Opinions - Children on LSD

[Creeping Death]

During the sixties, many children aswell were given acid. Kids that were 9 years old. I have an LSD documentary where two kids are talking about the experience. The child said "it can be more important to you than reading the bible six times, or becoming a pope".

I'm wondering how a child of that age would actually react to a psychadelic trip. Its about self exploration, and destroying your ego. Thinking outside the box. But children don't really have a real "ego", and i remember when i was 9 years old, i had no independant thoughts or anything. How would this work?

[fishinabottle]

i remember when i was 9 years old, i had no independant thoughts or anything

I had. I had a ego too.

Nevertheless I don´t think it´s a good idea to give strong psychodelics to children, but I also believe thats it´s a even worse idea to give psychodelics to adolescents with puberty raging (many here may hate me for this, can´t help it).
Stability of the mind is important for making LSD a positive experience and puberty is a phase of instability - no doubt.

The sense of a trip isn´t to destroy the ego, at least not for me, when you are into dissociatives like PCP or ketamine you will disagree of course. The sense of a LSD trip is in priori to have a good time and maybe to rearrange the ways you look at the world. You have to have a stable way to look at the world to get this working - otherwise you will end up more confused than you have been before. In short: First get yourself a personality and then take LSD and change it if you like to do so.

/fish

[Creeping Death]

I wonder how a kid would experience and think of a trip afterwards. Can you honestly say that when you were 9 years old, you wondered about who you were and what your place is etc?

For most people the answer is no. So maybe a kid would experience nothing but a "roller coaster" fun time, without any insight or philosophical thoughts to go with it?

[dmax]

Maybe it would kick in an ego? Nah, I doubt it. At the
time, I thought my mind was as mature as it ever would get. I
didn't realize my thought patterns were different from what they would
be as an adult. I expect it would be just like an adult acid
trip, and then it might or might not have any lasting effect.
Although it would make a very strange story once the kid grows up.

[raven3davis]

I saw the documentary you are talking about. I love that quote "its better than reading the bible six times." I think giving kids LSD is a really bad Idea though and it isnt all that funny. Those kids were like ten at most, which IMHO is way too young to be messing with such power pyschadelics. THeir brains aren't even fully developed so I could seethis being a pretty big problem. I dont know what their reasoning was behind giving these kids LSD, but there is no way that these kids made the decision to take acid on their own.

[dags]

i know jerry garcia's kids ended up doing that. one took shrooms when she was very very young, something like four, and i think the other had some o.j. with acid in it when she was ten or something. both were acidents.

[ramjet]

I'm not sure if this really counts, but I started smoking weed when I
was 13 and back then it really accentuated the magic and wonder of the
world 100 fold. I can honestly say I tripped, albeit mild in comparison
to shrooms or acid. I don't get anything like that now, because I am
far more rational - adult logic has dulled down the experience for me.
But when I was a kid, my imagination was able to work wonders. As a
child, and even as an adolescent for me, I had relatively few
preconceptions and assumptions, making it much easier for my mind to
wander off in fantastical directions.

[FrankenChrist]

I once heard children can't get high off LSD.
Sorry I have no references to back it up, and I'm not sure about it either.

[Creeping Death]

Maybe infants then, because they have no perception to alter, really. Everything is trippy to them.

[boomer0]

"this is your brain on dissociates" says that children arn't affected at all by ketamine. little relevance here but it could be the reason for the LSD doesn't affect kids rumor, which after reading these posts i think probably is just that, a rumor.

[Solidly-here]

Kids are people too ... cut them some slack.


As I read through this thread, I could easily see that the ONLY opinion that experienced Psychonauts have expressed is: Protect those poor innocent minds from the possible ravages of an Acid trip.


First, this is the SAME argument that the general population is fed by the DEA (except, the DEA says the same thing for adults taking Acid). Question: How many 9-year-olds have had a BAD Trip? (One kid, three kids, maybe even five?) This same, weak argument has clobbered our method to Soar through the Universe at the Speed of Light.


Now I see this (over-stating of the) problem isn't just by those small-minded, ignorant non-druggies. This must be a more universal thought: Hey, he's too young to know what is good for him. Therefore, just listen to me ("Don't do that drug, it'll mess you up.").


So, the Question remains: How many 9-year-olds have had a BAD Trip?(Although I see it more as, how many have had permanent Brain Damage, OR how many are unable to live an OK life now?)


Gee, there's a TV show that is presenting information about very young LSD users. As Creeping Death himself said: The child said "it can be more important to you than reading the Bible six times, or becoming a pope". I'm wondering how a child of that age would actually react to a psychedelic trip.


Itappears to me that this child just explained how he reacted to his LSD trip (it was a powerful Religious experience). In my mind, feeling like I was the Pope, is a good indication of the intensity of his trip. (In fact, I would certainly like to feel like a Religious giant ...for a few minutes ... one time.)


My feeling on the issue of kids using LSD bounces between "WHY NOT?" ... and "I hope he has tried something Lighter than that at least once, so he can handle it easily." If anyone has some specific data on what percentage of kids have permanent damage from tripping on Acid, please Post it. If not, let's not dirty the waters of LSD use, with our feelings of protection for innocent children.


Kids need to be protected from certain things in life (child molesters, school bullies, divorce), but this is the Real World. These abuses take place (and will, no matter what laws are passed).


It seems to me that initial Drug use is caused by a person who feels that he (or she) doesn't have enough excitement in his life. This boredom creates a desireto see what other states of consciousness are available. Peer pressure is the same force ("Hey, this stuff is great! If you take it, you will be Cool too").

[jaguarangel]

The Huichol Indians give their children peyote in a very ritualistic and controlled environment. It has been part of their culture for hundreds of years. This society is quite different and could be detrimental to children and adolescents.

[Nicaine]

Originally Posted by Solidly-here

Kids are people too ... cut them some slack.

I have to agree. "Ego" is pretty much fully developed after the age of 6 or 7, despite any bullshit to the contrary. If anything, I think a kid is more likely to do well on LSD than a typical adult with hangups and neuroses that would tend to result in an unpleasant experience.Edited by: Nicaine

[Bojangles]

The Manson's family children (Charles Manson) dropped acid with the "family" at a very you age...around 4-5. From what I've read they also then participated in the families orgies...I wander how f*cked up they are today...