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Psychedelics Can Change the World

In: Philosophy and Psychology

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Psychedelics Can Change the World
Imam Hassan
ITT Technical Institute

Psychedelics Can Change the World Psychedelics have been used by humans for thousands of years if not since the beginning of human history. They have been used for recreation, meditation and healing. From substances like Psilocybin Mushrooms to Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), these compounds seem to have a profound effect on the human mind and consciousness. The consumption of psychedelics has been a touchy and controversial subject for decades, especially since the beginning of the War on Drugs in 1971. Most people today go on throughout their entire lives from birth to death without knowing compounds like these psychedelic drugs even exist, let alone know how profoundly it can change their views on life forever. To understand how these drugs can change the world, this paper will address these following questions: 1. Why are these substances illegal in most civilized societies? 2. How do these compounds affect human consciousness? 3. What kind of experiences does one have while on these substances? 4. How can these substances change the mindset of an individual? This paper focuses on addressing these questions. Once addressed, one can see how these substances can change the world for the benefit of all living beings and the planet itself.

Why Are These Substances Illegal In Most Civilized Societies? In society today, most countries on Earth have most psychedelic drugs added to their list of illegal substances. With little to no scientific research done on psychedelics, these drugs have been banned for public possession and usage. An individual can face serious criminal charges for possessing and/or consuming these substances even if that individual is not hurting himself or anyone else. While legal drugs such as Alcohol and Tobacco kills and destroys lives of millions every year, people are being locked in a cage or possibly killed for possessing psychedelics drugs, drugs which have little to no recorded fatalities and have no potential for addiction. At first glance, these laws do not make any logical sense because it’s a waste of billions of tax payer money and innocent people are being thrown in jail for substances that are practically harmless. It makes perfect sense when one connects the dots between the effects of psychedelics on the human mind and the everyday human society. As theorized by Graham Hancock, most people in today’s society are in an alert problem solving mode of consciousness. Note that this mode of consciousness is very beneficial to many aspects of modern human society from commerce, business, sales, flying and etc. The main problem with this mode of consciousness is that it is over monopolized in our society. This is one of the main factors leading to the suffering of living things and the destruction of this planet. Psychedelics threaten this over monopolistic control of human consciousness. While on psychedelics, in the right setting, people find themselves asking fundamental questions about their life, life in general and the nature of reality. One realizes that there are fundamental problems in what we call productive society. It also shows people that life is a beautiful and magical thing to experience.
How Do These Compounds Affect Human Consciousness? There are many different theories as to how these compounds affect the human consciousness and mind. According to Terence McKenna, “The compound, DMT, is a planer. Meaning it’s only ten to twenty atoms in size, but the effect of it on the human mind is so powerful that it’s comparable to an ant tearing down the Empire State Building” (McKenna, 1998). One theory proposed and widely accepted by most users of psychedelics and researchers are the way psychedelics such as DMT, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) and Psilocybin Mushrooms work on the human mind is; that it literally shuts off neurons in the most densely connected regions in the brain for a couple of hours. This suggests that human consciousness is not a product of the brain, but the brain being merely a filter of consciousness. If that were the case, then these compounds shut down neurons in the brain, thereby shutting down the filter of perception of the average everyday reality. In turn the five senses are bombarded with information that is normally filtered out in an ordinary state of consciousness. If the brain is a filter of consciousness and psychedelics turn off that filter as theorized, then the extra information being perceived by the senses while on psychedelic drugs are a part of everyday reality and consciousness. Without psychedelics, the human mind filters an almost, if not an infinite amount of information every day. We humans need this filter to survive in everyday society because if we didn’t have this filter, we wouldn’t be able to function and wouldn’t be able to survive. This leads to another theory that proposes that psychedelics shuts off the “I” or the human ego, which is our survival instinct and personality we identify ourselves with. This theory is affirmed by people who have experienced “Ego Death” while on psychedelics. If this theory is true, then this means that that humans aren’t really who they think they are. They aren’t the bodies, thoughts and personality they identify themselves with; instead the real identity of every living thing is the consciousness and/or the awareness. If that were the case, then this would have huge implications on human societies across the globe and will practically change the world overnight.
What Kind Of Experiences Does One Have While On These Substances? The Psychedelic Experience is an extremely powerful and overwhelming experience to say the least. Everyone that has tried psychedelic drugs would agree that human language fails to explain the extent of these experiences. Most people are so astonished and mystified after trying psychedelics, that it takes them months if not years to come to terms of what they’ve experienced. These substances should never be taken lightly and should be respected. As said by Terence McKenna, “It takes courage to take psychedelics” (McKenna, 1996). Psychedelic experiences can range from experiencing mild hallucinations, timelessness, “becoming one with the universe” to full blown out of reality visuals depending on the psychedelic compound. There are many effects one experiences on these substances. For example, the compound known as DMT is found in most living things. This compound is released in the human brain while in deep REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and right before we die as suggested by Dr. Rick Strassman. When one extracts the compound out of a plant containing DMT and ingests it, they report that they have been transported to a completely different dimension. These dimensions are described to be made out of complex geometrical patterns that the human mind cannot possibly conceive of. Some even report to make contact with beings that seem to know them personally and love them unconditionally. These beings communicate with the user telepathically, telling them many different things about the nature of reality. As best described by the comedian Joe Rogan, “You didn’t know that all you had to do was take a few simple steps and you’re in a different land where everything is made out of complex geometrical patterns made out love and understanding that communicate with you in some telepathic language.” (Rogan, 2013) Different psychedelic compounds have different effects on the human consciousness. When it comes to psilocybin mushrooms, users report to experience timelessness, intense close eyed visuals, the warping visual of inanimate objects and ego death. When a user experiences ego death, they feel connected with everything in the universe, feel indescribable amount of love and realizations about the meaning of life and reality. One can experience love, bliss, joy, compassion, novelty and a sense of a magical universe while trying psychedelics. If abused, taken in a bad setting or taken while in a negative mindset, one can have what some call a “Bad trip”. Bad trips may haunt a person for months because it is extremely terrifying and it can shake a person to their very being. None of these substances should be taken lightly due to their powerful effects and legality.

How Can These Substances Change the Mindset of an Individual? Most users report that after having a psychedelic experience that the way they look at their life and life in general is forever changed. Users report becoming more of a positive person, becoming more compassionate toward other beings and feeling empathy for others. Users also report having an unquenchable thirst for knowledge of what life and reality actually is. This usually leads most users to quantum physics, which almost goes hand in hand with what one learns and realizes from psychedelics. Best said by the late comedian Bill Hicks, “Today a young man on acid (LSD) realized that all matter is merely energy condensed into a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There’s no such thing as death, life is only a dream and we’re just an imagination of ourselves…” (Hicks, 1989) Most experiences lead most users to becoming a more of a people person and wanting the best for all of humanity. Psychedelics make people realize that this life is an extremely mysterious and a beautiful thing. It wakes people up to the beauty of this planet, a planet that is being destroyed by selfishness, egoism, ignorance and greed. One stops and realizes that we have fundamental problems in human society. While on psychedelics, one realizes that world peace is actually possible.

References

Hicks, B. (Performer) (1989). Sane man. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olFu9rzVYxM

Mckenna, T. (Performer) (1996). The Ayahuasica Experience. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvWHf9psnRc

Mckenna, T. (Performer) (1998). The strangest things happen on dmt. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6p9tC4_oME

Rogan, J. (Performer) (2013, Nov). The Joe Rogan experience podcast #360.

Ph.D Strassman, R. Dr (2000). DMT: The spirit molecule. Retrieved from http://www.rickstrassman.com/

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