This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »
I would like to see talks on the many new studies of psychedelic medicine taking place right now.
In the middle of the last century, researchers and medical / psychiatric practitioners had very promising results studying what is known as the psychedelic family of drugs - LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, etc.
As we all know, things got a little out of hand (in the eyes of government at least) when these substances began to gain popularity amongst people who were using them recreationally and for other personal reasons. This resulted in prohibition.
What is sad is that the prohibition was so thorough that access to these substances became so difficult, even for scientists and doctors, that all that promising research dropped off to almost nothing.
Things are finally changing. Certain studies recently broke the ice, and now there are a range of new and interesting efforts to explore the psychedelic (or entheogenic) substances, and results so far are overwhelmingly positive.
A John Hopkins study found that magic mushrooms provide long term improvements in quality of life and personality. A study associated with an organisation called MAPS found that MDMA is a very potent tool for combating PTSD. A UCLA study indicated that magic mushrooms have potential to relieve anxiety in terminally ill patients. There are many more, completed, ongoing, and in planning.
Sadly, funding for this promising field is still scarce. These drugs are still portrayed as dangerous 'psycho-mimetic' chemicals in much seemingly authoritative literature, notably anything related to drug enforcement agencies, and this continues to cause problems for researches who wish to gain access to the materials and funding necessary.
I suspect that if our society opens up to the possibility of integrating the experiences these substances provide into medicinal, and eventually cultural practise, then we will see many and diverse positive benefits from that.
TED could make a huge dent in the stigma by hosting a researcher, doctor, artist or writer from the psychedelic community.
Juergen Nagler
Would be great to hear more TED talks by people such as Gabor Mate, Graham Hancock, Ruper Sheldrake etc. but TED already has difficulties with talks by Hancock and Sheldrake challenging the orthodox.
Lewis Smart 20+
http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/drugs-and-the-meaning-of-life
"I have a daughter who will one day take drugs. Of course, I will do everything in my power to see that she chooses her drugs wisely, but a life without drugs is neither foreseeable, nor, I think, desirable. Someday, I hope she enjoys a morning cup of tea or coffee as much as I do. If my daughter drinks alcohol as an adult, as she probably will, I will encourage her to do it safely. If she chooses to smoke marijuana, I will urge moderation.[2] Tobacco should be shunned, of course, and I will do everything within the bounds of decent parenting to steer her away from it. Needless to say, if I knew my daughter would eventually develop a fondness for methamphetamine or crack cocaine, I might never sleep again. But if she does not try a psychedelic like psilocybin or LSD at least once in her adult life, I will worry that she may have missed one of the most important rites of passage a human being can experience.
This is not to say that everyone should take psychedelics. As I will make clear below, these drugs pose certain dangers. Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. It has been many years since I have taken psychedelics, in fact, and my abstinence is born of a healthy respect for the risks involved. However, there was a period in my early 20’s when I found drugs like psilocybin and LSD to be indispensable tools of insight, and some of the most important hours of my life were spent under their influence. I think it quite possible that I might never have discovered that there was an inner landscape of mind worth exploring without having first pressed this pharmacological advantage."
Surely Harris is straight enough to get on TED to talk about this stuff.
carolyn mcauley 10+
carolyn mcauley 10+
Lewis Smart 20+
Jacob Clark
Lewis Smart 20+
These substances show a wide range of therapeutic benefits which seem often to come from the perspective changes the experience of them brings. They can really help you see the big picture, about your life, the world, and how the two fit together.
This study from John Hopkins (http://www.heffter.org/research-jhus.htm) gave participants doses of psilocybin, the major component of magic mushrooms. There was a control group also, who were given some stimulant. A majority of the mushroom group had experiences which they then and later on declared to be amongst, and often the single most, important experiences of their lives, with great improvement in attitudes towards self and life, desired changes in behavior, etc.
Casey Christofaris 10+
http://www.thespiritmolecule.com/html/media.php?media=Trailer
Lewis Smart 20+
Casey Christofaris 10+
David Hubbard
I suggest the probem is simply that the major pharmaceuticals do not want any remedies on the market that might undermne thier patented medicines. They have gained control of regulatory agencies and the game is theirs. The demonizing of hemp to help sell Dupon nylon rope was just the start. It had been found that clever manipulators could reduce competition by influencing the law making process, making competative substances illegal and competing products more difficult to develope.
That said, I suspect they are all studying and experimenting with said substances.
Lewis Smart 20+
Ultimately if the established companies don't take on psychedelics as important and useful medicine, they may be left behind by those who do.
David Hubbard
It's the Liberals versus the conservatives. The Liberals work outside the box and the Conservatives hold on to what they've got. Knowledge evolves constantly and it can't be eliminated.
If one of your clear thinking countrymen were to isolate a substance from psilocybin mushrooms that gave a perfect restful sleep and wonderfull dreams, you can be sure that there would be people ready to buy or steal it.
Of couse, we live in a culture that has grown out of the idea that religion is the route to higher understanding and that other routes are bad, So even when a new miracle drug is deveolped, it will probably be hard to market, for fear it might be toyed with, and millions would continue to lay awake all night.
Timothy Leary showed clearly that certain chemicals in the brain enabled astounding analytical access.
Of course if they can find a magic bullet for cancer, all doors will open.
Lewis Smart 20+
Positive research keeps coming out and awareness keeps rising. Faith in the integrity of medicine corporations is at an all time low. Short of descending into open totalitarianism, I don't see how big pharma can win this fight. It's just a matter of time.