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 …show more content…
Again, the church’s involvement or role to offering or encouraging any sort of drugs is wrong. I feel whether some is or is not a member of the church, can connect with God in other ways than with drugs coming into play. Also, I do not agree with federal, state or local government’s involvement on the use of psychedelic drugs in any church. There are too many problems, challenges and factors affecting the church and its members. I realize that different cultures have different beliefs, which may involve the use of drugs. If this is the case, then it should be look at more closely, as long as the church is not harming or putting people into danger. Some will agree to its use while others will not. I am one of those who do not agree with, maybe because it is not part of my religious beliefs. To me, the use of psychedelics for religious purposes is a bad idea. I do not believe the church or religion is built on taking drugs, in favor of guidance, understanding or spirituality. There are other ways to connect to God than what I have mentioned. If for any reason, facts show or prove that psychedelics are useful in the church, than I may have a different perspective. Otherwise, I am not for drugs and hope that the Church is not for it
Psychedelic drugs were an icon of the 1960s, its role embedded within the rising counterculture in response to the economic, social, and political turmoil throughout the United States. As a means to impose a central power and control social order, federal authorities were quick to ban the recreational and medical use of psychedelic drugs without consideration of its potential benefits. The recent state laws on the legalization of marijuana in Oregon and Colorado with others soon to follow, is a sure sign of an eventual collective shift in the perceptions of psychedelic drugs. Not only does Daniel Pinchbeck document his reflections on the personal consumption of psychedelic drugs in his unconventional novel Breaking Open the Head, he also advances several assertions on modern Western society in his exploration of polarized attitudes on this controversial topic.
Boyer, B., Boyer, R., & Basehart, H. 1973. Hallucinogens and Shamanism M. Hamer, Ed.. England: Oxford University Press.
LSD has proved that the mind contains much higher powers and energies, beyond the average10% of the brain that a typical human uses. These powers and energies, under the right circumstances, can be taken advantage of to benefit human kind spiritually, creatively, therapeutically, and intellectually. LSD has given human kind the option to chemically trigger mental energies and powers. Arguments that LSD is potentially a dangerous discovery and mind control should be strictly prohibited by the government holds much validity, although there are benefits and arguments of personal freedom of neurology to consider. Whether LSD reflects negativity as a weapon and mind control drug, or radiates euphoria as a mind-expanding chemical and sacrament, the choice to engage in such an experience should be through personal reasoning. It is not the states and other bureaucracies’ duties to take control of the human brain and body.
Psychedelic drugs affect more then creativity, they are also known to have the ability to increase the users sense of spirituality and religion. In the academic journal, “Voice of The Psychonauts,” author Levente Moro explores the correlation between spirituality, and psychedelic drug use. He claims that when psychedelic drugs are taken in a “supportive” environment they have the ability to induce “deeply meaningful religious revelations and spiritual awakenings” (Moro et al. 190). Psychedelic drug use in hopes of spiritual revelations is not new, and has actually been going on for hundreds of years. The Native American Church has been known to traditionally use psychedelic drugs for spiritual experiences (Moro et al. 190). Some Mexican tribes are also known to ingest psilocybin mushrooms in order to induce religious awakenings (Moro et al. 190). To further prove his argument, Levente Moro conducted an online survey amongst 667 random people. His results suggested that people still take psychedelic drugs in order to have religious experiences, even though it is looked down upon in certain religious groups (Moro et al. 195). Levente Moro is not the only one interested in psychedelic drugs and religion. Many other scientists have also examined this theory. In the article, “Values and Beliefs of Psychedelic Drug Users,” author Michael Lerner also discusses the relationship between psychedelic drug use and spirituality. Lerner also believes that when psychedelic drugs are taken with the correct mindset, they have the ability to increase ones sense of religion. In order to test his theory, Michael Lerner had 183 volunteers fill out a questionnaire. Even though he conducted the survey amongst people from all over the world...
In order to understand and base an opinion on a religion that is centralized around a drug, you must first understand the drug itself. Peyote is a small, round cactus that grows in the southern US and Mexico. Rather than spines or spikes, peyote has fuzzy tufts that stuck out from it’s edges. Only about an inch of the cactus is viewable above ground, with the majority of it being the deeply buried, carrot-like root structure. The small portion that is above ground is harvested, and is referred to as the peyote “button”. It is consumed either freshly cut, or dried, and has some extreme effects on the body.
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.
There were leaders such as Timothy Leary, Harvard Professor, who was helped spread the hippies drug use. He recommended the use of LSD and used his famous slogan, “tune in, ten on, and drop out”, to inspire the American youth. Later during his career, he was fired for being unreliable to showing up to his classes. Leary had a belief that LSD showed improvements for therapy, that the human mind would expand and there would be personal truth. During the hippie movement he was constantly arrested and was known as “-in the words of president Richard Nixon - “the most dangerous man in America”” (Bliss Jim, “The death of Timothy Leary, ‘The most dangerous man in America’”). Later in 1995, Leary was diagnosed with inoperable prostate cancer. And then in 1996, he died lying in bed with his
...If it is to be socially acceptable, chances are high that anyone can find a group that is accepting of one drug or another, it is up to the individual on which road he or she will take.
Psychedelics have always been a controversial subject in the world of drugs because they have the ability to alter one’s perception of reality. L.S.D, MDMA, and psilocybin are three of the main types of psychedelics on the drug market, all three of which are listed as schedule 1 by the DEA. A schedule 1 drug is considered to have a high addiction risk, has no medical value whatsoever, and is illegal to have in your possession. A schedule 2 drug is considered to have the potential for both medical purposes, and abuse. A schedule 3 drug is considered safe for medical use and can only be prescribed by a doctor. I however, believe that psychedelics should be reconsidered for at least schedule 2 as studies have shown an increase in the use of psychedelics in psychotherapy and can even help the terminally ill come to terms with their own deaths.
Hallucinogens or psychedelics are mind-altering drugs, which affect the mind’s perceptions, causing bizarre, unpredictable behavior, and severe, sensory disturbances that may place users at risk of serious injuries or death. Hallucinogens powerfully affect the brain, distorting the way our five senses work and changes our impressions of time and space. People who use these drugs a lot may have a hard time concentrating, communicating, or telling the difference between reality and illusion. Hallucinogens cause people to experience - you guessed it - hallucinations, imagined experiences that seem real. The word "hallucinate" comes from Latin words meaning, "to wander in the mind."
Here is a little history on drug abuse. According to David Musto (1987) drug abuse has been around for approximately 100 years. Christian organizations had a meeting with congress and made a claim that drug abusers were hazardous, wicked individuals. These groups thought that the drug use among foreign individuals like the Chinamen and corrupt Mexicans were a threat for the American born individuals. These groups convinced Congress to criminalize drugs.
I do not think that society should be criticizing a drug like LSD just because they disapprove of it. For Ken Kesey when he was using LSD it was considered to be legal and he was not breaking any laws. Ken Kesey was a part of a research program to experiment with LSD which was being run by the government. Society was going to find any reason possible as to why LSD should be illegal. Since there are no withdrawal symptoms of LSD that are not physically visible and the fact that it is not an addictive drug then I do not see anything wrong with it. Yes, there are side effects related to LSD but that goes for every drug in the world whether the drugs are legal or illegal. I think the main reason for this criticism is that society did not like the
Photography has come a long way from the moment that it was created to now. Now photography has become the center of this generations attention. From professional picture to amateur selfie shots the use and need for photos has grown like a weed. Another thing that has grown like a weed is literal weed. There is an ever-growing issue of teens on drugs in the U.S. The problem has become so large that every day we see picture, videos of teens smoking and we’ve become accustomed to it. Once we become accustomed to things like drugs and more we will no longer see it as a problem than needs to be fixed. Soon not only will teens will be on drugs. it will be the goal for the younger generation to come.
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.
The first presenter was the head of the Psychology department at Rivier University. During her speech on the opioid crisis that growing at an alarming rate she gave all of the details of how drugs like Fentanyl and Heroin affect the brain and the parts of the brain that it effects. She also stated that the drug crisis cannot be continued to be swept under the rug and people need to stop pretending that it is not an issue, and instead confront it and treat it as another illness before it gets out of hand. After giving multiple reasons and examples of how drugs affect the brain and that parts they affect. A lot of the information that she gave on her slides were very intriguing to hear, especially how intense of an impact doing a drug just one time can have on a person's mental state and how it can affect a person much longer than previously thought.