Here is a question for all of you
who have experimented with psychedelic drugs.
(DMT, psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, THC, Iboga, MDMA)
My friend AP used to call
the psychedelic experience: "lifting the veil",
meaning, that it was somehow
removing a mask,
a smoky glass in front of our eyes,
allowing us to see reality more clearly.
My question is epistemological.
How do we know that?
How can we be sure
the psychedelic experience
is lifting the veil, and not an
entertaining -- and perhaps useful,
yet essentially delusional daydream?
More coloration?
i.e., NOT the real thing
That is the question.
Here is more background:
Buddhism, NVC, Yoga, Toltec,
all of these traditions say we are
living in a world of delusion.
A very large part of Buddhist practice
is called Vipassana,
where time is spent
quietly sitting,
calming the mind
in order to see reality
AS IT IS.
One must receive training in the technique.
It is how to calm the mind,
like a pond without ripples,
quieting the chatter of the monkey mind
blah blah blah all of the time
so many words, so many thoughts,
(mostly lies)
worries in the past --then-- plans for the future
having a little fantasy
remembering something sweet or frightening...
labels, judgments, prejudices, generalizations,
categories, hierarchies, opinions, diagnoses,
theories, curses, taxonomies, plans, expectations,
fantasies,
... These are all constructions of the mind!
They do not really exist!
Yet, these thoughts form the basis of our entire world view!
Our entire world view is based on delusion!
(And yet we dare call others insane!?)
So, now having this knowledge
of the Buddha Dharma,
I have now become fascinated
by trying to see the world AS IT IS.
If Vipassana is seeing the world AS IT IS,
then what is the psychedelic experience?
Is it also AS IT IS? (lifting the veil)
And if so, then why then take the drug?
Just practice Vipassana!
Don't get me wrong,
I am one who very much enjoys
the occasional plant-based
psychedelic experience.
It seems like once or twice per year
can have a very cleansing/healing effect.
And it seems many wise and enlightened people
Alan Watts, Deepak Chopra, Terence McKenna,
have said LSD or Psilocybin expanded their minds,
opened them up to a higher spirituality.
also... WTF is up with the ancient Indus Valley People?
Were these people visited by ancient astronauts?
Empowered with Divine Knowledge of the Cosmos?
Sanskrit, Upanishads, Buddhism, Vedanta, the Four Yogas...
How did they come up with this advanced wisdom?
some is as old as 2,500-3,500+ years ago!!!
So beautiful it is! How it all fits together!
How did they do it??!!
Remember, there is evidence (Vedas)
they were playing with psychedelics.
Something called Soma.
No one today knows what it was.
Probably a plant, maybe a mushroom.
Enlightenment by "sacred plants" is also mentioned
in the Yoga Sutras.
But many of these same people
who started with psychedelics
(Ram Dass and Deepak Chopra come to mind)
also later renounce this,
saying psychedelic drugs
were like a jump-start to spirit...
the drug shows what is possible,
But reliance upon the drug ultimately
becomes an attachment, therefore
an affliction, a defilement, a hindrance
an obstacle to true enlightenment.
I want to know what you all
think about this...
--
Bill Huston
Binghamton NY
Phone: 607-321-7846
Email: WilliamAHuston at gmail
Bio: http://binghamtonpmc.org/bio.html
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1133803981
Blog: http://WilliamAHuston.blogspot.com
Myspace: http://myspace.com/MrMouthyMan
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