What kind of person uses psychedelics?

I am quite curious about what kind of person uses psychedelics. I mean, are they often intelligent and capable people, or just druggies? We like to think that using drugs doesn't prevent us from leading successful lives, but I'd like to see some numbers.
I was the valedictorian of my highschool class, had a 1510 SAT. . .an overall good student. And now I'm still a good student at a good engineering school (Harvey Mudd).
So, I'm curious about the rest of you. . . what sort of career are you in, or what kind of student are you? And if you don't think your life is headed in what society deems an appropriate direction, please say so. . . I'm looking for honesty here.

adox hustly who wrote "A brave new world" did all sortsa drugs and he is one famous mofo dontcha know

a good amount of geniuses throughout our society use psychedelics...it is my opinion that more educated, more intelligent, and generally more advanced people use psychedelics sparingly for enlightenment in their lives...but not to get "fucked up"...psychedelics simply arent meant for that!
it is my opinion that if you use psychedelics to get fucked up, your missing the entire point. go get some beer or g or something...but those of us who use them for the purpose of enlightenment/advancement/enhancement of our lives have the right idea
~hydra
[ 16 February 2002: Message edited by: HydrA ]

I have used psychedelics for the past 6 years. In that time period I have also written two novels. One of which can be purchased as an ebook here and the most recent, which I think is of publishable quality, you can read a sample from here.
Pure

Hydra's right. I did drop out of high school but for parental reasons, I did score really high on my GED, perfect score in reading. I'm going to be a vet tech and an author.

drugs are a form of escapism that have reached all levels of society. while i agree that the majority of the more powerful, intense and hard to find psychedelics are used by people who are more educated and intelligent, i dont think its possible to make a judgement on what sort of people use them, its far too generalised.
[ 16 February 2002: Message edited by: melancholic ]

Ive only triped a few times but have also done a few other drugs in my time some more than others and some chronicly. I almost have a 4.0 out of 4.0 in highschool and am planing on going to UofI for enginering. I think the strenght of the person to control the drugs is what decides how their lives will end up.

Electrical engineer. I used to worry from time to time about drugs causing academic problems, so I would stop using for up to 2 years at a time. My grades were consistently lower when I wasn't using. I don't think drugs were making me smarter, I was just more enthusiastic about life when I was able to trip every once in a while and everything was easier and more fun. Everybody has different things that make them happy, psychadelics just happen to be one of the things that make me happy. People have to decide for themselves whether drugs are beneficial for them or not.

I personally use psychedelics and I am glad i do.
I'm a senior in high school and i will be recieving a partial athletic and partial academic scholarship to good college.
My grades weren't great a few years ago but since i have begun using drugs the actually got better. i'm sure if i told my mom something like that she would freak but i think you guys understand
The only thing i think is fucked up is that to get the athletic scholarship i have to pass a drug test and while i'm a varsity team the NCAA will test me randomly during my NCAA career. I think its fucked up that i'm living my life in a "free" country and and i can't do what i want in my free time without being punished for it later.
But anyway I guess i'm the kind of person who uses psychedelics.

I got a 1450 on my SAT, a full-ride scholarship to college, and I'm a physics major. A fellow physics major friend of mine turned me on to psychedelics/drugs in general, and he's even smarter than I am. I don't think there is a stereotypical psychedelic user, but intelligent people can probably appreciate them more than the average person.
Just don't stereotype people too much--I get good drugs and do every drug you can name, but some otherwise intelligent people are introduced to mj and end up ruining their lives for it.
phys-ex

last year university, not a great uni but ok, top division, near bottom of, on course for a 2:1, perhaps i could have got a 1st, but that is doubtful. Well i could get a first if i had worked throughout, but that is me being lazy, which i have always been, before drugs. I suspose in a way pyschedelics helped, kinda bad trip realised not doing work, so much todo, need to sort it out, got scared. But started workign harder going to all lectures, and got back on track from basically about to be kicked out.
they all goood

College Junior, Psychology Major, used weed lsd/shrooms/alcohol in HS, then moved up to research chems, MDMA, and other semi-Psycadelics in college. Drug use has had no effect, positive or negative on school, though indirctly I could say ive made more friends cuz of drug use, and thus was a happier person, and thus studied more and got better grades...but thats debatable... I hate to stereotype, but this survey is bias'ed in that only computer users, who are interested in educating themselves about drugs will answer your reply...
You wont see any crackheads or dope fiends responding, thats why such a high margin of people are 3.0+ college students like myeslf... Psycadelic uses are curious people, and most of them are normal, and responsible.

At the age of 19 I had finished my second year of college with mostly C's. I had a miserable job and a miserable life to go with it. I was depressed, insecure, needy, and unable to make friends, get along with my parents or have a healthy relationship. I Drank almost 2 liters of Vodka every weekend and I had never tried any other drug besides marijuana. I knew nothing about the world nor did I have any desire to learn. I came close to suicide but fate somehow put me on an airplane to Greece and I ended up with no maps or guide books, backpacking my way around the world. While this opened up my life significantly I still was burdened by the same emotional problems and social insecurities. When I got to London and had my first experience with acid it was like the whole universe opened to me. Everything changed. I truly found myself and I finally understood what true freedom was. I came home to finish University (straight A's for the first time in my life)and graduated with a B.A. in Psychology. I continued experimenting with psychedelics while finishing college and I found that I not only understood and was able to concentrate better but I also loved school for the first time in my life and I took as many classes as I could fit in my schedule. Since I have been home I have made more friends than I know what to do with, I have a wonderful relationship with my parents, and I am married to an amazing person. I Love My Life. I'm not saying that psychedelics made my life good...but I seriously believe they opened something up inside of me that was unable to open on its own. I truly feel they are a gift to us and we should treat them as such.

ya everyone i know into psychedelics are very intelligent respectable people. I also know people who choose shit like coke, crack, crank, H, etc as their drugs of choice and they are absolute morons.
I am a computer science major (Graphical Design and Engineering) at a respectable school in Pennsylvania and i have pretty good grades, and consider myself an above average intelligence person. I smoke like an 8th of dank a day and hard substances every weekend without question.

I am of the belief that intelligent people are attracted to psychdelics. Rather than questioning whether or not you can lead a normal life and use psychedelics. I would propose that while clever people can allow psychdelics to mess them up, most clever people will remain clever and will alow psychedelics to enhance their thoughts & perspectives.
But like ignorance, the stupid are everywhere, even within the psychedelic community.

Psychadelics are my cup of tea (or cup of ayahuasca if you prefer), and my grades are shit. I think it has something to do with a complete and total lack of effort on my behalf. Other than that, I got a 150 on my IQ test and I'm a total technophile computer geek. People say I'm a very intelligent person, yet there is that small voice in the back of my mind that tells me that my mom's opinion on these matters is not worth anything.

Seriously though, I think it is too early to determine whether or not my life is on the right track or not; I'm young yet.
[ 19 February 2002: Message edited by: WakkaWakka ]

I believe that it's more what you take away from an experience with psychs that differs and matters. Getting as fucked up as possible so that you don't know who or where you are is attractive to some, while others feel a release from patterned and learnt ways of thinking, giving them unique and insightful experiences.
I think intelligence can be increased or decreased depending on this, but would generally assume the old addage "stupid is as stupid does"

I'm a sr. high school student, and consider myself an intelligent and capable person (i know, typical).
You could say that my grades leave something to be desired (my attendance lacks). I am however, a fiend for knowledge, in fact, i have skipped school on several occasions to educate myself on my own terms. My interests include physics, math, astronomy, biology, electronics, programming, music, all of which i study in my spare time, but i'm prone to studying anything when the opportunity presents itself. I guess i'm a bit scattered in that aspect. I'd like to go to university, but not sure if it will happen, at least any time soon.
I'm a bookworm, i don't party much, and i don't have many friends i guess, but i'm happy with my lifestyle.
I don't know anyone else in my area who does anything but mj & alchohol, so i usually fly solo when i trip.

Im unemployed, bad grades, bad education...
Low ambition to do anything except dream up unrealistic goals and being bitter about my everyday life..

[ 19 February 2002: Message edited by: otur ]

The question seems like asking "What kind of person uses a screwdriver". Answer: all kinds of people.
Psychedelics are tools. Screwdrivers are tools. You can kill someone with a screwdriver, or you can build a house. Or a computer.
Better question: what kinds of things to people do with screwdrivers and what kinds of people do the different things? Psychedelics give you certain powers, but what to smart people do with them and what do stupid people do with them? Do you try to remember or try to forget? Do you want to build or destroy?
I'd even go so far as to claim that one way to define "smart" is how people handle power and whether they use it constructively or destructively.
(I seem to be the oldest poster here - I finished my PhD a while ago. I didn't use anything intoxicating other than alcohol until I was in grad-school, at which time I had enough background and perspective to do something positive with this new-found tool. I don't know what I would've done with it in highschool, but judging from several other destructive things I did at the time, I'm doubtful I'd have made it as well as I have.)
Oh, and you're biasing yourself towards successful people, as not many will be eager to post "I smoke weed and I'm a total loser" or such. It's just not a terribly popular thing to admit, especially on the 'net, where things like social, economic and educational backgrounds pale into unimportance.