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Time To Stop Accepting Mind Alteration?
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I have been considering the effects of drugs - all drugs - and the reason people use them.
The conclusion I have reached is that every single person who uses any kind of drug - tobacco, cannabis, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, does so in pursuit of a level of mind alteration.
Only the amount consumed, and the desired effect vary, the initial reason is identical throughout - to alter the mind's perception of the present.
Now this can vary from a glass or two of wine at the end of the day, or at a party, or a cigarette to 'calm the nerves' right through to the desired temporary oblivion of a large dose of heroin.
Of course, as a culture, we have absorbed the first examples as simply cultural norms, accepted and even encouraged, less so the last one which remains illegal.
But my point is, the subliminal desire to alter the mind to whatever degree is present in all of them.
Now the first argument would be - 'I drink because I enjoy the taste ...'.
Fine, then you can drink non-alcoholic wine or beer and not notice any difference can't you.
But no, we persist with 'acceptable' drugs because we, as a culture, accept that mind alteration is an acceptable thing to have in our society.
My question is - is it acceptable?
Should we not look at educating children and young people - the adults of tomorrow - that mind alteration is actually not a good thing at all, and is in fact creating a false reality, and leading to death through dangerous driving, liver damage, psychosis, and all the other results of ingesting drugs.
Drugs are not good, and we should be looking at getting rid of them as acceptable in society.
Thoughts please?
The conclusion I have reached is that every single person who uses any kind of drug - tobacco, cannabis, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, does so in pursuit of a level of mind alteration.
Only the amount consumed, and the desired effect vary, the initial reason is identical throughout - to alter the mind's perception of the present.
Now this can vary from a glass or two of wine at the end of the day, or at a party, or a cigarette to 'calm the nerves' right through to the desired temporary oblivion of a large dose of heroin.
Of course, as a culture, we have absorbed the first examples as simply cultural norms, accepted and even encouraged, less so the last one which remains illegal.
But my point is, the subliminal desire to alter the mind to whatever degree is present in all of them.
Now the first argument would be - 'I drink because I enjoy the taste ...'.
Fine, then you can drink non-alcoholic wine or beer and not notice any difference can't you.
But no, we persist with 'acceptable' drugs because we, as a culture, accept that mind alteration is an acceptable thing to have in our society.
My question is - is it acceptable?
Should we not look at educating children and young people - the adults of tomorrow - that mind alteration is actually not a good thing at all, and is in fact creating a false reality, and leading to death through dangerous driving, liver damage, psychosis, and all the other results of ingesting drugs.
Drugs are not good, and we should be looking at getting rid of them as acceptable in society.
Thoughts please?
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wolf - // I don't drink, smoke or take illegal drugs - maybe life would be easier to cope with if I did.
:-) //
Nor do I.
But in not doing any of those, we are in a minority, and that is what intrigues me.
Surely, we should be the majority, living in the world as it actually is all the time, instead, the majority spend some of their time in a mind-altered state.
How can that be a good thing?
:-) //
Nor do I.
But in not doing any of those, we are in a minority, and that is what intrigues me.
Surely, we should be the majority, living in the world as it actually is all the time, instead, the majority spend some of their time in a mind-altered state.
How can that be a good thing?
A-H. Everything we do is mind-altering. You're sounding a bit stuffy and priggish. You didn't mention games (physical or digital), gambling, eating, sexual activity, breathing, falling in love. I could go on, but I'm told I do that too much anyway.
I won't come back on this topic, as I think you could do with a rest.
I won't come back on this topic, as I think you could do with a rest.
Atheist - // A-H. Everything we do is mind-altering. You're sounding a bit stuffy and priggish. You didn't mention games (physical or digital), gambling, eating, sexual activity, breathing, falling in love. I could go on, but I'm told I do that too much anyway. //
Every example you have given involves an action or reaction, but not one of them involves voluntarily ingesting a chemical specifically to have a mind-altering effect.
Therefore your examples are meaningless - I'll ignore your rudeness.
// I won't come back on this topic, as I think you could do with a rest. //
I wish I could say I'm bothered whether you return or not ...
Every example you have given involves an action or reaction, but not one of them involves voluntarily ingesting a chemical specifically to have a mind-altering effect.
Therefore your examples are meaningless - I'll ignore your rudeness.
// I won't come back on this topic, as I think you could do with a rest. //
I wish I could say I'm bothered whether you return or not ...
>>> you can drink non-alcoholic wine or beer and not notice any difference can't you
Find me a non-alcoholic wine that's anywhere near as good as a decent claret or a fine Rioja and I might be tempted to try it. It's irrelevant anyway though, as I know that you can't. (Similarly, I've yet to come across any non-alcoholic beers that can match a chocolate stout, a Belgian wheat beer, a quality Czech lager or a hoppy real ale).
Yes, consuming alcohol (and other forms of taking drugs into one's body, whether legal or illegal) comes with risks but so does motor sport, mountain climbing, pot-holing, sailing, playing rugby or even simply fixing the TV aerial on one's roof or doing a bit of DIY. Life's full of risks and, hopefully, always will be. They're there for the taking and largely what makes life worth living.
Find me a non-alcoholic wine that's anywhere near as good as a decent claret or a fine Rioja and I might be tempted to try it. It's irrelevant anyway though, as I know that you can't. (Similarly, I've yet to come across any non-alcoholic beers that can match a chocolate stout, a Belgian wheat beer, a quality Czech lager or a hoppy real ale).
Yes, consuming alcohol (and other forms of taking drugs into one's body, whether legal or illegal) comes with risks but so does motor sport, mountain climbing, pot-holing, sailing, playing rugby or even simply fixing the TV aerial on one's roof or doing a bit of DIY. Life's full of risks and, hopefully, always will be. They're there for the taking and largely what makes life worth living.
non-alcoholic wine and beer does not taste the same as the alcoholic variety, in my experience. But the notion that I'm trying to "alter my mind" by sipping a (half) glass of Chardonnay with my meal is nonsense. What sort of mental revolution do you imagine I've accomplished when I've finished?
As Atheist points out, pretty well everything alters your mind to some extent, but the chances are watching a Buster Keaton film will do it far more reliably than my Chardonnay: if I've been feeling down, it will make me laugh, and wine seldom does that for me.
As Atheist points out, pretty well everything alters your mind to some extent, but the chances are watching a Buster Keaton film will do it far more reliably than my Chardonnay: if I've been feeling down, it will make me laugh, and wine seldom does that for me.
Buenchico - // Yes, consuming alcohol (and other forms of taking drugs into one's body, whether legal or illegal) comes with risks but so does motor sport, mountain climbing, pot-holing, sailing, playing rugby or even simply fixing the TV aerial on one's roof or doing a bit of DIY. Life's full of risks and, hopefully, always will be. They're there for the taking and largely what makes life worth living. //
My point does not involve the risks - it's entirely to do with the reasons.
And like Atheist's imagined parallels, none of the ones you offer involve voluntarily ingesting one or more artificial substances in order to create mind alteration, so I reject them in the same way for the same reason.
My point does not involve the risks - it's entirely to do with the reasons.
And like Atheist's imagined parallels, none of the ones you offer involve voluntarily ingesting one or more artificial substances in order to create mind alteration, so I reject them in the same way for the same reason.
jno - // But the notion that I'm trying to "alter my mind" by sipping a (half) glass of Chardonnay with my meal is nonsense. What sort of mental revolution do you imagine I've accomplished when I've finished? //
None - but I suggest you are not typical of the majority who ingest tobacco, alcohol, or any of the other drugs - they almost all ingest far more than the minimal amount you enjoy, with what I entirely agree is minimal effect.
If they were, the alcohol and tobacco industries would cease to exist tomorrow.
None - but I suggest you are not typical of the majority who ingest tobacco, alcohol, or any of the other drugs - they almost all ingest far more than the minimal amount you enjoy, with what I entirely agree is minimal effect.
If they were, the alcohol and tobacco industries would cease to exist tomorrow.
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