The delusions of the drug user.
Writing in the New Yorker, John Lanchester finds wanting the particular genre of literature known as drug writing. (*) From Thomas De Quincey to Hunter Thompson, there have been few if any works of literary merit produced by writers under the influence of drugs, psychadelic or otherwise. Yet many writers and artists have made the extraordinary claim that drugs actually increase their ability to create art.
It seems impossible that drugs could aid a person’s creative ability, or, for that matter, capacity for rational thought. The best that could be hoped for is that drugs leave the taker’s capacities intact. The delusion and paranoia experienced by drug users is mimicked by their proclamations of a special, exclusive knowledge—a secret knowledge that somehow cannot be conveyed by language, but is only known to the drug user. In that this unknowable knowledge cannot be communicated, there is no reason to believe it exists.
Lanchester does give drugs a pass in that jazz and rock and roll have sometimes been produced under the influence of drugs, and therefore drugs must be helpful in music. This conclusion is highly questionable. While some such music, like that of Miles Davis, is innovative, the great jazz artists and rock and roll musicians have almost always failed to live up to their potential, and not just because many of their lives were shortened by drug overdoses. With the music talent of the last few decades, works of greater merit should have been produced. Of course, an album like Kind of Blue is a great work of art. It can be surpassed, however, and likely will be. Miles Davis would have reached higher heights of greatness without drugs.
Drug use is a cancer eating away at our society and civilization. Aside from the medicinal benefits of drugs like aspirin, there appears to be nothing at all of value in drugs. Unfortunately there are many today who cling to the ideology of this exclusive cult claiming knowledge of some secret unknown that only drug use can provide. In fact, the secret is out. Drugs not only do not work as advertised, but they also instill the illusion of usefulness.
Update: 13 March 2003. A recent study shows that the damage caused by drug use is lasting.
Problems with attention and motor skills persist a year after someone stops using cocaine and/or amphetamines, says a study in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
The Massachusetts General Hospital-led study included 50 pairs of male twins whose average age was 45.9. One of each pair of twins was a former heavy user of cocaine and/or amphetamines who had not used the drugs for at least a year before the start of the study.
All the twins were given a series of neuropsychological examinations to assess their attention, executive functioning, motor skills, intelligence and memory.
The twins who were former drug users performed significantly worse than their nonuser twins in the areas of motor skills and attention. However, the former drug users did much better on one test of attention that measured visual vigilance.
“Despite being abstinent for at least a year, abusers demonstrated neuropsychological impairments and selected advantages. These findings provide evidence of long-term residual effects of stimulant abuse,” the study authors write.
(†) The study only confirms again what was already known.
January 5th, 2003 at 16:16
"there have been few if any works of literary merit produced by writers under the influence of drugs, psychadelic or otherwise."
Lanchester listed a whole passel of them in his article. In addition, he forgot some of my favorite drug-influenced authors: Aleister Crowley, Timothy Leary, Robert Anton Wilson…
"It seems impossible that drugs could aid a person’s creative ability, or, for that matter, capacity for rational thought."
Stimulants are a tremendous boon to rational thought (It’s been said by some that the fact that the Scientific revolution didn’t really get underway until caffiene and nicotine were introduced to Europe might be more than a coincidence)… caffiene, ginseng, and nicotine are standbys of the student and the scientist. As for creativity, some of the most fascinating ideas I’ve ever heard have come from people who have been on drug trips. (A friend of mine, coming off a psilocybin binge last winter, invented one of the most fascinating concepts for a science-fiction story that I’ve ever heard. I’ve been working with him to turn it into an RPG, and it’s a sight to behold)
"The delusion and paranoia experienced by drug users is mimicked by their proclamations of a special, exclusive knowledge—a secret knowledge that somehow cannot be conveyed by language, but is only known to the drug user. In that this unknowable knowledge cannot be communicated, there is no reason to believe it exists."
What delusion and paranoia? THC must not have either effect, because I’ve never experienced them. And the "unknowable knowledge" you speak of is known to more than just drug users- take a look at the works of Ram Dass and his turning away from drugs (LSD) in favor of Advaita Vedanta and Yoga for more on the connection between drug use and mystical experience (many other authors have covered similiar territory, but Dass has more first-hand experience than most, on both accounts). You demonstrate a gross misunderstanding of drug experience and the nature of non-rational consciousness.
"Drug use is a cancer eating away at our society and civilization."
It wouldn’t be if people were given proper education in the use of drugs and understanding of non-rational (both pre and trans) states.
"Aside from the medicinal benefits of drugs like aspirin, there appears to be nothing at all of value in drugs."
Except the value of the psychiatric drugs which have helped millions with depression. And LSD, which had promising results in psychotheraputic experiments in the 60’s and 70’s (I’ll refer you to the work of Stanislav Grof in these respects.) And the enjoyment of recreational drugs. Pleasure is it’s own reward.
"Drugs not only do not work as advertised, but they also instill the illusion of usefulness."
You’re right- they don’t work as advertised. Our Drug Education efforts have been lying about their efficacy, danger, and uses for years. The only illusion is that these lies can continue without our entire civilization being endangered by the real cancer eating away at it- the denial of spirituality and transcendental consciousness. Until drugs are regulated (not banned), properly studied (not used recklessly), and turned into the medicines and sacraments that they deserve to be, our civilization will continue to be devoured by the malaise that been eating it for decades.
January 8th, 2003 at 18:19
Add to that catalog Ken Keasey (One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest) and Lewis Carroll, William Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, innumerable poets and of course rock stars like Elton John, David Bowie, John Lennon, et al.
January 8th, 2003 at 18:20
Add to that catalog Ken Keasey (One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest) and Lewis Carroll, William Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, innumerable poets and of course rock stars like Elton John, David Bowie, John Lennon, et al.
January 8th, 2003 at 18:21
Add to that catalog Ken Keasey (One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest) and Lewis Carroll, William Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, innumerable poets and of course rock stars like Elton John, David Bowie, John Lennon, et al.
January 15th, 2003 at 21:24
Aside from the medicinal benefits of drugs like aspirin, there appears to be nothing at all of value in drugs.
"Except the value of the psychiatric drugs which have helped millions with depression."
I’d argue that benefits from such drugs are medicinal in nature.
January 29th, 2003 at 14:51
the Cognitive dissonance theory reavels the possibilities in which we lie to ourselves. Drug trips that allow us to subjectively look at ourselves can reveal this to us. what could be more delulsional than lying to ourselves?