Transcending Culture with Psychedelics

    

    The establishment of rules and laws is fundamental among many cultures. Some tend to, by the judgment of the collective, be more rigorous or tolerant when it comes to what is acceptable. James Albert Banks, founding director of the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Washington, points out that: "The essence of a culture is not its artifacts, tools, or other tangible cultural elements but how the members of the group interpret, use, and perceive them." (Banks) The use and perception of psilocybin mushrooms and other psychedelic drugs vary; some cultures have considered a substance of outstanding medical and spiritual value; others have made it illegal under false premises.

    Psilocybin mushrooms are mushrooms that contain a naturally-occurring psychoactive and hallucinogenic  compound called psilocybin. It is considered one of the most well-known psychedelics and can be found in all continents. This substance's history goes back thousands of years with evidence of its use dated 6000 to 8000 years ago. Many historians and scientists believe that the ingestion of psilocybin and other compounds played a role in the origin of religions and even in our biological evolution. During the 50s and early 60s, a significant movement, known as the psychedelic era, caused the popularity of psilocybin to rise in modern societies. In 1967, the US and most countries decided to make psilocybin illegal, claiming that it had no medical purpose and a high risk of addiction. All undergoing scientific research was canceled; consequently, the public was sold a nonfactual narrative about the drug. For many years propaganda convinced Americans that engaging with psychedelics was a dangerous move.

    Starting in the early 2000s, the research on psychedelics in the US began to pick up its pace again, and the results were promising. Research has shown that psilocybin can be used to treat several diseases, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and drug addiction. In a controlled study conducted by Johns Hopkins University, participants rated their experience as one of the three most meaningful of their entire lives. ( Lewis)  Another astounding side effect reported by some participants was the complete lack of fear of death after the experience. ( Schiffman)   Much research has yet to be done, but these assuring results might be just what we need to start swapping lenses and realize the value these molecules could bring to our society.

    In many cultures, the psychedelic experience is considered a spiritual practice, associated with healing, personal realizations, and self-transcendence. Brazil, my country of birth, is one of the most liberal places when it comes to psilocybin. It believes that the involvement of psychedelics in religious practices must be respected and protected. For that reason, Brazil has become one of the most popular countries where tourists travel to have a psychedelic experience. The so-called psychedelic retreats are common in the Amazon Rainforest. During the practice, specific songs are played while someone with more experience guides the participants. The recognized neuroscientist, and philosopher, Sam Harris wrote: "The power of psychedelics, however, is that they often reveal, in the span of a few hours, depths of awe and understanding that can otherwise elude us for a lifetime" (Harris). Given how non-ordinary the experience is, people often have difficulty explaining or describing it; it's common to hear that language simply fails to do so.

    Psychedelics have been part of human history since the beginning. Modern society, however, seems to have distanced itself from nature and its offerings. Recent science has begun to shift the cultural perspective, taking a fresh look at psilocybin and its mysteries, potentially bringing insights into the nature of our minds. As generations come and go, cultural norms deviate, and attitudes change. Our next significant change might be lurking on the other side of a mushroom.

Work Cited

Banks, James. “The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA): Culture.”  CARLA,  University Of Minnesota, 2019, carla.umn.edu/culture/definitions.html.

Harris, Sam. “#1 — Drugs and the Meaning of Life | Sam Harris.”  Sam Harris | Home of the Waking Up Podcast,  Making Sense, 2013, samharris.org/subscriber-extras/drugs-and-the-meaning-of-life.

Lewis, Tanya. “Johns Hopkins Scientists Give Psychedelics the Serious Treatment.”  Scientific American,  16 Jan. 2020,

www.scientificamerican.com/article/johns-hopkins-scientists-give-psychedelics-the-serio us-treatment.

Schiffman, Richard. “Psilocybin: A Journey Beyond the Fear of Death?”  Scientific American , 1 Dec.2016,

www.scientificamerican.com/article/psilocybin-a-journey-beyond-the-fear-of-death .

Loria, Kevin. “What Ayahuasca - Silicon Valley's Latest Drug of Choice - Does to Your Brain and Body.”  Business Insider,  Business Insider, 7 Oct. 2018, www.businessinsider.com/ayahuasca-health-effects-brain-and-body-2018-10.

López Juan.  “A Cave In Spain Contains the Earliest Known Depictions of Mushrooms.”

Mushroom, www.mushroomthejournal.com/a-cave-in-spain-contains-the-earliest-known-depictions-o f-mushrooms/.