Originally Posted by toothdust

The psychedelics are where my passion lies. I am absolutely certain that, used properly, psychedelics can and will have profound positive effects on individuals and society as a whole.

For starters, psychedelics are non-addictive and non-toxic. The only danger in them is the fated "bad trip" which people do have and can lead to neuroses. This is easily avoided, though. Let me explain "used properly". Anyone that has ever experimented with them knows they are powerful mind altering compounds. "Set" and "setting" are absolutely crucial for avoiding "bad trips". If one is knowledgeable about the compound, in a comfortable, safe environment, and are around someone you trust that has experienced said compound before, avoiding the bad trip is almost certain. This is the "setting". Personally, I like them most out in nature, and at night under the stars.

The "set" is your mindset. You could be in a happy go lucky mood, happy with life and have a profoundly beneficial experience on them. Your next time you could be sad, depressed, or angry, and you will most likely have a distressful, negative experience.

So what are their benefits? I am going to speak from personal experience, shared experience of others, and how I think they can help society at large.

Let me start by saying that it is very hard to describe the experience to someone who has never themselves tried them. It is akin to describing a profound, lucid dream to someone who has never had one, or like describing Tokyo to someone who has never seen a car or skyscraper. You may recognize the words, but you can't grasp the overall meaning.