Psychedelic drug bans hamper brain research

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The British government's former chief drugs adviser, David Nutt, reacts as he speaks during a news conference announcing the formation of the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs, in London January 15, 2010. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett

By Kate Kelland

updated 5/31/2012 1:37:29 PM ET

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Bans on drugs like ecstasy, magic mushrooms and LSD have hampered scientific research on the brain and stalled the progress of medicine as much as George Bush's ban on stem cell research did, a leading British drug expert said on Thursday.

David Nutt, a professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London and a former chief adviser on drugs to the British government, said the international prohibition of psychedelics and other mind-altering drugs over the past half century has had damaging and "perverse" consequences.

"When a drug becomes illegal, conducting experimental research on it becomes almost impossible," Nutt told reporters at a briefing in London ahead of the publication of his new book "Drugs - without the hot air".

He compared the situation with that in stem cell research under former U.S. President George W. Bush, who banned any new embryonic stem cell studies from 2001 to 2009 - a move many scientists consider held the field back for years.

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Nutt said the problem with the current approach to drugs policy globally, which is centered on the banning of substances thought to be most harmful, "is that we lose sight of the fact that these drugs may well give us insights into areas of science which need to be explored and they also may give us new opportunities for treatment."

"Almost all the drugs which are of interest in terms of brain phenomena like consciousness, perception, mood, psychosis - drugs like psychedelics, ketamine, cannabis, magic mushrooms, MDMA - are currently illegal. So there's almost no (scientific)work in this field," Nutt said.

Nutt last year conducted a small human trial to study the effects of psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, on the brain.

Contrary to scientists' expectations, the study found psilocybin doesn't increase but rather suppresses activity in areas of the brain linked to depression, suggesting the drug might be a useful treatment for the debilitating condition.

Nutt said he was forced to "jump through hundreds of hoops" to be able to conduct the study, having to comply with a level of complex, expensive and time-consuming security and regulation that would put most scientists off.

What drugs are and what they do The professor, who was sacked in 2009 in a high-profile row with the British government after he compared the risks of smoking cannabis with those of riding a horse, said he was driven to write the book in the hope of improving understanding of drugs - both legal and illegal, medicinal and recreational.

"There is almost no one in society who doesn't take drugs of some sort. The choices you make in your drug-taking are driven by a complex mixture of fashion, habit, availability and advertising," he said.

"If we understand drugs more, and have a more rational approach to them, we will actually end up knowing more about how to deal with drug harms."

Published on Thursday, the book seeks to explore the science of what a drug is and how it works.

It discusses whether the "war on drugs" did more harm than good - Nutt thinks it did.

And it explores why Britain's Queen Victoria took cannabis - apparently her physician J.R. Reynolds wrote a paper in the Lancet medical journal saying that "when pure and administered carefully, it (cannabis) is one of the most valuable medicines we possess". He prescribed it to the monarch to help her with period pains and after childbirth.

The book also has chapters on why people take drugs now, how harmful they are, where and whether the danger lines should be drawn between legal drugs like tobacco and alcohol, and illegal ones like cannabis and magic mushrooms.

Nutt doesn't dispute that drugs are harmful, but he takes issue with what he says are un-scientific decisions to ban one, like cannabis, while allowing another, like alcohol, to be freely and cheaply available on supermarket shelves.

"Drugs are drugs. They may differ in terms of their brain effects, but fundamentally they are all psychotropic agents," he said. "And it's arbitrary whether we choose to keep alcohol legal and ban cannabis, or make tobacco legal and ban ecstasy. Those are not scientific decisions they are political, moral and maybe even religious decisions."

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp

Theories on the Evolution of Consciousness must Account for Why More Species Have not Evolved It

Tue, May 29, 2012

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Scientists generally draw a distinction between consciousness and intelligence. Consciousness is defined as a state of self awareness; whereas intelligence is seen as a measure of the quality of the awareness. I suggest that the distinction is one of level, not one of kind. Being sufficiently intelligent about cause and effect will include an awareness that the self is a common factor in an ongoing array of events. Self-awareness will inevitably follow sufficient intelligence. As such, it is unnecessary to hypothesis as to the cause or impetus for the evolution of consciousness – theories explaining the evolution of human’s unique levels of intelligence will cover it.

In attempting to explain human’s intelligence, all theories are to some extent measured by how well they deal with the negative proposition of why other species have not developed it. Various explanations have been put forward: one is to suggest that the conditions needed for it to evolve were sufficiently unusual or difficult to explain human’s uniqueness; another is to suggest that the associated drawbacks nullify any advantage; and another is to suggest that intelligence doesn’t confer an evolutionary advantage at all. A brief look at some of the more prominent examples provides interesting reading.

One of the most first theories to achieve widespread acceptance was Robin Dunbar’s Social Brain hypothesis. This hypothesis suggests that increased intelligence was necessary in order for our ancestors to succeed in complicated social environments. However it is unclear from Dunbar’s theory why only human’s have developed intelligence to the level they have, given the complex social nature of many species. One example are the meerkats, who live in complex societies, yet have not evolved intelligence as human’s have.

Richard Alexander’s Ecological Dominance – Social Competition Model attempts to solve the problem with the Social Brain hypothesis by adding a prerequisite. The prerequisite for Social Competition to become the focus of evolutionary development, said Alexander, is that the species had to first ‘dominate’ the ecology so that it was no longer the main focus for evolution. In other words the species needs to reach a state of development where the pressures of feeding oneself, and avoiding predators have been taken care of. The evolutionary race then turns to the Machiavellian struggle for social dominance. Alexander suggests the other human attributes such as having hands free, allowed the ecological dominance to occur.

Geoffrey Miller takes another tact by suggesting that the evolution of intelligence was not due to it having a survival benefit, but rather was sexually selected for as a ‘fitness indicator’, not unlike the showy plumage that endows some male birds. The theory goes that if a member of the species can not only meet their survival needs, but do so while carrying the excess baggage of an intellectual ‘plumage’, with its high energy requirement, then that individual must be very fit indeed, and so becomes a desirable mate.

In some ways similar to the Ecological Dominance theory, there is the so called ‘flexible problem solving’ hypothesis. One version of this is that as the climate changed millions of years ago, the challenges that this provided meant that a flexible intelligence was an advantage in allowing the individual to survive. The reason that our ancestors alone evolved the trait is explained by only human’s having free hands, which alone allowed them to take advantage of the benefits of increased intelligence.

Lastly, one of the most unusual theories is put forward by Jeremy Griffith. Griffith also assumes that human’s free hands played a part, however he suggests that the free hands, in combination with an environment free of survival pressures, had the opposite effect to that hypothesized by Alexander. Griffith argues that these attributes allowed the period of infancy to be increased and that one effect of this was that infants became thoroughly indoctrinated in cooperative behavior, because of the intense and lengthy exposure to the mothers’ maternalism. As a result, Griffith says our ancestors developed a genuinely cooperative society, which is in distinct contrast to Alexander’s hyper competitive one. Griffith says that this cooperative behavior ‘liberated’ intelligence because he says that cooperation is the essential start point for any intelligent understanding of the world; and he goes on to cite the law of negative entropy to support his claim. Griffith maintains that no competitive animal can develop intelligence.

Lifted off the floor by consciousness

SATURDAY, 26 MAY 2012 00:18

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Swami Shailendra Saraswati tells Ila Sankrityayan about ‘yogic flying’ and its benefits

When we talk about collective consciousness,” explained Swami Shailendra Saraswati, during a lecture on Maharishi’s Technology of the Unified Field of Physics and Vedic Sciences at IHC, “it is similar to the sum of all functions performed by various organisms and cells in the body.”

He continued, “But each organ, be it the eyes, ear, nose and mouth, are separate, as far as their functioning is concerned. And cells perform roles that are equal to those of single organisms.”

Saraswati said, “If each individual attains deeper consciousness, it helps to attain that uniform field.” Swamiji was holding a session on ‘Yogic Flying’, which he informed us can, “only be achieved through Transcendental Meditation.”

He added, “The technique opens awareness to Transcendental Consciousness and the Unified Field of Natural Law, which is the basis of awareness.” According to him, here you won’t have to curtail your desires for materialistic things, but it will automatically have those desires fulfilled, by learning to function from a state of pure consciousness.

This is the potential of Natural Law. The mind gains increasing support of nature during the fulfillment of one’s desires.

“With this thought, action spontaneously become in accordance with the evolutionary power of natural law. Then one’s ability to function will increase. Moreover, this yoga will give you mental satisfaction.”

He began the yoga by sitting in sukhasana, eyes closed, placing both hands behind him.

“It may take at least two months or more to learn this yoga. The important thing, to remember, he said, “is your mind should be stress free while doing it. There should be no attempt to keep your body straight.” The process begins with the Rasayana Mantra. Reciting ‘Ram, Rahim.’ There syllable ‘R’ dislodges stress stick in the nervous system. It is recited first by speaking from the mouth and repeating in the mind. This is done for twenty minutes.

The later stage is when one recites eighteen sutras from Patanjali Yogic Sutra for another 20 minutes. “The last one, the ‘flying sutra’ is long and difficult,” Saraswati said.

The ‘flying technique’ resembled hopping in one place. The body was raised up and down.

According to him this helps  increasing intelligence, learning ability, creativity, and neurological efficiency. He shared that “a paper on The Scientific Research on TM, revealed that if one per cent of the population begins practicing this mediation, it reduces accidents and crime.”

During the first stage of yogic flying, the body lifts up and moves forward in short hops. And then, via that process, one experiences elation, lightness and ecstasy.

Through frequent practice, one can achieve a level of mental peace.

He added, “EEG (electroencephalography) studies show that during this practice, when the body lifts up, coherence is maximum in brain wave activity.

“Optimum coherence in brain functioning creates perfect coordination between mind and body. The effect is more, when yogic flying is practiced in groups. The influence of unity spreads in the environment, reducing negative tendencies and promoting positive ones.

“The impact was visible during 1983 when about 7000 people took part in a collective meditation session in Iowa. I was a part of it,” recalled Saraswati. “Collective consciousness gives the best result.”

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Miracle Botanicals Announces a Cure for the Poverty Mindset - Prosperity Formula

PRWeb

Published 09:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 23, 2012

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Drawing upon her understanding of the science of epigenetics coupled with her experience working withpure essential oils, Rev. Hope Johnson, founder of Miracle botanicals has created a Reiki charged Pure Essential Oil blend designed to shift consciousness into the flow of Prosperity and Abundance.

Pahoa, HI (PRWEB) May 22, 2012

Never before have we lived in a time when it was so clearly evident that our reality is created according to what we believe, and Miracle Botanicals is boldly utilizing the power of this knowledge in the creation of their Reiki Charged Pure Essential Oils, Essential Oil Blends and Beauty Formulas.

Miracle Botanicals’ latest product release, Prosperity Formula, is a blend of four powerful pure essential oilswhich work synergistically to deliver chemical messages that align with Prosperity to every cell in the body.

Specifically, each of the several trillion cells in the body is a conscious entity that responds to signals received from its environment. Environmental signals include matter and energy that relate with cells - with human consciousness being the most powerful broadcaster of information in the signaling of cellular response.

According to signals received by the cells, an automatic response is activated based on the cell’s DNA structure - which is constantly evolving according to how the human being perceives their world.

In this way, people who have experienced poverty, scarcity and/or lack during the early stages of their lives have been programmed to live a life that largely proves their early conditioning to be the truth. This is how conditions of poverty, scarcity and lack get passed down for generations.

While the cellular DNA structure (or blueprint) may specify that the individual is fated to lead a life Without the experience of Abundance - the individual’s consciousness is responsible for reading that blueprint and making necessary changes as they see fit.

This is where Prosperity Formula comes it. For those who are ready and willing to step out of their old story of victimhood, Prosperity Formula helps shift consciousness into harmonious relationship with Abundance by delivering biological messages that resonate with the Universal frequency of Prosperity (the human aspect that attracts Abundance). As the person becomes more aligned with their Prosperous essence, the experience of Abundance becomes their natural and automatic reality.

Specifically, with each use of Prosperity Formula, the cells of the body and brain become more entrained with new information, until outmoded patterns of response that keep the individual bound to belief in scarcity are gradually and gently released. As these old paradigms fall away, it becomes more natural for the more Prosperous human being to live harmony with the Abundance that is the essence of the Universe.

The essential oils at work in Prosperity Formula are Wildcrafted Rose, Indian Vetiver, Himalayan Cedarwood and 1st Grade French Ylang Ylang (pronounced ee-long ee-long). Each of these oils works on different chakras to open the individual on an energetic level to experience passion and creativity in their work while allowing for money, vibrant heath, happy relationships and other forms of Abundance to flow easily and without worry, struggle or strain.

Specifically, Rose essential oil resonates most powerfully with heart energy, Cedarwood is very grounding, Vetiver works on the crown chakra to make us aware of spiritual wisdom and Ylang Ylang works on the 2nd chakra to allow us to express creativity without fear. Rev Hope Johnson says: “When used consistently, this synergistic blend can effectively allow consciousness to penetrate through mental patterns that lead toward poverty, thus creating limitless possibilities for one’s self and for the world.”

Miracle Botanicals is the leading provider of Reiki charged pure essential oils that help people align with their Divine identity and return to their natural state of optimal health, abundance and well being. For more information, please visit http://www.miraclebotanicals.com.

The founder of Miracle Botanicals, Rev. Hope Johnson is devoted to being a clear channel for Divine inspiration and instruction. She is passionate about being a facilitator to expanding Consciousness here on the earth plane through her work and play. Her recorded spiritual insights can be found here: http://www.thewaytotheway.com 

For the original version on PRWeb visit:http://www.prweb.com/releases/prwebMiracleBotanicals/essential_oil/prweb9530820.htm

Relationships: Change state of consciousness for a beneficial effect

2:23 PM, May. 20, 2012  |  

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William Morrow

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“Tune in, turn on, and drop out.” That is what many people associatewith “mind-bending” activities.

Indeed, in the heyday of Timothy Leary, there were a lot of drug-induced, altered states of consciousness. And in addition to alcohol and peyote, look at the post-Vietnam War period when marijuana was the drug of choice for taking a trip to another state of mental awareness.

At the risk of these chemical connotations, I have chosen to use the term mind-bending to refer to how all of us are now, without drugs, able to purposefully change our state of consciousness for some beneficial effect. Some disciplines move us to new spiritual awareness and some simply to a new mental perspective.

With your eyes closed could you tell the psychological difference between meditation and prayer, or between programmed relaxation and guided imagery? Regular practice of each — set out in its own particular set of steps to success — is meant to change the way we negotiate with the inner world.

By default, we mostly follow the internal guru of reasonableness and logical thinking to cope with relationship difficulties or bad health. On the other hand, after centuries of scientific “progress,” we can send people for joy rides into outer space, but are limited in our skill for traveling to the mysteries of inner space. We can produce technology beyond belief, but lack personal tools for community building and compassion.

What used to be dismissed as “new-age” has come of age. Now, there are yoga teachers on every corner. Enlightened medical facilities, like Mayo, are regularly teaching people a formula for dealing with modern stress, called programmed relaxation.

Elsewhere, mindfulness meditation is being hailed as a researched therapeutic tool to improve mental health. I count about 16 of these different disciplines, all of which claim, in their own way, to make our lives more healthy and more meaningful.

Whether they use some form of music, chant, or movement, many of these approaches rely on attention to breathing, inner focus, and mind-body relaxation. I think it matters less the philosophy of the particular discipline and more about which key elements are included in the recipe.

Mind bending is achieved by playing to the right hemisphere of the brain and suspending the left. As in awareness exercises, our attention moves away from the chatter of worry, obsession, and the gremlins of linear or logical thinking. In the right brain seems to reside the good muses of creativity, healing, and imagination, as well as the stairway to a spiritual world of peace and tranquility. Some of these mind-altering practices speak of “transcendence” and some only infer it. But in either case, the mental discipline, with sufficient practice, becomes, if desired, spiritual and can help the practitioner to detach from pain and suffering.

— Dr. Morrow is a Florida licensed marriage and family therapist with offices in Fort Myers and Cape Coral. He is the author of “The Rain Doesn’t Fall Straight Down: A Positive Slant on Marriage Relationships.” Learn more at WilliamRMorrow.com. Email to:wmorrowmft@embarqmail.com.