Liza,

<<Liza:
Where do you get these 'facts' that you write about here? I've worked in
addiction centers, I have worked with Native Americans, and I have not seen or
heard anything like this story about peyote helping anyone overcome an
addiction.>>

I'll see if I can track down the book.  It was by a jewish doctor who had
worked with native americans using peyote and terminally ill patients using
peyote.  He had a great success rate, and I think he later became a member of
the Native American Church.

<<Just like my question about mysterious reindeer taking drugs and drinking
their pee, and supposed drug-using shamans in a culture that doesn't have
shamans - I would want to know where you get stories like these?>>

I will attempt to find that book's name for you as well.

Do you think I'm making it up?

<<What terminally ill?  Are you talking about marijuana use among Aids
patients?
Cancer patients? Where? Where did you hear these stories, or read about this?
Please state where you are getting your information.>>

No, not marijuana.  Peyote and, I think, cancer.  As you can imagine, it's not
going to be common public knowledge.  As I said, I'll see if I can find those
books.  It really is interesting, because these people did not report negative
side effects from taking it (other than maybe nausea), and were grateful for
it, and were 'cured' over-night.

From what I've read hallucinogens are not physically addicting, but they can
be 'psychologically' addicting in certain individuals.

In my experience, chocolate was far more addicting and harmful to my health
than a few 'toxic' psychoactive mushrooms.

AND, at least in 1992, according to my pharmacologist/professor, and course
text book, there were no known physical side effects or injuries related to
taking mushrooms (don't know about peyote).  There were no known damages to
the brain, and that the only possible link to physical damage from having
taken them, was a study done using LSD and cells in a lab, and even that was
inconclusive, though widely publicized.

I am not quoting from 'deadhead' sources either, this was a college course at
Tufts University, using a text book, and was taught by a pharmacologist who
was not advocating for us going out to try drugs.  I'm sure you can imagine a
university would not go out of their way to publically admit there were no
known harmful side effects from taking natural hallucinogens.

<<This is an issue of health. I cannot say
that from my experience, it is healthy for people to drink gasoline. It is
your right to choose to do this if you want, but I am not making a judgement
when I say that this is not a healthy thing for you to do. Common sense.>>

I would agree with you in saying drugs are unhealthy for people, however, I
could make an argument to say meat is unhealthy for people, and cite writings
to say it produces excessive uric acid in the body which cannot always be
fully eliminated thus straining the kidneys and the muscles which become
repositories for it.  In my experience cooked food is unhealthy as it places
an undue burden on my pancreas, yet, as a nutritionist, you recommend that to
people.

Basically, I'm saying, drugs are unhealthy, but what is really unhealthy? Many
things in life are stressful, and people can use anything for positive
benefit.

<<Heroin is fun? Maybe for you. >>

Not for me, never tried it.  Is Kefir fun for you?  How do you know it's not
'unhealthy', or how do you know it's not 'psychoactive' or mood altering?  I'm
not saying it is, I'm asking are you sure it's not?  It might be considered a
drug.

<<Can you provide more information on the
book other than that you glanced through it several years ago in a bookstore
in Georgia?>>

Several weeks ago.  Recent reading.  I guess you're really interested!

Maybe I'll go see if I can find out today!

<<If this were me, I'd be wondering why I needed drugs to 'enrich' my life.
I'd
be wondering what was missing from my life that I had to use drugs to distort
things so I could have fun. I'd wonder why I didn't prefer reality to
illusion.>>

Easy to say when you are not there.  I knew why.  I wasn't fulfilled by life,
and I was trying to learn how to be fulfilled because I knew there was nothing
wrong with my life, or LIFE in general.  I knew it was a mental 'problem' that
I could overcome, and I was looking for ways to permanently overcome it.

I wasn't fully appreciating reality, I was suffering, closed to life, not
super-happy.  I didn't want to talk to people about this.  I had kept it to
myself for years.  I didn't even really know to what extent I was unhappy,
only that life wasn't right.   I had gained a lot from meditating, but it
wasn't enough, and I was looking for other ways to experience perspective on
my normal experience of reality, and was hoping to learn some things about my
own nature, and maybe 'expand my mind'.

I took a risk and it paid off.  It worked.  I got a lot out of it.  And then I
saw the downside, and didn't want it anymore.

As I said I have no regrets.  To trade a small stress for the unburdening of
my spirit was well worth it.  Like climbing a tree for a piece of fruit to
save me from strarving!

HOWEVER, I agree with you and don't recommend drugs and alcohol!  I think what
I learned was how to appreciate and value and STAY IN REALITY.  But we all
choose our own path.

I'll see if I can find those books for you ;)

love,
aaron