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Biweekly Discussion - Demystifying Psychedelics

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Brian B.
Biweekly Discussion - Demystifying Psychedelics

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We're currently hosting our discussions at Café Walnut, near the corner of 7th & Walnut in Olde City, just across the street from Washington Square Park. The cafe's entrance is below street level down some stairs, which can be confusing if it's your first time. Our group meets in the large room upstairs.

Since we're using the cafe's space, they ask that each person attending the meetup at least purchase a drink or snack. Please don't bring any food or drinks from outside. If you're hungry enough to eat a meal, they have more substantial fare such as salads, soups & sandwiches which are pretty good and their prices are reasonable.

The cafe is fairly easy to get to if you're using public transit. With SEPTA, take the Market-Frankford Line & get off at the 5th Street Station (corner of 5th & Market), and walk 2 blocks south on 5th and then turn right on Walnut Street and walk 2 blocks west. With PATCO, just get off at the 9th-10th & Locust stop and walk 3 blocks east & 1 block north. For those who are driving, parking in the neighborhood can be tough to find. If you can't find a spot on the street, I'd suggest parking in the Washington Square parking deck at 249 S 6th Street which is just a half block away.

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DEMYSTIFYING THE HISTORY & SCIENCE OF PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS

INTRODUCTION:

In our last meetup, entitled "Drug Panics & Drug Conspiracy Theories", we discussed the sociological dynamics of moral panics & conspiracy theories as they relate to illegal drugs. Here's a link to the discussion outline if you want to review that material:
https://www.meetup.com/Philly-Skeptics/events/ffkqkqyzfbwb/

While that discussion focused on crack, heroin & meth, there have also been several notable moral panics & conspiracy theories about psychedelic drugs - and that will occupy the first half of this discussion, and then we'll move onto discussing the results of the ongoing research into psychedelics in the second half of the discussion.

To rationally assess these issues, we have to start with an understanding of which drugs are classified as psychedelics and how they differ from other drugs. "Psychedelics" are a category of tryptamine drugs whose primary action is to trigger an altered state of consciousness via serotonin receptor agonism. This altered state is characterized by visual & auditory alterations & hallucinations as well dramatic changes in thought patterns, often resembling a "mystical" experience and/or temporary psychosis. Major psychedelic drugs include mescaline, LSD, psilocybin, and DMT. Psychedelics are often confused with "hallucinogens", which is a broader category of drugs that includes several other sub-classes such as deliriants, dissociatives, empathogens (phenylethylamines), and cannabinoids. Psychedelics are distinguished from many of other drugs by being non-toxic (i.e. the lethal dose is far higher than the effective dose) and non-addictive. See the above diagram and the Wikipedia entries for more information on these categories of drugs:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_drug
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucinogen

Historians & anthropologists believe that most human cultures around the world discovered plants & fungi with psychedelics properties & used them for medicinal & spiritual purposes for thousands of years. (If there's sufficient interest, we may hold a future meetup on "The Prehistory of Psychedelics.").

However, it wasn't until the late 19th & early 20th century that chemists began to isolate these psychoactive chemicals that occurred in nature and experiment with them. The most famous example of these is "lysergic acid diethylamide" (LSD), which was first synthesized in 1938 by the chemist Albert Hofmann in the Sandoz labs in Switzerland. He was studying the fungus ergot, which had been used medicinally by European midwives for centuries, in order to purify & isolate its active constituents for use as a stimulant, but he didn't discover LSD's psychoactive properties until 1943. From the late '40s through the early '60s, LSD was used in a variety of experiments by psychiatrists, as well as by the CIA & other intelligence agencies looking for a "truth serum". It was gradually discovered by the counterculture & became a recreational drug, which provoked state & federal bans.

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE DISCUSSION:

In the first section of our discussion, we'll discuss the CIA's MKULTRA program which is an infamous example of a true government conspiracy that sounds like something out of a Hollywood thriller. Nevertheless, as we'll see, some of the claims about MKULTRA are plausible but hard to verify while others strain credibility to the breaking point. Thus, the popular conception of MKULTRA fits the model of the type of "quasi-conspiracy theory" that we covered in our last discussion, and we'll give it a much-needed "unpacking" to sort the facts from the fiction.

In the second section, we'll look at the way LSD went from a research drug in the psychiatric community during the 1950s to a recreational drug in the hippie counterculture of the 1960s, which led to its ban in California in 1966 and nationally in 1971. Some have alleged that this was a classic "moral panic" where news coverage of a small number of high-profile cases of people getting injured or arrested while tripping led to public hysteria and a law enforcement crackdown. As we'll see, a large number of urban legends about LSD emerged during this period and persist to this day, even being taken seriously by many experienced LSD users.

In the third section, we'll look at how psychedelic research is beginning to shed new light on our understanding of human consciousness. This is an interesting area for those who are interested in philosophy's "mind-body problem", i.e. the mysterious process by which our brain generates our conscious & unconscious mind. Neuroscientists are currently trying to assess how psychedelics change brain activity with MRI machines, while "psychonauts" (experienced psychedelic users) try their best to explain their subjective experiences while tripping and compare it to other altered states like religious ecstasy, lucid dreaming, meditation, and near-death experiences. As we'll see, it can be challenging to separate the evidence-based claims from the wild speculation.

In the fourth section, we'll look at how several hallucinogens - namely psilocybin, ketamine & MDMA - are currently being used in control trials to treat depression, PTSD, end-of-life anxiety, and addiction. Many researchers are hopeful based on preliminary results, but they're struggling to understand the mechanisms of action, and there's considerable concern from government regulators about potential side-effects. Mental health advocates are also beginning to worry about "Big Pharma" patenting & monopolizing new psychedelics and perverting the research. We'll do our best to understand the basics of psychedelic therapy and parse the surrounding concerns.

RELEVANT MATERIAL FROM PAST MEETUPS:

In January, we had a meetup entitled "Is (Secular) Buddhism True?" where we looked at the scientific research on the benefits of meditation. Sam Harris & others have claimed that meditation allows advanced practitioners to achieve altered mental states & make deep realizations about the nature of consciousness similar to that reached by people on psychedelics.
https://www.meetup.com/Philly-Skeptics/events/ffkqkqyzcbbc/

In February, we had a meetup entitled "The Science of Hypnosis" and in Part 4 we looked at "Project Artichoke" which was a research project within MKUltra that tried to develop mind control methods using both hypnosis & psychedelics:
https://www.meetup.com/Philly-Skeptics/events/ffkqkqyzdbfb/

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DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR OUR DISCUSSION:

The videos & articles you see linked below are intended to give you a basic overview of some of the major debates over the history & science of psychedelic drugs. As usual, I certainly don't expect you to read all the articles & watch all the videos prior to attending our discussion. The easiest way to prepare for our discussion is to just watch the numbered videos linked under each section - the videos come to about about 48 minutes total. The articles marked with asterisks are just there to supply additional details. You can browse and look at whichever ones you want, but don't worry - we'll cover the stuff you missed in our discussion.

In terms of the discussion format, my general idea is that we'll address the topics in the order presented here. I figure we'll spend about 30 minutes on each section.

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I. MKULTRA: ISOLATED INCIDENTS OR PROOF OF GOV'T CONSPIRACIES?

  • IF ALL DOCUMENTS ABOUT MKULTRA WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DESTROYED IN 1973, HOW DID WE FIND OUT ABOUT IT?
  • DID THE CIA GET THE IDEA TO USE PSYCHEDELICS AS A TRUTH SERUM FROM NAZI SCIENTISTS RECRUITED THROUGH "OPERATION PAPERCLIP"?
  • HOW MUCH OVERLAP, IF ANY, WAS THERE BETWEEN MKULTRA & THE ARMY'S PSYCHIC RESEARCH?
  • DID THE CIA GIVE LSD TO UNSUSPECTING MEN IN BROTHELS IN NYC & SAN FRANCISCO AS PART OF "OPERATION MIDNIGHT CLIMAX"?
  • DID THE CIA GIVE LSD TO PRISONERS AT ALCATRAZ, INCLUDING FUTURE MOB INFORMANT JAMES "WHITEY" BULGER?
  • DID THE CIA COVERTLY DOSE A FRENCH VILLAGE (PONT-SAINT-ESPRIT) WITH LSD IN THE 1950s, OR WAS IT SOMETHING ELSE LIKE ERGOTISM?
  • DID THE CIA ASSASSINATE FRANK OLSON IN 1953 TO COVER UP MKULTRA AND/OR TO KEEP HIM FROM TALKING ABOUT COVERT GERM WARFARE IN THE KOREAN WAR? OR DID DOSING HIM WITH LSD CAUSE HIM TO BECOME PSYCHOTIC & COMMIT SUICIDE ABOUT A WEEK LATER?
  • WAS PIN-UP MODEL CANDY JONES A VICTIM OF MKULTRA, OR WERE HER MEMORIES THE PRODUCT OF SUGGESTION VIA "RECOVERED MEMORY HYPNOSIS" IN THE 1970s?
  • WAS THE MASS SUICIDE OF REV. JIM JONES' CULT IN JONESTOWN, GUYANA ACTUALLY A FAILED MKULTRA EXPERIMENT?
  • IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT CATHY O'BRIEN'S ALLEGATIONS ABOUT A "PROJECT MONARCH" WITHIN MKULTRA THAT INVOLVED SEXUAL ABUSE FOR "TRAUMA-BASED MIND CONTROL"?

1a) Brian Dunning, "The Secrets of MKULTRA" (podcast - 12:51 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rBFNaexNPw

II. LSD IN THE '60s: MORAL PANIC OR DRUG EPIDEMIC?

  • WAS THE BACKLASH AGAINST LSD IN THE LATE 1960s THAT LED TO ITS BANNING IN 1971 AN EXAMPLE OF A "MORAL PANIC" IN WHICH MEDIA HYPE LED THE PUBLIC TO FEAR A RELATIVELY MINOR RISK OR A RATIONAL REACTION TO A DRUG EPIDEMIC?
  • DID COUNTER-CULTURE FIGURES THREATEN TO SPIKE THE WATER SUPPLY WITH LSD, AND WOULD THAT ACTUALLY WORK - I.E. WOULD IT MAKE AN ENTIRE CITY'S POPULACE TRIP?
  • DOES LSD CAUSE GENETIC DAMAGE?
  • IS LSD OFTEN CUT WITH STRYCHNINE?
  • ARE "ACID FLASHBACKS" REAL? IF SO, DO THEY OCCUR BECAUSE LSD IS STORED IN ONE'S SPINAL FLUID & OCCASIONALLY LEAKS OUT TO CAUSE FLASHBACKS YEARS LATER? OR IS IT MERELY A STRANGE THOUGHT OR SENSATION REMINISCENT OF SOMETHING FROM AN ACID TRIP?
  • CAN LSD EXPERIMENTATION CAUSE A PERSON TO BE STUCK IN A TRIP - I.E. IS THAT WHAT "HALLUCINATORY PERSISTING PERCEPTION DISORDER" (HPPD) IS?
  • DOES DEALING LSD RESULT IN AN "ATTEMPTED MURDER" CHARGE IF ONE IS CAUGHT, OR IS THIS A MISCONCEPTION BASED ON THE HEAVY PUNISHMENT THAT CONVICTION FOR SALE OF LSD CAN ENTAIL?
  • CAN LSD PRODUCE PERMANENT PSYCHOSIS IN NORMAL PEOPLE OR DOES IT SIMPLY TRIGGER IT IN PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY BORDERLINE?
  • DID DIANE LINKLETTER JUMP OUT A WINDOW IN 1969 WHILE TRIPPING ON LSD BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT SHE COULD FLY?
  • IS THERE ANY TRUTH TO THE URBAN LEGENDS ABOUT LSD THAT EMERGED DURING THIS ERA - ACID TRIPPERS WENT BLIND FROM SUNGAZING, A TRIPPING BABYSITTER THAT MICROWAVED A BABY, A MAN WHO WAS LEFT PERMANENTLY INSANE - THINKING HE WAS A GLASS OF ORANGE JUICE?
  • DID SOMEONE LACE TEMPORARY TATTOOS WITH LSD TO COVERTLY DOSE LITTLE KIDS IN THE 1980s-90s?

2a) NY Times Retro Report, "LSD: From 60s Counterculture to Doctor's Office" (video - 13:05 min, watch til 8:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPPFhIq-ihk

2b) Seeker, "Is LSD Really That Dangerous?" (video - 4:46 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIfk6M7k77U

III. PSYCHEDELICS & HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS: A TOOL FOR "CLEANSING THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION" OR A FALSE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT?

  • WHY ARE THERE CONFLICTING REPORTS ABOUT PSYCHEDELICS BOTH INCREASING & DECREASING BRAIN ACTIVITY?
  • WOULD A DECREASE IN BRAIN ACTIVITY SUPPORT ALDOUS HUXLEY'S CONTENTION THAT THE BRAIN IS A "REDUCING VALVE" THAT CONSTRAINS CONSCIOUS AWARENESS OF A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF SENSORY INPUT?
  • DO INCREASES IN "GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY" AND "SIGNAL DIVERSITY" OF THE BRAIN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF PSYCHEDELICS SUPPORT THE CONTENTION THAT IT LEADS TO AN "EXPANDED" OR "HIGHER LEVEL" OF CONSCIOUSNESS?
  • HAS PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH CORROBORATED THE SUSPICIONS OF MEDITATORS THAT OUR SENSE OF "SELF" IS AN ILLUSION? OR DOES IT MERELY PROVE PSYCHEDELICS CAN HAVE A DISSOCIATIVE EFFECT?
  • ARE DREAMS PRODUCED DURING REM SLEEP BY DMT SECRETED BY THE PINEAL GLAND?
  • IS DMT ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES (NDEs)?
  • DO THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN PSYCHEDELIC TRIPS & SPIRITUAL VISIONS REPORTED BY MYSTICS SUGGEST SOME PEOPLE CAN NATURALLY "TRIP" DUE TO THEIR UNIQUE BRAIN CHEMISTRY AND/OR ASCETIC PRACTICES?
  • IS IT TRUE THAT RICHARD ALPERT (A.K.A. RAM DASS) GAVE A HEROIC DOSE OF LSD TO THE HINDU GURU NEEM KAROLI BABA & NOTHING HAPPENED BECAUSE HE'D ALREADY FULLY EXPLORED HIS OWN MIND THROUGH YEARS OF MEDITATION - OR DID HE SIMPLY PALM THE TABS & NOT EAT THEM?

3a) Seeker, "Scientists Are Giving People Psychedelics to Understand Consciousness" (video - 3:41 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfaMmrno8Mc

3b) The Drug Classroom, "DMT: Myths and Facts" (video - 5:59 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37rrIelisjc

IV. PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY: "PENICILLIN FOR THE SOUL" OR MEDICAL MALPRACTICE?

  • WHY ARE PSYCHEDELICS LIKE PSILOCYBIN & LSD USEFUL IN TREATING DEPRESSION & END-OF-LIFE ANXIETY?
  • CAN PSYCHEDELICS HELP CURE DRUG & ALCOHOL ADDICTION? IS THIS BECAUSE THEY BREAK UP EXISTING PATTERNS IN THE BRAIN LINKED TO ADDICTION, OR BECAUSE IT ENGENDERS MORE SELF-ESTEEM & SELF-CARE?
  • IS LOW-DOSE KETAMINE USEFUL AS A FAST-ACTING ANTI-DEPRESSANT? DO WE KNOW WHY A TREATMENT'S EFFECTS OFTEN FADE OVER SEVERAL MONTHS?
  • IS MDMA AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR PTSD? IF SO, IS IT BECAUSE IT CHANGES THE BRAIN OR BECAUSE IT CALMS THE PATIENT ENOUGH THEY CAN DISCUSS THEIR TRAUMA WITH A THERAPIST?
  • SINCE IT'S VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DO RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS WITH PSYCHEDELUCS SINCE SUBJECTS KNOW IF THEY GOT THE PLACEBO, HOW CAN WE EVER ASCERTAIN HOW MUCH BENEFIT IS DUE TO A POWEFUL PLACEBO EFFECT?
  • IS IT A COINCIDENCE THAT PARTY DRUGS APPEAR TO WORK BETTER THAN ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, OR SHOULD WE EXPECT THIS SINCE THEY'RE MORE POWERFUL?
  • IS IT TRUE THAT "BIG PHARMA" IS OPPOSED TO MOST NATURAL HALLUCINOGENS & OLDER PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PATENT THEM AND/OR BECAUSE THERE'S MORE MONEY TO BE MADE IN TREATING MENTAL ILLNESS THAN CURING IT?
  • COULD THE MILITARY'S FINANCIAL INTEREST IN CURING DISABLED VETS LEAD TO FASTER APPROVAL OF THESE DRUGS?

4a) Vox, "How LSD and shrooms could help treat anxiety, addiction and depression" (video - 5:07 min)
https://youtu.be/b5i0aY_rUZU

4b) Aaron Carroll, "Ketamine Can Be a Fast-Acting Antidepressant" (video - 3:57 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7SvXk7hLDw

4c) CBS, "MDMA, the main ingredient in ecstasy, could help veterans with PTSD" (video - 4:04 min.)
https://youtu.be/yfLoRAoV0Uw

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Cafe Walnut
703 Walnut Street · Philadelphia, PA
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