FINAL #12
12. Are drugs and mysticism connected? Yes or No? Either way use thinkers from Rational Mysticism to support your answer.
even after finishing rational mysticism, i am still not convinced that the visions that people are experiencing whenever they use drugs or hallucinogens are spiritual experience. hallucinogens produces hallucinations, just like the name says, and despite all the report from the studies of these drugs, i am still not convinced that these hallucinations are more than just hallucinations. i have never tried one myself, but if some people who use these hallucinogens are seeing objects that they cannot perceive completely, then maybe what these people are seeing is not much different than the little toy telescope that has an changing pattern whenever the objective lens is twisted. as for the case of those who did see clear and rich details (as in the case of stranislav grof), it is still possible that the LSD probably acts just as an enhancer to one's imagination.
regardless of my personal opinion, john horgan makes it clear that a good number of people do believe that drugs can propel human beings into a higher state of spirituality. horgan claims that indians from the native american church consume peyote cactus as sacrament, and ayahuasca also serves similar purposes for some sects in brazil. huston smith claims that drugs can help people experience such a state of spiritual experience that it will lead the user to strengthen their faith in their religion. but these people who regard drugs highly also have oppositions like ken wilber who claims that meditation proves to be a much safer method to reach enlightenment, yet able to bring one to the level of spiritual experience no drugs can induce. then there are people like steven katz who claims that drugs users do not experience mysticism; they are experiencing their "own consciousness."
personally, i would agree with katz that people who ingest drugs are experiencing drug experiences, not mystical experiences. if they take that to be something mystical and use such experience to better themselves, then good for them. but otherwise, drugs and mysticism are not related. the closest relation drugs and mysticism can have is that drugs, especially hallucinogens, enhances the imagination of the user and lets the user experience something of abstract nature and open to interpretation. this experience is then usually interpreted as a mystical experience.
even after finishing rational mysticism, i am still not convinced that the visions that people are experiencing whenever they use drugs or hallucinogens are spiritual experience. hallucinogens produces hallucinations, just like the name says, and despite all the report from the studies of these drugs, i am still not convinced that these hallucinations are more than just hallucinations. i have never tried one myself, but if some people who use these hallucinogens are seeing objects that they cannot perceive completely, then maybe what these people are seeing is not much different than the little toy telescope that has an changing pattern whenever the objective lens is twisted. as for the case of those who did see clear and rich details (as in the case of stranislav grof), it is still possible that the LSD probably acts just as an enhancer to one's imagination.
regardless of my personal opinion, john horgan makes it clear that a good number of people do believe that drugs can propel human beings into a higher state of spirituality. horgan claims that indians from the native american church consume peyote cactus as sacrament, and ayahuasca also serves similar purposes for some sects in brazil. huston smith claims that drugs can help people experience such a state of spiritual experience that it will lead the user to strengthen their faith in their religion. but these people who regard drugs highly also have oppositions like ken wilber who claims that meditation proves to be a much safer method to reach enlightenment, yet able to bring one to the level of spiritual experience no drugs can induce. then there are people like steven katz who claims that drugs users do not experience mysticism; they are experiencing their "own consciousness."
personally, i would agree with katz that people who ingest drugs are experiencing drug experiences, not mystical experiences. if they take that to be something mystical and use such experience to better themselves, then good for them. but otherwise, drugs and mysticism are not related. the closest relation drugs and mysticism can have is that drugs, especially hallucinogens, enhances the imagination of the user and lets the user experience something of abstract nature and open to interpretation. this experience is then usually interpreted as a mystical experience.
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