My opinion has changed and I do think it is possible that certain drugs can be used to gain higher awareness, but it's important to not become addicted to drugs to maintain that higher state of awareness. Drugs have certainly had a history of accepted medical use, before being prohibited, and there is certainly lots of research that needs to be done in the case.
Case and point, John Hopkins university recently did a study that showed Psilocybin can help people overcome depression [summary and study available at:
HOPKINS SCIENTISTS SHOW HALLUCINOGEN IN MUSHROOMS CREATES UNIVERSAL “MYSTICAL†EXPERIENCE ]. Unfortunately, at this point real research is difficult to gain approval for, and it seems like there is a conflict of interest between huge conglomerates that offer other alternatives of anti-depressants to finance this type of research. This is complete speculation that I have no proof of, but it seem as if those companies would have very little to profit from if mushrooms were accepted as medicine.
There are also lots of scary sides to drugs, but what's more unfortunate is that kids are experimenting with substances there is very little concrete medical scientific knowledge of.
Personally, my bias would be that I have attempted to use mushrooms to attempt to overcome depression with certain increaments of success. What really helped me more, is martial arts and true training in awareness, however. I realized after a while, that perhaps mushrooms have very little to do with conquering depression, but rather illustrating your thoughts in very radical and scary ways.
Personal Experience in Retrospect
After taking an eighth of mushrooms,
5 minutes after,
I would have an instant intuitive glimpse of myself. It feels like my awareness and thoughts have seperated and I am trying to recall my goal. It seems as if I am trying to justify my existence, and a goal is making me "happy." I can now laugh at certain thoughts, but am also overcome with a strange mystique and fear that seems to be conjulating inside myself.
HOLY CRAP! THINGS ARE GETTING SCARY...
I would see the "Indians faces" on the grass crying or looking very sad, and then afterward I would recall how unfairly I treated my mom a few nights before, and then I would see a "devil" or something that equates to the scariest of all things my subconscious can conjure at the given time. I would then have the unfortunate realization .. "and this is how a devil is born." ************!! AM I THE DEVIL? NO WAY. The identity of the devil has taken over me, I would get very depressed, more depressed then I was beforehand. And I would think, and ponder, I would see that the world I created for myself is my hell. I am living in hell, on mushrooms, right now, and I am so depressed.
Now, I recall Steve's voice in my memory....."The Law of Attraction," you attract what you want, and I take a look at my surroundings. Holy cow! I am at a drug festival, this is not who I am. I view the person I came to the festival with, as an "energy vampire." He's following me around and ************! AHH!! I have no self-confidence, am depressed, but I take the chance "Hey man, stop following me" I say in the meanest voice possible. I break away, and walk around the beautiful lake and nature. I come to a waterfall. I see the hell that I created for myself. God must hate me so much, should I jump off this ledge? After watching the beautiful waterfall and praying to Jesus and god....."Would god want me to commit suicide?" All of a sudden, I have a glimpse. God wants me to make the most out of myself, not commit suicide. He doesn't want me to depressed, he wants me to do something. He wants me to be the being that I am. I speak to myself softly, and do not want to be controlled by fear anymore. I go into the car, and sit there crying, with a phone. I have to get into college, I am an intelligent boy. I don't have any real friends. So I pick up the phone, and "perceive signals from the universe." When my courage is strong, I see the reception bars to be strong, when I am pondering my decision - my reception bars are weak. I dial, I press the button, the connection seems to be maintained. This seems to be a good time to mention, this it's IMPOSSIBLE to get reception in this nature isolated place. The night before, It took 30 tries of redialing before getting anything from my phone except "ERROR." So I call my mom, and I tell her "MOM, I HAVE A DRUG PROBLEM." And I don't, I'm not addicted to them. I am seeking help in the most radical of ways (at this time). However, my mom knows of my previous problem with drugs "NO WAY!" She's so upset, so nervous, so distraught. She's had to endure so much! "WHERE ARE YOU NOW?" I perceive she cares about me, and is a great parent. I love this courage thing. "I AM............IN A CAR." After some discussion, she wants me to leave and drive home. I feel that I have myself under control and am not on drugs anymore. I go ahead and haggle with the managers at the bar. I ask for a partial refund for the cabin, and notice myself being in complete synchronicity with the universe. As Eckert Toll puts it, some people depend on life threatening experiences to change their state. I'm not going to go into the details, but I got a chance to experience friendship afterward. People played football with me, made me feel welcome and accepted, and I loved it.