Down The Rabbit Hole

The Psychedelic Renaissance is well underway. Reports of psychedelic therapy, natural medicine and other alternative treatments have been making their way to us, and the published results are just astonishing. Where western medicine and pharmaceutical drugs have failed, these radical new treatments have reportedly cured PTSD, depression, addiction and a host of other disorders successfully. 

Most of us have probably grown up with cautionary tales of drug addicts who turn to crime, destroy their health, lose their minds and even their lives. But since several Publishizer authors have launched wildly successful campaigns on topics such as ayahuasca and medical marijuana, we’ve delved a little deeper into this world and come to understand that the wildly polarising topics are never as black and white as they might seem.

In 2000, Portugal received widespread criticism when they decriminalised the possession of all drugs. Instead of becoming a nation of drug addicts, significantly lower rates of new HIV infections and drug overdose deaths were registered after drug law reforms were implemented. Their holistic model is an example for others today, with roughly two dozen countries and many U.S. cities and states taking steps towards decriminalising drug use and possession. However, the continuing War on Drugs saw brutal massacres in the Philippines last year, encouraging bloody shoot outs between vigilante death squads, drug dealers and users, leaving thousands dead on bloodstained streets.

With an increasing number of people coming out to share their experiences, it’s essential to keep an open mind and remember that change is necessary for progress. Francis Crick attributed his discovery of the DNA double helix to the use of LSD. Author and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss takes psilocybin mushrooms once a year to “reset”, and even launched a campaign to raise money to fund a pilot study on the use of psilocybin to treat depression last year. The cosmologist Carl Sagan himself was a regular marijuana user, claiming that it increased his creativity and insights. These are all motivated, established individuals of society - a far cry from the tripped out, dead beat addicts reviled and shunned by many.

Today, various organisations are campaigning for the legalisation of banned drugs for psychotherapeutic uses, and funding rigorous scientific studies around them. Scores of online sites and articles are dedicated to psychedelic journalism and the sharing of resources and information. And while the tricky topic of consciousness still remains a mystery, it appears that science and spirituality are starting to converge around the study of holotropic states.

For this book proposal contest, Publishizer is seeking topics on consciousness, spirituality, psychedelics, entheogens, plant medicines or alternative therapies. Let’s ride this next wave of human consciousness together, fellow cosmonauts.

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