The potential of psychedelic drugs.

David Solman November 25, 2017 at 20:30 2050 views 2 comments

Our ancient history is full of the use of plants or fungi that produce similar effects to those of LSD or 'Magic mushrooms'. According to research they used these to contact their gods or to have spiritual experiences. They are used even today for the same reasons. If you take a minute to research into the reports people give after taking substances like DMT it becomes apparent that there is no doubt about the experiences these people are having and so are these experiences real or does the mind simply create the illusion of these experiences, and is there real potential behind these substances? If so, what could we learn about ourselves and the human consciousness?

Research into LSD has already shown that the brain becomes more unified and more parts of your brain become active at once, it doesn't necessarily become a better brain but does this show potential that these 'drugs' can actually make the brain more functional and possibly push your consciousness into a different realm of existence or like i said before, does it simply work together to deliver a vivid illusion of these experiences?

Comments (2)

T Clark November 25, 2017 at 22:50 #127126 0 likes

Quoting David Solman

are these experiences real or does the mind simply create the illusion of these experiences,

It seems odd to talk about an illusion of an experience. All experiences are real experiences. It is my understanding that the drugs you are describing have their effect because of their similarity to chemicals naturally found in the body. I think that muddies the real/illusion waters even more.

Ying November 26, 2017 at 02:12 #127180 0 likes

Are psychedelics useful? Well, if you're philosophically inclined, sure. Not so sure about if you're not, though. What people can get through psychedelics is much the same as what one can get out of so called ordeal rituals (think sweat huts, dancing to induce a trance state, poison from rainforest frogs, etc), that is, an "outside-in" perspective on ones own life. Such ordeal experiences can lead to getting your priorities straight. That's why certain hallucinogens can help with addictions. Now, what's more interesting is the philosophical application (as opposed to the previously mentioned psychiatric application) of psychedelics. Psychedelics are philosophically relevant because they can help purge the last remnants of naive realism from ones system. Being a representationalist on an intellectual level is one thing, but having the phenomenological symmetry of ones lifeworld break right in ones own mental theater is something wholly different.