So this topic has been on my mind for quite some time. I have a terrible habit of either reading threads and thinking up a response, but forgetting to write the damn thing, or thinking of thread topics but never getting round to it.
The "Nothingness and loving donald" thread (Nothingness and loving donald - Introduction Essay - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus) has highlighted a very important detail. The fact that many people don't know shit about harm reduction, even psychedelic enthusiasts.
A blatant disregard for personal safety is a cause for concern. A blatant disregard for the safety of others is not only a cause for concern, it's a crime.
I've talked to a fair few people who want to ingest a psychedelic, and are considering going to a shaman/curandero/ayahuasquero etc. When i asked "why not ingest it yourself", a lot of them responded "i don't know anything about it". So these people are willing to relinquish their rational decision making mind to a stranger with possible ulterior motives, instead of doing a bit of research.
This may be an unpopular view, but the best medicine wo/man is yourself. This isn't to say that proper medicine wo/men aren't worth going to, it's that people should be more informed about entheogens (or anything that interests them, for that matter), instead of jumping off a cliff while blind.
"Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding... It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self. Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity" - Kahlil Gibran
Now imagine what would happen if our beloved psychs became legal, and one could self administer. Perhaps one could purchase it over the counter, or through some other legal means. I don't know about you guys, but if i purchase some furniture, i don't read the assembly instructions unless i really need help. This mentality can easily be adopted by people who don't know what they're doing/buying/ingesting etc. "It's just a mushroom" says the non-psychonaut, and then gulps down 10 dried mushies. It has happened before. I don't see humans and carelessness getting divorced anytime soon.
However, if psychs remain illegal, it wont be as easy to acquire. Those who seek, will find it. And often, those who seek are driven by a desire to know. This, in turn, leads to a well-informed psychonaut instead of a brainless hippie.
Apologies, my post is probably all over the place.
Thoughts?
The "Nothingness and loving donald" thread (Nothingness and loving donald - Introduction Essay - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus) has highlighted a very important detail. The fact that many people don't know shit about harm reduction, even psychedelic enthusiasts.
A blatant disregard for personal safety is a cause for concern. A blatant disregard for the safety of others is not only a cause for concern, it's a crime.
I've talked to a fair few people who want to ingest a psychedelic, and are considering going to a shaman/curandero/ayahuasquero etc. When i asked "why not ingest it yourself", a lot of them responded "i don't know anything about it". So these people are willing to relinquish their rational decision making mind to a stranger with possible ulterior motives, instead of doing a bit of research.
This may be an unpopular view, but the best medicine wo/man is yourself. This isn't to say that proper medicine wo/men aren't worth going to, it's that people should be more informed about entheogens (or anything that interests them, for that matter), instead of jumping off a cliff while blind.
"Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding... It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self. Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity" - Kahlil Gibran
Now imagine what would happen if our beloved psychs became legal, and one could self administer. Perhaps one could purchase it over the counter, or through some other legal means. I don't know about you guys, but if i purchase some furniture, i don't read the assembly instructions unless i really need help. This mentality can easily be adopted by people who don't know what they're doing/buying/ingesting etc. "It's just a mushroom" says the non-psychonaut, and then gulps down 10 dried mushies. It has happened before. I don't see humans and carelessness getting divorced anytime soon.
However, if psychs remain illegal, it wont be as easy to acquire. Those who seek, will find it. And often, those who seek are driven by a desire to know. This, in turn, leads to a well-informed psychonaut instead of a brainless hippie.
Apologies, my post is probably all over the place.
Thoughts?