"All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects."

Could such a thing ever exist? From what he describes, it is some kind of super drug that has no comedown or long-term effects. I envision it being a combination of MDMA laced with mild LSD and a kind of serotonin recycler of sorts.

Eht wohld prohahbably be fohn to jahk ohhf ohn.
Sehnce I like Hohxleh soh mohch.


and no, never could happen fag.

omgwtf mescaline?

heroin

wait, wut?

no comedown or long-term effects...

One of the long term effect of soma-holiday was reduced life span.
The rebel or outcast, if forgot his name, was it john?
Didn't his mother OD on soma when she was brought back to civilization?

Peace.

She essentially put herself into a coma ... tripping out on a hospital bed untill she'd eventually die, but her death isn't in the book.

omgwtf mescaline?

Probably, it's Huxley after all.

One of the long term effect of soma-holiday was reduced life span.
The rebel or outcast, if forgot his name, was it john?
Didn't his mother OD on soma when she was brought back to civilization?

Peace.

She was all like "Nigga gimme dat comfort"

She essentially put herself into a coma ... tripping out on a hospital bed untill she'd eventually die, but her death isn't in the book.



Probably, it's Huxley after all.

Actually her death was in the book.

Actually her death was in the book.

Really? I thought the last time you heard of her was the doctor explaining the others that people weren't normally allowed to be on perpetual soma vacation, be she was excused because she wasn't productive anyway ...

My memory may be fried ... damn you alcohol!

Really? I thought the last time you heard of her was the doctor explaining the others that people weren't normally allowed to be on perpetual soma vacation, be she was excused because she wasn't productive anyway ...

My memory may be fried ... damn you alcohol!

Yeah I'm not sure since my own memory is hazy but didn't he freak out in the hospital when it happened and there were some kids there ooging at his dying mother and didn't she think he was that Popei guy or whoever she was fucking back in the reservation, which pissed him off?

I don't remember if she died, exactly, to be honest. I might be wrong.

Yeah I'm not sure since my own memory is hazy but didn't he freak out in the hospital when it happened and there were some kids there ooging at his dying mother and didn't she think he was that Popei guy or whoever she was fucking back in the reservation, which pissed him off?

I don't remember if she died, exactly, to be honest. I might be wrong.

Yeah, she dies. And then John freaks out because the children and hospital workers don't feel anything because of her death, and then he throws their soma rations out the window and all hell breaks loose.

Good book.

Aldous Huxley was a badass motherfucker. He had 100 micrograms of LSD injected into himself as he was dying.

That's how I want to go.

one of my favorite books...and ive always thought about that, i mean, i doubt there could be a drug that perfect, but if a chemist wanted to give it a go and create some new hybrid RC, then it could come close. actually im pretty sure that somebody will come close in the near future, and well also see tons more new compounds thanks to shulgins work.

Huxley
http://www.drugs.com/images/pills/mmx/t101676b/soma_compound.jpg
Carisoprodol is kind of like alcohol indeed!:D



I'm just fucking around tho. ;)
I have read Huxley's shit, and shit about him..

omgwtf mescaline?

Umm, they actually do use mescaline in the book. John's mother uses it when on the reservation and complains (I think) about how it makes you throw up.

But going back to the original question, I'm sure you could consider opiates as a likely candidate. I mean, it doesn't make you trip but it fits most of the characteristics of Huxleys Soma. I gotta read that book again though.


EDIT: Oh shit, benzos kind of make sense too.

Probably some opiorphin derived opiate, or some other kind of opiate paired with oxytocin, or an NMDA or ORL antagonist to prevent tolerance.

If they say it's like christianity, which marx called the "opium of the masses" (their society is coincidentally communist), then that could suggest that it's somekind of opiate.

If it's like alcohol then it could also have cholinergic, gabergic, ndma antagonist, and other effects. But it can't be exactly like alcohol because that guys mother likes soma SO much better than the liquor she used to drink on the outside.

It also makes the workers much more productive, at assembly lines and stuff. With amphetamines, users may become obsessed or perform repetitive tasks such as cleaning, hand-washing, or assembling and disassembling objects.

Also makes you more social, numb, have less thoughts and emotions.

So theirs a lot of possibilities of what it's pharmacology could be, but it's never made clear. One things for sure is that it probably has dopaminergic and serotoninergic effects. So yea, probably like Opiorphin which is an endogenous opioid known to have no potential for addiction or tolerance gain and have additional anti-depressant effects.

The question isn't "Could it exist?", but rather "Would you take it if it was available?" ;)


Would you?


We are all part of a machine, moving onward. From the person working in the Asian factory plant to the CEOs, all part of this machine. Progress. But humans aren't naturally meant to live in this environment of endless traffic, identical office buildings and a 9-5 until you're 65. But its done. Why? Because through this teamwork, more people can achieve more. The concept goes back to the days of the early humans, gathering in tribes. Everyone plays their part. But this machine isn't structurally sound. Its held together with a glue, that glue being drugs. From the benzos on your counter and prozac in your mom's hand to dads beer after work, to the opium smoked by the factory worker, to the adderall obsessing college students, this machine is held together by drugs.

I'm still trying to figure out whether or not it would be a bad thing to have a society like that. Impossible? Probably, but it brings up some very interesting questions.

But maybe soma is more of like a speedball or something. But from what I can remember about the book, soma has some conflicting effects on people. Someone mentioned that it made the workers able to monotonous tasks, but then it would calm people down. I remember specifically one part where it mentioned that were lots of plane crashes when a pilot "took one too many Soma".

But the most reasonable and logical drug capable of being like huxleys Soma would be some sort of opiate combined with something to prevent tolerance and would probably be something synthetic that wasn't addictive. And would I take Soma? Probably, because sounds like it'd be pretty bitchin'.

I'm still trying to figure out whether or not it would be a bad thing to have a society like that. Impossible? Probably, but it brings up some very interesting questions.

And that is what makes it such a good book. Keep in mind that its all metaphorical though...

And that is what makes it such a good book. Keep in mind that its all metaphorical though...

Tru dat. It took me a few minutes to realize soma was intended to be symbolic, rather than to mean carisoprodal; I was like double you tee eff, how come it isn't that fantastic for me???

mike

The Soma in the book was probably some sort of opiate (combined with a substance to prevent tolerance) mixed with some sort of benzodiazepine or other GABA agonist (the "positive" effects of alcohol. In higher doses it probably had some psychedelic qualities.

I never read the book, so I don't know what I'm talking about.

Could it be possible that Soma isn't a drug, but is just what the government calls different drugs that they give to different people? They could give two different drugs to two different people and call it the same thing, which would explain differing effects.

Alcohols positive effects aren't just from acting on the GABAa receptor. It's also cholinergic, and nmda antagonist (substance that can prevent tolerance to opiates).