Spiritual Experience Through Drugs - Illusion Or Reality?

The origins of and spiritual practise are shrouded in mystery, belonging as they do to that period known as "prehistory" of which our factual knowledge is very limited. The roots of drug use also date back to that primordial era. Equally ancient and mysterious is the link between these two - the use of mind-altering substances as part of the search for truth.

Early accounts of the use of drugs in an attempt to induce spiritual visions or ecstatic trances are mostly connected with the practises collectively known as "Shamanism". The ancient Shaman used a variety of methods to achieve these altered states, including prolonged, repetitive, ritual dancing and/or drumming, sensory deprivation, fasting and the use of hallucinogens found in plants. These techniques were employed to either free the Shaman's

spirit from the body, allowing it to travel in the spiritual worlds, or to call down spiritual entities into the shaman. Shamanic practises of this kind are still to be found among indigenous and tribal peoples in Africa, Asia and South America. Echoes of these practises are found in many different religious cultures and in all parts of the world, with the longing for otherworldly experience driving individuals to explore all the techniques open to them as part of their quest - including the use of substances that fundamentally change the individual's perceptions and bring about altered states of consciousness.

In the late twentieth century, the discovery and popularisation of synthetic drugs which appeared to induce visionary or trance states led to a resurgence of interest in the spiritual nature of these experiences. The writer Aldous Huxley, a spiritual man with an interest in Eastern philosophies such as Vedanta, detailed his experiments with psychotropic substances in his book "The Doors of Perception". Huxley felt that the human mind in its ordinary state acted to limit our awareness of higher or cosmic reality, and that drugs could be used to reduce this limiting effect, opening the individual to a new and higher state of being. Huxley's book became a must-read among hippies and counter-culturalists in the sixties, as did works by Dr Timothy Leary and Robert Anton Wilson, both of whom saw drugs as an effective tool for opening people to higher spiritual realities within and around them. Later, in the nineteen nineties, the use of MDMA (ecstasy) as a recreational drug spread rapidly. Despite the powerful effects of the drug, and users reporting states in which they felt powerful emotions such as joy and unconditional love, the mystical elements of this experience were not trumpeted in the same way as with the LSD experiment of the sixties.

The fundamental question regarding these induced experiences of trance, vision and ecstasy is: are they real?

In comparing the effects of spiritual practise (prayer, meditation, devotional song, chanting etc.) with those of drugs, the key is to examine the effects on the individual not just at the time of the experience but in the days, months and years that follow. Spiritual practise is undertaken for its transformational power, expressed in the learning, change and personal growth of the individual. In different spiritual and religious traditions, this journey of transformation is seen in different ways. The Christian aspires towards salvation from all sin, the Buddhist is travelling towards enlightenment, the Yogi seeks first liberation from attachment then the realisation of his or her oneness with God.

Examine, if you will, two individuals. One has pursued for many years what Dr Timothy Leary called "the chemical route to enlightenment" while the other has engaged in the more challenging pursuits of spiritual discipline, perhaps including daily prayer and meditation and the renunciation of a worldly life. What differences do you see? Are their attainments of the same order? Have their experiences carried them forward on their spiritual journey,answered their inner questions, brought them inner peace and insight? I leave it to you to make your own observations and decide for yourself.

Let us close with the words of Sri Chinmoy, an Indian spiritual teacher who came to America in the sixties and began teaching spirituality when the hippy movement was in full swing:

"I have spoken hundreds of times on drugs. Here all I wish to say is that if you have a real coin and a counterfeit coin, they look similar; but when you examine them properly, you know that one is real and the other one is false. I have a few disciples who once upon a time were addicted to drugs. They had very high, lofty experiences according to their own understanding and realisation at that time. But now these same disciples have been meditating with me for a couple of years and by the Grace of the Supreme they have had spiritual experiences. They say that the difference between the two is like the difference between a counterfeit or false coin and a real coin."

Roger Chamberlain is an experienced runner representing Sri Chinmoy A.C. at races around the UK. He works in Run and Become, a well respected running shop in Cardiff, Wales. Roger also gives free meditation classes on behalf of the Cardiff Sri Chinmoy Centre.

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Do Not Medicate Your Children With Drugs

Do not medicate your children with drugs - the side effect of which can be many times greater than the original symptoms that caused concern.

There is more than adequate evidence about the dangerous side effects of medicinal drugs and those that are prescribed for mental irregularities in particular. These latter are invasive and can create chemical chaos in the brain to cause serious side effects, far more damaging than the original symptoms the child displayed.

The public generally would like to believe that governmental health bodies are set up with the power and responsibility to protect us from any medication or substances that may prove damaging to our health. Unfortunately this has not proven to be always the case, particularly where the more powerful chemical companies are concerned and to which many doctors have shown to be faithful followers. Those medical researchers and doctors, scientist of integrity however, are strongly questioning many aspects of modern drug medication in the light of the deteriorating health condition of the people of both the U.S. and Australia as well as other western countries where drug therapies are dominant over the traditional medicines.

We would wonder at the government health authorities and powers that are designed to protect the public, but are proving impotent to control the release of drugs that may promise immediate relief but prove to have 'side effects' that are severe and even fatal. This is particularly causing concern where brain chemistry is directly involved and in the case of children's conditions such as hyperactivity where symptoms tend to be exaggerated restlessness, inattention and inconsistent behavior. These states although perhaps could be seen to be based upon known and reasonable causes are quickly diagnosed as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) for which the most common prescription is Ritalin.

Ritalin or methylphenidate hydrochloride is an oral medication, commonly called kiddles and bits in colloquial terms. It is a class II narcotic and stimulant of the central nervous system. Ritalin is prescribed for hyperactivity disorders. Although it is a stimulant more potent than caffeine it has an apparently temporary calming effect on these children. It is however open to much abuse by young people who resort to snorting or even injecting the crushed tablets similar fashion to cocaine.

Ritalin has many well documented side effects. There are over one million posts on the internet with many scientists and medical doctors warning of the dangers and of an alternative drug choice Cylert or pemoline.

Some research reports Ritalin as highly addictive. Its short term side effects can include insomnia, disturbances of digestion, dizziness, headaches, skin irritations, weight loss, psychotic episodes, and often severe depression upon withdrawal of the medication.

Its predictable long term side effects can manifest as malnutrition through loss of appetite, tremors, convulsions, diabetes, headache, irregularities of heart and lungs, paranoia, hallucinations and sensory distortions. Adverse reactions are mainly related to nervousness and insomnia but also skin conditions, anorexia, headaches, and many other uncomfortable symptoms. Rare reports of Tourette's syndrome and toxic psychosis have also been reported. Cylert is not the first choice medication as it has caused severe liver damage requiring liver transplant. It has caused several fatalities through liver failure.

In spite of this the FDA has given approval for similar drugs to be used in treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorders in young patients from 10 -17 years of age as well as in adults. These are reported amongst the highest selling prescriptions in the US accounting for $14.6 billion in sales in 2008 alone.

Remembering that the child patient was considered to be abnormal by first displaying simple indications such as lack of concentration or because of over-activity, it is hard to see the logic in prescribing a drug that in time could produce diseases of mind and body much more severe and impossible to correct either in the child's behavior or in the subsequent physiological symptoms.

Cautions officially are given with the drug. These are usually directed at those with alcohol or drug abuse (presumably referring to teenager patients). Warnings also that serious mental and mood changes can be expected if the medication is stopped. Also warning not to abuse the substance by snorting or injecting the crushed tablets.

Children under six years of age are not permitted to take the drug.

Would you allow your child to take such drugs under any circumstances?

Yet millions of children and minors are now receiving medication for psychological reasons and are vulnerable to severe consequences. It is assessed by the U.S. Surgeon General that 20% of American children have mental illness of some kind and that about 5 million children and young adults suffer from a mental illness that threatens or interferes with their daily life.

There are over 4 million posts regarding mental diseases in children on the internet.

Sally Wilson supports a philosophy that looks to Nature as the ultimate Intelligence that directs us towards health and happiness as we learn to live according to natural laws. Our interests and studies of all natural sciences offer us pathways in gaining knowledge but it is by our choice or action that we are able to apply what we learn in a positive manner in both personal care and self discipline as well as in caring for our children and families.

Health and healing receive primary focus for her writings as do a range of subjects open for further exploration for the purpose of enriching our well being, and also to help us avoid the many health issues that confront us as we recognize the mistakes and causes of illness in the community.

These subjects include Aromatherapy, herbalism and botanical interests, nutrition, flower foods, seaweed supplementation, relaxation and stress relief, exercise therapy, breath control ,self care and the care of our planet by application of many advances in the natural sciences. She also alerts us to negative factors to eliminate or avoid as thse are of equal importance if we are to create well being on all levels of earth life.

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