Myself, I used LSD to learn calculus -- or rather, to overcome a lifelong crippling phobia/anxiety of mathematics, which allowed me to rapidly learn calculus. When I was 21, I encountered John Lilly's theories of cognitive metaprogramming with psychedelics, and I designed a trip to convince myself -- at a really primal level -- of the fundamental beauty, power, and accessibility of math. 12 hours after dosing, my fear of mathematics was gone forever, and I spent the rest of the summer acing a series of intensive calculus courses. 17 years later, I've co-founded three successful and highly maths-intensive companies. I am certain that I could not have done this without the drugs.
I do hope that some day the world will wake up and realise how much of a wrong turn it took in banning psychedelic research; it has the potential to be a power for good unlike anything else.
On a funny note: Someone shared a video with me, which is a joke trailer for Project Lectorium -- a Russian project to collect videos of lectures, math, economics, engineering etc.
Anyway, in one of its parts there is a professor who explains group theory and he mentioned how a "friend" (wink wink) of his used to take drugs. And while on a trip he saw this bubbling substance, it talked to him and it told him "ask me any questions?". So he asked whether something will happen in his life. But the bubbling substance responded "homologies are null/(singular?)". And so since then he had spend most of his life trying to answer that question.
If anyone speaks Russian, here is the actual video:
Also presumably Paul Erdős was fond of amphetamines. I wonder if there are many other cases or stories of LSD or other drugs influencing mathematical discoveries.
In Fitzgerald's The Beautiful and the Damned, the protagonist's father is fond, in later years, of attributing his business success to his lifelong religious devotion. The hero doubts it.
I have been temped in the past to equate this magnate character's conviction to PG's belief that it was Lisp which allowed Viaweb to do so well.
I do not disaprove of religion, functional programming, or psychedelics. But in the instances described, I tend to view them mostly as analogous to Dumbo's magic feather.
While I also believe that they can have beneficial effects, and that research shouldn't be stopped, at the same time it's worth keeping in mind the side-effects:
This sounds quite incredibe. In fact, very incredible, considering you just registered that account and this is your only post. But I believe you may be telling the truth.
Do you think the same could be applied for other disciplines, like programming and computer science?
If you're interested in the topic, I highly recommend the book "What the Dormouse Said", which explores amongst other things the impact of psychedelics on computing.
I came here to mention the first title. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but as I recall LSD not only reached the computer scientists early on, it more or less was introduced via such academic circles.
The other day I reflected on the fact that the project I have been working on for the last 3 years have such strong connections with my first psychedelic experience. Sometimes I wonder about the worth those things, questioning what ultimately can be gained from that so-called ineffable, even as a source of inspiration. And I'm the first one to trivialize it too, to debunk it as pretty much any intoxication. But then again, you can shrug it off, it doesn't hurt you, or change you: it's only significant if you are open to it. So it just seems to me that it would be silly to be cynical about something like that, to doubt the good of something that really just opens your mind a bit.
If anyone cares, this is the complete Tim Leary photo archive. A while ago I was asked to help curate it, and my payment was getting to keep a copy on my site, as long as it doesn't show up on search engines.
Some people have experimented with micro-dosing (~0.1 to 0.2g dry of) psilocybin mushrooms at shroomery.org, especially: http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/17315584... . He seems to have observed an increase in focus and productivity at work (editor of some kind). Unfortunately he stopped posting abruptly.
That is the slight problem, mega-dosing types have probably independently arrived at some coherent theory of everything many times yet not got as far as writing it down. The 'increased focus...' is probably comparing micro- to mega- dosing, not 'reality'.
At least the Beatles were able to complete albums with words written whilst off their trolleys, few others seem to manage it. Really if there is to be research in the wonders of various psycho-active drugs, the hard part, writing it down, in a form that makes sense in the 'real world' is where research needs to be conducted.
"It's not 'take psychedelics and you can understand quantum mechanics'. But if you understand quantum mechanics and you take a psychedelic, you may really understand quantum mechanics"
[+] [-] poke53281|11 years ago|reply
I do hope that some day the world will wake up and realise how much of a wrong turn it took in banning psychedelic research; it has the potential to be a power for good unlike anything else.
[+] [-] rdtsc|11 years ago|reply
Anyway, in one of its parts there is a professor who explains group theory and he mentioned how a "friend" (wink wink) of his used to take drugs. And while on a trip he saw this bubbling substance, it talked to him and it told him "ask me any questions?". So he asked whether something will happen in his life. But the bubbling substance responded "homologies are null/(singular?)". And so since then he had spend most of his life trying to answer that question.
If anyone speaks Russian, here is the actual video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqAf5lOJZew
Having read your comment, it reminded me of it.
Also presumably Paul Erdős was fond of amphetamines. I wonder if there are many other cases or stories of LSD or other drugs influencing mathematical discoveries.
[+] [-] sopooneo|11 years ago|reply
I have been temped in the past to equate this magnate character's conviction to PG's belief that it was Lisp which allowed Viaweb to do so well.
I do not disaprove of religion, functional programming, or psychedelics. But in the instances described, I tend to view them mostly as analogous to Dumbo's magic feather.
[+] [-] nether|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] natdempk|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] userbinator|11 years ago|reply
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LSD#Potential_adverse_effects
Have you experienced any?
[+] [-] meowface|11 years ago|reply
Do you think the same could be applied for other disciplines, like programming and computer science?
[+] [-] ams6110|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] atmosx|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Ideka|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] notastartup|11 years ago|reply
can you describe your experience more in detail? what in particular did you discover during the process how to overcome fear of math?
[+] [-] GuiA|11 years ago|reply
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_the_Dormouse_Said
Timothy Leary also has a chapter in "The Art of HCI design" in which he explores parallels between psychedelics and computer interaction.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Human-Computer-Interface-Desig...
[+] [-] arketyp|11 years ago|reply
The other day I reflected on the fact that the project I have been working on for the last 3 years have such strong connections with my first psychedelic experience. Sometimes I wonder about the worth those things, questioning what ultimately can be gained from that so-called ineffable, even as a source of inspiration. And I'm the first one to trivialize it too, to debunk it as pretty much any intoxication. But then again, you can shrug it off, it doesn't hurt you, or change you: it's only significant if you are open to it. So it just seems to me that it would be silly to be cynical about something like that, to doubt the good of something that really just opens your mind a bit.
[+] [-] spiritplumber|11 years ago|reply
http://robots-everywhere.com/leary_gallery/index.php
There's also a dosbox setup for Leary's Mind Mirror software.
http://robots-everywhere.com/portfolio/games/mmirror_port/
[+] [-] ardemue|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Theodores|11 years ago|reply
That is the slight problem, mega-dosing types have probably independently arrived at some coherent theory of everything many times yet not got as far as writing it down. The 'increased focus...' is probably comparing micro- to mega- dosing, not 'reality'.
At least the Beatles were able to complete albums with words written whilst off their trolleys, few others seem to manage it. Really if there is to be research in the wonders of various psycho-active drugs, the hard part, writing it down, in a form that makes sense in the 'real world' is where research needs to be conducted.
[+] [-] darkFunction|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] im3w1l|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] codeshaman|11 years ago|reply
Scientific Problem Solving with Psychedelics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtL5fafpRKc&list=SP4F0vNNToz...
From the talk:
"It's not 'take psychedelics and you can understand quantum mechanics'. But if you understand quantum mechanics and you take a psychedelic, you may really understand quantum mechanics"
[+] [-] Energy1|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|11 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] lelifer|11 years ago|reply
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