Psychedelics

[Talby]

This little question popped into my head the other day. I want to see what you all think.

What was/is God's purpose in creating psychedelics?

Things like opiates and alcohol make sense, because they serve medical purposes, and wine is good for cooking
But whats up with psychedelics?

What is actually happening when someone takes LSD and has a "spiritual experience"? If Adam or Eve had eaten a certain mushroom off the ground, or dried and smoked some marijuana, what would have happened? Did these mind-altering effects come about due to the entrance of sin and death into the world?

 

[Khameo]

This little question popped into my head the other day. I want to see what you all think.

What was/is God's purpose in creating psychedelics?

Things like opiates and alcohol make sense, because they serve medical purposes, and wine is good for cooking
But whats up with psychedelics?

What is actually happening when someone takes LSD and has a "spiritual experience"? If Adam or Eve had eaten a certain mushroom off the ground, or dried and smoked some marijuana, what would have happened? Did these mind-altering effects come about due to the entrance of sin and death into the world?

Psychedelics are god's way of saying:

"What? You think you actually have any damn idea, at all, what the Truth is? Think again, mortals."
*cue 5-dimensional purple squirrel dance*

 

[Talby]

haha
silly mortals.

you do have a point though - the people who have in fact tried LSD, for example, will probably tell you that it changed their life and that they experienced the most objective forms of beauty imaginable. But the most common one I hear though (especially in cases where large doses were consumed) is that they were imparted or revealed some unimaginable amount of wisom and knowledge, or something to that effect.

However, it would seem a little odd to me for the God of the universe to put the "answer" in a chemical derived from a fungus....

 

[WatersMoon110]

Maybe they are just God's way of telling us that our brain is a complicated structure, and to have fun with it?

Not necessarily by using drugs, mind you. Just that, because different chemicals can change the way we experience reality, it shows that our brain is a very complex organ. And that there are many ways to enjoy having a brain (reading, talking, nature walks, meditation or prayer, playing, thinking)!

 

[Talby]

.

 

[Talby]

Not necessarily by using drugs, mind you.

Why not?

 

[selfinflikted]

haha
silly mortals.

you do have a point though - the people who have in fact tried LSD, for example, will probably tell you that it changed their life and that they experienced the most objective forms of beauty imaginable.

I've experienced this, yes. I can validate this statement.

But the most common one I hear though (especially in cases where large doses were consumed) is that they were imparted or revealed some unimaginable amount of wisom and knowledge, or something to that effect.

I was never shown the meaning of life or anything of that nature. I do, however, think one thing about psychedelics is very interesting: Ever notice how closely related a "trip" is to a "religious awakening/experience"? I hypothesize that during a religious "experience" the brain naturally reproduces some of the effects of a psychedlic drug.

 

[WatersMoon110]

Why not?

Because I don't like getting reported for supporting illegal activities.

If someone wants to use drugs, it isn't my place to judge them for it. Personally, I try to be very caution in my use of all drugs (prescription, over the counter, or recreational). And I would advice caution to everyone else as well.

No one should use drugs, unless they want to.

 

[WatersMoon110]

Ever notice how closely related a "trip" is to a "religious awakening/experience"? I hypothesize that during a religious "experience" the brain naturally reproduces some of the effects of a psychedlic drug.

I saw (somewhere) a few years ago that a certain part of the brain seems to be activated only when praying, meditating, or having what could be called a "religious experience".

Maybe some hallucinogenic drugs also activate that area of the brain?

 

[selfinflikted]

No one should use drugs, unless they want to.

Sheer. Genius.

 

[selfinflikted]

I saw (somewhere) a few years ago that a certain part of the brain seems to be activated only when praying, meditating, or having what could be called a "religious experience".

Maybe some hallucinogenic drugs also activate that area of the brain?

Ya. I'm a Science Channel, Discovery Channel, Discovery Health Channel junkie. I'm sure I saw a program on that once. And, I would suspect you're probably right. I'll do some digging and see what I can come up with...

 

[Talby]

Ever notice how closely related a "trip" is to a "religious awakening/experience"? I hypothesize that during a religious "experience" the brain naturally reproduces some of the effects of a psychedlic drug.

This could very easily be true. The brain actually does produce an extremely powerful psychoactive chemical called DMT. Which is released when you are born, dreaming, and right before you die. But anyways...

Just because this might be what happens when someone is having a "religious experience" doesn't mean that it's not wholly and completely from God.

God created matter. God created chemicals. He likes them

 

[selfinflikted]

This could very easily be true. The brain actually does produce an extremely powerful psychoactive chemical called DMT. Which is released when you are born, dreaming, and right before you die. But anyways...

Just because this might be what happens when someone is having a "religious experience" doesn't mean that it's not wholly and completely from God.

God created matter. God created chemicals. He likes them

So... god's a hippie?

 

[WatersMoon110]

Just because this might be what happens when someone is having a "religious experience" doesn't mean that it's not wholly and completely from God.

God created matter. God created chemicals. He likes them

Very good point. Knowing how something happens doesn't mean that God didn't make it happen that way. Religious experiences, on and off of drugs, can still be personal gifts from God, if that is how the person experiencing them views them!

 

[WatersMoon110]

So... god's a hippie?

Yes.

 

[selfinflikted]

Yes.

Sounds like my kind of guy, although I'd like to have him over for dinner some night and pick his brain about this whole rediculous anti-gay trip he's been on lately...

 

[Khameo]

Sounds like my kind of guy, although I'd like to have him over for dinner some night and pick his brain about this whole rediculous anti-gay trip he's been on lately...

"You see, Mike, contrary to popular belief, I don't hate gay people at all. Souls are actually genderless, you see. Not many people know that, even though it's kind of obvious, you know? How can a disembodied spirit-consciousness have a gender? Gender is simply something I made up so I could leave you mortal beings to your own devices for a few million years while I watched TV and stuff. I mean, I'm god, so you know I have cable. I mean, you can't expect me to create every single person manually. I have a life outside of you! But, anyway, yeah. That's why some people are gay. That's also kind of why some people are transsexual, too, though you can blame the incompetents in Human Resources for that little mix-up. I just do the paperwork."

 

[mpok1519]

Psychedelics are found in many forms throughout the world. Psychedelic mushrooms grow in Africa, and throughout North and South America and have been apart of native tribal cultures for generations and generations. Ayahuasca, Yajae are combinations of plants when alone do nothing but when combined the cheimcal compounds synergize into unique formulas; the shamans of tribal cultures pass these recipes of plants down by word of mouth to the next generation. The natives of the American southwest use peyote in apart with their ceremonial rituals; many natives see these not as drugs, but as medicines, used for one's spiritual guidance and spiritual cleansing, which is believed to help cleanse the body. This homeopathic/holistic medicinal approach has been used for generations. LSD, psylocibin, Amanitas mushrooms, are a few more psychedelics to name a fer.

In indigeneous cultures where these plants and fungi are injested for spritual and medicinal purposes (when recreation isn't the objective) to achieve a personal sense of heightened enlightment the purpose never is for fun; its an inner journey.

You also can't get hooked on hallucinogenic psychedelic substances; one's body simply cannot handle these substances on a daily basis, nor would one want or should do these things on a daily or even weekly basis; even the shamans say the power of one's trip depends upon controlled circumstances where one can achieve the fullest experience possible.

drugs have been rooted within our cultures on every facet of the globe; its inherent human nature to obtain an altered state of perception, from the ancient Greeks (wine) to the mideast (hashish), Africa, and the new world, history has shown mind altering substance to have played significant roles within the development of hegeomnic morals and valules of societies world-wide, no doubt playing out as factors determining history itself.

 

[Maynard Keenan]

Psychedelics have proven and speculated medical benefits.

Psilocybin, for example, alleviates debilitating cluster headaches. If our current policies had been in effect many years ago, opiates would have been labeled schedule 1 as "no legitimate medical benefit." Scientists can't even study the effect of many illegal drugs because of their illegality. Instead, big pharm companies can make artificial drugs and charge exorbitant prices for them.

 

[quatona]

This little question popped into my head the other day. I want to see what you all think.

What was/is God's purpose in creating psychedelics?

Things like opiates and alcohol make sense, because they serve medical purposes, and wine is good for cooking
But whats up with psychedelics?

What is actually happening when someone takes LSD and has a "spiritual experience"? If Adam or Eve had eaten a certain mushroom off the ground, or dried and smoked some marijuana, what would have happened? Did these mind-altering effects come about due to the entrance of sin and death into the world?

Didn´t you know that the report about A&E´s encounter with the talking snake contains a major translation error? The Hebrew word for "apple" was also the word for psychedelic mushrooms.
So it´s actually the other way round: Sin and death came about due to the mind-altering effects of psychedelic drugs.