Entheogens

[Captain Chaos]

Has anyone here ever used any entheogens?

An enthogen is a drug, usually a dissociative hallucinogen, used to induce a spiritual experience.

I have never done so, but am curious about the results you might have experienced. There are fascinating accounts at the online erowid archives.

Please don't confess to doing anything illegal. If need be, tell the story that a 'friend' experienced, rather than your own.

[Oh_My]

Quote by: Captain Chaos Has anyone here ever used any entheogens? An enthogen is a drug, usually a dissociative hallucinogen, used to induce a spiritual experience. I have never done so, but am curious about the results you might have experienced. There are fascinating accounts at the online erowid archives. Please don't confess to doing anything illegal. If need be, tell the story that a 'friend' experienced, rather than your own.

"Spiritual experience," meaning something like a "contact with God"?

[JohnMK]

I haven't experimented much with this drug class. My sole experience has been with DXM (Dextromethorphan) at such a low dose that I am still not sure I even felt it. DXM is of course legal, you just have to go through extra work to get a high dose of it.

I'm not sure if this strictly fits the criterion of a dissociative hallucinogen, but hydergine has merit as a more practical drug, despite being closely related to LSD. I researched this substance quite a bit, obtained a prescription from my psychiatrist after he did his own research, and was pleasantly surprised that it makes me feel more real again. Ever since something strange and almost inexplicable happened to me at the age of 12 I have felt unreal. I don't know what happened in my brain, but it knocked me off physical balance for a moment (about one second) and left me feeling fake, like I had been placed in the Matrix. It took me some years to get used to the feeling, and much to my relief, a drug can bring back some of the reality that I used to feel. At that young age, I wasn't articulate enough to communicate how I felt, nor did I suspect it would become a permanent state. I should have been more forceful in obtaining medical care at that time. Hydergine adds depth to visual and auditory perceptions -- imagine listening to the world through a seashell, and then pulling the seashell away. That's the best way I can describe it, metaphorically. I have ordered it from an overseas source, they do not check to see if I have a valid prescription. Now that I have prescription drug coverage I just order it at my local pharmacy.

Hope that helps.

[The Bacon Guy]

Funny this topic should come up. A friend and I were just planning to extract LSA from morning glory or Hawaiian woodrose seeds if we can get our hands on any. I'll let you know if I find God.

[JohnMK]

Let us know if you find moral absolutism, as well.

[The Bacon Guy]

I think I'd need more than LSA to find that.

[Captain Chaos]

Quote by: Oh_My "Spiritual experience," meaning something like a "contact with God"?

Or with perceived higher levels of reality, or anything like that.

Here is a good spot to read about them:

Erowid Psychoactive Vaults


Quite fascinating.

[Jack]

Possession of a drug is an offense. Talking about having once used a drug is not.

Having said that, I admit to having tried acid as well as mushrooms in the 80's. While they did impact my perceptions similar to cocaine or speed, they did not have me seeing god or any other spiritual being. I didn't even properly hallucinate. I'm a control freak about my thought processes. I suspect that kept me from getting too far "out there" while experimenting.

[ItsDarts]

"Entheogen is a compound term that means "containing deity" or "the god within"; a plant or chemical substance taken to enhance a primary religious experience, for example: peyote cactus as used in the Native American Church. The word refers to nonaddictive artificial and natural substances that induce alterations of consciousness similar to those documented for ritual ingestion of traditional shamanic inebriants. Entheogen is a replacement for the words "hallucinogen," and "psychedelic," which have a much more negative connotation."

A "friend" has taken peyote and shrooms, and "he" tells me that besides tasting like crap (literally) he never experienced religious euphoria. This could possibly be due to the fact that "he" didn't have enough? "He" says the buzz was similar to Mescaline or LSD, but cleaner. "He" also cautioned that it is imperative that the white fuzzy center needs to be removed from peyote buttons as this contains strychnine and can cause severe cramping or worse if enough is ingested, at least that is what he was told. The feeling was that of a warm euphoria that led to lots of laughter, seeing trails sorta like when you wave your hands in front of a strobe light, yet it wasn't severe enough to disrupt vision to the point of not being able to function.

[ItsDarts]

Quote by: Captain Chaos Or with perceived higher levels of reality, or anything like that. Here is a good spot to read about them: Erowid Psychoactive Vaults Quite fascinating.

Oh MAN! You shouldn't have shown me this site LOL Weeeeeeeeeee!!!!

[Arawn-ap-Hywel]

Those who cannot alter their own body chemistry have always used other substances under the belief of self :)

[Captain Chaos]

Quote by: Arawn-ap-Hywel Those who cannot alter their own body chemistry have always used other substances under the belief of self :)

Umm....

Have you been altering your own body chemistry again, Arawn?