/billgates/l/blbillgatesint5.htm)

~~~
umjames
So does that mean that Bill should have missed a day of work instead?

------
petercooper
It's a bit of an aside, but.. I love that guy's handwriting! You don't get
handwriting much like that anymore.

~~~
profquail
Or people who would actually take the time to hand-write a letter and mail it
to someone.

~~~
cracki
writing by hand might actually be the lazier option, apart from it being more
personal...

------
weegee
while a senior in high school myself and my friends took LSD and while it was
certainly not lab-grade acid, just street acid, it was a fascinating
experience. We repeated it a couple times more and by the end of the third
trip, I felt that there was nothing more to learn from it so I stopped. They
kept on for a few more years. I read as many books as I could get my hands on
from the library, including a fascinating book called "Acid Dreams" which told
how LSD was used by the CIA for research into a possible truth serum. While I
would not recommend LSD to anyone for recreational purposes now, it is
important that we can learn more about how the brain works by having the
chance to use LSD as a learning tool. I think it can be used to help people
with various disorders, if used by a qualified physician/counselor and in a
good safe environment. Cary Grant was an LSD user and he felt it helped him a
great deal late in his life.

