MUSINGS

MUSINGS: A PASSION PROJECT

  • WELCOME

    WELCOME

    My higher education has come to a close I want to pressure myself intellectually and continue my evolution: mentally, physically and socially. So here I am, I hope you enjoy the content I will be providing!

    My Interests 

    For me, there has always been –and there might always be– a fascination with this psychological quadrant; thinking, feeling, behaving and experiencing. The range of contradictory extremes of each element is especially interesting. To go one step further I enjoy thinking about and examining deeper issues pertaining to both consciousness and philosophical ideas. It would be safe to say that I am motivated in two facets. Intrinsically, I want to develop a better understanding of myself, formulate a more concise perspective of being human and live a healthier lifestyle. Extrinsically, I want others to discover my writings and find them interesting and useful.

    What are the main topics that will be discussed on this website? The first will be under the umbrella category of Psychology similar to the breadth of the psychological quadrant there will be a large range of items being explored. There will be some fundamental questions aswell; some original, others, using people’s (more reputable) ideas and perspective. More specifically I would like to cover subjects like social psychology, psychodynamic theories, cognitive science, and neuroscience. Don’t be suprised, however, if you find articles and posts related to lifestyle: social media, health, and knowledge.

    With questions like these we are quick to establish a parsimonious answer, contrary to the extremely complicated nature of things. With the technological rise and access to new information questions like these transform in nature.  Both, science and the arts should run perpendicular. Both disciplines are very related and in my opinion very important to examined and not be ignored.

    Hopefully, I have caught some of your interests and you will follow along on my journey of self improvement, philosophy, mysticism, and science (I realize this is perceived as a contradiction but let’s have fun with it). Let’s discover new ideas and explore this beautiful internal and external world.

    – Reid Carlson –

    05/08/2018

  • Death

    I am grateful for life

    As death grants us the ability to live

    I am grateful for death

    -Reid

  • Love

    Love

    Love

    Love Fate

    Love the Universe

    Love Life

    Love

  • Observed personality change post psychedelic use (#3)

    Observed personality change post psychedelic use (#3)

    AUTHORS NOTE: The background section will be uploaded with each post, so there will be no need to check back. If you have already read the background, feel free to scroll down to paragraph two. Recommended Readings: The Tides of Minds: Uncovering the Spectrum of Consciousness by David Gelernter

    Background

    Classic Hallucinogenic drugs are agonists of our serotonergic receptors. They are able to produce significant changes in the perceptions of those who consume them. Historically, some hallucinogens have been used in cultural rituals, spiritual ceremonies, and developmental rites of passage (Piotrowski, 2013). Common hallucinogens are Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), psilocybin (from mushrooms), mescaline (from peyote), and the potent dimethyltryptamine (DMT). The experience can be either pleasant or upsetting, and the duration of the experience varies from experience to experience and from substance to substance. Most of these substances have been illegal since the 1970s; however, they have regained interest among researchers for the treatment of different types of mental stress and mental disorders (Piotrowski, 2013). Personality can develop through the desire to change and the belief that change is possible. Then one can begin to perform the necessary new behaviors, which, over time, become habitual and lead to lasting personality change (Funder, 2016, p. 249). Spontaneous, lasting change seems to be rare, so it would be interesting if the temporary subjective change in a person’s perception would also change some aspects of a person’s personality. This review will examine the effects of psychedelics on personality, where personality refers to an individual’s characteristic patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior, together with the psychological mechanisms—hidden or not—behind those patterns. (Funder, 2016, p. 5).

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    Personality, psychopathology, life attitudes, and neuropsychological performance among ritual users of ayahuasca: a longitudinal study

    Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychoactive plant medicine containing the serotonergic agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). This psychedelic brew commonly contains the ayahuasca vine Banisteriopsis caapi, as well as monoamine oxidase-inhibiting alkaloids that make it orally active by using the Chacruna shrub Psychotria viridis, which has traditional use among Brazilian churches but has spread into North America and Europe. When used in these religious rituals, ayahuasca is used twice a month.

    There were two different sample groups, both with separate controls. The first group of participants was taken from jungle communities. This group (n = 56) was sampled from Céu do Mapiá, a community of religious ayahuasca users within the Amazon rainforest. The estimated lifetime exposure to ayahuasca in this group was between 360 and 1080 times. The control group (n = 56) was recruited from the nearest community to Céu do Mapiá, Boca do Acre. Out of the 56 controls only 7 have ever had previous experience with ayahuasca. The second sample was taken from urban areas. The ayahuasca user group (n = 71) consisted of members from a religious group called Barquinha located in the city of Rio Branco, with an average lifetime exposure to ayahuasca of an estimated average of 360–1440 times. The urban control group (n = 59) was taken from the same city, with only four of the participants ever ingesting ayahuasca. The researchers took a total of ten separate measures ranging from socio-demographics, personality, psychopathology, and neuropsychological performance tasks associated with planning and memory. They also took three separate measures of life attitudes and psychosocial well-being.

    Users of ayahuasca showed higher reward dependence and self-transcendence and lower harm avoidance and self-directedness. They also scored significantly lower on all the psychopathology measures, in terms of anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Furthermore, the ayahuasca users performed better on the neuropsychological performance tasks. Higher scores were also found on spiritual orientation, life purposefulness, and well-being. Interestingly, these findings were maintained one year later.

    References

    Bouso, J. C., González, D., Fondevilla, S., Cutchet, M., Fernández, X., Ribeiro Barbosa, P. C., & … Mazza, M. (2012). Personality, psychopathology, life attitudes and neuropsychological performance among ritual users of ayahuasca: a longitudinal study. Public Library of Science, 7(8) , 1-13. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0042421

    Carhart-Harris, R., Kaelen, M., Bolstridge, M., Williams, T., Williams, L., Underwood, R.,…Nutt, D. (2016). The paradoxical psychological effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Psychological Medicine, 46(7), 1379-1390. doi:10.1017/S0033291715002901

    Funder, D. (2016) The personality puzzle. W.W. Norton & Company.

    Griffiths R. R., Johnson M. W., Richards W.A., Richards B. R., McCann U. D., and Jesse R. (2011). Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology 218, 649-665. doi: 10.1007/s00213-011-2358-5

    MacLean, K. A., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2011). Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 25(11), 1453-1461. doi:10.1177/0269881111420188

    Piotrowski, N. A. (2013). Hallucinogens. Salem Press Encyclopedia Of Science

  • Observed personality change post psychedelic use (#2)

    Observed personality change post psychedelic use (#2)

    AUTHORS NOTE: The Background section will be uploaded with each post so there will be no need to check back. If you have already read the background feel free to scroll down to paragraph, 2. Recommended Readings: Trip: Psychedelics, Alienation, and Change by Tao Lin

    Background

    Classic Hallucinogenic drugs are agonists of our serotonergic receptors. They are capable of producing significant alterations in the perceptions of those who ingest them. Historically, some hallucinogens have been used in cultural rituals, spiritual ceremonies and developmental rites of passage (Piotrowski, 2013). Common hallucinogens are Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), psilocybin (Mushrooms), mescaline (Peyote) and the potent dimethyltryptamine (DMT). The experience can be either pleasant or upsetting and the duration of the experience varies from experience to experience and from substance to substance. Most of these substances have been illegal since the 1970’s; however, have regained interest among researchers for the treatment of different types of mental stress and mental disorders (Piotrowski, 2013). Personality can develop through; the desire to change and to believe change is possible. Then one can begin to perform the necessary new behaviours, which over time become habitual and lead to lasting personality change (Funder, 2016, pg. 249). Spontaneous—lasting change—seems to be rare, so it would be interesting if the temporary subjective change in a person’s perception would also change some aspects of a person’s personality. This review will examine the effects of psychedelics on personality, where personality refers to an individual’s characteristic patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour, together with the psychological mechanisms—hidden or not—behind those patterns. (Funder, 2016, pg. 5).

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    Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects.

     The objective of the researchers was to evaluate dose-effects of psilocybin in a controlled double-blind study at the following doses: 0, 5, 10, 20, 30 mg/70kg. The test itself was administered on locally sourced participants (n = 18, 8 males) from the community with the mean age of 42. All participants are described to be medically healthy as well as psychologically healthy without family histories of psychotic disorders or bipolar I or II disorder or current–or past (20 > years)–of drug or alcohol dependence (excluding nicotine). The Participants were hallucinogen naïve with one exception; they used psilocybin mushrooms on two occasions more than 20 years previously. None of the participants received compensation and were purely motivated by immense curiosity about the possible effects of psilocybin and the desire for extensive-self reflection.

    The study involved five 8-h drug sessions conducted at equal intervals (~1 month) and a 14-month follow-up. The eighteen volunteers were randomly assigned to receive the active psilocybin in either ascending dose sequence or descending dose sequence. Each participant receiving the following dose protocol: 0, 5, 10, 20, and 30 mg/70kg in opaque lactose capsules. All nine participants in the ascending and descending groups received the placebo (0mg/70kg) once on session 3 and twice on 1, 2, 4 and 5. Ultimately this obscures the dose sequence to the monitors and participants. The tests were conducted in a living room like environment with sensory deprivation aside from music. Seven hours after the capsule was administered the major effects had subsided, the participants were then required to fill out three questionnaires (Hallucinogen Rating Scale, APZ & Addiction Research Center Inventory) developed for assessing the effects of hallucinogen drugs. Additionally, they were required to fill out another two questionnaires developed for assessing mystical experiences (State of Consciousness Questionnaire & Mysticism Scale). The persisting effects were assessed after one month and 14-months. At 3 to 4 weeks after each session and before any additional sessions. The participants completed a questionnaire (Persisting Effects Questionnaire) to measure changes in personality, mood and spirituality as well as possible persisting changes in attitudes, mood and behavior. At 14-months after the last session, participants completed a Retrospective Questionnaire and a clinical interview reflecting on study experiences and current life situation.

    One month after either or both the highest dose sessions, 83% of the participants rated the experience as the single (or among the top five) most spiritually significant experiences of their life. After the 14 months have elapsed, 94% of the participants felt this way. The researchers also discovered that can have persisting positive changes in attitudes, mood, life satisfaction, behavior, and altruism/social effects. These domains were apparent in the 1-month interval with 94% of the volunteers agreeing that the experience ahs increased their life satisfaction moderately or very much and 89% rated moderate or higher changes in positive behavior. At the 14-month marker these ratings remained high. The types of behavior changes that were recorded from the participants were better social life, increased physical and psychological self-care and increased spiritual practice. These observations were consistent with community observers and by study monitors.

    Griffiths R. R., Johnson M. W., Richards W.A., Richards B. R., McCann U. D., and Jesse R. (2011). Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology 218, 649-665. doi: 10.1007/s00213-011-2358-5

  • Observed personality change post psychedelic use (#1)

    Observed personality change post psychedelic use (#1)

    This topic post will be divided into 3 separate sections that will be uploaded periodically. Hope you enjoy :). The Background section will be uploaded with each post so there will be no need to check back. Recommended reading: The doors of perception by Aldous Huxley, How To Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan

    Background

    Classic Hallucinogenic drugs are agonists of our serotonergic receptors. They are capable of producing significant alterations in the perceptions of those who ingest them. Historically, some hallucinogens have been used in cultural rituals, spiritual ceremonies and developmental rites of passage (Piotrowski, 2013). Common hallucinogens are Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), psilocybin (Mushrooms), mescaline (Peyote) and the potent dimethyltryptamine (DMT). The experience can be either pleasant or upsetting and the duration of the experience varies from experience to experience and from substance to substance. Most of these substances have been illegal since the 1970’s; however, have regained interest among researchers for the treatment of different types of mental stress and mental disorders (Piotrowski, 2013). Personality can develop through; the desire to change and to believe change is possible. Then one can begin to perform the necessary new behaviours, which over time become habitual and lead to lasting personality change (Funder, 2016, pg. 249). Spontaneous—lasting change—seems to be rare, so it would be interesting if the temporary subjective change in a person’s perception would also change some aspects of a person’s personality. This review will examine the effects of psychedelics on personality, where personality refers to an individual’s characteristic patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour, together with the psychological mechanisms—hidden or not—behind those patterns. (Funder, 2016, pg. 5).

    939b1cc0b90f9da04843b86bbd5bf7d1

    The paradoxical psychological effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)

    Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent serotonergic hallucinogen first consumed by Albert Hoffman in 1943 (250 μg[1]). Sandoz first distributed LSD in 1948 for two applications: analytical psychotherapy and experimental studies on psychoses. Recently LSD has gained new interest and research has been examining LSD for the drugs therapeutic properties, specifically death anxiety.

    This research was a placebo-controlled, within-subjects/cross-over study, with a balanced-order design. There were a total of 20 volunteers who made three study visits: screening, dosing session one and dosing session two. Dosing sessions were separated by at least 2 weeks and the order was balanced i.e. half of the participants received the dosing of LSD in session one and half received dosing of LSD in session two. All participants were 21< years of age and did not have psychotic disorders themselves or in the family with no history of problematic drug/alcohol use. The researchers decided to only recruit people with pervious experience with psychedelics. Being motivated by safety considerations, to minimize the risk of an adverse response of the drug. They also had routine blood tests, electrocardiogram, heart rate, blood pressure and a brief neurological examination. Only participants deemed physically and mentally healthy were allowed to participate.

    Each participant received 75 μg of LSD in a 10ml saline solution that was injected intravenously infused over two minutes. The placebo was simply the 10 ml saline solution. Following the administration, the volunteers underwent neuroimaging protocol (magnetic resonance imaging). The peak experience was measured 120 minutes post-infusion and subsided to negligible levels 7-8 hours post-infusion. Participants completed two questionnaires at the end of each study day before being discharged by the study physician. The first test was Altered States of consciousness; the subsequent test was Psychotomimetic States Inventory (PSI). The objective of these measures was to observe the acute subjective experiences of the volunteers. Two weeks following each dosing session there were mid-term measures taken: Revised Life Orientation Test, Revised NEO personality Inventory and Peters’ Delusions Inventory.

    The acute measures were revealed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) to measure the difference between means. There was an increase in emotional arousal and liability under LSD but with positive affect outweighing the negative affect. As an example, there was a increase in anxiety but the blissful state experiences were significantly greater (Cohen’s d = 0.91). Optimism (Cohen’s d = 0.56) and Openness (Cohen’s d = 0.16) showed a significant change and there was an increasing trend in the trait of agreeableness (Cohen’s d = 0.21). Interestingly there was no change in delusional thinking two weeks following the infusion of the LSD

    [1] μg = micrograms

     

    Citations

    Piotrowski, N. A. (2013). Hallucingens. Salem Press Encyclopedia Of Science

    Carhart-Harris, R., Kaelen, M., Bolstridge, M., Williams, T., Williams, L., Underwood, R.,…Nutt, D. (2016). The paradoxical psychological effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Psychological Medicine, 46(7), 1379-1390. doi:10.1017/S0033291715002901

    Funder, D. (2016) The personality puzzle. W.W. Norton & Company.

     

     

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