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Psychedelic brew ayahuasca’s profound impact revealed in brain scans

theguardian.com

21–30 of 97 posts

Re: Psychedelic brew ayahuasca’s profound impact revealed in brain scans

#21

I had never done any kind of drugs in my life or psychedelics, but took Ayahuasca once with friends who were in the personal wellness space circa 2010. My experience: - tastes like mud - it’s recommended to vomit after taking it, but I felt too self-conscious because we were all together in the same room - the first part of the trip was wonderful as I spent 2hours in bliss seeing colored lights, I still remember this…

> - I got more confrontational which almost got me into fights, but also got me laid

These systems are likely deeply tangled up in your biology. Robert Sapolsky has a Stanford lecture series on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNnIGh9g6fA

Well worth a watch!

Re: Psychedelic brew ayahuasca’s profound impact revealed in brain scans

#22

I am fascinated by this stuff and DMT and part of me would love to try it. It appears most people experience the same entities such as the self-transforming elf machines. I read another transcript where somebody met their intergalactic girlfriend and the absolute bliss of their reunion and how it felt like they have known each other for hundreds of years. A nice short of Terence McKenna discussing the DMT Elves https…

It's interesting that these Elves never seem to provide any useful, actionable information, especially information that their human interlocutor would have had no way of knowing. Instead it's just vague, mystical fluff.

Re: Psychedelic brew ayahuasca’s profound impact revealed in brain scans

#23
post #3

I am fascinated by this stuff and DMT and part of me would love to try it. It appears most people experience the same entities such as the self-transforming elf machines. I read another transcript where somebody met their intergalactic girlfriend and the absolute bliss of their reunion and how it felt like they have known each other for hundreds of years. A nice short of Terence McKenna discussing the DMT Elves https…

I would advice against prolonged use or using it often. I have seen people around me change their behavior irrationally and erratically, and not for the good, as in not being able to regulate their emotions in a sensible fashion. So while fascinating perhaps, I don’t think it is always used responsibly.

> I have seen people around me change their behavior irrationally and erratically, and not for the good, as in not being able to regulate their emotions in a sensible fashion

Their hearts have probably changed as well, and likewise, not for the good.

Re: Psychedelic brew ayahuasca’s profound impact revealed in brain scans

#24

I am fascinated by this stuff and DMT and part of me would love to try it. It appears most people experience the same entities such as the self-transforming elf machines. I read another transcript where somebody met their intergalactic girlfriend and the absolute bliss of their reunion and how it felt like they have known each other for hundreds of years. A nice short of Terence McKenna discussing the DMT Elves https…

It's interesting that these Elves never seem to provide any useful, actionable information, especially information that their human interlocutor would have had no way of knowing. Instead it's just vague, mystical fluff.

One take on psychedelics I find intriguing is that instead of providing actual deep insights, they simulate it. While you are high, everything just seems profound and mystical, but there is really nothing there, it is an artifact of the distorted brain chemistry.

I find this makes sense because in my experience, people that regularly take psychedelics do not seem wiser or more insightful to me than people who don't. There is probably some way in which they boost creativity by making thought processes less rigid, which helps in things like music and maybe some kinds of technical innovation.

Re: Psychedelic brew ayahuasca’s profound impact revealed in brain scans

#25
Title is a little incorrect, the study was DMT only whose effects only last a short time period. You need the ayahuasca brew which contains other plants including an MAO-I that makes the effects possible via oral administration and also last much longer.

Re: Psychedelic brew ayahuasca’s profound impact revealed in brain scans

#26
post #18

I had never done any kind of drugs in my life or psychedelics, but took Ayahuasca once with friends who were in the personal wellness space circa 2010. My experience: - tastes like mud - it’s recommended to vomit after taking it, but I felt too self-conscious because we were all together in the same room - the first part of the trip was wonderful as I spent 2hours in bliss seeing colored lights, I still remember this…

Awesome experience report, but > it seems the reason it lasted so long is because I couldn’t vomit in the first place, so the “medecine” stayed with me longer I highly doubt that, it was probably metabolized and out of your system in a few days max. What you describe are classical "afterglow" symptoms. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afterglow_(drug_culture)

Afterglow is a layman's term but tells you nothing of the science. After the high does of amines (serotonin analog) which results in a drastic change serotonin receptor densities. It takes a while fro these receptors densities to return to normal.

DMT behaves as an agonist at both 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors. There is nothing more to the magic than that.

P.S. I have the same experience as being on DMT and I do not take DMT and for some reason I am on disability for it. So tell me again how this is beneficial?

Re: Psychedelic brew ayahuasca’s profound impact revealed in brain scans

#27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's interesting that these Elves never seem to provide any useful, actionable information, especially information that their human interlocutor would have had no way of knowing. Instead it's just vague, mystical fluff.

One take on psychedelics I find intriguing is that instead of providing actual deep insights, they simulate it. While you are high, everything just seems profound and mystical, but there is really nothing there, it is an artifact of the distorted brain chemistry. I find this makes sense because in my experience, people that regularly take psychedelics do not seem wiser or more insightful to me than people who don't.…

Yeah, using this drug to break down the compartments of the brain will lead to increased creativity (which is all hallucinations are, daydreaming on overload), it will not last. And the more you use DMT the more you will need for the same effect.

Re: Psychedelic brew ayahuasca’s profound impact revealed in brain scans

#28

I had never done any kind of drugs in my life or psychedelics, but took Ayahuasca once with friends who were in the personal wellness space circa 2010. My experience: - tastes like mud - it’s recommended to vomit after taking it, but I felt too self-conscious because we were all together in the same room - the first part of the trip was wonderful as I spent 2hours in bliss seeing colored lights, I still remember this…

Do you think you could shift back into that "10x more confident self" consciously without the Ayahuasca?

Re: Psychedelic brew ayahuasca’s profound impact revealed in brain scans

#29
post #3

I am fascinated by this stuff and DMT and part of me would love to try it. It appears most people experience the same entities such as the self-transforming elf machines. I read another transcript where somebody met their intergalactic girlfriend and the absolute bliss of their reunion and how it felt like they have known each other for hundreds of years. A nice short of Terence McKenna discussing the DMT Elves https…

I would advice against prolonged use or using it often. I have seen people around me change their behavior irrationally and erratically, and not for the good, as in not being able to regulate their emotions in a sensible fashion. So while fascinating perhaps, I don’t think it is always used responsibly.

This is typical drug "addiction" behavior. I call it a "negative addiction" (copyright me).

In a positive addiction you see the drug that makes you feel better. In a negative addiction, the drug leaves you feeling worse but there is not craving for it. This occurs with drugs that do not affect dopamine or the dopamine receptors.

Re: Psychedelic brew ayahuasca’s profound impact revealed in brain scans

#30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many would say the same about friends taking antidepressants as IMA, ISRS, ATC… or others DANGEROUS stuff as opioids. An average 2023 pharma shopping bag is highly dangerous when not used responsibly ! Moreover, DMT does not induce any addiction, which may be a cause of its absence on drug dealers and pharmacorps shelves. We should celebrate studies of medecines that have a chance to help people without damaging them…

Sounds like DMT can damage them as well. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26166234/

Yes, that is because they both effect serotonin and serotonin receptor density.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1014862808126

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