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LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

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Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#181

Post by MichaelGG »

bjourne wrote: post #145
MichaelGG wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stimulants can essentially directly increase your intelligence for a time. You think faster, answers can just pop into your head faster, you can code faster. Laser focus, a sense of unlimited capability, too. A more realistic version of the movie "Limitless". They don't seem to help with creativity, and can do the opposite. It's easy to get concentrated on the wrong thing. I knew a PHP dev on pro vigil long term, and…

The only counter example I have is professional high-level chess players. In typical tournaments they play seven games each taking three hours each. While it's just as competitive a "sport" as football, they don't take any stimulants stronger than orange juice and green tea. This is why I don't think any performance enhancing drugs work for the average human. Because if there was, thousands of chess players would alr…

Chess orgs do have anti drug policies and test, although this mostly seems driven by nitwit ideas from the Olympics and Wada. If coffee works, it's likely amphetamines work too, although taking them during a game might be noticeable.

Students widely use them for exams.

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#182

Post by gdubs »

bjourne wrote: post #140
pmoriarty wrote: post #59

An example of LSD's effect on art: [1] More details here [2] Then there's the visionary art[3] of Alex Gray.[4] There's a great book that documents studies done on LSD's effect on creativity.[5] On the subject of music, LSD famously influenced the Beatles,[6] and many other 60's bands... and which, in turn influenced many others. In fact, there's a very good chance that most if not all of the contemporary music you l…

The Beatles heavily used alcohol and tobacco too. But really, they were three of the century's most talented and most hardworking musicians with incredible managers and producers and almost unlimited resources. I can't prove it, but I don't believe there is a causative link between tripping on LSD and writing great music. I do believe there is a causative link between working hard and practicing a lot and writing gre…

The Beatles most transformative drug experience (one that goes hand-in-hand with "working hard") was arguably speed. [1]

1: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2014/08/the_drug_that_he...

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#183

Post by cnp »

TylerE wrote: post #146
bjourne wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Beatles heavily used alcohol and tobacco too. But really, they were three of the century's most talented and most hardworking musicians with incredible managers and producers and almost unlimited resources. I can't prove it, but I don't believe there is a causative link between tripping on LSD and writing great music. I do believe there is a causative link between working hard and practicing a lot and writing gre…

On the other hand, there is substantial evidence that LSD changed the Beatles' music qualitatively. They first took the drug in summer 1965. Their next album, Rubber Soul, written and recorded in fall and winter 1965 was a major stylistic shift.

Any interview with John Lennon will tell you as much, too.

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#184

Post by UserRights »

A few important things are missing:

Before trying it, get yourself some diazepam, like e.g. xanax or valium, this is a very good treatment if the trip is getting too wild and it will take you down in less than 30-45 minutes, at least to a level where you can relax. This is your "life jacket" and will strongly reduce the danger of your experience becoming a bad trip, just because you will know that you can easily get out if you want to.

Do not buy from strangers, ask an experienced person you can trust. There is a lot of much more dangerous stuff on the black market sold as LSD that can seriously harm your liver or other organs. Having a good trusted source is extremely important. If you can allow, try to get clean, professionally produced substance from switzerland (ask psychologists or other doctors who are open to this).

Do not take it if you are in trouble, emotional stress, despair or feel overwhelmed by your personal situation. This substance will not solve any problems for you. Clean your life up as much as possible before doing it. Yes, LSD is still used to overcome heavy depressions and other serious problems, like e.g. alcoholism, but such a treatment will most likely only succeed with professional psychological care and is a long term process.

Have a nice trip!

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#185

Post by morninj »

jafaku wrote: post #169
naturalrecursin wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pure mdma would not kill anyone at a normal dose. Test your pills everyone!

Test your pills? How? Anyone can do it?

In fact, yes: there are nonprofits that distribute testing kits for recreational drugs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pill_testing).

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#186

Post by baq »

pmoriarty wrote: post #98
glynjackson wrote: post #96

My theory is that there is NO direct correlation between drugs like cannabis or LSD and creativity. I know some talented people, experiences when I was young was watching friends "stoned"/"high" but talking utter crap! The next day after the trip (without fail) these already smart people "think" they have said or done something profound, but they never did! Days later, their own creative genius is pushed on a search…

Not to discount your observations of a couple of your friends, but if you look at actual scientific studies of LSD's effect on creativity,[1] there is a very clear link. That said, it's not a panacea or a magic pill. You are not guaranteed to become more creative when you take LSD. You most likely will not become Mozart or Picasso by taking it. It is even possible to misuse or abuse LSD, as you can misuse and abuse a…

why did I have to scroll all the way down to find somebody that sounds like he knows what he's talking about? a great majority of discussion in this thread is of abysmal quality. legendary HN moderators failed spectacularly this time.

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#187

Post by pushrax »

UserRights wrote: post #184

A few important things are missing: Before trying it, get yourself some diazepam, like e.g. xanax or valium, this is a very good treatment if the trip is getting too wild and it will take you down in less than 30-45 minutes, at least to a level where you can relax. This is your "life jacket" and will strongly reduce the danger of your experience becoming a bad trip, just because you will know that you can easily get…

Good advice. Just wanted to make a small correction: Valium is diazepam and Xanax is alprazolam, both are benzodiazepines. Most benzodiazepines (and "nonbenzodiazepines"[1]) are effective for the use mentioned.

[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonbenzodiazepine

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#188

Post by seanp2k2 »

pyre wrote: post #84
sillysaurus3 wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Third, go out into nature if you can. Preferably with just your friends and not a lot of people around. It's pretty cool. LSD impairs your ability to feel cold. People have died by taking drugs and then going out into snow. I sadly can't find the proof to back up my claim, but I read about a case of a girl taking ketamine and then going outside and succumbing to hypothermia. Here's another case of someone dying from…

> LSD impairs your ability to feel cold. People have died by taking drugs and then going out into snow. I sadly can't find the proof to back up my claim, but I did read about a case of a girl taking ketamine and then going outside and succumbing to hypothermia. Unless I'm misunderstanding, the idea of a "sitter" is someone that is not under the influence, so this could negate such effects if one fully follows the adv…

You could also make the same argument about "reading a book", "reading HN regularly", "allowing time to pass"... Don't do any of those things if you want to stay exactly the same!

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#189

Post by seanp2k2 »

h1karu wrote: post #137
sillysaurus3 wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These chemicals will change your brain, and your brain is who you are. It's not philosophical. It's physical.

> These chemicals will change your brain, and your brain is who you are. I suspect that your brain is who you think you are because you've learned to associate the concept of self with your thought processes, but I ask you if you are indeed your thinking then how is it that you're able to observe your own thought ? If you'll bear with me for a moment, doesn't it also make sense to think that you may be whatever is ob…

Meditation focusing on breathing: https://thebuddhistcentre.com/text/mindfulness-breathing

Re: LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug? (2006)

#190

Post by olefoo »

tomphoolery wrote: post #33
olefoo wrote: post #21

Is it the same six people that keep posting this every 6 to 12 weeks on here? The usual caveats apply: 1. lsd is illegal, so no quality control and no certainty that that is what you are ingesting. 2. lsd was and is a mythological drug in every sense of the word. Nothing you know about it is true either to the good or to the bad. 3. Just because there are 5 decades of propaganda about the evils of lsd does not mean t…

> lsd was and is a mythological drug in every sense of the word. Nothing you know about it is true either to the good or to the bad. This is false, LSD is the most researched psychedelic of them all and while we're not entirely sure of the mechanics of its actions (nor do we know of any of these kinds of brain mechanics, that's why the prescription of anti-depressants seems to be more of a guessing game than a scienc…

mythological in the sense that all sorts of people build up myths about it and it's supposed powers.

( blinding flashes of insight, make you throw yourself off buildings, make you a god, make you an ant, turn your world inside out, heal all traumas, traumatize the most mentally sound, etc. etc. )

Now while there has been some scientific study of LSD's biopharmacology there is an unfortunate tendency for researchers to sample the product and then become evangelists for the drug. Which tends to render their methodology suspect; Leary being only the most notorious example.

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