Exploring the Intersection of Web3, Psychedelics, and AI.

The past decade has seen huge technological advances and societal changes. Crypto has taken over a small area of the internet & growing by the day, AI has seen a huge advancement in quality of output and brilliant minds entering the space. It’s no doubt that the last couple years have witnessed a transformational shift in the way we perceive and interact with the world.

As someone who closely follows technology and health, I am amazed by the potential these technologies hold for the future of our society and am excited to witness it. Admst all the hype and buzz, there is one area that goes overlooked: mental health. Mental health has largely gotten worse and new treatment options haven’t been developed in years. This brings me to psychedelics and the potential they have to not only solve most of the mental health issues in our society, but to also help high-level thinkers when they are in a rut or when they want to become more creative. Despite the fact they have been historically stigmatized since the D.A.R.E. campaign, I believe they have a unique and important role to play in our modern world. I am most interested in exploring the intersection of: Crypto, AI, and Psychedelics.

Psychedelics include:

• LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide): aka Acid.

• Psilocybin: Psilocybin is the active ingredient found in certain types of mushrooms.

• DMT (Dimethyltryptamine): DMT is a powerful psychedelic that is naturally occurring in certain plants and animals.

• Mescaline: Mescaline is a potent psychedelic. It has been used for thousands of years by indigenous peoples in Mexico and the southwestern US.

• Ayahuasca: Ayahuasca is a brew made from the Banisteriopsis Caapi vine and other plants.

• MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine): aka molly, X, or ecstasy is a synthetic compound that alters mood and perception, and is classified as a psychedelic, empathogen, and stimulant.

The research into psychedelics is not new, but it has only recently taken off due to governmental permittance. In the 1940’s, Albert Hofmann discovered LSD who then began to study its affects. This continued in the 50’s and 60’s but buy early 1970, the ‘war on drugs’ was underway which saw the criminalization and banning of these kinds of substances. The DARE and Drug Free America campaigns twisted people’s minds to believe all drugs are harmful unless prescribed by a physician. There are many reasons for the “war on drugs” but I will save them for another article.

So, you may be wondering how psychedelics could possibly be integrated with crypto and AI? The obvious one is culture, web3 culture and psychedelic culture are very similar and have a lot of overlap. It seems each community is constantly in pursuit of optimizing themselves and their systems. Web3 can be used to help bring the culture to more people, create communities to spread the word and to help provide mental health support. Web3 is a hugely stressful industry to be involved in at the moment, especially with market conditions determining a lot of people’s finances. Psychedelics can help detach members’ identities from the industry and see from the outside.

How else can they be integrated? The blockchain is immutable and public, research can be stored on the blockchain and open to the public scrutiny so that other researchers can learn and grow from others’ work. It also helps the transparency in the industry which can deter pharmacological companies from taking advantage of the not-so-new treatment.

AI can aid in this by using the research data and finding trends that we as humans are unable to see. It is extremely well at noticing these trends and gives insight we may not have otherwise looked at. AI can also help by developing new synthetic psychotropic medications based on the chemical makeup of others OR it can detect new natural psychedelic substances we don’t know about yet.

The convergence of web3, psychedelics, and AI presents a unique opportunity for the advancement of mental health treatment and research. It also presents a huge opportunity for those looking to build a business in any (or all) of these industries. While crypto and AI have seen rapid development and growth in recent years, mental health has largely been overlooked. Psychedelics have the potential to solve mental health issues and enhance creativity, however, they have been stigmatized and criminalized for decades. The integration of web3 and blockchain technology can help create communities and provide mental health support, while also increasing transparency in the industry. AI can aid in research by analyzing data and finding trends, as well as developing new synthetic psychotropic medications. This intersection represents a promising area for exploration and innovation. I don’t know about you, but I am FKING excited to see it all come together!