Talk about subjects not related to music or gear. Please keep discussions civil and follow the GGF rules of conduct at all times. Political and religious topics are not allowed.
The ego shut off is temporary, but it's a real phenomenon. They've studied what happens to the brain with FMRI in these clinical studies and have found that what psychedelics like mushrooms and LSD do is shut down the Default Mode Network of the brain, which is understood to be the home address of the ego. It's an area of the brain where all neuronal connections travel through. Under the drugs the brain completely bypasses it and the various nodes of the brain reconnect through completely different pathways.
There's also the amazing phenomena pictured below, which shows that the number of neuronal connections multiply and their signal impulses become a lot more robust. Placebo on the left, psilocybin on the right.
It's all wildly fascinating shit, now that they're actually studying what the fuck actually happens.
It's also worth noting that trained yogis and meditators have been studied under FMRI and their brains also show the same phenomena of the default mode network being bypassed. So there's ways to achieve this without psychedelics, but those who have done psychedelics have also been shown to have an easier time shutting down the default mode network when they go on to study meditation.
By having had the experience of the brain temporarily rerouting all of it's activity you have an easier time understanding what "It" is that meditation is actually doing for you, and get there faster than most people starting to learn meditation.
Walt wrote:But when the hour is nigh, and the lights are low, and I got a little toothpick of a shwag joint in my teeth, and my friends want to hear me play "Into the Void", or "TNT", "or "Cemetery Gates"...I plug my 600 dollar guitar into my 150 dollar amp, and I am a Rawk gawd.
Mike, that’s exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about.
I think I have an overly active dmn that hinders all of my decisions and makes it difficult to move forward(literally/figuratively/emotionally/spiritually/etc.)
Maybe, I just hate being out of my routine and I can’t sleep. Maybe, it’s the extreme anxiety and depression I inherited from my mother (RIP). I don’t want to die of anxiety at 68 like she did. I also don’t want to take Xanax or SSRIs.
Fwiw, using amino acids, I’ve done a good job of curbing the anxiety and depression, however, it feels like a bandaid. Not sure if it’s viable in the long term.
BroSlinger wrote:Mike, that’s exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about.
I think I have an overly active dmn that hinders all of my decisions and makes it difficult to move forward(literally/figuratively/emotionally/spiritually/etc.)
Maybe, I just hate being out of my routine and I can’t sleep. Maybe, it’s the extreme anxiety and depression I inherited from my mother (RIP). I don’t want to die of anxiety at 68 like she did. I also don’t want to take Xanax or SSRIs.
Fwiw, using amino acids, I’ve done a good job of curbing the anxiety and depression, however, it feels like a bandaid. Not sure if it’s viable in the long term.
There's an underground network of experienced and qualified guides, and there might even be some legal ketamine clinics where you live. I myself intend to look into how one would go about obtaining this type of treatment, but mostly for people I know and love who are struggling. You should dive into some more research on it. When the research community has to pause and ask themselves "Holy shit, what have we uncovered?" and fast track research into stage three clinical trials with the FDA, you know we're not just dealing with hippies at a greatful dead concert.
That "thing" that many of us sensed about the profoundness of our psychedelic experiences was very real. It wasn't just a poison frying your brain like an egg. It's a literal reset/reboot/rewire of the brain, that while it's technically temporary, it alters the persons paradigm in such an authoritative way that they walk away from the experience with new perspectives and understandings that never really go away.
Also, in the case of mushrooms specifically, it's being found to be the safest "drug" even in a recreational sense in terms of physiological impact. There's no residual "damage" or damage at all. Psilocybin is the a highly transient substance, meaning the body process it and kicks it out without as much as a blink.
Some reading material for all who are interested...
Thanks for posting the article links Mike. I was especially interested in the .gov articles.
From my own experiences, I can clearly see how psychedelics can help with depressed cancer patients and soldiers with PTSD. They give people plenty of new things (to think about) that take their minds off depression and stress. Seeing a much bigger and completely different picture can help make troubles seem insignificant. Of course, I can't know for certain that there have been any lasing chemical changes in my head but, I do know that I am a happier person because of my experiences. It's really cool that people will finally be able to benefit from something that was so demonized in the past.
Walt wrote:But when the hour is nigh, and the lights are low, and I got a little toothpick of a shwag joint in my teeth, and my friends want to hear me play "Into the Void", or "TNT", "or "Cemetery Gates"...I plug my 600 dollar guitar into my 150 dollar amp, and I am a Rawk gawd.
ajaxlepinski wrote:Thanks for posting the article links Mike...... It's really cool that people will finally be able to benefit from something that was so demonized in the past.
BroSlinger wrote:Mike, that’s exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about.
I think I have an overly active dmn that hinders all of my decisions and makes it difficult to move forward(literally/figuratively/emotionally/spiritually/etc.)
Maybe, I just hate being out of my routine and I can’t sleep. Maybe, it’s the extreme anxiety and depression I inherited from my mother (RIP). I don’t want to die of anxiety at 68 like she did. I also don’t want to take Xanax or SSRIs.
Fwiw, using amino acids, I’ve done a good job of curbing the anxiety and depression, however, it feels like a bandaid. Not sure if it’s viable in the long term.
There's an underground network of experienced and qualified guides, and there might even be some legal ketamine clinics where you live. I myself intend to look into how one would go about obtaining this type of treatment, but mostly for people I know and love who are struggling. You should dive into some more research on it. When the research community has to pause and ask themselves "Holy shit, what have we uncovered?" and fast track research into stage three clinical trials with the FDA, you know we're not just dealing with hippies at a greatful dead concert.
That "thing" that many of us sensed about the profoundness of our psychedelic experiences was very real. It wasn't just a poison frying your brain like an egg. It's a literal reset/reboot/rewire of the brain, that while it's technically temporary, it alters the persons paradigm in such an authoritative way that they walk away from the experience with new perspectives and understandings that never really go away.
Also, in the case of mushrooms specifically, it's being found to be the safest "drug" even in a recreational sense in terms of physiological impact. There's no residual "damage" or damage at all. Psilocybin is the a highly transient substance, meaning the body process it and kicks it out without as much as a blink.
Some reading material for all who are interested...
Ego doesn’t die, it gets told to STFU in a very authoritative way. Psychedelics show you that states of consciousness free from ego are possible. That knowledge alone can be powerful when properly integrated.
Or hippies and recreational party types can miss the point entirely. That happens more often than the other way around, unfortunately. Hopefully this new research will also provide a definitive procedure for getting the most benefit in a genuine sense.
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