In the photo above is Albert Hoffman, the chemist discovered the psychedelic effects of LSD decades ago, believing that small doses have the potential of a safe substitute for some addictive drugs as well as a source of higher creativity.

Many high-tech entrepreneurs find LSD and other similar mind-changing substances as surprisingly effective tools to improve their performance.

For years, they have been quietly talking about a forgotten practice in the field of technological innovation and art - hallucinogens. Drugs such as LSD and psilocybin (the active substance in hallucinogenic mushrooms) are currently experiencing a renaissance in the world of heavy mental health workers.

You must know that the deity (for some) of technology innovation and entrepreneurship Steve Jobs used LSD when he was young and it was one of the most instructive experiences in his life, which undoubtedly helped the creative his process. In this connection, do not be surprised that many others in the Silicon Valley, where creativity is a valuable resource, turn to psychedelic drugs . They are an integral part of the lives of many homeowners and founders of start-ups, investors and developers, with fashion spreading beyond the goals of over-productivity.

Science and psychedelics

There are people who, instead of using hallucinogens for their own pleasure, start to see these substances as practical tools to master creativity and solve complex problems. Beginning with lysergic acid tests in the 1950s and 1960s, hallucinogenic substances at doses of 100 to 200 micrograms were given to the test group, which is enough to cause hallucinations. Entrepreneurs and artists have long experimented with taking "micro doses" - typically one fifth of the standard dose for psilocybin and one tenth of the standard dose for LSD - thus trying to perform better at work, without these levels interfering with the work process and causing hallucinations.

James Fadiman, a psychologist and author of the "Psychedelic Finder Guide", conducted some of the latest legal experiments with lysergic acid in 1966 as a researcher at the International Foundation for Advanced Research in Menlo Park, California. Fadiman begins collecting data from specialists who take a non-standard approach - starting a 6-week dose of LSD micro doses, taking the doses in 3 days. By the time of their admission, these specialists are conducting motor research and solving simple logic puzzles just to see if LSD actually influences somehow their daily activities.

Fadiman received more than 100 minutes, and the opinions were mostly positive.

"People report that taking LSD micro-doses can actually be included in their breakfast. Most support the idea of ​​LSD as an assistant in their work. "

Creativity through mushrooms

Few people publicly support the use of hallucinogens to improve performance. (Our good acquaintance, Tim Ferris , is a remarkable exception.) The idea of ​​working under the influence of hallucinogens scares almost everybody ... until he does not talk to someone who feels that.

John Andrew, a Canadian documentary who is blind, makes a pretty crazy experiment in 2014. - Takes small doses of psilocybin mushrooms every day for six months (which is more common than the "standard" acceptance protocol). He began to feel positive effects after four weeks.

I have experienced such clarity as is almost indescribable. I felt homeostasis, the feeling that despite what is happening, good or bad, everything is ok. I felt in the present time, focused - everything showed me how I should feel!

At the sixth month, John Andrew says he has "maximized his potential." (Do not forget he's blind!)

One of Fadman's favorite reports comes from a young engineer and entrepreneur.

When building a complex physical machine, he thinks it's hard to think about the whole system because there are so many moving parts. By means of micro-dosing, however, the engineer discovers that this process is much easier.

Fadiman explains why:

"You are able to see patterns more easily and move from abstraction to visualization."

This is due to the binding of psychedelics to the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor in the brain.

Renaissance research

Micro-dosing is not the fruit of Fadiman's imagination.

Albert Hoffman, the Swiss chemist who first synthesized LSD in the 1930s, believes that micro-doses can be safe and not addictive. Hoffman also believes that LSD is an excellent substitute for drugs such as amphetamine and methylphenidate (Ritalin), which were initially used to improve focus and productivity. (Even if Sigmund Freud has often resorted to drugs, if you find it interesting, find the book "Seven percent solution.") According to Fadman, Hoffman sees micro-dosing as the "most undetected psychedelic action area" and long- have not yet been known.

Now, after a 50-year ban on governments all over the world, some private firms and academic institutions, with the approval of local institutions, are re- launching studies of the healing benefits of endogenous substances , although research has still largely stopped on micro -Depending.

Psilocybin has been shown to help in the treatment of anxiety, addiction, and depression. Neurologists try to help LSD "break through" the usual thinking of drug addicts and people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Entheogen Corp. , a Boston startup, is working on a headache medication made by LSD. Compounds that block hallucinogenic effects are added to it.

Another study throws more light on drug intake from entrepreneurs hoping to increase their creativity and problem-solving skills. Researchers from the Royal College of Medicine in London are making magnetic resonance imaging of volunteer brains dosed with LSD. Stimulation of the brain takes place as previously thought. Interestingly, these substances reduce the activity of the default mode - the brain network that filters the incentives we get from the environment. In a sense, hallucinogens remove the "limiter" of the mind.

Imagine how babies get to know the world - without filters, inhibitions and scruples. Clean and innocent.

Dose of creativity

All that has been said so far does not mean that micro-dosing is a trend.

Technological industry representatives continue to use hallucinogens in the old fashioned way - a large dose that takes them to exciting "trips."

Quite a lot of technological innovations that help us cope with our everyday tasks and provide entertainment are created by entrepreneurs who use these types of drugs to stimulate their creativity and creative thought.

Now I will tell you about such a highly successful inhabitant of the Silicon Valley (not to mention his name). He has held high positions in some of the most famous technology companies in the world. Every month, MDMA, psilocybin, ayahuasca , or LSD is absorbed, depending on what he's been trying to achieve.

This allowed him to plunge deep into his subconscious. But he does not think he is doing this to achieve Aristotle's "EVRIKA!". In this way, it helps his brain to work at much higher speeds.

Psychedelic substances give a new sense of emotional freedom and a new perspective.