[ExI] Religious Idiocy Triumphs Over Science Yet Again

[Anders Sandberg]

On 2015-12-11 23:54, Will Steinberg wrote:
>
> I just don't understand particularly why you would believe that 
> besides cultural bias.  Do you know what receptors psychedelics act 
> on?  Do you have evidence that the insights would be poorer than 
> "sobriety"?
>

Sorry, but the onus is on you to give evidence for your claims. The 
simplest explanation is that nothing much happens.

Now, I happen to agree with you to some extent, but I am travelling so I 
cannot easily bring up my research library on drug effects on creativity.

But receptors are the wrong level to look for support of creativity 
enhancement - there are plenty of serotonin receptors that merely handle 
blood pressure and gut functions.

> Another effect of psychoactive you CANNOT have without them is: being 
> able to look at receptor affinities and compare effects.  If one takes 
> two drugs with different affinities for the 5HT1 or GABAB or CB2 
> receptor, then one can compare effects and gain insight on what it 
> feels like to have sets of those particular receptors active.  It is 
> very valuable in neuroscience.  And there's a long history of 
> enthusiastic scientists using themselves as subjects.
>

That also require doing proper science: record systematically what 
happens and measure as objectively as possible. This is very hard with 
psychedelics and creativity each, and even worse in combination. It can 
be done, but it is usually not done.


-- 
Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University

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