- #1
victorhugo
- 127
- 5
Before anything, I'd just like to say I do not use nor promote the use of any drugs. I've experimented with cannabis a couple of years ago but quickly stopped when my senior years approached. I am now doing very well in my last years of school, especially in sciences. I am however struggling with English since I've only been speaking it for 4.5 years, so I apologise if I'm not clear enough.
I've gone briefly in biology about how our brain is still the result of evolution and natural selection, mostly made to defend ourselves from those tigers trying to eat us, stick together and gather food, and other survival reasons. Also for other things like finding the offspring of our species "cute" so that we do not kill them as that would not help in our species dominating the world.
Of course, our brains were not made to see more into the universe, for science or for maths, but we can use it for those purposes.
What I'm thinking that these psychoactive drugs do, especially psychedelics is change some of those signals going on in your brain (obviously) but so that are able to look beyond everyday common sense, see our blind spots, and just go beyond the constant illusions we are under. Understand just how strange we mortals are, each here for a brief sojourn, for a purpose he knows not, but continues to live life as it is.
In fact, after smoking pot for a couple of months I began to see things I otherwise wouldn't in a normal waking state, and this was the whole reason while I started studying and doing really well in school (I've never been the kind of person to study, I'd just do some homework and pass my tests). It was also because of this that I quickly stopped smoking and dedicated everything to school.
Here are some great minds that changed the world and explored with psychoactive drugs;
-Good old Carl Sagan, an astrophysicist I was a fan of when I was a kid and inspired me into science. Apparently, he used to love his weed and has talked about it a bit.
-Bill gates, he had an interview where he (indirectly) admitted to having experimented with LSD under the age of 25, but reporting to not do it again afterwards.
Similarly, Steve Jobs said he did it a few times while in university, but didn't do it again.
-Francis Crick (I actually have an entire dot-point in biology devoted just to him and his discovery of the double-helix experiment while collaborating with other scientists) He apparently discovered the double helix while on LSD, and "In fact, in a 2004 interview, Gerrod Harker recalls talking with Dick Kemp — a close friend of Crick's — about LSD use among Cambridge academics, and tells the Daily Mail that the University's researchers often used LSD in small amounts as "a thinking tool." Evidently, Crick at one point told Kemp that he had actually "perceived the double-helix shape while on LSD." "
Reminds me of what the great Alan Watts said "If you get the message, hang up the phone. For psychedelic drugs are simply instruments, like microscopes, telescopes, and telephones. The biologist does not sit with eye permanently glued to the microscope, he goes away and works on what he has seen"
I've actually always been really curious about ayahuasca: There is a spiritual ceremony that some of my family does where they will drink this tea once in their life to see deep into themselves and just have a spiritual experience. My cousin, who is 29 now doing her PhD in biology, did this for the first time a month ago. She reported to be in a "zen state" for a week after that and she's been much calmer and peaceful ever since. Now I'm considering doing it on my holidays before I start university (I'll be 19), but this is something I'' have time to think about.
What do you scientists think about this? I couldn't find much on this or talked to anyone about it, so I'd love to hear everyone's logic and opinions on this are.
I've gone briefly in biology about how our brain is still the result of evolution and natural selection, mostly made to defend ourselves from those tigers trying to eat us, stick together and gather food, and other survival reasons. Also for other things like finding the offspring of our species "cute" so that we do not kill them as that would not help in our species dominating the world.
Of course, our brains were not made to see more into the universe, for science or for maths, but we can use it for those purposes.
What I'm thinking that these psychoactive drugs do, especially psychedelics is change some of those signals going on in your brain (obviously) but so that are able to look beyond everyday common sense, see our blind spots, and just go beyond the constant illusions we are under. Understand just how strange we mortals are, each here for a brief sojourn, for a purpose he knows not, but continues to live life as it is.
In fact, after smoking pot for a couple of months I began to see things I otherwise wouldn't in a normal waking state, and this was the whole reason while I started studying and doing really well in school (I've never been the kind of person to study, I'd just do some homework and pass my tests). It was also because of this that I quickly stopped smoking and dedicated everything to school.
Here are some great minds that changed the world and explored with psychoactive drugs;
-Good old Carl Sagan, an astrophysicist I was a fan of when I was a kid and inspired me into science. Apparently, he used to love his weed and has talked about it a bit.
-Bill gates, he had an interview where he (indirectly) admitted to having experimented with LSD under the age of 25, but reporting to not do it again afterwards.
Similarly, Steve Jobs said he did it a few times while in university, but didn't do it again.
-Francis Crick (I actually have an entire dot-point in biology devoted just to him and his discovery of the double-helix experiment while collaborating with other scientists) He apparently discovered the double helix while on LSD, and "In fact, in a 2004 interview, Gerrod Harker recalls talking with Dick Kemp — a close friend of Crick's — about LSD use among Cambridge academics, and tells the Daily Mail that the University's researchers often used LSD in small amounts as "a thinking tool." Evidently, Crick at one point told Kemp that he had actually "perceived the double-helix shape while on LSD." "
Reminds me of what the great Alan Watts said "If you get the message, hang up the phone. For psychedelic drugs are simply instruments, like microscopes, telescopes, and telephones. The biologist does not sit with eye permanently glued to the microscope, he goes away and works on what he has seen"
I've actually always been really curious about ayahuasca: There is a spiritual ceremony that some of my family does where they will drink this tea once in their life to see deep into themselves and just have a spiritual experience. My cousin, who is 29 now doing her PhD in biology, did this for the first time a month ago. She reported to be in a "zen state" for a week after that and she's been much calmer and peaceful ever since. Now I'm considering doing it on my holidays before I start university (I'll be 19), but this is something I'' have time to think about.
What do you scientists think about this? I couldn't find much on this or talked to anyone about it, so I'd love to hear everyone's logic and opinions on this are.