A Defense of Traditional Psychedelics

by The Traveler - December 7, 2009

 

To most people, the word psychedelic refers to a now illegal 60's hippie drug fad, but the history and significance of psychedelics are much more far reaching. Although strong government opposition has driven these "drugs" out of the public eye, an increasingly large number of people are awakening to the realization that these substances, if used correctly, provide lasting positive physical and psychological effects with no unwanted side effects. Psychedelic users have shifted from strung out hippies to informed, intelligent individuals and the psychedelic community's goals have shifted from self gratification to spiritual and personal growth. This essay intends to provide a case for the personal and clinical use of traditional plant based entheogens (psychedelics.)

First, we must define our terminology. The term psychedelic ('mind-manifesting') was coined in 1957 by Humphrey Osmond referring to these "drugs" in the context of psychotherapy, and was popularized by Timothy Leary and his publicized shift from psychologist to LSD advocate. The term "drug" is a much abused word, and it's only credible definition is a substance that alters normal bodily function. To classify drugs as "good drugs" (Tylenol, penicillin, caffeine etc.) or "bad drugs" (cocaine, heroine, ecstasy, etc.) is to completely disregard the drug's individual characteristics. Such broad categories are always an indication of ignorance, because making a truly informed decision about a substance means judging it on it's own characteristics, not which category it has been placed in. The word entheogen means "creates god within" in Greek, and is often used to describe these substances in a spiritual context, so this is the term that will be used to describe these substances.

For a substance to be classified as a "Traditional Psychedelic" it must conform to two criteria. First, it must have a long history of human use in producing altered states of consciousness within a ceremonial or spiritual context. Secondly, it must be derived from a natural, unadulterated plant or plants. There are essentially six substances that fit into this category; Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC (derived from cannabis,) Lysergic acid or LSA(produced by the ergot fungus but most notably contained in morning glory seeds,) Psilocybin (produced by different mushrooms, most notably the cubensis, commonly known as 'magic mushrooms',) Dimethyltriptamine or DMT (produced by many plants, some toads, and commonly prepared in a drink called ayahuasca. Also notably produced by the pineal gland inside the human brain,) Mescaline (produced by various cacti, most notably by the Peyote and San Pedro varieties,) and lastly, Salvinorin A (only recently discovered, this substance is produced by the Salvia Divinorum plant.) To review, the six major traditional psychedelics are: THC, LSA, Psilocybin, DMT, Mescaline, and Salvinorin A. This is not an exhaustive list, but these are by far the most widely used and safest entheogens.

The most prominent, yet completely erroneous objection to entheogen use is the risk of physical harm. The opinion that these substances are physically harmful is simply based on misinformation. Thousands of years of human use, a few clinical studies and pharmacological research has provided a powerful argument that these entheogens have no significant negative short or long term side effects when used correctly. It has also been proven beyond doubt that all of these substances are not physically addictive. A good way to judge a drug's potential harm is to look at the associated yearly death rates. Here are the yearly death rates from some well known drugs: Tobacco- roughly 400,000, Alcohol- 150,000+ legal pharmaceuticals- roughly 20,000, illegal drugs- about 4,000, Caffeine- about 5,000, and Aspirin- about 500. By comparison, there has not been a single recorded fatality caused by any of these six entheogenic substances. This is not to say that death is impossible with these substances, or that no one has ever died from ingesting one of these substances, but only that there is not a single recorded death attributed to any of these entheogens. Another helpful tool in assessing a drug's potential risk is it's LD50. LD50 means Lethal Dose 50, and is calculated by finding the dosage of a particular substance that will kill 50% of laboratory mice. The most important figure in assessing the risk of a substance is how many single effective doses will create a potentially lethal dose (LD50.) For example, a single effective dose of alcohol is about 0.05 BAC (blood alcohol content) and the LD50 of alcohol is about 0.4 BAC. Therefore, the risk factor is 8x. The lower the number, the more dangerous the drug. The risk factor for Cocaine is 7x, Ecstasy- 6x, Heroin-7x, Aspirin-27x , Acetaminophen- 37x. By contrast, the risk factor of LSA is 60x, Mescaline- 82x, DMT- 128x, Psilocybin- 850x, Salvinorin A- 5,120x, and Marijuana is about 4,445x (Erowid.)(These numbers are approximate and will vary from person to person.) As we can see, these substances are not physically harmful or hazardous.

Mental illness caused by entheogens is a concern that is slightly more credible than physical harm, but a deeper understanding reveals the risk as very low when used correctly. Just like the careless driver who is paralyzed for life because of his carelessness, a careless person can also use entheogens to injure him or herself. Entheogens, like anything, can cause people to fixate and forget all else, just like the gambler, alcoholic or the intense video game player. It is the responsibility of the user to use it in a responsible way. The propaganda campaigns of the 1960's and 70's depicting a perfectly normal man going insane and killing himself because of LSD is a gross misrepresentation. You always have control of the dosage, or intensity of the trip. If you jump head first into an intense trip with no experience, research, or understanding of what to expect, it is understandable why it would be frightening or even painful. It world be like forcing a person who has never seen a car before to drive full speed around a racetrack with no instructions. Most damaging experiences with entheogens happen due to lack of education and discretion.

Entheogens are a powerful tool that can be used for self improvement or self destruction, all based on the user's intent. People can and do find ways to use almost anything imaginable for destructive purposes. To outlaw the object does nothing to solve the real issue of the individual's ill will, but only perpetuates a war against authority, and diverts attention away from the real problem. "Automobiles" kill an average of 50,000 people a year in the United States alone, but the solution is obviously not to swiftly and forcefully outlaw automobiles in every shape and form. The drug issue of the 1960's and 70's is very similar to the automobile issue of the early 1900's. At first, automobiles were unregulated, with no legal restrictions of age or license. This situation predictably yielded alarmingly high mortality rates, and regulation was eventually introduced. What the American government did with psychedelics in The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 is comparable to banning the automobile in it's infancy because of the health risks. The people of the 1920's had no way of knowing the profound impact the automobile would eventually have on society, just like people of recent history had no way of knowing the potential of entheogens if properly harnessed.

The benefits of entheogens are fascinating, yet difficult to put into hard numbers because of their personal nature. Francis Crick was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1953, after amazingly discovering the double helix structure of DNA. Crick often used LSD to improve his problem solving skills and made his monumental discovery while on the drug. Douglas Englebart used LSD to invent the computer mouse, and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs once said that LSD was "one of the two or three most important things he has done in his life." Aldous Huxley's popular 1954 book, The doors of Perception describes his famous and mesmerizing experiences on mescaline. Ronald L. Fisher Ph.D. From Ohio state University showed in a 1971 study that low doses of psilocybin actually improved visual acuity among test subjects, allowing them to see with remarkably improved accuracy. In a 1970 study entitled "Psychedelic agents in creative problem solving; a pilot study" a group of 27 men engaged in mentally demanding fields such as engineering, physics, mathematics and architecture were given LSD (a very close relative to LSA) and tested on their ability to solve problems. The study found that after the use of LSD, participants had; lower anxiety, increased creativity, heightened capacity for visual imagery and fantasy, increased ability to concentrate, heightened empathy with others, more access to subconscious data, and heightened motivation to achieve a goal (webrings.) A 1950's study from Saskatchewan, Canada has shown that a single dose of LSD administered under controlled conditions caused 65% of alcoholics to miraculously stop drinking completely for at least a year and a half (the length of the study.) Astonishingly, many participants have still not touched a drink after 40 years, and some even felt that the experience saved their lives (web420.com.) Some researchers also think that similar procedures will yield similar results in treating virtually any persistent negative behavior. Entheogenic research using humans has been illegal for forty years, but in the last few years, some isolated studies have been permitted by the government. In a groundbreaking 2006 experiment by John Hopkins University, 36 volunteers were given a single 30mg dose of psilocybin in a controlled setting, and 14 months later over half reported "substantial increases in life satisfaction and positive behavior," and 60% of participants said that it was among the five most personally meaningful experiences of their lives (wired news.) The benefits of entheogens are fascinating, and the potential of these substances in treatment for anxiety disorders, PTSD, depression, migraines, phobias, chronic pain, substance abuse, personality disorders, and cluster headaches have already shown promise.

Although the benefits of entheogens are immense, the risk of abuse is also great. Despite the fact that there is a growing community of professional, intelligent, responsible entheogen users, history has shown us that any of these substances in the hands of a reckless person is a dangerous situation. The problem with substance abuse lies mostly in an individual's inability to respect societal boundaries, themselves, and others. Everyone acknowledges the societal boundaries regarding how, when and where you may be intoxicated with alcohol. These social boundaries have been passed down through the generations, and serve the practical purpose of regulating alcohol consumption. Psychedelics were outlawed before our culture could assimilate, understand, and respond with the proper boundaries. To assume that these substances cannot be used responsibly is to overlook the many thousands of years of human entheogenic use. These cultures were not burdened with abuse because entheogens were understood as to only be used in certain circumstances. The problem of psychedelic abuse speaks more to the disrespect and recklessness of modern man than is does to the dangers of psychedelics.

Our society is in desperate need of help, and entheogens offer exactly what we need. Our modern culture is sick and self destructing with apathy, isolation and ego. Conveniently enough, entheogens have proven themselves to be a powerful treatment for all of these. Ask any entheogen user and they will tell you that entheogenic experiences re-intensify the world, provide a humbling reminder that there are other perspectives other than yours, and make you feel unified with everything in a meaningful and beautiful way. They make the world seem rich, vibrant, alive, and full of possibilities again. It is the peak experiences that provide us with a sense of hope, sustain us, and support us. Without these peak experiences, we are prone to fall into apathy and callousness. We forget so easily what being human really feels like. Entheogens provide an awe inspiring sense of beauty and unity that dramatically transforms destructive behaviors and corrodes the ego. The CEO who decides to clear cut a forest or pollute the land to advance monetarily will simply not do so if he or she feels connected with that forest or land. The employer who feels connected to his employees will do what's in their best interest, and the person who feels connected with himself will pursue only beneficial types of thought, word, and action. The woefully lost sense of wonder about the world is the deficiency that is causing us to self destruct. The modern paradigm denies all mystery, and is thus a slave to the egotistical mindset that perpetually assumes it possesses complete knowledge. Ironically, we are starving emotionally, and have outlawed the cure. Over 90% of human history involves a symbiotic relationship between sacred plants and humans. Many have found the once lost vitality, hope and unity with the help of these substances, and the psychedelic community is gaining momentum, but only time will tell if entheogens will reach the mainstream before it's too late. Public opinion is the first, and hardest thing to change. The public must be convinced by observing strong examples of convicted, compassionate, and connected entheogen users who manifest an uncommon vitality and passion. If you have never experienced the benefits of entheogens, than no amount of words could ever communicate to you the mystery that lies on the other side. It defies definition because it is like nothing else. It is my hope that public opinion will change, that entheogens will again be accessible, and that people will once again live in intimate harmony with themselves, the earth, and the people around them.