Using Psychedelics To "Reset The Brain"

TheSir

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Great point, do you think low serotonin causes bad trips ?
I think it could. If serotonin is what fuels the trip, or at least the divine euphoria that is common to the experience, then it makes sense to assume that insufficient serotonin would result in an incomplete trip, where your perception would be changed without you being able to interpret the experience in a positive way (much like a low serotonin individual would experience even the sober reality more negatively)
 
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Frankdee20

Frankdee20

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I think it could. If serotonin is what fuels the trip, or at least the divine euphoria that is common to the experience, then it makes sense to assume that insufficient serotonin would result in an incomplete trip, where your perception would be changed without you being able to interpret the experience in a positive way (much like a low serotonin individual would experience even the sober reality more negatively)

This is very interesting, but then we have to assume that low serotonin states cause negative views of the sober world. That seems to be a generalization, along the lines of the low serotonin theory of depression right ? I actually think that activation of 5ht2A can lead to the horrible fear, and anxiety, and skewed trip. At least for me, when I had the bad trip, it was fear over never coming down, and being stuck in this depressed fear state.
 

LUH 3417

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This is very interesting, but then we have to assume that low serotonin states cause negative views of the sober world. That seems to be a generalization, along the lines of the low serotonin theory of depression right ? I actually think that activation of 5ht2A can lead to the horrible fear, and anxiety, and skewed trip. At least for me, when I had the bad trip, it was fear over never coming down, and being stuck in this depressed fear state.
Is Peat Wrong About LSD? Or Just Too Vague? Antagonism Vs Agonism
 

TheSir

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This is very interesting, but then we have to assume that low serotonin states cause negative views of the sober world. That seems to be a generalization, along the lines of the low serotonin theory of depression right ? I actually think that activation of 5ht2A can lead to the horrible fear, and anxiety, and skewed trip. At least for me, when I had the bad trip, it was fear over never coming down, and being stuck in this depressed fear state.
It is a generalization. Yet, serotonin is a necessary neurotransmitter and certain individuals find SSRIs very helpful, which suggests that it is possible to have insufficient serotonin. The only flaw in the so called low serotonin theory is that it ignores depression also being a possible symptom of serotonin excess. Giving such individuals reuptake inhibitors is where the SSRI horror stories result from, because in those cases the SSRIs only exacerbate the problem.
 
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Yet, serotonin is a necessary neurotransmitter and certain individuals find SSRIs very helpful, which suggests that it is possible to have insufficient serotonin
Ssris have more than one mechanism of action , so this isnt a fair assumption.
 
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A) the minimal effect could be placebo
B) could be regression to the mean
C) could be through a different pharmacological mechanism than serotonin like promoting neurogenesis in the hippocampus directly
 
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Frankdee20

Frankdee20

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It is a generalization. Yet, serotonin is a necessary neurotransmitter and certain individuals find SSRIs very helpful, which suggests that it is possible to have insufficient serotonin. The only flaw in the so called low serotonin theory is that it ignores depression also being a possible symptom of serotonin excess. Giving such individuals reuptake inhibitors is where the SSRI horror stories result from, because in those cases the SSRIs only exacerbate the problem.
What mechanisms would these be?

This is correct, the older ones like Prozac actually hit the 5ht2c receptor. Others will effect 5ht1a autorecptor due to flooding the brain intially with serotonin. Others will increase allopregnenalone, and others lower serotonin in the long run due to constantly blocking the reuptake.
 
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Central / Eastern Europe.

Then psilocybe semilanceata is in your range in autumn.

Or go on vacation to Holland. Bus tour should be pretty cheap.
 

TheSir

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A) the minimal effect could be placebo
Minimality has no relevancy to my statements, as I used the expression, "very helpful". The extent to which SSRIs help some individuals goes far beyond simplistic notions of placebo.
B) could be regression to the mean
In what sense?
C) could be through a different pharmacological mechanism than serotonin like promoting neurogenesis in the hippocampus directly
Again: what would these mechanisms be? You seem peculiarly willing to reach for vague speculative possibilities for seemingly no rationally justifiable reason.
 

Literally

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Responding to the OP's original question. If you want an intuition for the probable mechanism, read:

Mental Mountains

Then read:

Neural Annealing: Toward a Neural Theory of Everything – Opentheory.net

Then if you can handle it, get a summary of the "simulated annealing" algorithm with visuals. At this point you can understand Aaronson's metaphors in the first article around making mental mountains smaller and/or finding passes through them.
 

Nemo

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I come across study after study of Psilocybin, DMT, LSD being used to reset the brains of Depressed people, and help alcoholics, etc. I can obtain Mushrooms, LSD, and 5MEODMT, and want to use these in small amounts to see if they can help. How exactly are they purported to reset the brain though ? They all agonize Serotonin receptors, especially 5ht2A. What are people's exp[eriences with these for such purpose ? There is no doubt, an afterglow that persists following the use of such drugs.

LSD changed my husband's life. He says he did it 50 to 100 times within about a 10-year period starting in 1967. Roughly 3/4 of those times were before 1970.

His childhood was filled with anxiety and abuse and enormous stress, and he had two children, no money, no job, no home, no prospects, no education or special skills, and a wife with a diagnosis of schizophrenia by the time he was 21, but from the time he first tried LSD at 19 he says he never felt seriously stressed out or worried again. I believe it, because in decades together I've never seen him get stressed out even once. He says the LSD taught him to just let things go. It gave him a different perspective about his place in the universe.

It gave him a different view of what consciousness is. He completely lost all fear of death. None of his problems seemed like big problems anymore. He said he just felt, "I can deal with this." And he did.

He immediately felt he could do anything he wanted to do, and in fact he became acknowledged worldwide as a top expert in his field by age 30. He revolutionized his field, beating out all the PhDs from Harvard and MIT and Stanford, at the same time as he was the sole provider and caregiver for his children and severely disabled wife.

He just started doing what he wanted to do. When he got into his life's work, it took only a year and a half from when he started to become famous for his discoveries, despite starting with no background in it, no degrees in it (or anything else), and no connections in that field. He just started teaching himself and putting his ideas and discoveries out there. He says he would never have had the courage to do that without the experience with LSD. Yet it didn't take courage when he did it. He said the feeling instead was an overwhelming feeling of confidence and fun. He's laughing right now talking about it.

He says if you ever try it, you want to be in a 100% safe environment. You need to have absolutely no obligations or responsibilities during the period you're tripping (a 10 to 12 hour period). It's not that you won't want to do anything, it's that you need to have no pressure on you to do anything. He says showers and baths feel unusually wonderful while you're tripping.

It's a good idea to have somebody there whom you like/love and who likes/loves you. Somebody that you can talk to. DO NOT try to drive a car. His schizophrenic wife was, ironically, an ideal companion for tripping. They connected best when he was tripping.

He says at first he would have the feeling, "I should really take some acid again." Then, after about a year, he had that feeling less and less often. He says, when he took it, he always had the feeling he was working through stuff in his head. But with time, there was less and less to work through. He says that whatever you think you're going to work through when you take it, your mind takes off wherever it needs to go when you're actually on it, which is never where you thought you needed to go.

After a while you stop seeking out the experience because it's so integrated into you that you don't really need it. You're already there. Still, he's open to doing it again.
 
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you dont need to do lsd or whatever drugs to fix your anxiety or your brain, in fact you could end up even worse than you are now with more serious problems, would not recommend going down this route and listening to all these "internet stories" of people being saved, just fix your metabolism all the raypeat stuff is here all ready, haidut posted that stress is the main cause of mental health issues
 
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Frankdee20

Frankdee20

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you dont need to do lsd or whatever drugs to fix your anxiety or your brain, in fact you could end up even worse than you are now with more serious problems, would not recommend going down this route and listening to all these "internet stories" of people being saved, just fix your metabolism all the raypeat stuff is here all ready, haidut posted that stress is the main cause of mental health issues


I’m an aimless alcoholic with no sense of purpose or belief that I can ever come into my own as an honest human who can take life on its terms
 

TheSir

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LSD changed my husband's life. He says he did it 50 to 100 times within about a 10-year period starting in 1967. Roughly 3/4 of those times were before 1970.

His childhood was filled with anxiety and abuse and enormous stress, and he had two children, no money, no job, no home, no prospects, no education or special skills, and a wife with a diagnosis of schizophrenia by the time he was 21, but from the time he first tried LSD at 19 he says he never felt seriously stressed out or worried again. I believe it, because in decades together I've never seen him get stressed out even once. He says the LSD taught him to just let things go. It gave him a different perspective about his place in the universe.

It gave him a different view of what consciousness is. He completely lost all fear of death. None of his problems seemed like big problems anymore. He said he just felt, "I can deal with this." And he did.

He immediately felt he could do anything he wanted to do, and in fact he became acknowledged worldwide as a top expert in his field by age 30. He revolutionized his field, beating out all the PhDs from Harvard and MIT and Stanford, at the same time as he was the sole provider and caregiver for his children and severely disabled wife.

He just started doing what he wanted to do. When he got into his life's work, it took only a year and a half from when he started to become famous for his discoveries, despite starting with no background in it, no degrees in it (or anything else), and no connections in that field. He just started teaching himself and putting his ideas and discoveries out there. He says he would never have had the courage to do that without the experience with LSD. Yet it didn't take courage when he did it. He said the feeling instead was an overwhelming feeling of confidence and fun. He's laughing right now talking about it.

He says if you ever try it, you want to be in a 100% safe environment. You need to have absolutely no obligations or responsibilities during the period you're tripping (a 10 to 12 hour period). It's not that you won't want to do anything, it's that you need to have no pressure on you to do anything. He says showers and baths feel unusually wonderful while you're tripping.

It's a good idea to have somebody there whom you like/love and who likes/loves you. Somebody that you can talk to. DO NOT try to drive a car. His schizophrenic wife was, ironically, an ideal companion for tripping. They connected best when he was tripping.

He says at first he would have the feeling, "I should really take some acid again." Then, after about a year, he had that feeling less and less often. He says, when he took it, he always had the feeling he was working through stuff in his head. But with time, there was less and less to work through. He says that whatever you think you're going to work through when you take it, your mind takes off wherever it needs to go when you're actually on it, which is never where you thought you needed to go.

After a while you stop seeking out the experience because it's so integrated into you that you don't really need it. You're already there. Still, he's open to doing it again.
Interesting story, thanks for sharing. What field is this if I may ask?
 

Nemo

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I’m an aimless alcoholic with no sense of purpose or belief that I can ever come into my own as an honest human who can take life on its terms

Today's random Ray Peat quote when I arrived at the forums:

Stress early in life can impair learning, cause aggressive or compulsive behavior, learned helplessness, shyness, alcoholism, and other problems.

The very fact that you can write that statement, Frankdee20, is proof that you have come into your own as an honest human who can take life on its terms.

It's the most moving thing I have ever read in these forums and I'll never forget it.
 

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