Alcohol + DMT

[Infundibulum]

Personally I have seen more people losing it from abuse of psychedelics than abuse of alcohol...

Depends what you mean by "lose it" Almost everyone who takes a large dose of alcohol will "lose it" in some manner because their inhibitions are lowered and their judgment is impaired. Much the same can be said about psychedelics, in high doses. So the issue becomes over indulgence, consuming in excess, rather than the substance itself.

Losing them as in getting non-fuctional in their daily life - not being able to gather their thoughts together. In other words, long-term damage in their overall productivity.

Alcohol to many is an entheogen, and I can get deep insights by it. It all depends on the use.

Like I said above, dosage is critical. But deep insights...I really have never encountered anyone, myself included, who have gained any deep insights from it. They use it to escape, to unwind, to socialize, etc.

If it had the power to provide deep insights, at least for the majority of people, why is it still legal in almost every country?

Maybe that's why is legal? Because of the deep insights (to which a large population may be impervious to)?

OK, seriously now, I do not really believe that the amount of "deep insight" a substance may be able to provide correlates with its legality status at all. To me that's not even an argument.

 

[devineinmymind]

Question. Can healing take place with alcohol?

 

[Infundibulum]

Question. Can healing take place with alcohol?

Most certainly yes. But of course it depends what you mean by healing. The term healing (as opposed to curing) has a very broad spectrum.

Emotionally-speaking, as a substance that makes you more extrovert it can facilitates discussions, just as mdma can. Think of your best friend who just broke up with his gf; you sit down with him, have a few or more beers, talk things over and have good time.

 

[devineinmymind]

Meant healing in terms of like how hallucinogens heal, dissolving the ego. Just ive never experienced this or seen it but usually the very opposite. But than again like anything thinking now its not the substance but the user to blame through misuse.

 

[Metanoia]

I just think that alcohol has far more negative consequences than it does positive ones. Some people may use it responsibly and enjoy it. Most do not.

I think people use alcohol to dissolve inhibitions and open up to each other, yes. To me, that just shows how closed off we are much of the time, that we need something like alcohol to "share our true feelings". Which usually end up being bullshit once the drug wears off. I've seen it happen over and over. "I was just drunk".

And really Infundibulum, you don't believe the function a drug has in society correlates with its legal status? It certainly does. Drugs that dissolve ego, promote real positive life changes, provide deep insights into our lives and the world we live in, they are illegal for good reason. They could affect change if too many people began using them. The lawmakers want to be the only ones in charge of when and where change happens.

Well, perhaps sadly, alcohol has a reputation for misuse. It has a very bad name with me, and I'm not sure I'll ever overcome that.

But like was said, can it heal? It hurts more than it heals, generally speaking.

 

[jamie]

^ my only issue with the idea that psychedelics are illegal becasue they open your mind etc, is that it it no secret at this point that the CIA was distributing LSD to the underground back in the 60's, and possibly even using people like Leary(without them knowing) to do so. I dont know why they would have later made these things illegal though, other than just to have a reason to even have a "war on drugs"..create and underground left wing psychedelic "drug" culture, and then illegalize the whole thing so you have a market for the profitable "drug war"..maybe I just sound paranoid. It's not all that different from cannabis..cannabis was outlawed due to it threatening the paper business before anything else. People were not worried about open minds..they were worried about their money going away, and their own racist agendas to some degree as well.

Of course now yes, many people seem to fear psychedelics for other more obvious reasons..they open your mind. Psychedelics are not productive for our society the way it is. People feeling empathy for what is done to other peoples/environments in the name of business is often not productive for business.

Maybe it backfired on them, I dont know. But one observation I have made many times is that the whole new age movement seems to have actually diverted much of the hard core militant style left wing opposition(that can at times be more effective) more towards a bunch of people really stoned on acid all the time and simply peacefully chanting and preaching non violent protesting etc..not that non violence and love etc are bad things..but I just personally dont believe in this whole dicotemy world view where all violence is wrong at all times etc..that is a new age passivist ideology and at this point I dont think it will necessary get done what needs to be done, although there will be a time I think when all of that is relevent.. for the moment there are things being done that I definatly think call for protesting that would at times inevitably become violent.

Anyway..sorry to go so off topic..I just dont know what to make of the whole reason as to why these things are illegal..