I recently attended the Psychedelics for Psychology lecture at the UCL. The evening consisted of talks from some of the new pioneers in Psychedelic research in the field of Psychology. I was attending in a non-student, non-academic, why-are-you-here-actually? capacity which put me initially on edge. It is a long time since my student days, days which were hardly studious in the first place. However as the crowd settled in it became clear that a room full of psychedelic enthusiasts is fairly non-judgmental.

As we had a quick recap of human Psychedelic use over the various millennia, I was put at ease by some of the references to people, places and substances. I at least know some of this. Stoner is as stoner does. Required reading included the US governments MKUltra something I had covered hazily on Wikipedia, also mentioned was Dr Hoffman and various other entheoegens which I have read about, heard speak of and on occasion, ingested.
As we moved into the first talk I felt at ease and allowed myself to drift in and out of focus as I misinterpreted neurochemistry and my own fleeting history of psychoactive substances. As exciting and almost relevant as that is it is not the reason you are still reading. The reason you are still reading is to hear my conclusions on the talk and to hear me briefly review Aldous Huxley’s ‘the Doors of Perception’ which I read after attending this neurochemists shindig.

So before I bore you with rapper-esque pub stories of psycadelic use I will conclude, if I may?

There were a few key points made during this series of lectures;
1. The illegality of Psychedelic substances is hugely limiting and counter-productive to genuine scientific research.
2. Pharmaceutical grade psychedelics administered by a team of professionals is a different experience, and therefore a different level of risk, to illegally procured psychedelics.
3. Psychedelics vary massively in their neurochemistry.
4. The risk of mortality from psychedelics is relatively low compared to other, legal, drugs.
5. Human history is very clearly and demonstrably interwoven with psychedelics. How do you think we got fingers?

So with all of this so reasonably and clearly presented, why on earth are we in the situation we are in? Good question! I found myself asking the same one.
Well, because it is all bad. The government, the future, the past. Mostly bad, that is one answer. Another comes in a little more enthusiastically than that however. Things are changing, the people I was sharing a room with were challenging things and winning. Slowly but surely. This was one of the real takeaway feelings from the lecture, that change is inevitable.It was exciting to be in a room which was genuinely at the fore front of something, the impetus on colour and liberalism and life in general was inspiring. These people weren’t just there to get loaded, they were there to help people and to get people who at least sympathize to go out and spread the word. Aside from it being hugely interesting and informative, its root causes and themes are to help people with mental illnesses. Not just a free jolly for a person-cum-writer-on-self-maintained-page. (I should note that none of this was written in cum. Not the second draft anyway.)

As I felt so inspired I went on to read the great Psychedelic memoir – The Doors of Perception. It too, reinforced my own belief that these substances are innately human and to do away with them would be to shut the door to potentially life-saving experiences.
The book is grounded well with the known history of the time, relating to indigenous use of peyote etc. It is also a loquacious little number and does well to describe aspects of the psychedelic experience which are exceptionally difficult to do so. I’m still to read the Heaven and Hell add on so I may come back to this but for now its a solid 6.75/10. I’m not one for non-fiction so bear that in mind if you are planning to give it a go.

Back to the lecture and I’m going to quickly draw the it into the current political scenario. This lecture was held within months of Fabric shutting down, within weeks of Donald Trump being elected, with the Brexit decision plan looming and the ongoiing refugee crisis totally forgotten about. Perhaps this is why this event was brave. It wasn’t a facebook petition or a march without an end. It was the organised crest of a wave. Liberalism at its finest. Geeky even. This was a room where only the results mattered, science. Not some hogwash post-truth result. It was reassuring and brave. I didn’t make it to the Anti-Trump march as the two events were concurrent but I hop that people left with the same positivism as I left with from here. (Shit Undermining Joke Alert- Though perhaps it was something in the air…)
Anyway, it was the first time in a while that I’d felt positive about the serious world. This feeling has since been replaced by gloom. It should return when I organise! Join up!

Lastly, and more incidentally than anything else. The gloom mentioned is perhaps because of familiar feelings of monotony and self-worth issues. The need for a change of perspective is something which I have felt before and it is something which mind altering substances have afforded me from time to time. Perhaps that is the sesh calling. It always does. ( This would bring up the debate of whether the sesh can be positive? Which I cannot get into now.). But I’d like to believe that it is a deeper human notion to feel a oneness and a contentedness which we cannot through our tragic modern existence unless through rare glimpses of passion or post exercise calm. I will lastly bring up the example of the bike Delivery drivers which have suddenly popped up out of no where. There existence is down to two reasons each as important as the other. 1. The cyclist would like to earn more money. 2. The human would like to spend more time alone, exercising and perhaps romantically in the rain. Searching for a connection to the universe which will not be delivered with the same ease as a pizza. The lonely moments in the rain, on streets on their own are  what they are looking for, the pittance per meal is merely a bonus.

The following was composed with the aforementioned gloom in mind, I will warn you, it is not very good or finished.

Pass me the mescalin,
Pass me the TV Set,
Pass me the heroin,
Pass me a cigarette,
Pass me the ecstasy,
Pass me the shopping spree,
Pass me the internet,
Pass me the alcohol,
Pass me the chocolate or
Give me some exercise or
Pass me off as ignorant or
Give me more intellect.
Give me perspective which I can abide.
I’ve had enough of this.
I’ve had enough of this.