Psilocybin 'promising' for depression • Hacker News Board

Re: Psilocybin 'promising' for depression

#21

Post by philshem » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 7:15 AM UTC

Gatsky wrote: post #15

The study was just published in the most prestigious medical journal in the world [1]. Whatever you think of the study, this is rather significant. If you told me even 2 years ago there would be a randomised trial of magic mushrooms in NEJM, I would not have believed it for even a second. One point not to miss is that they screened 1000 patients to come up with the study population of 59. Nevertheless, I consider the…

Due to the stigma of psychedelics, there has been a long gap in research, which may have started with 1962 "Good Friday Experiment"

> Almost all of the members of the experimental group reported experiencing profound religious experiences, providing empirical support for the notion that psychedelic drugs can facilitate religious experiences. One of the participants in the experiment was religious scholar Huston Smith, who would become an author of several textbooks on comparative religion. He later described his experience as "the most powerful cosmic homecoming I have ever experienced".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Chapel_Experiment

Re: Psilocybin 'promising' for depression

#22

Post by tpm » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 7:17 AM UTC

diimdeep wrote: post #5

adammunich wrote: post #2

Old news is news I see

This 'news' is scheduled 'blogspam', this article links to prev. article with exactly the same premise and that posted exactly 1 month earlier (15 april, 15 march), while both based on ~2018 research. Moving on.

No, it's based on an article that just came out in NEJM: Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032994

Re: Psilocybin 'promising' for depression

#23

Post by renewiltord » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 7:18 AM UTC

simonswords82 wrote: post #7

I have a friend who has experienced magic mushrooms recreationally about half a dozen times in her 20s. After each trip she reported feeling clear headed and more mindful - she described it as though her mind's harddrive had been defragmented. Fast forward 10 years and that same friend felt low during lockdown over the past 12 months. After reading up online she decided to try microdosing mushrooms rather than the ma…

I used to think this but I think society has figured out something better. It has figured out that many people can use drugs effectively and many people are worthless on drugs.

So what it does is that it allows you to use as many drugs as possible when you're something like a high-income professional and sort of criminalizes drug use among working class people.

Your "test" for being a safe drug user is to have a lot to lose.

Drug use is rampant in SF for instance. And I know lots of drug users: cocaine, MDMA, psychedelics.

I used to think "why doesn't society just make you post a bond that lets you act in a slightly more unrestrained manner" and now I've realized society does! You just have to constantly be in a state of having too much to lose.

Personally, I use shrooms frequently (I have some in my fridge right now) and LSD less frequently and MDMA rarely. All of these have been amazing eye opening experiences and I am a much better person for them. Thank God.

All a coastal California perspective of course.

Re: Psilocybin 'promising' for depression

#24

Post by simion314 » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 7:18 AM UTC

simonswords82 wrote: post #7

I have a friend who has experienced magic mushrooms recreationally about half a dozen times in her 20s. After each trip she reported feeling clear headed and more mindful - she described it as though her mind's harddrive had been defragmented. Fast forward 10 years and that same friend felt low during lockdown over the past 12 months. After reading up online she decided to try microdosing mushrooms rather than the ma…

I have zero experience with drugs, so I am wondering if there is a sugar/cigarette industry that put a lot of money into promoting it's products, then what will be different when drugs get legalized?

Won't we repeat the history where companies make billions from this products, put them into ads to spread the use and addict people, suppress research into bad side effects etc,.

Personally I think there are some good applications for mushrooms or marijuana but my instinct is that the greedy people would do what they do best, sucker people and make big money.

Re: Psilocybin 'promising' for depression

#25

Post by Uberphallus » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 7:18 AM UTC

ceilingcorner wrote: post #14

MiddleEndian wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It will be looked back upon the same as alcohol prohibition.

Meaning the prohibition was misguided but the drug itself is dangerous?

The drug has dangers, but they seem small compared to those of alcohol, even if largely orthogonal.

It got banned because it wasn't understood in the best case, to curb the counterculture movement from the 60s in the worst, but it's always been hard to justify it with medical reasons; it's been just tagged along with cocaine or heroin and made bad by association.

Re: Psilocybin 'promising' for depression

#26

Post by vlunkr » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 7:19 AM UTC

On the one hand, HN is terrified of brain-computer interfaces manipulating our brains and emotions, on the other hand, they're totally psyched about using mushrooms to do the same thing.

Re: Psilocybin 'promising' for depression

#27

Post by ceilingcorner » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 7:20 AM UTC

Uberphallus wrote: post #25

ceilingcorner wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meaning the prohibition was misguided but the drug itself is dangerous?

The drug has dangers, but they seem small compared to those of alcohol, even if largely orthogonal. It got banned because it wasn't understood in the best case, to curb the counterculture movement from the 60s in the worst, but it's always been hard to justify it with medical reasons; it's been just tagged along with cocaine or heroin and made bad by association.

But if there hasn’t been significant medical research, how do we know there are no long-term dangers?

Re: Psilocybin 'promising' for depression

#28

Post by abgr-y » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 7:22 AM UTC

I don't believe drugs whether prescribed or recreational can cure Mental disorders. yes they may alleviate the symptoms but they don't really work on the root cause which are basically ones mental tendencies, thought patterns or habits acquired over a period of time. here[0] is a different take on what depression is and gives a high level road map to come out of it, for more details this [1] is a book by the same author and for testing out if those methods work here is an app [2] again from the same monk.

p.s i have followed all three & i must say the quality of life has improved considerably

[0] https://os.me/depression-definition-cause-and-cure/ [1] https://www.amazon.in/When-All-Not-Well-Perspective-ebook/dp... [2] https://www.blacklotus.app/

Re: Psilocybin 'promising' for depression

#29

Post by anonporridge » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 7:24 AM UTC

jack_riminton wrote: post #16

simonswords82 wrote: post #7

I have a friend who has experienced magic mushrooms recreationally about half a dozen times in her 20s. After each trip she reported feeling clear headed and more mindful - she described it as though her mind's harddrive had been defragmented. Fast forward 10 years and that same friend felt low during lockdown over the past 12 months. After reading up online she decided to try microdosing mushrooms rather than the ma…

This is my experience too. I’ve been microdosing about 1.3mg on and off during lockdown. The effects are subtle and hard to describe but I’d say it’s like ‘opening your mind’ or reframing your point of view on things. Definitely different from other drugs which just pump you with serotonin

It temporarily breaks you out of your established mental framework. It's as if your raw consciousness viewing the world without any of the filters that we all use to tune out the noise. That's why the experience can be overwhelming and chaotic and it's useful to be in a safe place with a trip sitter.

I think the magic comes when you discover that something your default mindset was filtering out as noise is actually signal. With that insight, you can more easily make changes to your sober mindset.

Re: Psilocybin 'promising' for depression

#30

Post by ceilingcorner » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 7:25 AM UTC

simion314 wrote: post #24

simonswords82 wrote: post #7

I have a friend who has experienced magic mushrooms recreationally about half a dozen times in her 20s. After each trip she reported feeling clear headed and more mindful - she described it as though her mind's harddrive had been defragmented. Fast forward 10 years and that same friend felt low during lockdown over the past 12 months. After reading up online she decided to try microdosing mushrooms rather than the ma…

I have zero experience with drugs, so I am wondering if there is a sugar/cigarette industry that put a lot of money into promoting it's products, then what will be different when drugs get legalized? Won't we repeat the history where companies make billions from this products, put them into ads to spread the use and addict people, suppress research into bad side effects etc,. Personally I think there are some good ap…

Of course. And when multi billion dollar marketing budgets are put to work for weed and psychedelics, you can expect the same situation to occur as with tobacco or alcohol.