The Top Dangers Of Using Psychedelics

By Leo Gura - October 15, 2017

Since I’m releasing this multi-part video series about the good aspects of psychedelics, I thought it would be honest to balance that out by detailing some of the downsides. Even though I’m very positive about psychedelics overall, they do come with risks, especially when people start using them without doing proper research.

Psychedelics are very safe ONLY IF you follow proper protocol and approach them with a careful attitude. Handle them as you would handle a loaded firearm, and you should do great.

Top risks (in no particular order):

  • Consuming rare, exotic, untested research chemicals
  • Buying research chemicals from an unverified online chemical company
  • Not using drug testing kits on every new batch of substance you buy
  • Overdosing through sloppiness & not researching dosages thoroughly
  • Not using an accurate milligram scale to weigh your doses
  • Using the wrong route of administration (ROA) for your substance
    • For example, snorting freebase or smoking salt forms of the substance
  • Tripping in a loud party environment
  • Getting caught by law enforcement
  • Using psychedelics which cause loss of motor control (like Salvia) without a trip sitter
  • Using deleriants like Datura
  • Consuming unknown substances from unknown sources
  • Consuming on a full-stomach
  • Very rare instances of HHPD (hallucinogen persisting perception disorder)
  • Very rare instances of psychosis
  • Very rare instances of allergic reactions to some substances
  • Depersonalization disorder
  • Existential crisis, temporary deepening of depression
  • Deepening of your neurosis
  • Delusional thinking, misinterpretation of the psychedelic experience, delusions of grandeur
  • False enlightenment, Zen devilry, Messiah complex
  • Playing pranks on people with psychedelics
  • Bad trips, freak out
  • Vomiting
  • Surfacing of past emotional traumas
  • Overuse, to the point of psychological addiction or escapism
  • Becoming a Hippie or New Ager
  • Becoming a stoner pothead
  • Loss of motivation, loss of desire for material success
  • Loss of faith in humanity, society, culture, government, religion
  • Seeing spirits, ghosts, aliens, trolls, gnomes, elves
  • Nightmares
  • Getting fired from work
  • Quitting your school, college, or job
  • Complications with anti-depressants (SSRIs)
  • Driving while intoxicated
  • Poly drug use: Combinations of substances like alcohol, mushrooms, and weed all at once
  • Physical injury from tripping in an unsafe setting (like on a high balcony or by the pool)
  • Mislabeling or misidentifying your substances
  • Giving psychedelics to friends who cannot handle them
  • Growing and selling psychedelics (AKA, becoming a drug dealer)
  • Taking psychedelics under age 21 if you are too immature to handle them
  • Treating psychedelics like toys, acting cocky, then getting your ass handed to you
  • A distraction from real consciousness work
  • Going down the rabbit hole to fantasy land (conspiracy theories about aliens, etc.)
  • Starting to experiment with hard drugs like cocaine or heroine
  • Using unsafe types of psychedelics like NBOMEs
  • Using cheap, impure psychedelics
  • Using unhealthy pseudo-psychedelics like nitrous oxide, ketamine, cough syrup, etc.
  • Damaging your liver, kidneys, brain, or heart (very rare)
  • Picking mushrooms in the wild
  • Extracting or cooking your own psychedelics at home
  • Burning yourself with a lighter, starting a fire in your house
  • Yelling, making too much noise until your neighbors call the cops
  • Breaking up with your spouse, gf/bf
  • Dysfunctional introversion: becoming an isolated loner who hates mankind
  • Tripping when you’re in a foul mood, like just after a breakup
  • Using psychedelics to have sex
  • Becoming suicidal
  • Becoming enlightened

This may sound like a ton of serious risks. But keep in mind that I simply made a list here of all the risks I could possibly think of for the sake of being balanced and truthful. This is a very comprehensive list. Most human activities involve long lists of risks, if we are very honest. For example, one the risks of marriage is that your spouse might kill you. One of the risks of cooking is burning your house down. One of the risks of eating at your favorite restaurant is food poisoning. But these are very remote probabilities if you approach things with intelligence.

95% of the risks above can be easily avoided just by having a serious, respectful attitude towards these substances, as you would for a strong prescription medication, a sharp knife, or a frying pan with hot oil.

Nearly all the dangers above stem from underestimating the incredible power of consciousness. If nothing else, psychedelics will teach you humility.

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