Drugs and Spirit Medicine

Vedic Worldview

Humans have been using substances to have ‘extraordinary experiences’ for millenia.

Sometimes this is motivated by a simple sense of curiosity, and at other times it might be to ‘fill a void,’ while in other cases it might be motivated by a promise of an elusive ‘spiritual experience.’

In some cases it leads to addiction and dependence, while in others it might just be a bucket-list experience that someone moves on from.

In this episode, Thom takes a non-judgemental look at the motivation and impact of such experiences, and outlines an alternative approach, one that’s more sustainable and that leads to a ‘permanent high’ that most people couldn’t even conceive of.

Episode Highlights:

[00:40] The Desire to Belong

[02:29] Tribal Life

[04:27] A Sense of Identity

[06:00] Join the Club

[07:14] Human Beings Crave Variety

[08:33] The Nature of the Knower

[09:51] Badge of Rank

[11:29] The Difference Between a Cult and a Religion

[12:39] Shibboleth

[13:25] Drugs

[14:35] Why Drugs Work

[15:59] Endogenous Chemicals

[18:03] The Prime Directive of the Body

[19:32] Ayahuasca, LSD, THC

[21:13] Mimicking Molecules

[22:44] Lizards on LSD and Psychotic Dogs

[24:31] The Confused Body

[26:23] Sublimation and Addiction

[27:47] An Overload of Experience

[29:35] Premature Cognitive Commitments

[31:10] Psychedelic Experiences

[33:11] Where Are the Icons of Drug Use?

[35:19] A Sustainable Systematic Approach

[37:32] What About Soma?

[38:30] Vedic Meditation - A Better Methodology

[39:44] An Overload of Experience

[41:21] Supreme, Inner Contentedness

[43:01] An Experience of Self

[44:57] Our Body is a Drug-Producing Machine

[46:19] Unsustainable Ways to Extraordinary Experiences

[47:26] The 4/20 Club and Counterfeit Substances

[49:13] Consciousness-Led Experiences

[50:35] A Perpetual Psychedelic State

[51:59] Learning the Sustainable Way

[53:28] Being in the Tribe

[54:29] A Regular Daily Practice

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