What do you think about LSD(and other hallucinogens, as well)broadening and opening the mind?

Question

I would like your opinion on this....personally I believe that hallucinogens open the mind and deepen the thoughts.

Answer 1

well some thing of these things when they are bored, depressed, happy, mad, or basically anything on mind but i think about it as fun.

Answer 2

Have you heard of Timothy Leary, the Harvard educator, whose name was very intimately associated with LSD; or Aldous Huxley, the guy who took 'mescaline', a hallucinogen, and wrote 'The doors of perception'?

They (hallucinogens) do open up doors. They do it for a price. There are explanations about how they do it. But they are too risky, so don't try them.

You may read the link for a self brewed explanation, a bit long though!

http://harmonicsgalore.blogspot.com/2006...

Answer 3

It can be great.  And, very temporary.  When the drug(s) wear off, you are left feeling empty, and depressed.  What made perfect sence and felt so important and brilliant when you were on something powerful, lacks the intensity or logic in the real world.  I left those drugs behind a few years ago, upon having my first child, but i miss those amazing ideas, and connections.  I believe that i can know begin to have those same experiences, while sober - through yoga, meditation, chat, kirtan, drumming.  It has a similar effect. Separating ego from our true souls and the truth of the world and a higher power.

Answer 4

I grew up in the 60s when lots of folks thought that drugs like this were very cool and very helpful for opening the mind. I felt then, and feel the same way now, that these hallucinogenic things are exceedingly dangerous for the REST of your life. Some most unfortunate results of gambling on your particular good luck can be found on just about any street corner in any city in nearly any country in this world. We have so many real challenges on this planet, at every turn, which absolutely must be met with some very sane and unlimited and very accurate thinking, that to handicap yourself mentally by using dangerous, often even occasionally fatal chemicals flies in the face of rational thinking, by anyone's definition. If you really want to open your mind, go deeply inwards and just LISTEN to all of the incredible wisdom you will absolutely find there whispering very quietly, 24/7. You do not need anything to take or snort or ingest to find true wisdom and awareness, honest to goodness; It is already there if you will just listen a little bit harder.

Answer 5

you need to get some help.

LSD is the worst drug you can possibly take. It causes flashbacks of previous events in your life. The effects stay with you your entire life, too. One minute you're driving, the next, you are flashbacking. LSD is scary and you should really stay away from it. The effects can also be passed on through generations, too, so i'd stay away from it. Actually, just stay away from all drugs.

Answer 6

Even if they may, the effects and possiblity of death are personally enough for me to not even try them.

Though medical uses are acceptable. For example, LSD:

>It can be used in psychedelic psychotherapy in order to treat patients with hard-to-treat problems, like alcoholics, drug addicts, sociopaths, etc.

>It can also  be used in psycholytic therapy, to help dissolve conflicts in one’s mind. It is now being used to help patients come to terms with their terminal illnesses and accept them.

And here's a long list of effects associated with LSD:

SHORT TERM: effects start 30 to 90 minutes after usage.

>Physical: “uterine contractions, hypothermia, fever, elevated levels of blood sugar, goose bumps, increase of heart rate, jaw clenching, perspiration, pupil-dilation, saliva production, mucus production, sleeplessness, paresthesia, euphoria, hyperreflexia, tremors and synesthesia.”

> Psychological: “radiant colors, objects and surfaces appearing to ripple or "breathe," colored patterns behind the eyes, a sense of time distortion, crawling geometric patterns overlaying walls and other objects, morphing objects, loss of a sense of identity or the ego, and powerful, and sometimes brutal, psycho-physical reactions described by users as reliving their own birth.”

>Alteration and expansion of experiences of “senses, emotions, memories, time, and awareness” (for 6 to 14 hours).

LONG TERM:

>Psychological: long term psychoemotional effects; significant changes in personality and life perspective; possibly flashbacks

Now, you tell me, is it really worth it to "broaden and open the mind" with all of these risks?

Answer 7

Yes, I think LSD can broaden your mind.

Unfortunately, I would far rather it broadened someone else's mind while mine stays protected.

The mind is a delicate thing, and I'm sure there is only a certain amount of broadening it can take. Accidentally leaping off buildings is one of the reasons I don't think hallucinogens are a good idea. But negative or positive, I'm sure it stretches the imagination.

Many highly creative thinkers have been a bit crazy, this may have been to the benefit of society so LCD might too - but it might be at personal cost.

Answer 8

Hallucinogens burn out brain cells, cause long lasting mental impairment, and have no magical special power to give you insight into anything, except to perhaps let you see your own sad life as a strung out addict.

Answer 9

It's a Mycotoxin.  It means it destroys the brain.  It interferes with the brain chemistry.  It's not something I would play around with.  I have a friend that keeps telling me how it helps people write great music.  His example was The Eagles, Hotel California and Pink Floyds stuff.  I told him if drugs make people feel like Hotel California or anything from Pink FLoyd, its a testomony not to do it.

Answer 10

If you want to take drugs, educate yourself on safe dosage, side effects, and legal implications, your local doctor can provide information. Provided you enjoy yourself, retain quality of life and harm no other person then I have no issue with your conduct, but I cant answer for the law. You are responsible for the choices you make.

As far as opening the mind is concerned, you would be better to take a short course in problem solving or critical thinking as this will provide you with recognized life long portable skills. Drug use will only provide temporary random insight which is not very useful. Government agencies and corporations have no interest in those who take drugs for good reason, it reduces productivity.

Answer 11

Well, drugs and hallucinogens have indeed been used for just those purposes... but it is risky. And that was quite an understatement.

Drugs are not safe to be messing with. Also, what you are talking about is using them as a shortcut to wisdom. Well, that doesn't work. Sorry. You can use a hallucinogen but how do you tell what is real and what is a hallucination? Yet careful pondering and consideration, coupled with an attempt to understand the world and existence, will bring far more than any drug, and without the rather scary price tag.

And opening the mind on your own is a million times more rewarding than prying it open with drugs. Especially since you can keep your reason and logic without drugs.

Answer 12

LSD is a liar

Mushrooms are true

but the strong stuff like Auhuaska,Peyote  or amanita Muscara is not for beginners who are experimenting or who need to ask this question,

it is for experienced people ,or teachers and Shaman

Answer 13

The problem with LSD and other hallucinogenics is that they are unpredictable.  You have no way of knowing if the trip that you take might be an eternal one way.  In that case you end up in a padded cell somewhere locked inside your mind while others try to keep your body alive.

Answer 14

Most of the fools that I have seen "open" their minds with drugs, have opened them so far that their brains fell out.

Answer 15

I did plenty and have NEVER yet had any "flashbacks". But I did see one of my friends freak out so d**n bad it was pretty scary, but it didn't ruin my trip for some reason. Never the less it can be pretty scary and I agree that mind altering is the word, not opening.

Answer 16

its amazing how many people think hallucinogens kill brain cells. alcohol kills brain cells left and right but not one has a problem with that.

first of all there is lsd not a neurotoxin. ergot is, but lsd is a derivative, obviously if it were a neurotoxin we'd be seeing the same effects as ergot poisoning

secondly "expanding the mind" is a very subjective term

if you mean by rearranging and increasing the number of neural connections (which is not along term effect unless one takes too much) then yes.

the maharji once took lsd and said he felt nothing, this was because he had already reached spiritual enlightenment.

lsd has been shown to mimic trancendent states of spiritual practitioners, so in this way yes the drug could "open your mind" but it could also show you things you'd never want to see

Answer 17

again, i am amazed at the number of people who know nothing about drugs but know everything about drugs.  don't preach if you can't answer the question.

Answer 18

No. They are harmful to your health, which is the msot important thing in life!

Answer 19

Just say no. Hallucinogens don't open your mind. I have done them and looking back on it I am very lucky nothing happened to me and realize how stupid it was. I know 2 people who have died from them. It opened their minds so much they used a shotgun to blow their heads off.

Answer 20

Get off of that stuff! It will open your mind and let c**p get in there.

Answer 21

it seems that one of the basic human needs, like food and s*x, is a desire to get high.  since there are many plants that can alter one's mind it can safely be assumed that people have been doing this for a long time.  the thing i wonder is did use of such things propel our evolution or the opposite.  either way the truth is that such materials can be dangerous.  many older cultures had rather strict rules on use, for good reason.  unfortunately in the west that's not the case, for the most part.

Answer 22

seriously, hallucinogens have been used since ancient times by tribal civilizations for this very purpose.  it's all about getting back to our tribal roots. I would not suggest that you take any of the  present day hallucinogens to achieve that same results as out tribal ancestors, that stuff is so far from its roots that they will literally kill you.

Answer 23

There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some

who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.

--Douglas Everett

Answer 24

google Alfed M. Hubbard... Albert Hofman(Hoffman?) Francis Crick... Francis Crick and his team discoverd the DNA double helix while taking LSD as part of their research... www.hoffman.org

Answer 25

Sure I agree with your statement acid and shrooms are kick ***, haven't seen acid in some time now - not hapy about that.  Seeing cool things move that arn't really moving is fun and everyone should experience as well as the physical effects.  good day

Answer 26

It can be a great tool. I think a lot of folks can benefit from it, but it should be done when you are young and stupid.

Answer 27

Hallucinogens alter the mind, not open it.  I think it is a waste of time to stare at a wall and see little bugs crawling around and to talk to your orange.  You may think of new things while on drugs(music, philosophies), but how many stoners do you know that have become well  respected politicians because of their ideas?  None.  Drugs are addictive and it fry your brain.  Ozzy was smart at one time just watch decline of the western civilization.

Answer 28

I don`t think so. I think the only useful thing that really broadens the mind is self confidence. And it goes like this: the more you acquire confidence, the more you win. And if you fail, you will try again and again because you know everything depends on you and on your own experiences and not on those artificial drugs, which will probably make you suffer from many diseases and they could affect your mood as well as your personality. Squizophrenia is one of the diseases that may be caused by LSD.

Answer 29

drugs are a temporary source of all different types of broadening experiences....but in the long haul you unbalance the natural chemicals in your brain....and you stop being happy naturally, or enlightened naturally...sooner or later a depressive state will become the life you know as you no longer have the natural resources from your brain - either that or you do become a junkie, or both...looking for that happiness or enlightenment for just even a moment again...

Answer 30

It is a really intense recreational experience, but as Pirsig said, “There is no Zen on top of a mountain other than the Zen that you take there yourself.”