We investigate if psychedelic drugs might help people become more connected to nature
The study of the potential of psychedelic drugs isn’t new, it goes back to 1943 with the identification of LSD by Dr Hofmann. Hofmann called LSD “medicine for the soul” and spent his life researching psychedelics, but what exactly do psychedelics do to our mind?
Researcher Sam Gandy focuses his studies on psychedelics’ capacity to expand our minds, which reconnects us to nature.
“Psychedelics increase your connectivity, or nature connection,” Gandy says. “There has been a lot of research saying that the better you can connect with nature, the better your psychological wellbeing and health are.”
Gandy says that the way these drugs work is by opening our mind leading to a detachment of our ego. According to scientists, we are living in danger of a massive extinction and the environmental situation is deeply worrying. Many psychologists point out the fact that one of the consequences of civilisation is that its materialistic and technological focus have made us forget our connection to each other and our environment.
Gandy says: “Why would you harm the environment? It’s hurting yourself, and that obviously has this great truth and logic to that intuitive kind of understanding, but we’ve forgotten it because we’ve detached from nature through technology and urbanisation.”
Al B, from Scotland, explains how different experiences in his life led him to the recreational use of psychedelics. He says that the intake of these drugs help him realise the uniqueness of the world and how modern life has demanded that we prioritise capital over the environment for selfish reasons.
Scientist Ryan O’Hare insists that, while the first findings are encouraging, the research is still at an early stage and no one should self-medicate.
Cover photo credits: Sam Gandy via Twitter
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