High Yogi
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2009
- Messages
- 196
Here is an essay that I wrote some time ago about the use of psychedelics and shamanism. I came across it this morning and I was wondering what the fellow bluelighters have to say about it or to share some of your additional thoughts or ideas on the matter.
Special plants and substances alter your state of consciousness, allowing you to perceive the world differently from the way you do now. By stepping outside of your normal state of consciousness, you can perceive that of which lies beyond your current understanding, allowing you to grasp life with a larger field of vision. A fish cannot tell it is in water until it has been pulled out of it. Once the fish is put back in the water, it can perceive the ocean like it never has before because it now knows that life is bigger than the ocean; the fish has been beyond and transcended the water. The same holds true for us. If we can take an entheogenic compound (plants or substances used for divination) and alter our consciousness, we can then later see our consciousness in ways never previously imagined. Or, Imagine a pond of still water. The water cannot identify itself because its only in of it’s self. However, if you were to throw an outside influence such as a rock in the water and cause it to ripple, each ripple in the pond would allow the pond to see itself, through the fact of its change. Your mind is like that pond of water and it can be changed by an outside influence (or rock) of mind altering substances. The substance will change your perspective and it is from that change of perspective where you find the vantage point of the true self. But why would you want to change your mind? Well, that’s the whole reason we’re here on earth, is to learn and change our minds. A wise man changes his mind, a fool never. If we can change our minds we are developing an understanding and growing. We are not changing our minds in the sense that were changing ourselves, but rather, were changing our minds because we are learning and adapting to all of this new information brought upon us through these experiences. One psychedelic experience has enough potential to do more for someone than 10 years of therapy or meditation. However it’s also not just about consuming the plants or substances, there is an art to it. You must have a certain understanding on them and the way to do them. This is why a guide is ALWAYS important for first timers. And just because you do them doesn’t mean that you are doing them right, and if you are doing them wrong then you gain an understanding to the smallest degree. On the contrary, if you do them the right way, you can gain an understanding on a universal scale and level. You can know the ways of the world and universe without having stepped outside your house. You can perceive that of which nobody else imagined and you can do that of which nobody else perceived. This is in a sense magical, because magic is that of which isn’t understood or recognized as true. For example, if whistling was unheard of and nobody knew how to do it, then the person seen whistling would be known as a magician of some sort and everybody would line up to see the great whistling man. By having an understanding of the true self, you can perceive the universe in ways most people couldn’t fathom and can link yourself up to that of which is divine. What im getting at here is that you can do that of which societies speak against and disregard as fact. But if your doing something that society says isn’t real, then is it in a sense magical? This is what shamanism is all about. The pursuit of cleansing the universe through an understanding of the self, brought upon by natural substances and botanical doorways. It is through this understanding and mental dimensions where communication is possible, and through that communication you can obtain information and link with the divine.
Special plants and substances alter your state of consciousness, allowing you to perceive the world differently from the way you do now. By stepping outside of your normal state of consciousness, you can perceive that of which lies beyond your current understanding, allowing you to grasp life with a larger field of vision. A fish cannot tell it is in water until it has been pulled out of it. Once the fish is put back in the water, it can perceive the ocean like it never has before because it now knows that life is bigger than the ocean; the fish has been beyond and transcended the water. The same holds true for us. If we can take an entheogenic compound (plants or substances used for divination) and alter our consciousness, we can then later see our consciousness in ways never previously imagined. Or, Imagine a pond of still water. The water cannot identify itself because its only in of it’s self. However, if you were to throw an outside influence such as a rock in the water and cause it to ripple, each ripple in the pond would allow the pond to see itself, through the fact of its change. Your mind is like that pond of water and it can be changed by an outside influence (or rock) of mind altering substances. The substance will change your perspective and it is from that change of perspective where you find the vantage point of the true self. But why would you want to change your mind? Well, that’s the whole reason we’re here on earth, is to learn and change our minds. A wise man changes his mind, a fool never. If we can change our minds we are developing an understanding and growing. We are not changing our minds in the sense that were changing ourselves, but rather, were changing our minds because we are learning and adapting to all of this new information brought upon us through these experiences. One psychedelic experience has enough potential to do more for someone than 10 years of therapy or meditation. However it’s also not just about consuming the plants or substances, there is an art to it. You must have a certain understanding on them and the way to do them. This is why a guide is ALWAYS important for first timers. And just because you do them doesn’t mean that you are doing them right, and if you are doing them wrong then you gain an understanding to the smallest degree. On the contrary, if you do them the right way, you can gain an understanding on a universal scale and level. You can know the ways of the world and universe without having stepped outside your house. You can perceive that of which nobody else imagined and you can do that of which nobody else perceived. This is in a sense magical, because magic is that of which isn’t understood or recognized as true. For example, if whistling was unheard of and nobody knew how to do it, then the person seen whistling would be known as a magician of some sort and everybody would line up to see the great whistling man. By having an understanding of the true self, you can perceive the universe in ways most people couldn’t fathom and can link yourself up to that of which is divine. What im getting at here is that you can do that of which societies speak against and disregard as fact. But if your doing something that society says isn’t real, then is it in a sense magical? This is what shamanism is all about. The pursuit of cleansing the universe through an understanding of the self, brought upon by natural substances and botanical doorways. It is through this understanding and mental dimensions where communication is possible, and through that communication you can obtain information and link with the divine.
