To Use, or Not to Use, That is the Question

Learning about drugs' effects on the brain was very intriguing.  The way that cocaine blocks the reuptake transporter of dopamine in the presynaptic terminal thereby increasing the stimulating effects of dopamine; the way that nicotine increases dopamine release in the pleasure center of our brain—the nucleus accumbens; the indirect process through which cannabinoids increase the effects of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens by inhibiting gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)—a common inhibitor of dopamine in the synapses of neurons; the resemblance of most hallucinogens to naturally occurring neurotransmitters, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and serotonin, and the profoundly different effects each type of hallucinogen has on perception.  I like to learn about the different physical effects that drugs have on our brains, and how those effects are transcribed in our perceptions of reality, our behaviors, and our consciousness.

The best definition for consciousness that I have encountered is that it is awareness of awareness.  That being said, I'm led to wonder: how exactly did consciousness arise in the human species?  How did we come to be aware of our awareness?  When did we develop a concept of the self and the other, and how did this happen?  When I think about these questions, it makes sense to me that language and consciousness must have arisen together.  Without words, we have no way of formulating ideas or concepts, and for this reason, they are inseparable and must have given rise to one another.

There is a building body of evidence that supports the hypothesis that we may have evolved a consciousness by using mind-altering drugs, such as hallucinogens, that occur in the natural environment.  "Food of the Gods" by Terrence McKenna outlines details of his own research on ancient cultures, tribal civilizations, and their use of hallucinogens to support this hypothesis.  Apparently, there are many ancient civilizations that deified the cow and hallucinogenic mushrooms.  McKenna believes that back when our species were primarily nomads, the humans of that time began to follow herds of cows in the grasslands of Africa to feed on them.  Consequently, humans must have encountered the mushrooms that grew on the dung of the cows they would follow and eaten them as well.  These events, McKenna believes, must have catalyzed the evolution of the human brain and, subsequently, human consciousness. McKenna argues that the visual acuity caused by the psilocybin in the mushrooms conferred an adaptive advantage in the hunting abilities of those humans who ate them compared to those who did not ingest or respond well to the effects of psilocybin.

Studies on chimpanzees have also demonstrated that they too have learned to take advantage of the bioactive properties of plants.  Dr. Richard Wrangham, a primatologist for Harvard University, was the leading researcher of such findings in the 1970's.  In one of his articles, Wrangham discovered that chimpanzees would ingest the juices of the leaves of specific plants, or eat the bark of certain trees to alleviate themselves of parasites in their digestive tracts.  Perhaps we too, at some point in our evolutionary path, experimented with multiple types of plants to conceive of their beneficial properties and used them under necessary circumstances.

Next, I would like to bring up a stringent point in my discussion.  The topic on drugs and drug research is a highly controversial one that brings many issues, both ethical and moral, into a muddy stigmatic stir.  I think it's time that we really begin to straighten a few of those things out, otherwise we cannot expect any kind of advancement that drug research can offer.

First of all, the author of our physiological psychology text has misinterpreted the finding of a study on the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the active ingredient in marijuana leaves—on rats.  In the study, the control rats learned to press a lever for food on a fixed-interval schedule of 30 seconds.  The rats that were under the influence of marijuana, however, would press the lever sooner than the rats that were in the control condition.  For example, instead of waiting the 30 seconds to press the lever, the rats in the experimental condition would press the lever every 10-15 seconds.  Both the author and the researchers used these findings to support the common notion that "time passes more slowly" when under the influence of marijuana.  In other words, they went as far as to say that the 10-15 seconds felt like 20-30 seconds for the rats under the influence of THC.  But how can they know what the rats are feeling?  I don't understand the premises these scientists have used to come to such an immeasurable conclusion about the results.  Studies in biochemistry have shown that THC signals the pancreas to produce more insulin which causes tissues in our bodies to metabolize more glucose from our blood.  This sudden increase in glucose metabolism decreases our blood-glucose levels which, in turn, sends another signal to our brain to tell us that we are hungry and need more glucose.  I am convinced that the rats in the previous study have no concept of time, but simply a serious case of the "munchies."

I contend with the notion that "time passes more slowly" when under the influence of marijuana, but I believe there is a specific neural mechanism at work for such an experience to be perceived.  This process definitely requires further research, and it would help if researchers would expand their knowledge in other fields of science to make more well-rounded conclusions about their results.  A misinterpretation of results in this particular type of research can have grave consequences.

Secondly, I would like to enlighten my audience with a research article on the hallucinogenic effects of dimethyltryptamine (DMT) on human subjects by Dr. Rick Strassman.  This study was not necessarily revolutionary, as investigations on the effects of hallucinogens on humans have been done before, but it placed a prominent foot in the door since the popularity of research on hallucinogens over the last 50 years has rapidly declined due to social stigma.  Strassman does a wonderful job at articulating the significance of modifying drug research if we wish to learn more about our consciousness and its evolutionary development.  Moreover, he has refined the methodical approach to acquiring test subjects for safer practice of drug administration, and he highlights the importance of drug research in the psychotherapeutic arena.  Surely, we can follow Strassman's steps and find a happy medium in drug research.

Lastly, I would just like to add that I neither advocate nor denounce the use of drugs.  Drugs have imposed a very important advance in our lifestyles by bettering our health and increasing our longevity. It is important to understand that drugs are not meant to be abused, or you may fall victim to a long, torturous path of addiction that may prove fatal to your well-being.  And remember: just because you can't develop a biological addiction to certain substances, it doesn't mean that you are invulnerable to psychological addictions.  Be wise and be safe.  ¡Hasta la vista!