Reddit mentions: The best books about psychopharmacology

Read like, the first page of each of these books.

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Elite-C-Wright-Mills/dp/0195133544/

http://www.amazon.com/Corporation-Pathological-Pursuit-Profit-Power/dp/0743247469/

http://www.amazon.com/Realm-Hungry-Ghosts-Encounters-Addiction/dp/155643880X/

http://www.amazon.com/Globalization-Addiction-Study-Poverty-Spirit/dp/0199588716/

Look at how many people voted in 2014.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/opinion/the-worst-voter-turnout-in-72-years.html?_r=0

http://bipartisanpolicy.org/library/2012-voter-turnout/

"Some 93 million eligible citizens did not vote."

http://www.nonprofitvote.org/documents/2013/09/america-goes-to-the-polls-2012-voter-participation-gaps-in-the-2012-presidential-election.pdf

Look at dem numbers.

You are the next generation. Great tv series, btw. You are part of the hope that casts a light upon the world.


https://openlibrary.org/

Also, sorry, skimmed through your post history to perhaps glean what ails you, but perhaps your anxiety/stress stemming from these surrounding issues are increasing the occurrence of a lack of proper airflow/air intake during sleep, and disrupting the process of healing that's supposed to occur during the night, leading to long-term damage to your heart?

Your parents love you for a reason, and you shouldn't feel that resources or money are even a factor in their considerations. They love you, period, and you'll have plenty of time to repay your family/society/whoever you want just through the act of living well.\

Also, there's a lot of technology coming around the corner where organ fabrication/replacement/etc. is going to be a very common/real thing, but that's not to say that you can't still work with your doctor to mitigate symptoms/risks for now.

Take care, friend. Life is a strange journey indeed, but it can be rewarding if you let it be.

Edit: I would say that it's a nice poem, but I cannot agree that the best way to get back at those you feel have slighted you is to cease one's own existence. That would be tantamount to a full surrender. You still have some fight left in you, don't you? Fighting back is the best way to give the bird to all the turds.

Yeah, we're slaves. We live in a society that encourages self-enslavement via debt. It's a shitty life, spending all day inside and creating nothing of real value to anyone.

I have 10 more years or so. I look at them as an investment into myself. 10 years of slavery for 100 years of freedom. How old are you? Snake People are likely to live for a pretty long time (ignoring the possibility of global warming-related catastrophes and assuming you take good care of yourself).

> How did we get this way?

We are owned. Bought, sold, and bet like cattle. We are fed "food" filled and coated with chemicals and hormones that change our brain chemistry. We drink water that has dangerous chemicals in it. The air is poisoned, too. We're distracted and divided with fake news about nonsense. We got here by allowing other people to make decisions for us. Financial Independence is a way of taking control of our own lives. Keeping the goal in mind is very important to staying the course.

I don't know if this is more helpful or harmful to you, but it's the truth. Knowing the truth has a price. It changes you. You will find yourself more and more separate from those who are willing slaves.

My advice: find people you love, hug them a lot, and do a lot of wandering and talking. Work out a lot. Be a strong person. Read lots of great books. I recommend

A Guide to the Good Life

Island, by Aldous Huxley

DMT: The Spirit Molecule

O-chem. Don't know what level you are ready for. Asimov's "World of Carbon" is good on specifics but still general/high-school audience. Also also his "World of Nitrogen" which covers hetero-O-chem. After these two, jumping into a college level intro O-chem textbook is pretty easy. Just a bit more math and specific reactions to learn, which may or may not be necessary depending.

Yes, Asimov as in the SciFi author - The guy was god!. Well, Asimov did have a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Columbia (!!) so he knew what he was talking about!!

Biochem. Some of pharmacology depends on biochem so knowing some can be useful. I read Stryer's Biochemistry in high school (several times, 3rd addition IIRC. It's up 6th now. Still gold.).

Neurophysiology. Back in the day I read this which was before "Neurophysiology" actually had a name. It was pretty good at the time. There are lots of newer texts now. Include Intro to Neuropsychoparmacology for a mere US$37. :-)

BTW I was pretty much to a college level of O-Chem by the 8th grade (read Asimov's two "World of"'s in the 6th grade) and heavy in to biochem by the time a graduated high school. Yeah, a nerd. But now a well-paid nerd. And I don't even do chemistry so much now.

They love inflation--as long as they get the newly created money first. They're scared to death of deflation. Deflation is reality asserting itself. They have many more tools to deal with inflation than deflation.

I broadly agree with you, but I think you are discounting the effect that voting has when one of the parties is the Republicans. No, I am not lionizing the Democrats; it's simply that the Republicans are that bad. The reason for strong unions was the labor movement and activism. This was, of course, aided by the fact that labor paid a living wage, and it wasn't so much cheaper for them to replace labor with capital equipment (automation), etc.

With regard to economic inequality and electoral politics in the US, I recommend:

Larry M. Bartels

Unequal Democracy: The Political Economy of the New Gilded Age

1/23/10 Edition

ISBN-13: 978-0691146232, ISBN-10: 0691146233

With regard to why people vote for Trump:

"Finally, he challenges conventional explanations for why many voters seem to vote against their own economic interests, contending that working-class voters have not been lured into the Republican camp by "values issues" like abortion and gay marriage, as commonly believed, but that Republican presidents have been remarkably successful in timing income growth to cater to short-sighted voters."


Communism? There is no such thing. Perhaps there will be one day, but there are serious practical problems with implementation. Communism works well for communes. It doesn't scale. The human family (should be) a communist institution. I know it's boring, but social democracy is probably the best we can do now. If there is something I should read which makes some other case, I'll bite.

Rather than blather on, it is better that I just link to something worth your time.


Bruce Alexander

The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit

1st Edition

ISBN-13: 978-0199588718, ISBN-10: 0199588716


https://www.amazon.com/Globalization-Addiction-Study-Poverty-Spirit/dp/0199588716
This book shows that the social circumstances that spread addiction in a conquered tribe or a falling civilisation are also built into today's globalizing free-market society. A free-market society is magnificently productive, but it subjects people to irresistible pressures towards individualism and competition, tearing rich and poor alike from the close social and spiritual ties that normally constitute human life. People adapt to their dislocation by finding the best substitutes for a sustaining social and spiritual life that they can, and addiction serves this function all too well.

Hey guys, producer for Star Nation here. Justin just got back from Europe a couple weeks ago shooting Dream Hack and a lot of footage with WhiteRa. On arriving back into town, he's been putting together a short doc for Complexity because they helped to get us out to MLG Anaheim. Keep an eye out for that. Some of that footage will be good for the feature.

I've been wanting to post a blog on our website about the issue of "relevancy." Numbers-wise, I believe that the majority of documentaries shoot long before release, and most of the time the subject matters are fairly niche. Star Nation isn't a documentary about current politics, so timeliness is less of an issue. We're also not a journalism organization, so it's not critical to have "breaking news" nor release our film immediately after an event.

Take the documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil as an example. I'm not sure that their story would be any worse if released any later, and we also hope to be able to find a timeless story for our doc. You may argue that Anvil's topic matter isn't getting as much media coverage as StarCraft/eSports to make it irrelevant. Maybe. If that were true, then I would then point you to the last feature documentary I produced, DMT: The Spirit Molecule.

CASE STUDY

DMT is one of the strongest known psychedelics, and it was also relatively unknown even in the drug community when my director first started shooting the doc in 2005. While we produced the film, ayahuasca (active chemical being DMT) started becoming a huge topic in general media being covered by CNN, TIME, Hustler, reddit, and many more (don't have time to link them all). While a lot of people were discovering DMT in their everyday news and entertainment sources, it absolutely wasn't making the topic matter irrelevant. In fact, it was making DMT all the more relevant to more people. More and more people became fans of our doc's Facebook page as they became aware of our film and topic matter through the media and through fans of our film. Our film didn't particularly have that much more information than was already available to the public especially since it was based around a book, but the film format is just much more easily consumed than other formats (books, articles, etc.).

Since irrelevancy wasn't an issue, DMT:TSM got picked up in 2011 by Gravitas and sublicensed to Warner Bros to get in 100M homes. We become third most popular documentary on iTunes for about 3 weeks. We also became the top most streamed film on NetFlix for a little over 3 days. I regret not screen capping those bits, so you'll have to trust me on those figures. However, I hope that we can get Star Nation in front of that many eyes also.

That said, I agree with HRvi that the pure eSports information in Star Nation may not be news to you guys, but hopefully the documentary footage and story will show you another perspective that you will enjoy while we push eSports out to a much broader audience.

Will start by throwing a few into the ring:

The Beach by Alex Garland - While its plot is certainly limited with regard to imitability, it offers a very interesting perspective on the types of people you meet in the more interesting places you'll travel.

Vagabonding by Rolf Potts - A quintessential nonfiction guide for anyone who's considering traveling long term. It's preachy in places, but it'll fire you up to get moving.

Off the Rails in Phnom Penh by Amit Gilboa - You'll see this one being sold by street children in Phnom Penh often, but it's not too hard to find a copy anywhere else. A really great, enjoyable view of expat life in Phnom Penh.

Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac - On the Road is, of course, the standard American road novel, and Jack's most famous, but the Dharma Bums offers a really unique perspective on travel - that of a spiritual nature.

The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner - Another highly enjoyable read by an author who travels to the world's most purported "happy" countries. Great take on the subject area.

Obviously there is zero evidence to support the theory, it just is interesting. I took a lot of theology classes and almost have a minor in the field, but I am in no means qualified to speak about Eastern religions without butchering the actual beliefs. I strongly believe that their world-view and perception of the self is different than my American Catholic upbringing, but I can try and ELY5 and not feel like I'm doing some injustice..

Basically, there are hundreds of variations of Hinduism and Buddhism that can be vastly different, but a common theme in them is mediation and the concept of Om. Om is the sound of the universe and the point of repeating the mantra during mediation is that it's a way of "melting" back into the great cosmic soup. They think (and are right) that everything in existence is part of everything else. You and I are both made out of stars. You share atoms with dinosaurs. All that good stuff.

Simply put: They think that the sound Om is the sound of the universe. the sound at which everything '"vibrates." String theory is the idea that all of the matter in the universe is connected by "vibrating strings."

I can't recall where I read that, but I am pretty sure it was in Dr. Rick Strassman's book, DMT: The Spirit Molecule.. I am fascinated the link between psychedelics, science and spirituality. If you are too, I recommend the book.

Awesome, i'd be happy to help. I cover Psychiatry and Neurology and my coworker covers Emergency Medicine.

Wouldn't this be early for you to be getting review books? For psych. we just published a psychopharmacology review book you might be interested in. http://www.amazon.com/Psychopharmacology-Questions-Help-Pass-Boards/dp/1451116926/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344546588&sr=1-6&keywords=ramaswamy

For Psy, our big authors are Ben and Virginia Sadock. Their books seem uber popular and they have a lot. The books are usually prefaced with Kaplan and Sadock: then the book title. The big issue is the DSM is coming out in May so i'd probably hold off on buying big psych books until they fit the new DSM.

I suggest going to our (crappy) website, lww.com, and looking through the books to get an idea of what you might be interested in. I know psy and neu well so if you can give me some direction in what you'd be interested in (residency books, books on a specific topic, etc) i'll pull books that fit that profile. You could also go to amazon and figure out how to search just Lippincott Williams and Wilkins books, which might be easier than navigating our site.

There's been a lot of research since 1999 though... It might not be inaccurate but it certainly will omit over a decade of research including rudimentary findings discovered through newer and more accurate techniques--many myths have been dispelled, uncertainties certified, discoveries nullified, models updated, etc., etc., etc.

I came to this thread in hopes of finding resources to help develop my psychopharm but honestly the age of that book frightens me. I have Kandel's, which is a little too encyclopedic for my current aims, and I took a class based on McKim's Brain and Behavior: An Introduction to Psychopharmacology but it was a rather brief overview of everything--not quite as encyclopedic as I'd like. Kandel's is a great reference but way too meticulous for casual learning. McKim's is great to get up to speed but lacks in depth. I'm checking out Psychopharmacology right now at the library. Also looking into Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology, of which I would immediately mention the figures and illustrations are horrendous--though this is just a surface comment as I haven't yet read any of it. But whoever the designer is, they're living in the 90s. Stuff looks straight out of 4th grade Corel Draw class. Higher budget for writing?

I liked "Basic and Clinical Pharmacology" by Bertram Katzung. I know that Rang Dale & Ritter is often on reading lists, but I didn't like it at the time I was in the market for a textbook.

A more "friendly" text is "A Primer Of Drug Action" by Robert Julien. It's a great book -- something that you can read all the way through almost in a recreational way (pun not intended; however it does have very good sections on the "recreational" drugs). Not sure how to get across what I mean... it's a "good read" rather than a textbook that one uses primarily for reference. I'd say that it's perfect for someone who wants a good introduction with a moderate amount of technical information.

Just noticed that SodiumKPump has already recommended Robert Julien's book.

• A small introduction by Joe Rogan.
  
  
• The book he references in his talk.
  
  
• Wikipedia,
  
  
• And Science!
  
  DMT is a neurotransmitter that fools the brain by taking the place of Seratonin when active, altering the way neurons interact. The WikiPedia article goes more in-depth on this. According to Wikipedia it's core function is undetermined. It may or may not be released in large quantities before death, and may or may not play a significant role in dreaming. My speculation lower down is based on it performing both those functions as, if it does neither, there is nothing really to speculate about. I have not tried it, and highly doubt that I ever will. I would at the very least wait until some proper science on the subject is performed and you can read some more reliable information about it, there is a lot of speculation at this point.
  
  As the last article explains, there are physiological explanations available for the common geometric hallucinations associated with DMT (and described by Joe Rogan). I expect that in order to explain the more complex illusions such as visions of religious figures or what have you the explanations needed are more psychological than neurological (insofar as the two are separate). There have been testimonies denying this, but it is unfortunately hopelessly anecdotal. However, we can safely assume that if DMT is what produces our dreaming effects, that trying to find wisdom or truth from a hallucination is about as sensible as trying to read your dreams for answers on life.
  
  
• Because I love to speculate, the rest of this post will pretty much be pure conjecture. I do not hold any beliefs as to the validity of any of this, until there is more information on the subject the right thing to do is suspend judgment. That isn't any fun though, so for the sake of argument, here we go:
  
  If there is an "alternate reality" that you can only perceive through the intake of extremely heavy hallucinogens, that is different from the reality in which we spend the majority of our time, then it is not likely that the drug-induced reality is the one that corresponds the most closely with physical reality. That's just not an evolutionary advantage - if DMT gave the benefit of penetrating a deeper layer of reality and increased perception, and our brain is capable of producing that neurotransmitter, it seems likely that we'd be doing that while awake and the other thing while sleeping if at all. Just like our observable reality is really constructed by our brain, so is this hallucinatory construction, although the functions involved in producing this reality are different - perhaps because the main input in the case of REM sleep seems to be the assimilation and dissemination of memories collected during the waking hours. The reality you perceive when you are awake and not on DMT in turn corresponds to sensory input from your sensory organs, and is more likely to be correlative to what is actually going on outside of you. If you want to figure stuff out about how your brain works, it's not completely impossible that a controlled trip might glean some insight. However, if you want to find out real stuff about how reality works, I think you are better off staying sober. If I had to guess, I would say it might be one stage in the process your brain uses to filter, organize and store the information it collects. You don't remember it, because the observable phenomena of the whole affair really isn't that important and may even be disruptive to the clear perception of actual reality.

You sound like a really closeminded person who could benefit from a nice DMT dose. Or at least a good read maybe.

DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences
by Rick Straussman, MD



>A clinical psychiatrist explores the effects of DMT, one of the most powerful psychedelics known.
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>• A behind-the-scenes look at the cutting edge of psychedelic research.
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>• Provides a unique scientific explanation for the phenomenon of alien abduction experiences.
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>From 1990 to 1995 Dr. Rick Strassman conducted U.S. Government-approved and funded clinical research at the University of New Mexico in which he injected sixty volunteers with DMT, one of the most powerful psychedelics known. His detailed account of those sessions is an extraordinarily riveting inquiry into the nature of the human mind and the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. DMT, a plant-derived chemical found in the psychedelic Amazon brew, ayahuasca, is also manufactured by the human brain. In Strassman's volunteers, it consistently produced near-death and mystical experiences. Many reported convincing encounters with intelligent nonhuman presences, aliens, angels, and spirits. Nearly all felt that the sessions were among the most profound experiences of their lives.
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>Strassman's research connects DMT with the pineal gland, considered by Hindus to be the site of the seventh chakra and by Rene Descartes to be the seat of the soul. DMT: The Spirit Molecule makes the bold case that DMT, naturally released by the pineal gland, facilitates the soul's movement in and out of the body and is an integral part of the birth and death experiences, as well as the highest states of meditation and even sexual transcendence. Strassman also believes that "alien abduction experiences" are brought on by accidental releases of DMT. If used wisely, DMT could trigger a period of remarkable progress in the scientific exploration of the most mystical regions of the human mind and soul."

I'm not sure of all the things this person believes, obviously, but there is a certain level of credibility to this post. An interesting read, based on documented science experiments and the pineal gland could be found here: DMT: The Spirit Molecule. It is very well done and very neutral in its balance. Worth a read.

Again, not saying that all that glimmers is gold, but that dismissing all of this without a second thought could be a mistake. The advice about having positive friends, eating healthy, exercising, and generally being a well balanced person is certainly sound advice for anyone.

The fluoride thing, however, I've never been sure on. I know that at higher levels fluoride can be dangerous, but I'm not sure what levels those are versus the levels of fluoride in our drinking water.

Seen that research too. Good stuff. Now back to our convo.

I linked to this book to try and say I agree with you in that it does happen, it's just that prohibition adds an unnecessary web to untangle to do so. For everyone of those that was actually published, many that could have been never even got off the ground.

As for the topic at hand, I do find the idea that restrictions on certain chemicals necessarily has completely prohibited researchers to be untrue. Many have come up with very interesting ways around the legal minefield to come to understand a myriad of functions of receptor systems that do a lot more than just get people high. That's just one of their many great abilities :P

As for research you were involved in....

First. All aboard the dopamine train, that sounds interesting.

But I digress. What I'm trying to say is that it was probably slightly less headaches for them to obtain the chemicals they needed than schedule I stuff. Not that they couldn't have pulled it off if they wanted to do research with cannabinoids or hallucinogenic tryptamine analogs if they wanted to. Just that it would have taken a bit more effort and slightly higher possibility that your efforts will be met with sadness.

...seriously though, I'm intrigued by the research you did. Just for sake of my curiosity, what exactly were you studying about said systems?

Edit: i made done better a sentence

Wow, that was epic. I can see how it got to the end, there, as thought it was typed all in one breath. Visually, in my head, you had turned totally "blue" by the last sentence!

Just to be clear, I am not saying that mushrooms or LSD or whatever imbue some sort of salvation, forgiveness, or justification. What I am saying is, however, that "underneath" our everyday "objective, deterministic, relativistic" (if I'm reading you right) realities, there lies an alternate reality of experience which is seemingly not based on these pillars of thought. And that's my point. Even taken subjectively, in a rigorously scientific laboratory setting, one has to acknowledge a simple fact: Subjects A, B, and C, ad infinitum, returned from a carefully monitored psychedelic experience with similar reports.

And that tells us something. Objectively. Rationally. This actually is empirically researched (check out Richard Strassman's work, for instance.

In other words, I think that much of this discussion (that's what I'm striving for, man) hinges on this: At some point, examined as data, experiences, taken as a whole, becomes objective. I contend that this world can, with the right approach and mindset, be explored objectively, scientifically, and rationally. On this level, the "information" gleaned in this approach must be either integrated in some fashion, or ultimately discarded—but, as such, it cannot be discarded merely for being unscientific.

I hope I'm not insulting you if I read from what you're saying that it seems very important to you to approach these experiences in this way.

I would argue that consensus does not define consciousness. It is important to recognize and actively acknowledge that consciousness as we know it is not universally uniform. For instance, for me, on DMT, I experienced a profoundly sexual trip, whereas a different friend of mine was literally zoomed, "spatially", to the edge of the universe and back. We are all different.

I assure you that fact grates on me as much as it may you. :D

It often seems to me that, in the Western mindset, until something is discovered or proven, it does not exist. Did X-rays exist before they were discovered? A stupid question. If someone developed cancer from exposure to X-rays, would that be a subjective experience?

The psychedelic trip is in fact the opposite of a "synthesis of known concepts or a rearrangement of current knowledge," as you say here. It is called that because, seemingly to the mind (I have to acknowledge that), it seems to impart new wisdom from elsewhere, outside of the self.

It seems as though you view the psychedelic experience as a mosquito in your tent (I apologize if that sounds like I'm "declaring" something—I don't know you, so don't let me put words in your mouth, here!). But the psychedelic experience is an integral and daily part of the human experience. During sleep, for instance, the brain's pineal gland excretes large amounts of DMT. And the pineal gland is actually one of the strangest (and least studied) glands in the body. For instance, it is the only part of the brain that is protected by the "blood/brain barrier" that is not actually part of the brain. During gestation, the gland develops from specialized tissues in the roof of the fetal mouth and, at seven weeks, 'ascends' to its seat at the base of the brain. In fact, one could say that the pineal sits at the "throne" of the brain: No other gland is better situated for more direct access to the spinal column and cerebro-spinal fluids. So I'd ask: From, a purely evolutionary standpoint... why?

Anyway, I hear what you are saying. And yes, we agree in that, actually, we both rail against the masturbatory, mystical bullshit. That does not, however, automatically eliminate mystic experiences, mysticism, or, thank God, masturbation. :D

Awww I was going for an A+. Oh well as long as you are happy.

Get yourself some books. My favorite references are books from Ask Ed and Jorge Cervantes. Jorge has an awesome DVD set that is really informative and funny. Plus I learned quite a bit from issues of High Times.

I will check back in this subreddit from time to time (I am, of course, using a secondary username). Be careful, have fun with your grow, and always remember the 1st rule - never tell anyone you are a grower.

Hey dude! Glad to see you're interested. DMT is a very mysterious psychedelic. Not much is known about it but I'll provide some cool links for you to check out!

DMT Nexus - If DMT had a website for itself, this would be it. Personally, I love to read trip reports here!

[DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences](DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences https://www.amazon.com/dp/0892819278/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hpoIyb8R265WS) - A book by Rick Strassman that I highly recommend.

Well this is a very dear topic to me, as schizophrenia has completely shaped my life. My dad was diagnosed paranoid shizophrenic when I was very young and my relationship with him was mostly via periodic long distance phone calls. His story is basically the same as A Beautiful Mind, just a different Ivy League school. Most of my life has been consumed by the fear that one day my brain would turn on me, feeling like a ticking time bomb that could go off any moment, particularly when I smoked a lot of THC I went to very bad places in my head and could literally see the line, if not crossing it for moments.

Having vomited all that out, a few questions:

• One of the major issues with paranoid schizophrenia is that taking pills from doctors (who may or may not be double secret government agents) is a major fear inherent in the delusion, so the medication often isn't taken. Do you think family members should be given more authority in these situations and the person suffering needs to have their rights to refuse treatment overrided?
  
  
• When I heard Joe Rogan talk about DMT, and subsequently read the book by Dr. Rick Strassman it, to me, completely explained schizophrenia. If this endogenous chemical is indeed what causes dreams as the evidence seems to point to, then blurring that line makes a lot more sense. Have you read up on DMT and do you think with focused studies it could lead to a cure?
  
  In the book, Dr. Strassman explains studies were making headway in the 60's before a ban on all hallucinogenics shut down the research, even though it occurs naturally in the human body.
  
  I like to think of it as like a valve to the dream world, if you do too many hallucinogens, or simply have shortages of regulatory brain chemicals to keep the DMT under control, I feel this is the most logical explanation. For example, when your brain releases it while you are asleep, your mind and body are prepared so this is normal... but if that same chemical was leaking into your mind while you're awake, couldn't that explain the hallucinations occuring and how they seem so real?
  
  NOTE: I know virtually nothing about chemistry, brain chemistry, biology, psychology or anything, so I'm sure some of this stuff can be easily dismissed, these are just the best explanations I've been able to come up with in my own research. Would love to hear from someone more knowledgable from a science perspective as well.
  
  

A Primer of Drug Action by Julien is my favorite introductory psychopharmacology text, and it's extremely accessible. No need for any chem background. They should have one of the newer editions at any university library that you could check out for free, and it's not too long of a book.
https://www.amazon.com/Primer-Drug-Action-Robert-Julien/dp/1429233435
It mostly just covers psychoactive drug action, as the title suggests, but it's an awesome read if that's what you're interested in. It may point you in some other interesting directions, as well.

Its still somewhat scientific, but DMT: The Spirit Molecule was written by a psychiatrist who was overseeing a series of experiments on the effects of DMT.

The guy writes incredibly well and delves deep into the mind and intense psychedelic experiences. He makes an excellent blend of science and spiritualism that might be what you are looking for.

Otherwise, I would try reading the personal experiences on erowid.org. Some writers are pretty detailed and capture the moments well.

Well thats the disease isnt it, that ur will is directed in the direction of drugs. Making a "choice" is based on "will" and addiction physically changes your brain (prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and the pathways between). When addiction has fully developed there is no free will. That said, the brain will heal and rewire with time, but outside support is absolutely critical until it does.

Edit: if you care about the actual Science behind addiction I'd recommend you read the book below. I could also recommend some more literature if you're interested.

https://www.amazon.com/Thirteenth-Step-Addiction-Brain-Science/dp/0231172362

Link to the MAPS store.

I just started reading The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience: The First Comprehensive Guide to the Effects of LSD on Human Personality, which has some great reviews on amazon but also from people who are in, or used to be in the field. Timothy Leary said of it, for example:

>A wonderful book...the best book ever written in this complicated field.

No they always knew it was in other bodily fluids. The big question was always is it made in the pineal gland? and then if so does it create near death experiences, dreams, schizophrenia etc.

I never really understood why it mattered if it was made in the pineal. I figured It could always just be made other places and then used by the pineal.

If you're interested read Dr. Rick Strassman's book DMT: The spirit molecule. I'm about 2/3 of the way through and it's super interesting. Plus its $20 free shipping on amazon lol.

https://www.amazon.ca/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278/ref=asc_df_0892819278/?tag=googlemobshop-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=293008485980&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16947034883533421001&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000767&hvtargid=pla-332398438263&psc=1

I always recommend A Primer of Drug Action by Julien, Advokat, and Comaty. This was my textbook for psychopharmacology, and I absolutely love it. It's a great textbook as well as an interesting read.

I really enjoyed the film - it was well edited and had lots of mesmerizing visuals. It serves as a great way of getting people more interested/informed about a substance which many people have never even heard of - it certainly would have made me want to try DMT. However, having already experienced it, I found that the movie did not have nearly as much to offer me. I would highly recommend reading Rick Strassman's Book as I found it to be much more informative than the movie.

I dont think it focuses on the religious use much but DMT: The Spirit Molecule, is worth a read
http://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278
or a watch, it's on Netflix. Not quite the same but still interesting.

Edit: yeah out of two post I missed the other about the spirit molecule. And yeah kinda cliche but a good jumping point.

One of my favorite electives in college was Psychopharmacology. Our textbook was great, still have it and use it to look up all kinds of drugs from time to time. It covers all the illicit drugs as well as prescription medication like benzos, antidepressants, etc. If you are interested in technical details ofhow drugs affect the mine, you will not be disappointed. Julien's Primer of Drug Action https://www.amazon.com/dp/1464111715/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_nG8tzbDVGC52Y

Motion picture uses visuals.

A skilled artist can use symbolism and metaphor.

Gaspar Noe has all the subtlety and nuance of Bill Clinton in a brothel.

You seem to be suggesting that film simply an't convey idas. I disagree. A film cannot get into your head the way a book can, but you can layer, reinforce and imply concepts in such a way that a audience can understand something that is not purely visual. A couple exaples that come immediately to mind are: Vertigo [1958], Ikiru [1952], 2001: Space Odyssey [1968], Metropolis [1927] and, for those who wish for something a bit more modern and 'accessible', Mean Girls [2004].

A good example of a DMT flash in the visual medium?

http://youtu.be/EElaqhquY00

I get the impression that you haven't spent a lot of time on the subject. You seem to have something of a passing fancy on this. I would say that you get out of these things what you put in. By everything you've said so far you are clearly not someone who has invested much time into the subject.

Spend some time on it and maybe do some Ayahuasca.

http://youtu.be/t6p9tC4_oME

http://youtu.be/l9nFs2PeWw0

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Gods-Original-Knowledge-Evolution/dp/0553371304

http://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

http://www.amazon.com/Supernatural-Meetings-Ancient-Teachers-Mankind/dp/1932857842/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373246015&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Inner-Paths-Outer-Space-Psychedelics/dp/159477224X

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayahuasca

A very related note is the well documented link between dislocation and addiction, especially alcohol addiction. Bruce Alexander first noted this and documented first in a paper and then in a full book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Globalization-Addiction-Poverty-Spirit/dp/0199588716/ Of course there's trauma behind addiction.

I mention this because Chogyam Trungpa was forcibly displaced from his home and culture. He didn't join the Tibetan communities in exile in India, so despite having many social connections didn't have much personal support from equals and those from his own culture. He was an alcoholic. I think that's connected.

Dislocation has been normalized now - we regularly say goodbye to family and friends to go off to study and work. But it has a strong effect, and I think has contributed to people not knowing what a real community is.

​

Despite CTR being a charismatic and gifted teacher, it's clear he had addiction (and trauma) issues. And that's part of the foundation of what created Shambhala. There have been no leaders of Shambhala that didn't have them. Like attracts like. Says something about who's drawn to Shambhala. And it's created a culture such that those dark places behind addiction have been made hard to talk about in the community.

​

​

​

I wouldn't recommend anyone spend 100+ dollars on Kandel at this point, considering the new edition is due to be out soon. I guess they just pushed it to early 2012, but still, the previous version is 10 years old now.

Squires, Berg, Bloom et al. (2008) Fundamental Neuroscience - is a pretty good one.

A nice quick read for an introductory "crash course" on neurotransmitter systems try out

Iversen et al. "Introduction to Neuropsychopharmacology". OR

Cooper et al "Biochemical Basis of Neuropharmacology".

Those are probably my three favorite books that I read as an undergrad.

I know it's about Cambodia, not India, but it's an awesome read.
'Off the Rails in Phnom Penh: Into the Dark Heart of Guns, Girls, and Ganga '

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Off-Rails-Phnom-Penh-Heart/dp/9748303349/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252531465&sr=1-1

"Getting away' is a great way to break up your routine and give you time to think. But it may not solve the source of your problem.

>Something is always nagging in the back of my mind, but that something is not specific.

This could be what's known as "social dislocation". We live in the wealthiest society of all time, with the greatest technology and living standards...yet people still feel 'something' is off.

Read this book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Globalization-Addiction-Poverty-Spirit/dp/0199588716

It wont provide all the answers, but it will let you understand why you feel this way, and it could stop you going down the road of using substances or activities as substitutes for healthy human relationships and meaning. You already mention you used food as coping mechanism.

If anyone is looking for a book that will actually change your view on psychedelics, I highly recommend The Chemistry of Mind-Altering Drugs by Daniel Perrine. Although it is literally a textbook, it's written like a story as the author himself acknowledges that drugs are not just chemical structures but have important cultural context. Here's an Amazon link for a used copy. It really did shift my perception of a lot of different things. I'm a chemistry student so it was probably particularly impactful but there's a great appendix in the back that goes over the basics of organic chemistry so you can really make yourself understand if you spend the time.

Drowsiness and slowed breathing aren't life threatening, except in the case of overdose. These are drugs which are frequently prescribed, like all drugs it has side effect, but these are remarkably minor compared with both its reputation and alcohol or tobacco.


"An individual tolerant to and dependant upon an opiate who is socially or financially capable of obtaining an adequate supply of good quality drug, sterile syringes and needles, and other paraphernalia may maintain his or her proper social and occupational functions, remain in fairly good health, and suffer little serious incapacitation as a result of dependence.(Julien, 1981 p.117)

http://www.amazon.com/Primer-Drug-Action-Robert-Julien/dp/1429233435

Unfortunately, I don't think there is any one link that will help you with that. Let me recommend some books to you that might help:

The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult is one of the most helpful tomes you will ever read. There is an entire section of "Chemognosis," which is to say real knowledge gained through this sort of experience.

There are two books by Daniel Pinchbeck I would recommend reading:

Breaking Open the Head

and

2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl

There is a clinical study on DMT, called DMT: The Spirit Molecule that is worth reading. There is a movie version of it on Netflix, but don't watch the movie over the book. Do both, but if you only do one, read the book.

There is also a documentary I would recommend watching on Ayahuasca. Watch this documentary.

I read Drugs and Behavior: An Introduction to Behavioral Pharmacology 6th ed. for a Drugs and Behavior course. Great for an introduction.

For psychology I'd have to recommend Biopsychology. Had to read this one for Brain and Behavior.

I'll throw The Lucifer Princple in just because I love it.

Let's see:

For a wealth of data but a perspective of addiction which actually disagrees with what I say (though they are selective in their interpretation) there's this:

http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674057272

The standard primer on neurobiology of addiction is this:

https://www.amazon.com/Neurobiology-Addiction-George-F-Koob/dp/0124192394/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869508&sr=8-2&keywords=drugs+koob

For a biopsychosocial perspective, there's this:

https://www.amazon.com/Drugs-Society-Human-Behavior-Carl/dp/0073529745/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869548&sr=8-4&keywords=drugs+and+society

By the same author but for a popular audience is this:

https://www.amazon.com/High-Price-Neuroscientists-Self-Discovery-Challenges/dp/0062015893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869576&sr=8-1&keywords=carl+hart

Another popular, critical book:

https://www.amazon.com/Realm-Hungry-Ghosts-Encounters-Addiction/dp/155643880X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869570&sr=8-1&keywords=in+the+realm+of+hungry+ghosts

Another popular take:
https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Scream-First-Last-Drugs/dp/1620408902


For the history of junkies in the us:

https://www.amazon.com/Creating-American-Junkie-Addiction-Research/dp/0801883830/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869591&sr=8-1&keywords=creating+the+american+junkie

A global one:

https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Oblivion-Global-History-Narcotics/dp/0393051897/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869828&sr=8-1&keywords=in+pursuit+of+oblivion

Primer on Harm Reduction:

https://www.amazon.com/Harm-Reduction-Second-Pragmatic-Strategies/dp/1462502563/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869612&sr=8-2&keywords=harm+reduction

Primer on drugs and drug policy, quite neutral:

https://www.amazon.com/Drugs-Drug-Policy-Everyone-Needs-ebook/dp/B0054ID9UG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869623&sr=8-1&keywords=drugs+kleiman

A book on the legalization of drugs:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765701510/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Another, economic take, on legalization:

https://www.amazon.com/Drug-War-Crimes-Consequences-Prohibition/dp/0945999909

Sociology of drugs in the US:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199935904/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Psychopharmacology primer intro:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0878935347/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A criticism of the concept of addiction:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0814747647/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Some more esoteric but interesting stuff on epigenetics, neuroscience etc:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0849373913/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


A great book on the anthropology of drugs (this author also writes a lot of smaller papers too):

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6614135-righteous-dopefiend

You might be interested in DMT: The Spirit Molecule.

Yes, the title is very eye-catching (and somewhat misleading), but the book concerns the experiences of a scientist who did a large government-sponsored study on DMT. It's well-written, scientifically-minded, and gives a really interesting insight into DMT.

The documentary of the same name is also good, but not as good as the book.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drugged-Science-Culture-Behind-Psychotropic/dp/0190235950

This is pretty awesome, and covers the development of the drugs too, which gives it an interesting perspective.

I recently read Drugged by Richard J. Miller and found it to be as riveting as it was informative. Highly recommended. Really does a fantastic job tracing the development of modern-day antipsychotic/antidepressant drugs from their early beginnings in the chemical dye industry. Also has a nice overview of GABAergic drug development/research from the perspective of the pharmaceutical industry. Fascinating stuff.

For a drier but more far-reaching academic account of the history of drugs, I recommend The Pursuit of Oblivion by Richard Davenport-Hines.

Ah yes, Terrence McKenna. Food of the Gods was quite an interesting read.

You might also like The Spirit Molecule, if you haven't read it already.

about LSD, i advise you to read Trip
So yes it helps to cure some addictions but it sounds more like an illumination . One guy who was in the study for alcoholic become pastor, after meeting god under lsd...

Yep,

"An individual tolerant to and dependant upon an opiate who is socially or financially capable of obtaining an adequate supply of good quality drug, sterile syringes and needles, and other paraphernalia may maintain his or her proper social and occupational functions, remain in fairly good health, and suffer little serious incapacitation as a result of dependence.(Julien, 1981 p.117)

http://www.amazon.com/Primer-Drug-Action-Robert-Julien/dp/1429233435

I really liked Julien's Primer of Drug Action. It's also easy to read.

I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I am hopeful there will be something that can work soon.

A simply worded question that takes a very long time to answer. This is way, way outside the scope of what is communicable in an online forum such as this. If you're really interested, I'd recommend reading up on psychopharmacology. Wikipedia has the basics, and this book is a great undergraduate level text.

But to very, very simply answer your question: You miss the point. Chemicals influence EVERYTHING in our brain. It's a squishy mass of structure and chemicals. Your first question (and the fourth one) put another way, is "How does the brain work?"

Your other two are extensions of this "how does the brain work" question you're really asking. It'd be really hard for me to talk about them in any depth unless you have a decent understanding of the basics of the brain.

edit:grammar

1. cant get addicted to dmt.. if anything it could help cure addiction
   
   
2. don't really know what that means exactly. but simply doing dmt is not going to get you arrested.. possession however would be bad.
   
   
3. dmt is found in every living thing.. it's known as the spirit molecule. Not a drug like any that you have ever known. It's cool if you don't want to do it, of course it isn't for everyone but I'd love if you'd take the chance and read a book by a scientist who did research on it. https://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482423415&sr=8-1&keywords=dmt+the+spirit+molecule

A book called Trips. I'm not sure of the author, but its illustrated by r. crumb. Amazing book that explains (as much as we can) how psychedelics work in the brain chemically. It's rare, but worth the search.

https://www.amazon.com/Trips-Hallucinogens-Work-Your-Brain/dp/1888363347

Here it is.

The book The Spirit Molecule was written by a psychiatrist that did IV DMT research on patients. There were notable similarities between their experiences, though I believe it is best categorized as 'esoteric' in the sense that it is essentially indescribable in a linear, human way.

The only way to know what it is like, is to experience it firsthand since there are literally zero words that accurately depict it.

For an ELI5 analogy: It is equivalent to describing to someone who is blind and has no sense of smell what it is like to stand outside and see a rainbow while breathing in the fresh air after a rainstorm.

I enjoyed Drugged (http://www.amazon.com/Drugged-Science-Culture-Behind-Psychotropic/dp/0199957975) for a not-super-heavy book on these drugs. The author crafts everything into being very story like and it flows well.

They actually did another study on dmt (the active psychedelic in ayahuasca) at the university of New Mexico from 1990-95 where they synthesized pure dmt in a lab and gave over 400 various doses and placebos to nearly 5 dozen human volunteers. I've read the book and watched the documentary on Netflix (dmt: the spirit molecule) and it is very interesting if you have some time to look into it. You can find the book here DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences https://www.amazon.com/dp/0892819278/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_iYm6wbA6J3V5V and the wiki link here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Strassman

Sometimes when you're dialing in it's handy to know exactly why the tried-and-true stuff works, tho. I can check out a list of things and see if I'm missing something and if certain things will really work.

Even more in-depth look to the exact science would be this book, which I have found to be immensely interesting and in many ways helpful even to the small-time grower-breeders like myself: https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Cannabis-Handbooks-Psychopharmacology-Pertwee/dp/0198792603

This is the book they're referring to:

https://www.amazon.com/DMT-Dialogues-Encounters-Spirit-Molecule/dp/1620557479/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549122867&sr=8-1&keywords=DMT+dialogues

I'd always recommend "The Cosmic Serpent" by Jeremy Narby. I think you're really warm in your theorizing, and some of the literature will help contextualize things for you. I do think the "entities" run our world behind the scenes and that it functions on quantum computer-like properties, and that consciousness goes down to the level of DNA. Literal computer code has actually been found in DNA. This is the big mystery of our world, and DMT is the technology that allows us to understand it.

DMT The Spirit Molecule by Dr. Rick Strassman is a great book and documentary presenting the clinical trials and experiences of volunteers who venture into the other side. An important stepping stone in psychedelic research.

Have you read Bruce Alexander's book The Globalization of Addition: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit?

In case you hadn't heard of him, he's the psychologist behind the groundbreaking Rat Park Experiment. If you haven't heard of Rat Park, it's well worth taking the time to read all about it.

I applaud your choice of careers. As a ex-addict, I can tell you honestly that no psychiatrist equipped only with academic knowledge, was ever able to help.

I personally know 4 former heroin addicts who one day got up and simply stopped using their drug of choice because they felt like it was interfering with their ability to enjoy life. As with cigarettes, addictions are not always lifelong and some people simply stop.

There are many myths about heroin, a couple are (1) it provides unbelievable amounts of pleasure that override any other needs of the end user and (2) that heroin is such an addictive substance that exposure to it causes a lifelong attachment. (1) is clearly wrong, as shown by two studies by Smith and Beecher in the late 50's/early 60's. They are:

Smith, G.M., Beecher, H.K., 1959, Measurement of “mental clouding” and other subjective effects of morphine, J. Pharmacol. 126:50–62.

Smith, G.M., Beecher, H.K., 1962, Subjective effects of heroin and morphine in normal subjects. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 136, 47–52.

These two studies found that in a double-blind setting where healthy volunteers are not told which drug they are getting, subjective effects of euphoria are sparse, if even existent. Most of those receiving the drug reported mental cloudiness, physical side effects, and dysphoria.

On (2), the claim that it is always highly addictive is also without merit. There are a number of studies in which rats or mice fail to show a preference for sweetened morphine water when allowed to choose between sweet water with and without morphine. The most famous is B.K. Alexander's "rat park" paper, in which rats that are allowed to live in normal social environments show no preference at all for water containing morphine. If the drug is so dangerous and addictive, why would no animals use it when in a healthy environment?

There is a wealth of more knowledge regarding this, along with references, in B.K. Alexander's "The Globalization of Addiction", Chapter 8.

dimethyltryptamine
There's a book about it by Dr. Rick Strassman (https://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278) that was made into a documentary (http://imdb.com/title/tt1340425/)
Also, erowid is the best resource I know of for information on psychoactives.
(https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/dmt/dmt.shtml)
Drugs aren't bad, ignorance and misuse are bad. =)

DMT: The Spirit Molecule :: describes how DMT spikes are released when we're born and die and the connections the author believes are made once we understand that the pineal gland is the seat of the spirit.

The Archaic Revival: Speculations on Psychedelic Mushrooms, the Amazon, Virtual Reality, UFOs, Evolution, Shamanism, the Rebirth of the Goddess, and the End of History by Terence McKenna :: Discusses origins of mankind and the probable development of higher-consciousness through psilocybin and other entheogens. Also discusses beings in realms that closely resemble the same realms discussed in the book My Big T.O.E. below.

Supernatural: Meetings with the Ancient Teachers of Mankind by Graham Hancock :: Discusses how, through different culture's entheogens (natural cultural psychedelics), one can see/visit/communicate with other beings co-evolving with us through history. Just like humans are evolving in this plane, this author believes that the stories of Elves or Fairies are the same beings that have now become Greys/Aliens in today's mythos. He discusses his journeys and experiences as well as other's first-hand accounts on certain entheogens and the patterns seen.

Not In His Image: Gnostic Vision, Sacred Ecology, and the Future of Belief by John Lamb Lash :: discusses how the current Judea-Christian god is a counterfeit-mimic deity (villain of the galaxy basically) and how we're trapped in a false-copy (matrix) of a more perfect realm. Goes through the Gnostic mythos that shows and explains how they came to write/believe such concepts.

My Big T.O.E./Theory Of Everything by Thomas Campbell :: doesn't use psychedelics to achieve other states of consciousness but uses transcendental meditation and science to map non-physical matter realities. The author is one of the early students from the Monroe Institute (of Out-of-Body experience fame).

It's called "Indroduction to Neuropyschopharmacology". Here's a link on Amazon. I would highly recommend checking it out. It's VERY technical, so you will likely be checking wikipedia quite often, but it is well worth it once you get past the wordiness.

Yeah, whoever that idiot was... who told you that... perhaps do not get that info from him.

Read this:
http://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411401115&sr=8-1&keywords=dmt+spirit

DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences by Rick Strassman.

Pretty much ALL the subjects of the experiment at an American university reported contact with "intelligent entities" when they went away from their bodies.

Which explains why this piece was chosen for the book DMT: The Spirit Molecule. Awesome book, BTW.

I own this book, The Chemistry of Mind Altering Drugs. Excellent read that goes into every detail of the drug, history, pharmacology, synthesis, etc. It also includes a organic chemistry lesson in the appendix. Highly recommended

Find a cheap, easy and efficient way to produce pure DMT. Everyone should do DMT at least once.

I'll just leave this here.

Dreams are THE most important concept we as a species need to understand. I think we'll come to find that our very rudimentary understanding of reality as a whole depends on how well we understand the structure, geometry and properties of the subjective experience of dreams.

The Spirit Molecule covers DMT and the clinical study on it that Rick Strassman did, its very interesting.

DMT The Spirit Molecule

https://www.amazon.com/Drugged-Science-Culture-Behind-Psychotropic/dp/0190235950/ref=nodl_
Highly recommend this book if you like these kinds of anecdotes

The Chemistry of Mind-Altering Drugs: History, Pharmacology, and Cultural Context

This is hands-down one of the best books out there.

I believe it was in this textbook but honestly it’s packed away right now because we’re moving. I’ll try to remember to get more details when everything’s unpacked.

Yes. "DMT is the Kingdom of God at hand." You figure that out, and everything I said falls into place.

It's documented in his book; DMT: The Spirit Molecule.

>From 1990 to 1995 Dr. Rick Strassman conducted U.S. Government-approved and funded clinical research at the University of New Mexico in which he injected sixty volunteers with DMT, one of the most powerful psychedelics known. His detailed account of those sessions is an extraordinarily riveting inquiry into the nature of the human mind and the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.

As loathe as I am to broach the subject given the general lack of credible research, the book every molly lover cites is "DMT: The Spirit Molecule"

You can also find some articles on in by Steve Burkle and P.D. Newman (alternately credited as Philip or Danny or Daniel) on Piettre Stones; especially concerning the poorly structured arguments that the MM degree is an instruction on extracting DMT from acacia (which one, as not all of them contain is never approached).

Are you sure, you couldn't convince your WM for a better topic?

And then read about DMT. Also, Strassman's work with the chemical is fascinating to read about.

It totally looks like the front cover of Dr Rick Strassman's book: DMT the spirit molecule.
http://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

I think a good place to start is here: Rick Strassman - DMT the Spirit Molecule

Basically, the pituitary gland seems to be the "seat of consciousness", or the "dominant monad" of the body and mind. These kids have their own separate pituitary glands, see? It's located front and center of the head--right behind the eyes. So, for example, if you "see yourself through your own eyes", "you" seem to be physically located right there, don't you? Like an inch or two inside the top of the bridge of your nose or somethin.

You know, Shit like that's in this book...

DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences. Can link you to a pdf if you're interested.

In case anyone is interested: DMT, The Spirit Molecule

You might enjoy the book

I recommend reading Rick Strassman's DMT: The Spirit Molecule

This book is really good.

I've started reading DMT: The Spirit Molecule by Rick Strassman a few times but never really finished it. From what I've pulled from it thus far there seems to be a big role of your pineal gland in your brain that has to do with producing DMT and giving somewhat of a spiritual experience during near-death, or death experiences. Definitely rides the fence between science and spirituality. The tough part is knowing what's real, although I like the way you framed it.

Dopamine makes you feel good. Dimethyltryptamine makes you the ocean.

Check out The Chemistry of Mind-Altering Drugs: History, Pharmacology, and Cultural Context. This book is a good match for your description. It is published by the American Chemical Society. It's not too heavy on the biochemistry aspect of psychoactive drugs, just the chemistry of the drug molecules themselves.

Goodman and Gilman


If you're looking for something simpler, this is a good primer on drug action

If you have any background in organic chemistry, I'd strongly recommend this neurochem book.

It does not primarily focus on the gross structural aspects of the brain but rather the fine structural components of neurons from a number of the neurotransmitter systems. Additionally, it covers the mechanisms of action of various drugs.

edit: clarity/brevity

Strassman's book, DMT: The Spirit Molecule is interesting. I am sure drugs are imperfect (not trustworthy re: the way people respond to them - and, our brains are very delicate and I do NOT suggest hallucinogenics to anyone - to each their own) and this book shows that angle. I've not read it in a while, but recall people had some strange experiences that were not in the usual categories of NDEs, and I'd call them drug experiences, not NDE experiences.

You could research DMT, get some grant funding from the government, and go out to the middle of the ocean, toke up, and then try to establish communication with various sentient undersea denizens. You could try to talk with them while you're tripping balls, ask them to meet you at so-and-so coordinates (kind of in the style of Aquaman, only without the real-time sea denizen command) then stand by and wait for them to arrive.

hey sorry for the insane late reply. this book http://www.amazon.com/The-Globalization-Addiction-Poverty-Spirit/dp/0199588716 does a great job of highlighting free markets effect on dislocation. gabor mate is terrific too. also there are many studies on stress from poverty. you really have to take an interdisciplinary approach to hit the big theory

Sure check out Dr Rick Strassmans published findings in his book released in 2000

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

He was one of the only sciencists authorised by the DEA to inject and study 60 patients with DMT.

Does he? That's listed as one of the premises of the book on amazon.

"DMT: The Spirit Molecule makes the bold case that DMT, naturally released by the pineal gland, facilitates the soul's movement in and out of the body and is an integral part of the birth and death experiences, as well as the highest states of meditation and even sexual transcendence. " From here

It's a theory, hasn't been proven yet, especially since it is extremely difficult to get permission to do legitimate studies on the psychedelics.

Most interesting take on it I've read so far has been DMT - The Spirit Molecule by Dr. Rick Strassman.

Read DMT: The Spirit Molecule.

And then check out the DMT-Nexus.

If you want the tl;dr version: There is no evidence that the pineal gland plays any role in endogenous DMT production. A ton of plants contain DMT, check out this list.

DMT: The Spirit Molecule by Strassman M.D., Rick

https://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

There is a book by a slightly different name on this topic.

The spirit molecule

Here's a link to Strassman's book on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372788973&sr=8-1&keywords=dmt

DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences

Rick Strassman's "The Spirit Molecule"

DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences https://www.amazon.com/dp/0892819278/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_BwBLwbVTGP6GF

http://www.amazon.com/Primer-Drug-Action-Robert-Julien/dp/1429233435

Not extremely difficult to follow.

I had an older version of this book which was quite informative. I'd be surprised if the current version isn't better.

No, I like books.

https://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

Here is a documentary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwZqVqbkyLM

I can help with the dying/reaching up one. During death, the psycho-active drug known as 'DMT' is released from the pineal gland into the person's bloodstream. In Rick Strassman's studies of the drug, patients were given a 'hit' of the drug, purely to test how their bodies and minds would react. It was extremely common for that person to reach out for the other people in the room, both the doc in the room and the nurse(s).

Could be related, not sure. Check out the book if you're interested: http://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

Not sure if you're familiar with Dr. Rick Strassman's work on the subject. Correlating the experiences of experienced DMT users and those who had no idea what DMT was prior to his study.

I HIGHLY (no pun intended) recommend his book 'DMT: The Spirit Molecule'. Or if you don't like to read, there is always the Documentary Version.

https://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

This is the study I refer to. There's a documentary of the same name, which has interviews with many of the subjects in the study. You should check them out.

get this and read it too. http://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

Knowledge is power, friend.

Addiction is a difficult thing to deal with. I was recommended this book ("The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit") and I, in turn, recommend that you read it.

Seriously. Buy it and read it.

Prove it. The last Dmt study was by Dr Rick Strassman and it shows that peoples experiences were extremely similar to eachother Not just random hallucinations but similar experiences in almost every patient. You can read the book for yourself.

https://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511667251&sr=8-1&keywords=dmt+the+spirit+molecule

you should check out this book, there's a whole chapter for each

http://www.amazon.ca/Dmt-Spirit-Molecule-Rick-Strassman/dp/0892819278

I'm not familiar with any psychonaut themes, but there is this

Another one falls Off the Rails in Phnom Penh.

Found one of the books: https://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

Check out the book, too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtT6Xkk-kzk

https://smile.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences-ebook/dp/B003N3U3J4/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_g5171374337?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0&ie=UTF8

http://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

Off The Rails in Phnom Penh: https://www.amazon.com/Off-Rails-Phnom-Penh-Heart/dp/9748303349

http://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341352247&sr=1-1&keywords=dmt+spirit+molecule

Dr. Rick Strassman

http://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

You should check this book out
http://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

it has some insights on the exact moment that the soul enters the body through the pineal gland

read this: https://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences-ebook/dp/B003N3U3J4

homie was (legally) injecting people left and right.

You should read the book "The Spirit Molecule". It focuses on DMT and near death experience, although it gets a little iffy on the spiritual side. But overall it pretty comprehensively covers what we know about this by a Dr.

OR you get assraped by a crocodile (if I remember one of the stories correctly from this book).

https://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

The first part was literally proposed by the psychiatrist behind The Spirit Molecule.
>Strassman's research connects DMT with the pineal gland, considered by Hindus to be the site of the seventh chakra and by Rene Descartes to be the seat of the soul. DMT: The Spirit Molecule makes the bold case that DMT, naturally released by the pineal gland, facilitates the soul's movement in and out of the body and is an integral part of the birth and death experiences, as well as the highest states of meditation and even sexual transcendence.

As you can see, one part does not exclude the other. I agree with you (and I've been through some crazy shit on mushrooms), but someone who doesn't won't be convinced by this text.

You are subjected to the most intense DMT trip you could imagine and then fade away into light.
Reading DMT: The Spirit Molecule completely changed my view on death. I'm not excited to die, but part of me is looking forward to the trip.

Make sure you have your fundamentals down, otherwise the rest will be noise (or worse, appear to be simple),

[Introduction to Neuropsychopharmacology (Iversen, Bloom, & Roth)] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0195380533/)

[Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific Basis and Practical Applications (4e)] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1107686466/)

This is not always true. Time perception is more often distorted in a dream. (As theoretically it is simply a reaction in the brain with nn,DMT. Outlined in the book DMT: the Spirit Molecule.)

A Primer of Drug Action. By Juilen.

http://www.amazon.com/Primer-Drug-Action-Robert-Julien/dp/1429233435/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347584740&sr=8-1&keywords=a+primer+drug+action

If your feeling lazy

The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit by Bruce Alexander (famous for the Rat Park experiments).

Bruce Alexander's (of Rat Park fame) book is a must-read, imo:
The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit

really? REALLY?! your brain searching your memory?! what a load of poppycock.

The fact is, no one knows what happens when you die, but clinical studies and the power of actual SCIENCE is leading us to believe the brain is dumping all it's Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) at once. when you dream it lets out a very small drop, we're talking not visible to the naked eye. supposedly the pineal gland may contain up to .2 fl oz (about a small clear eyes bottle) of DMT at any one time and when this "flash" occurs, it is all that DMT being dumped at once. Essentially, it's natures last hurrah -aka TRIPPING BALLS MAN!!!

http://www.amazon.com/DMT-Molecule-Revolutionary-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/0892819278

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyltryptamine

>är det inte lite så att vi borde titta på en mer generell lösning på missbruk?

För detta krävs ju att man faktiskt intresserar sig för främmande perspektiv.

T.ex.:

• Hur blir man narkoman? : och hur hindrar vi det?
  
  
• The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease
  
  
• (Q&A - The Neuroscience of Addiction - with Marc Lewis)
  
  
• In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
  
  
• (The Power of Addiction and The Addiction of Power: Gabor Maté at TEDxRio+20)
  
  
• Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit
  
  
• Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction
  
  
• (Drug Addiction Is a Learning Disorder, says Maia Szalavitz)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

> like to label you with a 'disorder', send you on your way with meds, and if that doesn't 'fix' you, it's your individual responsibility

That's what this book on addiction says _'The Globalization of Addiction'_ that it is a systemic problem. Addiction can never be solved if the environment people live in is exactly the same as what a person left to go to a "treatment program" from. If people are disconnected, chronically stressed, alienated, persecuted,(often in poverty on top of all of that), there is no way to not be very susceptible to some kind of addiction.

This is stupid as fuck. Sorry, but you can downvote me all you want.

Edit: Read a damn book

Addiction is never caused by substances. One can be surrounded by substances of all kinds and even enjoy them once in a while and not become addicted. This even goes for heroin. A group of friends can all try it and most will not become addicted. Addiction takes time and effort. It is not something that happens to people; rather it is a behavior people adopt whenever they are over-stressed or depression, they feel helpless to improve their situation in tangible ways, or when they're isolated and without membership in any supportive communities.

If you're interested in the science of addiction, there is no better resource than Bruce Alexander's amazing new book The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit.

Bruce Alexander, well-known for the seminal Rat Park Experiment which turned our understanding of the causes of addiction on its head, describes the common factors between all addictions, whether overtly beneficial like workaholicism or popular like shopaholicism and so on.

He concludes that addiction is increasing the world over because of the destruction of community by free-market ideology and the increasing isolation of individuals.

Anyway, the main point is this: substances are never the causes of addictions. What causes someone to become an addict and another just to try something and walk away disinterested, is a very important topic these days.

In your case, for example, you said you used to skip school and avoid family so that you could smoke weed. I suspect that it wasn't solely the great attractiveness of weed that caused you to behave this way. In fact I would guess that smoking weed was only a superficial symptom of the cause of your addictive behaviors and that there is something you have overlooked as the real cause. Perhaps depression or social phobias, or unbearable anxieties, or a difficulty adapting to a meaningless and pointless occupation.... The potential causes of addiction are many and we are exploring all of them more than ever. I

To me, this indicates that we're living in a profoundly sick society and that people are so despairing and hopeless that they'll do whatever they can to self-medicate their hopelessness or loneliness away.

>Det är självklart att den avancerade teknologin, vårt avancerade samhälle etc har bidraget till ett lyckligare liv.

Intressant observation. Vad grundar du detta påstående på? Många moderna sjukdomar och oönskade sinnestillstånd är nämligen direkt kopplade till den stress som uppstår till följd av all hets och framtidsdyrkan.

Ett fåtal exempel är koncentrationssvårigheter, generaliserat ångestsyndrom, klinisk depression samt missbrukarbeteenden.

• When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection (Gabor Maté)
  
  
• The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit (Bruce K. Alexander)
  
  >Personligen så siktar jag på att nå min högsta potential. Har nyligen fått min första riktiga jobb och siktar på att jobba mig uppåt. Jag vill lära mig mer om organisation och struktur, få arbetserfarenhet kort och gott.
  
  Tittade du på videoklippet jag länkade till? Det du beskriver är nämligen precis den vanföreställning som oerhört många lever med. Det är den närmast religiösa tron på att meningsfullhet i livet endast går att uppnå genom en ständig strävan efter ett (illusoriskt) mål.
  
  Varför vill du lära dig mer om organisation och struktur? Varför vill du få det du kallar arbetserfarenhet?
  
  Missförstå mig inte. Jag ser inget problem i att arbeta, däremot ser jag ett problem i att arbeta (och studera) för ett mål som inte existerar. Studier, forskning, kreativa övningar och arbete bör alla vara mål i sig själva. Ens huvudsakliga syssla i livet bör vara ovillkorligt meningsfull, utan krav på framtida prestation och resultat.
  
  Jag studerade varken matematik eller teoretisk fysik för att jag hade ett mål i sikte, utan jag gjorde det enkom för att det var roligt och för att jag upplevde en i arbetet inneboende meningsfullhet. Detsamma gäller min heltidssyssla (forskning och viss undervisning) samt mitt skapande av musik.
  
  >Med att spela musik så blir det inte roligt att vara på samma nivå och ständigt spela samma låtar.
  
  Ännu en intressant observation. Att vänja sig vid en låt så pass att man direkt hamnar i ett flow när den framförs är nämligen bland det mest njutbara som går att uppleva i musikväg. Visst improviserar man ibland, men det sker spontant och man gör det inte för att man känner att man uppnår ett framtida mål.
  
  Detsamma gäller matematikstudier; man utforskar inte den matematiska världen för att man föreställer sig ett framtida mål, utan för att man upplever en villkorslös mening i de intellektuella och de kreativa aspekterna av arbetet.
  
  >Man vill lära sig mer och bli bättre, såklart. Detta är detsamma i vårat samhälle. Man jobbar för att att effektivera och förbättra allt ständigt. Det är inte logiskt att anse att det är något negativt.
  
  Jag förmodar att detta är vad man får lära sig under sin uppväxt, men anser du alltså att man inte bör ifrågasätta de rådande normerna?
  
  Se gärna detta klipp (även detta är omkring två minuter långt) gällande effektivisering inom grundskolan. Kohn har även författat boken Feel-Bad Education som disktuerar ämnet mer utförligt.
  
  Varför vill du effektivisera allt? Du talar om logik, men du har själv inte konstruerat ett logiskt giltigt argument som talar för din vilja att sträva efter mer och bättre.
  
  Du verkar basera din tro på rena auktoritetsargument och naturalistiska felslut. Har du studerat argumentationsanalys, kritiskt tänkande eller logik på någon nivå högre än den som eventuellt lärs ut vid gymnasiet (formellt eller på fritiden)?
  
  Vad är det du personligen försöker uppnå med din effektivisering?
  
  Kort och gott: När du står inför döden, vad tror du dig då ha fått ut av din ständiga strävan efter effektivisering?
  
  (Du springer i ett mentalt hamsterhjul för att du tror att det tar dig till ett odefiniterat (och odefinierbart) mål; det är fullt möjlig att stiga av hjulet och istället ta sig en joggingrunda i vacker skogsmiljö, och på så vis njuta av det medan det sker, utan att allt hänger på hallucinerade framtidsvisioner.)