Why does there appear to be a high rate of substance use among
   people interested in Philosophy? If there was just "You" there,
   nutritionally ok enough, nothing extra added on, what would
   change? == I've done and enjoyed trying a bunch of stuff in the
   past. I enjoyed the special fx but when I learned that it
   _really_ doesn't introduce anything novel: that it's
   more-or-less adjusting existing levels of the internal systems
   (more of this, less of that to create the fx), my interest waned
   because they're basically mood changers, and I can change my
   mood just by thinking. Yet at the same time, I still do coffee
   and cigarettes. I could probably substitute exercise or
   something (occasionally cutting off oxygen to my brain to
   simulate the effects of smoking I suppose... but I'm not much
   for any kind voluntary asphyxiation) - but it's not likely I
   will. Still, these things _do_ have effects. I guess it's sort
   of a "Who Am I without my ______?" type question. == Well
   ,there's positive (temporary) effects of nicotine, which is what
   keeps me using it, but at the cost of all the stuff I'm well
   aware of it. I suspect there's some kind of med that could
   replace its function: it is definitely a cognitive enhancer,
   although so is a decent set of B vitamins. Alcohol I don't use
   too often but I do on occasion (once a month or two) as a
   "cleanser". I see it as rubbing alcohol for the innards: The
   same way rubbing alcohol can take a sticker off of a car window,
   alcohol in the brain washes away some sticky residue in the
   brain. [literally washing it away), so I think it's good for
   people sometimes. == I suspect you're right. I used to be my own
   pharmacist, playing with whatever was at hand, testing on
   myself. I know enough about nutrition to come up with a diet
   that works well for me: applying it is another task. I stopped
   playing with stuff after a year using pseudoephedrine in the
   early 00's. Loved its effects - along with caffeine, some of the
   B vitamins along with exercise and stuff.... but I found I got
   saturated with it and my body was revolting after a while. I had
   to move away from it. I believe people 'tend' to be geared
   either towards needing more depressant-type products like
   alcohol or pot or opiates, and others 'tend' to be more geared
   towards needing speedy type stuff, like nicotine, caffeine, LSD.
   I don't know if that's true or not, but it seems to be how I
   categorize it simply. == [I say "my body was revolting" but not
   looks-wise: I was at 3% body fat... and cold all of the time...
   I tried pushing myself to get down to the weight in those old
   1950s weight/height charts but it's impossible for me, unless I
   was to start losing a lot of muscle] == Well the only thing is:
   what the substances are doing is adjusting levels of
   neurotransmitters in the nervous system, including the brain,
   which is what produces the effects. Many roads to the same
   results. ==