[Prrometheus]

I'm not going to advocate substance abuse, but if you are going to do it then you might as well do it in college with experienced friends looking out for you.

That said, I find people have different biological reactions that determine if they will enjoy a particular chemical experience. If you have no interest in it or don't enjoy it, then don't worry about it. If you do have an interest in it, then do it responsibly.

[SCVirus]

Psychedelics are counter-addictive. They are only abused by those who have severe problems with generally 'abusing' anything that makes them feel good (and psychedelics don't 'make you feel good', they simply remove the mental barriers allowing you to feel that way if you so choose). All substances mentioned with the exception of LSD exist in nature, DMT is produced in the human brain and is responsible for near death experiences, and possibly dreams (and is the most powerful psychedelic listed; claims that psychedelia is unnatural are unfounded). LSD is highly similar to LSA (which occurs naturally). There are not issues with 'biological reactions' with these substances, except issues that cause mush to be far more potent on some individuals (start with a .25 gram dose [will do basically nothing in 99% of people, but will let you know if you are hypersensitive]). The only long term 'issues' people develop from long term psychedelic use, are creations of their own minds. When mental barriers are broken down, when you /truely/ have control of your mind-- its just like having root access, do something wrong and you might fuck something up. Do whats natural, nothing you see, think or feel on psychedelics is anything but natural.

[Prrometheus]

I've heard of people having issues with DMT and LSD, of the four you mentioned, though they might have been dosage issues.

Weed is the only one of the four you mentioned that I would have no trouble with doing if it were presented to me, and DMT is the only one that I would definitely not do without more research.

[SCVirus]

And yet you do DMT everytime you sleep (most likely), and certainly it is released during near death experiences. Unlike all of the other substances mentioned it is is produced by the human brain, and is the cause of many natural brain states.

(I do not, of course, recommend anyone go out and try DMT without first experiencing other psychedelics in the order given, or in fact without doing the research.)

I highly recommend you do that research.

http://erowid.org/

http://wikipedia.org/

Psychedelic use is not to be taken lightly. It is not a form of recreation (shouldn't be), it is a method of deep introspection, of breaking down mental barriers, a journey within yourself (among other things which really cannot be explained until you have reached the state of understanding that usually occurs with mush or mescaline use. This too is not an absolute, but is common to most peoples 'route' in this journey.)

Use of entheogens is, of course, not the only route to these states, tantric yoga can perform the same function as cannabis, and years (or decades) of deep meditation can take replace the use of mush, LSD and DMT.

[neodude]

This is a very good case for trying something.

[SCVirus]

Thank you. If you do choose to undertake this journey, here are some final guiding words of wisdom which may help you on your journey:

Hedonism is best served occasionally.

Go with the flow atleast until you understand it.

Some voices are answers, others are questions.

All things are relative.

All things are subjective.

It is only possible to have a bad trip if you convince yourself/believe/decide you are having a bad trip.

Take _nothing_ for granted or as absolute.

Words are unreliable.

Do not be afraid to depreciate the mental monologue.

Do not be afraid.

[hugh]

Biggest argument against taking drugs: they'll make you think that crap like that is "wisdom".

Seriously, that seems to be the worst side-effect I've noticed of most of these drugs -- they grant an unjustified feeling of the profundity of your own thoughts.

[hv23]

Thoughts can always be profound if they resonate with you and have deep meaning to you-- I find it pretty foolish and close-minded of you to dismiss his thoughts as "crap" just because you can't understand his perspective.

He's clearly formulated his opinions after deep thought, and I find it pretty interesting, personally coming from a rooted Zen and Hindu perspective, how some of his ideas echo the thoughts of great religious thinkers (for example, "All things are subjective" is held as one of the basic axioms in Zen philosophy).

And perhaps he is just simply repeating the ideas of others. At least he appears to understand (or at least is clearly making an effort to) wisdom that has been imparted through the ages and is generally acquired only through deep introspection.

Check your preconceptions at the door-- it's pretty clear that you dismissed his ideas based on your notions of what "these drugs", and the people who use them, must be.

[SCVirus]

I did not nessicarily mean to claim any of the posted wisdom was my own, although some of it was atleast 'compiled' by me.

The grandparent has dismissed what I said as 'crap' created by my 'unjustified feeling of the profundity[sic]'. Interestingly, since these words stemed from eastern religion, from philosophy and even from common sense and reasoning (as well as my own personal experiences, and the words and works of psychedelic researchers) all these things too must be 'crap' that could only make sense after the 'delusions of drug use', after all:

"Biggest argument against taking drugs: they'll make you think that crap like that is "wisdom"."

PS: The path of blind rejectionism may be comfortable, it may be culturally encoraged, but as history has shown, it is inevitably a dead-end route.