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Johns Hopkins Launches Center for Psychedelic Research

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Re: Johns Hopkins Launches Center for Psychedelic Research

#91

Post by RangerScience »

jokowueu wrote: post #61
RangerScience wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hi! You are correct. The first usages of MDMA (the defining ingredient in ecstasy) were in therapy. If you have severe depression (or severe anything really), I would not recommend experimenting without an experienced guide. Think of it like like scuba diving or sky diving: first you learn how with those who already know.

Some say mdma without a guide is still good but you never know . Rick doblin once got a call from a friend who was treating a woman who had depression with mdma and what happened was that she remembered her rape and her being almost murdered ,this memory was complelty blocked by her brain and mdma brought them back . More mdma did not work so Rick doblin decided lsd was better equipped to treat her which worked . The…

They can all still be good without a guide, just like once you've learned to dive you do it on your own.

I think a huge part of having a guide the first few times is just so you experience it all being OK, so that if on a solo jaunt it's starting to not be OK you've got some understanding that it'll pass as, physiologically, so does the substance.

Re: Johns Hopkins Launches Center for Psychedelic Research

#92

Post by MarkMc »

halleonard wrote: post #4

A family member was a patient in the Psilocybin study dealing with cancer / end of life anxiety and the experience utterly transformed her life in a positive way. Seeing this center open brings tears to my eyes.

I have a close family member also dealing with cancer/end of life anxiety - to the point where she cannot sleep and gets physical stomach pains from anxiety.

She has tried meditation but I don't think it's been very effective for her. And we are in Australia and so cannot sign up for the John's Hopkins study. Can anyone recommend another effective way to reduce her anxiety?

Re: Johns Hopkins Launches Center for Psychedelic Research

#93

Post by reify_null »

_ejpk wrote: post #89
reify_null wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There certainly is a large overlap between people who are advocates of one or the other. Though I think, coming from the eastern philosophy side of things, the association is kind of strange. Literally, withholding from intoxicants is part of the five householder precepts in Buddishm & Taoism, maybe in others as well . With good reason (my opinion). At least from a vipassana perspective, anything like psychedelics wi…

The key word here being, "intoxicants". All medicines are not intoxicating. Giving one access to pure nondualistic states of consciousness, in a safe, controlled, and intentional setting, as many entheogenic medicines are capable of doing, is the exact opposite of intoxicating. Also, the Buddhist lineage it sounds like you are referring to is one of many. Because you mention vipassana, I'm guessing Theravada / Hinaya…

Sure, there are different points of view and you have pointed that out. My point was that the conflation of meditation and psychedelics is not something which is universally true, or at least not universally accepted.

From my personal view, there is no comparison to 'that' and getting my every day perspective closer to it. I think psychedelics can be interesting to see that change is possible, that things are not set in stone, least of all your mind, but it's ultimately proven to be no real solution (for me :) )

Re: Johns Hopkins Launches Center for Psychedelic Research

#94

Post by reify_null »

mistermann wrote: post #88
reify_null wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There certainly is a large overlap between people who are advocates of one or the other. Though I think, coming from the eastern philosophy side of things, the association is kind of strange. Literally, withholding from intoxicants is part of the five householder precepts in Buddishm & Taoism, maybe in others as well . With good reason (my opinion). At least from a vipassana perspective, anything like psychedelics wi…

> Though I think, coming from the eastern philosophy side of things, the association is kind of strange. I think the primary common interest is the meditation aspect due to the similarities in effects, but then out of that often comes similar viewpoints on life. > At least from a vipassana perspective, anything like psychedelics will just get in the way. No doubt they have an effect, but in what way do you think they…

If I wanted to learn how to live life, accepting the reality of it, while being on psychedelics, then I guess they wouldn't get in the way :)

Re: Johns Hopkins Launches Center for Psychedelic Research

#95

Post by mistermann »

reify_null wrote: post #94
mistermann wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Though I think, coming from the eastern philosophy side of things, the association is kind of strange. I think the primary common interest is the meditation aspect due to the similarities in effects, but then out of that often comes similar viewpoints on life. > At least from a vipassana perspective, anything like psychedelics will just get in the way. No doubt they have an effect, but in what way do you think they…

If I wanted to learn how to live life, accepting the reality of it, while being on psychedelics, then I guess they wouldn't get in the way :)

I believe that to some degree it can give one somewhat of a sense of what meditation can achieve without expending serious effort. The "pushback" from the meditation community is puzzling to me, but then all of this is human nature isn't it, so it shouldn't be surprising I guess.

Re: Johns Hopkins Launches Center for Psychedelic Research

#96

Post by ActorNightly »

m0zg wrote: post #45

A bit of a contrarian view. This stuff tends to go like a pendulum and it could very well swing too far in the other direction, and a lot of people will get fucked up in this case. We're seeing this with marijuana right now. I live in a state where it's legal, I voted for legalization, and I think it's wonderful that people aren't being thrown in jail for possession anymore. But I categorically DO NOT want this shit…

The huge difference is that active compounds in LSD/Shrooms are anti addictive - the more you use it, the lower the effect every time.

So while you can smoke weed every day and get the effect, you cannot do that with LSD or Shrooms. And you don't inhale smoke.

Re: Johns Hopkins Launches Center for Psychedelic Research

#97

Post by MrLeap »

yowlingcat wrote: post #84
MrLeap wrote: post #33

This probably isn't the place for it, but here's my anecdote to give background to why I think this is a step in a more humane direction than most. Once upon a time, I chopped up a bag of dry mushrooms and mixed them with some general tso chicken. I really love my general tso. This particular meal occurred during a point in my life where I was near my lowest. I was depressed, burned out, reeling from failure. For abo…

The only place I'd disagree with you is where you say that this isn't the place for it -- I'd argue that this exactly is a great place for it. Very well written, and feels similar to some of my own experiences. I'm impressed by your ability to use Blender, though!

Maybe you'd be interested to see one of the things I made that night then! https://imgur.com/a/9dICpTG

I've used blender for 16 years (rarely get paid to though..). Mind, this was in 2.79. My muscle memory is all wrong now that 2.8 has came out. It's going to take months to train myself out of old habits!

Re: Johns Hopkins Launches Center for Psychedelic Research

#98

Post by spats1990 »

pasquinelli wrote: post #25
ghostbrainalpha wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know if that's contrarian really. It's just your basic "My Favorite Band was way better before they got super popular had to go mainstream". And my take is that that argument should probably stick to fashion and cultural issues and stay out of medical discussions.

Is it that, or could it be reasonable anxiety about powerful substances becoming an avenue for corporate profit? Opioids are a useful class of drugs, but they've been managed by the profit motive and that's caused havoc that's killed thousands and may leave people who should be on them in terrible pain because of an over correction.

That's a valid concern, but psychedelics aren't really physically addictive the way opiates are. And given the possible use cases described by e.g. Michael Pollan, it's hard to imagine them being heavily overprescribed by doctors, if they ever even reach the stage of being a generally prescribable drug at all.
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