What is the
need for psychedelic experiences?- By Doreen Soans
Do we all agree that we are need driven?
If so then the valid
question to follow would be; which need of yours is taken care off by drug
consumption?
Lets understand our various needs
Our basic needs are food, clothing and shelter besides this we
also have basic emotional needs like feeling belonged, feeling appreciated,
feeling nurtured etc. And physical needs like hugs, cuddles, safe touch and
sex. In order to make sure that the above needs are met we have agriculture,
housing societies, supermarkets, marriage, hospitals etc.
Keeping the above needs in mind, the question that arises in
my mind is when did we as a society create the need for drug dealers and wine
stores? And where does the need for drugs originate?
Is this need emotional or physical?
I am sure
you haven’t ever heard a parent telling their child, that if he/she trip was
addicted to the drug called acid then they would buy him/her the latest car or
take him/her to the mall or treat him/her with extra pocket money? If there s
no gratification from loved ones or even validation then I wonder what drives people
to consume drugs or intoxicants?
Let’s take
a brief peep into the most common effect that runs parallel amongst all
intoxicating drugs and alcohol.
I need you
all to understand that there is no materialistic gain in consuming drugs; the
gain often emotional. The euphoria
felt while consuming drug helps the person lose of his/her inhibitions and express.
This feeling of euphoria masks numbs and disconnects them from the stresses of
their lives thus helping them change their perceptions of
the situation. Drug usage is not a
fad or a fashion statement or anything to do with being happening and cool. It
is an emotional need.
Once again let me mention there are NO materialistic rewards or stars
gained on their behavior board for consumption of a drug. All gratifications are
in the emotional form.
Again another important question arises
here is “Are any of these effect(s) threatening the person who has induced the
drug?” I suppose no. So now the next question is “ Would anyone be willing to
get out of such a emotionally gratifying space?” Again, I believe the answer is
No.
The purpose
of this article is not to support any kind of drug(s) usage but to understand
the motivational factor of this dependency. When people are in physical pain we nonchalantly promote and
advice painkillers. Similarly
there are pills for emotional sufferings and hurt too. What can be the reason
behind the increase in the need for these pills?
Let’s switch
a bit and look at other forms of addictions. There is food addiction, addiction
to shopping, gadgets, work, sex etc. unanimously the reaction I will receive is
all of these are safer than drug and alcohol addiction. Dr. Gabor Mate a medical
doctor from Vancouver Canada also a speaker on Ted Talk spoke on his addiction
to classical compact disc. He felt totally out of control with his addiction to
the extent that he left a lady in labor pain to go and get his fill. Like any other
addict he too felt his need for the object of addiction taking over his work
and personal life. So are we
really being a little biased here towards the object of addictions? If yes then
we are creating a conflict here.
Is there a problem with addiction as a
behavior or a problem with the object of addiction? (I believe that this
discrimination will take our “trippers” on a longer trip to a more distant
place.)
Again going back to what Dr Gabor mate
quoted on Ted talk was the Egyptian philosophers Nakeeb mafus’ quote “Nothing
records the effects of a sad life as graphically as the human body.” We at
META-Health study these graphical effects and trace them back to emotionally
traumatizing incidents of life to which the person had no plan to deal
with. There is a long list of
disease(s) both physical and psychological those are a direct result of feeling
isolated & separated. Both of
these feeling have layers of emotions like anger, fear, grief, sadness and
guilt. Now let’s assume that you’re feeling all of the above and I so happen to
give you a drop or a smoke or a pill that takes you dramatically to a place
where you’re not hurting anymore and instead you feel euphoric, confident. You would end up seeing beautiful
colors, feeling like you are a part of an imaginary world. It’s something on
the lines of Harry Potter or Chronicles of Narnia. You’ve your friends with you
feeling and experiencing this bond of imaginary world. They help you add more colors
to your trip, dancing, holding hands, hugging, and confessing their profound love
for you.Where would
you want to be?Now please
tell me what is it that we as a society are doing that is leaving us so drained
and empty that we are creating a need for this trip?
When I go
to the mountains for a vacation or to Goa I see many Israelis and Russian
tourists taking drugs and living like poppers only to make sure they have
enough money left for drugs. I’m not judging or being racist here I’m just
trying to help you analyze. What is it that’s going on in Russia and Israel?
Have we somehow
created Russia and Israel in our homes? They have their wars; we have our wars
at homes telling our kids what to do even more how to do. We have our hunger
going on for hugs and love. They are sending their kids to war with other
nation; we are sending our kids on wars so that they are better than our neighbors
or colleagues kids. They are
forced to pick up arms and ammunitions; our kids are forced to pick up
engineering MBAs and medical etc.
Their kids come back to empty plates; our kids come back to empty houses
full of food, domestic helps and Wi-Fi for connection.
If our need
for better transportation can create the “Metro”, imagine what CAN
our need to belong create! Yes, we have already created a network of Ammas and
Bhais who give us that trip.
Can we give
our kids beautiful, colorful, happy environment to come back home to? Can we love them hug them and not judge
them? If yes, then maybe they will stop calling those Ammas and Bhais for love
and belonging.
No amount of
anti drug(s) campaigns can help the situation. Telling them that their teeth
will decay, their skin will crumble is not going to scare them, because you
have already created enough fear in their entire being .If drugs will kill them
younger they will embrace it as they will be away from all your projected fears.
They are not afraid of dying they
are afraid of living.
In the last
decade or so the society has undergone changes at frightening speed; we have
been through economic crisis. Unsuccessful marriages, broken families are no
more a rare sight to see. Meeting the increasing and never ending demands,
abuse against women and children are increasing, abuse in families in form of
physical violence and emotional abuse is increasing, people are being attacked
for being Hindus, Muslims, Christians and these days also for being gays and
lesbians. We are dealing with a generation that somehow feels safe in the
virtual world i.e. chat rooms with strangers than they do at their homes. Would
you like to be present in this reality, where the “munnis are getting badnaam”
and dudes are singing “aata majhi satakli”?
Can we all
feel disconnected here? Can we feel isolated? Can we feel separated? Can we
feel the need to run away? Whether
someone chooses Mcat or McDonalds, Cocaine or Coke, Alcohol or Work addiction
has become a part of our society. We are feeling disconnected, we are feeling
separated from the very family that, once was the only connection we had in
this world. Why are we hurting? Why are we so sad?
To begin
with can we stop judging, ridiculing and discriminating and isolating
people? There is awareness but can
we bring acceptance with it? If we don’t accept we will only see problems in
the neighbors’ house.
Let us
focus on one common need that is both physical and emotional, our need for love
and positive attention.
They are
not asking for your sympathy they are asking you to take responsibility. They
are not asking for the best of Steve Jobs they are just asking you to do your
job of being there physically and emotionally.
