WORLD ON DRUGS - NATHAN HUTSON H3

Picture this: a middle aged man leaning over his desk, laughing hysterically as his pen frantically scribbles the many ideas his brain could manage. This experience was fueled by nitrous oxide, and it was William James’ true taste of mysticism. Two pieces, an article published in 1889 titled Consciousness Under Nitrous Oxide - and James’ work of 1902 The Varieties of Religion - explain that after the effects of the gas wore off James felt like he was left with “tattered fragments” of his past revelations. 

Since the day a monkey plucked a psilocybin mushroom, ate it, and tripped- the world landed on a new race: drugs. Throughout time we watch the discoveries, cultivation, and evolution of drug use flourish throughout societies and cultures, even becoming traditionally used like Peyote in Machu Pichu or opium in the middle east. 

Although there are countless dangerous, fatal, and life-ruining side effects that come with nearly every above pharmaceutical, it has been proven that certain drug use allows the expansion of the mind, and not so much in the hysterical sense one might assume when one takes cocaine or dmt.

A little bit on DMT… DMT is scientifically known as N,N-Dimethyltryptamine - a psychedelic drug typically used for insane, out of body experiences. Commonly known as “the businessman’s drug,” DMT lasts only for 15 minutes in real time. But badda bing, badda boom, you could be stuck in a DMT trip for YEARS and you don’t really know how you will truly be in there til you try it. 

Religious use today: To this day peyote is still commonly used and supported by The Native American Church. “Despite many laws against the use of peyote, these members of the Native American Church have steadfastly maintained their right to worship in their own way. They have suffered imprisonment and have fought in the courts, which, for the most part, have upheld this right.” -Britannica 

The use of peyote in native american cultures are often contested by the strictness and struggle for the use of LSD by whites; but the religious backlight, importance and strength of experience, along with the fight for peyote, gives non-recreational users a glimpse at how important this substance is - ceremoniously.

 

“Nitrous oxide was the passport that allowed James to see religion from the believer's perspective, traveling between the worlds of science and faith.” -Dmitri Tymochzo The Atlantic

For James along with thousands of other first time users, narcotics gave them a new perspective - the perspective that there are many perspectives; meaning, that mysticism, religion, etc. are all achievable sights, but their range is so vast that one will never understand another. We will never be able to fully understand one’s religious, mystic, feelings. We just can’t sit there and think: “I know exactly what they’re feeling.” Because we don’t. But we do have empathy, brains, hearts, and for some people, drugs. 

Now, wrapping up this article, I want to make it very clear that I do not condone the use of any drugs. This article is a perspective on how interconnected drug use has brought us, and connected people can really get when using such a strong and mysterious substance. There is still so much behind narcotics that we don’t know, and could never know. But it obviously has brought societies and cultures together throughout time. Religiously, on a spiritual and meaningful level, we might never understand it. It all looks insane once you’re sober, after all.

Works Referenced:

theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1996/05/the-nitrous-oxide-philosopher/376581/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Native-American-Church

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

My Brain