Psychedelic Drug Use Might Prevent Mental Illness

The Norweigan University of Science and Technology released a study recently on the relationship between use of psychedelic drugs and incidence of mental illness. The study now shows definitive proof that tripping does not lead to higher incidence of depression, suicide, and overall psychological distress. In fact, the evidence shows that the drugs do quite the opposite.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Psychedelic drugs belong to the classification of “hallucinogen,” and are known to cause pretty amazing visual hallucinations. These “trips” are often colorful, and can be quite an experience for those who take the drugs (which I know nothing about…). There is a chance that someone partaking in the psychedelic drug could have a “bad trip,” but the Norwegian study concluded that even those do not lead to increased incidence of mental illness.

Acidtrip
A visual representation of an acid trip, courtesy of Wikimedia

The study was published in the Journal of Pharmacology and looked at data of 135,095 random subjects. The subject pool included 19,299 users of psychedelic drugs such as LSDs and psilocybin mushrooms. The authors of the study, Teri Krebs and P?l-?rjan Johansen, found no evidence to connect the use of psychedelic drugs with mental conditions such as depression, psychological distress, and suicidal thoughts. What they did find, though, was an association between the use of psychedelic drugs and a decreased chance of developing mental health issues.

Researchers such as Krebs and Johansen believe that psychedelic drugs should be legal, as the ban based on health reasons is unjustified. In fact, many researchers believe that people have the right to turn to the recreational drugs as a way to develop their personalities and to spiritually commune with the world, as many tribal cultures have done for generations.