By John Horgan — 2014
I drank ayahuasca in 1999, in a ceremony led by two scholars with expertise in ayahuasca. What follows is an edited version of what I wrote about the experience in my 2003 book Rational Mysticism.
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LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide, is a synthetic drug with potent psychedelic properties. Commonly known as acid, it was originally derived from compounds found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye.
Acid was at the start of its own long strange trip: from research chemical to psychiatric wonder drug, brainwashing tool to agent of ego-dissolution, cosmic insight and cultural revolution.
In the 1950s a group of pioneering psychiatrists showed that hallucinogenic drugs had therapeutic potential, but the research was halted as part of the backlash against the hippy counterculture.
Although it is not possible to actually stop an acid trip, this article provides tips that will help you identify symptoms and cope with the feelings and sensations you may experience during a bad trip. It also suggests ways to stay safe.
The drug lowers brain barriers, allowing distant regions to talk and thoughts to flow more freely.
The mind-altering drug has been shown to help people suffering from anxiety and depression. But how it helps, who it will serve, and who will profit are open questions.
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As we search for ways of understanding the possibly infinite resources of human consciousness, I suggest that the potential of psychedelics as tools for learning should not be ignored.
Some Americans searching for alternative paths to healing have turned to psychedelics. But how does one forge a career as a guide when the substances are illegal?
A new review of studies finds that LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA hold potential for treating mental illness.
Originating in the 1960s, as a thriving part of the counterculture havens of San Francisco and New York, psychedelics have long remained immersed in the recesses of the shadow economy.