Where Faith Comes From in the "moderate" Christian religions

Actually, what LSD does is very different from what people think it does.LSD, and other hallucinogens, basically re-wire your sensory receptors. "Touch" can be "taste", "smelling" can be "seeing", etc. That is why when you trip you can "smell" red and "see" the music.I don't know how this correlates with religious experiences or if that is even equal to a religious experience, but it can give a euphoric sensation. Maybe equal to a religious experience?However, the best, by far, of all hallucinogens, which I have experienced and does elevate your senses beyond what LSD can do is, DMT.Interestingly, since we are trying to pin-point a chemical in the brain that may naturally produce these experiences, DMT is produced naturally in the brain.From the wiki link:

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Several speculative and yet untested hypotheses suggest that endogenous DMT, produced in the human brain, is involved in certain psychological and neurological states. DMT is naturally produced in small amounts in the brain and other tissues of humans and other mammals. Some believe it plays a role in mediating the visual effects of natural dreaming, and also near-death experiences, religious visions and other mystical states. A biochemical mechanism for this was proposed by the medical researcher J. C. Callaway, who suggested in 1988 that DMT might be connected with visual dream phenomena, where brain DMT levels are periodically elevated to induce visual dreaming and possibly other natural states of mind. A new theory proposed is that in addition to being involved in altered states of consciousness, endogenous DMT may be involved in the creation of normal waking states of consciousness. It is proposed that DMT and other endogenous hallucinogens mediate their neurological abilities by acting as neurotransmitters at a sub class of the trace amine receptors; a group of receptors found in the CNS where DMT and other hallucinogens have been shown to have activity. Wallach further proposes that in this way waking consciousness can be thought of as a controlled psychedelic experience. It is when the control of these systems becomes loosened and their behavior no longer correlates with the external world that the altered states arise.

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It's still speculation, but I thought it was an interesting correlation.[ABE] Found this to be interesting as well: [ABE]

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In Brazil there are a number of religious movements based on the use of ayahuasca, usually in an animistic context that may be shamanistic, sometimes mixed with Christian imagery. There are four main branches using DMT-MAOI based sacraments in Brazil:

• Indigenous Brazilian. These are the oldest cultures in the whole of South America that continue to use ayahuasca or analogue brews, such as the ones made from Jurema in the Pernambuco, near Recife.
• Santo Daime ("Saint Give Unto Me") and Barquinha ("Little Boat"). A syncretic religion from Brazil. The former was founded by Raimundo Irineu Serra in the early 1930s, as an esoteric Christian religion with shamanic tendencies. The Barquinha was derived from this one.
• Unio do Vegetal (Union of Vegetal or UDV). Another Christian ayahuasca religion from Brazil, is a single unified organization with a democratic structure.
• Neo-shamans. There are some self-styled shamanic facilitators in Brazil and other South American countries that use ayahuasca or analogous brews in their rituals and sances.

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- OniEdited by onifre, : No reason given.Edited by onifre, : No reason given.

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I've read this, too. When I did actual "LSD", rather than shrooms - WHICH IS A PLANT - it was years ago, with friends, mostly doing nothing. However, with shrooms I have tried to set the mood for more of a spiritual trip (went into nature, tried meditating, was alone), but never really had anything that I personally would describe as "spiritual."Euphoric, yes.When I tried DMT, and I've only tried it once. It was at a meditation retreat. At the end of the weekend, once you learned their form of meditation properly, you could take an optional DMT trip and try to apply what they taught you. This was in Canada, by the way, I've never found anything like this in the states - Unless you count Burning Man.I tried it and honestly, again, nothing "spiritual" happened. Again, euphoric, yes.It is my opinion that for these trips to give a sense of spirituality one must have an apriori belief in things of that nature. Atheists coming into the trip without such beliefs really have no notion of spirituality, for the most part, and don't really tap into that neural brain processing. - (complete speculation)But this is part of the subjective human experience and it's multitude of variance. I don't doubt anyone who claims the felt something during a trip that in there mind felt real. But I have never felt anything spiritual at all.Now, a "oneness" is different. But this would require use to define what we mean by "oneness." I have felt a oneness with nature, both on LSD and shrooms. Maybe some consider that spiritual, I wouldn't, though.- Oni

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Petition to Bailout Comedy The Laugh Factory is imploring Congress to immediately fund what owner Jamie Masada calls an "Economic Cheer-Up." If Congress fails to act quickly, the Laugh Factory comedians are planning to march to Washington and plea to President Obama.

Great post. If I remember correctly, I recall reading about this in Skeptical Inquirer. In the right setting it is quite achieveable. But, like with meditation, it takes experience with tripping to be able to reach this "nirvana" state.- Oni

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Petition to Bailout Comedy The Laugh Factory is imploring Congress to immediately fund what owner Jamie Masada calls an "Economic Cheer-Up." If Congress fails to act quickly, the Laugh Factory comedians are planning to march to Washington and plea to President Obama.

Hi Granny Magda, And notice that our environment and the company we keep usually dictate how people interprete those religious experiences as well. For the most part, your geographical location and people you hang with is what you'll grasp at when you have an experience, that is deemed religious.With drugs, the company you keep can make the trip better, but with religion, it seems that it becomes a confirmation bias. And interestingly, they felt the love of "Jesus" specifically.This reminds me of a game we played while triping called "call it - see it." Basically, stand in front of a mirror, call something out, and see you become it. It's fun, not that easy to do, but freaks you out.Same thing I would say with "Jesus" specifically. Surround yourself in his history and when an experience happens you automatically "see" him. Science nerd I don't either, in fact, I found them less potent than LSD. I just prefer them over LSD for some stupid "from mother earth" belief I have now. Hmm, I never felt that. I try them about once, maybe twice a year. With a few friends while we camp, or something like that. I really have no idea which type of shooms they are. But I never felt bad on them, queezy or otherwise, but I did once with LSD long ago. And you know, one bad trip and the fun is over. Same here. I feel studying science is how humans were meant to "experience" nature before these silly god(s) plagued peoples minds. Very well said. I feel the same way.- Oni

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Petition to Bailout Comedy The Laugh Factory is imploring Congress to immediately fund what owner Jamie Masada calls an "Economic Cheer-Up." If Congress fails to act quickly, the Laugh Factory comedians are planning to march to Washington and plea to President Obama.