Celebrities

Jaden Smith says his mum encouraged his 'first steps' into psychedelic drugs

Jaden Smith says his mum encouraged his 'first steps' into psychedelic drugs
Will Smith watches children Willow and Jaden perform at Coachella
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Jaden Smith has opened up about his use of psychedelic drugs, admitting that his mother, Jada Pinkett Smith, "made the first step."

Psychedelics (also known as hallucinogens) are known to produce changes in perception, mood and cognitive processes. Drugs such as LSD, DMT, ayahuasca and magic mushrooms are among the well-known psychoactive substances that often give the hallucinogenic experience.

During a Psychedelic Science conference in Denver last week, the 24-year-old called the experience "profound and beautiful" and went on to suggest it helped him and his siblings get along better.

Speaking about how he was introduced to psychedelics, Jaden said: "I think it was my mom actually, that was really the first one to make that step for the family."

"It was just her for a really, really long time and then eventually, it just trickled and evolved, and everybody found it in their own ways," he added.

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Jaden went on to say: "Siblings can argue so much and fight so much, and lord knows me and my siblings have done so much of that in the past.

"But the level of love and empathy that I can feel for them inside of the [psychedelic] experiences and outside of the experiences has been something that’s profound and beautiful."

Psychedelics are illegal in the UK but have been around since ancient times and often have mystical and spiritual associations, according to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation.

They can also carry risk, like any other drug – especially if a person experiences a "bad trip." This can lead to unpredictable and, in some cases, dangerous or life-threatening behaviour.

There have since been various studies into the effects of micro-dosing and mental health to see whether they positively impact the brain's serotonin receptors.

However, "as a class A drug, they have the most restrictions in place," Detox Plus UK explains. "This makes it impossible and unethical for the needed research to be conducted on humans as opposed to animals."

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