“I’ll never take drugs in my life. Ever. They’re dangerous, and I don’t need them to have fun.”
That was my mindset a few years ago, as a confident 20-year-old. I had never read about drugs. I’d never tried to learn more about them. All I knew was what I’d been told at school by people who probably hadn’t tried them either. For some reason, I just took that information for granted and made a decision based on it: “Drugs are bad. Period.”
It’s funny how, at certain points in life, you think you’ve got it all figured out. You believe you know where you’re headed, what you’ll do, and what you won’t do. But then, you go through life. You evolve. You experience more. And soon enough, you realize how temporary most of your beliefs really are.
If I don’t change my mind on some things, I’m probably lying to myself. I’ll keep changing forever, and that’s a good thing.
A couple of years later, I started hearing about magic mushrooms. My curiosity was piqued. Unlike synthetic substances, mushrooms grow in nature, no chemical processes involved. That made them feel more acceptable, less bad. I thought: “If you can find it in nature, how harmful can it really be?”
Eventually, I found myself trying them with friends in Mexico City. The experience was incredible. Music came alive in a way I’d never experienced before. Every sound had depth and texture. I could almost feel the music moving through me. I started noticing tiny details in songs that had always gone unnoticed. I could isolate a single instrument and focus entirely on it, as if switching from mono to stereo.
Suddenly, I found myself enjoying electronic music — a genre I used to hate. My narrow musical taste began to expand, opening up to new sounds and genres.
Still, I told myself I’d never touch synthetic drugs. Those were too dangerous. Or so I thought…
About a year later, I stumbled across a Netflix series called How to Change Your Mind, where journalist Michael Pollan explores the history and science of psychedelic drugs. But it wasn’t just research, he actually tried these substances himself.
As I watched, I realized how much of what I’d been told about drugs was misleading. For instance, MDMA was once used in therapy to treat trauma and anxiety before being banned. Many of these substances were initially developed for healing, but political and social forces shaped their reputation as something dangerous and forbidden.
I suddenly saw how blindly I had accepted other people’s opinions without questioning them or seeking my own answers.
Eventually, I tried synthetic drugs — carefully and with intention. Surprisingly, alcohol’s effects on me are far worse than anything I’ve experienced with certain drugs. Alcohol leaves me drained and hungover; with psychedelics, I’ve had experiences that felt eye-opening, even healing.
Of course, I’m not saying drugs are without risk. Everything in life is about balance. Drinking too much water won’t hurt you like drinking too much alcohol, but anything in excess can have negative effects. Moderation is key.
What this experience taught me is simple: curiosity matters. Being open to new perspectives — even the ones that challenge your beliefs — is essential for growth.
Every day, I try to open up my mind a little more. Because until I’ve experienced something myself, I can’t be 100% sure of my opinion.
The day I stop changing my mind, I will have stopped growing.