☮ Social ☮ [POLL] Your Psychedelic Use: Spiritual or Recreational?

[trancedeviate]

^ I reckon a lot of folk are kidding themselves that their use is primarily spiritual

Second that.

 

[Smoke2JointsOfAcid]

Somewhere between options 1 + 2.

I never take psychedelics for spiritual purposes, but at the same time, I fully expect to spend a couple hours laying on the floor musing, learning the secrets of the universe.

I can't think of a single time that I ate psychedelics alone.

 

[Freshness217]

i personally began purely recreational but over time my experiences turned more and more spiritual into now that every time I trip I feel like I end up with some kind of epiphany. so 2 and 3 depending on whats goin on

 

[zerograv]

imma go with option 2.
i find myself taking psychedelics in a more recreational environment, but i enjoy the spiritual side as well. i find the spiritual side of psychedelics more overwhelming than just partying and having a good time.

 

[Nitrous is Nice]

Mostly spiritual but as the Maharishi said "Laughter is the highest state of being" so spiritual tends to overlap quite a bit with recreational.

I don't know who it is you're quoting but I definitely agree with the point they are making.

Voted for #3.

 

[nodysojourner]

I picked 2 but then had immediate thoughts that my use is primarily recreational. It seems that spirituality wouldn't depend on whether one takes a psychoactive substance. So I have to go back to 1. Ultimately I'm just trying to enjoy life...but I suppose that could be considered a spiritual pursuit as well.

Good question!

 

[psyoid]

ive always enjoyed modifying things and drugs were just another way
I picked 3 because I started out that way. Now I'm trying to dip into more of a 2 because the parties I go to arent the places I want to have a spiritual experience. thats for outside or at my place w/ a sitter.

im talking about all drugs, not just psychoactives. on coke, opiates, etc I can learn about myself and have revealing moments.

basically if i feel like ill have a spiritual experience, i wont do it in a recreational setting and vice versa.

 

[Shlumpeet]

I use psychedelics because they're fucking fun as hell, yea, but I'm more fascinated by the beauty and how it really helps me get to know myself.

 

[rangrz]

#1

I dont want make serious life decisions or changes based on something that happened while I was under the influence of substance that induces a state that mimics major physcotic disorders.

 

[MyDoorsAreOpen]

Do I really need to answer this question?

 

[shamus]

The word 'spiritual' really doesn't appeal to me.

In fact, I think the psychedelic community would be better off distancing itself from such 'spiritual' hullabaloo.


I prefer to describe my motivations as 'mind-expansion'. That is, recreational, but open to the 'mind-expansion' properties.

 

[thoughtsUnThought]

i picked strictly spiritual because, due to the quantitative-effects:intensity and more importantly qualitative effects:the way my psychedelics experience go, i cannot bring myself to approach any psychedelic with less than full respect and readiness toward growth and meditative trance.

this is not to say that i do not have fun on my psychedelic experiences, by myself or with others there are almost always points of 'fun' or 'enjoyment' involving either laughter or general giddiness.

for myself though, regardless of what i intend, i know i will get knocked on my ass by any psychedelic experience and end up in a 'spiritual' mindset. i just have enough respect for their power and blessing to not waste either my own or the psychedelics time.

 

[thoughtsUnThought]

i picked strictly spiritual because, due to the quantitative-effects:intensity and more importantly qualitative effects:the way my psychedelics experiences go, i cannot bring myself to approach any psychedelic with less than full respect and readiness toward growth and meditative trance.

this is not to say that i do not have fun on my psychedelic experiences, by myself or with others there are almost always points of 'fun' or 'enjoyment' involving either laughter or general giddiness.

for myself though, regardless of what i intend, i know i will get knocked on my ass by any psychedelic experience and end up in a 'spiritual' mindset. i just have enough respect for their power and blessing to not waste either my own or the psychedelics time by lakcing intent or initiative.

i have a natural bias though, in the fact that i spend most all of my time meditating or focusing in some other sense. when i hang out with my firends they already know i take my meditative and psychedelic practices and devotions very seriously. so when we trip together its a given that i'm going to trance out and get all shaman/sage (/weirdo) on them, because for me psychedlics simply charge my natural energies and lend guidance.

fun sneaks up on me, i try not to seek it.

 

[rangrz]

waste either my own or the psychedelics time.

wasting the time of a chemical. pray tell, how is C20H25N3O any more alive and thus sentient of its time passage then C10H15N or C16H13ClN2O

 

[MyDoorsAreOpen]

In fact, I think the psychedelic community would be better off distancing itself from such 'spiritual' hullabaloo.

Why?? Don't take it personally, but I don't think I've read an opinion on BL that I agree with less than this.

Spiritual and religious contexts, especially among shamans and mystics, is where you see some of the world's most harm-reduced and responsible patterns of drug use. If anything we should be encouraging it.

Spirituality and psychedelics are old, old friends. The estrangement between the two is pretty recent, and not ideal for either one, IMHO.

If you yourself are not spiritual, that's your prerogative. But psychedelic and dissociative users who are anti anything spiritual amongst anyone just baffle me.

 

[Xorkoth]

I agree with this, MDAO... although I think the word "spiritual" is not meaning the same thing to everyone. I think some people use it as a reason to feel good about using a bunch of psychedelics, without actually really understanding what it means.

I think psychedelics definitely have the power to help people rediscover their spiritual side, however... I know they did for me. And there are definitely a lot of people who would find that statement to be ridiculous. But like you said, psychedelic plants have been connected to spiritual practices since before recorded history... I think it would be silly to try to discard that.

 

[Cloudy]

I personally find the whole spiritual side of psychedelics to be extremely false. I feel that it is just a guide to let give you ideas to use out side of the drugs effects, i.e when you are sober. I recognize that the chemicals are altering my perception and allowing my brain create false reality.

Yeah I'm having a hard time saying what I really mean so I know this will be most likely misconstrued.

Really I guess what I'm trying to say is I think people try and make psychedelics more meaningful then what they really are and need to realize its a chemical changing the way your brain works, not a spiritual being contacting you from another realm or whatever. Thats not to say I don't use it for personal growth though, I just take everything that I think about with a grain of salt.

also, I consider myself some what spiritual, I just don't want to find my spiritual side by some chemical.

 

[Wayne Gale]

I undergo spirtual experiences for recreation, which do I choose?

 

[thoughtsUnThought]

there's no sense in arguing in the difference in how one percieves or approaches psychedelic experiences/chemicals/teachers.

i was refering to more of the plants which hold the chemicals than the chemicals themselves. i feel that anything deserves and is worthy of respect: people, fruits, psychecelic plants, mind-opening chemicals, even inanimate objects. regardless of if is a 'sentient' or 'alive' being to recieve or acknowledge the respect is not overly important to myself.

whether or not one feels that psychedelics are a responsive entity of sorts is negligable. if you say you trip and hear nothing, and i say i eat mushrooms and recieve lessons is completely pointless to debate because we only have our own perspective/bias.

rangrz, i respect that you have your own view in that psychedelics are not alive or sentient. however, less condescending, subjective, responses would be appreciated to each his own eh?

i have my reasons and personal inspirations for practicing and approaching things the ways i do, i'm sure you do too.

 

[MyDoorsAreOpen]

^^^ agree 100%.