OZ NOTES FROM LSD FORUM 3 : The Low Dose Hypothesis

[SikkimRex]

Two speakers from the conference – the head of the Beckley Foundation Fielding, and English psychonaut Sue Hall, discussed the idea of “low dose living” on sub-sub-psychedlic doses (in the .05 to .1 microgram doses. Both openly discussed their use of this as a way of life in the 1960's and 1970's, Lady Nedipath for 3.5 years. Nedipath would use vitamins and suppliments to regulate her blood sugar which would create different types of brain activation, high glucose would lead to sharper thinking, lower to more contemplatative states. Coming from a family of diabetics, thiis horrified me a little, and I am inclined not to try this at home – leave the swientists to work this one out I think, but it was a simultaneous horrifying and fascinating idea.

Lady Nedipaths idea about blood sugar levels is part of her “blood flow to the brain” hypothesis concerning psychoactives. In short, she suggests that perhaps there is insufficient blood flow to the brain generally, and that these chemicals increase this flow, and, by implication, blood chemistry, to the brain. Considering the research and conservative recognition (in Britain and Wurope) of Beckley, I was surprised by this hypothesis, since it seemed to fly in the face of the seratonic, synaptic resreach being persued by Vollenveider and Nichols, who lead the brain science aspects of the conference. Both, however, are invloved in the scientific side of the Beckley Foundation, though I am not sure if specific research has been conducted yet into Lady Nedipath's hypothesis concerning blood flow to the brain. Considering the philanthropic aspects of Lady Nedipath, I am sure that she will fund research in this area from these scientists. Sue Hall, who listed herself in the program as 60's and 90's trance-dancer and Buddhist psychonaut, also discussed this low dose idea, using 15-20 microgram doses 2-3 times per week for “lethargic depression”.

(I must also put in an aside and describe Lady Nedipath, since she was another rare individual. You may have read about her in “Breaking Open the Head”, and heard of her Beckley Foundation, an advocacy and research charity. She is a member of the aristocracy and is clearly so (her accent, dress, etc), and has, presumably decided to dedicate much of her estate into changing drug policy and undertaking consciousness research. As interesting as her ideas about consciousness is the fact that she is also an advocate of “Trapang”: that is, cutting a hole in ones skull to releive pressure within the cranium. She has two. The first of these, we discovered, on questioning her, she had done herself with an electric hand-drill herself (no, she did not do it while she was on LSD (I asked)), the second by a Chinese doctor. Apparently a range of cultures from India to Latin America do this, and it fits into her blood flow in the brain hypothesis).

Considering that Dr Andrew Sewell, at Harvard Medical School is conducting reseach into the efficacy of LSD as a treatment for cluster headaches, it is clear there is some action in these doses. Users of LSD will also be aware of the subtle buzz that one gets as one is coming up, though I am not sure if LSD's activity as it builds corresponds to a journey through dosage levels. Other users of LSD get regular headaches coming down from LSD, so it may be a case by case issue. Significantly, this type of persuit of LSD as a regular medicine is a different approach to the dominant one in psychology where it is an adjunct, tool or accelerator of psychotherapy. If a real action of LSD were to be found repeatedly in a clearly medical situation, products would develop that could begin the process of de-demonising LSD. Indeed, this could be the quickest path, which is why MAP's and Erowid have been working with CLUSTERBUSTERS, a migraine action group, extensively.

Practically speaking, according to the literature I have read, tolerance build up quickly with LSD, so its effectiveness is greatly reduced, however it could be that this methodology works because LSD is used for qualities other than the psychedelic. This general idea of psychedelics as medicine was also discussed informally by others, in terms of 5-MEO-DMT for colds, and ayahuasca as an antibiotic.

While I may find the idea of living on a constant acid trip a bit unpalatable, having a regular reality that is altered almost constantly by psychoactive chemicals in low doses is entirely normal and culturally accepted, notably in the form of caffeine, but also in nicotine, and also through sugar in terms of blood sugar levels. Also, the regular use of meditation, yoga, exercise, etc, all have non-pharmacological but clearly brain chemistry and neuronal action. If there is no harmful effects medically to the use of psychoactives as medicines then it would only come down to an issue of cultural bias or personal choice about whether one took a physiological or pharmacological path. If one believes in a mystical or hyperdimensional hypothesis in psychadelics (and further, if LSD is in fact attuned to them directly, as a chemical rather than biological agent (to be discussed further), then such regular use may be regarded as a type of consistent connection.

[Being]

I met Lady Neidpath in London a few years ago, and she certainly is a character and a half! The impression her consciousness made on me i have never encountered anything like in anyone.. Slightly detached yet intensely interested and almost uncomfortably, very very *present*.. like some DMT entity ..There may well be something to trepanation.. but you know... jesus! she's an extraordinary creature, but it would take a lot more data to convince me to drill a hole in the noggin!

[mescalito]

Trepanation a man needs that like....well you know ^_^

Welcome aboard SikkimRex (can't get that chicky babes undies off my mind LOL)

I've heard of african and asian cultures drilling holes with wooden drill bits and a hand spindle for a permanent high

On the daily sub-threshold doses I wouldn't be surprised if you find there are quite a few forum members here who find great efficacy in such practices with shrooms and sally in particular

I've also heard that daily doses of DMT containing brews without MAO inhibition can be quite medicinal as you say as antibiotic/microbials.

The same might go for cacti too?

[SikkimRex]

Thanks Mescalito!

Yes, well, certainly true- sub-threshold doses of caffeine, sub threshold doses of nicotine - in fact, perhaps its a sub threshold world! Maybe we need more threshold! more threshold!

as for MJ, I certainly know that life. I have noticed something that resonated with one of the things I saw at the conference, which was a particular scale on the "psychedelic index" called "Oceanic Boundlessness". When i have been smoking seriously too much MJ, in the past, I used to get this sensation that time and space were shifting, expanding. THe feeling came with some exhaustion - but it was the first time I could describe MJ as psychadelic.

As for mushies, I am certainly interested in that type of connection, in a McKenna kind of way...

[Rev]

Both Harmaline and mescaline, or more specifically the herbs they are in, strike me as ideal low dose living herbs

if only one could secure access to enough herb

[t st tantra]

daily/nightly a dose or 3 of calea has led me to cease about 18 months of plant maoi use.

started at about twice a week ,usually smoked, it progressed to every 2 days, every day ,and then twice a day with occasional enforced days breaks.

i felt i was at a stage where i was experiencing some blockade type effect on my other plant use.

during this period i felt little of my usual depression and little paranoia.

about 5 days of non use i started to see these come back.

the brain state the calea induces is quite profound in a way, a smoke of herb 24hours after can somtimes bring up the effects hidden below the surface.and i feel some residual effect lingering esp with teos new plants.

i think of these as akin to shamanic questing and am often just following my instincts.

it only takes a year or 2 of collecting growing to have a lifetimes worth of trichs,and less time to grow cyperus, which i suggest is superior to rue.

t s t .

[simon_marklar]

low dose (2-10mg smoked) DPT (Di-Propyl-Tryptamine) is great as a mood enhancer/energizer... its like the afterglow of a dmt trip for an hour or so, with no negative effects on the come down.

however, didnt we conclude that the bad aussie acid is low doses of acid?

then again, there's a difference between something made by Albert and one by whoever it is that makes it now.

[SikkimRex]

Of course Dr Hoffman did it first...

This is an extract fronm Entheogen Review (Vol XIV, No 1, 2005 p.92) of the conference call with the MAPS crew on his 99th birthday, last year, where he discusses the possibilities of very small doses of LSD for non-psychedelic effects:

Rick: Albert, I’m wondering if you have any suggestions for us about things that we might want to look into regarding LSD and psilocybin? I remember, a while ago, you said one of the most unexplored areas of research with LSD was low doses?

Albert: Yes, that would be interesting. Just as a kind of pleasure drug. Heh heh.

Rick: Ah.

Albert: Very, very low doses; this could be a worthwhile study. I have used it, sometimes, just very small doses, for walking and thinking. This could be a worthwhile study.

Rick: What kind of doses are you talking about, when you would go out walking?

Albert: 25 microgram. Twenty-five, instead of 125. Or even lower: ten.

Rick: Wow. Can you actually notice when you take ten micrograms? Can you notice that you’ve taken it?

Albert: Oh, yes! Yes. An improved response to nature. Improved experience of nature, yes. And of thinking, a big improvement of thinking. But, may I just add to this discussion, quite another thing: the work of Kast, Walter Pahnke, and Grof—that it may be used for dying people.

Rick: Yes.

Albert: I think that is a so very, very important thing in our time: the people who are suffering terrible pain, which resists other pain medicaments, have been treated very successfully. And I think this should be continued, this study in dying people who suffer terrible pain. We have a big investigations and publications from Kast, Pahnke, and Grof. What do you think? That it be allowed; if the danger of becoming addicted to LSD would not exist, if you use it in this kind of a very, very important use in our time?

Ah.. el Papa...