[FRIAM] consciousness - Don't want Nick's ire, so creating new thread

[glen]

While the evidence for where endogenous DMT is generated still exhibits too much uncertainty for any kind of confident assertion, I think consensus is forming around the hypothesis that DMT is as much a neurotransmitter as any other. But given that all the popular entheogens (DMT, LSD, Ψ, etc.) operate over the 5-HT pathways, those pathways seem more interesting from a consciousness studies perspective. I can't help but wonder if someone's compiled an exhaustive list of 5-HT pathways, all of which can be modified by any of the entheogens, although in various ways. We study the therapeutic effect of Ψ mostly because of its short response window. It's difficult to study something that has a 4 hour effect in any kind of lab ... you gotta pay people, reserve the lab space, etc. A 30 minute effect is more cost effective.

But if we had a systems biology database of all the pathways with 5-HT in a prominent role, we could optimize for lab studies and target any and all molecules that modified those pathways. Where/when did those pathways emerge? Which of them emerged first? Etc. If psychedelics can give us a clue as to the origins of consciousness, that systems biological route seems the most promising.


On 7/24/24 08:40, Prof David West wrote:
> Consciousness exists because of hallucinogens?
> 
> https://www.lillo.org.ar/journals/index.php/lilloa/article/view/1889
> 
> The above cites psylocibin and the development of the CYP2D6 gene.
> 
> Then there is DMT
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Alien-Information-Theory-Psychedelic-Technologies/dp/1527253589/ref=sr_1_1?crid=378XIHX2UZOJU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.h3VYxicw_rmFVQME6QeF9qwaMDQb_CR_6LKRppY8-CLWCwlbY23DgL0cvTmYiRxt_0o4SkVRF4lhZrXaxManwBg8FD0J8O7pKu-8JcqcnWkAu89cCSwxiBGRmvFkhWwdVEQ0nReJE00O9NP3EbVYzU8MiOk4I1LxXKlIL57dJS-R-LaacYzWHOEZ6DWkCcU4XnIu2yqXgoDn-9i3H86g5eXNtlvBWyR0YaK6VSqhEXc.3wXfhff-i2DFemvzxmS6lBM_LXXMum5xQuFizlk7Q8A&dib_tag=se&keywords=alien+information+theory&qid=1721835109&sprefix=alien+infor%2Caps%2C540&sr=8-1
> 


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