Bipolarity and hallucinogens -anyone?

[Weird]

im not attacking an opinion because I did not single one out I am attacking a paradigm

I do not doubt the efficiency you get from your practice, but it begs the question now that you single yourself out, have you seen your practice transform neurological, nervous system or endocrine system defects or disease?

Lots of people get into pissing matches about belief but they never seem to focus on the commonality that exists here.

“The shaman is not merely a sick man, or a madman; he is a sick man who has healed himself.”
– Terence McKenna

We all use marijuana, which is an entheogen and considered an intoxicant, something that many of the practices discussed frown upon.

Somehow we all overcame that irony, yet the thought of other entheogens being capable of the same is a brefret authenticity because the integrity of people involved.

People who grow marijuana for meds are in essence shaman, and I don't see you condemning them for doing the same.

There seems to be a bias that does not have a logical basis. If there be one I would be interested in understanding it.

 

[Genghis Kush]

 

[Runt]

Wise words Weird, I´m going through a phase of being critical to what medicine has tought me so far. Some people need lithium, I´ve had benefits for sure, Xanax has kept me out of a ward do to my OCD but SSRI´s -I´m not so sure. We need to rediscover psychiatry, listen to people who do LSD and MDMA assisted therapies but again etc and we patients have to stop being sheep.

 

[OGEvilgenius]

dddaver: You don´t have to STFU, all input has value and you are making good points. When you get down to it I´m hoping the DMT/ayahuasca will help "rewire" some part of my brain. Rick Strassman makes some good points in his book DMT: The spirit molecule, as does LSD and psilocybine research. No sir there are no shortcuts and I´m not looking for magic but my painlevels are way up and if I could already get some help with that it would be nice -pain is felt in the CNS and my psych meds have been doing something to keep my painlevels pretty low ergo maybe yage can rewire that stretch?

Nobody is truly totally altruistic and no shaman is waiting just for me but the way they look at illness is different -physical or psychological isn´t the issue, it´s a lot aboit balance and meeting your fears and I must say I´ve been scared most of my life -scared of losing people, scared of loosing my health, afraid of this and that (but I´ve never let that stop me from doing anything, at one point I was also in the military, no one sees my fear but I feel it).

So please don´t shut up.

Is it possible some of the pain you're experiencing might be related to the withdrawl you are likely also experiencing? I'm pretty sure Alcohol can cause this. Benzos operate in a very similar way and have very similar symptoms when stopping - of course YMMV depending on dose etc.

I found smoking cannabis to be quite helpful when I weaned myself off Effexor. Got some unbelievable headaches.

I'm curious to see how this turns out for you. I had a friend who had a coke and drinking problem - pretty severe drinking. With some help from a friend, who later became his girlfriend, he started to visit shaman (over 10 years ago) in Peru. He no longer drinks or does drugs except cannabis sometimes and just graduated Med school.

It's a fascinating molecule.

 

[Weird]

Wise words Weird, I´m going through a phase of being critical to what medicine has tought me so far. Some people need lithium, I´ve had benefits for sure, Xanax has kept me out of a ward do to my OCD but SSRI´s -I´m not so sure. We need to rediscover psychiatry, listen to people who do LSD and MDMA assisted therapies but again etc and we patients have to stop being sheep.

When taken with purpose most substances have the capacity to teach but everything has to be taken in context to the problem being addressed, and this is where it gets a bit complicated.

The human body, for the most part, is self balancing in an array of environments. Many people lose balance due to environmental difference, say vitamin deficiency due to diet.

We are all subject to those imbalances and can fix them by addressing the environmental input. Diet for example can overcome a vitamin deficiency.

The second imbalance can be due to societal imprinting (for a lack of a better term) and that is the effect an social environment has on our social perception.

The third however is controlled by glandular or nervous system functions, a level that exists before the previous ones, one that is so closely tied to our state of being (because the functions are controlled by those very biological systems) that it is often difficult for the person effected to even understand the bias it causes because in essence it is simply the way that biology works in a person.

However, nature is an amazing thing and their are substances proven to effect some of those biological functions, substances that have interacted with human genome over the course of time in a way that we have not found to be detrimental.

Can you say the same for modern pharmaceuticals?

The fact remains, if you do not address the first two you can't fix the last one and visa versa.

People should address the first two in sequence before attempting to accept a diagnosis of the third.

If you have SAD bipolar for example your best bet is diet and tons of sunlight, psychedelics are not needed but you will not synthesis the d3 you need without sunlight no matter how hard you ply any practice.

 

[Runt]

JO: I´ve tried quitting Xanax before and I was suprised I succeeded now, a little bit of morning anxiety but not much -strange but true.

Weird: We are complicated beings and life in modern society is harsh in terms of stress and expectations -things like processed food and a constant stream of information also takes their toll.

We are biological, social beings and when we forget that we lose our bearings and start looking for what we´ve lost. I see that in friends and in myself -constantly on the prowl for the perfect fix.

I´m trying to eat better, I´m taking D3, fishoil and magnesium, trying to get quality sleep, to read the books I like and after leaving the meds I´ve started writing again.

I´m not saying "leave your meds", for me it´s a personal choice and an adventure but they have kept me sane during the years. At the age of 55 age and experience are my biggest assets -used correctly.

OGE: You´re probably right on the pain, I also think lithium and Xanax have helped modulate my pain, I´ve also cut out cortisone and that is one med that has literally kept me on feet -the longtern side-effects of diabetes and osteoporosis are very scary though.

Let´s see where I land, checked with my insurance agency that I have everything in order and that I can be airlifted out if all else fails.

 

[Runt]

Countdown, leaving on Thursday. I´m now pretty clean med wise, no weed either and my anxiety levels are way up there and my OCD (intrusive thoughts) is alive and kicking. The meds have been working. NO signs of mania though. Eating veggies as there is a dieta before yage.

 

[Weird]

wonder if change in diet and how you feel aren't inter related.

In the end the experience should give you answers such as those.

hope it works out for the best

 

[Runt]

Thanks W, made some coconut-almond flour pankakes this eveing, with frozen banana "ice-cream" (just whipped frozen banana -simple and nice) so I think I´m getting the hang of a veggie lifestyle Miss meat though...miss bacon

 

[Stinkymutt]

mmm BACON

 

[Runt]

Tomorrow is liftoff. Saturday the first treatments and the first yage ceremony. How did I ever get myself into this Exciting, excited and a bit wary. Ego death and total loss of control. I´ve always been in control and always hated giving it up. Take care brothers and sisters.

 

[wolfhoundaddy]

Good for you. Remember your first day at kindergarden? Now think about how you have grown since then. Fear is part of our learning process. You brought a lot of issues out with this thread and being married to someone that is bipolar I can appreciate what you go through. Good luck, a lot of people are rooting for you.

 

[bombadil.360]

Runt, have a great trip man!

don't forget us once you are illuminated and can report back on how was the travel and experiences though

much peace and good health to you and yours!

 

[Runt]

Howdy!
I´m back and it was quite a trip! First morning after the first ceremony I was reay to go home, had the return trip planned. The first ceremony was OK, maybe even nice (introspective, didn´t have many visions) but later I got a massive panic attack, the worst in years -mostly do to a comment from another retreatee (who was joking) but I took it seriously.

But thanks to my friend and Jim the "coordinator" I stuck to it, did four aya ceremonies and three with huachuma (San Pedro) and I dealt with some major issues. Lots of crying, lots of pent up sorrow. It was hard but very rewarding and I´ll never regret doing it.

Am I now normal? Hardly but I think I can deal with issues without all the anger (which is sorrow) I used to have. I still have some anxiety and i´m using 1-1.5mg of lorazepam daily to deal with that which is peanuts compared to what I used to take. Osteoarthritis is a bit better but time will tell how it "stuck" cause it´s also about what I do with what I learned -no magic just hard work. "The four agreements" by Don Ruis helped me a lot -2 years ago I would´ve have brushed it off as nonsence.

Would I do it again? Only if I have to as it was not a joy ride. Am I bipolar? Who knows? Aagain time will tell.

Thanks for all the support and discussion. Runt

 

[bombadil.360]

hello Runt

sounds like it was a trip worth having, glad you went and are now back all in one piece

did you take any pics that can be shared by any chance? I'm sure many people will appreciate to see a few pics of Iquitos.

peace man!

 

[Genghis Kush]

good to hear all went well

 

[Runt]

Howdy! I have some pics but I dohn´t really know how to post them and most have people in them. Iquitos isn´t very pretty but the people were very friendly and the women are beautiful!

Now I just need to consolidate what I´ve seen and learned.

 

[Dead_Diver]

Be careful. Lithium + LSD = psychotic freak out. I learned the hard way when my wife dropped acid while taking lithium. The lithium potentiates the LSD to the nth degree. There is some research on it but it's very little and hard to find. Google it and you may find some info on it.

 

[Runt]

Plenty of info on that, I went off litho for weeks before yage. It seems to be paying of though -no lithium yet My weed tolerance seems to be ll over the place though...

 

[angelgoob]

Remember that panic and anxiety are there to protect you and aren't bad things.

I've suffered panic attacks numerous times and now I don't. I get a strange feeling, then I realize my protection is kicking in and the attack stops.