Exploring the History and Debate Around Human Anesthetization

This chapter delves into the historical development of anesthesia in the 18th and 19th centuries and the opposing viewpoints regarding human beings experiencing pain naturally. It highlights the use of anesthesia in obstetrics to help women cope with extreme pain during childbirth and the objections based on spirituality, religion, and the necessity of feeling pain. The conversation extends to the exploration of altering consciousness through drugs like ketamine, LSD, and psilocybin for therapeutic purposes, contrasting escapism with emotional exploration and addressing misconceptions and fears surrounding these substances.