Psychedelics is a very controversial topic, especially with the political baggage surrounding it, so of course I'm going to talk about this. Most people naturally stay away from psychedelics just because of the legal status alone. But some people stay away from it for completely different reasons, I mean I personally know quite a few people who would smoke meth, snort coke and other hard drugs that really fuck you up, yet they wouldn't even consider ever trying a psychedelic. Why is that?
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(Very) Brief History
Fossil finds that psychedelics date back as far as 10,000 years (that we know of) that offer actual scientific proof. Used throughout the past few thousand years, psychedelics have been used for traditional purposes such as ritual ceremonies and medicinal uses. It wasn't until the 20th century that western scientists began to take interest. In the 1950s and 1960s, psychedelics were used in clinical studies as a therapeutic approach. LSD in particular exploded in the 60s culture, mainly amongst hippies. LSD became a symbol of youthful rebellion, mind exploration and political dissent. LSD soon caught the attention of the US federal and state governments, so much so that it was made illegal in 1967, and was classified as a schedule 1 drug.
It's only recently that science has finally started to take an interest in psychedelics again, especially for its medicinal properties and therapeutic effects. There have been many studies ranging from terminally ill cancer patients that are given psilocybin mushrooms to help them deal with psychological distresses, and to war veterans who were suffering from PTSD.
I am not saying that everyone should rush out and take mushrooms, but what I am trying to say is that many people out there don't experiment with psychedelics solely based on dogma or their own ego. There are some people who truly don't need these substances, but I can tell you right now that A LOT of people can greatly benefit from psychedelics, which the ironic part is that they are generally the ones who are most against it.
These are the main reasons why a lot of people are afraid of trying psychedelics.
Dogma
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We have been told since birth that all illicit drugs are bad for us, which includes psychedelics (or hallucinigens). Our school systems and government never educated us on the distinct difference between psychedelics compared to other psycho active substances such as depressants (Alcohol, heroin) and stimulants (Crystal Meth, Nicotine), nor did they teach us how to use drugs safety because let's face it, just because a drug is made illegal it doesn't necessarily mean that people are going to stay away from it, so we might as well be educated on how to take drugs properly if we choose to, as this would probably save many lives (but this is a whole other topic I won't get into now). Instead they kind of summarize the idea that all drugs are bad and we should never touch them, period. Yet alcohol and cigarettes which have caused more deaths than all illegal drugs combined (by far), remain legal.
We get told that taking LSD will make you crazy and jump out of a 3 story window, but they forget to mention that people who go crazy from psychedelics are the ones who are prone to psychosis such as schizophrenia. They also forget to mention all the people's lives that have potentially been saved from these substances (people with clinical deppression, PTSD, etc.), and that set & setting is probably THE most important aspect to consider when choosing to take psychedelics. Eg Taking mushrooms at night in the city, or at a party is not the smartest idea, as this is how bad things can happen, so no wonder people have bad experiences. They treat psychedelics just like anything other party drug which is where they fuck up. Psychedelics should be taken in a positive calm environment, preferably in nature during the day with a couple of your closest friends which you trust. This is when the magic happens.
Ego
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The ego is that part of us that identifies with ourselves, it's that part of us that hates change, loves conflict and really doesn't like to listen to others, especially when the mind is already made up. The ego is a very deep topic so I'm going to leave it at just that (what is the ego), but why do you think so many people stay in their miserable lives without changing anything while continuing to do things that harm themselves (eating like shit, doing harsh drugs, staying at their shitty jobs, etc). I know this because I was one of them.
Many of us are afraid to face our true selves and deal with issues we have been suppressing for so long, so we keep doing things that distract us by watching TV, drinking alcohol or doing certain harsh drugs. Psychedelics can force you to deal with these issues and face them head on which can be very confrontational, what many of us consider to be a 'bad trip', but in reality it's a wake up call...
Even though there are an overwhelming amount of studies on psychedelics curing mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, PTSD, people will still choose to stay away from them, convincing themselves that they don't need it or telling themselves that psychedelics are 'hippy' drugs that fuck with your head or something like this. I have heard all sorts of excuses from people that won't even consider touching this stuff. My favourite excuse being that they won't touch psychedelics because they're 'drugs'. This makes me laugh every time I hear this because last time I checked alcohol is a drug, caffeine is a drug, sugar is a drug, even TV is a drug to some degree.
Don't Need It
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Believe it or not some people simply don't need it. These people are the ones who are already open minded and completly well-adjusted. These are the people who deal with their problems and don't let their ego control their lives. These are the people who listen to their gut instincts that tells them "Nah you don't these substances" or "You're not ready for it yet", instead of listening to their ego which says "Fuck that you'll go crazy man" or "You don't need to change, you're fine the way you are". In one aspect yes, we are all fine the way we are, but there is ALWAYS room for improvement and to be the best version of ourselves.
To be honest, you don't even NEED psychedelics to reach higher states of consciousness. Psychedelics are just a tool to get you on the right path. You can use meditation, sensory deprivation tanks, holotropic breathing to help you reach these states. But the only problem is that there are a lot of people who won't get out of their way to practice meditation everyday, and need something like Ayahuasca to kind of give them that jump start, and lead them to the right path.
I would say that psychedelics are for those people who have gone too far down the 'shit' hole and really struggle coming back. These are the drug addicts, alcoholics, people suffering from mental illnesses, and especially people with narcissism and big egos. These are the people who need the kick up the arse from psychedelics because I doubt they'll have the motivation to meditate and eat healthy every day. I could guarantee you that if it was a prerequisite for politician to take mushrooms, this whole world would change overnight. But again that's just my opinion.
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Again I'm not saying that you should try psychedelics, I'm just saying that maybe we shouldn't dismiss it without educating ourselves first. Research the information yourself instead listening to others (including myself), and make your own conclusion because who knows, psychedelics just might give you that change in perspective that you need to move forward in life.
Just some food for thought.
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“Psychedelics are illegal not because a loving government is concerned that you might jump out of a third story window. Psychedelics are illegal because they dissolve opinion structures and culturally laid down models of behaviours and information processing. They open up the possibility that everything you know is wrong”
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