The Marsh Chapel Experiment - wiki
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^refers to an experiment attempting to ascertain whether or not pscilocybin can be used as an agent to produce 'genuine' mystical experiences in the religiously inclined - much as described by the mystical saints.
precis: yes. buried immediately, naturally.
What authority could possibly back up the idea of personal, divine revelation characterised by peace and love to the masses?
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25 years later: A follow-up study
25 years later, a comprehensive follow-up study was carried out to determine the nature of any lasting long term effects (Doblin, R. 1991. Pahnke's "Good Friday Experiment": A Long-Term Follow-Up and Methodological Critique. The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, Vol. 23, No.1.) The author noted:
Each of the psilocybin subjects had vivid memories of portions of their Good Friday experience . . . The experimental subjects unanimously described their Good Friday psilocybin experience as having had elements of a genuinely mystical nature and characterized it as one of the highpoints of their spiritual life. Some subjects reported that the content of their experience was specifically involved with the life of Christ and related directly to the Christian message while others had experiences of a more universal, non-specific nature. Most of the control subjects could barely remember even a few details of the service . . .
Each of the psilocybin subjects felt that the experience had significantly affected his life in a positive way and expressed appreciation for having participated in the experiment. Most of the effects discussed in the long-term follow-up interviews centered around enhanced appreciation of life and of nature, deepened sense of joy, deepened commitment to the Christian ministry or to whatever other vocations the subjects chose, enhanced appreciation of unusual experiences and emotions, increased tolerance of other religious systems, deepened equanimity in the face of difficult life crises, and greater solidarity and identification with foreign peoples, minorities, women and nature.
While the author criticized Walter Pahnke for downplaying the frightening experiences and emotional struggles that were experienced by some of the experimental subjects (one of whom was administered a tranquilizer to help him calm down) Doblin also noted that:
Despite the difficult moments several of the psilocybin subjects passed through, the subjects who participated in the long-term follow-up reported a substantial amount of persisting positive effects and no significant long-term negative effects. Even the subject who was tranquilized in the original experiment reported only "slightly harmful" negative persisting effects at the six-month follow-up . . .
All psilocybin subjects participating in the long-term follow-up, but none of the controls, still considered their original experience to have had genuinely mystical elements and to have made a uniquely valuable contribution to their spiritual lives. The positive changes described by the psilocybin subjects at six months, which in some cases involved basic vocational and value choices and spiritual understandings, had persisted over time and in some cases had deepened. The overwhelmingly positive nature of the reports of the psilocybin subjects are even more remarkable because this long-term follow-up took place during a period of time in the United States when drug abuse was becoming the public's number one social concern, with all the attendant social pressure to deny the value of drug-induced experiences. The long-term follow-up interviews cast considerable doubt on the assertion that mystical experiences catalyzed by drugs are in any way inferior to non-drug mystical experiences in both their immediate content and long-term positive effects . . .
Thus, despite having an experience that was "unanimously described as having had elements of a genuinely mystical nature and characteriz[ing] it as one of the highpoints of their spiritual life . . . [that] had significantly affected [their lives] in a positive way" the experimental subjects who had received psilocybin had little opportunity to ever have such experiences again.
For most this was their life's only psychedelic experience, in part because there have been no legal opportunities for such experiences for the last twenty-five years in the United States (or in any of the roughly 90 countries who are party to the international drug control treaties coordinated by the United Nation's World Health Organization).
How sad.
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Personally, I'm very much in favour of people having access to these substances in a controlled manner. Recreationally if they want, but under guidance preferably.
I would describe the times where i used psilocybin particularly, as a wonderful enlightening of the spirit. 100% positive and without dangerous side-effects.
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I've noticed that they talk about a lot of crap but never really do anything important with their lives.
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I refer the honourable gentleman to the divine Hicks:
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Ahh... The dangers of drug use.