PSYCHEDELICS - Sciencemadness.org

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____________________________________________________ Psychedelics
these alterations. As a slogan, it becomes an exhortation, but
its origin and fundamental sense remain descriptive.
It would be remiss not to note that bad trips are possible
and do occur from the use of these substances. Louria
(1966, 1967), for instance, has stressed these in his opposition
to the use of at least major psychedelics. Even granting
that his sample is biased because it is based on hospital
admissions, these represent a significant problem. It is probably
also the case that conventionally trained physicians treat
these cases inadequately and react with a panic culturally appropriate
to the older generation, when a calm hand and
new methods of treatment might be of more help. The widespread
use of psychedelics argues against any high frequency
of bad trips, even though they are often taken in very bad
situations without adequate safeguards. In an effort to meet
some of the problems resulting from the bad trip, the community
of psychedelic users has organized in many cities rescue
services in which appropriate kinds of help can be given
to those who are suffering from a bad trip. Because of the way
these services have to operate, there is no way of evaluating
their methods. The important need for places in which the
drugs can be taken by individuals screened to avoid psychiatric
abnormality, under controlled conditions and professional
supervision, has not been met by our culture, and this
failure only serves to make a bad situation worse and make
self-fulfilling the prophecies of disaster.
One of the significant factors in the increasing attention to
psychedelics has been the mass media. For the news media,
no news and good news are bad news. A paucity of interest-
ing items fails to sell papers and lowers Hooper ratings. There
is no question but that the role of the press has been signifi-
cant in creating interest in psychedelics, fear of psychedelics,
and the existence of a psychedelic movement. In his paper,
Braden presents a very sensitive analysis of the dilemma and
role of the press with regard to the psychedelics. He points
out the difference in the kinds of coverage given by news-
papers and magazines, and shows how newspaper attitudes
may be formed and how they affect subsequent coverage.
Little is known of the life-styles of psychedelic users other
than through broad and glib generalizations. Blum and his