Entheogens

On occasion, I look around at various blogs and I am amazed at how much discussion still goes on about what are now called entheogens.

The word means, almost literally, agents enabling the finding of God within. In the old days, we called them hallucinogens and I would have thought that, by now, they would have gone the way of the dodo and the passenger pigeon. LSD. mescaline, Dom. MMDA, and psilocybin were the usual, but, now, the big deal seems to be ayahuasca, a concoction native to South America.

Use of these substances does not show you the 'face of God.' All they do is show you, in a confused, uncontrollable way, the way your mind works and how it perceives and interacts with the World. Ken Kesey, who certainly knew his way around these substances, said that all they really did was turn up the volume, and that's about right.

Now if your mind is fixed on spiritual matters, you may have a profound spiritual experience under the influence. The problem is that you will have trouble concentrating and remembering after and, your vision still must be interpreted and the drugs do not help with that. In fact, they are a hindrance.

Ayahuasca contains a load of DMT, a deeply deranging drug. Yes, it is found naturally in the brain, but we have no idea why and it is not a great idea to overload the brain with it. Remember, we also produce endorphins (internal opiates) and endocannabinols ( similar to marijuana's active ingredients) and you do not want to overload on either weed or opium.

Everyone seems infatuated with the fact that, on DMT, you meet many 'spirit beings." Now, I believe in spirit beings but, trust me, they are not all the same. Some are malevolent, some benign; some brilliant, some sort of dumb; and many are Tricksters. loving to prank humans. Humans must be careful in dealing with spirits and having your head full of incredibly powerful drugs does not promote care.

I hate the term entheogen. We used to call them hallucinogens, but they often produce no hallucinations. The other term was psychedelic, which means 'mind manifesting,' but since the mind is always manifesting, that is a rather silly term. Mind altering is the best term.

To those who view these chemicals as some sort of spiritual aid, let me remind them that LSD was a favorite drug of Charles Manson and the Hell's Angels. That should give you some idea of the spiritual efficacy of these wretched substances.

Again, I thought this subject would have been closed long ago, but, it won't go away. Do not use these substances. If you want to commune with God, ask, and If God wants you, believe me, you will be contacted.

Watch Your Speech

I have, at times, been possessed of a foul mouth and, having a big voice, folks often thought that I was far grumpier than I am. Profanity is, by definition, a crude form of communication.

The way you use the language says a lot about you. It also tells you a lot about yourself. Toning down your use of harsh language is an excellent way to tone down your temper. You find yourself thinking before you speak and, much of the time, you will catch yourself about to say something either a) stupid or b) needlessly cruel or c) something you really don't mean. Controlling what comes out of your mouth is a way of gaining incite into how you go through your day and how you interact with the World around you. Jesus said that man is condemned, not by what goes into his mouth, but by every word that comes out.

Mind you, I am still not saintly. I know no one who is and I am not sure I would want to be. I still, if sufficiently provoked, will let fly a stream of profanity that is actually kind of impressive. But, I do this less and less every day. By slowing down and thinking before I spout off, I n that I really am not all that upset. The angry reaction is mostly just a bad habit.

Something as simple as watching your language is an excellent meditation, easy to practice, and you will benefit immediately.

Questioning

It is part of our nature to question almost everything. Folks sometimes equate faith with blind obedience and that is a horrible mistake. Faith is trust. If you trust that your Creator has your best interests in mind and that, ultimately, this insanity we see in the World will work itself out, that is faith and that is fine.

On the other hand, if you question just how all this works out and just what has happened to bring us to these odd times, that to is fine. You simply are using the clues provided by history and science to solve the mystery. There are those who deny our rights to even question this, insisting on unfounded belief in what we are told by past thinkers. This is to ask us to deny our humanity and it is not acceptable.

We have among our ancestors, predators, hunters. Hunters, by there very nature, think. They solve problems and those problems change every time they set out. Weather, the population of their prey, their own physical condition are all constantly changing. Hunting thus becomes a mystery, where they string together the various clues the environment gives them. This is part of who we are.

Few of us hunt these days, so we turn our brains to the pursuit  of ideas. To ask us not to do thins is to deny a part of the nature our Creator gave us. We must try to solve our various existential mysteries and to deny this is to shut off part of who we are.

Now, will we solve those mysteries? No, absolutely not because the Ultimate source of creation is beyond us, unknowable to humans, except in limited ways. But, that does not matter. Attempting to figure things out is the fun part.

Ego

As you read through the writings of the so-called New Age theologians, you get the idea that having an ego is a bad thing. I say so-called because all of what they write is just very watered down Eastern thought  mixed with up dated Theosophy and a dash of very bad science.

First of all, the ego, itself a term created by psychologists, is a slippery concept. It is your sense of self; your experience of your identity as a separate individual. Well, we are all separate individuals. That is simply the way things are. At one level.

It is also true that we are all linked, that each and every being in the Universe has a deep connection to every other being. That makes us a bit of a paradox, but what is, is what is.

To denigrate the ego is to misunderstand Creation. If God wanted every being to be the same, then that is how things would be and it would be a rather pointless existence. It is the dynamic, the energy, from the tension resulting from the interplay of individuals, that drives this Grand show.

The ego is not a problem. Without a sense of self, you would not likely survive and if you did, it would be a bland existence. An out of balance ego is. If you are completely overwhelmed by your own brilliance and beauty, then you have a problem and you are a problem for others.  But, guess what? Even those imbalances are necessary because they, in their own way, drive the Show.

So, go ahead and enjoy your life and pursue your own interests. Just try to balance that with the knowledge that you are tied to all other beings. You'll be fine. Stay away from half baked theology and psychobabble and you'll be fine.

Respect

This is not a political blog and I will never change that. However, on the day we are Inaugurating a new and extremely controversial President, I will speak of respect.

We are all children of our Divine Creator and we can and must acknowledge that by respecting each other. Respect breeds manners, which in turn creates an atmosphere conducive to dialogue. Dialogue is not screaming idiotic slogans and hurling threats. It is not attempting to shut down conversations over our disagreements.

Without respect, families are impossible and become nightmarish traps. Businesses do not work well without a respectful attitude shared by management and workers. Mutual respect is a huge part of team sports and a cornerstone of successful education.

People disagree and that is fine so long as the various sides are respectful. I have seen many business debates result in unexpected and successful solutions to problems. So, every one out there in American and around the World, chill out. You may disagree with the incoming Administration. You may think them personally unlikeable. That is 100% okay, as long as you deal with them with respect. Of course, they need to show you the same respect in return.

We are all God's children and, as such, we must treat each other with respect and dignity. To do less, is to insult our Creator.

Humor and God

All  too often, religious discussions, ceremonies and sermons are very heavy, very somber and deadly serious. Sometimes, we seem to believe that our Creator is a dour, gloomy being, who wants us to be struggling through this World of woe, this veil of tears.

In a word, no. I do not. cannot, and will not, believe that God intended us to go through these very short lives in such a somber state. This World is glorious, beautiful, and full of fun. We should revel in its abundance and beauty and have as much fun as we can possibly have.

Yes, work is important (although, once you get the hang of it, you can look on work as fun, as a game). Yes, life has sorrowful moments. But, these travails just set the stage for times of joy.

If a loved one dies, of course you mourn, but you need not mourn forever. You may iss them for the rest of your life and you may feel a twinge of sadness when you think of them, but why not remember all th good times you had together. All your mourning will not bring them back, but, remembering the good times you had together can, in a way, bring them almost back.

It's your choice. You can go through your life sober and somber, stern and unsmiling. Or, you can put on a smile, have some fun and enjoy your time. Just don't make the mistake of thinking that God does not admire good humor. You want to avoid humor that is overly cruel, but not all humor is mean. You can find a world of things to laugh about that are completely benign.

Do Not Let the Past Trap You

The past is always with us. You and I are products of our past experiences. There is no way around that.

The problem comes when you let your past trap you. It is nice to remember the good things in tour life and it is useful to learn from past experience, but, all too often, I see people who just cannot escape their history.

You are alive now. Any past even that haunts you, be it blissful or traumatic, is a phantom, a ghost. Ghosts haunt people, but they only have power when we give it to them. Let them go. If Aunt Sally hurt your feelings at a family picnic when you were 4 years old, so what. If Uncle Fred called you a dummy after you accidently broke his favorite fishing rod and your Dad whacked tour butt for it, what does it matter now.

It is nice to look back on life's pleasures, but do not become so lost in them that you ignore today. You can learn from yesterday's pain, but please do not keep reliving them. Life, here and today, is what you have, Before you know it, today is gone. Do not let yesterday's ghosts trap you.

Trust is a 2 Way Street

We are taught and advised to be forgiving and I will not argue with that. Trust is another matter.

If someone steals from me, I will forgive them. No problem. But, will I then trust them?

Maybe yes, maybe no. Eventually, probably. They first have to give me a reason to and that can only come with time and a demonstration of their change.

What brings this to mind is our new President, Donald Trump. Trump, by all testimony and by his own admission, has done some fairly despicable things. He should, without question, be forgiven, It will do neither him, nor anyone else, any good to hold things against him.

He says that he has learned from mistakes and has changed. Maybe. Only time will tell. If he shows evidence of change, by his behavior, not just words, then trust can and should be established. Until then, we are within our rights to wait and see. There are conmen who will work the same con again and again, andwe need to be careful when dealing with them.

But, given demonstrations of change, we learn to trust. However, always keep in mind that trust is a 2 way street. No one can ask trust without establishing reasons to trust.

Go Softly

As we rush through our days, it is all too easy to grow harsh. Yelling, cursing and bulling our way through the world has become a rule of life in our hectic modern times. We all fall into this behavior and, it needs to stop. Or. at least. ease off.

If you are confident in your self, if you are centered, you do not need to be that aggressive and harsh. You should not let others force you to become that way. Our recent Presidential elections were a disgusting display of irrational temper, brutal backbiting, and cruel, tasteless humor.. In my years of working, all too often, I saw employer-employee relations degenerate into such dysfunctional modes.

When discussions reach the point of bitter argument, all sides have lost. Step back, calm down, and be cool. Stay away from harsh words and screaming. If others won't follow, walk away, because not only will nothing be solved, other problems will develop,

Elijah heard  God, not as a tempest, not as an earthquake, but as a 'still. soft Voice.' Slow down, think, and make yourself quiet. In the long run, your life, and the life of those around you, will be much better.

A Request

I'm taking time out today, from my usual ranting and babbling, to ask for a bit of help. No, this is not a request for money, but I have a situation.

I live in Brunswick, Ga, with my long time friend, Deb. We wish to move to N. Georgia, near, but not in Atlanta. This is just not a good place for us to live.

However, in this town, there are no train stations, no Greyhound stations, the only airport is for small private planes, and we have no car. Neither of us, due to vision issues, can curretntly drive.

We would like suggestions on how we might get to N. Georgia. We do not have a lot of belongings and we would be more than happy to pay for transport.

If you have any suggestions, please contact me. If anyone knows the feasibility of using Uber for long trips, your comments would be welcome. If you, or someone reliable who you know, wish to make a little money for about a 7 hour drive , please contact me. Contact me at wrightjohn996@yahoo.com.

Joy

There are countless religious beliefs on this Planet and I have noticed that many, whether they be Eastern or Western, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu, are none to cheery. They have a certain distaste for life.

All too often, religious leaders bemoan life as a series of trials winding through our sojourn in this vale of tears. This needs to stop.

Yes, life is, at times sad and we are tested. If that is upsetting, all I can say is get over it. It's just a part of life and if you are concentrating on that, you have some issues to work on. Only a wee, young child expects sunshine and lollipops all the time. If things were always sweetness and light, this life would be intolerably boring.

A religion that does not bring joy, should be discarded. A religious leader who goes on at length about what rotten sinners we all are, should be removed from the pulpit.

Life, in spite of its many problems, is a joy to be celebrated. When you can manage this, you can deal with the downturns with far less problem. In your darkest times, look closely and I will assure you that somewhere in there you will see a spark of light.

Cultural Context and Religion

I heard today, in passing, some minister, on some TV show, talking about the need to start stressing the Gospel again. He seemed like a decent guy, and I certainly have great interest in the Gospels, but, when I heard him start mentioning a few points, I became a bit discouraged.

We do not seem to ever learn one important lesson. You cannot read the Gospels without understanding their cultural context, without understanding the world of Roma and Jerusalem 2000+ years ago. Let me correct that; you can read them without that understanding, but boy are you going to get confused and you will make dreadful mistakes. That is what has happened over the years and one reason Christianity, and, for that matter, Judaism, make no sense to many folks.

Much of what Jesus taught, he taught to people who had the understanding of the World at their time. How else would he teach? It was taught to a specific audience. He had to base his words around what they understood and around their customs. Also, much of what he taught revolved around the politics of the time and the horrible tension between the Romans and the Jews.

Judaism was not a simple thing. Most read the gospels and hear mention of the Pharisees and the Sadducees without having much of a clue  about their very different beliefs. Maybe some have heard of the Essenes, but know little about how truly powerful and how truly weird they were. And that's not to mention other groups like the Nazarites, the Theraputae, all the assorted militant groups and revolutionaries. Even more obscure, but perhaps more important are the differences between the Priests and their version of the Law, and the rural people who remembered the times before the return from the Babylonian exile and the rise of the Temple (remember, much of the Old Testament was not written before the return from Babylon and no such book existed until then). Many saw differences between the Basic Mosaic Law, the 10 Commandments, and the countless addendums of the Priests and resented the power of the Priests.

On top of all that, many Jews had some ties to other, local religions, many had become enamored of the Greeks and the Neoplatonists and were seeking a synchronistic  belief system.

So, you see, there is no way to understand the Gospels without understanding the culture of the times and, unfortunately, many ministers seem to have no knowledge and even less interest in this history. And, just think, I haven't even brought up such issues as lineage (all of those begats) and the systems of Roman and Jewish government. Educate yourselves before you preach.