>There's nothing about the fact that psychedelic researchers are excited about psychedelics that by itself is suspicious, as we are strongly being led to believe.
It's also quite possible that they are excited about the potential to try a different method of reducing the suffering of patients with mental illness with more efficacy, or fewer side effects, or some other positive change. Anybody can be excited about something while doing another thing. Presumably at least some of these people wish to provide aid, um, when they are not reeling from acid, and grooving on E's, or apparently, assaulting patients, based on the article.
By the way, how does he know they use the drugs? He said some guy said he knew a lot of people who did. A valid concern with mental health is the difficulty of evaluating statements people make about their, or other peoples internal states, and for what reason they make such statements. Basically he's saying, "They're addicts! Some dude told me!"
That's literally hearsay, although this is not a court environment, I suppose. Still, I, for one, would prefer a bit more rigorous statement about this endemic drug use among researchers.
As for his example, lots of people don't eat pork, for a variety of reasons. If someone follows their procedure and replicates their results, then does it matter if they were Muslims? Skeptical? Have some bacon and do the experiment, see if you get what they got. Of course you wouldn't just take it on faith, my goodness! Not all, certainly, but some people don't allow their desires to supersede their professionalism. I don't know, are Muslims even that invested in not eating pork as to fake a bunch of studies to fool the masses into not eating back bacon?
Actually, given what we know about the replication crisis.. hmm.
But surely people who take psychedelics have their own subculture, right? Dr. Alice and Dr. Bob might spend long weekends listening to Cream and obviously Black Sabbath, and definitely some jazz, staggering high because they are trying acid to wean them off of the Oxy's they were into 3 years ago, or the boozing they did under quarantine ... but what if they got results that are worth looking into? Anybody who's known someone using psychoactive drugs surely... well the drugs available now sure seem sub-optimal.
( What about their kids? They're trippin with the kids? Really? REALLY? )
You know, I'm quite unsure about this assumption that the researchers need to spread their drug of choice to people claiming ( skepticism about the afflicted seems to be a theme in the comments? I guess they should just snap out of it? ) mental defect to a third party, which is a life changing decision.
I'm not saying that these things are impossible, or inconceivable. Unfortunately. I question the number of people who act like this, while maintaining well enough to author research papers and do Guardian interviews, vs the number of people who are enthusiastic about reducing suffering and are pursuing a surprising and somewhat promising avenue to do so. They would be in a great position if this work led to a better way of treating mental illness. Seems exciting.