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Comment by orasis | Hacker News Reader

The insights available through meditation and psychedelics are insights into the workings of conceptualization and the odd subject/object split we habitually do with thought and language. Being able to experience reality below the lens of conceptualization is the most powerful experience of my life.

I can now clearly see the fake reality created instantly by thought and the truth that there is only this moment of experience and it is totally inherently free from meaning. In this is realization is liberation from limiting thoughts and ideals and an existence that is free from anxiety, boredom, or any sense that something is wrong or needs doing.

Describing what its like is like describing an orgasm to a person who has never had one. "Uh...its like a really good sneeze."

I did this through the path of meditation, but I know others who have used psychedelics to similar ends.

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I did this through the path of meditation, but I know others who have used psychedelics to similar ends.

Based on what I've read and observed, the people who get real benefit out of psychedelics are those who are already fairly meditative people, who use them in reasonable settings (with people they trust) and know what they are doing.

There clearly are people who are able to make good use of these chemicals, but they seem to be fewer and farther in between than people who succeed on other, less risky, paths. What seems to be the mainstream in psychedelic drug culture (although it's hard to tell what the mainstream of an underground, illegal subculture is) is just lazy.

The idea that one can pop a pill and have a spiritual experience (instead of context-free noise) is ridiculous. LSD seems to be a magnifying glass, so people who use it as part of their spiritual practice seem to get real benefit, but those who use it as a "party drug" are just magnifying crap and polluting their minds.

Who's talking about using LSD as a party drug? It's certainly not even slightly suggested in the posted article or this response.

I've actually known quite a lot of people who have used LSD to that end. The Mushroom, however, is a different, more spiritual journey that is very difficult to evade.

I like that, "very difficult to evade", read: no escape ;-)

Then again, LSD, is not exactly easy to avoid, nor is Ayahuasca or any other class of hallucinogen.

In the woods or at party will of course have different expectations/outcomes. Will be intense regardless...

I've known quite a few people who take mushrooms as party drugs, as well. Anything is a party drug to the right group of people.

'tis true :/

LSD is actually a fairly popular party drug. At certain types of electronic music events it tends to be more popular than MDMA, even. With psychedelics, the environment has a profound effect on the experience. As such, people using it as a party drug may be seeking (and receiving) a different experience than a user taking it and going on a stroll through the woods.

"The idea that one can pop a pill and have a spiritual experience (instead of context-free noise) is ridiculous."

On the contrary. There have been a number of studies which have provided evidence that psychedelics can, in fact, lead to spiritual or mystical experiences.[1][2][3][4][5]

Now, that isn't to say that when you take psychedelics you are guaranteed to have a spiritual or mystical experience (or any other kind of experience). The effects of these substances are just too varied, not well enough understood, and not fully under our control. However, you can prepare for and structure the experience such that the likelihood of spiritual or mystical experiences increases.

[1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday_Experiment

[2] - http://www.erowid.org/plants/mushrooms/mushrooms_journal2.sh...

[3] - https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/psilocybin/psilocybin_artic...

[4] - http://www.amazon.com/LSD-Spirituality-Creative-Process-Grou...

[5] - http://www.salon.com/2011/09/28/the_new_lsd_cure/

> The idea that one can pop a pill and have a spiritual experience (instead of context-free noise) is ridiculous. LSD seems to be a magnifying glass, so people who use it as part of their spiritual practice seem to get real benefit, but those who use it as a "party drug" are just magnifying crap and polluting their minds.

This is so much pompous bullshit.

That reminds me of a speech by Terence McKenna who has to be mentioned anywhere psychedelics are discussed ;)

If you like you can have a listen to this sample used in a song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDlbsgdXFxY

He has been sampled in numerous other songs, too, most of them are psychedelic ambient tracks. I also recommend anything you can find about him on youtube especially "Seeking the Stone"

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