In our ongoing research into the modern wonder drug known as placebo, we stumbled across an interesting article at Endonurse.com summarizing a recent University of Michigan study on the subject.

Specifically, the research finds strong links between an individual’s response to a placebo "painkiller," and the activity of the neurotransmitter known as dopamine in the area of the brain known as the nucleus accumbens. That’s a small region at the center of the brain that’s involved in our ability to experience pleasure and reward, and even to become addicted to the "high" caused by illicit drugs.

The research team used detailed PET and fMRI brain scans to see how subjects reacted in the following situations.

The PET scans focused on brain dopamine, looking at its activity as volunteers were told to expect, and then received, a painful injection of saline solution in their jaw muscle. They were then told to expect, and then received, an injection that they were told could either be a painkiller or a placebo. (Both were in fact placebos.) The fMRI scans looked at volunteers’ brains while they played a game. Before each round, they learned that a correct answer would win or lose an amount of money, up to $5.

...

Before the painful injection began, but after the volunteers had been told it was coming, they were also asked to guess how much pain relief they’d get from the "painkiller" if they received it.

The study shows that subject's anticipation of pain relief and expectation of reward (for being correct) was a good indicator of how strong the patient's dopamine response would be when receiving the placebo, and suggests that placebo response may be part of an inherent reward and self-preservation mechanism. The article goes into good detail at how the study was conducted and how results were screened for accuracy. Although the subject pool was small, this study (and another recent study on placebo and opiate response) goes a long way towards resolving the placebo mystery once and for all.

I have been a fan of Darren Aronofsky ever since I saw his strange exploration of obsessive numerology in the cult sleeper 'Pi'. I also enjoyed his ode to addiction, 'Requiem for a Dream', which was no less alluring and disturbing, and put the scope of what you can get away with in drug-influenced movies way over the top. And now there is 'The Fountain' (now available on DVD) a visually stunning movie that jumps back in forth between the Spanish conquest of the new world, modern day bio-chem research, and what can only be described as a floating bubble in space near the end of time. At the center of this disjointed epic is the fabled "Tree of Life", also known as the fountain of youth, that mythological gateway to immortality.

Although 'The Fountain' is a little slow and in some parts downright boring (do we really need to see the same segments shown over and over? Do we really care about the timeless romance between Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weiss? No.), the imagery that comes out of this film is some of the most psychedelic I have seen in a long time. But it is not psychedelic in the way that 'Renegade' or 'Fear and Loathing' is, with scenes of gratuitous trippiness layered on freak-outs and hallucinatory glee. Instead, 'The Fountain' is psychedelic in the sense that it captures the essence of that most personal of psychedelic trips: The Spirit Journey through time and space.

Although I cannot claim to fully understand what is going on in the movie, it revolves around the tree of life, a distant dying star, Mayan mythology, and a complex macro-molecule that cures the 'disease of death'. Hugh Jackman's character is bound through time to this 'fountain' of eternal life in various forms, and his trippiest incarnation is as an eternal Bodhisattva traveling with the Tree of Life in that timeless space bubble I mentioned earlier. Although the clip below (mixed to Sigor Ros) gives away the ending of the movie, since the movie doesn't make a whole lot of sense to begin with it shouldn't matter too much. Enjoy the trippy visuals, they are one of a kind.

Fred Gardner, editor of O’Shaughnessy’s, a new journal for doctors who work with medical cannabis, has an editorial up on Counter Punch where he just rips into Rob Kampia of the Marijuana Policy Project. His starting point is the recent vote on the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment. The Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment would prevent government agencies from spending federal dollars chasing medical marijuana patients in states with medical marijuana laws, got only 165 'yea' votes, when it needed 218. Last year there were 163 in favor. Two votes isn't much of a gain, you could even say it's a loss, especially in a supposed Democratic take-over of the House. Gardner takes MPP and director Kampia to task for using this disappointing result (4th year in a row that the amendment has lost) in fundraising letters to encourage more donations.

This isn't MPP's only perennial loser. You may recall that there's an initiative almost every election year in Nevada to decriminalize recreational marijuana use. MPP funds and runs this campaign to the tune of about $3 million per election, though it has taken pains in recent years to make it look a Nevada-born project. It does about a percentage point better every time. At this rate it'll be another 30 years and $50 million before they achieve their goal, IF the voters of Nevada don't get completely tired of them and run'em out of the state on a rail.

What's the impact on the average Jane's psyche when she sees that Congress approved arresting medical marijuana users again, or that the Supreme Court struck down medical marijuana defenses, that Nevadans handily beat back an attempt by wacky outsiders to legalize weed? Why keep tilting at these windmills?

Don't get me wrong, MPP has done some truly awesome things, and should be complimented for successes in Rhode Island and Vermont this year. The win in Rhode Island was particularly impressive, passing a medical marijuana bill through the state legislature.

The author admits that it's a bit sour grapes (Rob doesn't fund his journal), but some of his points are still valid.

A recent installment of Slappy Pinchbottom's unusual feast of radio delight has emerged, and this time Slappy weaves in some audio snippets from our own James Kent's recent appearance on the Neofiles. Slappy always offers up a hypnagogic smorgasbord, and this week is no exception:

information is the key to this week’s episode of Slappy Pinchbottom’s Odd Preoccupation, information of any and every kind. in Part 1 we feature information from the world of dreams, insanity, and doggerel verse (triangulate on those and you’ll quickly find the capital city of the Odd Preoccupation.) we finish up Part 1 with a segment graciously and unwittingly gifted to us from another possibly recognizable radio program, via the good people of Kasper Hauser.

in part 2, we receive an indirect transmission of information regarding one gregor samsa, presented by franz kafka, who is in turn presented by vladimir nabokov, who is in turn presented by his former student christopher plummer, who is in turn presented by yours truly, Slappy Pinchbottom. then we receive, through direct transmission, the latest episode in our ongoing radio adventure serial, Moon Over Morocco.

part 3 of our program features an excerpt of an interview with james kent, of the great drug news site DoseNation (the full interview first appeared on the Neofiles podcast over at the MondoGlobo Network.) we then have a couple of poems by kenneth koch, with a nice chunky bit of verse in between by r. j. moore — the MEAT of the koch sandwich, if you will, and i KNOW you will. then we transition into the Elk Mating Ritual, as slappy and the Elkmaster discuss the final koch poem and the origins of Moon Over Morocco.

A recent Erowid experience report highlights the advantages of taking a very large dose of DOB: you get a very long history lesson about how life on the planet evolved.

As best I can tell, I began my journey by reliving the history of life up until the present. This may sound fun, but it's a fucking long history. The first moments of life were terrifying. The fear and loneliness I felt were overwhelming. There was confusion, fear, solitude and blackness. Nothing else. This went on for a terribly long period of time.

Eventually, other organisms emerged, all feeling the same way. Some had the courage to venture into the blackness, to grow and expand their influence. They died. The next wave ventured more cautiously, seeing the failures before them, and survived to expand. Survival was tenuous and uncertain — fear was the only emotion life knew in its infancy. Like this, life slowly expanded until it was no longer so alone. Single-celled organisms formed groups for survival, some competing, others cooperating. Specialization began, colonies emerged, and evolution began its slow walk towards humanity. A new emotion was introduced — a feeling of comfort, a feeling that seemed to say, “How wonderful it is to not be so terribly alone any more!” All the while I kept the perspective of a single-celled organism, through millions of years as the colony of protests began more and more specialized. Eventually it outgrew the label of colony as the first species of multi-cellular life emerged. I started to feel pride in being part of something greater, and pride at how unlikely and how amazing it was that life had survived to reach this stage, against all odds. When I finally reached the present, I was imbued with a strong, non-verbal thought that did not originate from my mind. It conveyed, somehow, that: 'This is what it took to get where you are now. Respect this.'

This is just Part II of a long night, in which Part III sees our intrepid voyager become God. (Oh come on, you mean it hasn't happened to you?) DOB doesn't come across the radar very often; this report is worth a look for the curious and the experienced alike.

Apparently the fine folks over at Disney have decided that the new policy is to avoid depictions of cigarette smoking in their movies, because, of course, smoking is very bad for you.

Disney has made a commitment to Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee, that it will discourage depictions of cigarette smoking in its movies.

Mouse House will also place an antismoking PSA on DVDs of any future film that does depict smoking, as well as work with theater owners to encourage the exhibition of an antismoking PSA before the theatrical exhibition of any such film.

In a letter sent to Markey, Disney prexy-CEO Robert Iger wrote, "The Walt Disney Co. shares your concern regarding deaths due to cigarette smoking. We discourage depictions of cigarette smoking in Disney, Touchstone and Miramax films. In particular, we expect that depictions of cigarette smoking in future Disney-branded films will be nonexistent."

Huzzah! Whee! The horrible scourge of cigarette smoking that has plagued our nation will now be nipped in the bud, thanks to Disney's "discouraging" depictions of smoking! I'm told that old versions of 101 Dalmations will be edited so that Cruella de Ville is only seen gnawing on a carrot.

While you're at it, if you could go to the trouble of "discouraging" depictions of, you know, violence and murder, that would be awesome. What's that? Miramax and Touchstone couldn't possibly survive without depictions of violence and murder? Gotcha. Just swat the easy stuff and pretend you're making a difference.

Apparently plans are afoot to create a hotel in OUTER SPACE, to be ready for guests by - uh oh - the year 2012!

"Galactic Suite," the first hotel planned in space, expects to open for business in 2012 and would allow guests to travel around the world in 80 minutes.

Its Barcelona-based architects say the space hotel will be the most expensive in the galaxy, costing $4 million for a three-day stay....

In an era of concern over climate change, Galaxy Suite have no plans so far to offset the pollution implications of sending a rocket to carry just six guests at a time into space.

"But," says Claramunt, "I'm hopeful that the impact of seeing the earth from a distance will stimulate the guests' urge to value and protect our planet."

Little does company director Xavier Claramunt know that his guests may be the last bastions of humanity as we know it, as human consciousness on the planet is sucked headlong into the singularity whilst they orbit helplessly... six lonely survivors, a limited supply of food, and a rocket that will only take them directly into the heart of the vortex... or perhaps their outpost in space will serve as the beacon that finally calls our alien overlords out from hiding to complete the transformation of the planetary mind into one giant DMT trip. Or something. Look, I haven't actually read Pinchbeck's book, so I'm not up on the latest script, but still - it makes you wonder!

I'm currently in Las Vegas for a bachelor party. One of the groomsmen is a Vegas regular; he told us a story about getting sick after eating from a buffet. He called down to the concierge of his hotel and said he was sick, and they gave him a number for a doctor who made housecalls. Our friend referred to him as "Dr. Vegas". The doctor said "Two hundred dollars, cash only." "Do you take casino chips?" "Of course."

The doc came, took the money, checked his pulse and blood pressure, asked some questions and said "Bend over, I'm going to give you a shot". Dude immediately felt great, and went back down to hit the tables.

We asked him if he had any idea what the doctor had injected him with; he said he didn't ask. Now I'm curious as hell.

I'm not surprised at all that such a thing could happen. Still, it's nice to be reminded of just how porous and artificial the distinction between "licit" and "illicit" drug use really is.

In a follow-up to our recent story on the 'exhaustion' of UK singing sensation Amy Winehouse, we find new information about all the exhausting things she's been doing lately:

CRAZED AMY WINEHOUSE had been on a mind-boggling three-day drug bender before collapsing from an overdose, The Sun can reveal.

She took ECSTASY, COCAINE and horse tranquilliser KETAMINE — washed down with VODKA and WHISKY.

Last night a worried pal told how the binge had left the 23-year-old singing sensation ghostly pale and with the “dead eyes of a shark”.

No wonder she's so tired! Get that girl some REM sleep, STAT!

From teenage magazine Dolly by way of Perth Now, we find news of an interesting study of 4000 teenage girls age 11 to 18. The study was about plastic surgery, sex, and body issues, but we get some details on common teen girl drug profiles as well:

The survey also gives a picture of drug use, showing that three per cent have tried the party drug ice, five per cent had swallowed an ecstasy pill and 13 per cent have smoked marijuana.

Only 13 per cent admitted smoking cigarettes.

Meanwhile, about half said they drink alcohol, with one in five confessing to having done something they regret while they were drunk.

There you have it. Alcohol rules the day for teen drug of choice. It is interesting that cigarettes and marijuana have roughly the same use profile. I wonder if there are two different kinds of teen smokers -- the kind who smoke cigs and the kind who smoke pot -- or if the girls who smoke one also smoke the other. Anyway, the study also goes into some detail on body image, plastic surgery, sexual activity, condom use, etc., but you'll have to click through to read that for yourself.