Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Essay on history of drugs
Hallucinogens research
Research on the history of drugs
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Essay on history of drugs
It is said that everybody has their own type of medicine that works for them, however on certain occasions not all of these medicines are prescribed and many strongly oppose for this type of medicine to be used. John Lennon was one of the many who used un-prescribed medicine. Lennon and many others agree that the use of hallucinogenic drugs peacefully cleared their mind and made them understand what they meant to the world and connected them to everything around them in a deeper level. Which lead to the creation of the well-known Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. quote “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimension’s”. No medicine had ever helped them achieve that inner peace and understanding that they were looking for until they tried hallucinogens in a medicinal way. After what is known as the “hippie era” Hallucinogenic drugs were made illegal and societies view went from the drug that made a person peaceful and lovable to the drug that was repugnant and awfully dangerous. Although hallucinogens are considered dangerous drugs not to be dabbled with by the average person, it has recently been proven to work as a successful therapy proving that they are safe and raising the question if they should be recognized as a way of therapy. Many would say that simply entertaining the idea of having hallucinogenic drugs associated with therapy is probably the work of another idealist. That hallucinogenic drugs are far too dangerous to be used as medicine and may addict patients receiving the treatment. Another theory would be that that it’s another hoax to endorse drugs such as LSD. After hallucinogenic drugs were made illegal society wrapped its mind around it being dangerous and morally wrong to consume ... ... middle of paper ... ...delic therapy has greater outcomes than traditional therapies in different situations why is it not considered as a way of therapy? Barter,J.(2000).Hallucinogens. San Diego,CA:Lucent. “By the numbers: Psychedelic therapy.” Issues and Controversies. Facts on file news services, (11 July 2011). Web.19 Feb.2014 “Key events in the history of psychedelic therapy(sidebar).” Issues and controversies. Facts on file news services, (11 July 2011). Web.19 Feb.2014. Monroe,J.(2000).Drug dangers: Lsd, pcp and hallucinogens. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow. Robbins,P.R. The drug library: Hallucinogens Springfield, NJ: Enslow. Slater, L. (2012, April 20). How psychedelic drugs can help patients face death. The New York times. Retrived from http://www.nytimes.com
During a visit to Mexico, Gordon Wasson, a mycologist, discovered the use of psilocybin mushroom in spiritual ceremonies by Indian tribes. Upon experiencing the spiritual and hallucinatory effects of the mushroom, Wasson returned to the area accompanied by an experienced mycologist, Roger Heim, who managed to cultivate the mushroom once in France and send samples of it to the scientist who had discovered lysergic acid, Albert Hoffman. From the mushrooms, Hoffman successfully isolated two compounds which he further named psilocybin and psilocin. Analogs of these compounds were further synthesized and were employed mainly for psychotherapeutic uses. Many tests on psilocybin were made at Harvard University in the early 1960’s. However, along with LSD, psilocybin became a scheduled substance in 1970, making it illegal. During this time, psilocybin mushrooms became a part of the psychedelic and hippy movement and were used for recreational and spiritual purposes. Research on psilocybin ended in the late 1980’s because of strict rules imposed by the government but recently scientist have started researching on this chemical once more.
Boyer, B., Boyer, R., & Basehart, H. 1973. Hallucinogens and Shamanism M. Hamer, Ed.. England: Oxford University Press.
2)Strassman, R. Human Hallucinogenic Drug Research: Regulatory, Clinical and Scientific Issues. Brain Res. 162. 1990.
Drugs are used to escape the real and move into the surreal world of one’s own imaginations, where the pain is gone and one believes one can be happy. People look on their life, their world, their own reality, and feel sickened by the uncaringly blunt vision. Those too weak to stand up to this hard life seek their escape. They believe this escape may be found in chemicals that can alter the mind, placing a delusional peace in the place of their own depression: “Euphoric, narcotic, pleasantly halucinant,” (52). They do this with alcohol, acid, crack, cocaine, heroine, opium, even marijuana for the commoner economy. These people would rather hide behind the haze than deal with real problems. “...A gramme is better than a damn.” (55).
A largely debated topic in today's society is whether or not psychedelic drugs should be legalized for medicinal purposes and if they should, how this legalization would affect the communities in which they’re being prominently medicinally used. Although many scientists have argued that psychedelics pose a mental health risk, closer examination shows that communities would have a significantly lower depression rate if certain psychedelics were legalized. Now to fully understand how psychedelics could be beneficial or the opposite thereof, you’ll need to understand how they work and what they are. What a psychedelic drug is, the immediate effects, both mentally and physically, and how communities might benefit and function with the sudden use of these drugs.
Hofmann, A. (1970, January 1). The Discovery of LSD. The Discovery of LSD. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://www.psychedelic-library.org/hofmann.htm
“Of all the Buddhist groups in America, those focusing on meditation have been most attractive to young people from the drug scene, and it is these groups that have taken the strongest stand against drug use. The psychological literature as well as the literature on Zen abounds in descriptions of the altered states of consciousness experienced under the influence of LSD-25 and other hallucinogenic drugs. Descriptions of these drug-induced states often compare them with the experience of satori or enlightenment which may result from Buddhist meditation. Frequently the opinion is expressed that, under certain circumstances, the LSD experience is a satori experience. ”
Schmied, L. A., Steinberg, H., & Sykes, E. A. B. (2006). Psychopharmacology's debt to experimental psychology. History of Psychology, 9, 144-157.
Hallucinogens should be illegal though because you cannot also predict the behavior of those using hallucinogens and could result in violent behavior. For other drugs, if someone wants to spend their time in an alternate state of mind, then that is an individual’s decision. Rather than making it illegal, governments should spread educational awareness about the effects and the consequences of these drugs. All the government should do is try and protect their citizens, but they do not have the power to override their
Hallucinogens clear 'old mists';(47); they let you perceive yourself without any armour. They force you to stand naked and alone, without any defense to your own emotional states. You become very close to the oneness Matthiessen describes, 'Then I breathe, and the mountain breathes, setting the world in motion once again.';(198) Nevertheless this oneness is very hard to achieve in practice and harder still to maintain. Drugs always leave you short of the goal of oneness because the drugs themselves are an obstacle, a mist that will always stop you short of total oneness.
Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 36:2, 67-68. Simon, D. (2004). The 'Secondary'. Practicing Mind-Body-Soul Medicine. Alternative Therapies, 10:6, 62-68.
Unlike many other psychedelics, tryptamine psychedelics, such as DMT and 5 MeO DMT have the ability to place users in alternate realm where they will experience a sense of oneness with the universe. In addition, they both are capable of producing terrifying thoughts and the fear of losing control since they ‘’produce their effects through action at serotonin receptors in the brain’’. As can be seen in some of the stories, the users could experiences some terrifying and dark thoughts, while others get to encounter the best experience in their life. In term of the settings, individuals who used these drugs were either persuaded by their friends or by peer pressure. Additionally, the social construct around these cases are very similar, as they
Nichols, D. E., & Chemel, B. R. (2011). LSD and the serotonin system's effects on human
The history of psychopharmacology has included a lot of *oops*; a substance is used and thought to do one thing, only to find out it does something completely different. I find it interesting how many substances are used by humans before we fully understand how they work, and the potential risks of use. Sometimes the discovered effects are beneficial, but more often they have negative and dangerous side effects. Some of the most dangerous drugs of today, such as cocaine, amphetamines, and opiates, started off in the most common, legal, and accessible products.
In my opinion, I do not believe it’s a good idea for psychedelic drugs to be legal in any church. To me, this creates more harm than good. There is a lot of controversy, problems and speculation to any type of drug. I could not imagine the factors or problems associated with the church if psychedelics are legal for religious purposes. However, I am in support of drugs that are used and only used for medical purposes. For instance, some who has cancer or a psychological disorder, if certain drugs on the market help someone for a medical condition then absolutely, yes, I am support and all for it. What I am against are people who abuse drugs to begin with. Especially, those who individuals who have no medical condition whatsoever and should