Methamphetamine as a Sleepless Dream or Addictive Nightmare Essay

Methamphetamine as a Sleepless Dream or Addictive nightm beMethamphetamine has reclaimed a place in the lexicon of party drugs. Hailed bynocturnal adventurers, condemned by raver idealists, is speed a sleepless dreamor an addictive nightmare?Here at the end of the millennium, the pace of modern life seems fleeting -- awhirl of minutes, hours and days. In dealing with the changes, humans contractequipped themselves with the tools to move faster, more efficiently. At the sametime a dependence for the marketing, gamy-speed transportation and pharmacologyof this modern age has evolved. In a race to outdo ourselves, we have moveddangerously toward the fine line between extinction and evolution. Therefore,the human capacity to handle the velocity becomes a sparse balance.Our generation (see Gen X, 20-somethings) could be considered the sleeplessgeneration. An age of societys children weaned on the ideals of high-speedcommunication and accelerated culture has prided itself in mastering m any of thefacets of human institution -- doing more, sleeping less. The machines of this agehave in a way enabled us to create a 24-hour lifestyle. We have pushed thelimits of the modern world further -- ATMs, high-speed modems, happy bombs andbullet trains. However, the limitations of human existence, like sleep, maystill provide the stumbling block for infinite realization. That is, without chemic aid.In many ways, capitalism fuels the idea. Our society is based upon the pileconsumption of these substances. Cultural ideals, while seemingly benevolent asHave a Coke and a smile have sold the link to chemical substances likecaffeine and nicotine to the good life. Today, stimulants are the bedrock forconsumer culture. For our generation, this appeal was heightened by raising thestakes in the 80s on what it meant to have fun.Late night clubs, high speed music and 24-hour lifestyles brought the specter ofdrugs to the fold as a necessity for being able to attain more. Leaps away fromt he psychedelics of the 60s, in the 80s these stimulant drugs became tools --utilitarian devices to come across wealth, intelligence and prestige. Sleep became abarrier for success. Dreams were the frivolous luxuries of childhood.Raves, founded equally in the post-conservative underground late-80s and thechaotic early-90s, are pa... ..., however, bymethamphetamines nature -- as a refined, concentrate addictive substance -- itonly perpetuates the cycle for needing more.There is very little factual information about amphetamines and their dangersavailable to the lay person. Research on the subject, out from medicaljournals, is virtually nill. There is however a great deal of dangerouspropaganda -- hear-say, lies, rumors. Misinformation sometimes is more dangerousthan no information and real answers are only found through communication.Many other drugs have been part of the rave community over the years -- nitrousoxide, Special K (ketamine) and particularly ecstasy (MDMA) but none haveexhibited the burn-out or addiction rate associated with methamphetamine. Whilemeth (or any drug) is an inert substance that we cannot attribute blame to, byits nature it has raised the question Are we really built for speed? It seemsthat the human body, while naturally resilient to much self-inflicted abuse, maynot be a reliable container for the soul at high speeds. Methamphetamine mayhave the ability to chemically fuel the ride, physically it may just resurrect thelimitations for human society.