Psychedelics and Intelligence

[Teonanacapilli]

Does anyone think that psychedelic use can somehow increase one's intelligence or ability to accept/retain information? Has there been studies of this?

I think in some cases, there could be "something in the way" of someone's ability to learn and/or remember what they've learned. Like depression or other mental issues, which could be cleared by psychedelics.

 

[darkwolfunseen]

Personally, I think so. Interesting point brought up by Terence McKenna, which I think is interesting no matter what you think of the man:

(part two is the next video).

 

[IJesusChrist]

I am first hand of this.

I see things differently long after taking psychodelics. I make new connections - which is what learning is. I learn how my body works, I can feel it. I learn consequences better. I see reactions to actions. I see archetypes.. I see frame works, I see the iron behind the gilding.

Of course. That is the fucking reason I take them!

 

[_Avatar_]

Does anyone think that psychedelic use can somehow increase one's intelligence or ability to accept/retain information? Has there been studies of this?

I'm not sure. I certainly think it sheds new light on whatever one may have already studied, and it may stimulate one to study certain issues attentively and comprehend them deeply, or come to independent insights, but whether it's a general booster of intelligence or retention of information, I can't say. It is often said that memory and IQ can be increased through regular exercise (doing crossword puzzles and IQ tests, reading books, keep learning new words or foreign languages etc.) to "flex the mental muscles". Just like taking psychedelics does not make your physique more muscular, I'm inclined to think they also don't make you smarter, per se. You need to engage and train your brain to keep it healthy and sharp. Psychedelics might provide the impetus to train your brain, but doesn't do so by itself. What I do believe is that psychedelics make you more graceful, holistic and broadminded in your thinking.

 

[BrainEater]

i think they are like catalysts. if the level of intelligence that is already there before, is smaller than the level of stupidity, maybe psychadelics would make stupidity grow stronger/bigger then??? or maybe they are a bit like the philosophers stone too, like they can transmute stupidity into intelligence??? that would be almost too awesome to believe, yet i still see it is a possibility... :mrgreen:

 

[IJesusChrist]

I like that braineater - they are catalysts.

Can make the stupid, stupider.
The smart, smarter.

I'd agree with that.

 

[trick]

YES.. hands down. :mrgreen:

 

[Illegalsmile]

the greeks called it Pharmacon
it could either be a medicine or poision

 

[Logical Eccentricity]

I've seen people go off the deep end from abusing psychedelics, or misinterpreting them. Likewise I've seen people become obsessed with knowledge and understanding, turn their lives around, improve their GPA, and/or start going to college, all paralleling their use of psychedelics.

Personally I believe psychedelics fuel curiosity and imaginative thinking...the curiosity leads to the pursuit of knowledge, and the imagination allows one to connect information in unique ways for coming up with hypotheses that lie "outside the box."

If one were to jump to conclusions on the unique concepts afforded to them through psychedelics without proper investigation, they could likely wind up rationalizing their way into believing some crazy stuff.

Or maybe psychedelics just allow people to creatively connect concepts, and the curiosity is just a by-product of this new way of thinking?

 

[IJesusChrist]

My personal theory is that (with psilocybin)

Either
1) the 'shock' of this foreign chemical to the brain
or
2) the chemical itself

releases a signal to initiate the connection of neurons (not growth - very different). I think ideas that were once isolated from one another can now be relate, somewhat making ideas seem "smaller". The ability to continuously connect ideas can be dangerous - what if you start connecting two ideas that SHOULDN'T be connected - like aliens and the president? Or your cat being a robot... (paranoid schizophrenia).

How the brain dictates what neurons should be connected to what neurons is based on the saying "Neurons the fire together, wire together". So if you're thinking about one subject, and another is being thought about either consciously or subconsciously, these two ideas have a good chance to connect. Especially if they are near the same region in the brain.

What happens sometimes with people that 'go off the deep end' may be the fact that
1) they are wiring ideas so ridiculously incompatable its unable to relate to the reality they once lived in.
2) they are seeing connections that are legitamite that violate what they once held as reality or truth.

The second had happened to yours truly. [as well as the first for a while :? )

They definitely (for your first time) could be a throw of the dice as far as your luck.