Papers by Mitchell B Liester
International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, 2021
Chlorine dioxide has been condemned as a dangerous poison and has been touted as a cure for COVID... more Chlorine dioxide has been condemned as a dangerous poison and has been touted as a cure for COVID-19. This narrative review examines the controversy surrounding the use of aqueous chlorine dioxide by investigating evidence-based research articles, government documents, press reports, and the results of the first clinical trial utilizing chlorine dioxide as a treatment for COVID-19. Chlorine dioxide was found to be employed by numerous industries for antimicrobial and other uses. Aqueous chlorine dioxide was found to be safe when ingested in low doses, but when ingested in high doses, it can cause adverse hematologic and renal effects. Additionally, chlorine dioxide was found to be a strong and rapidly acting virucide with activity against a wide range of viruses. Results of the first clinical trial utilizing chlorine dioxide to treat COVID-19 are reviewed and this molecule is found to be a safe and effective treatment. A dispassionate review of the evidence-based research literature finds preliminary evidence supporting the opinion that aqueous chlorine dioxide may be a safe and effective treatment of COVID-19, and likely for other viral illnesses as well. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to explore potential uses of chlorine dioxide.
Individuals who survive a close brush with death often experience a profound altered state of con... more Individuals who survive a close brush with death often experience a profound altered state of consciousness known as a ''near-death experience.'' Individuals who drink a South American medicine, known as ''ayahuasca,'' experience an altered state of consciousness with numerous similarities to near-death experiences. These similarities, which occur on perceptual, emotional, cognitive, and transcendent levels, suggest near-death experiences and ayahuasca-induced experiences may involve a similar state of consciousness. This article compares and contrasts the phenomena of near-death experiences and ayahuasca-induced experiences. Common features of these experiences suggest ayahuasca may be useful as a research tool in the investigation of near-death experience phenomena. Further research is suggested to expand our understanding of human consciousness and near-death experiences. Individuals who survive a close brush with death often experience a profound ...
Replies to comments by A. Aleman and E. H. F. de Haan (see record 1998-11057-017), on the author&... more Replies to comments by A. Aleman and E. H. F. de Haan (see record 1998-11057-017), on the author's proposal for a revised definition of the word "hallucination." Their main points are: 1) they do not believe the definition of hallucination should be limited to pathological experiences and 2) they suggest that unshared sensory experiences should be labeled hallucinations regardless of the cultural context in which they occur. Leister attempts to persuade them otherwise. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)
Journal of Near-death Studies, 1998
Inner communications following the near-death experience (NDE) have been reported by a number of ... more Inner communications following the near-death experience (NDE) have been reported by a number of authors. Although such communications are similar in some ways to the hallucinations heard by individuals with mental illness, they differ in that their effects are predominantly positive, whereas the hallucinations in mental illness exert predominantly negative effects. This article describes three individuals who reported experiencing inner communications subsequent to their NDEs. I suggest that these inner messages may be a form of intuition, and encourage further research into this phenomenon.
J Psychoactive Drug, 2012
Ayahuasca is a medicinal plant mixture utilized by indigenous peoples throughout the Amazon River... more Ayahuasca is a medicinal plant mixture utilized by indigenous peoples throughout the Amazon River basin for healing purposes. The "vine of the soul" or "vine of death," as it is known in South America, contains a combination of monoamine oxidase inhibitors and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). When ingested together, these medicines produce profound alterations in consciousness. Increasingly, ayahuasca is being utilized to treat addictions. However, the mechanism of action by which ayahuasca treats addictions remains unclear. We offer four hypotheses to explain possible biochemical, physiological, psychological, and transcendent mechanisms by which ayahuasca may exert its anti-addiction effects.
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Jun 1, 1992
Hearing voices that others do not hear is often considered diagnostic of mental illness. Although... more Hearing voices that others do not hear is often considered diagnostic of mental illness. Although it is true that mentally ill individuals sometimes hear voices, it is equally true that individuals who are not mentally ill hear voices also. In fact, throughout the history of humankind, respected leaders and common folk alike have benefited from hearing inner voices. This article examines historical and contemporary accounts of inner voices, and reviews the terminology which has been used to describe these experiences. Seven different categories of inner voices are described. Pathological hallucinations and transcendent revelations are demonstrated to be 2 similar, yet distinct classes of inner voices which exist on a continuum, referred to as the "hallucination-revelation continuum." Finally, methods for cultivating transcendent inner voices are described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Current Drug Abuse Reviews
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a semisynthetic compound with strong psychoactive properties.... more Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a semisynthetic compound with strong psychoactive properties. Chemically related to serotonin, LSD was initially hypothesized to produce a psychosis- like state. Later, LSD was reported to have benefits in the treatment of addictions. However, widespread indiscriminate use and reports of adverse affects resulted in the classification of LSD as an illicit drug with no accepted medical use. This article reviews LSD’s storied history from its discovery, to its use as a research tool, followed by its widespread association with the counterculture movement of the 1960s, and finally to its rebirth as a medicine with potential benefits in the treatment of addictions. LSD’s pharmacology, phenomenology, effects at neurotransmitter receptors, and effects on patterns of gene expression are reviewed. Based upon a review of the literature, it is concluded that further research into LSD’s potential as a treatment for addictions is warranted.
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1992
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1992
Journal of the Multihandicapped Person, 1989
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1998
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1998
Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 2004
Books by Mitchell B Liester
Drug addiction is an epidemic problem affecting millions worldwide with high rates of morbidity a... more Drug addiction is an epidemic problem affecting millions worldwide with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Although the number of pharmacological options available to treat addiction has increased, these treatments demonstrate only modest efficacy. New treatments with improved efficacy rates and favorable side effect profiles are needed. Ayahuasca is a medicine that is increasingly being utilized to treat addictions. However, despite its growing popularity, the mechanisms underlying ayahuasca's effectiveness as a treatment for addictions remain unknown. We propose biochemical, physiological, psychological , and transcendent hypotheses to explain how ayahuasca treats addictions.
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Papers by Mitchell B Liester
Books by Mitchell B Liester