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From The Maze Where Realities Converge - the psychedelic encyclopedia of reality from The Ultimate Comment
def. "Of, characterized by, or generating hallucinations, distortions of perception, altered states of awareness, and occasionally states resembling psychosis."
By this definition, it may seem obvious why psychedelics form a significant part of The Ultimate Comment. Psychedelics and their uses within societies and sub-cultures has been documented, not quite extensively and often subjectively, but to an extent that they can safely be assumed to be the pillar supporting many cultures, ancient or otherwise.
Any definition of what exactly constitutes a 'psychedelic' is bound to be tricky, owing to the fact that the function of psychedelics is to alter consciousness, and consciousness is, by definition, subjective. This can lead to empty semantic debates over whether or not a certain drug is 'psychedelic'. For this reason, some Commenteers prefer an objective definition of psychedelics as: "drugs which affect serotonin neuroreceptors in a variety of ways". Almost all people believe that LSD is a psychedelic.
The modern stigma that is associated with psychedelics is said to be traced to over 400 years ago. The prohibition in the U.S. during the early 20th century can be seen as an early form of our contemporary "War On Drugs". Before the 1920s, many psychedelics were legal in Western countries. They were used as ingredients in commercial medicines made by major pharmaceutical companies. Governments taxed psychedelics varying from cocaine to cannabis.
Psychedelics are nowadays commonly procured by means of 'the black market', and otherwise purchased legally in forms such as dextromethorphan which is found in cough syrup. The Ultimate Comment, in its search for knowledge, has led some to become interested in lesser known psychedelics, such as the phenethylamines and tryptamines synthesised by Alexander Shulgin. The Misuse of Drugs Act of 1998 prohibits in Ireland: "any substance (not being methoxyphenamine or a substance specified in sub-paragraph (a) above) structurally derived from phenethylamine, an N-alkylphenethylamine, a-methylaphenethylamine, an N-alkyl-a-methylphenethylamine, a-ethylphenethylamine, or an N-alkyl-a-ethylphenethylamine by substitution in the ring to any extent with alkyl, alkoxy, alkylenedioxy or halide substituents, whether or not further substituted in the ring by one or more other univalent substituents" and: "any substance (not being a substance specified in sub-paragraph (a) above) structurally derived from tryptamine or from a ring-hydroxy tryptamine by substitution at the nitrogen atom of the sidechain with one or more alkyl substituents but no other substituent" This covers nearly all of the exotic synthetic psychedelics. However, many psychedelic plants are not mentioned in Irish law, and are available to those who search for them.
It is commonly overlooked that many of the creative minds of Western culture over the past few centuries have experimented, and produced their most profound works under the influence of psychedelics. Most English Romantic poets, for example, whose goals were to write poetry about wonderful experiences, would have dabbled with psychedelics, more than likely opium.
They have been, and still are used to gain an understanding of what reality is, and what part humankind plays in this reality. [edit away people]
