Medicine, Drugs, and the Internet Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research

Drugs and Cyberspace   Since the beginning of time, humans have been searching for the ultimate answer. Throughout umpteen cultures, plants as well as manufactured substances are used both for healing and to broaden perceptions and challenge reality. Drugs are a part of the incessant organic evolution of the human species towards a higher and greater intelligence, empathy and awareness or consciousness (Rushkoff, 34). Gurus and shaman have eternally incorporated plant chemicals into methods for enlightenment.   For America, the early 1950s marked the return in popularity of psychedelic drugs as a tool for sagaciousness expansion (Kuhn, 163). Timothy Leary, an icon of 60s drug subculture, as well as cybernetic psychological science explains, the psychedelic drug movement of the 60s and the personal computer movement of the 80s are inner and outer reflections of each other. Leary also argues that only if you understand something about computers, cigaret you b egin to understand psychedelic drugs (Sheff, 120).   Psychedelics deconstruct ones basic assumptions about life, presenting choices that are arbitrary to the individual and the given society. In The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley reflects on the capabilities of chemicals on the human mind Administered in suitable doses, peyote changes the quality of consciousness more profoundly and yet is less toxic than any other substances in the pharmacologists repetory (Huxley, 9). Douglas Rushkoff, one in the same as Leary, has written several books on the topic of psychedelics and cyberspace. He believes with the help of a psychedelic journey, one can come back from tripping and consciously choose a different reality from one thats been agreed upon... ...rception. New York Harper & Row, 1954. Kimm, Todd. Can a Man Fly on the earnings? icon. Vol. 16, Oct. 15, 1998, www.iconquest.com Kuhn, Cynthia Scott Swartzwelder Wilkie Wilson. Buzzed. New York W.W. Norton & Com pany, 1998. Leary, Timothy. High Priest. New York College Notes &Texts, Inc., 1968. Leinhard, John H. A Concern About Reality. No. 88. Nov. 1998. http//www.uh.edu/engines. McKenna, Terence. Archaic Revivals. San Francisco HarperCollins, 1991. Neumann, Peter G. Are Computers Addictive? communications of the ACM Vol. 40. No. 3 (March 1998) p. 128. Rushkoff, Douglas. Cyberia Life in the Trenches of Hyperspace. San Francisco HarperCollins, 1994. Sheff, David. From Psychedelics to Cybernetics. Publish. Feb 1992 p.120 Taylor, Eugene. Psychedelics The Second Coming. Psychology Today. Jul 1996 pp.56-59+