LSD and ketamine for a career
Drug swamp Silicon Valley: How Elon Musk and Co. glorify hallucinogen intoxication as a success factor
Elon Musk just emphasized the positive effects of ketamine
© Fred Dugit/ / Picture Alliance
In California, attitudes toward drugs have long been a little more relaxed. But in Silicon Valley, more and more people are turning to hallucinogens at work – in order to work better.
That people in tough work environments too Taking drugs to improve performance is nothing new. But hallucinogens like LSD tend not to be associated with a work environment. In the tech companies of Silicon Valley, however, they are becoming increasingly popular. And not just in your free time.
“It’s the clearest way to open your mind and see clearly for yourself what’s really happening,” Karl Goldfield enthuses to the Wall Street Journal. The former marketing executive now advises the tech world on the right dose of hallucinogenic drugs to feel the effects without getting really high. This practice of taking extremely small amounts of drugs is called microdosing. However, Goldfield does not have a medical background. He acquired his knowledge of dosages through keen experiments on his own.
“Smart Drugs”
The interest in his knowledge is great. Now that even medicine has researched the possible positive effects of psychoactive drugs such as psylocibin, i.e. the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms”, many see a possible career boost in the substances once seen as addictive intoxicants. They hope for freer thoughts, more creativity or a deeper understanding of the experiences. “You have to think of it like a smart drug,” explains Goldfield. “It allows you to think more analytically and consciously.”
Spencer Shulem, CEO of an AI startup, takes LSD about every three months. Sometimes at work too, when he stays in the office longer than his team in the evening. The dose is so small that you wouldn’t even notice it, he emphasizes to the “Wall Street Journal”. He cites investor pressure as the reason. “They’re looking for someone extraordinary. But no one is born that extraordinary.”
Microdosing for depression
Tesla CEO and Twitter owner Elon Musk is also said to use microdosing for himself. According to reports from people close to him, the entrepreneur takes small amounts of ketamine to treat depression, according to the “WSJ”. He is also said to consume larger doses at parties. In fact, Musk tweeted Tuesday that he believes ketamine is a better antidepressant medication than seratonin inhibitors. However, he refers to the experiences of his friends.
According to the newspaper’s report, Musk will also be a guest at exclusive parties thrown by high-ranking members of the tech scene in exotic locations such as Miami and Mexico. In a very controlled society, various substances are said to be taken there to celebrate, expand the mind or “heal” mental wounds.
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Huge interest
“A few years ago, talking about psychedelic drugs was a big taboo in Silicon Valley”; explains Edward Sullivan, who runs a consulting firm. “But that has changed noticeably.” More than 40 percent of his customers would now openly express an interest in the substances. It used to be just a handful.
A change in thinking in society is also likely to play a role in this. The medical successes of hallucinogens in therapy were already star treated. The Netflix series “How to Change Your Mind” found numerous viewers. And even Hollywood celebrities are promoting the idea. In “The Goop Lab Show” by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, an entrepreneur ingests psychedelic mushrooms on camera. And then raves that the experience would have been “more effective than years of therapy” for her.
Dangerous self-therapy
This way of dealing with drugs is controversial among medical experts – mainly because it is practiced by non-experts and mostly on the basis of self-diagnosis. The procedure is therefore quite dangerous in contrast to a therapy carried out by medical experts and supported by examinations and discussions. “There is no guarantee that you will be one of those people who will have a positive effect,” warns an addiction specialist interviewed by the newspaper. “It’s very convenient to certify that the substances have a positive effect – and therefore to take them in a more casual way.” He fears that many could slip into drug abuse.
In fact, such negative examples already exist. The former boss of the Amazon-owned company Zappo, Tony Hsieh, had also tried to get high with ketamine. However, his use of the anesthetic became so problematic that he was forced to resign because of his erratic behavior. He died a short time later when a fire, which has never been fully explained, broke out in a shed. Hsieh had consumed gas cartridges there. He hoped for a spiritual enlightenment experience from them.
Sources:Wall Street Journal, TwitterNetflix