THEY CREATE VISUAL HALLUCINATIONS, DREAM LIKE ECSTATIC STATES AND POWERFUL SHIFTS IN COGNITION
with conventional medicine; addiction, post- traumatic stress disorder, fear of approaching death and intractable depression. Imaging studies suggest that these chemicals; LSD, psilocin, mescaline etc. act on serotonin receptors and down regulate a theoretical system known as the Default Mode Network (DMN). Existence of the DMN has been speculated for about 20 years and repeated brain imaging studies have more or less confirmed its existence and its role in brain function.
When not focused on a task, for example when day dreaming; you are; thinking about your past, planning your future or working out why your neighbour dislikes you and it is then that your DMN is functioning. The DMN is pretty rigid in adults in the types of thinking that occurs but not so in children and it is speculated that for those with; addictions, depression, a morbid fear of imminent death or PTSD the DMN is fixed so rigidly it is causing the individual serious problems. They ruminate on negative thoughts or promote destructive behaviours. Appropriate use of psychedelic drugs might effectively disrupt the
DMN breaking up this rigid thinking and allowing other insights and different options. Use of psychedelics, in theory, resets the DMS. The addict can break free of his addiction, imminent death is not so frightening to the cancer patient, the depressive patient can think more positively about life and the PTSD patient can stop ruminating on horrific experiences.
This radical theory is covered well in Michael Pollen’s book ‘How to Change Your Mind’. The journalist and food critic has moved sideways to look at the possibilities beyond the nutritional value of foods and he does it well. He is an engaging and intelligent speaker. Pollen resists the acolyte stance of others such as Rick Doblin who sadly lacks any real objectivity which questions the real scientific value of the work he is currently undertaking.
So why do psychedelics exist? Merlin Sheldrake’s book ‘Entangled Life’ provides a fascinating if not chilling overview of the hidden complex world of fungi. Merlin discusses the trick many fungi learned since they first came onto the planet
billions of years ago and that is to produce chemicals that precisely control insect behaviour that ultimately improves fungal spore dispersal and therefore fungal survival.
For example Carpenter ants once infected by a specific fungus immediately lose their inherent fear of heights, climb the nearest tall plant, clamp their jaws in a death grip into a central vein on the leaf and die. Fungal mycelia grows from the ant’s feet and adheres the insect’s body to the plant. The fungus eats the ant from within and showers spores down on the ants below repeating the cycle. The fungus orientates ants according to the direction of the sun, the ant clamps onto the plant at noon; perfect, precision, chemical control.
These are the chemicals of the psychedelic revival. It is very unlikely that they were ever intended for controlling human minds and we are merely and opportunistically getting an effect that nature designed for another purpose. If we could get some medical benefits that would be great but what is currently happening is a marketing exercise by a few old 1960s hippies who seem hell bent on proving to their dead mums and dads that there was a reason they dropped out. Albert Hoffman, a great hero of mine, was not one of them. He was too much a scientist.
APPROPRIATE USE OF PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS MIGHT EFFECTIVELY DISRUPT THE DMN BREAKING UP THIS RIGID THINKING AND ALLOWING OTHER INSIGHTS
scottishpharmacist.com 31
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