altered state of consciousness

[zee]

What is altered state of consciousness? Has any one experienced it ? How do you achieve it? What does it feel like?

[pgrmdave]

This is an interesting topic, but it has the potential to fall into a discussion of illegal drugs. While this forum is very tolerant of many topics, we would appreciate that open discussion of illegal drug use be avoided.

[InfiniteNow]

It's a tough question too because we really do not understand consciousness, itself a very dynamic and often complex topic. However, generally when one uses the term, they are referring to the effects of some illicit drugs (sorry prgrmdave...gonna be tough to avoid that topic with a question like this, but I completely understand your point), and also meditation or spiritual/religious influences.

The easy answer is that it is mental awareness of being in the present in such a way that is different fundamentally from your normal day-to-day experience. To say "what it feels like," is like asking "what does Parprikash taste like?" Different for everyone...

An altered state of consciousness could result from something as simple as going from your living room into the outdoors. What does it mean to you, zee?

[orbsycli]

Originally Posted by zee

What is altered state of consciousness? Has any one experienced it ? How do you achieve it? What does it feel like?

Us humans can interact with our planet by inducing her entheogens.
There are plants, animals, and fungi that occur all over the world (just like we do) that when crossed with the human body/brain/mind,

one will experience an altered state of consciousness.

What's sad is,
the government has tried to make some of these entheogenic substances ILLEGAL.

For example,
psilocybe mushrooms.

If you were to ingest some of these little fungi's,
not only would you be doing something illegal
But you would be experiencing something amazing.
Your Brain On Overdrive.

Psychedelic chemicals are short-cuts with knowledge, experience.
Our relationship with them is very complex
and MISUNDERSTOOD.

it feels like your whole body is resonating in tune with the vibrations of the universe.



There are many different ways to experience an altered state of consciousness,

Another way to do it is meditation (Which IMO, and in the opinion of many others before me, goes quite well with the use of natural entheogenic substances)

Stay up for as long as you can,
that's an altered state of consciousness....

Don't be afraid to seek,
listen to your instincs
and you might just find yourself
wanting to put a mask on
and dance around a fire
with drums, blazing
everybody smiling.

stars melting into your glass of the sacred Cactus juice...

Do not stop at the gates.

Yes, there are illegal drugs out there that will destroy you slowly with a horrible addiction,
like heroin, methamphetamines, cocaine, PCP, crack
and that's about all I can think of at the moment.

If you would like to do some research into our human relationship with earth and the entheogens we can interact with on earth
go to www.erowid.org

P.s. The LSD vaults are my favorite...

[zee]

Originally Posted by InfiniteNow

It's a tough question too because we really do not understand consciousness, itself a very dynamic and often complex topic. However, generally when one uses the term, they are referring to the effects of some illicit drugs (sorry prgrmdave...gonna be tough to avoid that topic with a question like this, but I completely understand your point), and also meditation or spiritual/religious influences.

The easy answer is that it is mental awareness of being in the present in such a way that is different fundamentally from your normal day-to-day experience. To say "what it feels like," is like asking "what does Parprikash taste like?" Different for everyone...

An altered state of consciousness could result from something as simple as going from your living room into the outdoors. What does it mean to you, zee?

i dont know. i guess i have never experienced it. that is why i want to know what is it exactly. should i try using drugs?will the meditation be enough?

what kind of meditation?how do i do it?

[zee]

[QUOTE=orbsycli]we do) that when crossed with the human body/brain/mind,

one will experience an altered state of consciousness.

What's sad is,
the government has tried to make some of these entheogenic substances ILLEGAL.

cant the drug be regulated like the others?

For example,
psilocybe mushrooms.

is that where LSD comes from?

If you were to ingest some of these little fungi's,
not only would you be doing something illegal
But you would be experiencing something amazing.
Your Brain On Overdrive.

what is that like , the over drive thing?

Psychedelic chemicals are short-cuts with knowledge, experience.

how is it a short cut to knowledge and experience?

it feels like your whole body is resonating in tune with the vibrations of the universe.

sounds like somthing good to me.

Another way to do it is meditation (Which IMO, and in the opinion of many others before me, goes quite well with the use of natural entheogenic substances)

will meditation work alone?

Stay up for as long as you can,
that's an altered state of consciousness....

i've tried that and cant stop laughing when i am too sleepy(i dont know what to call it).

If you would like to do some research into our human relationship with earth and the entheogens we can interact with on earth
go to www.erowid.org

P.s. The LSD vaults are my favorite...

Thanks orbsycli .
How do these drugs destroy you?

I dont understand the, Us humans can interact with our planet by inducing her entheogens, part.

[orbsycli]

Originally Posted by zee

i dont know. i guess i have never experienced it. that is why i want to know what is it exactly. should i try using drugs?will the meditation be enough?

what kind of meditation?how do i do it?

I do not advise anybody to "do drugs"

I DO though advise you to read through erowid.org
just surf thru that website and read about the different entheogens
earth has to offer (that we've discovered)

There are also vaults regarding spirituality, and dancing even. rather than "drugs"

IMO, meditation is not enough!
Although it feels nice to chime in,
to gather perspectives
and to open my eyes to a wake.

Know what you seek,
knowledge about anything, really.

[InfiniteNow]

zee,

You should follow your own path. Don't do things because others think that you should, or because you want to be like others. Experience in the world comes in many forms, and you will make mistakes. That's okay as long as you learn from them. IF you decide to try drugs, be sure you are around people you trust and who will care for you if something goes ary. Leave any dumb ass non-compassionate friends behind.

Meditation is good because it helps you realize that, despite what you've ingested, the experience is always within you so you can reach it anytime you want with just a little practice.

For me, right now, my state of consciousness has altered because a moment ago I was angered by an ignorant post, and now I'm responding to you with nothing but good intention. There's a saying that life is what you make of it. Your "state of consciousness" is exactly the same way.


Nothing like a smile to brighten your day. Cheers.

[orbsycli]

mr. now brings up a very important topic:

Setting.

When altering your state of consciousness, your Setting is Key.
Your setting will determine how comfortable you will be, it will affect your mood, too.
Walk thru a house, or anywhere, and just FEEL how different it feels to be in certain spots.

And not only places will FEEL different,
but try different positions.
sit, stand, or lay in different places,
and you'll notice a strange new perspective, and feel, of those few moments in that certain spot.

The feeling is like a stamp in your memory, and in the dimensions of time and space.

[orbsycli]

Originally Posted by zee

is that where LSD comes from?

No, psilocybe mushrooms have Psilocybin, and psilocin as psychedelic alkaloids.

what is that like , the over drive thing?

It's like experiencing MONTHS of thoughts,
days of thinking
compressed into just a few hours.
It's so insanely enlightening..

how is it a short cut to knowledge and experience?

I have no idea how psychedelic chemicals work in our bodies, All I know is what I observe...
And I observe on over drive! the brain works so insanely faster,
Your unconscious becomes conscious
and you can LEARN just by THINKING.

You can do that always,
Some entheogenic substances just severely intensify this process, though.
[/quote]

sounds like somthing good to me.

There's a balance.
For example,
If you did acid every day of your life for years,
you would severely wear down on your neurons (Like moving your arm severely fast for years straight, the cartilige in your joints are going to be GONE)
As a shaman I can say that these things are marvelous in moderation.
I try to visit the spiritual world every full moon,
or every other.

will meditation work alone?

Find out for yourself

i've tried that and cant stop laughing when i am too sleepy(i dont know what to call it).

Sounds like you're just happy

Thanks orbsycli .
How do these drugs destroy you?

These drugs do not destroy me (I don't touch them),
but they destroy the people who do them because some drugs like heroin are physically addictive, and build up a tolerance.
You'll be doing more and more to get the same high,
and eventually you'll shoot up so much you'll just DIE!
Opiates make you feel good,
but their addictive properties are not very attractive...

I dont understand the, Us humans can interact with our planet by inducing her entheogens, part.

Well,
I, as an animal,
can go out into the forest and identify a certain psychedelic fungi.
This psychedelic fungus is considered an entheogen.

Any sort of plant, animal, fungus, or chemical synthesized in a lab THAT IS PSYCHOACTIVE is considered an entheogen.

and by simply eating that silly little mushroom,
I'm interacting with earth
in one of the weirdest ways possible....

After all,
And I Do mean
AFTER ALL
There will be creatures everywhere in the universe
experiencing what Don Juan liked to call "Nonordinary Reality"

I do not advise you to go "shroom hunting" though,
that was just an example.
You could die if you ate the wrong mushroom!

I just referred to earth as "her"