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How to become a researcher in psychedelics ?
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soyouth
Started Topics :
4
Posts :
28
Posted : Oct 19, 2006 11:20
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Hello my friends,
I am slowly finding my way in the academic field to work on altered states of consciousness from a neurocognitive science perspective. Four years ago I have been heavily looking for some information and i could find some bits of it on Maps.org website.
In their latest bulletin they issue a well written article intended for undergraduates on how to become a researcher in the field of psychedelics. Also on why & why not become a researcher in this field.
Here is the link
HTML
http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v16n2-html/so_you_want_to_be_a_psychedelic_researcher.html
PDF
http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v16n2/so_you_want_to_be_a_psychedelic_researcher.pdf
For those of you who don't know Maps, here is some description. I strongly advise you to contribute even modestly because they are fighting for our future and dreams !
Cosmic Love and Change
Alex
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The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a membership-based non-profit research and educational organization. We assist scientists to design, obtain approval for, fund, conduct and report on research into the healing and spiritual potentials of psychedelics and marijuana.
With sound research results, psychedelic psychotherapy and medical marijuana research have the potential to help millions of people in alleviating the pain, psychological distress and other symptoms of such illnesses as cancer, AIDS and addiction. Research will also help us to better understand our human potential and bring the tools of science to the study of spirituality, meditation and mental functioning.
Can you imagine a cultural reintegration of the use of psychedelics and the states of mind they engender?
Please join MAPS in supporting the expansion of scientific knowledge in this area. Progress is only possible with the support of people who care enough to take individual and collective action.
More info on www.maps.org
  Peace Love Unity & Respect for the World !
Teratone VJ Crew [www.teratone.org/goa]
Little Psychedelic Eye Shamanic Team [http://lpteam.free.fr] |
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exotic
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
200
Posts :
5057
Posted : Oct 19, 2006 13:26
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I've copied the article. Will read it at length later.
The entire concept of undertaking research at such a level intrigues me!
How can i subscribe to this movement ?
missing plug-in |
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full_on
IsraTrance Team
Started Topics :
279
Posts :
5475
Posted : Oct 20, 2006 03:21
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You can be a scientist working in a correlated field. For example, I work with structure-based drug design. But if you want to test the effects on human, than the trouble begins...
Respect!
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...Be gentle with the earth...
...Dance like nobody's watching...
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...I don't mind not going to Heaven, as long as they've got Coffee in Hell... |
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Psycosmo
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
42
Posts :
787
Posted : Oct 20, 2006 06:09
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First step is to familiarize yourself with the literature. Search pubmed, http://ncbi.nih.gov/pubmed and search for terms like psilocybin, ayahuasca, lysergic (not LSD because you will get lots of unrelated results), MDMA etc. You can also limit your search to clinical trials so that you only get studies involving humans (use the "limits" tab just below the search box). I wouldnt reccomend trying to contact these people until you really know what you are talking about though. If you are in school talk to your advisor and get advice about how to approach them. And try not to sound like a starry eyed druggie, think of a socially acceptable reason to be interested in these drugs so you can justify your interest in them without raising eyebrows.
If you are interested in doing animal research to study the mechanism of action of these drugs rather than human research your opprotunities will be much broader.
The main thing is read, read, read lots of peer reviwed journal articles and study, study study, take every neuroscience/biology/pharmacology class you can and do well in them. If you go to school, volunteer to work in a lab, even if it isnt directly related to your interests. If any kind of honors program is available that lets you do your own research, definatly try to get into it. The sooner you get involved in research, the better.
Also, in boring biology and chemistry lessons, try to remember that many things that seem boring and unrelated to your interests are probably very important. There are a lot of things I would have paid more attention to had I comprehended how important they would be down the line (namely electron orbitals and genetics).
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l337
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
55
Posts :
817
Posted : Oct 20, 2006 17:48
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eat a mushroom |
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Psycosmo
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
42
Posts :
787
Posted : Oct 22, 2006 13:28
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give someone else a mushroom and observe what happens 
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