Can mushroom use advance physics?

[GumbyClaymation]

I'm not quite sure where this might belong, but it's been on my mind a while and I hope someone might enjoy talking about this. Can mushrooms or other psychedelics aid in developing scientific theories or start nrw threads in research in sciences? I am a physicist, and I have endured many a stoner/hippie waxing eloquent about string theory or some such and just be totally off. I get that physics has some far out stuff and there are strange overlaps with eastern mysticism, but I question if drugs really help to understand any of it. Obviously, for the hard math and such you'd need to be sober, but are there cases where real insights into science have been gained on psychs? I've tried a bit, but had no luck. I do enjoy mushrooms, and it may have helped me be more open minded/ creative when sober, but I haven't found any method that directly binds science and psychedelia. It would be awesome if there were, though. Has anyone explored this?

 

[Clocktower]

There's not much evidence of psychedelic drugs leading directly to new scientific insights, but there are plenty of scientists who enjoy psychedelics. Francis Crick is probably the most famous example.

 

[lovepsychadelics]

No I doubt it. A dissociative seems to be more insightful in this respect due to the dissociation of the senses re: reduced sensory input to the brain. This in turn, for me at least, causes my thought process to become exceptionally deep and complex with ever expanding idea's concepts and theories being thrust to the fore. This stuff is all really just simmering away in our subconscious mind and dissociation seems to bring it to the surface. For example if you had a vague notion and a heap of data a dissociative experience may enable the brain to process this information without distraction from external stimuli. However recording/remembering this with any clarity is as difficult as recalling a dream experience post dissociation and writing anything in this state can prove a challenge. Great for art though.

One exception is Dr. A. Shulgin and in turn Dr D. Nichols work with psychedelics and chemistry to attempt to develop a greater understanding of the human brain and it's bio chemical process. Physics deals with more abstract data, I doubt psychedelics really increase cognitive function when used, other than imagination and creative capacity. Perhaps it is possible but I feel it'd be difficult to develop a theory without extensive prior research and the ability to record your experience/thoughts/ideas while in a psychedelic state of mind. A good working knowledge of your field of expertise would also be essential, which I am sure you have.

 

[elucidator]

I'd say most definitely, sometimes psychedelics have a way of connecting distant concepts in ways that one wouldn't think of whilst sober. They tend to occasionally produce revelations whilst problem solving, so, to put it bluntly, if you are thinking about physics concepts in this part of the trip, then those revelations would most probably be about physics.

I'm not so sure about using mushrooms for this purpose, as I have found they tend to produce more delusional thought trains than, say LSD for example.

 

[mission780]

I'd say most definitely, sometimes psychedelics have a way of connecting distant concepts in ways that one wouldn't think of whilst sober. They tend to occasionally produce revelations whilst problem solving, so, to put it bluntly, if you are thinking about physics concepts in this part of the trip, then those revelations would most probably be about physics.

I'm not so sure about using mushrooms for this purpose, as I have found they tend to produce more delusional thought trains than, say LSD for example.

+1
Totally agree with you!

 

[Solipsis]

In the majority of cases I think that use of mushrooms or other psychedelics leading to a more open-minded state of consciousness will lead to a decrease in critical thinking while rarely any concrete theoretical knowledge is gained, although intuitive wisdom might benefit.
However I think this more open state of mind can support out-of-the-box thinking which may occasionally help discover something that holds consistency. For that to happen I think there has to be a sufficient level of pre-existing knowledge on a subject or at least a frame of reference, even if that frame is briefly left. On the other hand having only a vague understanding of such things as quantum mechanics would most logically lead to free imagination filling in for the vagueness, or what is lacking. I am personally open to the possibility of mystical principles related to such things as non-duality or superpositions being experienced but coming out of it most of it is likely to remain ineffable unless a person has sufficient background knowledge to make sensible notions from it.

 

[.:Holy::Toast:.]

Of course but you'd of course have to be a physicist yourself or be extremely well versed in the field.
Of course the people you talk about were way off, they have no formal education on the matter and probably got all their info from attempting to understand a wikipedia page.
If you know the subject very well the open minded creativity psychedelics can provide could easily manifest new theories.

 

[my3rdeye]

Just because you don't know what happens in these mad scientists lives doesn't mean they weren't all tripping when they made crazy discoveries. Mushrooms/LSD have been popular on university campuses for 50 years now, it's had an influence on everything, every field. I see LSD's mark all over architecture or industrial design that I just know the person who designed it tripped, but no one ever thanks these substances publically.

 

[zn13bt]

There has been some research on using low-dose psychedelics to promote creativity and mental flow states, as discussed in James Fadiman's book The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide. They've mainly used LSD or psilocybin for these studies, but I suspect psychedelic amphetamines like DOC would work even better for this purpose, because their headspace tends more towards abstract thinking and conceptualization.

The story about Francis Crick being on acid when he discovered the structure of DNA is just an unproven urban legend, though.

 

[Ismene]

I don't think they help but creative people do sometimes take psychedelics. I mean when Lennon took psychedelics he came up with Strawberry fields but he was pretty good before he took LSD. 99% of the other musicians who took LSD just churned out shite like "hole in my shoe".

 

[mission780]

I don't think they help but creative people do sometimes take psychedelics. I mean when Lennon took psychedelics he came up with Strawberry fields but he was pretty good before he took LSD. 99% of the other musicians who took LSD just churned out shite like "hole in my shoe".

What musicians? Was it caused by LSD they took or because of the harmful drugs that they took at the same time.