Can psychedelics cure Autism? It's a question researchers are only beginning to ask, but VITD's own Dre has already run the experiments – on himself. Over the past few years, he's taken MDMA and LSD to help connect the parts of his brain that allow most people to understand others, feel their emotions, and make lasting connections. But before we get to that, what even is Autism Spectrum Disorder? Probably not what you think it is. Most people on the Autism spectrum aren't Rain Man or maths geniuses. They're people whose brains function differently, but in myriad different ways. It's called a spectrum for a reason, and that spectrum involves dozens of symptoms (each highly variable) which are then bundled together under the 'Autism' label. Dre shares his personal journey from alienation to deep human connection, beginning at a point in his life where jobs and relationships just weren't working out. He stopped, took stock, and asked himself the question that most of us are too scared to ask: Am I the problem? For me, Autism was being a featureless white room, without windows or doors. MDMA opened a door in that room. Suddenly I could see outside to where "real people" lived. LSD allowed me to leave that room. These experiences were revelatory: until MDMA, he'd never felt music before. Until LSD, he'd never felt a true sense of peace in himself. Using his biomedical background, Dre explains how these substances can do such incredible things, what they meant for his own development, and why it's essential that more research is done to help people with Autism. But do people with Autism even want to be 'cured'? And is 'cured' the right word to use? For many people, there's immediate resistance: Autism is a part of their identity and sense of self. And Autism is simply a different way of thinking, not some kind of disease. For Dre, he wanted to change – he wanted to understand other people and to be able to grow as a person and pursue his dreams in a world that simply isn't set up to accommodate or understand Autistic people. With such potent psychedelic tools available to make that change, at the very least, more Autistic people should be made aware of the possibility of change, if they want to experience it for themselves. Ask Dre Anything! We're planning an AMA with Dre on Autism and psychedelics, so line up your questions here! Drop us a line via our Facebook Page, on Instagram, or use the chat window on this site :) Also Including: How psychedelics affect the brain How MDMA works – biologically and psychologically How Autistic are you? Einstein's brain Taking MDMA to understand others Find Out More: Autism and MDMA – research and information from MAPS, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies The Autism Wheel Be Silly. Be Kind. Be Weird.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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