Psychedelics: Pros & Cons
A client asked me today:
“Why don’t you take a break from all your meditation practices and do Ayahuasca?”
Hmm…great question. Psychedelics are on the rise and many people are using them on their spiritual journeys. I’m not here to finger wag and tell people what they should or shouldn't do, I’m here to hold space, open up discussions and honestly share. Whatever I say, run it through your own inner guidance system, take what you need and discard the rest. It’s important that nobody is put on a pedestal and made “God.” We are all God, and we are all on unique journeys, learning lessons in unique ways; you are not judged no matter what you choose to do, but here’s my take on it:
A yogi does not need psychedelics because they are psychedelics. Some yogis are psychedelics without any formal meditation practice, however that is rare. If meditation works…YOU become the drug! An effortless meditation practice which allows you to transcend and enter the fourth state of consciousness will rapidly open up higher states of consciousness...and oh golly, gosh — when those doors open, you will have enough to contend with and to integrate without drugs. Transcending allows you to have ‘trippy’ experiences like connecting to other beings, giant cobras hissing, seeing lights, hearing celestial voices, speaking with the dead etc, etc, etc. however these mind boggling events are distractions;
I don’t care if Jesus appears in a glitter storm riding a unicorn and zaps me with a wand so I’m orgasming in bliss. It’s a distraction.
Yogis do not crave experiences or bliss; they reside in the nuclear core of silence which is sobering, possibly frightening at first, and an acquired taste. Anything which appears within this silence, is a passing phenomenon and not to be craved or held onto.
The Serpents Portal by Joe Francis, Kundalini Art
Maybe you’re craving experiences or having difficulty transcending and want to know what’s ‘out there’. Impatiently banging the door down with psychedelics (instead of opening it slowly with meditation or just living life) will give you a glimmer into what is beyond the body; however it could damage your physiology, freak you out, and make it harder for you to transcend naturally. It may also cause ‘mood making’ where the focus is on rituals such as burning incense, wearing spiritual clothes and imagining being somewhere where you’re not. In some client cases I’ve noticed it leading to to an interest in polyamory in an attempt to merge with others and re-create oneness.; this can be fun, but it can also be confusing for the body and lead to relationship dramas! Having said all this, maybe psychedelics were legitimately healing and triggered a new way of being; maybe they got you out of a robotic world view; maybe you met people and community that held space and helped you on your path… so that’s all good. Some of my psychotherapy clients came to me after doing psychedelics because they were now curious about spirituality and meditation. It’s all unfathomable.
All meditations are not the same so don’t give up if you think you can’t meditate. My meditation journey started off by practicing and teaching mindfulness. Open monitoring techniques such as mindfulness are scenic slow routes into a peaceful place. Even though it’s hard to go deep with them, you can pretty much do as much as you want without de-stressing. Once you get to the transcendental practices however, they are like atomic bombs! They are designed to take you very deep and allow you to enter a fourth state of consciousness regularly. Drugs such as marjuana block the transcending process so it’s not advisable to mix the two. Transcendental practices if taught and practiced correctly are extremely powerful, and I would not advise people to take any mind altering substances while doing them.
Here are some pros and cons of taking psychedelic drugs, maybe you have more to add, If so do share:
Psychedelics Pros:
Give you an experience beyond the body
Open your mind
Connect you with nature and others at a deep level
Meet new people and be in community
Break a robotic view of the world
May take away fear of death
Experience being ‘non human’ and without ego
May trigger interest in meditation, spirituality and healing
Psychedelics Cons:
Could cause a psychotic break
Can cause sickness and feeling unwell
Temporary (not permanent) insight into another realm
Hard to integrate lessons
Damages the physiology so it’s harder to transcend naturally
Might be a distraction on the path to awakening
Addiction to ‘new experiences’ and mood making
Genuine, legitimate and safe Shamans are hard to find
You can get the benefits of Psychedelics without the side effects if you learn to transcend. Do whatever you want as long as you can stand the consequences. There are many different paths because there are many different personalities. Ultimately all paths lead to the same place – a direct knowing that we are beyond mind, body and personality – we are pure consciousness with everything.
N.B Since a lot of you have seen giant snakes while tripping…you can communicate with the Naga Loka (Snake Consciousness) without drugs, I promise.