Since reading the Nexus and being active in this community I've noticed many individuals whom have very powerful, and seamlessly coherent philosophical viewpoints. Many of which are also highly similar to that of the Buddhist, the Hindu, the Zen, etc… Sharing the similarities of experiencing the moment to its fullest, being in the present, staying away from the past and future and being right here, right now. Forgive me if i am wrong.

In my own experience, psychedelics have seemed to alter my perspective which has then lead me onto the path of attempting to be completely aware in this moment, right here, right now. But i have noticed, if you have a very powerful mind altering experience, positive or negative, the alteration in perspective or consciousness tends to continue once the experience ends. For example, I still feel similar feelings, i still have similar thoughts, i may even see similar things out of the corner of my eye.. whether it be a chemical alteration or simply a profoundly perspective altering experience… there seems to be some fair permanence in the path which it creates, i have also noticed, this can be changed through the next experience, with new ideas, visuals, feelings rising during that experience itself.

I wonder, is DMT a method to attain enlightenment? Can it create an awareness which goes beyond suffering? It may help you with rising towards the "god consciousness", but can it leave you there?

I wouldn't say that it leads to enlightenment and they can also result in an increase of suffering for some people or there is no real changes seen. Whatever differences exist in your mind/body after you've returned can't be attributed to just DMT but also the thing it effects, you. One person might journey fairly regularly and end up being 'wiser' in the long run but another would journey a lot but could barely be called wiser let alone enlightened. Consider those who go out and harvest endangered species for their alkaloids, they might journey every day but are they enlightened? I would say no personally.

A.

After my first break through, back in December, I described the experience as forced enlightenment.

Since then, I've seen many different sides. The experiences can be enlightening. The experiences can also bring awareness to things that... Are dark.

IMO, many prefer the light. The darker sides can be enlightening, too. In my experience, I find that a balance of the two has been insightful. By being aware does not mean that you have togive yourself to either/any side. It just adds information so that you can make personal conclusions.

From there, it can be easier to determine personal truth.

i dont think i have ever been "enlightened" by DMT, horrifically confused, yes, but enlightened, i dont think so. But then again im never sure what people mean by enlightened.

yessssssssss ,

You are already awake.

Personally I think yes, if enlightenment can be attributed to learning, then any Teacher Plant IMO is capable of this.

You are the path to enlightenment.

DMT, meditation, mountain climbing etc. they are all just ... vehicles. Perhaps they can take you there or get you closer, but they can also bring you farther away or go round in circles...

It all depends on you.

I just wouldn't get too hung up on the term enlightenment - it doesn't mean anything in the end. Just grow, learn, reveal your true self to your self. Keep moving in the direction that is the most positive.

Beautifully said brother. I couldn't agree more, having experienced the psychedelics taking me both farther and closer to the essence of my being. I thank everyone for participating in this discussion. I value each of your opinions, there are no more right than others, as there are no more wrong than others. Sharing our knowledge and experience to help one another gain insight is what I was after and speaking for myself, it has been achieved. To reaffirm the things I know and to see the things I was blind come into awareness. Thank you and much love, Mitch.

Good explanation. Although I never viewed DMT as something that might possibly lead you astray from enlightenment.

There's relative and absolute. Relatively.. what goes up must come down, the effects of substances on our perception, much like the appearance of our perception being "separate from that which it is perceiving" and "viewing from it's own side", is ultimately temporary, impermanent. As such, none of these states are 'enlightenment', but any state is equally usable as fuel for feeding the fire of awareness. IE: Everything, good, bad, sad, mad, happy, ecstatic, whatever, can all be taken as objects of awareness, and a deep, established practice will take everything thrown at it as an object of awareness. If you find yourself using psychedelics as a crutch, that is a good indicator to take a break and work without them.

Now on the absolute side.. the idea of not being enlightened or enlightened is a fabrication of mind, and as such is temporary itself. "you" already are enlightened. (but to come to the realization of this, if you do not already realize it, does take some work.)

"Can it create an awareness that goes beyond suffering"

This awareness is already present, and you are not separate from it. You are just unfamiliar with it, and do not yet recognize it as your own true nature.

Where the appearance of suffering exists, is also where the end of suffering exists. Whether psychedelics hinder or help a person is largely based on how they are used, in my opinion. They can help you become more aware, or distract you entirely. I think, when used with the proper intention, experiences with psychedelic drugs can help us sit, and face ourselves, with less external distractions, so that we may come to better familiarize our self with this mind and this body, and how the two interact and influence each other to create what is known as "our experience".

Largely, one of the biggest reasons people fail to recognize this as their own true nature is that they are not taught it, they are kept distracted from it, and they are taught to run away / avoid / suppress suffering. But, where there is suffering, is where there is the end of suffering. The only way out, is through.

I guess that depends on how you define "enlightenment". My first break through was a classic white light experience where ego was destroyed and I existed as the entire cosmos all at once, traveling at the speed of light as the cosmos continued its expansion. I would say that this experience definitely awoke me to my true place in the universe, and on some level I would consider that experience (or really lack of experience) a temporary glimpse at enlightenment.

Before the experience I was a staunch atheist and my worldview I spent nearly 30 years developing was destroyed within a matter of minutes. Is that enlightenment? It certainly changed my life forever.

I quote this line to illustrate how ingrained is the mental fabrication of separation between perceiver and perceived. How does one move closer and farther to something which comprises their entire being? How do we determine what is "us" and "not us"? Or "Inside" and "Outside"?

I would suggest that "me" / "I" is not actually "us", instead, we are that which is aware of "I" / "me". I think it could be said that THAT is the road to enlightenment, the journey from the narrow identification with the mind and body, to instead recognizing our nature as not separated from the supreme stillness, and vast spaciousness of open awareness. It is the mind and the body which perceive movement / change, but you are not the mind, and you are not the body, you are that which is aware of mind and body. This direct experience of felt presence, never separate from the essence of being, never apart from your nature.

Much like stepping back, to observe that we have been too embedded in our experience, identifying only with that which we are focused on, ignoring and ultimately forgetting, the focuser. And, outside of the act of focusing, the focuser and the focused-on meld into one.
<3

You should check out the Gita and Vedas if you haven't already. I'd definitely tend to agree with this idea.

I have not yet, but thank you for the suggestion, I will write them down. I've read books on vipassana and dzogchen meditation, I really like them, especially tenzin wangyal rinpoche's teachings on stillness, silence, and spaciousness.

Ying and Yang, one cannot exist without the other. Good and bad speculations are needed to interpret the moment. How would we know what happiness is? Or sadness. Both are ideal for spiritualistic healing and ascending. If we were too nice we get taken advantaged of, too cruel and we are a jerk, a** h*le whatever you wanna call it. I can highly relate to this as im constantly analyzing people and personalities, and what I need to say or do to relate the best way I can.

But as far as DMT goes for the enlightenment process, they need to have the want, or the need to be. "One does not simply walk into hyperspace and become enlightened." You need to want it IMO. But whatever suits the best for the individual. Sometimes it is forced, its not what you asked for, but who didn't warn you or weren't warned?lol. Any case it can and it cant be, it depends on the individual.

Best of wishes!

---dls---