Psychedelic drugs dependence

Sisko, B. (1993). Interrupting drug dependency with ibogaine a summary four case case histories. Multidisciplinary Association For Psychedelic Studies. 4 15-24. 

Psychedelics alter consciousness in psychopathological directions, but because they are (mostly) reversible, they constitute round-trip tickets to and from forbidden zones in brain-mind space. There are good trips and bad trips. Good trips are characterized by altered perceptions and enhanced mood bad trips by altered perceptions, fear, anxiety, and depressed—or violent—mood. LSD, the psychedelic drug par excellence, can cause both good and bad trips, depending on the individual taking it, the expectations and context of the taker, and the dose and purity of the LSD. 

Wesson, D. Smith, D. Psychedelics. In Treatment Aspects of Drug Dependence, Schecter, A., Ed. CRC Press West Palm Beach, 1978. 

In summary Our familiar three-dimensional reality is called the "middle world" in the Shamanic model. Both the lower and upper worlds are internal dimensions which are entered via altered states of consciousness. Because hyperspace is perpendicular to ego-awareness, consciousness is the bridge which links all of the worlds together. Access to these inner dimensions is dependent upon many factors. Everyone enters them while dreaming, but hypnosis, meditation, severe stress and many other catalysts, including psychedelic drugs, can also provide admittance. For the purposes of this book, we will concentrate on conscious Shamanic intent in conjunction with psychotropic plants as our method of entry into hyperspace. But first, having differentiated the territory, we must further examine its structure and contents. 

Present in many species of magic mushroom that are eaten raw some toxic mushroom species are visually similar to the psychedelic varieties effects are very variable, depending on the exact species and drug concentration. 

Unlike other drugs, when a frequent user stops taking mescaline, there are no withdrawal symptoms. In other words, peyote does not cause an addiction, or physical dependence on a drug. However, while using mescaline, a tolerance to psychedelics in general will develop, meaning it will take a larger dose for the user to get the same effects. This tolerance carries over if the user switches to other psychedelics such as LSD or psilocybin, but does not last if mescaline use is discontinued. 

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