The Doors Of Perception

[steve_bank]

https://www.holybooks.com/doors-perception-aldous-huxley/

Huxley's account of his experiences with mescaline, A subjective journey.

The band The Doors got the name from the book.

 

[none]

maybe enlightenment is drowning in your own vomit

 

[Valjean]

it's a powerful experience; a rebirth. The person going in will not be the person coming out.

 

[skepticalbip]

it's a powerful experience; a rebirth. The person going in will not be the person coming out.

Not arguable but the question is, will that "reborn" person have a better understanding of reality or an understanding that has been confused by the experience but which they mistakenly believe is clear.

 

[steve_bank]

it's a powerful experience; a rebirth. The person going in will not be the person coming out.

That represents what I call secular mysticism. Nothing wrong with that. I believe the Christian 'born again' experience is not limited to religion.

Timothy Leary went a bit off the deep end. He thought dosing the Earth with LSD would make the world a better place.

He represented the instinctual spiritual drug crowd. Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters represented the other side. For that read the Electric Koolaid Acid Test.

The two books represent polar opposite subjective responses to psychoactive drugs. I suppose the point of the OP.

 

[Treedbear]

And now, this ...
Security troops on US nuclear missile base took LSD

 

[Speakpigeon]

And now, this ...
Security troops on US nuclear missile base took LSD

Timothy for President! Timothy for President! Timothy for President! Uh? We already have him?

No problem. With guys like Kim and Vlad, nothing could possibly go wrong.

I guess everything is probably in order.
EB

 

[rousseau]

For a first time user of psychedelics I think there is a bit of 'whoa, it's possible to see things differently', with a hearty dose of 'I felt completely calm and at ease for a while'. You come out of the experience refreshed and rejuvenated with your new perspective in your back pocket, but the world remains essentially the same.

What I think differs from person to person is their interpretation of the experience, which usually ends up driving a world-view that probably already existed, whether secularism, or some other form of spirituality.

it's a powerful experience; a rebirth. The person going in will not be the person coming out.

Not arguable but the question is, will that "reborn" person have a better understanding of reality or an understanding that has been confused by the experience but which they mistakenly believe is clear.

This.

Lots of drug users who are hopelessly lost in their own head who think mentally altering their perspective somehow equals meaning.

To me the real doors to perception are books. Literally understanding the world around you. Some of the greatest relief I've gotten from my problems is literally just that: actual perspective.

 

[WAB]

https://www.holybooks.com/doors-perception-aldous-huxley/

Huxley's account of his experiences with mescaline, A subjective journey.

The band The Doors got the name from the book.

And Huxley got his title from William Blake.

Damn those Williams are just so freakin' amazing!

 

[Valjean]

For a first time user of psychedelics I think there is a bit of 'whoa, it's possible to see things differently', with a hearty dose of 'I felt completely calm and at ease for a while'. You come out of the experience refreshed and rejuvenated with your new perspective in your back pocket, but the world remains essentially the same.

What I think differs from person to person is their interpretation of the experience, which usually ends up driving a world-view that probably already existed, whether secularism, or some other form of spirituality.

it's a powerful experience; a rebirth. The person going in will not be the person coming out.

Not arguable but the question is, will that "reborn" person have a better understanding of reality or an understanding that has been confused by the experience but which they mistakenly believe is clear.

This.

Lots of drug users who are hopelessly lost in their own head who think mentally altering their perspective somehow equals meaning.

To me the real doors to perception are books. Literally understanding the world around you. Some of the greatest relief I've gotten from my problems is literally just that: actual perspective.

But we're talking about the Mystical Experience, not waking-stare knowledge. You're not going to get a direct experience of Qantum Reality from a book. You're not going to transcend time and space. You will not become God.

 

[rousseau]

For a first time user of psychedelics I think there is a bit of 'whoa, it's possible to see things differently', with a hearty dose of 'I felt completely calm and at ease for a while'. You come out of the experience refreshed and rejuvenated with your new perspective in your back pocket, but the world remains essentially the same.

What I think differs from person to person is their interpretation of the experience, which usually ends up driving a world-view that probably already existed, whether secularism, or some other form of spirituality.



This.

Lots of drug users who are hopelessly lost in their own head who think mentally altering their perspective somehow equals meaning.

To me the real doors to perception are books. Literally understanding the world around you. Some of the greatest relief I've gotten from my problems is literally just that: actual perspective.

But we're talking about the Mystical Experience, not waking-stare knowledge. You're not going to get a direct experience of Qantum Reality from a book. You're not going to transcend time and space. You will not become God.

That's true.

I would grant that psychedelics can be a starting point, but aren't necessary indefinitely.