Thanks for the response and questions JAH! Those are good questions, too.
JustAnotherHuman wrote:Do you think that the space entered into on psychedelics is real, or something produced by the brain?
Even if it is just in my brain, I don’t see why that can’t be considered real. If it is all in my brain, then it’s pretty darn extraordinary that my mind can do such beautiful things, and apparently something in there knows me well enough to make me laugh!
Whether or not my mind is traveling to or communicating with some other dimension- I think I would lean towards assuming no, but that’s how I’ve always been. I’m not against the idea though and I would love to have that belief questioned more. The mystery is fun. Either way, it feels real and the emotions I experience are real. It’s meaningful, regardless.
JustAnotherHuman wrote:Can you be a bit moar specific about how psychedelics have helped you know moar about yourself? Of course, you only have to share what you want for this question.
There is so much I could write about this!
Some time ago before I was introduced to psychedelics I began to feel comfortable with the idea that for all the amazing moments I’ve had in life there were a similar number of painful ones. It was clear that the most profound periods of grown/transformation took place during the painful times as well- usually working through deaths, break-ups, etc. I think this is why I embraced the difficult “bad” trips. The fun trips were fun. The difficult ones that broke me down were the ones I came out of feeling changed and better- triumphant even. Psychedelics helped further clarify this cycle of personal growth in my life.
I can’t say how much this is the case with other psychedelics, but LSD opens a window to see yourself and the world from a different perspective. In one specific example, I made the decision to enter into an experience somewhat close to the end of a relationship. I grieved over the loss pretty intensely for a bit but I also intensely saw a lot of ridiculousness in grieving over someone who didn’t want to be part of my life anymore. As soon as I felt into that the rest of the trip was great. I emerged from that one with a greater sense of value and self-respect. Realizations like that feel quite powerful and healing in such a state. That wasn’t the end of my grieving, by the way, but it was a good step in the right direction.
I think that acid has also improved my self awareness and comfort in allowing myself to feel. That also includes paying attention to why I feel the way I do. Emotions and anxiety are slippery slopes in altered states and being aware that something is causing discomfort helps avoid unnecessary suffering. In other cases those emotions are unavoidable and need to be processed to continue. I think that the same self-awareness and willingness to feel/go with the flow in unaltered states goes a long way to reduce unnecessary stress in life.
JustAnotherHuman wrote:How have psychedelics informed your views on spirituality?
I wanted to answer this question last as I think what I said above about opening a window to see things from a different perspective is important.
This is still a great area of exploration for me and it’s tough to answer. I have never been spiritual in the past yet I have had one or two very spiritual experiences. They were very heavily focused on thoughts about my mortality and the cycle of birth and death, as well as this idea that my soul is filled with energy that I can share with others. In one case this was an experience in which I had experimented with combining LSD and ketamine. I completely left my body and it pretty much felt like I was dead, floating around alone in my own mind. In that experience I had a vision that looked like I was a star spitting out rays of energy. I felt like I was witnessing my soul. That was a complicated experience that I still think about a lot. Long story short, though, I came out of it feeling like I had a greater respect for my life and everyone who takes the time to search for the meaning in theirs. I also felt a much greater importance in choosing wisely where and with whom I spend my energy.
I think there is more I could say here but I can’t articulate it to myself yet.
Thanks for reading!