iDosing and digital drugs - can your kids really get high without narcotics?
* By Peter Farquhar, Technology Editor
* From: news.com.au
* July 16, 2010 8:57AM
FREE legal drugs that can be downloaded through the internet? Parents, welcome to your new nightmare.
If "iDosing" is not the latest craze, it soon will be, as reports sweep the internet of kids achieving catatonic or hallucinogenic states simply by downloading and listening to "digital drugs".
And if it does catch on, you can blame the kids at Mustang High School in Oklahoma, who in March were caught wasted on "monotonous, layered sounds in a dark room".
While it sounds like a hoax, iDosing's caught on at Mustang High enough to convince staff to send letters home to parents warning them of the possible dangers.
"The parents' reaction was the same as mine. Just shocked," Mustang School District Superintendent Bonnie Lightfoot told NewsOK. "You've got to be kidding."
What those dangers are exactly, no one is yet to say.
What little analysis that has been done on the dangers of iDosing claim that while the practice itself is mostly harmless, there's a chance of it leading to more harmful addictions.
But first, a primer on how to iDose.
It's not that difficult - simply find a dark room, slip on your headphones and sit motionless.
Listen to repetitive, atonal tracks. A quick Google search for "iDose tracks" will bring up some options.
How much time it takes to achieve any transcendental state is entirely up to the user, but it might be prudent to make sure someone else knows you're in the cupboard.
"It's unlikely to cause any problems," Harriet de Wit of the University of Chicago told LiveScience, adding that any highs associated with iDosing are more likely linked to expectations than genuine biological effects.
Yet the owner of I-Doser.com, Nick Ashton, support Mustang's warning for parents.
"We have heard of that, and we agree," he said.
"Any method that involved experiencing a simulated mood or experience should be taken seriously.
"I-Doser.com is not dangerous, completely safe, but any user should be aware that this is causing a modification of mood."
Mr Ashton said media coverage of the Mustang incident had increased traffic to their site, and their PC Player application alone has had over a million downloads.
He said the binaural sequences were "highly technical tones that take years to develop".
"We create every track we sell and offer the most effective digital simulations available anywhere," he said.
In fact, he's been selling mood-modifying tracks for 10 years and there's plenty of other websites and apps promoting the benefits of aural stimulation.
Yes, iDosing can be used for the power of good.
According to i-dose.us, the tracks on their "Binaural Beats" list can promote a range of feel-good vibes which can help you quit smoking, relieve PMS and relieve pain.
"I started drawing while listening to the music," user Dii says. "And I had a nice drawing experience."
A user at another site claimed he saw "paint peeling off the walls".
But it's not enough to convince everyone to dismiss the trend so lightly.
Narcotics authorities in the US admit are concerned that the practice of searching online for stronger iDoses leads users down the path to more harmful practices.
"iDosing" can be seen as a gateway drug, they claim.
While it might sound ludicrous to web-savvy teenagers, there's no denying the language and symbolism used by some iDose websites trades on pusher culture.
You can even become a "digital dealer" at I-Doser.
Their Recreational Simulations pack ($US16.95) is a "collection of 4 doses in MP3 format: Marijuana, Cocaine, Opium, and Peyote. Each audio track contains our advanced binaural beats that will synchronize your brainwaves to the same state as the recreational dose."
The site also promotes "legal bud, legal hash and mood pills" - all of which are legal artificial alternatives to the real things, being mostly herbs pressed on sticks and dipped in resin.
However, Mr Ashton is quick to point out that his site is completely legal and he doesn't condone the use of illegal drugs in any way.
"I would advise parents to be aware of what your kids do, have open and frank communication about the dangers of real drugs, and understand that people look to I-Doser for a positive meditative experience," he said.
"It is not habit forming at all, but should be used in moderation."
