Opiate withdrawal = LSD

[quasiperiodica]

I was reading bits of Naked Lunch the other day, since Big Bill is the most notorious junkie, and one of the only junkies with enough care for the world to write a book on it, and what he makes as the biggest point is that the key word is addiction. And addiction, I think, is an attachment in general to what's outside ourselves. And opiates in fact are the chemical embodiment of addiction. In or brains we have natural opiates which are endorphins which do the very same thing as opium. And on the cover you see the Jesus Addict ranting and raving cuz he cant get over the fact that Jesus was a human being with a higher state of consciousness than the others around him. And it's an addiction, because they will listen to no other philosophy, and accept no other ideal. And the priest on the cover screams addiction.

Also, an important thing to note that Big Bill points out is that the withdrawal state of mind from opiates is the same state of mind brought on by LSD, the psychedelic state. Psychedelics, along with being the chemical embodiment of spiritual experience, and I've been convinced from experiences, are also used to treat addiction. It's incredible that he would make this connection, and it's important to consider in trying to understand the Opiate album. The music may not compare to that of AEnima, but it's Tool's startingpoint, and its one of grotesque meaning and understanding.

[jdub420]

i did heroin for 8 years and i disagree it feels nothing like lsd when you withdrawel from it

[Emericana]

i disagree to LSD is nothing like opiate withdrawl. absollutly not even close. i disagree that it can be use to treat opiate addiction too.... ibogaine can but that is the only psychedelic that has actually been proven to work. if anything, opiates are amazing to use to treat bad pyschedelic expereicnes as i have had to take percs to end a trip on two different occasions.

[barffyman]

salvia is being tested for treating addiction. not very widely, but from personal experience i can see why. i quit smoking because of a few salvia experiences.

[Nietzsche's Dead]

i did heroin for 8 years and i disagree it feels nothing like lsd when you withdrawel from it

Ive, um, never abused opiates to the point of feeling withdrawal, but from all ive heard, coming off of opium/herion abuse feels closer to something like DYING than tripping on acid.

[tryptosaur]

I've taken LSD on many occasions (and non-occasions) and have experienced some terrifying dimensions of consciousness. Then I began using heroin and very quickly came to realize that the heroin-state is on the opposite end of the spectrum as the psychedelic state. When I'd go through withdrawal I'd feel so fucking sensitive to everything, especially smells, pain, light, emotions, and gravity. Since being on heroin basically desensitizes one to emotions and feelings, making one indifferent to all experience, the withdrawal by comparison feels like, to me at least, a heightened level of consciousness. Kind of like a big baby being born into this fucked up world, kicking and crying, as if it feared leaving the warmth of the womb. If I could explain it through algebra, it would be: Being straight is to being doped up as tripping is to being straight.
Leaving our comfort zone is always a little catastrophic to say the least.
Acid is a type of dying, in a sense (innocense). Tim Leary (Alpert and Metzner) reinterpretted "the Tibetan Book of the Dead" as a manual to trip by for this same reason. The ego goes through a death "must crucify the ego before it's far too late".

[Clutch_The_Cornerstone]

i did heroin for 8 years and i disagree it feels nothing like lsd when you withdrawel from it
wow...drugs are bad m'kay.

[Tool_Is_Sick]

i did heroin for 8 years and i disagree it feels nothing like lsd when you withdrawel from it

You did Heroin for 8 years? I bet your a smart individual. Btw, Im gald you deceased your activity with the drug.

[G-Snake]

I bet your a smart individual.

No offense, but you don't make a very strong case for yourself with the 'smart' comment.