LSD and Homosexuality

[BenzosBudOrBooty]

I don't think homosexuality is "bad", but I'm not overly politically correct about the whole issue. I don't call people the F word....but anyways I'll get to my point.

I met this kid he was a meth addict and very flamboyantly gay. He had never done acid. Someone said to him "you should do acid" and he says "NO THANKS" in a lisp-y voice. Sometimes I thought if he took acid he would become "more straight" or at least not so flamboyant. "Less gay". Sure, never gonna change that he's attracted to men. But maybe he wouldn't be so flamboyant. Just thoughts I had. Maybe I'm wrong, but that was what I perceived so it's interesting this article came up.

 

[SKL]

This is surely an ironic counterpoint to the occasional fear that "Ecstasy will turn you gay" lol.

First few posters were correct with the history regarding Alpert. Although hard to tell if alot of his sexual escapades, the incident with oral sex with Leary when spun to all hell, etc., weren't just part of the overall hedonistic moment. Who knows? I am not a fan of the work of Kinsey but it is probably true that people are less rigidly oriented than we think. That is actually a plus side for the idea of "treating" homosexuality and reorienting someone towards heterosexual behaviors, or the inverse, although we hardly hear about that for obvious reasons. The arguments on this topic tend towards the ideological rather than clinical, however.

That said, it's true that reorientation therapy has a questionable track record, but I do think there is a place for treatment of ego dystonic homosexuality, for example in the setting of authentically held religious belief, that is not oriented (so to speak) towards increasing the client's acceptance of their same-sex attraction but rather towards learning coping strategies that may or may not include abstinence (as the Catholic catechism teaches is required of people with "disordered" sexual inclinations) or attempting to form meaningful relationships with the opposite sex. LSD may or may not have a role in that, I have no clue, it can be good for self-discovery and self-acceptance, and what direction that acceptance is headed (acceptance and being OK with staying that way, or acceptance of a challenge and work on it) would really depend on set and setting and probably the presence of a very qualified, skilled and accepting therapist who's goals are aligned with the patient's. Those are few and far between.

 

[Ziiirp]

My theory is that everyone is bisexual with a relative preference for one sex (unless it is 50-50). If you prefer the same sex in 9/10, 8/10 or 7/10 of the cases you would be called homosexual, if in 1/10, 2/10 or 3/10 of the cases you are called heterosexual and the other cases 4/10,5/10,6/10 fall into the bisexual category.

In my view those preferences are exclusively socially acquired during infancy/adolescence. That is why many men (women) raised solo by a woman (man) tend to have a higher likelihood to develop a preference for the same sex. But as I said IMHO anyone starts with a 50-50 ratio.

 

[Nexus_Tripper]

So you are suggesting that fully gay people *choose* to be gay, but could easily give that up and become erect and sexually stimulated by females, or (for females) wet and juicy for males?

By the same token, can a straight male suddenly choose to be stimulated and erect at the thought of a penis in his mouth or anus, or a straight female wet at the thought of diving face first into a pile of MILF?

People don't generally change preferences like that. However, something like LSD might cause that kind of a change. I know psychedelics did for me.

 

[Nexus_Tripper]

I don't think homosexuality is "bad", but I'm not overly politically correct about the whole issue. I don't call people the F word....but anyways I'll get to my point.

I met this kid he was a meth addict and very flamboyantly gay. He had never done acid. Someone said to him "you should do acid" and he says "NO THANKS" in a lisp-y voice. Sometimes I thought if he took acid he would become "more straight" or at least not so flamboyant. "Less gay". Sure, never gonna change that he's attracted to men. But maybe he wouldn't be so flamboyant. Just thoughts I had. Maybe I'm wrong, but that was what I perceived so it's interesting this article came up.

He might also have stopped abusing meth.

 

[AA357]

Being able to handle psychedelics requires self-acceptance and strength of mind. The idea of taking LSD in an effort to change something as major as one's sexuality sounds wrong on so many levels.

 

[Morninggloryseed]

People don't generally change preferences like that. However, something like LSD might cause that kind of a change. I know psychedelics did for me.

Well tell me more! If you just 'decided' to become gay (or straight) after a trip, I'd probably suggest you were a 3 on the Kinsey scale...ie a bisexual with no real preference. If you were able to choose what sex turns you on (or doesn't anymore) then you are not the norm, most straight and gay people cannot suddenly choose one night (during a trip) to start batting for the other team. I'm with ya, I am bisexual and have no real preference for male or female genitals, it's all sexy to me. I've mostly been with women but currently I am dating a guy and it sometimes surprises me how irrelevant gender is for me.

But I am not the norm either. Remember, your mileage may vary.

 

[PriestTheyCalledHim]

Not in all cases, maybe not in most. I think the Kinsey scale concept most exemplifies reality...sexuality is not black and white but various shades of faggot and straight. There are some who fall in the middle of the kinsey scale (or what are called bisexuals) but there are also extremely straight people and extremely faggoted people. To suggest homosexuality is as simple as a choice (like what color shirt I put on) for everyone is to suggest that fully straight people can choose to suddenly start liking homosexuality. I don't know where you fall on the scale or if enjoying a dick in your mouth is something you can choose to enjoy (or not), regardless of if you are male or female...but most straight people cannot choose to suddenly become homosexual, and the reverse is also true. True bisexuality seems a lot more rare than true straightness or full gayness.

Keep in mind that the Kinsey scale, and the studies just show the various ways that people can be bisexual. It does not say, claim, or theorize that most people are bisexual, that it's rare for people to be bisexual or 'true bisexual', or that being gay/lesbian, or heterosexual is rare.

On the scale the zero point=heterosexuality. 6=gay/lesbian/homosexual. Everything inbetween equals bisexuality and someone does not have to be a 3 or able to have relationships and partner with both genders in order to be bisexual.

Psychedelics can't change someone's sexual orientation.

Like other people posted I take what Ram Dass says about psychedelics with a ton of salt. He's not that bad as a guide for basic meditations and yoga though.

 

[Catodion]

I'd just like to comment that Kinsley scale is in all ways something i agree with.

What I don't like is, that it gives (at least for me) an impression of uniformal distribution of population on that scale. When in fact 90% would be classified as "0", 5% as "6" and the rest (5%) somewhere between 0 and 6.

 

[Nexus_Tripper]

Well tell me more! If you just 'decided' to become gay (or straight) after a trip, I'd probably suggest you were a 3 on the Kinsey scale...ie a bisexual with no real preference. If you were able to choose what sex turns you on (or doesn't anymore) then you are not the norm, most straight and gay people cannot suddenly choose one night (during a trip) to start batting for the other team. I'm with ya, I am bisexual and have no real preference for male or female genitals, it's all sexy to me. I've mostly been with women but currently I am dating a guy and it sometimes surprises me how irrelevant gender is for me.

But I am not the norm either. Remember, your mileage may vary.

Before I tried psychedelics I only liked guys and had no interest in women. When I first tripped, my preference changed. Now I have a girlfriend and am mostly a lesbian.

 

[Catodion]

Before I tried psychedelics I only liked guys and had no interest in women. When I first tripped, my preference changed. Now I have a girlfriend and am mostly a lesbian.

What do you reckon were/are you on a kinsley scale? You had to be at least a 2, more likely a 3 or a 4, before you realised you were actually a lesbian.

 

[《Plasticity》]

I have a friend who actually came out of the closet after a heavy mushroom trip. I have a feeling this would be the more common outcome over "treating" (hate that term) homosexuality. IME closeted homosexuals can be very troubled people, trying their best to bury that part of themselves in the back of their mind. The ones in denial at least. I live in california where homosexuality is not uncommon. I also have gay friends and the burden lifted from those who ultimately come out is clear as day.

Most of them turned to heavy drug use as a way to "numb" who they really are. For the most part psychedelics help people come to terms with who they truly are, therefor my friends experience didn't surprise me in the least. I just can't see psychedelics being even remotely effective at changing a persons true sexuality. The psychedelic experience to me has always been about discovering your true self without societies standards of right and wrong getting in the way.

 

[Morninggloryseed]

Good information.

Keep in mind that the Kinsey scale, and the studies just show the various ways that people can be bisexual. It does not say, claim, or theorize that most people are bisexual, that it's rare for people to be bisexual or 'true bisexual', or that being gay/lesbian, or heterosexual is rare.

 

[Morninggloryseed]

Before I tried psychedelics I only liked guys and had no interest in women. When I first tripped, my preference changed. Now I have a girlfriend and am mostly a lesbian.

By all means, I want to make clear I never was disputing your experience. I only take issue with the idea that what happened to you is in any way 'the norm' with most people. Indeed I would consider your experience 'one in a million.' For most people, taking a dose of LSD is not going to 'cure' their homosexuality nor will it turn the straight gay. That in your case, a dose or two of LSD caused your 'preference' to change from straight to carpet muncher is rare, or almost unheard of event.

 

[MetanoiaMan]

Here is an interesting article i read from the hoffman collection on Erowid.

It discusses the use of LSD on a man to "treat" his homosexuality, and it seemed to have worked,

i am by no means suggesting anything bad about homosexuals, just thought this was quite interesting

link:

http://www.erowid.org/references/refs_view.php?A=ShowDoc1&ID=4902

Most likely LSD and psilocybin can help with homosexuality as it helps with anxiety, depression and PTSD. It'll give you a reset in the right situation at the limbic level. As the Dalai Lama used to say before people told him to stop saying it, "Homosexuals are not accepting their present incarnation." So there is probably some kind of gender confusion going on, and now with Caitlyn Jenner that kind of confusion is being ritualized into body morphing. Old Caitlin has only recently admitted that she is looking for a dude "Who would make her feel like a real woman." Proving that in fact, if you have conservative ideals, like ol' Bruce did, and just wanna give a handsome dude a hummer, you'd probably be better off eating a half ounce of shrooms on a sunny afternoon and seeing where you end up in a day, than you would be lopping off your schlong so you can feel good about desiring a dude....

 

[Cream Gravy?]

If anything I became more accepting of my bisexual nature once I started taking psychedelics, not less so... the concept of sexuality being some sort of illness or confusion has no grounding in reality and is only pushed by people unwilling to accept a reality that does not conform to their world view.

 

[life_drugs_peace]

bush

 

[SKL]

Most likely LSD and psilocybin can help with homosexuality as it helps with anxiety, depression and PTSD. It'll give you a reset in the right situation at the limbic level. As the Dalai Lama used to say before people told him to stop saying it, "Homosexuals are not accepting their present incarnation." So there is probably some kind of gender confusion going on, and now with Caitlyn Jenner that kind of confusion is being ritualized into body morphing. Old Caitlin has only recently admitted that she is looking for a dude "Who would make her feel like a real woman." Proving that in fact, if you have conservative ideals, like ol' Bruce did, and just wanna give a handsome dude a hummer, you'd probably be better off eating a half ounce of shrooms on a sunny afternoon and seeing where you end up in a day, than you would be lopping off your schlong so you can feel good about desiring a dude....

These people are seriously mentally ill, and any responsible clinician would not prescribe "therapeutic" psychedelic drugs.

 

[Wutang_Forever]

If anything I became more accepting of my bisexual nature once I started taking psychedelics, not less so... the concept of sexuality being some sort of illness or confusion has no grounding in reality and is only pushed by people unwilling to accept a reality that does not conform to their world view.

Everytime i trip i realize i like fat girls and pretty boys. I almost stopped doing acid because I wasn't comfortable with those feelings surfacing, but if that's who I am i might as well embrace it. I think subconscious sexuality is alot more malleable than people know.

 

[Doldrugs]

Psychedelics won't change your sexuality. They can, however, strip away the cultural pressure to think and be a certain way. So I am not surprised that some people see through repression and come out after tripping.