XPost: alt.drugs.psychedelics, alt.drugs, alt.drugs.rfg   
   XPost: rec.drugs.psychedelic   
   From: rfgdxm@KILLSPAMMERSmochamail.com   
      
   Frederick Burroughs wrote:   
   > "rfgdxm/Robert F. Golaszewski" wrote:   
      
   >>    That just says "sometimes...". The mental effects merely   
   >> *sometimes* resemble mental illness. Not always, and this isn't said   
   >> to be the only possible mental effects. If the definition were that   
   >> the only mental effects of psychedelics were similar to mental   
   >> illness, then I'd agree that was a lousy definition.   
   >   
   > "Resembles" implies similarities AND differences.  "Sometimes...   
   > resembles" implies even more differences.  You are content with a   
   > definition of psychedelic that emphasizes and depends on a similarity   
   > with mental illness.  Whereas Osmond coined the word to emphasize the   
   > differences.  Considering the almost exclusive involvement of   
   > psychiatry with the study of LSD, it's no wonder there's a clinical,   
   > illness-oriented taint on the definition of its effects.   
   >   
   > However, psychedelics have applications way beyond the clinical, as we   
   > all know.  There are socio-religious, artistic and cultural uses that   
   > demonstrate the weaknesses of a definition based on mental illness.   
      
      The dictionary definition I cited is a pop culture one, not one aimed   
   at doctors. The definition people on the street I have met is generally   
   that a psychedelic drug is one that causes hallucinations, and also   
   bizarre or unusual thoughts. As such, the common man is using the term   
   very much with the notion of the states caused by psychedelics   
   resembling mental illness to just be a "sometimes", and not an always.   
   If I were to write the definition based on how the word is typically   
   being used by the people, it would be:   
      
   1 a : of, relating to, or being drugs (as LSD) capable of producing   
   abnormal psychic effects (as hallucinations), and abnormal psychic   
   states which occasionally resemble mental illness   
      
       This is a much better definition, as the current one seems to   
   basically be "a hallucinogenic drug that sometimes causes states   
   resembling mental illness." As if unusual mental states aren't the norm   
   for psychdelics, and they are mostly just hallucinogens.   
   --   
   http://www.dextromethorphan.ws/   
   For information about the psychedelic drug DXM, including dangers.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)