I Started Writing Using Psychedelics
"Close your eyes, what do you see, what do you think about?"
The following discusses my use of medically prescribed psychedelics while writing. Do not try at home.
Close your eyes; what do you see? What do you think about it? Literally, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Now the second, then the third, then the fourth thing that enters your mind, what are they? Catalog it. Now prioritize them. Which, at the deepest of your being impacts you the most. You can only pick one, and you have to pick it fast. Now abstract the idea. What colours and visions come to mind as you think of this thing? What metaphors and adjacent yet related problems stem from this idea? Imagine being able to think about all of these things, all at once, without losing sight of what your original question was. Each of these ideas, thoughts, visions, and abstractions become representations of a singular problem, and that singular problem has a solution hidden somewhere within it. Each of these things collide, separate, and fuse to get to the solution. Welcome to the world of psychedelics.
If you are confused, you are not alone. So, let me quote from one of the forefront leaders in psychedelic research, Mendel Kaelen, who explains what psychedelics can do for the brain perfectly:
Think of the brain as a hill covered in snow, and thoughts as sleds gliding down that hill. As one sledge after another goes down the hill, a small number of main trails will appear in the snow. And every time a new sledge goes down, it will be drawn into the preexisting trails, almost like a magnet. Think of psychedelics as temporarily flattening the snow. The deeply worn trails disappear, and suddenly the sledge can go in other directions, exploring new landscapes and creating new pathways.
Now, let’s step back in time for a moment.
It is 1938, and a scientist synthesizes acid for the first time. It is 1943 and that same scientist, Albert Hofmann, ingests it, and so psychedelic research begins. The 1950s and 1960s saw a wide embrace of psychedelics in the fields of medicine, recreation, and even military counterintelligence and psychological warfare. Then comes the regulation as the 60’s strike fear in the heart of a more conservative generation as they see news reports of hippies, hobos, gypsies, bums, and all sorts of eclectics abandoning their homes and pursuing a life of peace. Then, welcome to 1969, as Hollywood is quickly embracing what they see as an era of love and happiness, and four people are killed. Charles Manson is the culprit. And the predominant era of peace, love, and happiness fades away as it becomes overshadowed by deception and doubt. In other words, everything goes downhill from there (If you haven’t read about this era and are interested, fuck Helter Skelter, read CHAOS: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties.)
I believe that Charles Manson was the primary cause of the fall of psychedelic research when it was largely abandoned and restricted in 1965. I, of course, am not likely alone in this train of thought, but there is reason to suggest that the abandonment of this research was far more complex than simple pharmaceutical regulations.
Either way, I am not writing to prove this thesis, but rather suggest that it was only a matter of time that psychedelic research would begin again. And, oh, it has began.
I started taking ketamine, prescribed by my psychiatrist off-label about a year ago. While this drug is largely experimental, the results have been promising on a macro level, and a personal level, they have been life-changing.
While I majored in psychology in college, and was highly active in research, even writing some essays on the efficacy of psychedelics during my time there, I am no expert. But, one thing I do know for certain, however, is anecdotal experience is some of the best evidence we have at the moment to better understand this drug. In essence, due to the inherent difficulties in finding research participants for these studies, some of the best evidence we have is the personal experiences of others, and I feel that it is important to share them.
I 've been prescribed drugs for anxiety and chronic pain by my doctor, but have stopped taking them as all they do is make me feel very drowsy and subsequently depressed! I've heard people do use psychedelics for chronic pain and anxiety.