Psychedelic drugs

Drugs that cause a variety of hallucinogenic and similar effects. They cause a range of effects including warping of shapes and colors, hearing things, synesthesia, increased empathy, confusion, a tendency to find everything funny, seeing patterns in surfaces, and so on.

Many users report a permanent change of attitude.

Some studies show that intelligence increases after use.

Some users report flashbacks.

If I'm not mistaken, and, oh, I might be, and there's no room for a 3rd writeup--Timothy Leary coined the term "psychedelic" in order to differentiate compounds like LSD from true hallucinogens, actual hallucinations from LSD being very rare except in really high doses. Interestingly, studies have shown that under the influence of LSD people's ability to process visual data is heightened rather than interfered with by the drug.

The form in which eastern philosophy was exported to the cultural mainstream in the United States. Does it surprise anyone that a concept like enlightenment that can best be described by saying that any description of it is wrong wouldn't "take" in US culture in its current form, but little cardboard squares that briefly turn you into a god when you stick them on your tongue have been all the rage for years?

Personally, I love psychedelics, but it just makes me snigger quietly to myself like the pretentious jackass I am that such important ideas had to be distilled into a physical substance you can hold in your hand before it could fit into the average American's world view. Can we take any idea, no matter how good and productive it is, and twist it around so far that it supports our bizarre systems?