Newfound_wonder wrote:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18420937
http://neuroscientifical...is-and-neurogenesis.htmlThis article talks about how anti-depressants (which increase serotonin signaling) increased BDNF in the rat visual cortex. BDNF "encourages growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses" (from wiki). Maybe psychedelics have similar properties;
This link directly suggests that psychedelics such as DMT can increase BDNF.. Sure, this means that DMT could be a tool to aid neurodevelopment, but uncontrolled cellular growth is the very definition of cancer. If you think you can use DMT to improve your life, I'm not going to stop you. But my spirituality is as developed as it needs to be. Have fun. Peace love and Charlie the Unicorn.
I could be wrong about all of this. Luckily I've been accepted into a biochemistry PhD program so four years from now I may have a better idea about the link between serotonin and neurogenesis than I do now. Until then, I have no intention of risking losing what little brainpower or social skills I have left.
I dont think you can really formulate a link based on those quotes between the growth of new neurons with psychedelics and cancer growths. In the case of ayahuasca for instance, you can check out the "huasca study" where no damage to the brain was found at all in people who have drank more than once a month for like 10+ years..some of these people drink ayahuasca 2 times a week. So far researchers believe ayahuasca is like brain food that increases the density of seratonin sites. Ayahuasca drinkers scored higher than controll groups in a number of tests pointing towards them having less depression due to a better functioning seratonin system.
Terrence Mckenna went directly to the doctor with his condition and asked up front if it could have been his drug use. They said no way. His form of brain cancer was very rare. There is no reason at all to assume DMT is going to give you brain damage. You should be more worried about eating refined foods and sugars, beef filled with hormones, toxic water and pesticides if you are that worried about this sort of stuff.
I can understand worrying about drugs and brain damage becasue as a teenager in high school I was very anti drugs.."drugs" is a very broad term though and there is no evidence at all to suggest the type of effects you are referring to when it comes to DMT.
Long live the unwoke.