The Spiritual Use of Entheogens

[godwide_void]

This may turn out to be the longest post I will ever make on this forum considering this is a subject which I would regard as being a primary area of expertise for me...

Entheogens have been the most crucial benefactor in my spiritual progression and awakening, and have been absolutely paramount in my continuing practice, the development of the divine connectivity which I have come to possess, and is responsible for the position I am now in from the spiritual standpoint. While my initial introduction to mind-altering substances in my younger and more reckless teenage years centered around the typical recreational and aimless approach, the transition towards responsible, serious usage with a focus on shamanic utilization and sacramental reverence, and the realization of the vast, ultimate potential which this route offered took a fairly short time to manifest.

For those who would lump the usage of natural herbs with the usage of drugs as viewed with the stigma attached by Western civilization, it is undoubtedly a display of ignorance and the revelation of the degree that one is uninformed on these matters. It is not hard to perform research and begin to acknowledge the connection between a civilization and the varieties of substances which are ingested by the cultural inhabitants. Alcohol usage, which has run rampant globally, typically impacts the society in which its usage is sanctioned by creating an air of spiritual discordance through its propensity to lowering the vibrations of the drinker. How many problems and bad decisions have arisen from alcohol usage, the fact that there exists the potential for alcohol poisoning to occur, and the greater debilitation that befalls the drinker the more that one intakes of this noxious brew? And yet, contrarily, how many mystical and utterly profound experiences have been attributed to the ingestion of sacramental components of Nature? The spiritually advanced status quo of innumerable indigenous cultures throughout the history of mankind dispersed everywhere upon the planet coincided with fact that these societies had come to integrate entheogens into their religious, spiritual and social paradigms, and it is no mere coincidence that these cultures are those which have been purported to have possessed mystical knowledge of the Cosmos, of ancient spiritual wisdom, of reported miraculous or otherwise supernatural occurrences arising quite commonly to the point where such phenomenon appeared to be included in the normalcy of their lives, and, most relevantly, have all been proponents, producers, and purveyors of the ancient akashic art known as "shamanism".

When the term "shamanism" or "shaman" is heard, the common notion that comes to one's mind is that shamanism is a practice whereby individuals who more often than not have developed a working spiritual relationship with certain plants possesses the power to heal, traverse between the physical and metaphysical realms at will, or divine information regarding various things such as the Universe, knowledge pertaining to an illness or event which requires mediating in one's tribe, the intentions of others to discover enemies or other circumstances, etc. While plants play a crucial role in the occupation of a shaman, other techniques which allow them to reach their particular goals have been drumming, incense, dancing, and a key factor to their work is their entrance into states of trance in order to perform their workings. For this, some have termed shamans as "masters of ecstasy" as they will oftentimes enter ecstatic, seemingly deranged states of being for the duration of their ritual of work, or usually this spiritual ecstatic experience of theirs will play out in complete meditative silence as an explosion of power within themselves.

For those who would consider natural substances as serving little purpose beyond that of initiation to simply facilitate awakening, or that they have no potential in continued usage, or that the only role they would play is as some temporary answer, or that they are shortcuts, or their value is largely illusory, to this I say, such statements are made from a largely uninformed standpoint. It is true, that "once you get the message, hang up the phone", in relation to if one's purpose for utilizing these tools are solely for seeking and to develop awareness of the true nature of reality, for what sense is there in peeling an onion which no longer has any layers? However, in actuality, the onion that is being peeled has infinite layers, and one has the choice to either relegate themselves to peeling that onion of truth and reality with a plastic knife, or of using an etheric chainsaw.

If entheogens only served an initiatory purpose, or does not have the capacity to enhance or awaken one's spiritual abilities, then how does one explain the ongoing, thriving, successful existence of shamanic practice and the countless tangible results which its practitioners have begotten? It is because these adepts have understood that if such keys have the capacity to reveal to them Truth and powerful spiritual opportunities to the extent they do, then surely these are venues of wisdom and knowledge which are worth pursuing, and when one has come to "master" what these keys have to offer, one will thus possess power to a degree that very few are willing to accept the existence of. Shamans do not come into existence simply because they decided to ingest their sacrament of choice several times, then decided that out of some odd, distorted moral obligation that they should burden themselves with attempting to progress spiritually "normally" or without the aid of tools which nature has very readily provided for the very purpose of greatly amplifying such an endeavor of spiritual progression.

In particular, there exist many Ayahuasca shamans throughout the Amazon who have had decades of experience using Ayahuasca on a near daily basis for decades. They would not do such a thing for no reason, and certainly would not create a full-fledged magical practice out of it if they concluded that there was little worth in this activity. In their wise and intelligent discernment, and without the false stigma of "you're taking drugs and altering your mind and consciousness, you're clearly doing something bad and wrong, and you're a weirdo if you continue", they pursued the route of ingesting a vine and a leaf; clearly, they discovered the extreme potential of such a simple act when there exist many reports today about the abilities of shamans as mentioned above, to be able to heal the physical illnesses of others, of journeying to other dimensions, planets, or realms, encountering entities, angels, aliens, higher dimensional beings, of literally being given information by such beings, and returning here able to practically apply the information they have received in their "visions". Of course, many would still simply dismiss what occurs to Ayahuasqueros and shamans in general as mere hallucinations, or their healing is some sort of placebo or trickery. Indeed, all one ever believes that shamans do is heal and "seek visions". However, there is one single thing which I would like to bring to light, and would love to see someone try to dispute or argue with me on this point...

There exists in the Amazon individuals who have been deemed "dark shamans", whose primary forte is the of assault sorcery. To put it simply, these adepts who adhere to the "shamanic" practice of ingesting plants and result in what most uninformed individuals would consider as "hallucinations" or "drug effects", are able to, while in their altered state of consciousness, affect reality to such a degree that their "visions" and "hallucinations" become tangible to the point where other human beings may be affected by them, and literally hold the capability to kill from a distance using their mind and energy alone. In the book Ayahuasca Visions: The Religious Iconography of A Peruvian Shaman by Pablo Amaringo, he depicts in a few paintings several varieties of "dark shamans" and the malevolent abilities they possess, of being able to send out poisonous darts of energy towards their targets over a distance of several yards, homing in and afflicting the target with severe illness and eventually death. Depicted also were "shamanic battles" where two shamans under the influence of Ayahuasca were combating each other in an altered dimensional space, sending their "visions" against one another, of large and vicious entities which possess extraordinary supernatural powers. If these were mere "hallucinations", and entheogens had no value beyond being mere "drugs" or "temporary shortcuts", then how is it that these "shamanic battles" exist and actually result in real physical death?

While I do not condone violence or harm against another in any capacity, I harbor a mixture of feelings regarding this, namely awe, bewilderment, fear, and respect towards these shamanic adepts who hold such an advanced relationship with these plants for the simple fact that they actually possess the ability to perform such "impossible" feats as outlined above. It is also worth noting that despite the main focus of many anthropological ventures and papers into the Amazon to study Ayahuasca shamanism have nearly all focused on healing and their portrayal of all Ayahuasca shamans as being solely benevolent healers, apparently many shamans do not adhere to this duality of morality and it is quite common that many are able to both heal and kill, and as such shamans are equally revered and feared by the "normal" folk. From this, it becomes quite clear that their mere act of ingesting entheogens has resulted in the creation of many "magical" paradigms in their life and has produced plenty of spiritual effects surrounding their practice, and I certainly find it amusing to hear people attempt to rationalize away or debunk the spiritual effectiveness which entheogens possess when the very existence of powerful shamans refutes such skepticism. While I have not personally read this entire book yet, In Darkness And Secrecy: The Anthropology of Assault Sorcery and Witchcraft in Amazoniaby Neil L. Whitehead goes into tremendous detail regarding the existence of dark shamans who use Ayahuasca to inflict physical harm and death upon others and is where I first heard of such a phenomenon.

When one understands the molecular processes and make-up behind Ayahuasca in great detail, what is listed above then holds much more reasonable yet highly remarkable implications. When one takes into consideration that the primary ingredients of Ayauasca are essentially DMT in conjunction with an MAOI to prevent its immediate destruction in the body and allow this neurotransmitter to be sustained in the body for several hours, and the notion that DMT is an endogenous neurotransmitter which serves to sustain all states of awareness and consciousness, its connection to the pineal gland, the associated documented experiences of literal extra-dimensional perception when it is rapidly and immediately absorbed via other routes of administration such as smoking, then one can conclude that what is literally occurring among the adherents of Ayahuasca practice is their overloading their minds with this "spirit molecule" which governs and facilitates the more concise perception of spiritual aspects of existence, and may thus operate in reality in a greatly heightened state of awareness provided by the molecule which maintains one's awareness in the first place.

Two excellent books which I have read which have largely educated me on this field of knowledge have been:

The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and The Origins of Knowledge - Jeremy Narby
Inner Paths To Outer Space: Journeys To Alien Worlds Through Psychedelics & Other Spiritual Technologies - Rick Strassman M.D., Slawek Wojtowicz M.D., Luis Eduardo Luna Ph.D., Ede Frecska M.D.

The latter of which I have sitting on my lap at this moment, and has been among the most scientifically profound and metaphysically and psychically revealing books I have ever read. Here are the names of the chapters for further clarification on its contents:

1) The Psychedelics: Overview of a Controversial Drug Type
2) DMT: The Brain's Own Psychedelic
3) The Varieties of the DMT Experience
4) Ayahuasca: The Sacred Vine of the Amazon
5) The Varieties of the Ayahuasca Experience
6) Magic Mushrooms
7) The Shaman's Journey: Supernatural or Natural? A Neuro-Ontological Interpretation of Spiritual Experiences
8) How Can Shamans Talk With Plants and Animals? The Topological Roots of Plant Consciousness and Interspecies Communication
9) Close Encounters of the Ancient Kind and Spontaneous DMT Release
10) Hypnosis, Past Life Regression, Meditation and More
11) Preparation For The Journey
12) The Sacred Voyage: Beyond Science Fiction?

Here is also an image, taken from the same book, which summarizes what 4 experts in their respective fields have concluded in regards to DMT, and by extension Ayahuasca, and is an image which speaks volumes:



After careful deliberation one must come to agree that the assessment provided of every facet surrounding DMT has merited the unlocking of the means of allowing one to directly experience what was formerly considered mythological, fantasy, impossible, or mysterious and completely unknowable by humans directly, and the implications of the three-way connection the image displays are extraordinary and delightful.

I would like to throw out this small tidbit of information out there as well, so as to allow others to come to their own conclusions and discernments. First, that the DMT research which Dr. Rick Strassman performed in the 1990's was financially funded by the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Secondly, that the Acacia tree is revered in Freemasonry and considered sacred. It comes at no surprise that the Acacia species of trees and plants are those which are tryptamine abundant and are one of the most common sources of DMT available. Considering such an organization with its associations and surrounding allegations on its agendas and activities, and the fact that they possess an interest in DMT after all which has been outlined above is certainly an intriguing notion, especially when one comes to the realization that one of the most ultimate secrets of the potentials of entheogens is that of transcendence when proper utilization is applied.

Now, I may speak upon my personal experiences with entheogens. As I previously stated, and as can be gathered from the very title beneath my username, entheogens have been paramount to and intertwined with my spiritual pursuits and endeavors. Presently, I dismiss all but several substances which I have felt possess considerable potential, the sacraments which I integrate into my spiritual practice being:

Morning Glory seeds: I made a comprehensive post on my relationship with Tlitliltzin in my "Ask me any question..." thread in response to a herbal-specific question directed towards me, so it would suffice to simply paste it here:

The seeds of the Morning Glory plant have been crucial benefactors, useful tools and allies in the spiritual path I've undertaken in this lifetime, and although my usage of it predated my current incarnational interest and focus in spirituality, its application evolved to encompass it and vice versa.

Briefing you in regards to my current utilization of these seeds as entheogenic nootropics (entheogen = generating the god within, nootropic = substances for cognitive enhancement) and my understanding surrounding its capabilities and function, ingestion of these seeds in low doses results in the positive alteration of my vibration and energy in which I am consciously aware of the attraction of and placement therein of a timeline of reality decreed by the highest portion of my Self to be the best possible momentary continuum to tread on in relation to the present distortions accumulated and vibrational make-up held for the duration with which these seeds are active in my system, at times lasting upwards of 8 hours although the deeply positive existential attraction and modification linger.

The very minute remnants of the veil subside in the sense that I become entirely aware of my observation and awareness as being generated by a much higher consciousness, accompanied by a shift in my awareness in which the highest aspect of me fully takes the reigns unimpeded, thus the words which are spoken, the thoughts which are thought, the actions which are performed and the choices made are done so from a plateau of unequivocal unity and perfection leading to the sense that the aforementioned were the "most right" words, actions or choices to be made, further jettisoning me into a more purified and refined timeline of possible realities with greater potentials for growth and evolution.

Effortlessly, a state of deep mental silence becomes foundational. The already rapid rate at which my thoughts attract and manifest circumstances and experiences is greatly amplified. Alongside the aforementioned shift of awareness comes the further increased sensing of myself as beyond the physical vehicle and more as the outlying energetic field of consciousness surrounding me and over time, following the voluntary submission of my being to the One, this field sensing has evolved to being consciously aware of the infinite source field which actively generates my awareness and moves it about as a player would move a chess piece.

Usage of these seeds carries very little risk to one physically and is far safer than the consumption of, say, processed foodstuffs or greasy fastfood which are commonplace in the diet of the general populace or various synthetic pharmaceutical drugs which carry with their usage risks of health dysfunction both physically and mentally. Apart from its extreme physical safety are the spiritual benefits of facilitating a strengthened connection to the Creator and causing the indwelling observant to shift Its role from that of passively watching to actively participating. This frequent reverential and loving submission, made with the entirety of the free will It has granted me, of the existential maneuvering of the self to the Self has resulted in a near permanent appointment post-experience of the true Self as the commanding force of the temporary self having given it supreme flexibility and frequency to do as It wishes with me however It originally intended.

Thus, the seeds of the Morning Glory plant are a true sacrament and one of the best examples thereof due to the powerful and conscious connection it forges and brings to the forefront with the Creator and the pros vastly outweigh the relatively few cons it has (or lacks); one's normal functioning is in no way impaired but spiritually enhanced, there are virtually no negative side effects or withdrawals, no physical or psychological dependence (i.e. one does not have cravings or feel an overbearing need to take them to function normally), the positive aspects (e.g. clarity, connectivity to the highest power) linger even with infrequent ingestion, their usage does not cause negative interference in life or debilitation of any sort, and the lessons learned and/or data intuitively downloaded regarding hidden aspects of one's individual consciousness are highly rewarding.

I have never felt awkward or "dirty" in any sense when I have ingested these seeds as I am aware I am not taking a "drug" for a recreational buzz or escape. My intentions have largely been divination, substitution of my lower awareness with the highest aspect of my being, assorted field experiments with telepathic possibilities and to purify my vibrations thereby refining my essence. You may say that these seeds are a very healthy part of a divinely balanced breakfast, having essentially replaced cereal for me on some days and being a much healthier and wiser choice to start one's day. They also taste very good with assorted fruit juice and I consider their ingestion as I would fruits, vegetables, or nuts.

It is a very sacred gift to humanity from the Creator. Unfortunately, there exist many who, driven by uninformed biases and belief in negatively oriented propaganda, would relegate it as being some mere drug for a cheap buzz, tarnishing it by lumping it in with derogatory substances of little spiritual worth, as opposed to the honored indigenous usage of it in the way it was originally intended for and best used as: for enhanced divine connectivity, an Aztec ritual tradition and methodology which I greatly intend to keep wholly alive in my own ways, although the sacramental medicine of my actual personal bloodline ancestors is Ayahuasca (I am of mostly indigenous Brasilian heritage in this form), which I use for Work far, far deeper than what Morning Glory seeds can catalyze.

I would like to state also, that I find Morning Glories/LSA to be vastly superior to LSD.

Ayahuasca: The logical course of action for me, after coming to learn and understand all which I have, would be to follow in the footsteps of my ancestors and undertake the serious study and practice of Ayahuasca. My preferred means of ingestion are the grinding of 4-5g of Syrian Rue seeds which are then placed into capsules, followed by the ingestion of Chaliponga (Diplopterys Cabrerana) an hour later, with the setting of my rituals always being at night with meditation in complete darkness. Since the DMT source I use also contains 5-MeO-DMT and Bufotenine, the experience is altered and, so far, manifests as more demanding, introverted, less "colorful" experience. I usually combine the exposure of 432hz frequency and the third eye stimulating throat friction technique in my Ayahuasca meditations. In my trances I have been able to gather information both of a personal and Universal nature, and one notable somewhat recent experience resulted in my awareness literally being propelled from my body, where my etheric body felt as though it performed a double front flip out of my body and "landed' in an entirely new environment, of a lush field with an ancient-looking mound before me which I climbed over, although as soon as I climbed it I instantly fell into a new "vision" which involved a gigantic sphere with tentacles of energy thrashing around.

My primary purposes for undertaking Ayahuasca as a practice, and indeed my current perspectives and approach towards entheogens, would not be manifest to the degree it is now had I not encountered the Law of One Ra Material. The combination of the Law of One as the philosophical foundation and the direct experiences which entheogens have provided me, alongside the conclusions I have come regarding the experiences they provide, have been the vehicle which has ferried me to the point I am at now in life. My reasons for settling upon using Ayahuasca as my sacrament of choice are for divination, for attainment of gnosis, of enhancing my personal connection with the Creator, to ensue a dialogue between the higher individual collective aspect of my consciousness and the lower extension manifestation of it which I am, of allowing more of the Creator's power to manifest within me, to greater allow my higher individual self to be more present in this form, and to purify my vibrations in preparation for the harvest, among other reasons such as attempting to develop greater psychic ability in the last few days of 3rd density.

I have made mention of this before, that the only reason I have the ultimate experience of beatific vision (unfiltered perception of God) under my belt is due to my ingestion of Syrian Rue followed by the smoking of DMT. However, since I was aware of the Law of One and the concept of "densities", I assume that is the reason why I was shown the experience with the added relayed detail of the 8th density. In that experience, not only did these spiritual concepts and theories become directly known Truth to me, but the very real potential of this neurotransmitter, of developing myself spiritually, of learning to possess greater control over consciousness, became areas of highly piqued interest for me which I knew I must instantly and diligently pursue. Entheogens proved the validity of the Law of One, and the Law of One provided the basis for proper utilization, focus and approach for entheogens.

As for DMT, as I mentioned before, when you receive the message, hang up the phone. Following this experience, many of my psychedelic and entheogenic experiences seemed "pointless" as I had already achieved the most supreme experience possible. Smoking DMT any further only proved to be a waste as the brief flash of smoked DMT is what one would consider the "initiatory" experience. However, through its utilization orally via Ayahuasca, as demonstrated by countless shamanic adepts, many doors may be opened, and much may be learned and practically applied. Since the beginning of my decision to center my occult/esoteric/magical/cathartic practice around Ayahuasca, many psychic and psychological benefits have arisen. My initial experiences were emotionally purgative and allowed me to work through some intense emotional difficulties and approach certain traumas and problems which occasionally shattered my peace of mind, and I am now completely at peace with myself thanks to the emotional healing Ayahuasca catalyzed. After getting those out of the way, I have been able to pursue more "educational" matters, and much of the information revealed to me has been easily integrated.

My intuition is sharper than it has ever been, and I have been able to instantly "know" certain information about things in my immediate proximity, or anything my awareness is directed towards, such as a person's intentions and motives from simple actions or expressions, to entire schemes and plots behind certain events and the metaphysical purpose for certain happenings. Energetically, I feel much more in control over the manifestation of the circumstances in my reality and able to influence things to a greater degree than I previously did.

After involving myself with Ayahuasca, a supplemental benefit which arose is a healthier and more ascetic lifestyle. In order to maximize my experiences, I have been very careful as to what foods I eat and often will fast now prior to an intended ritual. I can safely say that out of all my Ayahuasca experiences so far, I have only purged once and that was due to my having food in my stomach still, however every other ritual has gone without vomiting but with full-blown effects. I have also taken to temporary celibacy (yes, at 21) as the specific dieta states that ejaculation must be avoided for several days prior to an experience so as to reserve energy that one will need while operating in such a state. This preparation alone has served to increase the clarity I feel and the amplify the energy I cultivate and generate.

Simply put, DMT is the grand akashic key.

Calea Zacatechichi: Although this is more of an oneirogen than an entheogen, it is still a valuable asset to my herbal repertoire. It is known as the Dream Herb or the "Leaf of God", and is used exclusively by the Chontal Indians as a means of oneiromancy, or divination through dreaming. It is traditionally ingested as a tea (a VERY bitter one at that, although I've devised a recipe to make it taste quite sweet and pleasurable) followed by a joint of the material shortly after which results in a significant increase in dream recall, vividness of dreams, and the amount of dreams as well. It is a wonderful lucid dream aid and the nature of the dreams had at night certainly possesses a more profound atmosphere to them. It also allows for a wonderful night of sleep! I have also concluded that different alkaloids are released from oral ingestion and smoking, which explains why it is most effective when combined through those two routes of administration as opposed to only one which seems to result in a lack of success as reported by several people, although I have simply drank the tea or smoked the joint with success, albeit not as great as could be when combined.

And that's basically it for the plant allies which comprise my spiritual "arsenal", although my experience with psychotropic-induced altered states is not exclusive to the above three. Some plants I have used in the past and my experiences with them are:

Salvia Divinorum: While my few experiences smoking it have ranged from slightly profound (engaging in a direct dialogue with a female oriented guide spirit which provided detailed and helpful responses to some questions I posited to "her") to downright hilariously bizarre (my hands melting into my carpet with my giggling madly wondering "WHERE ARE MY HANDS!?" for 5 minutes after smoking 15x), the greatest potential I found with Salvia was in its standard dried leaf form, as a quid which is the traditional route of ingesting Salvia whereby a bunch of Salvia leaves are rolled into a ball and held in the mouth and chewed occasionally in order to sublingually absorb it for 30 minutes-1 hour.

My experiences with Salvia quids usually resulted in my attainment of very deep and calm meditative states, one notable experience being when I literally sensed my consciousness being simultaneously as vast and heavy as a mountain, while at the same time being light and microscopic. Smoking a bowl of the dried leaf actually resulted in a meditative state of mind as deep as the state provided after half an hour of meditation. My experiments with Salvia were short-lived and lasted only about a month, however I am curious how a quid would fare during an Ayahuasca session.

Amanita Muscaria: While I have come across a very comprehensive analysis of the Amanita Muscaria mushroom as the ancient Soma of the Rig Veda at a site called the ambrosia society, and tremendous evidence pointing to how it is such and the techniques used to refine it to an extreme potency which would result in the fabled experiences which the fabled Soma provided, my experiences with it were varied, at times nothing but a drunken dream-like stupor was produced, other times a deep clarity and peace washed over me. At this moment in time, Amanitas simply do not interest me although I do acknowledge the possible potential they hold and their place as being the world's oldest entheogen.

Psilocybin Mushrooms: My experiences with these mushrooms initially resulted in very amazing and profound experiences (and were always taken in the 5-10g dose range for each of the 15 or so times I used them), for instance one experience resulted in a gigantic eye staring at me whenever I closed my eyes for the next several days following it while another where I had combined Syrian Rue with 7g of mushrooms led to my observing what appeared to be a "council" of several Godheads towering over me behind closed eyes, the set and setting which I had taken them in and the person I had taken them with turned out to push me away from them. To keep a long story, as I have been typing this post for the past 3 hours and desire sleep, the fellow I took them with who grew them in abundance did so for the purpose of achieving transcendence, and combined fasting and a raw food diet to supplement them, but was also quite a wicked and malevolent individual at heart. After a while tensions arose between us and he caused me to have my first "bad trip" in my life where he used his third eye to assault me in various ways, transmitting terrible visions and wicked thoughts to me, although my willpower allowed me to survive the experience. At the time I was not aware of the entheogen/third eye/psychic abilities connection and thus, did not figure out he was the cause of that horrid but very informative experience until later, and the fact that I "mysteriously" developed an allergic reaction to the mushrooms he gave me as hours after ingestion my throat felt as though it would close up and I felt close to dying. I eventually intuited that he was poisoning them, after giving a batch he gave me to my friend resulted in my friend complaining of a rash appearing after the experience. Psychologically, every trip I had afterwards on my own with mushrooms he gave me resulted in very dark and negative experiences. While they appeared to be a promising venue, I luckily came to discover a far more effective and optimal sacrament with which to hone my skills with, and after living through such an experience as this wicked fellow catalyzed, I become aware that one may possibly come to develop certain abilities through following this path. In any case, with the off-chance that the allergy I developed may not just be exclusive to this individual's batch (whom I long cut ties with naturally) and may extend to others, psilocybin mushrooms unfortunately are barred from my entheogenic practice, although the discourse which Terence McKenna gives about them in his book Food of the Gods makes me acknowledge them as a very important tool which humanity has used and evolved alongside, and indeed may have evolved as a result of the mushrooms playing a role in the diets of primitive humans.

Datura Inoxia/Stramonium: Although classified as a deleriant, I have had several experiences with Datura to varying degrees in the past. I have some experience with synthetic deleriants in my reckless teenage years, the experience of interacting with real hallucinations (such as interacting with people who aren't really there) and undergoing this severe schizophrenic delerium led me to wonder: would it be possible to somehow gain control over the hallucinations of one's delerium, much as one would become lucid in a dream, as the experience is very much a waking dream? Fortunately, I have enough common sense not to try and pursue this hypothesis of mine to great lengths so as to avoid the possible scenario where I end up in a completely different state running away from tiny gnomes wielding flamethrowers chasing me for 3 days. Seriously. Read the Erowid.org trip reports about Datura, particularly the Trainwrecks & Trip Disasters experience section and you'll see what I mean. Besides, ingesting a tea made from a flower and a leaf once resulted in severe throat dryness that felt like the surface of Mars' deserts. Even drinking water hurt, and my vision became very blurry for days after.

Although, I have integrated Datura responsibly in the past by using a safe dose of 3-5 seeds as both a lucid dream aid and a psychedelic potentiator alongside Morning Glory seeds. I have also read that Datura (or Toe) is added as an admixture to most Ayahuasca brews to change the nature of the visions, and my only time having attempted this resulted in an experience that was fairly powerful and slightly difficult to stay grounded on, although the "deleriousness" of the Datura side led to an increased willingness in embracing more "out there" ideas, so during that experience I receive tremendous data downloads interspersed between very deep catatonic trances. I still maintain my hypothesis that it is possible, assuming the individual has very, very, very strong willpower, to overcome the delerium of Datura, and control the real hallucinations it catalyzes, and if one manages this especially if combined with Ayahuasca, I surmise that the possibilities might be endless, such as the possible tangible creation of a vortex or of autonomous visions similar to what is depicted in the Ayahuasca Visions book depicting shamanic battles. Although, given that I am not living out in seclusion in the forest and are still subject to societal functioning and social interactions, pursuing Datura mastery is perhaps the most foolhardy activity I could possibly do.

I believe that does it for my relationship with entheogens and other natural substances. To briefly bridge the gap, I deeply discourage the usage and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs and synthetic drugs (all manners of opiates, benzos, crack, heroin, meth, etc.), find little value in alcohol, and have entirely lost interest in marijuana. Yet I completely embrace those substances which may facilitate and amplify one's spiritual essence, their divine connectivity, their psychic capabilities, and their capacity for transcendental enlightenment and increased awareness of the nature of oneself and the surrounding world. I advocate entheogens considered that a symbiotic relationship with them is the perfect exemplification of the harmonious connection between the human world, the natural world, and the spiritual world, that the ingestion of nature's components by humans allows us to interface, immerse ourselves, and ascend into spiritual realities and devise working mystical paradigms of miraculous profundity in our lives. Not only are entheogens widely available and abundant in nature, but the very notion of making plants illegal is very idiotic, and considering the potential they possess, their history, their purpose and their usage, it becomes clear why entheogens would be suppressed and demonized with all the propaganda spread to the populace about them, in order to keep many ignorant as to the ways that one may directly come to know themselves as physically embodied divine manifestations.

The Law of One/ancient esoteric knowledge + entheogens in sacramental context = direct experience of divinity/spirituality, at least in my case and that of most other informed and responsible entheogen users out there who use them with a proper point of reference and focus.