[moira]

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mbillie -

if i'm going to study a philosopher or painter for a bit i like to take the same drugs as them for a stretch to get into their state of mind.

so. nietzsche... suggestions?

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Nietzsche suffered from a variety of stomach illnesses; he didn't even smoke cigarettes (rare for his time/social place). He eventually contracted syphilis (it is believed from a prostitute; he was awful with women and it shows in his venomous writings about them) which led to his mental breakdown.

So I guess get syphilis, don't treat it for years and years and years, then eventually go insane? Although that aspect of his life is greatly exaggerated; his writings got more eccentric as he aged, but the disease didn't affect him until well after he had finished his last works.

Interestingly (and awesomely) it is reportedly the case that this is how he snapped... he was walking down the street in his town and saw a man beating a horse. He just lost it, it was the traumatic event that triggered a full on mental breakdown due to untreated syphilis.

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I was under the impression that he used chloral hydrate and morphine to deal with his health problems.

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this is true, he tried to cure his many health problems by himself and just went to pharmacies with prescriptions he wrote by himself: for a variety of different stuff.

many artists didnt need to take drugs, as they may have had diseases or mental sispositions that had the same/or very similar effects than some drugs.
if ure not gifted, than u cant experience their origin way of thinking and perceiving even with drugs - but u can come closer...
just try marihuana, psychedelic drugs?