I seem to think marijuana is more about sedated pleasure than MDMA. Granted, it's been about 30 years since I read Brave New World.

▲

mfro 8 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I agree, soma definitely parallels weed much more closely, but I don't think it's a perfect match. Huxley imagines a drug a bit more insidious, without obviously negative side effects, and with somewhat unrealistic(imo) intended effects.

▲

Melatonic 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I'd say something with the intensity of weed (relatively low) along with the effects of MDMA. Essentially "MDMA lite"

Marijuana often seems to promote thinking "outside the box" which is probably not what the Brave New World people would want for their population

	▲	FooBarBizBazz 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I think he was inspired by Valium and other benzos. They put people into a docile, low-anxiety state, and they were popular around the time the book was written. That's also more-or-less consistent with the implied literary reference to the Lotus Eaters, who I think are usually imagined as opium users. Opioids are different but are also downers that reduce anxiety. Benzos later featured significantly in one of Adam Curtis' film-essays -- maybe Century of the Self, maybe another one. I'd view those films as being in a similar spirit to Brave New World.

▲

brandall10 8 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The sedation is psychological - soma suppresses discomfort and boosts easy pleasure. It’s not introspective at all, which makes it much closer to MDMA than to cannabis.

▲

Spivak 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It is, you're right, and it's super weird what happens on the internet when you suggest weed isn't some gateway to enlightenment. I love cannabis, but it's a depressant that increases dopamine, it's not that complicated. Stoners on the internet sound exactly like alcoholics—they say it makes them more creative, helps them sleep, deal with anxiety too. We do such a shit job teaching about signs of psychological addiction.