DR ANIL K RAJVANSHI fears that up to 30 per cent of our youth suffers from severe anxiety disorder. Can a combination of drugs and yoga reduce this, he questions
I was a student at IIT Kanpur in the late 1960s. During this time, Baba Ram Dass who earlier went by the name of Dr Richard Alpert, a former Harvard university professor, visited the campus and gave a talk on the use of psychedelic drugs (LCD or Acid in normal lingo) for therapeutic and recreational purposes and told us about the fantastic visions that he and others had after its use. Baba Ram Dass was a close associate of Timothy Leary, another Harvard University Professor who pioneered the use of LSD for therapeutic and other uses.
Listening to Baba Ram Dass about the mind-altering experiences and the visions that he and others had after consuming the drugs, reminded me of the accounts of similar experiences that Shri Ramakrishna had during his intense meditation and Sadhana. I realized at that time that both (LSD and meditation) might be altering the brain chemistry and its structure.
How that could happen was a mystery at that time but rapid research in this field since 1960s has shown that they probably help in neuron rejuvenation by improving synaptic connections. The synaptic connections produce thought and memory and any deterioration in their connectivity leads to brain diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Recent research by Yale scientists has shown clearly that a single micro dose of psilocybin (a drug derived from various mushrooms) helps in inducing neural plasticity (improvement of synaptic connections) in mice. Researchers have now found similar enhancement in humans too. Though psilocybin and LSD are different molecules, their mind-altering mechanism may be similar which is by improving synaptic connections and neural plasticity.
Recently a fascinating four-part docuseries, How to Change Your Mind on Netflix traces the development of psychedelic drugs and their use and possible acceptance by the medical community of the US. There are indications that some of these mood- enhancing drugs will be available soon to consumers.
Mood-enhancing drugs and concoctions have been used by all civilizations throughout the history of mankind. They are part of the basic rituals in shamanic religions and are said to help the shaman in communicating with the spirits so that better life results for the shaman and through him or her, for the persons who have come for help.
Even in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, it is written that a Yogi can attain psychic powers either by birth, use of drugs or by the practice of Samadhi and self-discipline. However, Patanjali does not say which drug or how much of it should be taken to achieve these powers.
Meditation and practising Sanyam is a sure shot way to improve the brain and increase its neural plasticity, but it is hard work and takes years of practice to achieve the spiritual experiences.
Taking psilocybin, LSD or other psychedelic drugs help to achieve the experience much faster. However, this fast route is also full of danger and many habitual users of these drugs have experienced hallucinations and nightmares during and after drug-taking episodes since there is no control on how these drugs affect the brain during this time.
Yet there is enough clinical data which suggests that the drug taken in micro doses has helped in improving mood and reducing depression in patients.
Thus, it can be conjectured that a possible and safer route may be to take a micro dose of these drugs which may help improve neural plasticity and then practice Yogic Sadhana in a sustained manner for a long time. Such experiments nevertheless should be done under proper medical supervision.
Presently, the world over, there is tremendous anxiety among the youth. The reasons could be many, but anxiety leads to greed, anger, violence, and a whole horde of very poor behaviour exhibited by a good many citizens of the world.
It is estimated that in India, up to 30 per cent of the youth population might be suffering from severe anxiety disorder and the pandemic has only made it worse. With mounting pressures of society and increased competition, these levels will increase further.
If we can reduce this anxiety by a combination of drugs and yoga, then maybe we will be able to produce a happier and less conflict-driven society and world.
The writer, Dr Anil K Rajvanshi is an IIT and US-educated engineer, and a 2022 Padma Shri award winner. He is Director, Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute, Phaltan, Maharashtra. He can be reached at [email protected]
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The post is very beautifully narrated. Thank you Anil jee for your sincere inquiries, intense observation, linking of your own experiences and spilling compassion.
I learnt many aspects of drugs and anxiety.
A majority of indian youth lead their lives easily. The competitive world brings now a days stress to in my opinion 50 % of youths who are either in business, heading responsibilities in building organisations, and many who are given targets tagged with their job or professionals in search of success. And 70 percent of them tide over those stree / anxiety through family, loving, cooking, reading, visiting places, restaurants, shopping or taking care of others.
You are right the balance 30 % fail to manage stress and get engaged with liquoyr or any other wrong habits or drugs.
And no doubt yoga spiritual practices, meditation, chanting as you suggested help a lot to manage stress and anxiety.
Thank you Anil jee for a very constructive, educative and positive post.
Oswald jee a worthy different post on a very common topic. Thank you for inviting.
With perfect guidance and supervision and more so, when the subject has reached an appropriate level of mental maturation the combination of drugs and yoga as a process of healing and learning can produce wonderful results, there is absolutely no doubt about it.
Way back in early fifties, Aldous Huxley, the renowned author of the book Brave New World had engaged himself in this experimentation of blending the use of psychedelic drug and spiritual pursuit as a healing process to generate fulfilling mystic experiences. He has narrated it in his book The Doors of Perception & Heaven & Hell, summing up the experience that intake of drugs can reward one with the vision of both Heaven and Hell and yet, when the subject is evolved enough in a mystic sense, can differentiate the threshold appropriately settling himself in the heavenly realm discarding altogether hell.
He has summed up his experience in these words:
“But the man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out. He will be wiser but less cocksure, happier but less self-satisfied, humbler in acknowledging his ignorance yet better equipped to understand the relationship of words to things, of systematic reasoning to the unfathomable Mystery which it tries, forever vainly, to comprehend.”
Dr. Rajvanshi has dealt with the stressful predicament of modern day intelligent youth so perfectly and offered a solution which has been experimented very effectively since ages in our Rishi Sanskriti which has been revisited by Huxley too with dexterity.
Able guidance is the only requirement, for otherwise there is every chance of it going awry and being dangerously counterproductive. Succeeding so, no doubt we can create a balanced social order and streamline the intelligence of young India for their and collective good.
Thanks Oswald ji for sharing a very introspective write up.