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On Being Stoned
Charles T. Tart, Ph. D.
Chapter 27. Age, Sex, and Educational Level
AGE
BECAUSE MOST RESPONDENTS were young, only two age ranges could
be used for analysis purposes, namely, those younger than 25 (72
percent of the sample) and those 25 or older (28 percent of the
sample).
Overall, the age variable was not particularly significant. Twenty-three
analyses were significant at the .05 level, where about 19 would
be expected by chance; and 5 were significant at the .01 level,
when 4 would be expected by chance. None were significant at the
.001 level. This may result from the restricted range. Thus many
of the differences summarized below are probably artifactual.
These differences must be regarded primarily as possible guides
to further research, rather than as solid findings.
Table 27-1 summarizes significant differences in frequency of
occurrence of 18 various effects, and Table 27-2 summarizes 10
significant differences in minimal level of intoxication. General
frequency of occurrence data is also presented in the usual type
style code.
MALE AND FEMALE
Forty-nine percent of the respondents were males, 27 percent were
females. The rest could not be classified because of a clerical
error that omitted the sex blank on some of the questionnaires.
Overall, the sex variable was not very significant. Twenty-five
analyses were significant at the .05 level when about 19 would
be expected by chance, and only one was significant at the .01
level, when about four would be expected by chance. The differences
summarized in Table 27-3 and 27-4 should be taken only as guidelines
for further research.
Overall frequencies of occurrence are coded in the tables by the
usual type style convention.
EDUCATIONAL LEVEL
Seventy-two percent of the users were in college or had a bachelor's
degree of some sort. Twenty-one percent were in graduate school
or had advanced degrees (M.A., M.S., M.D., Ed.D., or Ph.D.). These
are the College-educated and the Professional groups, respectively,
in our analysis. Seven percent of the users were in various educational
level groups too small to be analyzable.
Educational level was a significant background variable. Thirty-four
analyses were significant at the .05 level instead of the 19 expected
by chance, and 11 at the .01 level, rather than the four expected
by chance Thus many of the differences summarized in the following
two tables are potentially replicable findings as well as guides
to research.
Tables 27-5 and 27-6 summarize significant differences in frequency
of occurrence and minimal level of intoxication, respectively.
General frequency of occurrence data is preserved in the type
style code.
Although it is risky to comment on the overall patterning of results
when a fair number of them may be due to chance, there is a general
pattern of the College-educated having more sensory enhancement
types of experiences.
TABLE 27-1
AGE AND FREQUENCY OF VARIOUS INTOXICATION EFFECTS
| CATEGORY | INTOXICATION EFFECT | SIGNIFICANCE
LEVEL |
|---|
|
| Older users (25+) more frequently experience: |
| Hearing | AUDITORY IMAGERY MORE VIVID | .05 |
| Social | OTHERS HAVEN'T NOTICED I’M STONED | .01 |
| Aftereffects | HARD TO GET ORGANIZED NEXT DAY | .05 |
| |
| Older users (25+) less frequently experience: |
| Vision | AURAS AROUND OBJECTS | .05 |
| | THINGS IN PERIPHERY LOOK DIFFERENT | .05 |
| | HALLUCINATIONS | .01 |
| Hearing | QUALITY OF OWN VOICE CHANGES | .05 |
| Paranormal | [a]OOBE's after starting to use marijuana | .05 |
| Body | BODY SEEMS VERY HEAVY | .05 |
| | PAIN MORE INTENSE IF CONCENTRATED ON | .01 |
| | GET PHYSICALLY RESTLESS | .05 |
| Thought | ABSORBED, ATTENTION MUST BE FORCIBLY GOTTEN | .05 |
| Memory | SPONTANEOUSLY RECALL THINGS LONG FORGOTTEN | .05 |
| | REMEMBER LESS OF WHAT IS READ | .01 |
| Emotion | FEEL EMOTIONS MORE STRONGLY | .05 |
| Control | EASILY SIDETRACKED ON TASKS | .05 |
| | COMPULSIVE DESIRE TO GET HIGHER | .05 |
| | POOR CONTROL OVER FANTASIES | .05 |
| Miscellaneous | FEEL WORLD IS IN BAD SHAPE | .05 |
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[a]Not coded as to frequency of occurrence by type style. (See Chapter 10.)
TABLE 27-2
AGE AND LEVELS OF INTOXICATION FOR VARIOUS EFFECTS
| CATEGORY | INTOXICATION EFFECT | SIGNIFICANCE
LEVEL |
|---|
|
| Older users (25+) must be more intoxicated to experience: |
| Body | PAIN MORE INTENSIVE IF CONCENTRATED ON | .05 |
| Control | COMPULSIVE DESIRE TO GET HIGHER | .05 |
| |
| Older users (25+) need be less intoxicated to experience: |
| Body | LOSE AWARENESS OF BODY UNLESS STRONG
STIMULUS DEMANDS ATTENTION | .05 |
| | LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS OF BODY, FLOAT IN LIMITLESS SPACE | .05 |
| | SENSE OF BALANCE ERRATIC | .05 |
| Thought | Prolonged blank periods | .01 |
| Memory | WORSE LONG-TERM MEMORY | .05 |
| Control | INHIBITIONS LOWERED | .05 |
| Identity | MERGE WITH CONTEMPLATED OBJECT OR PERSON | .05 |
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TABLE 27-3
SEX AND FREQUENCY OF VARIOUS INTOXICATION EFFECTS
| CATEGORY | INTOXICATION EFFECT | SIGNIFICANCE
LEVEL |
|---|
|
| Males more frequently experience: |
| Paranormal | [a]Multiple OOBE's | .05 |
| Body | BODY GETS NUMB | .05 |
| Social | STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY COMPANIONS | .05 |
| Control | CAN COME DOWN AT WILL | .05 |
| |
| Females more frequently experience: |
| Vision | VISION BLURRY | .05 |
| Touch | OBJECTS SEEM HEAVIER | .05 |
| Paranormal | [a]OOBE's per se | .05 |
| Space/Time | TIME PASSES RAPIDLY | .05 |
| | TIME STOPS | .05 |
| Body | AWARE OF HEART BEATING | .05 |
| | MOVEMENTS EXCEPTIONALLY SMOOTH AND COORDINATED | .05 |
| | SENSE OF BALANCE ERRATIC | .05 |
| Thought | Prolonged blank periods | .05 |
| | SKIP INTERMEDIATE STEPS IN PROBLEM SOLVING | .05 |
| Memory | GOOD MEMORY FOR PERIODS OF INTOXICATION | .05 |
| Emotion | GIGGLE A LOT | .05 |
| Control | Body parts move by themselves | .05 |
| | CAN'T COME DOWN AT WILL | .05 |
| Identity | MORE CHILDLIKE, OPEN TO EXPERIENCE | .05 |
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[a]Not coded as to frequency of occurrence by type style. (See Chapter 10.)
TABLE 27-4
SEX AND LEVELS OF INTOXICATION FOR VARIOUS EFFECTS
| CATEGORY | INTOXICATION EFFECT | SIGNIFICANCE
LEVEL |
|---|
|
| Males must be more intoxicated to experience: |
| Hearing | SYNESTHESIA | .05 |
| | MORE AWARE OF INTERNAL ORGANS | .05 |
| Body | BODY GETS NUMB | .01 |
| | BODY FEELS SMALLER | .05 |
| Memory | FORGET START OF SENTENCE | .05 |
| Identity | EVENTS BECOME ARCHETYPAL | .05 |
| |
| Females must be more intoxicated to experience: |
| Control | CAN COME DOWN AT WILL | .05 |
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TABLE 27-5
EDUCATIONAL LEVEL AND FREQUENCY OF VARIOUS
INTOXICATION EFFECTS
| CATEGORY | INTOXICATION EFFECT | SIGNIFICANCE
LEVEL |
|---|
|
| Professionals more frequently experience: |
| Control | CAN COME DOWN AT WILL | .01 | | |
College-educated more frequently experience: |
| Vision | SENSUAL QUALITY TO VISION | .05 |
| | PATTERNS IN VISUALLY AMBIGUOUS MATERIAL | .05 |
| Touch | SURFACES FEEL ROUGH, INTERESTING | .01 |
| | NEW QUALITIES TO TEMPERATURE | .01 |
| Body | HYPERAWARE OF BREATHING | .05 |
| | BODY FEELS LIGHT | .01 |
| | PAIN MORE INTENSE IF CONCENTRATED ON | .05 |
| | BODY FEELS SMALLER | .05 |
| | PHYSICALLY RESTLESS | .01 |
| Social | HARD TO PLAY ORDINARY SOCIAL GAMES | .05 |
| Sex | CLOSER TO SEXUAL PARTNER, UNION OF SOULS | .05 |
| | NEW QUALITIES TO ORGASM | .01 |
| Thought | ABSORBED, ATTENTION MUST BE GOTTEN FORCIBLY | .01 |
| | LOSE MENTAL TRACK OF TASK BUT FINISH IT ANYWAY | .05 |
| Memory | WORSENED LONG-TERM MEMORY | .05 |
| | GOOD MEMORY FOR PERIODS OF INTOXICATION | .05 |
| Control | EASILY SIDETRACKED | .05 |
| | COMPULSIVE DESIRE TO GET HIGHER | .05 |
| | POOR FANTASY CONTROL | .05 |
| | GOOD FANTASY CONTROL | .05 |
| Spiritual | IN TOUCH WITH A HIGHER POWER | .05 |
| Miscellaneous | WORLD SEEMS IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE | .05 |
| | MORE INVOLVED IN ORDINARY TASKS | .01 |
| | INNER FANTASIES AS REAL AS NOCTURNAL DREAMS | .05 |
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TABLE 27-6
EDUCATIONAL LEVEL AND LEVELS OF INTOXICATION
FOR VARIOUS EFFECTS
| CATEGORY | INTOXICATION EFFECT | SIGNIFICANCE
LEVEL |
|---|
|
| Professionals need to be more intoxicated to experience: |
| Vision | Colors get duller | .05 |
| Touch | OBJECTS SEEM MORE MASSIVE | .05 |
| Space/Time | AIR, SPACE TAKES ON SOLID QUALITY | .05 |
| Body | MOVEMENTS AWKWARD, UNCOORDINATED | .05 |
| Miscellaneous | SOME INNER TRIPS SEEM COMPLETELY REAL | .05 | | |
| College-educated need to be more intoxicated to experience: |
| Hearing | SPACE BECOMES AN AUDITORY SPACE | .05 |
| Touch | SURFACES FEEL SMOOTHER, SILKIER | .05 |
| | SURFACES FEEL ROUGH, INTERESTING | .01 |
| Space/Time | DISTANCES SEEM SHORTER | .05 |
| Body | LOCATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS CHANGES | .01 |
| | AWARE OF HEARTBEAT | .05 |
| Social | TALK MORE | .05 |
| Sex | Need sex less | .05 |
| | BETTER LOVER WHEN STONED | .05 |
| Thought | Prolonged blank periods | .05 |
| Memory | CONVERSE INTELLIGENTLY DESPITE FORGETTING
START OF WHAT I SAID | .05 |
| Control | EASILY SIDETRACKED | .05 |
| Sleep | EASY TO GO TO SLEEP AT BEDTIME | .05 |
| Aftereffects | HARD TO GET ORGANIZED NEXT DAY | .05 |
| Identity | MERGE WITH OBJECT OR PERSON CONTEMPLATED | .05 |
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