X-Ftn-To: Vatafu Valerica 

"Vatafu Valerica"  wrote:
>> first they had to get rid of these habits before I could consider teaching
>> them. But they answered me with the same words I have heard from hundreds
>of
>> others since--that they feel so much more "aware" through drugs, that they
>are
>> so much more spiritual...
>...
>
> Also thank you for that Outcast, also I agree fully with Ravi Shankar.

And, although nobody asked me, I'll drop in and express my opinion.
According to my experience with drug users (no, I never had the need
to take any of this stuff, but I can perfectly well observe the effect
that it had on others), drugs cause severe imbalance in the
pranically-physical layer of the brain; different drugs cause
different effects, and I observed people who were using marijuana,
Heroin and XTC. XTC creates a fluctuation in the brain which disturbs
its ability to perceive and conduct higher levels of consciousness. It
also damages memory and concentration. Marijuana causes a similar
effect, and it dampens human ability to have a spiritual experience;
however, it creates a severe disturbance in the pranic body, which can
"supercharge" the astral body and lead to a distorted perception.
Heroin is the worst thing I've seen, ever. It destroys the brain, and
the cerebral prana looks like it's been processed with a blender;
those people have a dull look in their eyes and I fear that their
brains are fully destroyed. Unfortunately, I had to see it on two guys
with whom I went to high school; before, they were bright kids, and
now they're walking zombies, even after they've unhooked themselves
from the drug.
LSD causes very strange and harmful effects, and also seems to destroy
the human ability to perceive and manifest higher consciousness.
Not to forget alcohol: in extremely small amounts it can even be
beneficial - and I mean _small_: one extremely small spoon of cherry
brandy, for instance, just enough to cause a light warmth in the body,
but not to produce and mental effect, can reduce some inhibitions and
can sometimes be helpful. Anything more than that puts serious strain
to the brain and gradually destroys the higher spiritual and
intellectual abilities; it kills the brightness.
I never saw a person who used cocaine, so I don't know what it does,
but I don't believe it's much better than for instance XTC or heroin.

To sum it up, it seems that virtually _all_ drugs cause damage, and
are an obstacle in spiritual life, while, simultaneously, people who
use them seem to be in complete denial, claiming that drugs help them.
I actually know the effect; when I have a mobile phone, I constantly
convince myself that it's useful and good, but as soon as I get rid of
it, I become aware of the fact that the damn thing radiates like
Chernobyl and strains my brain, and that I'm much better off without
it. 

Having that in mind, some people are so stuck in their own personal
virtual reality, and limited perception of the world, that some drugs,
that distort and break this mould, can actually be useful, at a short
run. But, meeting an enlightened person can also break moulds, without
a side effect of fucking up your brain.

-- 
Homepage: http://www.danijel.org