Psychoactive Drugs - An M0 Perspective

A discussion of medicational and recreational drugs that allows for the existence of M0 in society.


From: Alan Carter

Anecdote From A Programming Site:

Alan: "Colleauge - I seem to have found a bug in the database filter object."

Colleauge: "I expect you have. But if you break the crust on that pile of guano you'll regret it."

It is a figure of speech that has always stayed with me. Nevertheless I'm going to lower myself into a hole in the crust so kindly broken by Joss :-)

I just hope the tendancy to rub woad into navels and go on crusades isn't too great on this list, for the reason Joss gave.

There are a number of lifestyle drugs in play in Western sociteies. Most have bad effects, some much worse than others. Some are socially tolerated, even to the extent of being available on prescription from health services, while others are not. The sort orders of tolerance and bad effects aren't remotely the same, as one might think they would be without either random noise or an X factor in play. I reckon it's an X factor. Social acceptability is determined by whether or not the drug takes the user out of the dopamine economy, whereby the user no longer needs to co-ritual fix.

Here are some examples of lifestyle drugs, which I've sorted by their bad effects. Please note that here I mean the bad effects of the drug itself, and not the lifestyle associated with the drug, or the state of mind of people who then become involved with the drug:

DrugTolerated
CannabisNo
AlcoholYes
TobaccoYes
HeroinNo
ValiumYes
CocaineNo
ProzacYes
LSDNo
MDMA (Ecstacy)No

Now I'd like to justify the sort order of bad effects I've given, and propose an explaination for the social tolerance.

Cannabis

Tends to make users oversleep. Reduces the sperm count of rats if fed in sufficient doses to require injection because the rats are unconscious long before the experiment is seriously under way. More carcinogenic than tobacco weight for weight, although effective doses for psychological effect are far lower. Cures glaucoma and useful for pain relief in a variety of chronic conditions. Users who then drive cars drive very slowly indeed (but reactions are adversely affected so it's dangerous to smoke and drive). World Health Organisation report that concluded that there is little evidence that cannabis is particulary harmful was supressed in early 1990s.

Used by Rastafarians as a ceremonial chemical to enhance "spiritual experience". Similarly used by artists (including creative programmers). I conjecture that at least one effect of cannabis is to block (bind to) the D4 receptor, without triggering it. This means that infrequent users get the narcotic effect to balance the withdrawal of neuroinhibitor, while frequent users are actually broken out of the addictive cycle. In packer societies, users are often portrayed as disordered and feckless although from a mapper perspective they seem more like people who don't engage in pointless pursuits and are actually much more consistent, particularly in their ethical stances. Anti-cannabis hysteria now includes mandatory random urine tests with summary dismissal for a positive result in many major employers. Positive results can occur from eating a salad with some chopped leaf in the dressing up to three months prior to test.

Alcohol

Rots brain, liver, kidneys and pancreas. Leads to significant lost time through hangovers. An addictive drug that is associated with violence and dangerous driving with significant reductions in reaction times that users suffer with no compensating perceptual changes. They don't know they've lost the plot until they hit the tree.

I don't think alcohol does anything to the D4 receptor at all. It isn't involved.

Tobacco

An addictive drug associated with circlatory and respiratory disease, that produces no psychological effects once tolerance is established - only withdrawal effects.

No involvement with D4 receptor.

Heroin

An addictive drug that in large doses converts the user into a piece of seaweed. Oddly enough, heroin does not screw you up. For example, its not generally realised that a high proportion of the British Establishment developed addiction in military hospitals in France during WWII while being dosed up with morphine until they could be shipped home. Henceforth they ensured they had regular supplies via the old boy network, and continued with successful careers, maintaining their addictions but not using to the level of gaganess. Currently used by gentle and intelligent but weak people who can't stand the pointlessness of life and don't fight back. The snivelling mental attitude that leads people to seek anaesthesia has more to do with junkieism than the drug itself.

No direct involvement with D4 receptor, but seaweed does not ritual fix.

Valium

A sense numbing highly addictive drug that is still available on prescription from health services. When I worked in a government establishment, many of the junior clerical workers (who suffer most from endless circular blame dumping) were on Valium. Breaking benzodiazapine addiction has been the greatest challenge for many people through the 1990s. The addictive dangers were known about in the 1960s, but supressed.

No effect on D4 receptor, but numbs any remaining sensibility to facilitate ritual fixing and hence enforces "normalcy".

Cocaine

A highly addictive drug that can cause respiratory disease, paranoia, and other delusional psychoses.

Known to increase dopamine production and cause a delusional sense of well-being, unlike dopamine production increased by other means which causes a wholly justified sense of well-being (in conventional thinking). Anecdotal data: I know that I can geta high out of cocaine, and I do find it pleasurable. So the either the polymorphic receptor that can't bind dopamine can bind cocaine at least in some people, or cocaine does something else as well. Additional data: It is known that incidence of Parkinsonism (where the body cannot produce enough dopamine to damp motor nerve excitations which is its normal job) is higher in heavy cocaine users. The conjecture by Joss that the high is authentic I'm questioning here. Possibly its more like a way for at least some mappers to get a sense of what its like to be a ritual fixing packer. As to the Parkinsonism question, we do have a model in nicotine addiction. The reason why nicotine addiction is so pernicious is that the body's own nicotine production capability actually shuts down with all the stuff fromcigarettes flooding it, and takes a long time to restart.

Prozac

Like Valium but much, much worse. In extreme cases, associated with domestic mass murder.

LSD

A dangerous drug that can have the most extraordinary positive effects on suitably prepared individuals, and induce permanent psychosis in unsuitably prepared individuals.

No involvement with D4 receptor but would appear to open up the model of an objective reality where everything fits together (as known by mappers). Fixation on the novelty to be found within objective reality is enough to hold non-immunes out of ritual addiction. Too much in one go blows the mind.

MDMA

An incredibly dangerous drug that can have the most extraordinary positive effects on suitably prepared individuals and cause brain damage (sometimes leading to death) otherwise. For suitably prepared individuals, the bad effects can be avoided.

I'll reserve comments on what I believe MDMA does for a later posting. It is a topic in its own right. The later posting is available here.

Now I'll set my affairs in order and await the lynch mob :-)


From: Basil Rathbone Fishburg the Infinite

"Philip W. Darnowsky" wrote:

On Wed, 3 Nov 1999, Bill Kress wrote:

Back when research on LSD was legal (LSD is the only drug ever invented that ALL research is completely banned by the government--at least this was true when I was writing my report), there were some scientific experiments done where they got people to stop certain negative traits (Spousal abuse, substance abuse) by administering a single "Massive" dose of LSD and a week of counseling surrounding the "Trip".

Timothy Leary, while still at Harvard, was commisioned by the Massachusetts Board Of Corrections to do a study with state prisoners and psychedelics (I believe he used psylocibin, but I'm not sure) to see if the one had any effect on the behavior of the other. He used the psychedelics and an early form of group therapy (which he invented) in conjnction, then tracked where these prisoners were two years after release.

Your typical criminal, two years after release, is back in jail. None of Leary's subjects were.

I did my own (little) research project into LSD, and I found a book by Dr. John C. Lilly (MD) called "The Center of the Cyclone". Lilly was also an LSD researcher before it became illegal, and after the first round of banning he was one of very few (I think 6 or so) researchers that still had access to it. Some of his research was on dolphins; some of it was on LSD as a treatment for alcoholism (and it worked very well). Before the crackdown he performed experiments on himself, to understand the psychological effects better, and the book I refer to is more or less what came out of that research. It's very interesting -- also goes into detail on alternate consciousnesses achieved through LSD, hypnotherapy, and meditation (all three being different routes to the same areas).

I have used LSD recreationally, and personally I feel completely prepared for the alternate mindset. I don't do that anymore, however I have recently been tempted to obtain a supply for experimenting with the hyperfocussing aspect -- particularly applied to teaching myself languages (beit programming, human, or music).

I see all drugs as tools, some more dangerous than others. I have my own personal issues with drug laws, but I'm more concerned with personal safety and responsibility during drug use (mine or anyone else's). I use the drugs I use for a specific purpose and I try to make that special (ritualistic, but spiritually so). On the other hand, I drink and smoke cigarettes heavily. I recognize that my smoking is an addiction (a rather nasty one at that), and I'm working within myself to break it. My drinking as well serves very little purpose (although I try to confine it to social occasions, or when I really need to unwind, instead of making an every-day ritual out of it).

Use the tools, but use them wisely. Don't stick your hand in the saw blade.


From: Basil Rathbone Fishburg the Infinite

I did my own (little) research project into LSD, and I found a book by Dr. John C. Lilly (MD) called "The Center of the Cyclone".

The best research book on LSD is by a czech named Stanislav Grof. Don't remember the name.

Best 'how to' is 'Varieties of Psychedelic Experience' by Leary, Alpert and Metzner. (From 35 years ago).

Together, these three are the only decent texts about a drug used by millions of young people who have only anecdotal maps to what they are about to get into. They are exposed to misinformation intended to produce FUD which is exactly what you don't want at that time. Stupid Stupid Stupid

Use the tools, but use them wisely.

yeah. but where's the FAQ :-))

Rob

"Criminals today have guns, soon they will have computers and other weapons of mass destruction." - Janet Reno, US Attorney General


From: "Philip W. Darnowsky"

On Fri, 5 Nov 1999, Robert White wrote:

Use the tools, but use them wisely.

yeah. but where's the FAQ :-))

Funny you should mention this; I was thinking today about another drug called DXM. DXM is a hallucinogen contained in a certain type of over-the-counter medication. There is a FAQ for it; it is something like 200 printed pages long. I guess the difference here is that DXM, being legal, is easier to find credible research on. While I'm on the subject, does anyone else have any experience with DXM?


Actually, I've used it before. I used it recreationally in high school (don't ask me how I got started), way before I ever met LSD. Aside from a complete lack of urge to cough during the trip, here's the effects I noticed:

I didn't ever do much of it. (Cough syrups are hard to swallow in mass quantities.) Maybe 50-60mg (I think?) per "trip". The trip lasts about 8-12 hours, and you feel f**k'n great the next day, regardless of how much sleep you got.

Oh, and I still take DXM (in the form of OTC cough syrups) to help me sleep. In small quantities it does make me drowsy (or maybe that's another ingredient), but the euphoria-in-the-morning effect makes me happy to get up when my alarm clock goes off. I spent one week earlier this semester using it for that purpose every night, which I think was overdoing it a bit; now I only use it when I absolutely positively have to be somewhere after only 3-4 hours of sleep (like an exam).


I think the current topic about alcohol and drugs are interesting as, and I don't mean any disrespect, naive Mappers may be drawn to them.

Perhaps. If that's true then I would fall into the naive Mapper category. I am alcoholic to the core. I'm not sure what your definition of a naive mapper is. From your message, I got the impression that it is a mapper that has a faulty or incomplete map that precludes further, useful mapping.

I can't really speak on recreational drug use, but I can give a view on alcoholism and addiction. (They are synonymous to me) I've heard the insanity of alcoholism defined as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting things to change". Somewhere along the way, I was confined to a small, dysfunctional map which seemed to be designed to keep me thinking within that map. In that way, it's similar to MO. In fact, now that I think about it, it is very similar to MO. The marked difference is that alcoholism is more destructive and produces a more distorted perception.

To survive, I was forced to change my thinking. I can thank alcoholism for that. I sobered up 9 months ago and since then, life has taken on an entirely different light. I got a job, and within a few months went from being an administrative assistant to a tester and on to a programmer and database system administrator. I have learned more about computers in the last five months than I had in the 15 years before. I am learning quicker every day. My map is growing, and my ability to learn an innovate seems to be on an exponential curve.

I don't know if I am inherently a mapper or have been forced into mapper thinking by the disease of alcoholism. I tend to lean towards the former. Partly because of some things I excelled at even through my using, and partly because I don't like the idea of being a packer at heart. :)

Could it be that some people who are inherently mappers are installed, by their environment, a faulty map which inhibits their growth?

many people are very shallow in conversation. Is it better to alter yourself in such a fashion that you can lower yourself to their level, or to stop wasting time with them and start searching for people at the higher level?

I suppose it depends on what you want out of life, but probably the latter. So why is it that some mappers think to leave those people and situations, and some try to figure out how to keep them in their life and manage it? I am very fond of some people who fit the packer description. I wouldn't want to leave them behind. Really though, I don't think that's necessary. When you have seen a larger picture, the details are easier to manage.

Same goes for the goal to overcome inhibitions: either a Mapper could realize that inhibitions are purely imaginary and willpower could overcome them on a constant basis, or he could sporatically rely upon some other chemical body to do the same and take the side effects?

Speaking for myself, I can say that self-knowledge alone didn't lead to recovery or growth. It was surrender to the fact that my thinking wasn't working, and the willingness to look outside myself. When I did that, the world opened up to me. But again, this comes from an alcoholic perspective. It may not fit into what you are talking about.


From: joss@software-that-works.co.uk

MDMA just gets people off their heads by opening their eyes to what they'd know anyway if they weren't M0 victims, and exposes them to danger of brain damage (leading to death if it's in the wrong place). They don't get any more out of the experience than being off their heads however, since they are totally cognitively unprepared for what happens to them.

I've used MDMA 3 times, and found it exceedingly effective for communicating with fellow mappers. I've only ever done this with one person at a time. In particular it enabled us to express, comprehend and then merge maps thus clearing up a fair amount of misunderstanding and resentment that had built up. Taking a walk in the woods or along a beach is a far more sensible approach than going to a rave. Going to a club on the stuff is fun, but ultimately pointless and dangerous.

It had never occured to me to use it for solitary problem solving, and it would have to be a very important and difficult problem for me to bother trying. I haven't used the stuff for a couple of years since it has very harsh after effects that take a couple of days to manifest.

The death effect is extremely rare, but real. For several years MDMA was hugely popular in the UK, even to the extent that alcohol consumption fell 10% and football holiganism nearly died out. A significant proportion of young people were taking it every weekend and dancing all night so the handful of resultant deaths can easily be over-emphasised. Of course there was a large backlash against it since drug dealers always protect their patch (breweries of course and possibly Customs and Excise - tax on alcohol is a major revenue source for the UK government).

My main concern though is that the brain has extremely effective negative feedback mechanisms. As a rule any action has a reaction, so my fear is that using it to could effect the brains ability to map effectively without it. I've also heard that it is very toxic.