Cudi
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
- Messages
- 186
So I've been reading into different religions lately (actually taking REL 100 in College currently) and I've always known that it seems like Psychedelics have played a much larger role than they get credit for (At least in the West) in terms of religious epiphanies, divine beliefs, and basically just a ton to do with religion in general. Hinduism specifically, caught my attention. The Vedic age of Hinduism began around 1500 BCE and changed DRASTICALLY around the 6th century BCE. The Vedas are four texts that are sacred to Hinduism that consist of chants, prayers, spells, and proper ceremonial guidelines.
Anyway, around the 6th century BCE, a period of huge change came known as the Axis Age. Oddly, great changes were taking place in other religions and cultures around this time as well. Many centuries of questioning Vedic beliefs emerged with strength at this time, and some people abandoned social life to live alone in the forests giving themselves much time for thought and religious experimentation. Thinkers started to question the belief in many gods, seeking instead a single divine reality that might be the source of everything. Some saw all things as being mystically united. A few rejected religious ritual altogether.
ANYWAY, during this period there was interest in all sorts of techniques for altering consciousness, such as sitting for long periods in meditation, breathing deeply, fasting, avoiding sexual activity, not sleeping, living in dark caves, and experimenting with psychedelic plants. The term Soma refers to the God of the plants. Soma is also used for the name of a Psychedelic brew that they consumed. Then at this time came the Upanishads which comprise about a hundred written works that record insights into internal and external reality. The words "sitting near" are derived from the word Upanishads, which suggests disciples sitting near a master (possible trip guider) learning techniques to achieve religious experience. The Upanishads hold the notion that priests and normal people alike can all experience the spiritual reality that underlies all seemingly separate realities. Back before the Axis Age, the Vedic material spoke of only priests being able to access this experience and teach it. But I believe they started to experiment more and more with Psychedelics, which showed them their true spiritual power within and their limitless capabilities.
In the Upanishads, the term Brahman means a divine reality at the heart of things. The Upanishads insist that Brahman is something that can be known--- not simply believed in. The Upanishads say it cannot be fully put into words, much like any intense Psychedelic experience. But they give hints. Brahman is the lived experience that all things are in some way holy because they come from the same sacred source. It is also the experience that all things are in some way ultimately one. To experience Brahman, is to know, firsthand, that every apparently individual reality in the world is actually a wave of the same sacred ocean of energy. Brahman is "the God who appears in forms infinite". Brahman is said to be "reality itself, pure consciousness, and bliss." Those who speak of their experience say that Brahman is ultimately beyond time and beyond space. Sounds like the Hindus are describing something extremely similar to a substance induced ego death, although I can't find any records of Brahman being directly related to a Psychedelic experience.
The Upanishads say that experiencing "the timelessness of Brahman", can bring an end to everyday suffering and to the fear of death. I've heard numerous stories of people no longer fearing death after an intense Psychedelic experience. There is another term closely related to Brahman, and that is Atman. Although Atman is sometimes translated as "self" or "soul", the notion of Atman in the Upanishads is different from the notion of an individual soul. Atman is better translated as "deepest self". In Hindu belief, each person has an individual soul (Jiva), and the individual soul confers uniqueness and personality (ego?). But Hinduism asks this question: At the very deepest level, what really am I? Is there not in me a reality more fundamental than the changing characteristics such as my height, weight, hair color, and body, all of which are subject to alteration?
According to the Upanishads, at the deepest level of what I am is a divine reality, a divine spirit that everything shares. They teach that it is true to say "I am God", because, for the person who understands reality at the deepest level, everything is God. Atman, when experienced fully, is identical with Brahman. Brahman usually refers to the experience of the sacred within nature and the external universe, while Atman refers to the experience of the sacred within oneself. They also speak of the everyday world as Maya, which is usually translated as "illusion".
Perhaps the term Jiva, if actually referring to the ego, is what lies in the way for one to experience Brahman and Atman. Perhaps Shiva is portrayed to be the creator and the destroyer because one's ego must be destroyed before the new and improved self is created. Honestly that's all I got guys. Sorry for a religious lesson, but I did that in hopes of inspiring more thoughts to arise from this topic from other people who could maybe share their ideas with me about the connection between Psychedelics and Religion. Why are Psychedelics so spiritually powerful and why aren't they used more in religion? Hinduism has the healthiest practices of any religion I've read about. Buddhism as well. I think the world has something to learn about these religions and although I don't identify with any religion at the moment, I certainly lean toward Hinduism and Buddhism.
Anyway, around the 6th century BCE, a period of huge change came known as the Axis Age. Oddly, great changes were taking place in other religions and cultures around this time as well. Many centuries of questioning Vedic beliefs emerged with strength at this time, and some people abandoned social life to live alone in the forests giving themselves much time for thought and religious experimentation. Thinkers started to question the belief in many gods, seeking instead a single divine reality that might be the source of everything. Some saw all things as being mystically united. A few rejected religious ritual altogether.
ANYWAY, during this period there was interest in all sorts of techniques for altering consciousness, such as sitting for long periods in meditation, breathing deeply, fasting, avoiding sexual activity, not sleeping, living in dark caves, and experimenting with psychedelic plants. The term Soma refers to the God of the plants. Soma is also used for the name of a Psychedelic brew that they consumed. Then at this time came the Upanishads which comprise about a hundred written works that record insights into internal and external reality. The words "sitting near" are derived from the word Upanishads, which suggests disciples sitting near a master (possible trip guider) learning techniques to achieve religious experience. The Upanishads hold the notion that priests and normal people alike can all experience the spiritual reality that underlies all seemingly separate realities. Back before the Axis Age, the Vedic material spoke of only priests being able to access this experience and teach it. But I believe they started to experiment more and more with Psychedelics, which showed them their true spiritual power within and their limitless capabilities.
In the Upanishads, the term Brahman means a divine reality at the heart of things. The Upanishads insist that Brahman is something that can be known--- not simply believed in. The Upanishads say it cannot be fully put into words, much like any intense Psychedelic experience. But they give hints. Brahman is the lived experience that all things are in some way holy because they come from the same sacred source. It is also the experience that all things are in some way ultimately one. To experience Brahman, is to know, firsthand, that every apparently individual reality in the world is actually a wave of the same sacred ocean of energy. Brahman is "the God who appears in forms infinite". Brahman is said to be "reality itself, pure consciousness, and bliss." Those who speak of their experience say that Brahman is ultimately beyond time and beyond space. Sounds like the Hindus are describing something extremely similar to a substance induced ego death, although I can't find any records of Brahman being directly related to a Psychedelic experience.
The Upanishads say that experiencing "the timelessness of Brahman", can bring an end to everyday suffering and to the fear of death. I've heard numerous stories of people no longer fearing death after an intense Psychedelic experience. There is another term closely related to Brahman, and that is Atman. Although Atman is sometimes translated as "self" or "soul", the notion of Atman in the Upanishads is different from the notion of an individual soul. Atman is better translated as "deepest self". In Hindu belief, each person has an individual soul (Jiva), and the individual soul confers uniqueness and personality (ego?). But Hinduism asks this question: At the very deepest level, what really am I? Is there not in me a reality more fundamental than the changing characteristics such as my height, weight, hair color, and body, all of which are subject to alteration?
According to the Upanishads, at the deepest level of what I am is a divine reality, a divine spirit that everything shares. They teach that it is true to say "I am God", because, for the person who understands reality at the deepest level, everything is God. Atman, when experienced fully, is identical with Brahman. Brahman usually refers to the experience of the sacred within nature and the external universe, while Atman refers to the experience of the sacred within oneself. They also speak of the everyday world as Maya, which is usually translated as "illusion".
Perhaps the term Jiva, if actually referring to the ego, is what lies in the way for one to experience Brahman and Atman. Perhaps Shiva is portrayed to be the creator and the destroyer because one's ego must be destroyed before the new and improved self is created. Honestly that's all I got guys. Sorry for a religious lesson, but I did that in hopes of inspiring more thoughts to arise from this topic from other people who could maybe share their ideas with me about the connection between Psychedelics and Religion. Why are Psychedelics so spiritually powerful and why aren't they used more in religion? Hinduism has the healthiest practices of any religion I've read about. Buddhism as well. I think the world has something to learn about these religions and although I don't identify with any religion at the moment, I certainly lean toward Hinduism and Buddhism.
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