Elon Musk Says This Fictional Opioid Is Real: 'Takes Away Pain, But Dulls Your Mind'

Elon Musk discussed a fictional drug called Soma featured in "Brave New World" — a dystopian novel written by Aldous Huxley over the weekend. 

What Happened: Musk's comments were made in response to a post on Twitter by the handle "Oldbooksguy," who shares "new ideas from old books."

Musk said that the "public [is] heavily medicated" in response to the tweet.  The Twitter owner said, "Did you know that Soma is a real drug? Takes away pain, but dulls your mind."

Orwell was right -> schools & media
Huxley -> public *is* heavily medicated
Rand was also right, as you say.

We now have the perfect storm.

Did you know that Soma is a real drug? Takes away pain, but dulls your mind.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 23, 2023

See Also: Elon Musk’s ‘Exploratory Journeys’ And Charts Explaining Benefits Of Psychedelics Over Alcohol

Why It Matters: Musk didn’t give further clarity. One possibility is he was referring to Carisoprodol, which is sold under the brand name Soma.

The drug is prescribed for musculoskeletal pain with side effects like drowsiness and dizziness, according to Drugs.com.

In “Brave New World,” the government encourages citizens to take the fictional Soma because it views unhappiness as opposed to social stability.

Varying doses of the drug are dished out with effects ranging from bringing calm to inducing hallucinations.

This is not the first time Musk has made comments on drugs. In 2021, he shared his opinion on psychedelic substances and said people should be "open" to them.

He said at the time that people making laws were from a "different era." 

"As the new generation gets into political power, I think we will see greater receptivity to the benefits of psychedelics."

Read Next: Elon Musk Calls Banning Drugs A ‘Net Societal Negative,’ Just Like ‘Dumb’ Alcohol Prohibition

This illustration was generated using artificial intelligence via MidJourney.