“I sing the songs of the olden times, I sing the songs of the Sun. May my songs reach everywhere, even out to the highest heavens. “ – Svetasvatara Upanishad
Since the publication of Michael Pollan’s book, there has been a tremendous amount of attention focused on the the capacity of psychedelic to treat mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety, addiction and OCD. Their ability to treat these afflictions has been supported by a tsunami of scientific data that goes back to the 1950’s. This will be the focus of the mental health industry, however alleviating psychological distress is a by product of a much greater potential that psychedelics hold. In the right circumstances, psychedelics can inspire mystical experiences that create the two most potent experiences in human consciousness, awe and joy.
The narrowing of the aperture of consciousness is the source of most suffering. Our moment to moment identity is constructed of memories of experiences that tighten our self definitions, and focus our attentions. We create coping strategies that over time harden into an apparent solid state of being. However there is much more to each one of us than this, and it is this expansion past our conditioned self perceptions and limitations where psychedelics hold their greatest potential both individually and collectively.
Our stasis is our prison. Our willingness to reinforce the limitation of our conscious state with our thoughts and actions is the source of almost all psychological suffering. Our culture of secular materialism blinds us to, and discourages the greatest capacities we possess. In the proper circumstances, psychedelics can be used to dismantle a lifetime of conditioning. When this conditioning gives way to the experience of awe and joy and the connection to universe that is physically ten billion light years wide and infinite in its non physical quantum extension, many of the symptoms that accompany this limited conditioning get removed like summer sidewalk dust during a rainstorm.
Psychedelics are not just for the mentally ill or suffering. They can be used for tools for the well being of healthy and inspired people, and they can remove blocks to well being. For the betterment of well people, they can provide experiences that are inspiring, informative, and life changing. The significance of these experiences, and their capacity to inspire real change in people should not be underestimated, or camoflaged by the mental health industry’s claiming psychedelics for themselves. Psychedelics have the capacity to create transformative and inspiring experiences and insights, in creative, healthy and visionary people. They actually have the capability to expand these capacities. These potentials should not be underestimated.