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Do you think that only certain people are destined to become users of psychedelics?

yes
I feel that the whole appeal is ilke a niche thing
like
certain individuals can appreciate the effects, some cant.
personally I mainly take them for the effects they have on music and whatnot
if I didnt have music as my main outlet, i dont think i would be taking them
 
I feel like some people just can't appreciate them as much as others. Some people take them for all the wrong reasons. Like these people who trip just to get 'fucked up'. That rubs me so wrong. I believe it takes a certain kind of person to appreciate the sheer oddness and beauty that is psychedelia
 
There's certainly a correlation between particular personality traits and being the sort of lifers that have haunted these forums for years *ahem!*. A large recent study, Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study, states it this way:
Compared to respondents with no lifetime use of any psychedelic, respondents with lifetime use of any psychedelic were more likely to be younger, male, white, Native American, or more than one race, have somewhat higher income and more education, not be married, like to test self by doing risky things, experienced an extremely stressful event, and to have used all classes of illicit drugs.
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I imagine the disposition to "test self by doing risky things" is especially relevant to becoming a psychedelics enthusiast. That, paired with strong novelty seeking tendencies, is what I think most often distinguishes the group from people who frequently use a variety of other drug classes but tend to shy away from psychedelics. Individualistic and exploratory tendencies could probably get safely tacked onto the list as well. Enthusiasts are probably a lot more likely to be designer drug guinea pigs for all drug classes for these same reasons, as the "hobby" offers an adventure in novel states of consciousness regardless of whether the experiences are psychedelic or not. That's why discussion of all sorts of novel drugs get started in Psychedelics Discussion here rather than Other Drugs, for instance. We like the idea of pioneering, and the sense of meaning often derived from the associated risks. There's a Bluelight-linked study/survey right now looking into motivations for novel designer drug usage that I'm betting will reach similar conclusions.
 
psood0nym said:
There's certainly a correlation between particular personality traits and being the sort of lifers that have haunted these forums for years *ahem!*. A large recent study, Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study, states it this way:

I imagine the disposition to "test self by doing risky things" is especially relevant to becoming a psychedelics enthusiast. That, paired with strong novelty seeking tendencies, is what I think most often distinguishes the group from people who frequently use a variety of other drug classes but tend to shy away from psychedelics. Individualistic and exploratory tendencies could probably get safely tacked onto the list as well. Enthusiasts are probably a lot more likely to be designer drug guinea pigs for all drug classes for these same reasons, as the "hobby" offers an adventure in novel states of consciousness regardless of whether the experiences are psychedelic or not. That's why discussion of all sorts of novel drugs get started in Psychedelics Discussion here rather than Other Drugs, for instance. We like the idea of pioneering, and the sense of meaning often derived from the associated risks. There's a Bluelight-linked study/survey right now looking into motivations for novel designer drug usage that I'm betting will reach similar conclusions.
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^ ^ Agree with this. I think most psychedelic enthusiasts are 'risk takers', which apparently is related to genetics to a large dgree. Most people I know that have no desire to take psychs are fearful of the unpredicable impacts on their minds. It's like they are comfortable with the reality they have and see no reason to change it. Me on the other hand, I feel like an 'explorer'. I love to push those boundaries because some of the richest experiences in my life have come from stepping out of the box. Heck, I'd have signed up for Mars One if I was younger! As a tangent to that - one of the things that really appeals to me about a group of people starting a base on Mars is that.....all Government law goes out the window! You can start a new culture from scratch, based on whatever ideals the group believes in. Alas, I think my supply of psychs would run out up there and Nasa is unlikely to resupply......
 
Certainly it's a minority sport. Which is why I tend to disbelieve all the theories about psychedelics influenced religions. Most people - even nowadays when we know they're harmless - arn't that keen on psychedelics. Imagine how few that number would drop to when you had no idea whether it was physically damaging or not.
 
Auranova said:
^ ^ Agree with this. I think most psychedelic enthusiasts are 'risk takers', which apparently is related to genetics to a large dgree. Most people I know that have no desire to take psychs are fearful of the unpredicable impacts on their minds. It's like they are comfortable with the reality they have and see no reason to change it. Me on the other hand, I feel like an 'explorer'. I love to push those boundaries because some of the richest experiences in my life have come from stepping out of the box. Heck, I'd have signed up for Mars One if I was younger! As a tangent to that - one of the things that really appeals to me about a group of people starting a base on Mars is that.....all Government law goes out the window! You can start a new culture from scratch, based on whatever ideals the group believes in. Alas, I think my supply of psychs would run out up there and Nasa is unlikely to resupply......
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Gotta throw in my 2 cents and disagree with some of what you've said/

I am definitely not a risk taker; it's probably more accurate to describe me as risk averse on many if not all levels. Ex; I signed a 5 year mortgage at a fixed interest rate that I think was good (for when I signed). Probably could have saved a few bucks by going year to year (could have spent a lot more depending on the market).

Illegal drugs? I avoid (and always have) avoided drugs that *I* interpret as being a significant danger to myself, including stimulants, opiods, and most RC's

True, I didn't take psychs for years and years because I simply believed all the lies and bullshit that I was bombarded with from the age of six onwards (alters your DNA, you'll jump out of windows, you'll cut your own baby out of your womb, you'll cut your skin open to get rid of the spiders and you'll have a complete psychotic break as your definition of reality is changed. I believed the lies, and I was *afraid*. Too scared to try acid, mushrooms and I actually thought STP was made out of motor oil, I was an early unintended casualty of the war on drugs - I lived a life of fear of drugs,

That having been said, I don't think that certain drugs taken knowledgeably are particularly dangerous

You want to know what took away the fear and replaced it with curiosity? A fucked up encounter with incorrectly weighed Salvia. I didn't end up in an asylum, lose the ability to determine what is real or lose the capability to control my own destiny.

Nah, not a risk taker (yet).

Tom
 
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Recreational drugs appeal to as wide an audience as alcohol, but psychedelics are a subset of that, and only a small percentage prefer them, or gain benefit from them.

That is not to say that more would have benefit if they were part of the psychiatric and medical medicinal arsenal.
 
Tom: You are right, there will always be people that don't fit into the box. I think it's cool when conservative people take 'risks'. Some of my friends have told me they tried things they wouldn't have because I did (heh, maybe not a good thing, lol). I was also fearful of psychs for years because of all the propaganda out there. When I finally tried them, I was like "what the fuck?" That is why we are so lucky to have sites like this with a more balanced cross section of viewpoints.
 
Destined bears a lot of charge because beyond that it just says "some people happen to like it, match with the process, benefit from it, etc a lot better than others", IMO it also seems to say something judgmental about it. As if some people are typified in a way that could never be psychedelic. It seems rigorous to disclude people and I prefer a way to say it that still welcomes everyone who tries to appreciate it.

If you are only concerned about the part where some people seem to appreciate it better naturally than others (some certainly resist it or pretend to), yes I just think there is a range of gradual change. It takes many types of people. What else is there to say about it?
 
I would agree that those who take psychedelics regularly share traits on some level.
Generally, it appears to be a shared fascination with the human mind - I personally enjoy little more than exploring the recesses of my mind, a voyage of self exploration.
 
There is a varied list of effects psychedelics can elicit. I would imagine that for each of those effects there are people seeking it. Some might be more focused on the eyecandy while others are more interested in spirituality or creativity or profound philisophical meaning... or a combination of course.
It is fallicious to single out one part of those effects and expect only those, because psychedelics are a complete package (even if the package varies) and you cannot pick and choose even if some parts of it can be controlled or steered, depending on either your spiritual control or rational control. Or rather native skill, because it's not good to try and control a trip too hard. I think that being able to (control the trip) can actually make it unnecessary to actively control or steer, which solves that paradox.

But back to the main point: I guess that people who value certainty and static conservatism over dynamics and the uncertainty (even chaos), risk and progression it implies may feel threatened by psychedelics. I think we see that reflected in authorities that are not that concerned with understanding but more with containing anomalies and possible bouts of unpredictability. I see it in pretty much every person: it is virtually necessary to manage our attention efficiently in a complex world that would ask more attention from us than we'd care or be able to to invest in. So we rely on a highly efficient first-line system in our heads (cf book from Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman - Thinking fast and slow) which is very versatile and fit for snap judgement tasks but not all that sophisticated when it all boils down to it.
It is not standard issue for that second-line, IMO inherently more conscionable (because analytical and supportive of reflection) thought system to get activated and deployed. It slurps up attention / willpower. I think there are differences between attention and willpower functionally but IMO a number of things like that are all correlated with mental energy which is finite. They may rely on different skills trained in different brain activity coherents, but probably also rely on the same type of fundamental source, the chemical energy / integral and balanced neurochemical household which of course can be tweaked.

You must have understanding for the fact that it is a luxury to see things without being skewed by a pressure to maintain. Some people certainly go on quests for personal development and/or spiritual enlightenment, they make sacrifices to push the point, to choose the dynamics of unconstrained spirit, so that it may transform them. Systems like politics that are hold in place suffer from intense pressure to maintain. In that world you usually can't afford so much to ride on rogue transcendental values, because it has no tact and is painfully honest. If you want to maintain something you need control, and cannot afford to be controlled by a rogue factor of truth.

Not only on macro level but also on the individual level we see this kind of thing IMO. People may have deep and hard-wired propensities to either survive through preservation and absolute control and non-change, only to remain... or to seek, profit from the promise of change and even chaos. (I recall the book 'anti-fragile', havent finished with it yet tho)
Just like there are different strategies of defense, e.g. freezing, fleeing, fighting.. there are also different strategies of basic survival and self-maintenance. IMO this system is an ancient template we still run on. Which strategy used to be best merely depended on the type of threat. I don't know well how people are still imprinted through genetics, parenting and random major life events (traumatizing or not), but we are shaped by a mix of internal and external factors. They together probably determine someone's convictions and values.
And I think those combined with exposure determine whether (given the fact that certain people somehow learn about the existence of psychedelics) it is even worth the risks to explore them. Let alone whether someone has a lot or a little drive to pursue that investigation.

I think that is the basis, the start. Beyond that, some experiences may compell a person to continue tripping while other experiences discourage people.
 
Let the DMT find you ! you do not find the DMT ! always thought that was a bunch of shit ! its just some hippy vibe trying to understand how where what ect ! get a room full for drug addicts and bring them psychedelics each one of them will come out of that room sounding like the lot of you ! If its so special and profound then why do you have to do it over and over again ? i have taken them for fun for my mind for no other reason then it showed up at that particular time ! for reasons that i could not explain if i wanted too ! bottom line it can be a amazing profound experience for any mind ! and thinking that your special because you happen to have access or sought it out is a load of crap !
 
I'll assume the question revolves around people who migrate from trying psychedelics to someone that uses them.

If you find psychedelics useful to you. Personally, spiritually, recreationally etc. then you are more likely to become a user.

There are points in my life where I find psychedelics very useful to me, and other times not so much. And I think throughout my life, my use pattern will follow my perceived need.

As far as a personality type disposed to psychedelic drug use, "curious" instantly springs to mind. Most psychedelic users tend to like to ask "why?". If your not a questioning type of person, psychedelics are not much more than party lights.
 
As already noted, I think there is a group with a higher disposition to psychedelic use. There's a kind of mindset which I think is needed. That's not to imply, however, that only a select group can use or enjoy them: I just think in a society where you're outlawing something like this, combined with the content of the experience themselves, you're going to create a filter which is going to exclude some people. Curiosity, as explodinguniverse noted, is very likely a core trait most psychedelic users have.

Analytic minds benefit most from psychedelics, I think. It's not the euphoric high for the body some other drugs give, and it requires a good strength of mind at times. So I'd say some people are predisposed. Destined, I would say, is a little too strong.
 
All interesting contributions above. I'd be curious if there was a study out there summarizing the most common traits associated with psychedelic drug users. I'll have to search this site to see if there are any threads asking people why they take psychedelics. As Solipsis discussed, it's surely deeper than simply 'enlightenment' or 'pretty colours'. This goes back to our primitive roots.....
 
If I had to define the most likely psychedelic user I'd prob say male and a loner.
 
Ismene said:
If I had to define the most likely psychedelic user I'd prob say male and a loner.
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lol. Cold-blooded, but straight to the point. Opinion or not, the way you post is refreshing.

As for the thread, there isn't a single right way to use psychedelics. Some may not be implying that, but some are. I'm kind of appalled that enjoying psychedelics (and therefore enjoying life) is frowned upon in here. Does that somehow make someone not-as-good-enough to use them?

Solipsis explained it much better, but it does sound pretentious to put yourself above others because you are inclined to appreciate psychedelics "better" than others, whether it's by genetics or personal experiences. So people take drugs to get high...and? It's news to me if that's considered the wrong way to do it.

Tbh, I'm a bit surprised people seem to infer that they depend on psychedelics for the answers they seek. In certain cases this may be true, but for the most practical things and for most normal people, all you need is a sober mind and a strong will power to solve whatever problems you have in life.
 
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