PSYCHEDELIC SCIENCE: Drugs Are the Same: Legal or Illegal. Stimulation as a Necessity: A Reinterpretation of 'Drugs' in Contemporary Society

Legal and illegal drugs alike function as stimulatory substances that nourish both mind and body, driven by a fundamental human need to alleviate the anxiety arising from social and cultural tensions. Drawing on Freud's concept of social discomfort in 'Civilization and Its Discontents' and Huxley's soma in 'Brave New World', the article argues that consumer societies seek artificial pleasures to mitigate suffering. A comparative analysis of various drugs and their effects on the human psyche suggests that future legalization of psychedelics should be considered from cultural and philosophical perspectives, not merely medical ones.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article presents a critical reinterpretation of the concept of "drugs" in contemporary society, challenging the traditional categorization that separates legal substances from illegal ones. Through a multidisciplinary analysis incorporating psychology, neuroscience, and sociology, it argues that drugs, regardless of their legal status, are merely stimulatory substances that serve as nutrients for both the mind and the body. The need for stimulation is framed as a fundamental human response to social discomfort, as described by Freud in The Malaise of Civilization. From this perspective, both legal drugs (such as coffee and tea) and illegal ones (such as psychedelics) serve the same basic function: alleviating the anxiety inherent in social and cultural tensions. The concept of soma in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World is incorporated as a critique of how consumer societies seek artificial pleasures to mitigate suffering. Finally, the article offers a comparative analysis of different drugs and their effects on the human psyche, suggesting that the future of psychedelic drug legalization should be considered not only from a medical standpoint but also from cultural and philosophical perspectives. This study offers new insights into the role of drugs in mental health and social wellbeing.