Psychedelics and Religious experience

Psychedelics and Religious experience:
The Sacred Use of Plant Medicine

The fire burned hot. The cold was bone-deep and almost unbearable. It was the middle of winter. What was I doing out here?

My life felt out of control and I needed to clear my head. I came to the woods for a plant medicine fire ceremony with the mushroom as my ally. In the deepening night, exposed to the elements, I felt exhilarated, wide awake, and fully present.

There was no sound except the crackle of the fire. Everything was awash in the shimmering light of a full moon. As the medicine opened my mind, the night slowly came alive. The trees seemed to lean in, silent sentinels watching and listening. I gazed in wonder at the moon shining bright and ethereal in the frigid air. The Earth was a giant cathedral without walls or roof, stark and beautiful. I knelt motionless beside the fire, oblivious to the cold, mesmerized by the stillness.

An overwhelming presence filled the air. It came down from above, up from below, and through the fire. The ground trembled and the sky hummed a gentle vibration. Everything solid around me became a very slow-moving liquid in constant flow, replenished by an invisible, intelligent source of power and creativity.

I was in awe of the incredible energy required to maintain this earthly reality in existence.

The presence came into my mind and held my attention. It wanted me to listen, but for what I didn’t know. I felt a hand gently grasp my face and turn it upward. A sense of gratitude so deep welled up in me and tears sprang to my eyes. Slowly I reached into my basket of herbs–sage, sweetgrass, tobacco and cedar–and offered a blessing to the fire. Out of my mouth tumbled words of appreciation, barely audible in the thin cold air. As the smoke billowed upward I fanned the smoke all around and bowed my head. I was grateful to be in the presence, grateful to be alive. All my problems vanished into the fire, leaving me at peace.

The memory of that extended moment in time is etched upon my mind. It felt sacred. I’m certain God visited me that night.

The Psychedelic Experience is a Spiritual Journey

Psychedelic Meaning

Our ability to feel the connection with God, Great Spirit, Creator, Source feels greatly enhanced. It awakens the desire to know our true spiritual nature and exercise the discipline and devotion necessary to cultivate that relationship.

The impetus to enter into the world of psychedelics often comes as a calling. Responding to the call is a decisive moment, a movement toward authenticity and ultimately healing. It’s the willingness to examine our beliefs and question everything we have been taught, told, or given.

Intuitively we know there is more to life beyond the compelling constructs of the material world. Something stirs within us, a great yearning, a longing for connection to our sacred Self.

Leading neuroscientist and founding Director of the John Hopkins Center for Psychedelic Consciousness Research, the late Dr. Roland Griffiths declared, the future of psychedelics is spiritual.

The focus of psychedelics in the public domain has been primarily focused on treatment, but that perspective is shifting to the psychological and spiritual benefits for healthy people. The effects most sought after are transpersonal, beyond the limits of personal identity. It’s the exploration of expanded states of consciousness and spiritual insights that transcend the ego.

Psychedelics as Sacrament

Indigenous cultures around the world on every continent have a long history of using psychedelics as sacraments in religious ceremonies and spiritual practices.

These substances, derived from plants or fungi, were believed to have the ability to facilitate communication with the divine and provide insights into the nature of reality. The rituals surrounding their use were a means to connect with the spiritual realm to seek guidance and wisdom. Psychedelics were instrumental in the early development of many world religions.

Psychedelics thin the veil of perception allowing us to perceive beyond ordinary everyday reality to reach a deeper level of awareness. We transcend the barriers to our innermost world and allow a more authentic expression of who we are to emerge. Our sense of connection with an animating creative intelligence is amplified. Psychedelics help us to think outside the box of conventional religion for a deeper examination of our most deeply held beliefs.

Sacred Journey

My early experiences with plant medicine were often intense and emotional. In the woods, around a ceremonial fire, I’d stomp and rage and grieve for things I both knew and didn’t know. I became intimately familiar with my inner voice. In quieter more contemplative moments I’d scribble a rapid inner dictation into my journal.

Psychedelics helped me to follow the labyrinthine twists and turns of my own mind. Revelatory moments of insight as well as darker encounters within my psyche led me to a deeper understanding of who I am. These experiences gave me a new language of cosmic and spiritual authenticity. Words I wouldn’t normally use became the only words that could adequately describe my experience. These sessions changed the way I viewed the human condition. As a result I became more loving and accepting of myself as well as others.

One word captured the experience: sacred.

Psychedelics provide a sacred path that opens the mind and heart. The psychedelic journey reveals what we most need to see about ourselves and helps us transcend the obstacles that block our awareness of peace and joy in everyday experience. We reclaim what is sacred by responding to a deeper spiritual calling in our lives.

Radical Rebellion

The psychedelic experience is difficult to put into words. The direct experience of journeying into uncharted territory often defies rational explanation. It’s like recalling a dream with aftereffects that have real-life consequences.

Psychedelics help us to gain a depth of clarity not ordinarily available in our mundane, everyday world. They give us a break from the daily grind and allow time for a reset, a chance to reorient ourselves to what we value most, to catch a glimpse of who we truly are and what we want in our lives. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with what is sacred. We don’t have to go searching somewhere else for what is already within us waiting to be revealed.

A radical act of rebellion is to disengage from the drama matrix of our culture. Social pressures and the distorted narratives generated by mainstream media create a chronic state of conflict. Stepping back from the warp of the conventional world takes courage.

We are responsible for creating our reality. When we become more aware of what no longer serves us or the people around us, we are willing to change, to choose a different way of responding to our environment.

Strengthening our relationship with Source is devoted work and surrender is a powerful act of will. The bond is there awaiting our rediscovery. Psychedelics take us on a spiritual journey of awakening to the truth of our being. Integrating the experience of this transformation into our daily lives in tangible ways helps us to change and grow. The spiritual journey is one of continuous integration.