What do you guys think about drugs/alcohol?

[AJDIN]

Not so much the hallucinogen drugs but im talking speed, coke, alcohol


Is it OK to drink alcohol on the off occasion?

Has anyone had experiences where it effected your progress or awareness of APing?

[Xanth]

Alcohol?

One drink allows me to quiet my mind and focus "easier".
More than one... more than two sometimes... then my focus is gone.

[Dazino]

I've used many substances, and usually the purely euphoric "rush" drugs, such as meth and coke just distract the mind, and make it engage in vicious thought loops that you can't seem to let go of. Alcohol is pretty distracting as well, and too much makes you temporarily useless on a spiritual level, in my opinion. Downers, such as valium or the like can be useful, as it relaxes the mind greatly, and in my case, puts me in a state of heightened creativity and loosened energy; but again, it is easy to become lost in the euphoric vortex.

If you insist on taking any drugs at all, I'd say stick with the psychedelics, the tools that teach you things, rather than shut off your perceptions, or greatly distract you.

[Stookie_]

I would not recommend even one drink before practice, no matter how calm and relaxed or focused it makes you feel, simply because you don't want to associate drugs/alcohol with AP practice. Simple intuition should tell you this is not beneficial. The people that are the very best at AP would never recommend it.

I do drink myself (weekends only), and it's kept very distant from my practice.

[astraladdict]

Couple of drinks here and there are okay, drugs, no... No drinking or drug use before any spiritual work.. Addicts orders 

~astraladdict

[grzazek]

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[AJDIN]

No need for playa hating ^

Thanks for the reply guys but i meant for example if you want to progress with AP/OBE, is it OK if you ENJOY a weekend out in the city and getting drunk, will that effect your awareness?

[Orion-]

Couple of drinks here and there are okay, drugs, no... No drinking or drug use before any spiritual work.. Addicts orders 

~astraladdict

Alcohol is a drug as well, and it is much more harmful than some of the "hard" drugs. Same for nicotine/cigarretes.

Obviously I don't recommend drugs, but psychedelics a few times isn't harmful at all and it can help people to get closer to the higher self, so they can do it without the drugs more easily.

[Stookie_]

No need for playa hating ^

Thanks for the reply guys but i meant for example if you want to progress with AP/OBE, is it OK if you ENJOY a weekend out in the city and getting drunk, will that effect your awareness?

I'd say it's OK, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think complete abstinence from alcohol/drugs would be most beneficial. I don't know how much though... what can I say, I like good beer. And it's Friday. My spiritual life is most important, but I don't deprive myself from physical enjoyment either. For me, it's all about balance and moderation.

[Lexy]

I think it will set you back, its distracting....it changes your brain too...which makes it harder to get back to where you were. I think it effects you temporarily if you do it every now & then but if you are addicted or you need to get high or drunk every weekend then you might have other issues to worry about.

[Lionheart]

 I drink 1 maybe 2 beers a day. I also take Vicodin/Percocet 3 times a week for pain. Since I have learned Phasing I don't need as much pain killer anymore. I have acquired the skill of Phasing and leaving the pain in the Astral. The only time I was unsuccessful with a phase under the influence was when the Percocet knocked me right out cold and I slept while trying to Phase. That has happened 3 times in 6 months. I think you should see no difference at all if you enjoy a casual drink beforehand. I don't know with the smoking drugs thing though for I have never done that, at least since I was 17-18, now being 47 years old.

[Optic]

I'd say drugs that stimulate the central nervous system and overload your brain with reward chemicals such as dopamine are counter-productive towards spirituality, first of all these substances stimulate your nervous system so much; that a simple relaxation session becomes totally useless, on the comedown off of these drugs your body and mind will be in a disturbed state making spiritual practice close to impossible, so it would be better to ingest something useful like (organic not gm) fruits and vegetables instead.

Alcohol on the other hand may seem subtle when compared to cns stimulant drugs but that is mainly due to how it is portrayed by our society, alcohol can easily be abused; it seems to remove inhibitions temporarily which is a big problem if you are trying to cultivate ethical discipline and other disciplines to help you on your spiritual path, if your body is thirsty water is the best remedy

In my opinion mind altering substances should not be taken as a helping hand to spiritual advancement, there are other tools much better suited for this purpose, prayer or mantra recitations, meditation, concentration.. etc have alot more depth and have a longer lasting effect if done properly, will drugs ever help you reach for example the Samadhi state? Most likely not, and if in the unlikely chance that we do reach that state by ingesting a certain substance, what is the point if we cant do it straight-sober?

Has anyone had experiences where it effected your progress or awareness of APing?

Yeah, first of all drugs such as speed may make you seem like you are more alert and you may be while on the drug, but when the effects start to wear off your heading off towards the other direction, your awareness goes way below baseline and it has a very dream-like quality to it, definitely not as sharp. So you may be getting a few hours of "sharp alertness" but the price to pay for this is hefty, you may be recovering for days, weeks or if your unlucky.. months, some people struggle to recover for years after using such drugs, you may develop nervous twitches, paranoia and a whole host of negative behaviors that can stay with you for many many years.

Also CNS stimulants affect your sleeping pattern, your wide awake when you normally should be sleeping, waking up after sleep.. your body feels horrible, every movement is painful, thoughts loops around in your mind over and over like a broken record.

The problems that these drugs create will just add more obstacles for you in the long-run, its not worth the hassle. A lucid dream or astral projection achieved naturally produces a sense of well-being and awe that no drug can replicate.

[i smoke and drink coffee]

In my experience with drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, it is impossible to be spiritual while you are using them.  The reason is, after some years of using them, it becomes your life.  Instead of meditating, clearing the thoughts, and gaining a sharper perspective, your sub conscious motivation is always to smoke a cigarette.  When you are using the drugs, you feel great, and all that, but it's like some have said, the coming down off of the drugs takes a long time to recuperate from.

When I get up in the morning, the first thing that is on my mind is 'take a leak'.  After that, it's smokes, food, coffee, and internet.  Instead of remembering my dreams, my life is wholly involved with worthless drug abuse practices.

I've used speed before.  I don't know if I died and was resurrected or what happened, but I looked like I was seventeen when I used it.  And using it, time slows down, one cigarette lasts a half hour, and my mind becomes obsessed with potential romances.  I've never had the opportunity to use speed without 'certain people' or 'people I don't really like' being around me, so I don't know.  I do know that using speed made me very vulnerable on the physical level.

If you plan on mixing drugs with spirituality, you have to be as disciplined as a man can be!  You have to be like some kind of super monk that the drugs don't even effect.  Drugs will eventually consume your life, and you do become the typical 'drug addict begging and doing crazy stuff on the street'.  Perhaps using a drug for the purpose of enjoying drugs, I love weed, I always will.  But trying to mix drugs with a spiritual practice is a waste of time, imo.  It just distorts the entire experience of meditation and makes it seem like the drug is responsible for your heightened awareness.

I remember being a child and getting very high on just a simple deep breathing meditation.  Even heard the Universal OM.  You don't need drugs, so if you haven't started drugs, avoid them.  All you are missing is a hole in your wallet and a bad reputation.

Drugs can be fun, sure.  Even drugs and phantasy just corrupts or perverts the practice.  Saying that, perhaps it is time that I get off all this stuff.  On the other hand, even food can be a drug, even water can be a drug.  It's addiction, being a pig, gluttony, that's the problem.  Drugs replace ordinary life, and lead you away from true spiritual liberation.

[AJDIN]

I've used speed before.  I don't know if I died and was resurrected or what happened, but I looked like I was seventeen when I used it.  And using it, time slows down, one cigarette lasts a half hour, and my mind becomes obsessed with potential romances.  I've never had the opportunity to use speed without 'certain people' or 'people I don't really like' being around me, so I don't know.  I do know that using speed made me very vulnerable on the physical level.

Your a very interesting individual, you seem like you have insight (not trying to be a d*ck, just curious) But knowing how bad drugs are effecting you how come you still choose to do it?

And please elaborate on were you think you died, interesting

And to get a better understand i have taken drugs in the past, all sorts and i am over them because i feel they give me no benefit other then tie me down to the material plane and distract my progress

I was mostly asking because of alcohol, seeing as im young and have friends who go out every weekend, i dont want to be a hermit at home, but i dont drink much and can easily pull a sober night as i did usually when i went out alot

I guess everyones different and progress differently so its nice to hear peoples opinions

[i smoke and drink coffee]

Hello.

I continue to use drugs due to my life style choices... I have no friends, am an object of hatred by all who know me, and 'slow suicide' is the choice that I have made.  I am also addicted to them, mindlessly.  My spiritual work has been destroyed by those who put the spirit to sleep, though lately, I have been waking up slightly.

I thought I died just due to the change in my physical appearance.  One day, I was looking horrible, I went to sleep, I dreamt about my Magus, the next day, the plastic sheet was off of the couch and I woke with some strange man standing there.  I looked at myself, and I looked like a man, not like a boy, the head was bigger, I was taller, and such.

I love the feeling that weed gives me.  When I was younger, I used to sit down with a bag of weed and just sit there and smoke, and phantasy about meeting all these people from MSN.  I had many kinds of phantasy in those days, it wasn't a desperate bid to protect my inner realm and world.  But as time went on, and I became more tired, sick, and depressed, well, I did strange things.  Now I use them as a creative aid, but most of my mental activity is highly automated.

Drugs can make your spirit vulnerable.  Especially when you are dealing with bikers or hard core addicts.  They use the drugs to 'rope you in' and gain phase to phase control.  It's a deadly hypnosis.  On the flip side, casually or religiously, ... using drugs can have benefits, but using them in the way of pure addiction will always, like you say, 'tie you down to the material plane'.

And thank you for the compliment, at least I take it as a compliment.  When this message was loading my abundance of negative sentiments was actually gearing up for a fight!  Thank god, you weren't being a dinky, don't worry about it.

[grzazek]

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