Steve Jobs, LSD and Drug Freedom • Hacker News Board

Re: Steve Jobs, LSD and Drug Freedom

#11

Post by jinushaun » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 2:00 PM UTC

geogra4 wrote: post #7

melling wrote: post #6

I've never used illegal drugs, and I've never had a desire. However, the one problem we do have by keeping certain drugs illegal is that Americans are destroying countries, like Mexico, where a week doesn't by where a drug gang hasn't killed someone. Illegal drug money is used to finance so much corruption and killing, that there seems to be little value in keeping them illegal, especially considering that everyone w…

College students are surrounded by drugs. They flow so freely that it seems like prohibition isn't really working. People who want drugs can get them. I don't do them either, nor do I have the desire but it just seems like only the poor and disadvantaged drug users go to jail.

Exactly. If people want drugs, they can get it, but not everyone does. We've already reached equilibrium drug consumption, which is why it's ludicrous to believe that drug use will skyrocket once it is legalized. The current drug policy only serves to fill up jails with those not in the middle class.

Re: Steve Jobs, LSD and Drug Freedom

#12

Post by icebraining » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 2:04 PM UTC

jgrahamc wrote: post #4

I wish that his article had delved more into the long term effects (benefits or otherwise) of taking psychedelic drugs rather than going off into a complaint about US drug policy. Anyone got interesting, concrete data to share rather than anecdotes about Steve Jobs?

As usual, Erowid[1] has plenty of interesting content; particularly, the References Database[2] has many papers about the subject.

[1]: http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/lsd.shtml [2]: http://www.erowid.org/references/refs.php?A=SearchAll&An...

Re: Steve Jobs, LSD and Drug Freedom

#13

Post by sjtgraham » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 2:04 PM UTC

Jobs was one of a kind, and to attribute his achievements even in part, to hallucinogens is a fallacy. If it was true, there would be more people like Steve Jobs in the world today.

I think Steve was wrong on this, as he was wrong on other things, i.e. that pancreatic cancer could be treated with a special diet. Maybe if Steve sought medical attention earlier he would still be with us today changing the world.

Re: Steve Jobs, LSD and Drug Freedom

#14

Post by tomelders » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 2:05 PM UTC

rwmj wrote: post #8

I've taken LSD and 'shrooms a few times, and while I can understand what Jobs is saying, I think he was wrong. I had mystical experiences where I thought I understood that the whole world was connected together, and I was connected to the world, and other deep insights. I think this was just brain-addled delusion, not any insight into how things really are. That said, I fully support these things being legal, and (fo…

I too have taken LSD. Microdots were prevalent circa 1995 in South Yorkshire, which were strong to the point of not being funny. However, I did manage to get my grubby little junkie mitts on a few paper trips which were a lot more pleasant.

My own personal view that it did change the way I look at the world in some strange and indescribable ways and the experiences made a large contribution to the person I am today, for better and for worse. I never had any grand epiphanies though, but I had some really good times.

I also had some truly horrible times which resulted in some pretty strange phobias that I'm only just starting to get over, but I wouldn't say they've had any noticeable affect on my life.

The moral of the story? There is no moral to this story.

Re: Steve Jobs, LSD and Drug Freedom

#15

Post by wheels » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 2:05 PM UTC

Incidentally, despite the oft quoted, "Bill Gates would be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once", Bill Gates basically did admit to taking LSD in a 1994 interview:

PLAYBOY: Ever take LSD?

GATES: My errant youth ended a long time ago.

PLAYBOY: What does that mean?

GATES: That means there were things I did under the age of 25 that I ended up not doing subsequently.

PLAYBOY: One LSD story involved you staring at a table and thinking the corner was going to plunge into your eye.

GATES: [Smiles]

PLAYBOY: Ah, a glimmer of recognition.

GATES: That was on the other side of that boundary. The young mind can deal with certain kinds of gooping around that I don't think at this age I could. I don't think you're as capable of handling lack of sleep or whatever challenges you throw at your body as you get older. However, I never missed a day of work.

http://beginnersinvest.about.com/od/billgates/l/blbillgatesi...

Re: Steve Jobs, LSD and Drug Freedom

#16

Post by euroclydon » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 2:07 PM UTC

sjtgraham wrote: post #13

Jobs was one of a kind, and to attribute his achievements even in part, to hallucinogens is a fallacy. If it was true, there would be more people like Steve Jobs in the world today. I think Steve was wrong on this, as he was wrong on other things, i.e. that pancreatic cancer could be treated with a special diet. Maybe if Steve sought medical attention earlier he would still be with us today changing the world.

My dad died nine months after being diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, which was three months longer than expected. Steve Jobs died years later, after the Whipple Surgery and a liver transplant.

Re: Steve Jobs, LSD and Drug Freedom

#17

Post by DavidChouinard » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 2:11 PM UTC

jgrahamc wrote: post #4

I wish that his article had delved more into the long term effects (benefits or otherwise) of taking psychedelic drugs rather than going off into a complaint about US drug policy. Anyone got interesting, concrete data to share rather than anecdotes about Steve Jobs?

"I take illegal drugs for inspiration", paper by Dr. Sue Blackmore is a fascinating read:

http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/journalism/telegraphdrugs.ht...

Re: Steve Jobs, LSD and Drug Freedom

#18

Post by scarmig » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 2:17 PM UTC

euroclydon wrote: post #16

sjtgraham wrote: post #13

Jobs was one of a kind, and to attribute his achievements even in part, to hallucinogens is a fallacy. If it was true, there would be more people like Steve Jobs in the world today. I think Steve was wrong on this, as he was wrong on other things, i.e. that pancreatic cancer could be treated with a special diet. Maybe if Steve sought medical attention earlier he would still be with us today changing the world.

My dad died nine months after being diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, which was three months longer than expected. Steve Jobs died years later, after the Whipple Surgery and a liver transplant.

Slightly different situation, as Steve Jobs had an extremely rare form of pancreatic cancer that is much less fatal than the common one, that he chose not to treat thereby making it fatal.

Re: Steve Jobs, LSD and Drug Freedom

#19

Post by kahawe » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 2:18 PM UTC

brudgers wrote: post #10

[edit because absurdity is apparently not obvious] By the author's logic,[/edit] perhaps people should consider putting their children up for adoption, too. However, I suspect that moving to Silicon Valley would be more likely to provide them with opportunities for success.

> Perhaps people should consider putting their children up for adoption, too.

Well, from the (very cynic) view of an armchair psychologist, one of the possible consequences of a child losing their parents can be a subconscious feeling of inferiority, of not being wanted, of not being good enough, ever. Depending on "temperament" and character, this kid could suffer from severe depressions all their life and never achieve anything or they could react to this by starting to heavily over-compensate and trying to be very successful and powerful. So, yes, if you want to put it like that... scarring an unsuspecting kid for life like this might just ultimately yield you another CEO hero, however unlikely.

Work, power and success can be a very potent drug and/or replacement. Not all motivations in life are positive, nourishing and healthy. Even very self-destructive tendencies could at the same time yield you tremendous (outside visible) "success", status and money.

Re: Steve Jobs, LSD and Drug Freedom

#20

Post by sjtgraham » Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 2:20 PM UTC

euroclydon wrote: post #16

sjtgraham wrote: post #13

Jobs was one of a kind, and to attribute his achievements even in part, to hallucinogens is a fallacy. If it was true, there would be more people like Steve Jobs in the world today. I think Steve was wrong on this, as he was wrong on other things, i.e. that pancreatic cancer could be treated with a special diet. Maybe if Steve sought medical attention earlier he would still be with us today changing the world.

My dad died nine months after being diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, which was three months longer than expected. Steve Jobs died years later, after the Whipple Surgery and a liver transplant.

I'm sorry for you loss. Jobs had a rare type of pancreatic cancer, islet cell neuroendocrine tumour, which accounts for ~1.3% of cases. With early enough treatment, the prognosis for this type of cancer is much better than other types of pancreatic cancer.