Psychedelics Essay

This answers the complicated question, but broken down it is somewhat simple. The “altered perception and thought” side means that the psychedelic drug changes what you are seeing and mangles up what is real and what is not. These types of drugs can cause you to see things that are not there, colors or shapes, make you hear things, like songs or people and overall distorts what is actually happening. The “mind expanding” part mean that the psychedelic broadens your perspective on the world and what you are perceiving at that moment, many people say you are “re-learning” everything you see. When on a psychedelic drug you may feel as if you are able to answer anything, and everything makes sense, but at the same time nothing makes sense at all; every secret in the world has been exposed and only you know the answer but it’s in a foreign language you do not understand. Finally, the “heightened awareness but diminished control” side means that you are extremely aware of what is going on, but you have no control over what is actually happening. There is no specific purpose that a psychedelic drug is meant to fill, they were previously used in therapy sessions for extreme cases of PTSD and MDMA was used in

A new wave study on hallucinogens, and other mind-altering substances, was organized to address whether these

Thesis: There are many misconceptions about magic mushrooms, but I believe that they could be incredibly important for the future treatment of mental health.

In 1958, Albert Hoffman, the famous scientist to first isolate lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD, took on the feat of isolating psilocybin, a compound found in mushrooms ingested in spiritual rituals in Oaxaca, Mexico. There are over 200 mushrooms with the compound called psilocybin, 4-phosphoryloxy- N,N –dimethyltryptamine, commonly known as “magic mushrooms”. In early history around the

Psychedelic chemicals are currently banned for any medical use and strictly limited in research to determine if they can be used effectively to help patient. With one out of ten people in America suffering from depression and one out of four people struggling with some type of mental illness not using every tool available to use seem foolish to limit the tools used by psychotherapist. During the next few pages I will discuss earlier uses for MDMA in psychotherapy and whether these results support or contradict these uses. This will be broken up into four sections; a brief overview of effects, couples therapy, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia.

Aldous Huxley takes us on a journey explaining the some truths about altered mind states and the drugs involved. It talks about psychedelic drugs, which basically alter our thinking patterns and make us view ideas and concepts from an unconventional angle. Its a good read which i'd recommend especially if you're interested in surreal mind states and also deep reflection about the mind. It also has a very useful appendix; which I found quite informative. Some people take drugs for recreational purposes, some for work reasons e.g a musician. You can relate to why some of these drugs are used or abused and the book gives you an unbiased review in a way. Its fair judgement comes from the fact that the author himself used a mind - state altering

Over a course of five years, he studied 60 subjects under the influence of DMT. He observed the effects of the drug mostly qualitatively, then analyzed their hallucinations along with the physiological reactions to the drug. A lot of the information he collected was given to him by his clients who explained their experience. Through his research, he observed that a significant number of subjects experienced states of spiritual connection and human transcendence, as well as communication with (and abduction by) terrifying alien creatures (McSweeney, 2012).

On April 16, 1943, Dr. Hoffman decided to do further research with the LSD compound (Dye, 1992 p. 5). While handling the drug,

Psychedelic treatments on the sick and dying provides many benefits than it does disadvantages. For one, the treatment is being studied on patients who find themselves at the lowest point in their lives. Two, our healthcare system needs to focus more on the patients comfort level and less on the methods used. Three, anyone experiencing anxiety of dying from cancer and their loved ones would make the process easier to cope with and would benefit the grief process of the people they leave behind. At the age of twenty-seven I have experienced four people in my lifetime who suffered from cancer and in the end lost the battle. When you see someone you’ve considered a mother fear the inevitable end of their life every moment they come out of their

Since hunter-gatherers time, hallucinogens have been known to be used in tribal rituals. Such tribes believed in animism: unusual abilities and prudence can be derived from nature (e.g. plants) and the ‘spirits’ within them. Passing the knowledge down to the coming generations via shamans, whom by experience have mastered handling different hallucinogen containing-plants: to reach an altered state of mind. In the present, it is known that hallucinogens are banned in most parts of the world. However, aware of the power of hallucinogens, a query is raised as to whether this mind-altering strength can be harnessed to treat mental or physical ailments.

Psychedelic drug use has been present in both traditions and used recreationally for millennia. Their use can be seen in all corners of the planet by many sects of religions and indigenous peoples. Reasons for usage vary from religious or medical purposes, hunting, war, and spirituality. The drug use was viewed with much less of a negative stigma than it is today.

The history of LSD starts with a chemist named Albert Hofmann, 1938; while working with Sandoz Pharmaceutical synthesized, he was looking for a blood stimulant (“The Truth”,

Research on psychedelic substances can assist in understanding the effects of the substances and their potential medical functions. Neuropsychopharmacology and brain imaging research team Franz X. Vollenweider and Michael Kometer claim ,“...research into psychedelics might identify novel therapeutic mechanisms and approaches that are based on glutamate-driven neuroplasticity...” (Vollenweider,Kometer 1) Research conducted on psychedelic substances is important as more research on these substances can lead to the development of alternative treatments available to treat certain psychological disorders. However, research on the medical applications of psychedelic substances have several obstacles as most psychedelic substances are scheduled under global drug laws making research difficult and costly for researchers.

Psychedelics are widely believed by the scientific community to be the oldest substances to be used by human ancestors. Ancient cultures from almost every corner of the world have some form of history with psychedelic drugs. Associate Professor Emeritus at Harvard Medical School Dr. Lester Grinspoon has claimed that there is overwhelming archeological evidence supporting the notion that humans have used psychedelics for thousands of years as part of religious ceremonies (Grinspoon and Bakalar 1983: 16-23). Mescaline-containing cacti found in 2005 by archeologists and carbon dated to 3780 BC (El-Seedi et al. 238-242) suggest that Native Americans valued peyote’s naturally produced psychedelic, mescaline. There is also an abundance of literature

Hallucinogens are much lesser known for their physical effects. Most people certainly associate hallucinogenic drugs with their psychological effects, but