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Psychedelics: Difference between revisions
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The mind is a [[Neurochemistry|neurochemical]] machine it has so many inputs it evolved the subconscious to stop too much noise overwhelming the system. The word Psychedelic means mind-manifesting, i.e. it is taking some of these subconscious inputs and opening it up to the conscious mind. They work like a switch, once present in the system they switch of the inhibitory system and systems become conscious. The effect is that millions of years of heuristics are opened up. Only those which were promoted to the conscious mind were accessible to you, now you can see what is under the hood. However, as we have a limited awareness i.e. processing power it is different to normal consciousness as all of the inputs which had been subdued are now switch on and you are only built to pay attention to one or two things at one time. So the experience is often incapacitating and thus makes us vulnerable. To deal with this the brain tries to find patterns and groups concepts into "icons", metaphorical symbols, which are being seen from a far. Many of these icons can be archetypal of general human consciousness or personal. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is thought to be a mediating factor in the [[neuroplasticity]] created during administration of psychedelics.<ref>'''Psychedelics and Neuroplasticity: A Systematic Review Unraveling the Biological Underpinnings of Psychedelics''' Cato M. H. de Vos, Natasha L. Mason and Kim P. C. Kuypers* Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands Front. Psychiatry, 10 September 2021 </ref> | The mind is a [[Neurochemistry|neurochemical]] machine it has so many inputs it evolved the subconscious to stop too much noise overwhelming the system. The word Psychedelic means mind-manifesting, i.e. it is taking some of these subconscious inputs and opening it up to the conscious mind. They work like a switch, once present in the system they switch of the inhibitory system and systems become conscious. The effect is that millions of years of heuristics are opened up. Only those which were promoted to the conscious mind were accessible to you, now you can see what is under the hood. However, as we have a limited awareness i.e. processing power it is different to normal consciousness as all of the inputs which had been subdued are now switch on and you are only built to pay attention to one or two things at one time. So the experience is often incapacitating and thus makes us vulnerable. To deal with this the brain tries to find patterns and groups concepts into "icons", metaphorical symbols, which are being seen from a far. Many of these icons can be archetypal of general human consciousness or personal. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is thought to be a mediating factor in the [[neuroplasticity]] created during administration of psychedelics.<ref>'''Psychedelics and Neuroplasticity: A Systematic Review Unraveling the Biological Underpinnings of Psychedelics''' Cato M. H. de Vos, Natasha L. Mason and Kim P. C. Kuypers* Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands Front. Psychiatry, 10 September 2021 </ref> | ||
== Pro-Environmentalism == | |||
Psychedelics are a tool, they should not be personified as making people more this or that. However, several studies have shown that psychedelic use leads to pronounce ecological concern<ref>'''Lifetime experience with (classic) psychedelics predicts pro-environmental behavior through an increase in nature relatedness'''. Matthias Forstmann and Christina Sagioglou Journal of Psychopharmacology 2017. DOI: 10.1177/0269881117714049</ref><ref>'''From Egoism to Ecoism: Psychedelics Increase Nature Relatedness in a State-Mediated and Context-Dependent Manner'''. Hannes Kettner, Sam Gandy, Eline C. H. M. Haijen and Robin L. Carhart-Harris Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Published: December 2019 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16245147 | |||
</ref>. This may be because as perceptual frameworks dissolve the rationality of common [[Relativity of ethics|good]] between humans precipitates. | |||
== Psychedelic Compounds == | == Psychedelic Compounds == | ||
[[File:Psychedelic types.png|alt=Much the same.|'''Figure 2'''. The “Classical” Psychedelics are mescaline, LSD, psilocybin, and DMT. Plus the deliriants and dissociatives.|thumb]] | [[File:Psychedelic types.png|alt=Much the same.|'''Figure 2'''. The “Classical” Psychedelics are mescaline, LSD, psilocybin, and DMT. Plus the deliriants and dissociatives.|thumb]] | ||
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== Microdosing == | == Microdosing == | ||
[[File:Psychedelics exert their effect experientially effect.png|alt=Psychedelics exert their effect experientially|thumb|'''Figure 3.''' Psychedelics exert their effect experientially]] | [[File:Psychedelics exert their effect experientially effect.png|alt=Psychedelics exert their effect experientially|thumb|'''Figure 3.''' Psychedelics exert their effect experientially]] | ||
The medical definition of ''microdosing'' is a dose given which is ''sub therapeutic'', i.e. does not have any discernible effect. However, thousands of users claim that very low doses of LSD, taken at 3–4-day intervals, improve mood and cognitive function. In control studies, in the absence of placebo, microdosing has been shown to be a figment of imagination many times over in numerous studies<ref>'''Repeated low doses of LSD in healthy adults: A placebo-controlled, dose–response study''' Harriet de Wit,Hanna M. Molla,Anya Bershad,Michael Bremmer,Royce Lee First published: 01 February 2022 <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.13143</nowiki>https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/adb.13143</ref> This may be due to the fact that the main part of the effect of psychedelics is the subjective effects caused by them, i.e. the experience of the trip is more important than the underlying chemical electrical mechanisms.<ref>'''The Subjective Effects of Psychedelics Are Necessary for Their Enduring Therapeutic Effects''': David B. Yaden and Roland R. Griffiths* ACS Pharmacol. Transl. Sci. 2021, 4, 2, 568–572. Publication Date:December 10, 2020. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1021/acsptsci.0c00194</nowiki></ref> | The medical definition of ''microdosing'' is a dose given which is ''sub therapeutic'', i.e. does not have any discernible effect. However, thousands of users claim that very low doses of LSD, taken at 3–4-day intervals, improve mood and cognitive function. In control studies, in the absence of placebo, microdosing has been shown to be a figment of imagination many times over in numerous studies<ref>'''Repeated low doses of LSD in healthy adults: A placebo-controlled, dose–response study''' Harriet de Wit,Hanna M. Molla,Anya Bershad,Michael Bremmer,Royce Lee First published: 01 February 2022 <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.13143</nowiki>https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/adb.13143</ref> This may be due to the fact that the main part of the effect of psychedelics is the subjective effects caused by them, i.e. the experience of the trip is more important than the underlying chemical electrical mechanisms.<ref>'''The Subjective Effects of Psychedelics Are Necessary for Their Enduring Therapeutic Effects''': David B. Yaden and Roland R. Griffiths* ACS Pharmacol. Transl. Sci. 2021, 4, 2, 568–572. Publication Date:December 10, 2020. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1021/acsptsci.0c00194</nowiki></ref><hr> | ||
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