Drugs in Chess

Hello, this is my first post here - I am a Lichess user of no real importance, but recently a did a bit of experimenting with chess and ketamine - I found this thread through googling 'ketamine chess' and its all I could find. I am a big proponent of psychedelics and the benefits they can bring to a person. However, those effects are usually something that takes place AFTER the actual high - in the manner of having realizations that might change you for the better later on down the line. But as for being in the moment of use, things are typically very confusing and distracting, and definitely not the sort of thing you would want going on during a game of chess. Ketamine is pretty different, however. Specifically it is a powerful dissociative which can, as you might know, serve as a tranquilizer for animals and humans alike. Recreationally, it can be a blast to do (in moderation, of course). What I have noticed about it over time is that while it can strongly impair your visual and motor skills, it doesn't seem to make you as confused or silly as other psychedelic compounds. The state of calm that ketamine induces is actually quite nice for chess, in my opinion. I, as many others, suffer from a large amount of anxiety while playing - my heart beats fast, my body grows cold, and sometimes I shake slightly. This continues for several minutes after a game finishes, sometimes. But the calming effects from the ketamine eliminated that - it was as if my ego, the part of me that WANTS to win and not be embarrassed by bad play, was suddenly quiet and I could actually relax while playing the game. Other effects I noticed included a certain distance from my normal sense of time...it did not necessarily slow my turns down, but it did make me much less in a hurry than I normally am - allowing me more consideration of my moves that was perhaps enhanced by a certain cautiousness that I was making a bad move because of the drug. To summarize, I did not feel any smarter, but I certainly did not feel any less smart, and I certainly did feel much calmer in a way that I find conducive to better play. People familiar with ketamine use will remember a certain impairment of vision (sometimes known as a k-hole) - this is a reality and as a result, the only way I would recommend playing is on a phone or other screen relatively close to the eyes. Playing over a board or distant screen might prove to be challenging.

If you're wondering how well I performed, I played five games and won them all. I beat my previous highest Lichess ranking of 1430, which I had been attempting to do for a few days prior. I know I am not that high of a ranking - I am still rather new to chess, but I know enough about my own performance to feel like the ketamine definitely had a positive effect on my gameplay. I am only sharing my experience because I could not find anything else written about such, and would like to know if other people have similar experiences. I also know that ketamine is becoming more popular in recreational use, as well as being therapeutic for various psychological disorders, including PTSD. HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT MEAN I AM ADVISING THE RECREATIONAL USE OF KETAMINE OR ANY OTHER SUBSTANCES. Possible harmful effects aside, I don't believe someone can just start using ketamine for the first time and play chess on it. I am admittedly a little experienced with the substance, which I feel is a bit necessary to not be distracted by the more pleasant aspects of the high. If you have a similar experience to mine, though, I would love to hear about it - I hope I am making some small bit of sense and not just rambling. Please take my words as they are and don't allow the popular conceptions about ketamine and drug use in general keep you from understanding their meaning. This concludes my ketamine-induced rant    -Spud

srsly?