[netizen-936824]

I have taken many drugs, but I still see that when discussing mechanisms we need to be specific to have a deep understanding of the mechanics. Otherwise we get handwavy garbage that isn't actionable.

This is a large problem is psychology and it's made worse by the lack of research behind psychoactive compounds. That void gets filled by people who take the drugs recreationally and come up with this mythology type of explanations. As a scientist who studies drugs, biochemistry, and behavior; I want to move past this. I want people to have a clear understanding of how the brain works, and we don't get there by being vague.

[sibeliuss]

That may be what you want as a scientist, but often these experiences are only communicable via metaphor. The narrative helps with integration, and can also be deeply meaningful. One side doesn't exclude the other by any means. It is what it is, and is part of what makes the experience so intriguing for people -- particularly people who suffer from depression and have lost their inner mythos.

[netizen-936824]

I understand the difficultly in communicating these experiences. This is yet another issue in psychological research, as not only are they difficult to communicate but people may explain things differently when they're talking about similar experiences. This is the reason I would like to see things explained and studied with specificity.

Its likely that we don't have any research done into these psychological phenomena, partially due to the way research into these compounds has been essentially banned (DEA dragging their feet on applications or denying for arbitrary reasons)

I think a good example of terminology that has come from the drug use underground is that of "vibrations" It seems to me like the discussion of vibration is actually related to the oscillatory behavior of neurons and their networks. I don't know how we'll be able to dive into this idea and connect what people experience as "vibrations" to oscillatory behavior and their associated behavioral and psychological phenomena, but I think its a good place to start investigating as long as we solidify terminology.

I'm more than happy to hear different ideas and perspectives on these phenomena but I'll always ask clarifying questions. These questions help to get people on the same page so we can all deepen our understanding of the complex machinery that is the human brain.