Altering Your Mind
13 We first brought this topic up in the shamanism chapter, but it is diverse enough that it deserves a larger discussion of its own. 2In many instances, this refers to the use of drugs (either man-made or natural) to alter your level of consciousness to help in communicating with spirits. 3But you can change your state of consciousness in other ways as well, and they ll be mentioned later.
4From a historical standpoint, it is natural substances that are relevant, and that s what we ll be discussing in this section.
5Please note that this chapter is for informational purposes only and neither condones (nor condemns) the use of drugs for any purpose, including as a means of altering your mind for spiritual reasons. 6All of the drugs mentioned can have negative effects on your health if not treated with respect. 7Bear in mind also that they do not offer an express lane to the Divine.
Drugs and Substances
8Shamans from around the world have long used various types of herbcraft to help them connect with spirits and travel through the astral dimensions. gIn today s lingo, these types of substances are called entheogens.
1OTo try and outline the use of such substances through all the different shamanic cultures around the world would be impossible. 11Documented use of entheogens tends to be more prevalent in North and South America, but examples can be found in Africa and Asia as well. 12This could simply be due to the availability of psychoactive plants in these regions of the world.
Effects of Such Drugs
13While the idea of using drugs to open up one s mind for spiritual purposes is hardly unusual, many people aren t really clear on what they do or what the actual effects are. 14It s not as simple as ingesting a herb and immediately starting a personal conversation with God. 15Each one has its own unique impact on the mind and body, but there a few common elements. 16Most are hallucinogens, heightening the senses to the awareness of the non-physical, or at least presences that cannot be viewed by the naked eye.
17These experiences are drug-induced and are not necessarily going to be meaningful or spiritual in and of themselves. 18It takes training and practice to harness this altered state for more esoteric goals.
1g0ne could rationally argue that the visions and signs that a shaman receives under the influence of drugs have no meaning at all, but if you always take this approach, you ll never open your eyes to new and diverse concepts.
Specific Mind-Altering Drugs
2OThough we can t cover them all, there are some more common ones that should be mentioned in conjunction with the spiritual traditions that use them. 21Peyote is a well-known entheogen that many people in the general population have heard of, as it's a psychotropic drug used in some primitive cultures. 221t is the common name for a little spiny cactus that is common in Mexico and southern Texas, throughout the Chihuahuan Desert. 23The more technical name for the active substance is mescaline. 24Many shamans from this area have used peyote, and the Huichol people have a particularly powerful connection with it. 25They consider it to be on the same level as a deity and believe that its powers are the source of all things in creation.
26Next up are magic mushrooms , though shamanic cultures generally didn t refer to them in this way. 27They gained some popularity during the American drug culture of the 1970s and that tends to be how modern society still views them. 28There are many different species of mushroom that have hallucinatory effects, all due to the psilocybin compound they contain. 29Both hallucinogenic mushrooms and peyote are dried and then eaten or chewed to induce their effects.
30The drug cocktail known as ayahuasca is the final substance we are going to look at in any detail. 31Though you ve likely not heard of this one, it was a very common drink used by shamans in South America. 321ndians in Peru and along the Amazon River used this brew to bring on their altered states. 33Unlike the other two, this is a mix of substances rather than just a single herb, and is brewed much like a tea from a number of native plants. 34There are too many potential ingredients to list, but the main psychoactive compound is known as DMT (dimethyltryptamine). 35Like the others, this is a hallucinogen.
The Cosmic Serpent
36Jeremy Narby is an anthropologist who lived among the Ashaninca people (from the Peruvian Amazon) to study the ecology of the region. 37He ended up spending more time researching the ritual use of ayahuasca among the shamans. 38His book The Cosmic Serpent is an excellent look at shamanic practice in the Amazon, and how the use of ayahuasca is an important part of that. 39Though certainly not the only researcher to study the historical use of drugs in shamanism, Narby did make a great statement that describes the nature of ayahuasca among the people who use it:
“The central proposition that shamans make, is that nature is intelligent. Plants and animals are intelligent, and we can communicate with them. Ayahuasca is their number one tool for having this communication. Ayahuasca is considered to be a major plant teacher - no teacher is not intelligent. Ayahuasca is considered to be an intelligent being, and a source of intelligence, among other things about the intelligence in nature. (The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge)
400ther substances used by shamans or spiritual leaders through history include salvia, cannabis, opium, datura, tobacco, and many others. 41Unlike the hallucinogens, drugs like cannabis and opium are relaxants that reduce stress and allow you to clear your mind for spiritual pursuits.
Flying Ointment
42Though this chapter is primarily about drugs and shamanistic cultures, there is another well-known example of using such substances for spiritual gain. 43The flying ointment of medieval witchcraft in Europe is a similar type of hallucinatory substance. 44Myth tells of this ointment being used to create the infamous flying broom of a witch but the flying was of the metaphorical kind. 45The idea was that the salve was rubbed on the skin and the psychotropic compounds were absorbed that way, rather than by drinking. 46Traditional recipes for flying ointment contained such fearsome herbs as deadly nightshade, henbane and hemlock.
Non-Medicinal Approaches
47As we mentioned at the start of this section, there are other ways of changing your state of mind besides using drugs or herbs.
48Some other methods for bringing a change of consciousness include trances brought on by dancing, drumming, fasting or spending time in a sweat lodge. 49Drumming was traditionally one of the most common non-medicinal ways to bring on a trance or meditative state. 50Practitioners believed that repetitive sounds pulled your consciousness away from your physical state and allowed your mind to shift awareness to the astral world. 51This is very similar to the focusing-on-your-breathing technique described in the chapter on astral travel. 52The use of rattles or chanting is also said to bring about the same results.
The Use of Drugs Today
53Due to modern-day laws regarding these potent herbs and medicines, none of these substances are easy to acquire unless you are able to find them growing naturally. 54There are some exceptions for some of these substances due to their long history as religious tools. 55For example, peyote is completely legal in Canada, but the laws in the United States restrict its use to people who are legally registered as Native Americans. 56Laws regarding ayahuasca are still vague and several groups are currently fighting to create religious exemptions for its use.
57Modern drugs (such as LSD) are considered alternatives that could replace the more traditional substances. 581f you are going to utilise mind-altering substances in your spiritual quest, you should do plenty of research and take care when doing so.