And honestly, that explains a lot
For decades, society has pumped out two contradictory messages:
- Recreational drugs are bad for you.
- Capitalism is good for you.
As it turns out, both statements are false. And recent scientific insights suggest something even more radical: moderate, mindful use of recreational drugs may actually be far better for individual and collective wellbeing than the toxic treadmill of late-stage capitalism.
Let’s unpack this.
The Science: What Capitalism Does to Your Brain and Body
You don’t need LSD to realise that capitalism is making you sick — but the data helps:
- Chronic stress: A 2021 meta-analysis in Nature confirmed that capitalist work cultures (long hours, job insecurity, inequality) are key drivers of chronic stress — linked to heart disease, depression, immune dysfunction, and early death.
- Loneliness epidemic: Capitalism’s individualist ethos has generated record levels of loneliness, now considered as dangerous to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015).
- Addiction cycles: The capitalist system profits from addictive consumerism — from gambling apps to fast fashion to doomscrolling. These addictions deliver dopamine spikes followed by burnout, keeping the population docile and exhausted.
In short, capitalism is a system that induces permanent trauma in large swathes of the population. As trauma researcher Gabor Maté puts it, “Society is organized to promote illness.”
Meanwhile, Drugs: The Surprising Science of Healing, Connection & Creativity
Now let’s look at recreational drugs — long demonised, yet increasingly vindicated by science:
- Psychedelics: Studies at Johns Hopkins and Imperial College London show that psilocybin and LSD can foster neurogenesis (brain growth), long-lasting mood improvement, and spiritual experiences that lead to greater empathy and connectedness.
- MDMA: Used in clinical trials to treat PTSD, MDMA fosters emotional openness, social bonding, and trust — precisely the qualities that capitalist culture erodes.
- Cannabis: Shown to reduce anxiety, promote creative thinking, and aid in emotional processing — again, helping people counteract the numbness and dissociation that capitalist life encourages.
Even moderate, intentional use of so-called “party drugs” can offer temporary states of play, wonder, and human connection — crucial for wellbeing in a world that otherwise commodifies every interaction.
Why This Is No Accident
In a system that relies on compliant, isolated workers, substances that foster connection, awe, joy, and healing are a threat.
That’s why psychedelics were suppressed during the 1970s — just as research was proving their profound benefits. It’s also why governments tax sugar and alcohol lightly while outlawing far less harmful substances that promote freedom of consciousness.
A mind expanded beyond the capitalist matrix is hard to enslave.
Conclusion: Which Is More Dangerous?
| Capitalism | Recreational Drugs |
|---|---|
| Causes chronic stress and burnout | Fosters states of joy and connection |
| Fuels loneliness and isolation | Deepens empathy and social bonding |
| Drives consumerist addiction cycles | Can interrupt addiction cycles and promote healing |
| Suppresses creativity | Unlocks creative states |
| Linked to systemic inequality and violence | Linked to personal and collective healing (when used intentionally) |
Science is clear: under current social conditions, capitalism is a more proven threat to health and happiness than many criminalised substances.
Perhaps it’s time we flipped the narrative:
👉 Instead of banning joy and connection, ban soul-crushing economic systems.
👉 Instead of forcing endless productivity, create more spaces for play, awe, and healing.
👉 Instead of criminalising plants and molecules, question the culture that labels them “dangerous” while making burnout a badge of honour.
In short: recreational drugs didn’t destroy the world. Capitalism did.
It’s high time (pun intended) we liberated both our minds and our systems.
Winds of Uranus 
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