Category Archives: Psychedelics

February 14, 2017 by Barbara Sahakian, Camilla D'angelo And George Savulich, The Conversation Monday, 6am. Time for a sliver of this? Credit: Psychonaught/wikipedia

It may seem like a doomed attempt to mix business and pleasure. But a growing number of young professionals in Silicon Valley insist that taking small doses of psychedelic drugs simply makes them perform better at work becoming more creative and focused. The practice, known as "microdosing", involves taking minute quantities of drugs such as LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms) or mescaline (found in the Peyote cactus) every few days.

LSD is the most well-known psychedelic drug since its popularity in the heyday of 1960s counterculture. But perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Silicon Valley also has a long history of psychedelic drug use to boost creativity: technology stars Steve Jobs and Bill Gates both famously experimented with LSD.

At high doses, LSD powerfully alters perception, mood and a host of cognitive processes. LSD now appears to be one of the more commonly microdosed drugs. A microdose of LSD consists of about a tenth of a recreational dose (usually 10-20 micrograms), which is usually not potent enough to cause hallucinations. Instead, it is reported to heighten alertness, energy and creativity.

Microdosing LSD also purportedly enhances overall well-being, helping to reduce stress and anxiety while improving sleep and leading to healthier habits. Although a widely reported phenomenon in the media, the lack of scientific studies on microdosing makes the prevalence near impossible to estimate. Reports suggest that what started off as an underground practice in Silicon Valley may be spreading rapidly to other workplaces.

It is currently unknown how such low doses of psychedelics act in the brain to produce these intriguing self-reported effects on creativity. Like all classic hallucinogens, LSD produces its potent mind-altering effects primarily by mimicking the effects of the brain chemical serotonin, which regulates our mood. In particular, LSD activates 5-HT2A receptors in the pre-frontal cortex, which increases activity of the chemical glutamate in this region. Glutamate enables signals to be transmitted between nerve cells, and plays a role in learning and memory.

In humans, two distinct effects of recreational doses of LSD have been reported. Initially, people experience psychedelic and positive feelings of euphoria. This may be followed by a later phase characterised by paranoia or even a psychotic-like state. LSD at low doses may produce mood elevation and creativity, mediated by the serotonin-mimicking effects. Actions on both glutamate and serotonin may also act to improve learning and cognitive flexibility , necessary for creativity, in the workplace. These findings could partly help to explain the microdosing phenomenon.

Clinical evidence

Clinical research with psychedelics is currently undergoing a major revival after having been brought to a halt in the 1960s. One of the benefits of conducting research into psychedelics is their potential to help deepen our understanding of consciousness. In 2016, researchers from Imperial College London were the first to use brain scanning techniques to visualise how LSD alters the way the brain works. One key finding was that LSD had a disorganising influence on cortical activity, which permitted the brain to operate in a freer, less constrained manner than usual.

The results suggested that psychedelics increase communication between parts of the brain that are less likely to communicate with one another, and decrease communication between areas that frequently do. This likely underlies the profound altered state of consciousness that people often describe during an LSD experience. It is also related to what people sometimes call "ego-dissolution", in which the normal sense of self is broken down. People instead often report a sense of reconnection with themselves, others and the natural world.

The discovery that LSD and other psychedelic drugs induce a flexible state of mind may explain their reported extraordinary therapeutic benefits. For example, psilocybin has shown benefits in the treatment of tobacco and alcohol addiction, obsessive compulsive disorder and treatment-resistant major depression.

In a small pilot study, LSD in combination with psychological therapy also led to a slight improvement in anxiety experienced by terminally ill cancer patients. Many of these psychiatric disorders are characterised by inflexible, habitual patterns of brain activity. By introducing a disordered state of mind, LSD and other psychedelics may help to break these inflexible patterns.

Similarly, the unconstrained brain state induced by psychedelics may also help explain the reported increases in creativity. From the late 1950s until the early 1970s, a whole host of studies sought to determine if classic psychedelics could be useful for enhancing creativity. In the most notable of these studies, researchers found that LSD and mescaline could aid in creative problem-solving when used in carefully controlled settings.

However, while these studies do provide some insight, they are mere anecdotal by modern research standards (they were not double blind or placebo-controlled). A more recent study found that use of classic psychedelics was robustly associated with greater creative problem-solving ability. Enhancing creativity has many potential applications in society. For example, it could be both used by commercial industry including advertising and in clinical settings, such as helping patients with autism.

The downsides

Yet before rushing off to take hits of acid in the hopes of boosting our creativity at work, it should be remembered that microdosing with an illegal, unregulated drug is of course fraught with risks. Possession may get you put behind bars. Manufacture and supply of illegal drugs are not subject to rigorous regulatory controls. That means users can never be sure of what they are getting.

This makes determining the dose problematic. Those who microdose incorrectly risk having unwanted, full-blown trips or even experience unpleasant trips. There are even some reports of psychosis-like symptoms in certain vulnerable individuals who use LSD recreationally. However two recent US population surveys found no link between using psychedelics and mental health conditions.

In an increasingly competitive world it is tempting to find a quick fix to help us achieve more, better and faster. Yet, is this right? As a society we should consider the reasons as to why healthy people choose to use drugs in the first place. A reliance on cognitive-enhancing technologies to cope with demanding working conditions may ultimately reduce the health and well-being of individuals. So we must take care to ensure that enhancement is not seen as a substitute for a healthy working environment.

It is therefore important that more research is done on the safety and efficacy of microdosing. In the meantime, physical exercise, education, social interaction, mindfulness and good quality sleep have all been shown to improve cognitive performance and overall well-being.

Explore further: Use of psychedelic drugs remains prevalent in the US

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

An article published in F1000Research, and approved for indexing in PubMed and other major bibliographical databases, estimates that there were approximately 32 million users of psychedelic drugs in the United States in 2010.

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LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley but can it actually make you more creative? - Medical Xpress

Psychiatry Advisor

Psychedelics a Viable Therapeutic Option for Depression Psychiatry Advisor Rucker's team reviewed the existing research in psychedelics for mood disorders, which, though dated, hints at the possibility of therapeutic use. A systematic search of PsychINFO and MEDLINE databases for studies from 1940 through 2000 yielded 21 ... LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley but can it actually make you more creative?The Conversation UK Legalize LSD Drug policy should draw from science instead of cultureArgonaut all 4 news articles »

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Psychedelics a Viable Therapeutic Option for Depression - Psychiatry Advisor

Scientists are increasingly hopeful that certain types of psychedelic drugs will one day be approved for medical purposes like treating depression and anxiety.

But what makes a psychedelic a psychedelic? How is it different from other drugs like cocaineor alcohol? And what makes a "trip" on one psychedelic like acid, for example distinct from a trip on another?

Here's a quick chart to put that into perspective:

Psychedelic drugs chart_2017 BI_Graphics BI Graphics

(Business Insider/Mike Nudelman)

Exactly howpsychedelics impact the brain is still somewhat of a mystery to scientists, but we're finding out more and more in recent years.

What we do know, however, is that psychedelics have a fundamentally different effect on the brain thanaddictive drugs like alcohol andcocainedo. Cocaine, for example, elicits a deep, euphoric sensationby temporarily flooding the brain's reward and motivationcenters. Insome people, this cantrigger a cycle of reinforcement that traps them in addiction, even when the same amount of the drug no longer results in a characteristic "high." The psychedelic drug psilocybin, on the other hand (the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms), appears to fundamentally alter the infrastructure of the brain's prefrontal cortex and change how information in this area of the brain is exchanged.

This is one of the reasons thatmanyscientists believe it's unreasonable to label psychedelics as"recreational" drugs in the patients I've interviewed who've participated in clinical trials onpsilocybin, the psychedelic trip itself soundsanything but recreational. In most cases, in fact, users describe feeling panicky, anxious, and afraid during the trip. It's whatthe drug appears to do to them afterthe trip itselfthat gives researchers hope. In many cases, patients describe lasting behavioral changes including improved relationships and increased optimism about life,for example.

Psilocybin isn't the only psychedelic drug that researchers are studyingfor its potentially therapeutic effects, however. They're also looking at LSD ("acid"), DMT (ayahuasca), and more.Each drug has a different trip length and varies in terms of its legality across the globe.

Methods for producing, brewing, and taking the drugs differ as well.

While magic mushrooms are typically either grown and eaten, brewed into tea, or ground up and taken in pill form, LSD is made synthetically and usually processed into strips that can be absorbed by placing them on the tongue.

Ayahuasca, on the other hand, is usually consumed as a beverage. It's brewed from the macerated and boiled vines of the Banisteriopsis caapi (yage) plant and the Psychotria viridis (chacruna) leaf, and it has been used for centuries as a traditional spiritual medicine in ceremonies among the indigenous peoples of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.Ayahuasca's effects come from mixing the drug dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, from the chacruna plant, and the MAO inhibitor from the yage plant, which allows the DMT to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

NOW WATCH: What magic mushrooms do to your brain and state of mind

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A psychedelic is a substance with the primary action of altering an individuals perception and cognition. Many chemicals of this classact by being serotonin receptor agonists. Theyare considered to be part of a larger class of psychoactive drugs called hallucinogens, which also includes unrelated substances such as medications that induce delirium and dissociative drugs. Unlike drugs such as opioids and stimulants which produce familiar states of consciousness, psychedelics cause the individual to experience things out of the realm of consciousness.

Psychedelic experiences are often also called trance states, yoga, meditation, dreaming, near-death experiences, and religious ecstasy. Most psychedelic drugs cause these states and fall into three main categories: Phenethylamines, tryptamines, and lysergamides. Most psychedelic drugs are illegal throughout the world unless they are being used in a religious or medical context, such as the use of medical cannabis. Despite the fact that these drugs are regulated, they are often used illicitly under recreational circumstances.

Psychological Effects

Generally, people on psychedelic drugs experience the world in bright and intense colors. Things in the environment that werent otherwise noticed are seen for the first time and develop a sense of importance. Colors become increasingly intense, contours are sharpened, music seems more profound, and textures seem richer.

The person may feel an increased perception of their body and changes in experiences. There is an increase in depth perception and objects that are normally inanimate become more expressive. Time may slow down or may stop altogether. There are vivid images, even when the eyes are closed.

There are strong emotional effects when the person is on this kind of drugs. The user becomes increasingly sensitive to the gestures of others, to their faces, and to minor changes in the environment. As all things in the users world become more conscious and important, the user feels and increased sense of love, joy, gratitude, despair, terror, lust, and pain. Feelings become overwhelming and difficult to tolerate. The individual may feel intense feelings of paranoia, panic, and a sense of losing control.

There is usually an impairment in the short term memory. Long forgotten occurrences from the distant past may come to the forefront and be relived in vivid detail. The individual may develop new insight into themselves and ponder the nature of the universe and humanity. Boundaries between the environment and the self may disappear.

Childhood memories may be relived and the person may regress into childlike behavior. They may go into a dream world in which other individuals, images, and actions take on a new significance. The person may experience a loss of self and may feel as though they have died and have been reborn. It may feel as all the questions of the world have been answered all at once.

Traditional Uses

This kind ofdrugs have long been used traditionally in religion and in the medical field, where they are used for their ability to improve mental and physical healing. Native American doctors have used peyote and other psychedelic agents to help cure a person from alcoholism. Mazatec doctors use mushrooms containing psilocybin for healing and religious purposes. DMT is an agent used in Peru and in other areas of South America for physical and spiritual healing and in certain religious festivals.

Examples

There are numerous types of agents. Some of them include the following:

Empathogen-Entactogens

These include MDMA, MDEA, and MDA. The use of these drugs cause feelings of euphoria, love, openness, increased self-awareness, and distortions of hearing and seeing. They are commonly used at raves for their ability to enhance the musical experience and to increase sociability. MDA is used to cause hallucinations and has other effects.

Cannabinoids

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and similar compounds can have psychedelic effects. These include alterations in consciousness, some distortions of vision, and unusual hallucinations. In high doses, they bring on brightly flashing images, especially in dim lighting. There is a sensation of well-being, euphoria, reduction of stress, and feelings of relaxation. Users have enhanced memory, feelings of hunger, and an increase in feelings of sensuality. Some users can become paranoid, suffering from anxiety and agitation. There is an enhanced awareness of patterns, sounds, and colors.

Dissociative Drugs

Some dissociative drugs act by antagonizing NDMA and therefore induce psychedelic effects. Dissociative and serotonergic hallucinogens are somewhat different from one another in that the dissociative drugs result I a more intense experience of derealization and depersonalization. Ketamine, for example, causes feelings of being disconnected from the body with the environment feeling unreal. There are perceptual changes as is often seen with other agents.

Legal Implications

In spite of the fact that most psychedelic drugs are not addictive and have no long term detrimental effects on mental health, many psychedelic drugs are illegal, according to the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, developed in 1971. Some countries also ban synthetic compounds that have this kind ofproperties, even if they are not considered dangerous. In general, this kind ofdrugs are classified by the US government as being Schedule I drugs that have no medically-accepted use.

Because of governmental policies, there are severe limitations of the research of this drugs. Those wishing to do research on this agentsmust go through a great deal of red tape until they can be allowed to study the drugs. Even so, scientists have studied thisdrugs and have found that they have the potential to treat certain addictions, psychological traumas, and even cancer.

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If you were a teenager in 1967, Berkeley was the place to be. The Summer of Love was beaming with a newfound madness, and for Dennis McKenna, it was too tempting to resist. A trip to Berkeley meant mischief and, if lucky, a psychedelic experience.

When McKenna arrived in Berkeley, he managed to get both. After acquiring a few tabs of acid from a stranger in Tilden Park, he and his friend headed to the woods in hopes of peeking through the doors of perception. Here, their civil behavior would self-destruct to give way for a more primal, archaic wildness.

We didnt have what I would call a mystical experience, he says. It was more like an evolutionary regression. We literally became like apes in the woods.

Although the experience wasnt quite what he expected, it was revelatory for McKenna. Bouncing around like a little child in the open expanse of the woods and swinging from the branches of trees was, oddly enough, a clue that the ultimate answers to life could be hiding in the strange portals of the psychedelic experience.

When people hear McKennas name, they usually associate it with his older brother, Terrence. Renown for being the intellectuals Timothy Leary, Terrence was a spokesman and advocate for psychedelics for many years, known as somewhat of an articulate rebel. His hypnotizing talks and poetic revelations swayed audiences of all kinds. However, though not in the spotlight like Terrence, McKenna has co-authored many books with him. He is the more scientific of the two, using facts more than stories in his work. Some of the most profound ideas talked about in True Hallucinations and The Invisible Landscape are a result of McKennas analysis, experiences and research.

As an ethnopharmacologist and research pharmacognosist, he has dedicated his life to the research of hallucinogens and psychedelics. He is also one of the founding directors of the Heffter Research Institute, a nonprofit organization investigating the therapeutic uses of psychedelic substances.

In his book, The Brothers Of The Screaming Abyss, Mckenna describes himself as a big picture kind of guy. Born in Paonia, Colorado, in 1950, at a young age, Dennis was not interested in the sort of questions that didnt lead to an ultimate understanding of reality. While his peers were playing outside, he was reading Scientific American and taking notes on the Encyclopedia Brittanica in the local library. This sort of intellectual passion, along with his experiences on acid in Berkeley, eventually led Mckenna into the Amazonian jungle, where hed test the limits of his own consciousness by experimenting with heavy doses of magic mushrooms and the Amazonian plant mixture, ayahuasca. After making this dive into the unknown, he has come back to share some of his wisdom.

Although psychedelic drugs are still categorized in Schedule 1 of the Drug Enforcement Agencys illegal substances, McKenna says that they are still being widely used in secret.

In our society at the moment, these drugs are finding their way back into society primarily along two channels: One is religious practice and the other is medical practice, he says.

Some religious groups are actually permitted to use these substances legally.

According to McKenna, society is in the midst of a psychedelic renaissance. According to a recent study out of Johns Hopkins University and New York University, psilocybin the active ingredient found in magic mushrooms has been shown to radically improve the positivity of people who are terminally ill with cancer. New research from Johns Hopkins and the University of Alabama also suggests that people who have a history of taking psychedelic drugs are less prone to have suicidal thoughts and are more psychologically healthy.

But psychedelics still hold the stigma of the 60s drug culture. Although a lot of great research with psychedelics was done in that time, it threatened the social order, McKenna says. As a result, the substances were unfairly banned.

All of these things in the 60s were pretty much prohibited in a very ill-considered way, he says. It was like lumping everything together and saying theyre all bad; they all cause altered states we dont like. But of course prohibition doesnt solve anything. They just went underground.

After nearly 50 years, Mckenna thinks that we are only now discovering the benefits and uses of these substances.

Here we are, almost coming to, say, 2020. Thatll be 50 years. We have only now figured out how to use them, he says.

One of the hallucinogenic plants to praise for the psychedelic comeback is McKennas self-proclaimed plant teacher, ayahuasca. This indigenous Amazonian plant, known for its hallucinogenic and healing properties, is seeing increased popularity around the world. According to Mckenna, the widespread use of substances like these is a good thing because it will evolve consciousness at a more rapid rate.

There are all kinds of communities now that are spontaneously appearing in the most unlikely places, he says. I think as people discover these plants, the plants themselves become a catalyst for this evolution of consciousness.

As we approach another turning point in American history, Mckenna continues to advocate psychedelics, as they provide a constant reminder that we arent the ones in control.

The big message from me is, with ayahuasca particularly: Remember you monkeys are not running this show, he says. We are not running this show. The plants, in fact, are running the show. And this is a good thing for us, because they are what is keeping life sustainable through photosynthesis.

For McKenna, psychedelics are no longer simply a catalysts for the counter-culture consciousness. The substances are beginning to be accepted as medicines to heal the afflictions of the mind, and tools to discover the ineffable worlds that the mystics and ancient shamans have long been exploiting.

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The psychedelic renaissance - Boulder Weekly

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Psychedelics Being Tested For Use In Treating Various Conditions CBS Local PHILADELPHIA (CBS) Psychedelic drugs have been illegal for decades, but now some doctors and patients are exploring psychedelics as a therapeutic agent for a range of medical conditions and psychological traumas. Scientists say psychedelics are ...

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Psychedelics Being Tested For Use In Treating Various Conditions - CBS Local

SAN FRANCISCO In the 1950s and 60s, psychedelic drugs including LSD and MDMA were considered promising treatments for psychiatric conditions. But scientists involved in the U.S.-approved studies at the time said that as millions of young people experimented with the drugs, the federal government yanked permission to study psychedelics and imposed a ban on the substances.

Now,CBS San Francisco station KPIX reports that a new generation of doctors and patients is exploring psychedelics as a therapeutic agent for a range of medical conditions and psychological traumas, including cancer patients and military troops suffering from PTSD.

In Marin County, patients gathered recently to talk about their legal experiences with an otherwise illegal psychedelic drug.

I went into the first real session and it just blew me away, breast cancer patient Wendy Donner told KPIX.

In Berkeley, a former public defender and Cal Law professor turned best-selling author described her experience with a different psychedelic, also illegal.

I was very pleasantly surprised that all I felt was good! said Ayelet Waldman, who has written about her struggles with a mood disorder and severe depression.

Then, in a home in El Cerrito, the husband of a cancer patient recalled the experience of his late wife, who was part of a clinical trial authorized to use a different illegal psychedelic.

I just thought this is like a miracle, exclaimed Richard Vaughn.

After decades of disregard, scientists said once again psychedelics are showing great promise as a therapeutic tool.

It opens you up to yourself, said cancer patient Andy Gold.

With permission from the FDA, California researchers are studying psychedelics in patients with life-threatening conditions, such as cancer.

Patients with cancer, particularly advanced cancer, have significant levels of anxiety, depression, and demoralization, explained UCLA psychiatrist Dr. Charles Grob.

One such patient was Annie Levy, who stopped enjoying her life when her ovarian cancer came back and she realized how her lifespan would be shortened.

It just seemed like it was a nightmare, her husband Richard said.

Before she died, Annie enrolled in a pivotal pilot study at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California.

Along with 11 other patients, she used psilocybin, a psychedelic found in so-called magic mushrooms.

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The hallucinogenic drug psilocybin, the active ingredient in certain mushrooms, is being used to reduce anxiety and depression in cancer patients...

After a single dose, her anxiety and depression disappeared.

It was like someone had lit up a lightbulb in Annes head. She was a totally different person, Richard told KPIX.

No one had a bad trip, said Dr. Grob.

Grob headed up the UCLA study. The goal: to explore the safety and efficacy of psilocybin in patients with advanced-stage cancer and reactive anxiety.

The study was funded by the Heffter Research Institute of New Mexico. The Institute helps to design, review, and fund psilocybin research at prominent research institutions such as UCLA.

Grob, who is on the board of the Institute, said the study was very successful. It was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. All the patients were monitored before and during the treatment sessions. Each patient received a placebo and the active ingredient randomly assigned to be administered on different days.

Grob said that while the psilocybin wears off in a few hours, the benefit lasted for up to six months; a single dose of the drug led to sustained improvement in mood and outlook.

The positive effects seems to sustain over a significant period of time, explained Grob.

This pilot study has now led to two other clinical trials at NYU Langone Medical Center and Johns Hopkins University.

In total, 92 participants were involved: all demonstrated statistically significant improvements with enduring positive effects for months after the single psilocybin treatment sessions ended,CBS San Franciscoreports. Researchers at the Heffter Institute expect to start the final FDA Phase 3 study sometime in 2017.

In Marin, in a different trial, psychiatrist Dr. Phil Wolfson legally administered a moderate dose of a different psychedelic known as MDMA to a different group of patients.

Its not addictive and weve never had a freak-out, Wolfson said. Wolfson is the principal investigator of the trial thats funded by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, or MAPS for short.

Use of MDMA, sometimes called ecstasy, was combined with psychotherapy sessions.

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All of the patients who spoke to KPIX agreed: They experienced a profound benefit and emerged better able to cope.

With MDMA, everything opened up, said Wendy.

You start seeing things very, very clearly, said patient John Saul, whos been diagnosed with scleroderma.

It just gives you a view into yourself that I never had before, added another patient, Andy.

As to how psychedelics work, brain scans from healthy volunteers who took LSD may shed some light. The investigation was headed up by Dr. David Nutt, a British psychiatrist and neuropsychopharmacologist, now at Imperial College London.

Each volunteer took a sugar pill, and at a later date, took a common dose of LSD. Researchers then looked at the effect in the brain, using a functional MRI.

The brain under the influence of the LSD lit up like a proverbial Christmas tree.

With the hallucinogen, scientists believe disparate regions of brain communicate with each other when they normally dont do so. Psychedelics may indeed free your mind.

Our psychological defenses often suppress material that is too painful, that we dont want to deal with, and psychedelics bring that to the surface, said Rick Doblin, the founder and Executive Director of MAPS, a nonprofit group based in Santa Cruz.

What were really trying to do is legitimize psychedelic therapy, said Doblin.

Doblin envisions a time when psychotherapists can legally access a toolbox full of psychedelics.

I think a lot of them will start out with MDMA, which is the most gentle of the psychedelics, and then it may move to more classic psychedelics like LSD or psilocybin or mescaline he said.

But some individuals arent waiting for the medical community they are experimenting by self-medicating, like writer Ayelet Waldman.

I thought if anyone in the world is going to have a bad trip, its going to be me. I mean I can have a bad trip in a Pilates class, joked Waldman.

Waldman has a mood disorder. She fell into a terrible depression. Her prescription medication stopped working.

Out of desperation, for one month only, she took tiny micro doses of LSD.

Its possible that I experienced the mother of all placebo effects, she observed, but I had a very good month.

Waldman wrote about her experiences in a new memoir entitled A Really Good Day.

Now she wants scientists to seriously study microdosing for mood disorders.

Until we have more research, double-blind studies, using clinically evaluated LSD, were not going to understand this drug, explained Waldman.

Fifty years ago, Timothy Leary advocated the use of psychedelics and told folks to turn on, tune in and drop out. But now growing evidence is suggesting that under a doctors supervision, rather than dropping out, the drugs may help you get better.

The FDA just approved the Phase 3 trial for MDMA. MAPS officials hope the drug will be approved as a prescription medication for therapy by 2021. Researchers will begin screening applicants later this year for this last-stage trial.

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Psychedelic drug therapy including magic mushrooms, LSD and ... - CBS News

IT is perhaps the one thing every fitness and bodybuilding fanatic fears most; the disintegration of the man in the mirror once training and steroids stop.

Today, the gym world is huge. Muscles are being built to boost the missing chromosome of self-esteem and performance-enhancing drugs are so accessible that it is as simple as ordering a CD from Amazon.

But at BAFTA in Piccadilly on Thursday night, one man emerged from the shadows again to confirm that he is perhaps the most unique former bodybuilder ever.

I never had that worry [about losing my physique], said former six-time Mr Olympia Dorian Yates at the world premiere of the London Real documentary Dorian Yates: Inside the Shadow.

He was asked by a member of the audience about body dismorphia. How the threat of spiralling into depression when the god-like feeling of super-human strength and a physique to match gradually disappears before your eyes.

Maybe Im unusual. I was removed. Like I was working on this statue, that I was working on this product and the way to build the product was through self-discipline and mastery over yourself and over your instincts.

Dorian Yates

I never started bodybuilding because I thought Im not big enough, Im not strong enough. If you look back at my earliest photos, they would probably do well in a fitness contest now, so I probably came from a different point of view.

A lot of people, especially the young guys, ask me, When you look back at those photos, dont you feel like man I wish I looked like that now? Not at all, that doesnt apply to what I am doing now. I need a functional body that can cycle up hills. Before, I could lift 600lbs in squats and all incredible stuff in the gym but if I walked a couple of miles Id probably get out of breath. So its just not practical for me now, thats the way I look at it.

As long as Im in good physical shape, thats a passion for me, to be physically fit. Thats the main thing now, the look is secondary. But I think I look OK, not too bad for a 55 year old.

But if you start training and building your body because you feel inadequate or not confident then your whole confidence is tied up with having that physique then of course its very hard to let go of it because you feel now Im bigger and stronger and people respect me more and I feel more confident and people dont want to give that up.

I mentioned that with the whole steroid thing; once you get on the merry-go-round, if your self-esteem is tied up with having big muscles youre not going to want to let go of that.

Inside the Shadows

The documentary followed Yates rise to 260-pound, three-per-cent-bodyfat behemoth, to his clinical depression, use of psychedelics and cannabis where he wiped out the crew of London Real, who spent three hours lying on a Marbella beach after two puffs of one of his joints meditation and yoga. That the once-titan-like Yates fell over after failing to hold his balance on his first attempt at holding a yoga pose will be an image the gym world will find hard to illustrate.

I thought theyd been working hard and deserved a break, said Yates of the London Real crew he shared cannabis with having spent a few days in Spain filming the documentary. I didnt exactly hold them down. They did it [smoked] voluntarily.

It was the last day and I said if you want to smoke then no more than two puffs each. Then I said lets all go and have a nice dinner together and we can all relax. So me and my wife and my friend were in the restaurant and we were like, wheres Brian [Rose, front man for London Real], wheres the crew? Im trying to call Brian, Im trying to Whatsapp him and Im getting nothing. And Gal [Yates wife] said to me, dont you realise whats happened? I was like, what? You just fxxxxd them all up. No surely not, they had two puffs, come on. But apparently they were lying on the beach for two hours.

This movie was not just bodybuilding. Far from it. It was the transformation of a man who had been at the top of his game before his body gave out.

Inside the Shadow

Im not telling people they should do what I do, said Yates. They should absolutely follow their own path. I dont have ambitions to be a movie star or multi-millionaire. My challenges are more spiritual; to try and understand and develop that side of myself and to help other people. Thats what its all about, thats why I did the interview with Brian and thats why I did the movie.

Im not making any money, Im not being paid. Im not doing it to become a teacher or a guru but hopefully give that tip, a little hope to people and wake up that thing thats inside all of us. That little spark, that little light. Its inside of everybody. In some people its very faint and thats all Im trying to do.

So we will see what people think of this film. If they want to hear more we will do more if they dont want to hear anything I will go back to my shadow.

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Dorian Yates reveals all on steroids, body dysmorphia, psychedelics, cannabis and yoga - Express.co.uk

Abstract

Psychedelics (serotonergic hallucinogens) are powerful psychoactive substances that alter perception and mood and affect numerous cognitive processes. They are generally considered physiologically safe and do not lead to dependence or addiction. Their origin predates written history, and they were employed by early cultures in many sociocultural and ritual contexts. After the virtually contemporaneous discovery of (5R,8R)-(+)-lysergic acid-N,N-diethylamide (LSD)-25 and the identification of serotonin in the brain, early research focused intensively on the possibility that LSD and other psychedelics had a serotonergic basis for their action. Today there is a consensus that psychedelics are agonists or partial agonists at brain serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptors, with particular importance on those expressed on apical dendrites of neocortical pyramidal cells in layer V. Several useful rodent models have been developed over the years to help unravel the neurochemical correlates of serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor activation in the brain, and a variety of imaging techniques have been employed to identify key brain areas that are directly affected by psychedelics. Recent and exciting developments in the field have occurred in clinical research, where several double-blind placebo-controlled phase 2 studies of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in patients with cancer-related psychosocial distress have demonstrated unprecedented positive relief of anxiety and depression. Two small pilot studies of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy also have shown positive benefit in treating both alcohol and nicotine addiction. Recently, blood oxygen leveldependent functional magnetic resonance imaging and magnetoencephalography have been employed for in vivo brain imaging in humans after administration of a psychedelic, and results indicate that intravenously administered psilocybin and LSD produce decreases in oscillatory power in areas of the brains default mode network.

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Drug Abuse [Grant R01DA-02189] and the Robert C. and Charlotte P. Anderson endowment.

dx.doi.org/10.1124/pr.115.011478.

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Psychedelics | Pharmacological Reviews

THC is the crystalline substance that forms on the outside of the marijuana plant. It is the substance in marijuana responsible for its euphoric effects.

THC is known scientifically as tetrahydrocannabinol and it is the active chemical found in marijuana. THC is the most widely abused drug in the United States and continues to be controversial in both cases of personal consumption and in cases of being appropriate for certain medical uses.

THC comes from the marijuana plant also known as cannabis sativa. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC is the active ingredient in the marijuana plant and the primary ingredient responsible for producing the euphoric effects of the drug.

THC resembles a crystaline that forms on the outside of the buds of the marijuana plant. Some people believe that THC can be used for medical purposes while others believe that there are no known medical uses that are considered safe. Regardless, THC is found in all variations of marijuana though medical marijuana often contains lower or higher levels of THC depending on the preference of the user and why it is being used.

The effects of THC vary from one user to the next but generally include sedation and relaxation. As the THC enters the bloodstream the user will feel the effects of the drug which can last up to 3 hours following the initial onset of effects. If marijuana is not smoked but is rather ingested, the user will feel the effects of THC about thirty minutes after it is consumed and the effects will generally last about 4 hours.

THC causes the dopamine release that takes place in the body to occur more quickly which can lead to heightened euphoria. Many users experience heightened awareness and sensitivity to sound, light and color. Perception of time is normally reduced and the user will feel as if time is taking longer to pass.

Smoking THC will lead to increased thirst and feelings of dehydration. The user will have dry mouth and may experience intense hunger while under the influence of THC. Many people experience heightened anxiety and even panic when under the influence of THC.

Using THC or marijuana can lead to an array of complications for the user. If the drug is regularly smoked, complications include damage to the lungs, susceptibility to infection, lung cancer and other serious side effects. Ingesting THC will not lead to respiratory problems but can still have implications in terms of increasing fear and anxiety, increasing risk of depression and altering appetite.

Sustained marijuana use, even in low doses, will cause the user to feel a lack of coordination and a lack of concentration. Over time, people who abuse marijuana are more likely to experience memory loss, coordination loss and additional problems related to impaired short term memory. Studies have proven that marijuana causes difficulty and impairment for students that can last for up to a full month after the drug is used, in some cases the aftermath will continue for many months after the last use of the drug.

Increased risk of psychosis and schizophrenia has been reported with chronic marijuana use. THC use can cause adverse problems in work, home and school. Social effects include isolation and may lead to depression. Heavy marijuana users suffer great damage to their social status and may require long term counseling in order to fully turn their lives around post marijuana addiction.

Is THC addictive? Yes!

Marijuana is an addictive substance that will lead to erratic drug-seeking behavior and a series of withdrawal symptoms when the user tries to quit. Although the symptoms of marijuana withdrawal are not dangerous or potentially deadly for the user, there are a number of risks associated with marijuana addiction.

Becoming addicted to THC will likely cause problems in the users relationship and may lead to financial implications that make quitting even more difficult. People who regularly smoke pot are likely to suffer an array of consequences including health problems, emotional problems, family and relationship problems, legal trouble, social isolation and individual isolation as a result of their addiction to THC.

The best way to prevent addiction to THC is to not smoke pot. With all of the controversy that is taking place about marijuana and the intended medical uses of the drug, its easy to fall into a mindset in which it would seem like smoking pot is ok to some degree but this can lead to physical and psychological dependence which will result in an array of consequences for the user.

Treatment is often required when a user becomes addicted to THC. Counseling and therapy are the most effective means of treatment but medication may be necessary if dopamine levels have been depleted to a point in which they cannot be restoredthis is yet another reason to avoid smoking pot.

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THC - Psychedelics