Reasons for using Psychedelics

People primarily use psychoactive substances for one of four different primary purposes – recreational, medicinal, utilitarian, and some substances, including psychedelics and especially entheogens are used for spiritual purposes.

While recreational drug use has long been frowned upon, it is somewhat glossed over that this is the primary reason people use alcohol.

There is nothing inherently wrong with the recreational use of nearly any substance, so long as that use is done responsibly, such that it does not cause significant negative impact on the life and livelihood of the user, their family and friends, or their local community.

The recreational use of psychedelics has a long, strange history dating back to the 1950s, peaking in the late 1960s, but never completely fading into obscurity, as the word psychedelic has become a permanent and significant part of Western culture due to its influence on art, music, literature, and movies. “Psychedelic” is still used today, even in children's movies to describe busy and/or colourful patterns.

Despite the stigma of recreational use of psychedelics being associated with cannabis “stoner culture” and “potheads”, and such users being labeled as “acidheads”, “shroomheads”, or perhaps simply “druggies”, actual recreational use is about recreation in its true sense, and can be just as positive as other forms of leisure and play, as long as done responsibly. It is not shameful to have fun.

Psychedelic Assisted Therapy has received a lot of attention and recognition recently, but its origins date back to the late 1940s. For close to twenty years, psychedelics such as LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin containing mushrooms were considered to be invaluable tools for advancing the understanding of the mind, as well as treating mental illnesses. Alan Watts quoted, “LSD is simply an exploratory instrument like a microscope or telescope, except this one is inside of you instead of outside of you.”