Microdosing: People taking LSD with breakfast
bbc.com
bbc.com
LSD increases serotonin significantly, and it's plausible that some of the well-being effect of microdosing is caused by this. The problem is that the brain tends to down-regulate its own production of a neurotransmitter when it is induced by a drug over time. Since the brain is plastic it will probably up-regulate the serotonin production once the microdosing is stopped, but there is a theoretical risk that neurotransmitter production and/or functioning is permanently changed.
Quit taking dexadrine, and it cleared up. Serotonin imbalance is no laughing matter. I technically still have a prescription, but I haven't taken it in years. I've learned to just live with the issues the ADD causes.
On the subject of LSD... personally, I think LSD is a wonderful invention with enormous therapeutic potential. Back when I was just a bum kid in a college town, I probably tripped at least 50 times. I learned a lot about myself and the world, and don't regret a moment of it. With that in context, I find the research into microdosing really fascinating. I can easily imagine the benefits.
But that serotonin thing. I'd want to know more about that.
Taking shrooms pretty much rewired my value structure from the ground up. I went from caring about traditional things like a good career (therefore social approval and everything else), to valuing spending time in the sun with good friends more than our usual ego-centric living patrerns.
LSD is great for the visual/aesthetic experience - it's so stimulating and kinesthetic - but it leaves your mind a little more intact.
DMT is a really interesting and profound psychedelic, and one that is massively misunderstood and, IMO, unfairly judged. Doing large amounts of DMT improved my ability to visualize hyperdimensional systems, and gave me (in my subjective opinion) a better understanding of the nature and structure of existence
The trip logic works like this. Your brain-organism evolved in the context of our 4-dimensional universe. Psychedelics tend to alter patterns of perception in a way that releases a flood of images. Your brain itself is a hyperdimensional problem solver so when flipped on its head with DMT you can experience really fascinating hyperdimensional universe-images.
As to revealing anything of the real structure of existence...nothing can be said. They reveal the structure of our brains, which themselves are a micromodel of our universe (compare the branching pattern of the brain's neurons to a zoomed out picture of the universe to the branching pattern of a tree to the lichtenberg patterns of lightning to the branching pattern of mycelia...they all tend to converge to the same fractal).
DMT can never give you "real" knowledge of the universe...but neither can any kind of experiment. All of our observations are really just images formed via some form of interaction. All you can really do is get hunches, and hope that as a prt of the universe, its greater structure is reflected in the microcosm that is you.
If I was forced to guess, I would say we exist in a 4d pocket universe within a fractally infinite hyperdimensional bulk multiverse. Universes are constantly being born and dying, with the net effect that the fundamental nature of reality is timeless (time is a psychological abstraction). But that brings us no closer to true understanding, which is probably an illusion anyway.
D-amp primarily releases DE and NE so I doubt it was directly related to serotonin
I think it's helpful to distinguish between the more recreational, or life-boosting user, and those who might use it to alleviate conditions that would normally warrant psychiatric medications. For the former, you're definitely messing with a stable mind.
For the latter, this is totally a new frontier. This mechanism at least on the surface seems to mimic SSRIs, so presumably tuned properly could be a more holistic replacement, considering LSD's ability to allow people of all conditions to also do some soul searching on a personal level. Similar to how the recommended, accepted treatment is medication + therapy.
As someone who's microdosed for several months now, with a dose of 5-8ug I haven't experienced any negative mood disturbances.
IMO microdosing is really effective (I went into it thinking it would be bullshit)
I'm all for the fredom of anyone to ingest whatever strange concoctions take their fancy. Reciprocally, don't lean on those of us who are happy enough about the way our brains work without artificial flavouring.
I don't think he was being authoritative.
A bigger part may be that I absolutely fucking dislike having my neurochemistry played silly games with, aka being drunk or stoned or tripping or whatever the requisite term may be.
Staying in parent's vernacular idiom, assuming it to have some sort of point.
I'll say two things, briefly, so please forgive any necessary lack of detail due to abbreviation.
First, is that absolutely everything you do has a profound impact on your neurochemistry. That's just how the animal brain works. The air you breather impacts it. The food you eat impacts it. Watching a TV show or movie impacts it. Doing your work at the office impacts it. Everything. There is no experience you can possible have that is not also governed by changes in your neurochemistry. It is an illusion to believe there is such a thing as a "pure" state of neurochemistry. The chemistry of your brain is a reflection of your inner and outer environment. Taking a drug that causes sensations inwardly, through neurochemical action, is not particularly different, from a brain chemistry point of view anyway, than doing something else with your body that causes sensations and corresponding changes in brain chemistry.
Second, is that not all drugs are created equal and they shouldn't be lumped together any more than you would lump together, for example, all activities done with your legs. Just as you distinguish between the value of going for a nice walk in the woods, and jumping off a bridge, you ought to distinguish between the different varieties of drug induced experience. There are very very few that I would recommend on their own merits because the sensation that arises from them is inherently worthwhile. Most of them don't cause inherently worthwhile sensations to arise. Alcohol certainly doesn't. Most stimulants don't. There are only two classes of drugs that I think actually do cause worthwhile sensations to arise, on their own merits: entheogens (classic psychedelics like LSD and Psilocybin) and empathogens (MDMA, basically).
Why do I say these drugs create experiences that are worthwhile on their own merits? It is hard to do any justice to it with any amount of words let alone so few. The only thing I can really say is that these experiences are incredibly powerful tools for the exploration of your own mind and soul. That's not something I would say about a thing intended merely for entertainment or stimulation. The psychedelic experience is not about entertainment or stimulation. It's about discovering the nature of your own mind.
Mind you, being such powerful tools, they should be used with great care, as they can be used in damaging ways and by those who aren't prepared. And they aren't magic either -- they aren't going to save the world or cure cancer.
But, I think that research done with an open mind reveals the mainstream perspective on psylocybin and LSD to be quite misguided and uninformed. Based off personal experience, as well as recent sciencific studies, it seems they have the potential to bring about much good. I suppose my main concern is that most people aren't interested, at this point in time, in having their perspective and worldviews challenged in the way that serious, introspective use tends to do.
Just to clarify, I'm talking about special occasion, standard dose usage. I don't have any knowledge about the effects or safety of micro-dosing.
Throwaway for obvious reasons.
I don't know if I'll be doing things like that in the future, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot. The internet is sometimes a little too good at holding onto information sometimes :/
Perhaps I'm being overly cautious. It's hard to say.
But as you seamlessly go on to acknowledge, there are effects, and then there are effects. Some of these effects, I choose to pursue - I read books, I drink coffee, I comment on HN, at times I even think. And some, I choose not to. There is a silly comment further up, about why I would be reading an article on LSD, seeing as I am not in the market myself. I felt like changing my brain-state by banging my head something when I read it. Of course I can take an interest, as I can in almost anything. In fact, I have taken plenty of interest, and here's my point: Nothing - nothing - I have ever read on psychedelic experience has tickled any desire whatsoever to go and try the stuff. I'm sure there is no particular rationality behind one choice or the other. It just doesn't interest me.
As I started out saying, I'm all for anyone's freedom to choose. I actually speak up for lifting of all drug restrictions. Let supermarkets carry the damned stuff, I really am not my brother's keeper. Just leave me out of it. I'm not against as such, I just really, really am not interested.
I do not understand the widespread impulse to prohibit. Likewise, I have no idea why so many users of so many substances have this urgent need to spread the message.
And I see no reason not to part amicably :)
N=1 though.
going with "both"
I've taken my fair share of psychedelics and while I've had good times on them, I've also had some of the most miserable moments in my life on them. The only instances I can think of in my life where I can say without a doubt that I would never want to repeat.
They're certainly not for everybody and there's nothing therapeutic about giving them to people in a fragile mental/emotional state.
Here be Dragons.
Funnily enough I have similar sentiments about my travels in the developing world. Best of times and worst of times. But I would still probably encourage anyone with the slightest curiosity to do that kind of travelling. I'm not sure how far I'd push this metaphor but the general point is that sometimes an experience is worth it even if it has some fairly unpleasant aspects.
Bad experiences happen during traveling, you feel angry/cheated and move on. It's a tale you can retell in parties years later. You are out of that place.
Bad experiences during a trip, though, are frightful because, at the back of your mind, you know that what you experienced was all in your head. Like the parent commenter said, here be demons and here is nowhere else but your head. Hard to imagine getting away from that.
you're right, they might not be for everybody. there are good reasons to believe that people with a genetic risk factor for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia shouldn't take them because it exacerbates that existing risk factor. besides that group though, it's less obvious who should or should not take them.
I actually think psychedelics have amazing potential specifically FOR people with a fragile mental/emotional state (example: PTSD patients) when used as part of a holistic regime of therapy and counseling as well as taking psychedelics under the appropriate circumstances.
The shamanic traditions of many indigenous cultures emphasize exactly this. They aren't using these things as party drugs. Strong medicine, used with spiritual guidance and community support. That is a working model.
Looking at the outcomes of shamanistic native cultures (e.g. a total lack of influence, power, freedom, equality, or prosperity), I'll stick to sobriety and industry, thanks.
This isn't limited to the Americas.
If such a dominator culture, indeed now the dominant culture, were to stop repressing the use of psychedelics, there seems to be little danger of it being taken over--it's already all but quashed the competition. It would with any luck help to curb the excesses that are the cause of so much trouble, and help to provide the will to use the fantastic tools we have made to better ends.
They can also have adverse side effects like most drugs. I know a few people who have had problems.
Recent book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MCQ783Q/ - "A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life"
Here is a very "hacker like" research: https://www.gwern.net/LSD%20microdosing
I'm so happy that LSD Microdosing is hitting maintream, it's no longer niche hippy stuff.
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EDIT: I read some comments "I think" - have these people actually tried using it? That's a serious ignorance, but I'm not commenting on their posts to avoid adding points to a dogma...
We wouldn't be in such a lacking situation if research wasn't halted due to draconian drug laws. Nowadays it seems that research is being done by organizations like MAPS. My advice is to wait until there is evidence of the utility of said usages.
I know people will try whatever they can in order to improve or solve some problem in their lifes. From tDCS to a variety of nootropics, research chemicals, prescription, and illegal drugs. I'd rather not be a lab rat, but that's easy to say when there are no pressing issues.
There are a lot of evidence-based ways to improve our lifes: Exercise, healthy diet, good sleep routine, CBT, mindfulness.. I'd rather do those.
You don't say!
I consume the BBC News online fairly compulsively as my go-to news source, but sometimes it really is pretty mind-numbing (no pun intended).
The risk being, one can actually discover something really important.
Please don't downplay shit, if it works for you it is great but its not for everyone.
Consider the opposite to your 'don't downplay shit' perspective: 'overblowing shit' can cause issues too. Best to respectfully educate of the risks, and yet ultimately understand that everyone makes their own choice, complete with consequences.
But you'll learn all this when you do your own careful research, which anyone approaching this domain is supposed to do anyways.
Well, there you have it. Self-medication for metal health issues. Advocating self-medication for mental health issues is like recommending people to self-medicate with painkillers to stop that pain, instead of getting proper medical diagnosis and treatment.
A psychedelic experience every year or so really keeps my happy self functioning.
Also living between people with all kind of unique problems made me more happy with my general life
I guess it is different for anyone, but for me it really helped a lot
It's interesting to read about experiences of others and for many people experimentation is a good way to improve their lives.
Also, many doctors are persuaded (using a nicer word here) into prescribing certain drugs over the others; basically preference created by.... free lunches and golf events. There is an interesting documentary on this, forgot the name; Google might help.
Check out /r/DarkNetMarkets if you're interested.
> I think microdosing LSD is 100% placebo and that we should stick to rationalism and science.
This is an interesting sentence because the first half and the second half of it directly contradict each other. I too believe in sticking to rationalism and science which surely forces me to disregard your opening statement?
I actually am pretty skeptical about anti-depressants personally and they seem very addictive/dependence inducing. I suppose it's better than people killing themselves but the way they are handed out seems almost abusive.
I have never seen double blind IQ tests with microdosed LSD done.
I think this particular incident says a lot about the difficulty of doing scientific research around perception, for something that so radically alters perception.
Well, according to your own words you are not sticking to rationalism and science, you are actually letting your pre conceived notions about what's right and what's wrong dictate how you act without any scientific support.
It's all in our head anyway, so if it was a placebo effect, but a noticeable one for that person, with the trigger being that "I took LSD", then why not?
When you're angry, but can calm down or feel happy because of a single thought, that can be called placebo as well, just one thought triggering a whole cascade in your brain.
Sure, for life saving drugs, placebos should have no place, but for anything else - why not?
It's a placebo effect that comes with some risk.
Should probably ban alcohol and tobacco, since they're really risky, and refuse to re-legalize them unless everything else is legalized heh.
[0] - https://sites.google.com/view/microdosingpsychedelics/home
On a related note, watch James Randi swallow an entire bottle of Homeopathic sleeping pills in this talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/james_randi
Microdosing is about taking as much as you can without hallucinations. Still works, still enough active molecules in your dose to make magic in your brain. It is usually like 1/10, not 1/1000000000