The Spiritual Use of Entheogens

[MisterRabbit]

Well, I know that this is a somewhat taboo subject with some of the people that run this website. But, I see it as perfectly valid and so I guess if this thread gets booted, then it gets booted.

So, I will put a little preamble here that says I do not in any sense condone the use of non-hallucinogenic drugs (ie cocain, methamphetamines, opiates, etc.), they are pretty much bad. And I do not condone the use of hallucinogens for anyone who has even the slightest doubt that they might not be able to handle it. Taking an entheogen is like jumping off the deep end, and it takes bravery and is NEVER for the feint of heart or unstable.

Alittle about hallucinogens
For anyone who might not know:
semantically,
Psychedelic = "mind-manifesting"
Entheogen = "becoming divine within"
Holotropic = "moving towards wholeness"

Some examples: LSD, Psilocybin mushrooms, Marijuana (in high doses), Mescaline (peyote), DMT (ayahuasca)

The effects of all hallucinogens are on the perceptual areas of the brain. Though they are not completely understood, they do drastically increase the rate of neurological function in those areas,

These substances are illegal, because the government wants slaves and has no interest in free minds.

All of that said, I see entheogens as a valid method by which to have a spiritual experience. Now of course it is temporary, and having a temporary spiritual experience is not by any means the goal, but I do think that it can greatly assist. I suppose a good way of saying it would be that I think they can greatly catalyse our development.

Personally, I have used heavy entheogens twice, and both times have been probably THE most significant experiences of my life. If you've never done it, I don't think you could ever understand. I don't mean to sound snobby by saying that, but I just think it is the simple truth. It is such a bizarre and strange experience, so far removed from day-to-day consciousness, that no amount of explaining will really be able to explain it. The first time I used it, I actually had a death experience, immediately followed by a mystical experience. What I mean by that is in the traditional sense, a complete absorption into consciousness, no me, no body, no thought, no perceiver, just an incredibly bright shining awareness. Not awareness of anything, awareness of awareness. No self. It was like going out through the inside. I went in and then out, through that needle-eye sized hole that leads to the other side. Even as I type this I know that these words on the screen in no way convey what it actually was like. It was completely beyond. This was not a simple side effect of the drug, however, and only came after a painful death experience. I had to die in order to go there. To this day, I am changed after that. I know beyond any shadow of a doubt, beyond theory or even belief, that I am more than this body and this life. Before that, I had theorised, but I did not know by experience. I think that Ra referred to this type of thing, like the one of the purposes of going into the resonating chambers of the pyramids was to have this death experience, and the person comes out changed forever after that.

Well, apparently Q'uo said that they did not advise the use of these somewhere in one of the transcripts. And so, Carla has stated that she doesn't condone it or think it's a good idea (to my knowledge).

But I can't help but disagree. True, it is risky. But these substances, particularly those from plants, have been used by shamans around the world for thousands of years to tap into the universal mind and to help their peoples live healthily in harmony with the planet. Sometimes this can lead to miraculous healings and there have been reports of parapsychological type phenomena, such as a shaman might take ayahuasca to find out who stole something, or where a lost item is. And apparently it works at least some of the time, or they wouldn't keep doing it for thousands of years. Not that any of this is the point. Miracles and psychic powers are to be taken in stride, they are not a sign of anything special really. But if you've read some about shamanism and heard Terrence McKenna talk, you know that one of the most valuable aspects of these is that they remove you, at least temporarily, from your discursive cultural framework, which is pretty much the veil. I know that when I take them, I certainly get a big-time "veil has been lifted" feeling. Eyes have been opened, truth is seen, all the non-sense I normally think is gone, bam, wiped away. And that is a useful experience to have, in my opinion. Things can be taken away from that experience, it can be learned from. Of course, it can also be completely recreational and one might not learn anything from it. Hence the SPIRITUAL USE of Entheogens, in the title.

So, I suppose I just want to get some discussion going on this subject. Any experiences to share? Opinions? This is one of my main areas of interest, and I would love to hear what some fellow Law of One folks think about it.

And sorry if I upset anyone or overstep the bounds by posting this, but I just don't see it as inappropriate at all. Nothing wrong with sharing and discussing, and if anything I think that these particular "drugs" should be less taboo and not associated with drugs that are actually very bad for you and are addictive. It's totally different. While I understand why we might want to steer clear of discussions of sex and drugs and rock 'n roll ;D (oh my), I do not really even see these as "drugs" in the "drugs are bad" sense. The term drugs has a lot of negative connotation that I just don't think fits these substances, they should not even be in the same category. As far as I am concerned, these are spiritual tools, and it is ONLY for that reason that I post this thread. Hope I'm not stomping on anyone's tulips. I never have been very good at tip-toeing.