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Some Vermonters turn to ayahuasca as a 'last resort' to heal

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51–60 of 83 posts

Re: Some Vermonters turn to ayahuasca as a 'last resort' to heal

#51
post #15

I can't help but wonder what kind of world we exist in, if people are driven to drugs (not specifically ayahuasca, but also prescribed ones) just to live. The spike in mental health diagnoses and drug use ... it feels like there's something seriously wrong with the world and environment in which these people exist. The system is broken, as it were.

People have sought to change alter their consciousness through psychoactive substances for millenia, so I don't think the world we currently live in has too much to do with it.

Re: Some Vermonters turn to ayahuasca as a 'last resort' to heal

#52

I've tried every psy except Ayahuasca: DMT, LSD, Bromo-DragonFLY, RC's from the 2c family, ketamine, MDMA, and so on. In each case, I had "profound" realizations during the experience that lasted a day or two, then I reverted back to my normal ways of being depressed in a messy apartment and slacking at my job. In this article, I see descriptors of Ayahuasca similar to those of other psychedelics (years of therapy in…

+1 to everyone talking about the importance of integration after a psychedelic experience. Talking with someone else can help distill the important insights from the trip and separate wheat from chaff. Once you have that as a base, you can start to think about and plan longer term larger changes to your life, in whatever direction you want to change.

If you're ever need someone to talk to either during a trip or afterwards for integration, please check out Fireside Project[0] at 62-FIRESIDE. I'm a volunteer on the line there, it's a great group of people building culture and support to help everyone interested in self-transformation using these powerful tools.

[0] https://firesideproject.org/

Re: Some Vermonters turn to ayahuasca as a 'last resort' to heal

#53

I've tried every psy except Ayahuasca: DMT, LSD, Bromo-DragonFLY, RC's from the 2c family, ketamine, MDMA, and so on. In each case, I had "profound" realizations during the experience that lasted a day or two, then I reverted back to my normal ways of being depressed in a messy apartment and slacking at my job. In this article, I see descriptors of Ayahuasca similar to those of other psychedelics (years of therapy in…

I have tried both everything from your list and Ayahuasca (multiple sessions in a jungle retreat in Peru). From my experience nothing comes close to LSD. Ayahuasca is definitely an intense experience - both physically and mentally - but the “effect” did not last much longer compared to other substances.

Re: Some Vermonters turn to ayahuasca as a 'last resort' to heal

#54

I simultaneously believe two things are likely true: 1. Psychedelic research holds some interesting possibilities for advancing the fields of psychiatry and drug development. 2. Psychedelics are currently at near the "Peak of Inflated Expectations" in the Gartner hype cycle. I've seen a lot of these glowing articles about Ayahuasca, LSD, and Mushrooms lately. The claims within are, frankly, out of control and verging…

"Does anyone really believe that a single dose of Ayahuasca is "Like 10 Years of Therapy in One Evening" as stated in this article?"

"Does 10% of the population really rank their past psychedelic experiences as being on par with getting married or having children? I seriously doubt it."

Yes, for some people

Re: Some Vermonters turn to ayahuasca as a 'last resort' to heal

#55

I've tried every psy except Ayahuasca: DMT, LSD, Bromo-DragonFLY, RC's from the 2c family, ketamine, MDMA, and so on. In each case, I had "profound" realizations during the experience that lasted a day or two, then I reverted back to my normal ways of being depressed in a messy apartment and slacking at my job. In this article, I see descriptors of Ayahuasca similar to those of other psychedelics (years of therapy in…

Not with that mindset, no. The shamans in Peru consider ayahuasca to be medicine for the soul. It will bring up your worst fears and problems as visions, so you can face them.

I did ayahuasca 6 times and I'm not a drug user at all. Never even tried pot! But for me it was a life altering experience, and I think every single person on the planet should try it. It will change who you are.

Re: Some Vermonters turn to ayahuasca as a 'last resort' to heal

#56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ayahuasca is a much longer, heavier application (drink vs smoke) of DMT + MAOI, so you have had a taste. I have also had everything in your list too. D is one of the few drugs I deeply deeply fear/respect, and folks should not take this lightly. The spirit molecule is nothing to be trifled with.

Comedy Central runs a Youtube series where comedians talk about their drug trips, and the DMT ones always seem INTENSE. It seems like if you take enough you basically check out of reality for a while, wondering if that's true/what your experience was?

Literally ripped out of reality. Teleported to another time and place. It totally disrupts your senses from reality, and substitutes something else. One time I recall seeing the walls growing with vines like snakes, and being transported to a place with purple light.

When you emerge, you feel refreshed and renewed.

Do you remember deep dream? When i first saw it, I thought we might have some kind of ML model of the human experience of D.

Re: Some Vermonters turn to ayahuasca as a 'last resort' to heal

#57
post #35
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please don't take HN threads into flamewar. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html Edit: can you please stop posting unsubstantive and/or flamebait comments generally? You've unfortunately done quite a lot of that. We ban such accounts because we're trying for a different sort of website here.

It isn't a flamewar. I would say the same about Quebec City or Alaska. Humans do not survive well in cold, dark climates. Is my point a bit clearer now?

You just fucked with the wrong Canadian.

That is a joke.

Seriously, what you posted was obviously flamebait—and regional flamewars are (like generational flamewars) particularly tedious, substance-free, and avoidable. Please don't do that here, and please don't overlook this:

can you please stop posting unsubstantive and/or flamebait comments generally? You've unfortunately done quite a lot of that. We ban such accounts because we're trying for a different sort of website here.

Re: Some Vermonters turn to ayahuasca as a 'last resort' to heal

#58
post #15

I can't help but wonder what kind of world we exist in, if people are driven to drugs (not specifically ayahuasca, but also prescribed ones) just to live. The spike in mental health diagnoses and drug use ... it feels like there's something seriously wrong with the world and environment in which these people exist. The system is broken, as it were.

[deleted]

Re: Some Vermonters turn to ayahuasca as a 'last resort' to heal

#59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did he move there to continue the use? How is that different from an addiction?

You don’t need to go to Peru to get it (there’s plenty of drugs in the Bay Area). He moved there to fundamentally change his life.

Ok. Does he consume it regulary?

Re: Some Vermonters turn to ayahuasca as a 'last resort' to heal

#60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don’t need to go to Peru to get it (there’s plenty of drugs in the Bay Area). He moved there to fundamentally change his life.

Ok. Does he consume it regulary?

I can't tell you as this particular example was a colleague that I didn't know that well, but from talking to him I don't think it's what you think it is. These kinds of drugs aren't really fun party drugs. They're deep, introspective, intense things that aren't fun at all. And literature shows hallucinogens generally aren't addictive.
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