Strassman interview

[Bancopuma]

I don't think this has been shared here but I could be wrong...may be of interest to some.

http://reset.me/story/qa-dmt-expert-discusses-the-human-brain-visions-spirituality-and-dying/

 

[Psybin]

Q&A: DMT Expert Discusses The Human Brain, Visions, Spirituality And Dying

I wouldn't call him a DMT expert by any stretch of the imagination. I really wish he'd stop spouting unscientific ideas as if he's some authority on the matter. Everyone is entitled to their personal spiritual beliefs, but when you start stating them as an 'expert' it's immoral because there are many people who will blindly believe what he says based on the title of the article and his being a scientist. In reality, he is no more an expert on DMT than any other scientist whose read his original paper.

Plus, in this article he basically just goes on about things that can't be proven or disproven, often without the caveat of "I believe" or "In my opinion, which is not scientifically substantiated", which is deceitful and misleading.

 

[Orion]

My read turned into a skim at 'We have known for nearly 60 years that the lungs make DMT'.

We know it's in there in higher amounts than some other organs. But to say it's made in the lungs and we know for sure, and have done for 60 years? Anyone have any info on this ?

 

[Swarupa]

JC: You stated that Jim Fadiman has been conducting studies on the effects of low doses of DMT on people. This would in essence negate the hallucinogenic and out of body experiences I assume. Are you aware of any of the reported benefits of these types of low dose experiments?

Dr. Strassman: Jim is studying low doses of LSD primarily. You might want to check with Jim to see how his study is progressing. Over tea one day at his home with his wife Anita in Switzerland near the French border, Albert Hofmann shared with us what he said was the laudable effects of low doses of LSD taken on a daily basis; say, 10 µg. He believed this served a valuable “tonic” function — increasing alertness, mental agility, creativity, mood, etc.

I'd heard this before but only as rumor, nice to know that Hofmann did actually say this.

I like Strassmans theory of theoneurology as well, i think it really makes sense.

JC: I appreciate your time and answers Rick. If there are any closing thoughts or comments for the readers that we have yet to touch upon, please feel free to address them.

Dr: Strassman: I want to emphasize the relevance of the Western religious traditions, especially the foundational Jewish one, for understanding the psychedelic drug effect, in particular the spiritual properties of those states. I believe it is useful to not throw the baby out with the bathwater. That is, even though Western biblical traditions have been the cause of much evil, the original texts and non-hegemony-based commentaries on them can shed light on these topics in a culturally resonant manner, perhaps even a biologically resonant manner, that is not available using Eastern religious or Latin American shamanic models

I don't understand Strassmans motivation behind referencing to the Hebrew Bible, the Eastern/Zen framework doesn't really fit the DMT experiences in his studies but i'm not sure how the Bible can help us understand it any better, i'd like to hear about it from any members that have read Strassmans new book or the Hebrew Bible itself. I haven't read any reports from Hebrew sages to know if they read anything like potential endogenous DMT experiences.

Thanks for sharing bancopuma

 

[smokerx]

Video was removed. They are very fast.

 

[NotTwo]

Strassman is an awful speaker with his ums, errs and y'knows - he's simply painful to listen to. His book The Spirit Molecule is full of conjectures which come across as scientific opinions but which in fact are nothing more than imaginative speculation with no scientific basis. I only saw the video of the interview regarding his book about DMT and the Hebrew Bible prophets but the whole lot seemed irrelevant and uninteresting apart from maybe his attempt to get a handle on his own Hebrew scripture upbringing. He's worthy of gratitude for his experiments with DMT at Uni. of New Mexico in the 90s but as a champion of DMT, the understanding of its potential or for its legalisation I can't see he has anything to offer. Probably overall he's doing more harm than good.

 

[DeltaSpice]

The video has gone. I wish he wouldn't go on about God, I'd rather just hear about the science from him :!:

 

[jamie]

I actually don't mind that he talks about god, or the hebrew bible..both are somewhat relevant to the tryptamine experience to me personally.

What I find really astounding is that he outright dismisses the work of other people who are IMO actually real scholars of biblical literature and mythology, and have brought forth a great body of evidence to support the use of both entheogenic acacias and mushrooms in the region. The evidence for exogenous use of psychedelics in biblical times far outweighs evidence for his ideas on endogenous DMT being responsible for some of those stories.

That is not to say that the endogenous aspect is not also relevant, but then that is beside the point when it comes to Strassmans position.

He has lost credibility in my eyes.

 

[Nathanial.Dread]

I actually don't mind that he talks about god, or the hebrew bible..both are somewhat relevant to the tryptamine experience to me personally.

The problem is that appears to continue to bill himself as a scientist, with this theory of theoneurology. There's nothing wrong with the Hebrew Bible or God, but that is squarely the domain of mystics, theologians, and philosophers, not scientists.

Unless he has some kind of experiment he can run to empirically test this notion that "the universe, including humans, exist out of God’s beneficence, and once having created us, He would like us to know and love Him...that the brain is so designed that we are able to communicate with God" he has no business calling what he's doing science.

It's fine as theology, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with theology, but it's not a science, and there's enough misinformation and just plain bad science floating around the world of psychedelics that we don't really need more of it. For better or for worse (mostly for worse, in my mind), he's still respected as a researcher in the psychedelic community, and if he's going to continue to stick to that image, he has a responsibility to do it well. This is not doing it well.

Blessings
~ND