Drugs for enlightenment?

[cloudyday2]

I don't know if this topic is allowed. I guess I will try and see.

Basically I've had depression most of my life. The antidepressants that I have tried don't work. I've found some helpful supplements, but even when I feel "good" I can't see any purpose to life. I suspect a God might exist, but I feel indifferent towards this God.

I've read that psilocybin can sometimes "reset" a person's brain and give them a renewed since of purpose. When I was younger I experimented with other psychedelic drugs, but I seemed to be immune to some of them and others only made me feel more depressed. It could be that my neurotransmitters are different from most people.

Anybody had any luck with this strategy?

EDIT: Again if this topic is against the rules, just delete it. I'm sorry, and I don't mean to break the rules.

 

[cloudyday2]

My limited experience has been a feeling of sterility - that we are merely chemicals. That's not a very enlightening feeling, so I am puzzled by those who claim to find inspiration this way.

 

[eighty_proof]

I don't know if this topic is allowed. I guess I will try and see.

Basically I've had depression most of my life. The antidepressants that I have tried don't work. I've found some helpful supplements, but even when I feel "good" I can't see any purpose to life. I suspect a God might exist, but I feel indifferent towards this God.

I've read that psilocybin can sometimes "reset" a person's brain and give them a renewed since of purpose. When I was younger I experimented with other psychedelic drugs, but I seemed to be immune to some of them and others only made me feel more depressed. It could be that my neurotransmitters are different from most people.

Anybody had any luck with this strategy?

Not personally, though some friends have done drugs and felt they were closer to God. As far as I'm concerned, feelings aren't a great indicator of reality; they were just interpreting being high as a "God" experience. It didn't result in them suddenly going out and giving all their money away to charity or whatever. I could take some ecstasy (you call it molly in the US, right?) and love the universe, but it doesn't mean anything. Love does stuff, whether or not it feels stuff. In my opinion, feelings are nothing more than a chemical reaction in your brain, and you can't rely on them nor live for them. At least not too much.

 

[Sarah G]

My experience is that drugs can wake one up and give one the spiritual eyes to see just how much of an illusion this material realm is but that whilst the insights feel extremely profound and important at the time (whilst the drug is active) they are quickly forgotten. Further, the risk of distraction is so great whilst on the chosen drug that usually no practical spiritual progress is made. There are also the risks of permanent neural damage, physical injury and incarceration.

When I was in Goa in the 90s I saw so many people zoned out and incapacitated by drugs, when no doubt they had been looking for a spiritual experience, it put me off the entire idea of drugs aiding enlightenment.

It is my opinion that prayer, meditation, contemplation and active seeking (reading, listening, thinking, reading, listening, thinking) is a more reliable route to enlightenment than drugs and whilst the journey and accompanying anecdotes may seem duller the longevity and quality of the adventure is riper and more mature.

 

[DaisyDay]

My limited experience has been a feeling of sterility - that we are merely chemicals. That's not a very enlightening feeling, so I am puzzled by those who claim to find inspiration this way.

Well, we are chemicals, but not "merely" as we are complex living beings (more than half our weight is microbes and bacteria).

Psychedelics may help you, but...they are not without risk. They can amplify a bad mood, so the environment is important - safe and pleasant.

You should probably avoid ecstasy as that has a well-known rebound effect of inducing profound depression.

 

[awitch]

Basically I've had depression most of my life. The antidepressants that I have tried don't work. I've found some helpful supplements, but even when I feel "good" I can't see any purpose to life.

My understanding is that antidepressants don't make you feel happy, they just make the lows not so bad.

I suspect a God might exist, but I feel indifferent towards this God.

That's OK. If there is a god, he probably feels the same about you.
(That's not an insult, by the way).

Your purpose in life doesn't find you, you have to find it.

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

I've had some experiences involving magic mushrooms, and consider them some of the most rewarding glimpses into my own psyche. The way I see it, entheogenics can be a true gift to mankind, and should definitely be held in higher esteem than substances like alcohol - and certainly not abused as "party drugs".

However, I don't think they are necessarily good for people whose psyche isn't stable to begin with; at least not unsupervised, without professional guidance. That's not to say it cannot be a successful treatment - just that I would consider it risky as an amateur experiment.

 

[Chesterton]

My limited experience has been a feeling of sterility - that we are merely chemicals. That's not a very enlightening feeling, so I am puzzled by those who claim to find inspiration this way.

If you are merely chemicals, could you be puzzled by anything?

 

[timewerx]

Don't sleep for two or more days, that works too!

However, both sleep depravation and drugs are health hazards, don't do it!

 

[Roseonathorn]

There are a few things that science says works
Love
Human love
Pets that we care about
A garden that we care about,
The smell of roses are calming and often makes many in a more delightful mood.
Walking in a forest makes people happy, spruce and pine contains testosteronlike stuff amongst other stuff. Especially when trees have been cut one feel the effect.
Some claim that especially white flowers smell much, well some flowers come in different colours as well as white, narcisses is one smelly flower, hyacinth, lilac, gardenia, orienthal lily, orangeflower. All white and strongscenthed but they can also come in other colours sometimes. I am much of a flowerperson, meaning flowers make me happy. I also sleep a lot.

 

[Sarah G]

Don't sleep for two or more days, that works too!

However, both sleep depravation and drugs are health hazards, don't do it!

That is a good point. Sleep deprivation and fasting (drinking only water) are both potential aids in enlightenment but both are also potentially dangerous.

Maybe you could try a sense deprivation tank, at least it's supervised. I hear silent retreats can work wonders too; safer than drugs and legal.

 

[Roseonathorn]

Another thing that I would suggest for people that are both depressed and angry and rightfully so but needs to ventilate in a good way. Hit the gym. Ask for a good weightloss programme and off You go. If You ask for a strength programme You get less repetitions with higher weights. Possible risk of injury if You do not know how to lift properly yet. So start with light weights and right technic before You load on the weight. This way by training your muscles both Your body and psyche ( endorphines come in play ) endorphines are wellbeinghormones, they make us feel good, but we need some hard work in some period of time to achieve them, for me usually heavy lifting and pushing for an hour and then it starts to go easier. I load my body with two bananas and water.

 

[cloudyday2]

That is a good point. Sleep deprivation and fasting (drinking only water) are both potential aids in enlightenment but both are also potentially dangerous.

Maybe you could try a sense deprivation tank, at least it's supervised. I hear silent retreats can work wonders too; safer than drugs and legal.

I never thought of a sensory deprivation tank, but that might be interesting if nothing else.

From what I have read about using psilocybin for depression, the treatment is to take the maximum tolerable dosage and minimize sensory input. The benefit usually lasts 3 months. It sounds pretty scary to me, but when I get depressed like today I am tempted to fly to Jamaica and give it a try. IDK

 

[cloudyday2]

Pets that we care about

I have that one covered at least

 

[cloudyday2]

Never mind, I don't know what I'm saying today LOL. I feel like only one neuron is firing in my brain today. Good old depression.

 

[Noxot]

Don't sleep for two or more days, that works too!

However, both sleep depravation and drugs are health hazards, don't do it!

man that sounds like a good idea, i'm gonna do it. I have 2 weeks of vacation left. thanks. lol btw I remember some of the saints talking about staying up for long periods of time too.

 

[com7fy8]

I've read that psilocybin can sometimes "reset" a person's brain and give them a renewed since of purpose.

First, I would say our brains are extremely complicated, they are made by God Himself; so I don't think that one physical substance could reset your brain. You might feel some experience so you feel different, but you don't know what has really happened, deeper. There could be results which come later and which you might not notice and realize they are because of the drug. So, I would be careful.

Also, our brains are only physical. We need how God Himself is able to deeply correct and heal our minds at our spiritual level.

I offer, in my case, that my real problems are deeper than my physical brain. I need how God can correct me.

The brain can be effected by what is going on, deeper.

 

[dreadnought]

I don't know if this topic is allowed. I guess I will try and see.

Basically I've had depression most of my life. The antidepressants that I have tried don't work. I've found some helpful supplements, but even when I feel "good" I can't see any purpose to life. I suspect a God might exist, but I feel indifferent towards this God.

I've read that psilocybin can sometimes "reset" a person's brain and give them a renewed since of purpose. When I was younger I experimented with other psychedelic drugs, but I seemed to be immune to some of them and others only made me feel more depressed. It could be that my neurotransmitters are different from most people.

Anybody had any luck with this strategy?

EDIT: Again if this topic is against the rules, just delete it. I'm sorry, and I don't mean to break the rules.

I don't think drugs are the answer. I think the answer is in the two great commandments (Matthew 22:34-40).

 

[cloudyday2]

I don't think drugs are the answer. I think the answer is in the two great commandments (Matthew 22:34-40).

Honestly, when I am depressed I can't understand why other people don't share my depression.

There are two issues: enlightenment and depression. Sometimes I think that a durable sense of purpose coming from enlightenment might fix the depression. I'm not interested in enlightenment for its own sake.

But maybe trying to love other people would gradually enlighten me and then fix the depression.

 

[cloudyday2]

I've had some experiences involving magic mushrooms, and consider them some of the most rewarding glimpses into my own psyche.

I read a theory that the soma plant of the Rigveda might be the fly agaric mushroom.