AFA wrote:While they aren't really "Psychedelics" (or at least they aren't technically illegal) do you think diazepam (valium) and/or hydrocodone would have any effect if one or both were taken before trying to go into trance?
I've never used diazepam, but I did end up getting hydrocodone for a shoulder injury, and wasn't going to let a silly thing like that get in the way of doing hypnosis.
In short, it helps in the same manner as any other pain medication: if you have pain troubles, or sensations from your body distract you from trance, they help. If you're looking for something to help with mental state, it's not all that helpful(and in the case of the hydrocodone, can be limiting, as it sedates in higher doses).
sarnoga wrote:Whether or not something is legal or illegal has little relationship to whether or not it is a Psychedelic. I am not even really sure what the term Psychedelic means when referring to a drug. Are you using it as a synonym for hallucinogenic?
Psychedelic generally refers to a drug that induces an altered state of consciousness. It's a rather loose definition, and by it, even alcohol qualifies(in high enough doses). As for legality, people getting butthurt about such drugs in the 70's means that pretty much any psychedelic is illegal. Exceptions are things that are cultural in nature(salvia) or not easily replaced(cough syrup is psychedelic in high doses, but anything else that does the job is even worse, so they don't make it illegal). Hydrocodone is prescription only under the idea that lesser pain problems can be solved with lesser drugs, and if you have enough pain issues to need it, then you're seeing a doctor about such pain anyway.
Now, we could go into a massive discussion about what drugs are good/bad, but I'll just lay down the general ideas from what I've experienced for what's good with trance:
* Lessened inhibitions, such as from alcohol.
* Feelings of happiness/wellbeing
* Drugs that enhance a subject's ability to focus.
* Minimizing physical sensations, such as pain or tension
Likewise, things that are bad:
* Deliriants. A solid ability to focus is needed for hypnosis.
* Sedatives. This makes you more likely to fall asleep during trance.
* Loose Hallucinogens, for lack of a better term. If something makes you hallucinate, it needs to be related to your train of thought/focus. Something that makes you see random images/sounds will prevent you from using that visualization with the file in question.
As for drugs that apply to those, generally in the past people have sworn by alcohol(low doses only), marijuana, and ecstasy(which was in fact developed for use in 1-1 and group therapy). Some people also note that using hallucinogens, but not going into trance, tends to be helpful at visualizing in later trances, as your mind has more experience with what you want it to do. That said, I stay away from illegal drugs(being arrested doesn't really sound like my idea of a good time), so I can't give personal experiences to back that up.