JoachimSchipper comments on Rationality meditation theory. - Less Wrong

-5 [deleted] 11 January 2012 03:50AM

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Comment author: JoachimSchipper 11 January 2012 06:16:48AM *  6 points [-]

Some loose thoughts:

  • Use the word "illegal" more often. Most countries in the world, including the US, take a very dim view of marijuana. I think the Dutch drug policy is better, but getting caught may have serious consequences which should be thoroughly considered.

  • A high-quality mediator ("confessor") and illegal drugs (which implies quite a bit of preparation) are nontrivial resources. You also have to instruct the group. Wouldn't it be more fair to compare the effectiveness of your scheme to, say, a group with a high-powered brainstorm consultant (in addition to an "unaided" group)?

  • Are high-quality mediators useful in unaided groups? They are not common, at least. If they make the group less effective, is the extra creativity worth enough to overcome the bad effects?

  • I thought LSD was used in this way more often than marijuana?

  • More generally, are legal(-ish) substances able to deliver the same effect, if any?

  • Are you proposing that marijuana will help rationalist groups, or all groups? In the first case, define "rationalist".

Full disclosure: I'm Dutch, and I think mind-altering chemicals are squicky.

P.S. I don't understand your reddit link. Your last two links are broken. Check the rest.

EDITed to add: note that this article previously appeared in discussion, which I didn't know. Consider reading fiddlemath's comment and other comments.)