Pantagruelion
Cannabinoids receptors and schizophrenia:From Haschich to Schizophrenia
---------------------------------------------------------------
Apparently,no research yet has been made concerning the involvement of cannabinoids
receptors and schizophrenia.However,direct introspective observations with Cannabis
sativa,together with theoretical considerations about thoughts abnormality in
schizophrenics,lead to the strong feeling that anandamide(or other similar endogenous
cannabinoid-mimetics)is,definitely,involved in the disturbed thought process of
schizophrenics.Especially,anandamide function should be disturbed in the hippocampus
and in other
areas involved in memory or recall(the hippocampus is a structure of convergence
where stored memories in different parts of the brain converge in order to be
recalled.The hippocampus is essential for remembering,not for memorising per se).
Cannabinoids induce a phenomenon called "illusion" which is something completely
distinct from hallucinations.Illusions are the main phenomena which give rise to the
peculiar thinking of schizophrenics.
The Illusionised Consciousness or the Schizophrenic Mind
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In I845,Dr Joseph Moreau de Tours published his famous book about haschich and madness
under the title:Du Haschich et de l'Aliénation Mentale(Masson,Paris I845,France).
This book was translated into English only in the I97O's through Raven Press,if my
memory is correct.
Moreau de Tours was a real savant,a man curious about everything and willing to test
"experimental madness", induced by haschich, in order to try to understand real
madness.
His book has been unequaled ,as far as introspection is concerned.With this book
Joseph Moreau de Tours became the father of introspective
psychopharmacology.Unfortunately,he did not have many spiritual sons in this field
until now,as some "scientists" think that rats and mice can better report what they
feel under psychotropic drugs!
Moreau de Tours ,accurately ,perceived that haschich had something to do with real
madness because haschich can induce illusions.So what are illusions?
Illusion is a state of consciousness where exogenous perceived informational patterns
are wrongly identified by memory.This error of identification leads to false
recognition of exogenous patterns which,in turn,leads to false consciousness of
events.The phenomenon of illusion can make us conscious,"aware",of things which are
non-existent in the exogenous reality(exoreality)! It is through this phenomenon that
a schizophrenic can correctly perceive an outside person but wrongly identify this
person as som
eone else like,let say,Napoléon or the Virgin Mary,etc.Illusions should not be
confused with hallucinations as these phenomena are completely
different.Hallucinations alone are not sufficient to transform a normal person into a
schizophrenic while illusions are sufficient per se.To be crazy you just need to be
illusionised! As the stimulation of cannabinoid receptors lead to illusions,it is then
very logical to deduce that anandamide(and related endogenous compounds)should play a
crucial role in schizoph
renia.This remains to be investigated but I have no doubt that indeed disturbances of
anandamide functions will be found in schizophrenics.As illusions are also very common
in normal dreams,anandamide metabolism in the dream state should be different from
anandamide metabolism in the waking state.New medications blocking the action of
anandamide on cannabinoid receptors could well be novel antipsychotics!
Claude Rifat
