# Has doing drugs ever resulted in a genuine philosophical revelation? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481 "2011-11-01T13:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481/21 "2011-11-01T22:30:08Z")
Carl Sagan seems to [think so](http://www.handgranat.org/Marihuana_Reconsidered), though I couldn’t say if it fits your definition for a genuine philosophical revelation. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481/22 "2011-11-01T23:04:10Z")
Well, Henri Michaux’s mescaline books, if not written on mesc, are fairly philosophical. Walter Benjamin’s short essay “Hashish in Marseilles” is, more or less, a scholarly diary. I’ve heard Foucault, while taking acid, started crying and announcing he finally understood the end of _Under the Volcano_. I guess that’s a pretty good insight. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481/23 "2011-11-02T01:26:57Z")
John Hopkins’ [study](http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/577702) finds that magic mushrooms are beneficial. > [@astorian](#): > > My take has always been this: John Lennon’s God-given talent produced “Ticket to Ride” and “Hard Day’s Night.” Drugs produced “Revolution #9.” You’re joking, right? > [@astorian](#): > > An exaggeration, I know. Drug-induced imagery certainly worked its way into some Beatle lyrics… but the good songs that featured those lyrics were written when the boys WEREN’T high. I guess not. > [@astorian](#): > > “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” may be filled with things John Lennon saw while taking acid, but he couldn’t have written any kind of song DURING and acid trip. Maybe, maybe not. But so what? One can also argue that “Lucy…” wouldn’t have been written if John hadn’t experienced any acid trips which would leave us without that fine song. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481/24 "2011-11-02T01:44:18Z")
I had a pretty enlightening experience on mushrooms back in the day. But then, I’ve had several much more interesting and enlightening experiences (look up Kensho and Satori) while not on drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481/25 "2011-11-02T05:27:54Z")
Fair enough, **Malthus**. Just didn’t want people who have never tried it getting the wrong impression when you said it didn’t cause hallucinations. I’ve read the Erowid vault on Datura (Jimson Weed) before, actually, but never did (and never would) actually try it. Another really fascinating one purported to bring about “true” hallucinations is [Belladonna](http://www.erowid.org/plants/belladonna/belladonna.shtml). Check out some of the experience reports - now _that_ is some scary shit. Not recommended for trying at home. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481/26 "2011-11-02T14:08:35Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Fair enough, **Malthus**. Just didn’t want people who have never tried it getting the wrong impression when you said it didn’t cause hallucinations. Yeah, we are on the same page. Reason I made the comment is that people who have never done hallucinogens are often of the opinion, because of their name and the anti-drug scare message many have heard, that LSD causes people to see stuff that is not there, to “attempt to fly”, etc. Now, there are some drugs reputed to do that, but they are not commonly used - like Jimson Weed, Belladonna, etc. What I’ve heard is that the experience is so unpleasant that few do such things more than once. > [@](#): > > I’ve read the Erowid vault on Datura (Jimson Weed) before, actually, but never did (and never would) actually try it. Another really fascinating one purported to bring about “true” hallucinations is [Belladonna](http://www.erowid.org/plants/belladonna/belladonna.shtml). Check out some of the experience reports - now _that_ is some scary shit. Not recommended for trying at home. Heh, reading those confirms my feeling that such things are better read about than attempted … pretty well every one ends with some variation on “the most horrific experience, ever”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481/27 "2011-11-02T15:43:57Z")
Well, does “Whoa… this cell in my finger could be a whole universe” count as a genuine philosophical revelation? Or do drugs just make silly ideas seem profound? ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481/28 "2011-11-02T16:22:56Z")
nm. . ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481/29 "2011-11-02T16:42:44Z")
No one has mentioned Francis Crick and his use of LSD [to help puzzle out the structure of DNA?](http://www.hallucinogens.com/lsd/francis-crick.html) ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481/30 "2011-11-02T17:03:34Z")
Well, I don’t know about ‘philosophical’, but having a couple beers and talking things over with a buddy has often helped me to see things in a better way. ---
**Author:** ![Anticounterrevolutionary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f04885/32.png) [@Anticounterrevolutionary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anticounterrevolutionary)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481/31 "2011-11-04T07:14:02Z")
Bob Wilson, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, had a philosophical revelation while at Towns Hospital under Dr. William Silkworth’s care. Wilson was administered a drug cure concocted by Charles B. Towns. Known as the Belladonna Cure, it contained the deliriants Belladonna and Hyoscyamus niger, which cause hallucinations. It was while undergoing this treatment that Wilson experienced his “Hot Flash” spiritual conversion. While lying in bed depressed and despairing, Wilson cried out: “I’ll do anything! Anything at all! If there be a God, let Him show Himself!” He then had the sensation of a bright light, a feeling of ecstasy, and a new serenity. Upon his release from the hospital on December 18, 1934, Wilson moved from the Calvary Rescue Mission to the Oxford meetings at Calvary House. There Wilson socialized after the meetings with other ex-drinking Oxfords and became interested in learning how to help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. It was during this time that Wilson went on a crusade to save alcoholics. This led to the publishing of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1939 and the creation of the twelve-step method. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481/32 "2011-11-06T00:42:33Z")
The clouds of smoke danced Along the ceiling dripping worms Dare not befall from precipice For the sea of wriggling squirm Through the candle twisted shadows Their pointy starring grins Twinkling blue green marbles Furry daggers clutching skin Describable as, _Time_ was able to be experienced as _Before, Now and Then_ from the same point of reference, beholden a different perspective on it all. I never did that shit again…:eek: _ **mushrooms + cats** _ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-doing-drugs-ever-resulted-in-a-genuine-philosophical-revelation/601481.md?page=1)