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

LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley

theconversation.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 140 posts

Re: LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley

#51

Post by api »

intrasight wrote: post #44

I'll stick to meditation, yoga, and the occasional premium IPA. I do understand the compelling nature of chemical enhancement - especially for creative endevours. David Bowie cranked out amazing albums year-after-year while high on coke. But like usual, it became a problem he had to address.

Heavy stimulants are like running your car with NoS all the time. You'll get amazing performance until your engine fires a rod through your hood. Bowie had a near psychotic break.

Much lighter use however may be more sustainable. There is no law that says the human brain can't be tuned a little for different modes, and I have no problem with people doing that. There may still be tradeoffs though, so anyone doing this should try to be self aware and observe the effects carefully.

Re: LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley

#52

Post by spraak »

kobeya wrote: post #23
jb1991 wrote: post #11

I would strongly encourage anyone looking for new perceptions that aid in concentration and/or creativity to first really try, and properly try, and without giving up too soon, the art of meditation. It's cheaper, safer, longer-lasting, and most certainly a higher-quality experience once properly learned.

You're comparing apples to oranges though.

If that's so then I'd say apples (LSD) and oranges (meditation) are both fruits of inner discovery and empowerment.

Meditation is a much more sustainable, healthy solution, though

Re: LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley

#53

Post by M_Grey »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #39
M_Grey wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>There's nothing inherently wrong with the drug, but there's something inherently wrong with the behavior around it, by people who are so desperate for edge. Down that road ultimately lies Lance Armstrong, and East German women with beards. In other words, if you're desperate for an edge and willing to spend money, compromise your health and integrity for it, then you'll eventually move on from expensive bullshit lik…

compromise your health and integrity for it Why is microdosing LSD compromising integrity?

I would say not at all, your health on the other hand, is very much an open question people are now endeavoring to answer with their own lives.

Re: LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley

#54

Post by SomeStupidPoint »

M_Grey wrote: post #32
SomeStupidPoint wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your last paragraph contradicts your first -- top athletes doping do get performance gains, while your first paragraph seems to indicate you don't think that small doses of LSD are effective (for the people taking them). I get you might be against performance enhancing drugs wholesale, but there's nothing "inherently wrong" with taking a chemical to perform better. If anything, it should be a personal choice, like wo…

>There's nothing inherently wrong with the drug, but there's something inherently wrong with the behavior around it, by people who are so desperate for edge. Down that road ultimately lies Lance Armstrong, and East German women with beards. In other words, if you're desperate for an edge and willing to spend money, compromise your health and integrity for it, then you'll eventually move on from expensive bullshit lik…

It only compromises your integrity if you're claiming that you're not doing it -- in my experience, most people microdosing LSD don't brag about how they're not doping. Lance Armstrong, however....

I personally am on the fence about LSD microdosing (and relatedly, most nootropics). There's evidence on both sides and much of it likely comes down to personal psychology and physiology.

I think we are going to have to accept the future where unenhanced humans are (largely) obsolete at the top (say, 0.1% or 0.01%), though: if it's not drugs, then it'll be cybernetic implants.

I think we might actually agree at a deeper level, and disagree how to address it: you seem to be interested in regulating the actions of people to prevent a tragedy of the commons situation, while I think we need to change the fundamentally exploitative economic structure that's precipitating the tragedy; I think both of us are more concerned with the coercive aspect of the problem than that people are doping.

I don't want people to be desparate for an edge, but I also think people have a fundamental right to burn brighter for less time if they want to. But I don't like the ratcheting of that becoming necessary for survival any more than you do.

Re: LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley

#55

Post by neom »

mistermann wrote: post #31
neom wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I cannot agree with this enough. I have a very very very rigid morning routine that includes deep breathing and internal listening. I started doing this when DigitalOcean began to scale and my Dr. prescribed Fluoxetine, I learned about meditation for concentration and creativity. Not only was I able to manage my stress better and curb my adderall usage, but I also became more focused and sharper. Edit: I've tried all…

Can you suggest where one can start learning "how" to meditate?

I think everyone's practice is a little different, and I highly recommend finding people IRL who meditate and ask them about their practice. I sorta have my own thing that I've made up in my routine. Happy to expand on it but not sure HN is the right place. Foundational books that got me going in order of importance for me:

15 Laws of Growth: https://www.amazon.com/15-Invaluable-Laws-Growth-Potential-e...

The Bhagavad Gita: https://www.amazon.com/Bhagavad-Easwarans-Classics-Indian-Sp...

The Four Agreements: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Fr...

(Note: grew up Christan in rural Scotland now agnostic chilling in Manhattan, so no religious slants)

Re: LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley

#56

Post by api »

M_Grey wrote: post #32
SomeStupidPoint wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your last paragraph contradicts your first -- top athletes doping do get performance gains, while your first paragraph seems to indicate you don't think that small doses of LSD are effective (for the people taking them). I get you might be against performance enhancing drugs wholesale, but there's nothing "inherently wrong" with taking a chemical to perform better. If anything, it should be a personal choice, like wo…

>There's nothing inherently wrong with the drug, but there's something inherently wrong with the behavior around it, by people who are so desperate for edge. Down that road ultimately lies Lance Armstrong, and East German women with beards. In other words, if you're desperate for an edge and willing to spend money, compromise your health and integrity for it, then you'll eventually move on from expensive bullshit lik…

You mentioned health which is a valid concern, but integrity? It depends on the context of course but saying this generally invokes naturalistic fallacy moralizing-- that anything not "natural" is wrong.

Re: LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley

#57

Post by tossaway1 »

grzm wrote: post #9
lcw wrote: post #8

I feel like I have the obligation to say that if you are a generally a happy person and good at what you do I highly doubt taking LSD in any dose is worth the risk of a bad trip. Not sure why HN has an affinity for LSD? It's pretty psychologically dangerous imho.

Not sure why HN has an affinity for LSD? Please don't make generalizations about the entirety of HN. You're a member of the HN community as well: do you have an affinity for LSD? If you have some stats backing this up, I think a lot of people would find it interesting: at least I would.

I think it's clear that lcw was making an observation about the tone of HN comments on the topic. I found it to be a reasonable one that matches my perception.

Disputing his comment makes sense if you think he's wrong, but it seems unreasonable to require people to back up such commentary with "stats".

Re: LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley

#58

Post by kordless »

M_Grey wrote: post #12

Ah yes... you see it anywhere that people are closely matched and seek perceived "edges". Athletes wear their copper bullshit, Valley types take stimulants and psychedelics. It's a symptom of people not understanding the nature of survivorship bias, hindsight fallacy in general, and an inability to delay gratification for a greater reward. There's nothing inherently wrong with the drug, but there's something inherent…

You are claiming the majority of people's behaviors in finding "the edge" are driven by biased beliefs.

All behaviors are based on biased beliefs and not many of us are entirely cognizant of our true nature. Simultaneously, some realize we will never know all of our true nature while here in this reality because for something to know itself requires recursion and infinite memory space.

It is true that you are making conflicted statements, but I don't think your observations are that far off the mark. The conflict comes from the unknown variables and the use of biases to do discovery. In other words, it's a fair use of the dissonance present in all of us.

Also, I've heard that LSD, and psychedelics in general, are not addicting given they affect the consciousness process, not the body. If that's true, this would eliminate the women with beards problem.

Re: LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley

#59

Post by gomijacogeo »

jb1991 wrote: post #11

I would strongly encourage anyone looking for new perceptions that aid in concentration and/or creativity to first really try, and properly try, and without giving up too soon, the art of meditation. It's cheaper, safer, longer-lasting, and most certainly a higher-quality experience once properly learned.

Regardless of the merits of meditation, this post is a textbook case of the "No True Scotsman" fallacy. Didn't help? Well, then you didn't _really_ try. Not for you? You didn't properly try. Had better effects from something else? You gave up too soon. Anything with this much up-front effort to derail falsifiability merits skepticism.

Re: LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley

#60

Post by api »

bsenftner wrote: post #36
jb1991 wrote: post #11

I would strongly encourage anyone looking for new perceptions that aid in concentration and/or creativity to first really try, and properly try, and without giving up too soon, the art of meditation. It's cheaper, safer, longer-lasting, and most certainly a higher-quality experience once properly learned.

For the a-type personalities that can't see themselves meditating, try the triple combination of a 20+ minute cardio workout while meditating, and additionally give up alcohol. The triplicate combo is amazing for your body and your mind in so many dimensions. I use guided visualization meditations, sorta like trippy radio drama, and the workouts virtually disappear. Plus, you start looking great, which is a nice bonu…

I wi second giving up alcohol. It's a CNS depressant whose effects last longer than most users realize. Is still have it every now and then but I notice a softer brain for at least 48 hours after.
Post reply on HN