I assume you don’t have a lot of experience with psychedelics, based on the fact that you believe these substances help you avoiding reality. Part of the recently re-discovered, therapeutical properties of psychedelics are due to the fact that they make you face your realities (and their general effect on the default mode network, of course).
Also, A. muscaria has been used for thousands of years, e. g. very likely as part of the Vedic Soma, or as ingredient in Haoma in Iran. The use of the mushroom has also been documented in Siberia, where, if your beliefs align with Alice Beck Kehoe, the only “real” shamans are located.
This is not a new development.
That being said, the effects of A. muscaria are probably not what people would think of when they think about psychedelics. As such, I don’t believe the majority of users would believe they are “connecting with the cosmos” in the first place.
Edit: Marketing the product as psychedelic alternative under the guise of allowing consumers to “connect with the cosmos” is a completely different (and despicable) beast, sure.
Nothing spiritual about it for me… My psychedelic exploration phase is largely behind me these days, but it was never about spirituality for me, and as someone who abhors magical thinking, I never once believed it was anything more than chemical reactions in my brain.
Which is what I found far more fascinating… Particularly with LSD, how a dose weighed in micrograms that is expelled from you body completely, through your urine, within an hour or two, can set off a switch in your brain that will cause your to experience 8-12 hours of intense psychedelic visuals and mind fucks that truly cannot be expressed in words.
It sucks that you never felt that curiosity about your own brain and what it is actually capable of.
LSD forced me to confront my traumatic experiences (I have a ptsd diagnosis). Did it have entheogenic effects? Yeah. But at the crux of the effect was an acute awareness of the reality I generally spend my life avoiding.
However, if your mind is already set that way and you don’t want to expand your knowledge on the topic, there is nothing to be gained by simply expressing your disagreement and inability to understand another viewpoint - none of that benefits our discussion, and people may feel offended by the stubborn and quick dismissal of their stance.
That being said, spirituality is not a faith. Etymologically, we could argue that spirituality is closely related to religion, to Christianity even, and the desire to bridge the gap between man and god. That’s not how the term is typically used nowadays and would in fact confuse many people who are not aware of its original meaning.
It is absolutely possible to still interpret spirituality in a religious context, but it is no longer necessary to do so. Many people consider themselves to be non-religious or atheist and still express confidence and trust in spirituality. What spirituality means for these people should be defined on a case by case basis, but it can simply be about becoming a better person, finding ways to be content (or even happy) in life, or to find a greater, existential meaning. None of these things are necessarily connected to faith or any idea of a pantheon, salvation etc.
I do not know where you get your ideas about spirituality, about psychedelics etc., but I must say I find those views somewhat antiquated and maybe a bit hostile - they remind me a bit of the criticism the Hippie movement faced, and they’re certainly not overly nuanced. I can only implore you to try and find something positive in those things, something that speaks to you and that you can accept - you don’t have to agree with the conclusion, the lifestyle, or any individual aspect of it, but any time someone dismisses an entire field / movement / idea etc., it’s probably time to step back a bit and reconsider. I feel that should also be true for both psychedelics and spirituality.
I assume you don’t have a lot of experience with psychedelics, based on the fact that you believe these substances help you avoiding reality. Part of the recently re-discovered, therapeutical properties of psychedelics are due to the fact that they make you face your realities (and their general effect on the default mode network, of course).
Also, A. muscaria has been used for thousands of years, e. g. very likely as part of the Vedic Soma, or as ingredient in Haoma in Iran. The use of the mushroom has also been documented in Siberia, where, if your beliefs align with Alice Beck Kehoe, the only “real” shamans are located.
This is not a new development.
That being said, the effects of A. muscaria are probably not what people would think of when they think about psychedelics. As such, I don’t believe the majority of users would believe they are “connecting with the cosmos” in the first place.
Edit: Marketing the product as psychedelic alternative under the guise of allowing consumers to “connect with the cosmos” is a completely different (and despicable) beast, sure.
I still didn’t see why people need to consume these things, but anyway maybe some kind of “spiritual” stuff…
If you think about it spiritual stuff sometimes it’s just a way to avoid the reality.
“I don’t know anything about the topic, but I have an opinion on it.”
Nothing spiritual about it for me… My psychedelic exploration phase is largely behind me these days, but it was never about spirituality for me, and as someone who abhors magical thinking, I never once believed it was anything more than chemical reactions in my brain.
Which is what I found far more fascinating… Particularly with LSD, how a dose weighed in micrograms that is expelled from you body completely, through your urine, within an hour or two, can set off a switch in your brain that will cause your to experience 8-12 hours of intense psychedelic visuals and mind fucks that truly cannot be expressed in words.
It sucks that you never felt that curiosity about your own brain and what it is actually capable of.
LSD forced me to confront my traumatic experiences (I have a ptsd diagnosis). Did it have entheogenic effects? Yeah. But at the crux of the effect was an acute awareness of the reality I generally spend my life avoiding.
You should try a little acid (as a treat) and report back.
I don’t need it, anyway if someone want to try I can still sell it 🤣🤣
People also don’t need cheese or cake, and they have it anyway.
Exactly… business is business…
Something inherently skeevy and untrustworthy about buying acid from someone so clearly and openly against the very idea of psychedelics.
Bad vibes.
That is perfectly fine, you do you.
However, if your mind is already set that way and you don’t want to expand your knowledge on the topic, there is nothing to be gained by simply expressing your disagreement and inability to understand another viewpoint - none of that benefits our discussion, and people may feel offended by the stubborn and quick dismissal of their stance.
That being said, spirituality is not a faith. Etymologically, we could argue that spirituality is closely related to religion, to Christianity even, and the desire to bridge the gap between man and god. That’s not how the term is typically used nowadays and would in fact confuse many people who are not aware of its original meaning.
It is absolutely possible to still interpret spirituality in a religious context, but it is no longer necessary to do so. Many people consider themselves to be non-religious or atheist and still express confidence and trust in spirituality. What spirituality means for these people should be defined on a case by case basis, but it can simply be about becoming a better person, finding ways to be content (or even happy) in life, or to find a greater, existential meaning. None of these things are necessarily connected to faith or any idea of a pantheon, salvation etc.
I do not know where you get your ideas about spirituality, about psychedelics etc., but I must say I find those views somewhat antiquated and maybe a bit hostile - they remind me a bit of the criticism the Hippie movement faced, and they’re certainly not overly nuanced. I can only implore you to try and find something positive in those things, something that speaks to you and that you can accept - you don’t have to agree with the conclusion, the lifestyle, or any individual aspect of it, but any time someone dismisses an entire field / movement / idea etc., it’s probably time to step back a bit and reconsider. I feel that should also be true for both psychedelics and spirituality.
People shouldn’t like anything I don’t like!