Experiences and Newness

“Cocaine may or may not have assisted [Walt Whitman] in his business decisions, but its contribution to his creativity is not clear.” This rather bad written quote of the authors seems to sum up well Chapter 12. We do not know whether or not the drugs have any direct connection to increased creativity. Most of the authors and artists he quotes state that their respective drugs do not help them actually create anything new, but give them different experiences/ideas. They experience something new. It is interesting to note that they seem to see a difference between experiencing something new and creating something new.

One of the key points in Chapter 12 is that the drugs used by certain generations are representative of their cultures; if he had backed this up more perhaps I would give it more credence. I’d have to say that the drugs used by certain generations are more dependent on what is available at the times, and what is known about the drugs available. Based on the drugs and cultures the author gives descriptions of, it seems their use is based more on them being “new” to the society. People have a tendency to want to try out the “new” thing. The newness tends to wear off as the harmful effects are realized and “new” drugs are discovered/created. This is not to say that drugs have had no affect on the generations they are being taken by.