Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Single psilocybin dose may make lasting personality change

medicalxpress.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 173 posts

Re: Single psilocybin dose may make lasting personality change

#41

Post by pyre »

edtechre wrote: post #28
edtechre wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Instead of doing drugs to experience "enlightenment" (LOL), you could, I don't know... read a book and actually learn something of value.

I have no issue with whatever it is you posited after your masturbatory experience. It's just that I don't find your epiphany particularly deep, nor do I see how LSD was even necessary for you to arrive at your destination of nowhere. You know what actually makes a difference in life? Acquire knowledge, apply that knowledge, make connections and use all of that to HELP other people and change the world. Tripping on s…

  > You know what actually makes a difference in life?
Taking action makes a difference in life. People don't take action just for its own sake. They have motivations. Where do this motivations come from? Ultimately the mind. The mind can be influenced by books and general knowledge, as well as experiences. Do you contest that if one did the same thing twice (once on drugs, the other not) that those experiences would different? Who's to say that the experience on the drugs can't be the one that inspires someone to do something with their life (or in this case, to alter their way of viewing the world)? You? What authority do you have in such a field? What are you credentials to make such proclamations?

Re: Single psilocybin dose may make lasting personality change

#42

Post by mistermann »

edtechre wrote: post #28
edtechre wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Instead of doing drugs to experience "enlightenment" (LOL), you could, I don't know... read a book and actually learn something of value.

I have no issue with whatever it is you posited after your masturbatory experience. It's just that I don't find your epiphany particularly deep, nor do I see how LSD was even necessary for you to arrive at your destination of nowhere. You know what actually makes a difference in life? Acquire knowledge, apply that knowledge, make connections and use all of that to HELP other people and change the world. Tripping on s…

edt....I respect your opinion, but I would respect it even more if you had experienced even once what people are discussing here. From the way you write, I know you haven't.

If you have been through it, it's up to you to judge whether it is good or bad, for overall society, or even at the individual level. But as it is, you simply don't know what you're talking about.

We have a word in our vocabulary: transcendental Some people would say we don't really need that word. No one that has taken a psychedelic experience would ever say that. It is truly out of this world. It is up to you to determine if it is beneficial for yourself.

Assuming you don't think it's beneficial for yourself, I'd like to hear your thoughts on why you think others should be denied this experience, if they harm no others. (assuming you are in favor of prohibition)

Re: Single psilocybin dose may make lasting personality change

#43

Post by swombat »

edtechre wrote: post #28
edtechre wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Instead of doing drugs to experience "enlightenment" (LOL), you could, I don't know... read a book and actually learn something of value.

I have no issue with whatever it is you posited after your masturbatory experience. It's just that I don't find your epiphany particularly deep, nor do I see how LSD was even necessary for you to arrive at your destination of nowhere. You know what actually makes a difference in life? Acquire knowledge, apply that knowledge, make connections and use all of that to HELP other people and change the world. Tripping on s…

You sound like exactly the kind of close-minded person who would benefit from a hallucinogenic trip.

The reality is, you have no idea what a trip is like. You're building an image of what it might be like based on your own actual experiences, and it seems pretty lame, but that image is just that: an image; a picture; not the real thing.

And, much like life cannot be experienced just by looking at pictures, drugs cannot be experienced just by reading trip reports.

Re: Single psilocybin dose may make lasting personality change

#45

Post by pedrolll »

WA wrote: post #33
bherms wrote: post #9

Psilocybin use definitely changed me for the better. The first time I did it was one of the most eye-opening and impacting experiences in my life. Since my first trip, I've tried to work it into my life at least 1-2 times a year. Every time I feel like I learn something new and/or come out a better person by seeing certain aspects of life in a new light. It's something you only want to try in controlled environments…

The emphasis is on: done right, with the right people. There is a reason why drugs are prohibited in many countries. People don't use them "correctly" and can become messed up pretty heavily. I took shrooms when I was 18. After an initial phase of a lot of hardly controllable laughter, I experienced the strongest fear that I ever had in my life. Basically, the fear to remain stuck on this trip - nothing unusual by th…

Yes, definitely go through your first trip with a knowledgeable supervisor. Someone who can guide you and talk you out if you seem to be heading into a bad trip. One can always be talked out of a bad trip.

Re: Single psilocybin dose may make lasting personality change

#46

Post by pyre »

astrofinch wrote: post #38
aheilbut wrote: post #18

I don't doubt it, but reading a book may make a lasting personality change too.

What book do you estimate has the greatest probability of causing lasting personality change?

I'm sure there are a number of books that could make you very angry/bitter/cynical towards your government depending on the country (and depending on whether or not you already feel this way).

Perhaps something about the economics of the drug trade, how the War on Drugs affects it, and some statistics on how effective the War on Drugs has been thus far (for starters).

Re: Single psilocybin dose may make lasting personality change

#47

Post by veidr »

Many smart people I know try to work in a trip on mushrooms once a year or so. Many of them are folks who don't generally even smoke weed or drink regularly, which surprised me.

I think it is a good idea, and I try to do it, too.

But, I have a healthy respect for the potential downside of a psilocybin experience, too. Many years ago, I ate some shrooms before a concert at the L.A. Coliseum. There were some thuggish types and an air of violence in the parking lot, and that was enough to set my trip down a bad road. An hour later, I experienced a dark stadium full of bloody froth-mouthed humans, along with some other lizardish creatures, killing and eating each other, to the ear-splitting sound of huge metal sawblades grinding against each other, while I huddled in my seat unable to move. It seemed to go on forever, but after it was over I realized it was only 3-4 hours.

That experience was only in my mind, but it still had a lasting impact on me, something like what I imagine being caught up in a murderous orgy of cannibalism really would. For weeks afterwards, while glad to be back in the real world, I was still nervous and averse to sudden noises, had many nightmares, and was generally less happy. Eventually those effects diminished, and I don't think I suffer from any kind of permanent damage (although, how can you really know).

But I now make sure to prepare a calm stress-free environment before doing psilocybin.

Re: Single psilocybin dose may make lasting personality change

#48

Post by pedrolll »

throwaway33422 wrote: post #35

I once had a single, very high dose Psilocybin experience which lead to a lasting change that was very much for the worse. Having had my perception of reality profoundly changed by the experience I began to question my senses on a regular basis, with associated anxiety and panic. Then there were also the nightmares where I was tripping, would wake up, have something weird / trippy happen have a "world is ending" anxi…

Yes, listen to this man. If you are prone to depression/anxiety/paranoia/negativity do not try hallucinogenics.

Otherwise, it can be a positively life altering experience.

Re: Single psilocybin dose may make lasting personality change

#50

Post by throwaway7-2521 »

MarkPNeyer wrote: post #10

i took mushrooms once, and documented my experience. i've gone back and re-read it several times, and each time i do so, i both laugh like crazy and realize i was getting glimpses of ideas i'm only now starting to understand. if you want to read it, here it is: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9465583/ShroomReport.pdf

Somewhat odd to have used OJ as the mixer; vitamin-C is often considered to accelerate the breakdown of psychoactive substances (especially those like MDMA and LSD), so would normally be avoided until you feel you're 'done' and want things to end.
Post reply on HN