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Myths about psychedelics
Feb
Psychedelic drugs like LSD, MDMA, and psilocybin are the subject of a lot of myths and false beliefs. Scientists are always looking into the risks and benefits of using psychedelic drugs in clinical settings and for medical reasons. This means that the world of psychedelic drugs or psychedelic medicine is always changing.
Psychedelics: The Basics
Psychedelics are a group of drugs that change how a person sees and experiences the world. Several plants, fungi, and even some animals make these psychedelic chemicals on their own. In a lab, scientists can also make psychedelic substances from scratch.
People have been changing their minds for thousands of years. A pouch of psychedelics from 1,000 years ago was recently discovered in a cave in Bolivia. The variety of psychoactive compounds in the pouch showed that the person who owned it either walked very far or traded and got these compounds from people who were travelling from all over the world.
Even though psychedelics have been prohibited in most countries for the past few decades, human history demonstrates that many various cultures have used them for rituals, seeking knowledge, healing, celebrations, rites of passage, and more.
How are Psychedelics Classified?
Psychedelics can be put into different groups based on how they affect the brain and body. Classic psychedelics like psilocybin (magic) mushrooms, mescaline, LSD, and DMT all work on the body’s serotonin system to change mood, perception, and awareness. People sometimes refer to them as serotonin-related psychedelics.
MDMA, Ketamine, PCP, ibogaine, and even marijuana can change how you see things, but they don’t work on the brain in the same way that classic psychedelics do. People have called MDMA an “empathogen” because it makes a lot of people more empathetic and good at getting along with others. MDMA can help people who have a hard time feeling compassion for themselves or other people. Studies show that MDMA may also affect the serotonin and dopamine systems in the body.
Depending on the plant’s strain, marijuana can be called a psychedelic because it changes how you see and feel. Both PCP and ketamine are made in a lab and can make you feel like you’re not in your body. Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound that comes from the iboga plant.
Are Psychedelics Legal?
In the US setting, If the DEA gives permission, it is legal to study psychedelics. The psychoactive part of magic mushrooms, psilocybin, as well as MDMA, Ketamine, ibogaine, and 5-MeO DMT, are all being studied to see if they could help treat different mental health problems. If the FDA approves the clinical trials, these substances will be accessible through a doctor to treat certain conditions. Ketamine is already used to treat depression outside of its official use.
Psychedelics that are found in nature are no longer illegal in several cities. It is occasionally done by the group Decriminalize Nature by getting the word out. But “decriminalization” is not the right word. Even though local police in these areas agree to give DMT, psilocybin mushrooms, iboga/ibogaine, and mescaline-containing cacti the least attention, these substances are still illegal at the federal level. Drug trafficking charges can still be brought against people who sell these illegal drugs.
Most countries still make it illegal to make, own, or sell psychedelics. Because they are against the law, you should be careful. Drug testing has saved lives, and Some laboratories will even let people send in a specimen of their substances so they can analyze the ingredients and report back.
When used in the right way, psychedelics can lead to deep healing experiences. Most of the time, it takes hard work and incorporation after the trip to get the full therapeutic benefits. They can also cause hard, scary, confusing, and painful things to happen. Having the right kind of support during and after the psychedelic experience can help a person deal with the hard things that happened and move toward healing.
Debunking the Common Myths About Psychedelics
It’s important to get rid of these false ideas about psychedelics. Whether you are a consumer, an investor, or just want to find your way through the chaos of this growing industry, the “mind munchies” (aka “food for thought”) below are meant to give you some easy-to-understand guidance and insight. Here are some of the common myths about psychedelics that you may encounter:
Myth 1: Psychedelics Are Party Drugs
People think of psychedelics like LSD and MDMA as “club drugs” that people use at parties to have fun. Even though some people use street drugs like Ecstasy and Molly for fun, many “club drugs” are not psychedelics in their purest form. For instance, Ecstacy and Molly are usually not pure MDMA because they are often mixed with other substances.
In contrast to how drugs like ecstasy and molly are used for fun, MDMA in its pure form has been tested in clinical studies along with psychotherapy to treat social anxiety, PTSD, and anxiety about end-of-life illnesses. Also, LSD has been looked at as a possible way to help people who are under drug addiction or alcohol addiction.
Myth 2: All Psychedelics Are Addictive
There is no truth to the idea that all psychedelic drugs are addictive. Contrary to the myth that if you try a this once, you’ll be hooked, most psychedelics are not habit-forming in healthy people. For instance, LSD isn’t considered to be an intoxicant because it doesn’t make people want to use it all the time. Many people who have tried LSD say that it is very intense. This may make people less likely to try it again. For the same reason, psilocybin is not thought to be addictive either.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse says that there haven’t been many studies on how addictive MDMA is, and the ones that have been done have had very different results. Many of the neurotransmitters in the brain that MDMA affects are the same ones that other addictive drugs affect. Some of the people who did show signs of addiction said they were tired, didn’t want to eat, felt sad, and had trouble focusing.
Myth 3: Psychedelics Are “All-Natural’
By definition, psychedelics, also called hallucinogens, are a group of psychoactive drugs that change how people see, feel, and think. But not all drugs that make you feel strange are the same. Ayahuasca comes from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, which is usually brewed into tea. It is a natural substance.
Psilocybin is another naturally occurring substance and can be found in many types of mushrooms. This is where the term “magic mushrooms” comes from. Other hallucinogenic drugs are either made in a lab or changed from their natural form in a lab. For instance, LSD is a man-made drug made from ergot, which is a fungus that grows on rye.
Read here to learn more about the best way to consume magic mushrooms.
Myth 4: All People Who Use Psychedelic Drugs Have The Same Experiences
Different drugs affect the brain in different ways, and the same drug can affect different people in different ways. In the same way, psychedelics can have various effects on an individual depending on how they feel and where they are when they take them.
Someone could take psilocybin or MDMA and have a great trip, then experience a bad trip the next moment they do it. How psychedelics affect a person depends a lot on their “set and setting,” or where and how they take the drug, along with their state of mind and what they hope to get out of the experience.
Read here if you’re curious about the psychedelic experience produced by mushrooms.
Myth 5: MDA (Ecstasy) Will Make You Have Better Sex
People often call MDMA “ecstasy” or “the love drug.” With a name like “the love drug,” you might think that it makes you feel very sexually satisfied. And while some people have had good sexual experiences while on MDMA, others have said they were unable to have sexual relations. Most MDMA users say that they felt open, sensual, and close to their partner. Like other psychedelic drugs, the setting affects the effects of the drug.
Myth 6: LSD (Acid) Will Put Holes in Your Brain
Science just doesn’t back up this myth. People have also said that LSD and other psychotropic drugs can kill brain cells. Many studies are being done on how LSD affects the brain. We recognize that LSD is a hallucinogen that affects serotonin and dopamine levels and can change a person’s state of waking consciousness, but no serious side effects have been found in recent LSD studies. LSD has been shown to be generally safe for your body, particularly compared to amphetamines and other drugs that are considered to be illicit drugs.
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FAQ
But some psychedelics, like LSD, can encourage tolerance. Tolerance means that a person has to constantly take high doses of a drug to feel the same effects. This could be risky since the drug’s effects can be hard to predict.
Cross-tolerance to other psychedelics like psilocybin and mescaline is also caused by LSD. So if a person takes LSD and then takes magic mushrooms, the effects of LSD will be lessened.
Since ancient times, people from all over the world have used psychedelics because of their spiritual and magical associations. Most people swallow, smoke, or breathe in LSD, magic mushrooms, mescaline, and DMT. Most of the time, mushrooms are eaten raw, cooked, or made into “tea.”
Some people mix them with tobacco or cannabis for smoking. Most of the time, mescaline is swallowed. You can make a powder out of peyote buttons and smoke it with tobacco or cannabis. You can also chew on the buttons or soak them in water to make a liquid.
Most forms of NBOMe won’t work if you swallow them, so the most common ways to take them are beneath the tongue, in the cheek, or through the nose. People who are using psychedelics don’t usually do it every day. Instead, they might do it once every few weeks or months.
