Children and Psychedelics

[friken]

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT ADVOCATE OR ENCOURAGE THE DOSING OF CHILDREN WITH ANY KIND OF MIND ALTERING SUBSTANCE. THAT IS A TERRIBLE IDEA

Ahem.

Does anyone know what would happen if a young child (pre-puberty) where to consume something like LSD or magic mushrooms, both short term or long term? Thinking back to my own childhood, and then about the children I work with, I am unsure how radically different a psychedelic headspace is from a child's.

...
Blessings
~ND

I do not have any first-hand feedback, however, I have found some extremely insightful thoughts from this person -- Her background was ritual abuse through most of her childhood including forced and high ketamine dosing.

http://www.thespiritualcatalyst.com/about-teal

What it has done to/for her is profound though who knows how much of who she is now is a product of the abuse, drugs, recovery, or original persona that would have come through regardless of background.

 

[Nathanial.Dread]

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT ADVOCATE OR ENCOURAGE THE DOSING OF CHILDREN WITH ANY KIND OF MIND ALTERING SUBSTANCE. THAT IS A TERRIBLE IDEA

Ahem.

Does anyone know what would happen if a young child (pre-puberty) where to consume something like LSD or magic mushrooms, both short term or long term? Thinking back to my own childhood, and then about the children I work with, I am unsure how radically different a psychedelic headspace is from a child's.

...
Blessings
~ND

I do not have any first-hand feedback, however, I have found some extremely insightful thoughts from this person -- Her background was ritual abuse through most of her childhood including forced and high ketamine dosing.

http://www.thespiritualcatalyst.com/about-teal

What it has done to/for her is profound though who knows how much of who she is now is a product of the abuse, drugs, recovery, or original persona that would have come through regardless of background.

A lot of that is pretty hard to swallow. Clairvoyance? Astral projection? Manipulation of magnetic fields?

The whole "Indigo Children" thing is a little more off-the-wall then I am comfortable with. I'd like to see some kind of 3rd party record of what she went through before I buy into any of this.

Blessings
~ND

 

[friken]

I agree to the off the wall aspect of it all. I'm not really judging believability as much as stating the claimed background was of ritual abuse and forced drug use as a child. I would say though that looking past any unbelievable or uncomfortable aspects of the claims, she has numerous unrelated thoughts, blog, videos etc (free) that contain some insightful content. I would go as far as to say the insights are far beyond her age (she is still pretty young).

I find it similar to the law of one series. It is very easy to say, "hogwash" at it before reading bassed on the fact it is claimed channeling of a "higher demensional entity". All fine and good, but boy does so much of that material really make one evaluate one's beliefs and expand possibilities. Great science fiction? Could be. Worth a read? Absolutely. Possibly explain a lot of what we do not yet understand? Maybe... Just maybe.

Even if Teal's gifts as stated are a delusional result of childhood trama, I still give the insights she is sharing high marks for usefulness.

 

[olympus mon]

My first taste of acid was at about 16 and pretty inconclusive. But I have a friend, a hippie tattoo guy, who was raised by hippie tattoo parents. His father offered him his first taste of acid at 10, and after that went well he started having it regularly, often without adult supervision.

Now, this was a pretty loose family, really no rules or anything. At the time they lived in Goa with no power or plumbing, and ran their tattoo operation off car batteries. Anyway, one day this ten-year-old takes a hit of acid and walks down to the Ganges to watch people burning their dead. He parked himself in a spot where he could get a really good view of a particularly fancy funeral pyre setup, just as they were lighting the fire. At this point he's starting to peak pretty hard. The family is milling around the deceased man, pretty much ignoring the tripping ten-year-old hovering nearby. The fire quickly overwhelms the fabric dressings and a wave of flame comes and goes; as it settles the body starts smoldering.

At this point my friend is entirely focused on the man's head. The hair has been burned away and the skin is tightening and darkening. Suddenly it gives way, breaking apart into animated black ornamental fractal spirals curling around the face. Next the fat starts to boil, becoming infinitely intricate churning golden ornament, morphing and crawling over the face in rapid motion, a mask of living jewelry. Finally the fats dry up and give way to layers of white spiraling Art Neuveau embellishments.

Ever since he told me this story I've wondered how it must have effected him as an adult. No doubt there were many other occasions as well. He is now a brilliant and successful artist, who specializes in (among other things) jeweled skulls. Other artists draw them too, but his have far more life and vitality, more personality. As far as how all that acid at a young age might have effected him outside his art, that's impossible to say- so many things about his upbringing were just completely outside the normal definitions. Acid or not, he was destined to be a bit different.

And yes, he still trips. He's now I'm his late forties.

F.L.-? Wow such a beautiful story, thanks Guyo

 

[Ryusaki]

Yeah, it is, but only if you have the eyes to see.
I bet 98% of all 'western' parents would want to protect their 10 year old child from an experience like that.

 

[DeDao]

Well, my father is one of those kids who took LSD when he was 11. He was dosed by a bigger brother. He described the main portions of the trip to me. He doesn't seem negatively effected by it. Perhaps I could speak to him one day about the negative effects he feels he had from the experience at such a young age.

 

[Mz.Gypzy]

The year I first started smoking weed, I also took acid a couple times. I had to be around 13.
I was definitely uninformed and unprepared.

For myself, I think I was to young. I don't think my brain had matured enough for it to be of any benefit. There was no elders guiding, no ceremony or ritual context.
If there was, it might have been different. I remember the headspace being chaotic and reckless, and we could have put ourselves in danger.

Now in other cultures where this is practiced, they usual have a format, ceremony, elders etc. Its being used to benefit the individual/group. I think that's great.


Children and psychedelics, I think the best way would be as
A "Rite Of Passage", when the child is mature enough to benefit from it. I think the parents, elders, group should decided when this is. I don't the actual age is of importance, because each person develops differently.

Later in my life, around 16, 17, when I started to consume mushrooms in a very different set and setting, it was greatly beneficial to me.

Guyomech- I also really enjoyed that story, thanks for sharing.

 

[DreaMTripper]

This is an interesting trial that took place in the 60s using LSD (up to 400micrograms!) and psilocybin some of the results are incredible.. all these trials must be considered in the context of the situation, for many it was considered a last resort after extensive conventional treatment and one girl in particular was probably going to die if things continued the way they were going
Gary Fisher - Treatment of Childhood Schizophrenia Utilizing LSD and Psilocybin
An exerpt about Stevie...

He never spoke to anyone, made no eye contact and lived exclusively in his own world. What was unique about this boy's psychedelic experiences was his ability to enjoy sensory experiences that are commonly experienced by the normal person. During the first two hours he would delight in the visual and auditory experiences and constantly comment about what he was experiencing.

We soon discovered Stevie had an extensive vocabulary which he never used in his usual state. He would say such things as "the music is following the designs," he would laugh and say, "I love you, designs. Heart designs, ahhh, what a beautiful lady, a whole house full of changes." He rhythmically moved his body very gracefully to the music. He became extremely animated, smiling, sometimes giggling and appearing very much enchanted by his experiences. The long duration of this type of reaction was most unusual with these children. He would also become extremely quiet and peaceful, radiating a serene countenance that is witnessed when individuals are experiencing transcendental states…

However, a strong cautionary word is offered. These materials are so potent that a person interested in using them must have very clear his intention and needs to have guides attend him who are experienced travelers in the realms of consciousness that are unfolded and revealed. We used to say that the most important ingredient in LSD was the person taking it. The second most important ingredient is the guide who sits with that person.

 

[Bancopuma]

From Psychedelics Encyclopedia:

"On April 6th 1966, a five-year old girl in Brooklyn swallowed a sugar cube impregnated with LSD that her young uncle had left in the family refrigerator. She was rushed to the hospital where her stomach was pumped. She got the scare of her life through the procedure, and remained on the critical list for two days. Published reports of her examined later indicated she made a full recovery."

Seems here the stress of being rushed to hospital and having her stomach pumped could have caused the majority of trauma for this poor girl. I'm not even sure how much good that would have done with how quickly LSD is absorbed, and I don't think this was the best way to go about trying to rectifiy the situation.

I've heard that it is quite common in some parts of Amazonia for children to consume ayahuasca from a young age.

 

[jamie]

my best friend took acid and ayahuasca through her pregnancy. She has one of the smartest kids I know. Make of that w/e you will I guess. Just my observations.

 

[Cognitive Heart]

my best friend took acid and ayahuasca through her pregnancy. She has one of the smartest kids I know. Make of that w/e you will I guess. Just my observations.

--

A past girlfriend I was with told me about how she was born and in very similar ways to what you describe. Though, her turnout with life is quite unsettling. She is intelligent, just not with personal choices. Her parents were on acid and mushrooms during intercourse upon her 'arrival' in the *ahem, orgasim. She didn't know what to think of it. She felt as if it some great meaning was behind it.

 

[Bancopuma]

This is a really fascinating piece on the treatment of childhood schizophrenia with high dose LSD and psilocybin by Dr Gary Fisher right before the psychedelics were banned. I hadn't heard of this research before I encountered this, but makes for very interesting and inspiring reading. It seems some very traumatised and mentally ill children, that were highly treatment resistant, made vast progress in just a few sessions...some of these kids were considered to be beyond help. A real shame these substance were banned in the first place and aren't in the hands of therapists and others that can heal with them. At least things are changing.

MAPS - Volume 7 Number 3 Summer 1997 - Treatment of Childhood Schizophrenia Utilizing LSD and Psilocybin