Comment by gepi79 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by gepi79 | Hacker News Reader

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> If psychedelics could really revolutionize human consciousness and open new frontiers,

Psychedelics are not magic. They typically trigger serotonin receptors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_drug

This might be useful for interventions by medical experts. Like narcotics are useful for surgical interventions or antibiotics are useful against bacteria infections.

https://www.livescience.com/16287-mushrooms-alter-personalit...

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/the-ps...

DO NOT use psychedelics to solve your problems or when you are in a bad mood. You risk a bad trip causing PTSD and panic disorder or worse.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_trip

https://www.reddit.com/r/Drugs/comments/36gj2h/can_ptsd_be_c...

https://psychonautwiki.org/wiki/Set_and_setting#Mental_State

I would agree that you probably don't want to do psychedelics when severely depressed. But they can be quite helpful if you feel you're in a "rut" that you feel like you can't get out of.

I am no friend of drugs in general and psychedelics in particular.

It might work to get out of a rut but, IMO, the risks (what dosage?) are not worth it. Certainly not without professional assistance (not a shaman). The new rut might be much worse than the old rut.

Also: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/charting-the-depths/...

IMO no problem is solved by psychedelics. Unless you sell them to solve your money problem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apkbMtkwU2g

There are no risks from occasional use of psychedelics. There's tons of evidence (anecdotal and published) that psychedelics can be extremely helpful.

I hate to say this, but I think you can't really speak coherently about psychedelics unless you have personal, first-hand experience.

Yes, there is evidence that psychedelics can be useful. I agree that they can be useful to give a different perspective to quit a rut, as you wrote.

Still, according to experts and many anecdotes on reddit, psychedelics are very risky (unwanted bad effects) and not safe drugs and not miracle drugs.

The risk of bad short term and long term effects depends highly on the dosage and the personal mindset and the current environment. Nobody knows in advance how your brain will react.

https://www.reddit.com/r/drugs

https://www.reddit.com/r/Psychedelics

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