&gt;<i>These chemicals are tools, no more and no less.</i><p>The way I like to look at it is the odd trip (or even pot to a lesser extent) &quot;exercises&quot; the brain by pulling us out of the mundane, repetitive grind that is everyday life for most people.  You see things differently, think about things differently and it acts to keep your brain &quot;on its toes&quot;.<p>No magic, just chemically induced neurological exercise.