Think of acid and you probably think about drugged-out hippies twirling obliviously to the Grateful Dead. Turns out, LSD has been badly misrepresented.
With new studies proving how beneficial psychedelic drugs can be for our bodies and minds, there could come a day when we look back and scoff for not getting on board sooner.
Keep reading to discover exactly how psychedelic drugs may actually be wonder drugs.
Our egos stand down when on LSD.
In a recent study, brain scans revealed our cerebral activity increases when on LSD.
Using an array of brain-imaging techniques, scientists were able to deduce that a brain on LSD is a "more unified brain." This higher level of connectivity also correlated with a repressed ego. That's something we could all benefit from.
Magic mushrooms can help you quit smoking.
Research has shown psilocybin, the active chemical in magic mushrooms, can help smokers kick their bad habit.
Johns Hopkins researchers studying the effects of psilocybin found that 12 out of 15 cigarette smokers were able to quit after tripping while listening to relaxing music -- that's twice the rate of those who quit using standard medication.
Even if you're not a smoker, that sounds like a pleasant Sunday afternoon.
LSD can effectively treat depression and anxiety.
From the '50s to the '70s, the federal government funneled millions of dollars into researching LSD. This was before the Summer of Love, before any casual user or government official had a chance to sully the drug's reputation.
While they tested the drug on participants with ailments ranging from depression to OCD to autism, LSD proved especially effective for treating alcoholics.
MDMA has been proven to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
The euphoric feeling people experience when taking MDMA has shown to help lessen the effects of PTSD and associated bouts of depression. Studies have shown MDMA helps sufferers relive past traumas and ultimately come to terms with their turbulent pasts.
Charleston, SC, psychiatrist Dr. Michael Mithoefer found 86 percent of the patients he treated with MDMA were cured completely by the drug.
While there are still some negative health concerns associated with the casual use of MDMA, these kinds of studies prove there are many cases where it is worth the risk, especially for the severely emotionally repressed.
At the very least, taking psychedelic drugs pose relatively no harm.
Teri Krebs, a researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, says, statistically, taking psychedelic drugs is about as harmful for your brain as playing soccer. In that case, tripping on acid must be way better for you than joining the NFL.
The only real negative side effect of taking psychedelic drugs is the threat of experiencing a bad trip. And that, depending on your history, may ward you off the substances altogether.
To each their own.
