Tim Leary, Richard Alpert, Robert Anton Wilson... these people dropped it all the time and they were brilliant. Where are all these countless cases of people ending up in psych wards? I'm beginning to think it's bullshit.
of course it's bullshit; it's propaganda. LSD became a political pawn in the social upheavals of the 1960s, and because it was tainted by a concerted government/media campaign, people still believe the myths. it got out of control, became associated with rebellion and chaos and madness, so it became the folk devil of the time. unfortunately it is a folk devil that has stayed with us.
because research has been stifled all this time (with a few limited, restricted exceptions) the many wonders of psychedelics have not been able to break through the half century of scare tactics.
LSD is obviously not something that should be given to the masses in uncontrolled dosages and random settings. people taking the drug without being informed by social custom or other guidance may well have a terrible time, some people might freak out, some people may have experiences which lead to injuries and various other harms. but don't be fooled by that "this is your brain on drugs" nonsense - in the right setting, LSD is a lot safer than a hell of a lot of accepted prescription drugs...not to mention alcohol.
it's also worth pointing out that leary and co were 'brilliant'
before they took LSD.
that's not to say LSD has not helped in the growth of many amazing people, but don't confuse the brilliance with the LSD intake. yes, they understood (in leary's case, recklessly shilled) the power of LSD - but don't forget that in those days, LSD was a 'research chemical' as we now understand them - legal and the subject of legitimate study.
in fact, despite decades of human use, it is still very much a research chemical - just one with a lot of notoriety and cultural baggage.
to get back to the topic at hand, i would say that while mushrooms are undeniably glorious and wonderful, they are not perfect. no drug can be 'the best drug overall' - it is simply a matter of personal taste.
for me, it is also a matter of circumstance. i can think of plenty of situations in which i would not want to be tripping on shrooms.
on the other hand, there aren't that many situations (outside of legal things like drug tests) where i would think "oh no - not now, i'm stoned!" - whereas, if i was tripping in the midst of some horrifying situation or unexpectedly serious moment, i would be more likely to flip out or be traumatised.
that is just one way to look at it though. yes, shrooms can seem like the perfect drug - but only in the perfect setting, on the perfect dose.
if you fuck one (or both) of those up, you can be in for a rough time. i've also experienced physical issues with mushrooms (puking, upset stomach) that are a little unpredictable. not to mention the tendency towards darkness.
yes, a glorious psilocybin high is one of the most fantastic things in the world - but it can also be really fucking rough. once you've experienced the darker side of mushrooms, i think you learn a greater respect for their power.
but overall, there is no best drug. just preferred substances at the right times.
