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Alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin

nature.com

1–10 of 192 posts

Re: Alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin

#3
post #2

I'm kind of hoping this puts the nail in the coffin with researchers trying to separate the psychedelic effects from the anti-depressant effects so that they can turn it into some kinda pill people have to take every day.

Why are you hoping for that? Is non-hallucinogenic anti-depressant a bad thing in some way?

Re: Alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin

#4
post #2

I'm kind of hoping this puts the nail in the coffin with researchers trying to separate the psychedelic effects from the anti-depressant effects so that they can turn it into some kinda pill people have to take every day.

Unless I'm misunderstanding you completely, what's wrong with that idea? Currently, anti-depressants are a very hit and miss science, leaving many people further frustrated by therapy that was supposed to help them instead. Anything that can move towards better medicine in the future should be a good thing, no?

Re: Alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin

#5
post #2

I'm kind of hoping this puts the nail in the coffin with researchers trying to separate the psychedelic effects from the anti-depressant effects so that they can turn it into some kinda pill people have to take every day.

If you take an anti-depressant pill everyday and it solves your problem, why is that bad? Are you hostile to medication in general?

Re: Alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin

#6
Totally anecdotal but LSD made my depression significantly worse than improving it in any way. I had two proper trips and had a seizure kind of thing at the start of the second one due to the overwhelming visuals (not experienced anything like that before or since).

EDIT: to expand, it made me very questioning of my own consciousness and gave me severe and persistent existential dread and fear of death to the point where I felt quite suicidal (which I've _never_ experienced before). I restarted my old anti-depressants which have helped quite a lot but I don't think these feelings will ever truly disappear. Quite honestly it is the one drug I truly regret taking. If you aren't ready to accept what these drugs will show you then it can be a long-lasting and damaging experience, certainly it was for me

Re: Alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin

#7
post #4
post #2

I'm kind of hoping this puts the nail in the coffin with researchers trying to separate the psychedelic effects from the anti-depressant effects so that they can turn it into some kinda pill people have to take every day.

Unless I'm misunderstanding you completely, what's wrong with that idea? Currently, anti-depressants are a very hit and miss science, leaving many people further frustrated by therapy that was supposed to help them instead. Anything that can move towards better medicine in the future should be a good thing, no?

What's wrong is psychedelics already work as-is, but due to stigma around "fun" alterations of consciousness possibly being beneficial (along with desire for a patentable compound that can get through FDA regs), most of the focus has been on how we can go about removing the wetness from water while preserving water's essential useful properties. Regardless of how many years go by and self-reporting along with scientific evidence accumulates that water's wetness is mostly the entire point, and all while people are being thrown in jail for water possession.

Re: Alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin

#8
post #7
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless I'm misunderstanding you completely, what's wrong with that idea? Currently, anti-depressants are a very hit and miss science, leaving many people further frustrated by therapy that was supposed to help them instead. Anything that can move towards better medicine in the future should be a good thing, no?

What's wrong is psychedelics already work as-is, but due to stigma around "fun" alterations of consciousness possibly being beneficial (along with desire for a patentable compound that can get through FDA regs), most of the focus has been on how we can go about removing the wetness from water while preserving water's essential useful properties. Regardless of how many years go by and self-reporting along with scienti…

It's not "stigma". People treated from clinical depression hope to be able to function in their normal day lives at work and at home, not just be on a never-ending psychedelic trip.

Re: Alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin

#9
post #6

Totally anecdotal but LSD made my depression significantly worse than improving it in any way. I had two proper trips and had a seizure kind of thing at the start of the second one due to the overwhelming visuals (not experienced anything like that before or since). EDIT: to expand, it made me very questioning of my own consciousness and gave me severe and persistent existential dread and fear of death to the point w…

Hope your recovery keeps moving in a positive direction :).

Re: Alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin

#10
post #8
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's wrong is psychedelics already work as-is, but due to stigma around "fun" alterations of consciousness possibly being beneficial (along with desire for a patentable compound that can get through FDA regs), most of the focus has been on how we can go about removing the wetness from water while preserving water's essential useful properties. Regardless of how many years go by and self-reporting along with scienti…

It's not "stigma". People treated from clinical depression hope to be able to function in their normal day lives at work and at home, not just be on a never-ending psychedelic trip.

Research has focused on long-term (months to years/permanent) benefits from just one or a small handful of psychedelic experiences. It would even be difficult to find marginally responsible "psychonauts" who would recommend attempting a "never-ending psychedelic trip", which regardless wouldn't be physically plausible due to how rapidly the short-term tolerance increases.

In short, perhaps do more research on this topic because you're arguing against a position no one has taken.

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