Legalize Medicinal Psychedelics: Great Book: “How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence”

https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Mind-Consciousness-Transcendence/dp/1594204225

How to Change Your Mind is a singular adventure into the experience of various altered states of consciousness, along with a deep dive into both the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists. Pollan introduces us to Silicon Valley professionals who take micro-doses of LSD to inspire creativity and innovation, seekers hoping for a mystical or religious experience, and terminal cancer patients who have had their fear of death diminished by a single psychedelic experience. Pollan also sifts the historical record to separate the truth about these mysterious drugs from the myths that have surrounded them since the 1960s.

A deeply researched and deeply personal exploration of human consciousness, Pollan’s “mental travelogue” is not just about psychedelic drugs but also how, in a world that offers us both struggle and beauty, we can do our best to be fully present and find meaning in our lives. In conversation with Alix Spiegel, co-host of “Invisibilia” and a reporter for NPR’s Science Desk.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?445699-2/michael-pollan-discusses-how-change-mind

I suffered an adverse reaction to Lithium when I was in a mental hospital. It increased my Paranoia and I became suspicious of my Doctor.

The chemical made my emotions more intense. For Example: A scary movie on TV became unendurable and I had to flee the room. I believed that the social workers were NOT on my side but were trying to keep me in the hospital (even though there was nothing wrong with me) just so they would have a large quantity of patients. As if they were commissioned salesmen paid by the head… That could be true but it’s unlikely. Yes, it is true that they justify their paychecks because they have enough patients to treat. Yes, it is true that there is no incentive to cure a patient. However, I have faith that mental health professionals in general are trying to help people. Under the influence of Lithium they all exhibited suspicious behavior. I felt that in order to be released from the hospital I ought to follow orders and do what I was told to do by the Doctors no matter what the side effects were. I imagined that they were all like Nurse Ratchet from “One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest”. After 15 days I was released because (surprise, surprise) I did not have any mental health problems.

If you find yourself being prescribed Lithium, I recommend that you question if it is appropriate for you. It’s unlikely that the Doctor will continue to prescribe a medicine that is causing damage to the patient. Yes, it is true that some Doctors are evil but I believe that the majority are attempting to do good.

Under the influence of Lithium every song on the radio seemed to be written for specifically for me and the lyrics showed unbelieveable insight into my life. I would burst into tears over classic rock songs and get all choked up. Yes, it is true that some of those ballads ARE filled with meaning but… I felt like I was experiencing the same level of emotional revelations that one does reading Haiku on LSD. You know that AHA! feeling… Hey, maybe Lithium is good for you but… Think for Yourself and Question Authority…

The reason I was committed “5150” was that I was experiencing a Cannabis Psychosis. The effects of the marijuana wore off when I stopped smoking it. The entire trip to the hospital was an error. My ex-wife thought it was a good idea to have me introduced to the Butte County Mental Health Department. I have not seen her since I was committed against my will and that’s a good thing. Some people are simply toxic and she is one… I have forgiven her as she was tripping on Oxycontin for 20 years and had a lot of mental health issues herself.

Word is out “on the street” that if you are having mental health problems, the LAST place you want to go is Butte County Mental Health in Chico, California.

 

http://gvan42.blogspot.com/2018/03/i-suffered-adverse-reaction-to-lithium.html

I have experienced Cannabis Psychosis. I saw things that were not there but I believed that they really existed.

http://gvan42.blogspot.com/2018/03/i-have-experienced-cannabis-psychosis-i.html

I experienced events that did not happen. That made it difficult to make smart decisions. Californians ought to be aware that it is possible to smoke too much dope. It took my smoking about a pound of Oregon Legal over a 7 month period for me to experience Psychosis. Yes, it’s FUN to see some things, Like a cat about the size of a German Shepard Dog. Meow! However…

I stopped smoking when I went on a driving vacation and didn’t want to be in possession of an illegal substance while camping out in my van. I remained stoned for about a month due to having so much THC in my system. It was a great trip and I saw many beautiful parks and deserts in Southern California and Nevada. We were driving over “The Grapevine” and the highway patrol created a rolling roadblock to slow down the traffic. They actually forced us all to stop completely by driving back and forth across all the lanes of the freeway… I thought the CHP Car was dancing. Quite an interesting event to observe amplified by my THC enhanced brain… The combination of my being retired from work, having money in the bank and the Legalization of Marijuana in Oregon allowed me to simply take too much. Oregon was 100 miles from home and I bought an ounce a week… The stores rate and price their weed by quantity of THC per gram. I tended to buy the strongest stuff available… I went to the hospital to have an infected blister on my foot treated and they tested my blood and urine… I still tested positive for THC after not smoking for a month.

I started smoking marijuana in 1969 at age 14. I’ve smoked off and on my whole life. However I realized that I had to quit smoking while I was studying computer science at Humboldt State University. I believe that it would have been impossible to do my homework while stoned… So I quit for 4 years… In Arcata, the geographic center of illegal marijuana farming in Northern California. Marijuana is not addictive like tobacco is but it still has risks associated with it. One risk to be aware of is being arrested for driving a car while stoned.

I did a scientific study of playing chess while stoned on various drugs. I owned a chess computer that would allow me to play at different skill levels. I concluded that I played at a higher level when I drank coffee and a lower level on Marijuana and alcohol. On LSD I refused play at all as the entire test seemed absurd.

Cannabis does have entertainment value. Rock concerts are more enjoyable while stoned. One time I went to an Allman Brothers concert during a time when there was no marijuana available and the music seemed too loud and the guitar solos were pointless and too long. Sex is more pleasurable when stoned. Food tastes better. In general, all experiences are more fun. Reading a Science Fiction Book while stoned is astonishing as every page has a mind blowing revelation or plat twist. Of course, the author intentionally designed the book to twist your mind. Mission Accomplished!

Marijuana is not addictive in the sense that it does not cause pain when a person stopped using it like tobacco does. However, given a choice, I prefer to be stoned all day every day. Smoking at dawn and taking another puff whenever I feel like the effects are wearing off. During my 7 month smoke-a-thon with Oregon Legal I lost about 100 pounds of weight. Strange effect. I believe that the weight loss happened because during the first hour after smoking, I felt queasy and did not feel like eating. Since I was smoking at least once an hour, I did not experience the munchies. After I went to the mental hospital I stopped smoking marijuana and have gained all that weight back and more. Deep Sigh…

During the time I was smoking marijuana heavily, the number of visitors to my blog went up dramatically. Google provides statistics about how popular my words of wisdom are. I was writing what I call “Absurdist Fiction” and posting a lot of travel photographs/descriptions. I also figured out how to “GAME” the Google Search Engine Algorithm… My Blog uses keywords describing my posts individually.  For Example: If I write a post about Traveling to Oregon, I write a dozen words that describe that blog post. I found a way to copy and paste ALL of those keywords into a single blog post. Therefore the content of that blog post would rate high on almost any Google Search.
That technique no longer works as Google probably fixed the search algorithm to ignore that “Hack”.
Anyway, I believed that the reason my blogs popularity had increased dramatically was that I was writing better when stoned. Just like The Beatles became Super Popular when the started recording records like Sargent Pepper… Yes, it’s true that I came up with more and better ideas while stoned.
BUT… the vast majority of my increase in visits was due to that one trick I played on Google.

After I got out of the mental hospital I quit smoking marijuana and have not had any great ideas since. SO, I have been writing my Autobiography instead. Typing what I did in the past instead of creating the future. By the way, I’m really glad that Marijuana has become legal in California because freedom of choice is great. It’s not the right drug for me but the last thing anyone needs is going to jail. We ought to legalize Marijuana Nationwide! Reduce spending on Law Enforcement while increasing VOLUNTARY taxes… AND… Release all the Cannabis Prisoners.

 

Links to other blog posts…

http://gvan42.blogspot.com/2018/02/things-i-remember-growing-up-in-los_28.html

http://gvan42.blogspot.com/2018/02/things-i-remember-growing-up-in-los.html

http://gvan42.blogspot.com/2018/03/photographs-of-occupy-wall-street.html