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April 25 - August 28, 2021
“To most people who are even moderately experienced with entheogens, concepts such as awe, sacredness, eternity, grace, agape, transcendence, transfiguration, dark night of the soul, born- again, heaven and hell are more than theological ideas; they are experiences.”
This book summary
Entering into the world of time thus entails “original sin” as separation, though not necessarily as “fallen” or guilt-ridden.
They are not considered drugs of dependence since compulsive drug-seeking is not associated with them. Neither reliable self-administration in animal studies nor any detectable withdrawal syndromes have been observed.
Most current researchers who are working with psychedelic substances would rather err on the side of being overly cautious, even overprotective, than risk any potentially adverse event that might conceivably necessitate pausing or halting research while investigations are conducted.
As the ego approaches its dissolution and when it begins to be reconstituted, however, the nonverbal structure of the music may provide significant support.
Research protocols usually provide several hours for integration after a psychedelic session occurs to help to ensure safety and to continue to solidify potentially beneficial responses. Yet the process of integration for many people continues for months, years, and even decades as psychological and spiritual growth advances.
There rarely appears to be a category of “responsible use”; possession alone is usually assumed to imply “abuse.”
when we eventually find ourselves lying on our deathbeds, we all have to come to terms with an ultimate dependency on realities far greater than our egos.
Unlike psychedelic substances, it rarely if ever provides insights or knowledge relevant to personal and spiritual growth. Also, unlike psychedelic substances, alcohol is physically addictive and causes physiological damage. Now if psychedelic sacraments have the capacity to awaken us to genuinely spiritual knowledge, why would any government fear them, declare them illegal, and go so far as to threaten imprisonment of people who may find certain species of mushrooms growing in their yards?
