The 21st Century Has Caught Up With The 1960s, old news is new news?

Wasn't everything they discussed in this article already stated by people who performed these experiments back in the 1960s?

http://www.physorg.com/news134110402.html

Nice study. The ethics involved are outweighed by the experiences given after testing the subjects. The findings are even more difficult to digest.

Yes, but the "people" were mainly your average Joes and not John Hopkins University.

You do have a point though - this generation of Americans (mostly) did not experience the 1960's, and even though some of the elders willing to risk their reputations have spoken up about some of the benefits of psychedelic drugs, a rigorous scientific study is regarded in much higher esteem than some ol' hippy's acid trip story. Ironically, you'll get a much better idea of what the drugs are like if you listen to the old hippy.

Can psychedelics benefit the public? Absolutely, but it is entirely dependent on the person taking the drugs. Psychedelics are KNOWN to bring out normally latent mental illness, and there is no real test for "sanity" in the modern world. Evaluating oneself is impossible, due to potential bias... obviously.


With each psychedelic drug post I make, I now must include a
NECESSARY DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT RECOMMENDING OR SUPPORTING THE USE OF DRUGS
You can thank DavidD for the caps lock.

I realize the format has changed here at physorg and there is a new way of doing things where comments are concerned. Did anyone read all the comments that folks left on the bottom of this article? There is much more going on over there...I wonder why physorg decided to do things this way?
Interesting stuff. I don't want to condone use of hallucinatory stimulants, it always activated my mental illness, along with being an extrodinarily enlightening experience...so it was one part torture, to two parts rapture...and then, vise versa. I do think it can be useful to certain people, and yet it is not for everyone.
I hope thay are sure to weed out those who aren't suitable for their experiments.

Thanks for the support in a roundabout way Am_Unition. This experiment shouldn't be repeated. Evaluating sanity is insane due to the factors of bias is correct.

I believe that it is understood that some people do not hail from abusive backgrounds, do not have a tendency to over or under react to stimuli...and have a basically well balanced mind-set. (((Maybe even some of the folks here))) LOL
These well rounded individuals are the sort that should be investigating the stimulants that would aid and bring expansive possibility thinking to their frontal lobes?...so to speak.

Opening up to the spirit, opening up to things one never thought on before, and scientific (and esoteric) understanding of the universe (even parallel ones) can be easily achieved (now I am seemingly condoning them, dadgunnit!) with the help of some psycotrophic drugs.
I think that a person who is healthy may become even more balanced by experimentation with hallucinagins (et all) and that these chemical compounds can leave those who have been lacking one...with a spiritual life. How bad can that be?

I do not condone drug experimentation in the case of obvious mental duress, in depressed individuals, people who have suffered severe abuse of any kind, or to religious fanatics who may find themselves instantly transported to hell (of a kind) and not know how to return to normalcy. Without a spiritual guide, many people are inclined to freak out and lose their mental stability for far longer than the intended trip.

For those who have not read it in here previously, my first LSD experience led me down a heavy road, and one where I could not eat or sleep for two plus months, and I attempted suicide, possibly more than once...and I eventually had to be hospitalized (sooner would have been better, in hindsight) by strangers, because those who knew me did not seek help for me.

I was almost instantly made completely insane because of the ingestion of crystal Sandose acid, in an obvious overdose...and the people who gave me the drug were quick to forgive themselves and forget about me.

Since then I am quick to inject my opinion into any conversation on this topic...forgive me if it seems alarmist. I mean just to be pragmatic, and practical.
All the others who ingested the drug at the party I attended, were not overdosed, did recover naturally by day two (I believe) and had no lasting ill affects/effects.

Therefore it appears that the drug was not the poison, but the user was poisoned.
One does not always want to amplify the hurts and pains of a dreadful past. If the past was fairly acceptable, I believe that normalcy may then be assumed or at least assessed.

For claritys sake~
sincerely..T.K.

This post has been edited by tikay on Jul 15 2008, 07:30 AM

Sorry tikay, but I don't see how a person can become more well balanced taking hallucinates than not taking them. Go to church if you want a religious experience.

Sorry midwestern, but I don't know why you feel qualified to comment on something you know nothing about. Stick to what you know if you want respect.

I'll stick to my comment.

I have never had anything near a heightened spiritual experience in a church setting, meeting at church has merely led to quiet contemplation and a little bit of kind fellowshipping along with some heightened negative moments.
If you have had a truely spiritual experience while attending church, please share it with us?

What church are you referring to? Eastern Orthodox where they still burn psychoactive frankincense? The Native American Church where they use peyote? My guess is that what you think of as a church is rather narrowly defined.

No barakn, the fringe doesn't count in this discussion of modern day religions. You have to use some extreme examples as you've shown to include psychedelics. Please, stay focused and reasonable.

First I have to thank you, midwestern. I've been a little bummed because I realized that I'll never understand QM in this lifetime and I didn't feel too bright for a while. Then I read some of your posts and realized that you are dumber then I am. That made me feel good.

But I'm not going to become a bully, this will be my last post to you.

You actually called Eastern Orthodoxy a fringe religion! Don't you know, child, that after skin-wearing barbarians grunted their way into Rome and destroyed the Western Empire for shiny little things it was Constantinople and Orthodoxy that kept civilization alive?

I wanted to cause a little friction Big O. Thanks for the cruelty and nice slap on the sacking warriors.

midwestern

I apologise for saying you were dumb. It wasn't nice and it was cruel.