Masculinity and Psychonautics?

[Xorkoth]

Regarding the "Top-40" comments... most people are like that. I'm not sure there's a higher incidence of it in females.

Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with Top 40 music... I think it's generally being meant here as an attitude of buying into pop culture, which changes constantly and is based on advertising and stereotyping rather than any sort of real thought or personal identity.

 

[swilow]

swilow, let's cyber!

Your on, baby!! FREE LOVE!!!!!!!

 

[*Love*Lite*]

From the females here, do you find that psychedelics help you get in touch with your masculine side/animus? Or is this a one-way street? If it is, perhaps that would be some sort of explanation?

I have had several trips where I was transported into other peoples bodies, felt what they were feeling, what it was like to be them etc. My very first "in another body experience" was of a Male standing to my left whom I had never met before, it was very strange to suddenly "be male." These are the only instances that I can recall where I felt psychedelics helped me get in touch with my "masculine side."

I think it is probably more common for males to get in touch with their feminine side. Im not a chemist/ scientist (not really, but I can extract with the best of them) but females have xx chromosomes and males have xy chromosomes, perhaps males are more able to connect with their feminine side because they possess that x chromosome where as females do not contain that male Y chromosome. Just a thought.

But then again what is your "feminine side" as a male? Just wondering if we're talking love and compassion and nesting etc. or if you just get a feeling of dis- attachment from your male "masculine testosterony selves

 

[SKL]

^ hard to put into words but yeah love, compassion, mothering, nesting, that sort of thing. not so much a lack of maleness but a union with one's feminine side, one's X chromosome I guess. Nothing in an erotic sense either.

 

[feelgoodhit]

FUCK! i just typed up such a long, in depth response & i hit the wrong button on my browser! i give up! :[

 

[kakti]

In my personal experience, men seek out and use psychedelics, as well as use internet forums in a higher ratio than women.

The causes for both are obviously debatable, I'm with f&b in that the testosterone risk taking behavior in men is linked to psychedelics. As for internet forums...I don't know guys just seem more likely to be computer geeks than women

Both of these probably contribute to the large gender difference here, as well as on other related boards. I agree there should be a poll to find out to what extent this is true.

 

[swilow]

But then again what is your "feminine side" as a male? Just wondering if we're talking love and compassion and nesting etc. or if you just get a feeling of dis- attachment from your male "masculine testosterony selves

Good question, I have found that on certain psychedelics my libido rages wildly, and sex is quite fierce and passionate - not like that though

Anyway, I have felt suffused with power in the psychedelic state; not power of people or things, as is somewhat of a male pre-occupation, but just Power. I find there has been a huge follow on effect; when I was younger (I'm only 25 now) I used to be a right cunt, fighting and aggressive, though I was always attracted to spiritualism (does black magick count??)- over years of using MDMA and LSD and DMT amongst others, I have defintely noticed a reduction in aggression. It could simply be that I'm just well clear of them fightin days due to maturity, but alot of my concious changing has come from insights gained when not as bound by ego.

That said, I am actually still very aggressive in many aspects; mainly in the sense that I tend to be confrontational, not physically, but ideologically- if that makes sense. So perhaps all that has occurred has been a change from external testosteroney-agression to more passive-agression.

I more think of the concept of feminine not as simply as the difference between men and women, but the opposing nature of most things, when examined. Yin yan and all that I Ching stuff....Hot/cold, light/dark, all really are the same concepts. Duality I guess... Trying to overcome such as that may be the aim of whatever we're actually doing (if we are doing anything at all)...the biological truth of male and females are that all embryos begin female, suggesting that somehow maleness might be almost a mutation, neccesary, but repleat with some dark waters. Of course, darkness is present for everyone, but its the masculine that physically emodies it. All categories of deviant and outright evil behaviour are dominated by males- that could be a socially learned response- or it could be a trait that is an outcome of both physical and mental seperateness from the 'Source', that males were severed from in the womb, and severe further in life. At least in my experience, I've only really seem apathetic or destructive males. Including me.

In a sense, a lot of guys I know are driven by a desire to self-destruct, or at least come close too, and psychedelics provide a decent means to do so. I really enjoy the feeling of my brain being completely overwhelmed by symbolic madness; my psychedleic use tends to be less frequent and higher dosage.

eek long stoned brain post. bedtime.

 

[lovebrisvegas]

In short more men are awesome than women, but the women here are just as awesome

 

[phliper]

From my experience, women, after they've been exposed to drugs, can be just as exploratory as men. BUT, because most males start experimenting with drugs at an earlier age, they have a longer time to develop sources and an awareness of what's available out there.

I think this develops from a number of things -

1) Guys at a younger age are more adventurous than girls. Especially in groups. Therefor, males in those groups are often looking to out do each other. Just watch COPS and you'll see what I mean. Look at the ratio of men getting arrested to women getting arrested (for acts of random stupidity) and I bet the ratio for drug use would be similar.

2) Women (in general, not always) buy into the propaganda a little more. As a result they may be more likely to be ostracized by their peer groups if they are thought to be a "drugy". The same way some girls are afraid of being labeled "sluts' if they are sexually active. I don't buy into those labels personally, please don't stone me. I'm willing to wager that most female psychonauts are also more sexually open than most women too.

That said, from my personal experience, even after exposure, consumption and enjoyment of various substances, women are still less likely to initiate the sourcing of drugs. Whether it's researching them, talking about them or pursuing an avenue of purchase. Although this typically applies to women in relationships and where the drug has been introduced as part of that relationship. Women seem quite competent at sourcing drugs after they're out of that initial relationship.

It's also my experience that their male partners are usually more than happy with this arrangement. It seems almost as if when they return with the goods, it's like a successful hunt. I've actually had male friends be jealous when their partner or ex-partner has managed to find a source for drugs. I find that interesting.

 

[Deleted member 10878]

From the females here, do you find that psychedelics help you get in touch with your masculine side/animus? Or is this a one-way street? If it is, perhaps that would be some sort of explanation?

When I trip, I tend to get very spiritual and centered. I become the energy of the room around me, I breath fire and air alike. The world becomes a canvas of sorts to me... ripe for creation. Basically, it's like viewing the world through the eyes of a newborn child. I'm incredibly introverted for a female (INTP) so I tend to experience my journeys inward, as opposed to my friends that enjoy tripping. You'll find me sitting quietly with a smirk on my face... contented absolution.

I also really like reading about physics tripping when my attention span can focus on it long enough... I usually have better luck focusing on reading when I'm stoned.

 

[burn out]

i didn't read this thread so i just wanted to say that males use a lot more drugs period than females. so it may not have any specific connection to psychedelics, it may just be that since more males use drugs than females, more males are going to get into obscure psychedelics.

of course this still leaves you with the question of why more males use drugs than females, i am just pointing out it may be an error to assume that there is anything specific about psychedelics that attracts males (although there could be).

 

[swilow]

^Um, this is the Psychedelic Forum though....

 

[time traveler]

of course this still leaves you with the question of why more males use drugs than females.

It's rather simple really. Guys are dicks who don't have pussies, you ass.

 

[psood0nym]

i didn't read this thread so i just wanted to say that males use a lot more drugs period than females. so it may not have any specific connection to psychedelics, it may just be that since more males use drugs than females, more males are going to get into obscure psychedelics.

I ran a quick search and came up with this. Basically it says males have more opportunities to use drugs but after being presented with the opportunity young males and females are just as likely to try psychedelics and continue to use them. I think being into psychedelics today involves a factor that the article above doesn't account for though. For the most part, obtaining and using a wide array of unresearched psychedelic chemicals (and it is this promise of novelty beyond the standard LSD/mushroom choices that motivates many of us) is not a matter of social opportunity/maintenance but a matter of an individual's motivation to independently seek them out (a behavior pattern more strongly associated with males.) It may be that the ostensible fact that males tend to use psychedelics much more prevalently and with a greater fervor than females is partially a result of unresearched chemicals being removed from the explicitly social contexts of other psychedelics--where, again, females appear to be just as likely to try and to continue to use them.

 

[*Love*Lite*]

^^ great find... i guess that kindof sums up this thread.
Thanks for the research

 

[MachineGunBallad]

just wanted to say really good post. everyone has said what i wanted to say (esp. karma).

i'm thankful to have finally found a girl in RL who, though not exactly going in on RC purchases with me, is still very adventuresome and enthusiastic about the psychedelic experience. A true gem of a lady.

 

[B9]

Difficult question. I think that in western culture at least that the prevalent view that less women seem to be as into pschedelics + pushing it with them as well, is IME true - however a percentage do exist - thankfully.

 

[swilow]

^Exact percentage NOW!!! Sources, graphs, flow charts....you have to backup your claims b9. I wanna know what Einstein thought of this

 

[Ugster]

I think some of it might be a regional thing. I live in a rural area and I hang out mostly with the locals who have been here their whole life... a lot of the guys are very adventurous drug wise, they went looking for acid and all that jazz, though I only met one other guy who knew what RC's were.. the chicks on the otherhand, very few of the ones I know do any psychs at all, and all of the ones that do were turned on by their boyfriends... *shrug* I think it would be a bit different in a city.

 

[Immortal Teknique]

Im yet to meet a girl who loves tripping as much as myself. Its quite sad, really.

And by girl i don't mean girlfriend, any girl i meet frowns upon psychedelics or believes one of the many myths that float around about them.

Meh.