| | Well, in my experience, psychedelics definitely potentiate the progress of insight and jhana for their duration. I remember taking acid (done only a few times, I don't do it often), and while everyone was peaking and starting to have energy and such, I had cruised down from the A&P (or 2nd jhana), through 3rd jhana and was chilling in equanimity for basically the whole night. Just sitting there, feeling extremely still and calm, emotionally balanced, and rested. I basically spent the whole night perfecting equanimity, and for the next week or so, the sense of equanimity stayed quite strong. A different time while taking mushrooms, before I had heard of the stages of insight, I definitely went through the nanas up to EQ clearly, spending the whole time just sitting, trying to balance my experience. First there was the mild pleasure of the body (mind and body), then a bunch of uncomfortable, itchy, electric feelings in my body (cause and effect, 3c), then the rapturous, energetic, joyous A&P event, with timelessness, enlightened feelings, etc... then cruising down the other side and sitting, content and happy (3rd jhana or early dissolution). Then, the fear was next, with death being so inevitable that it seemed like I was on the edge. Also, a sudden and unfounded belief that the police were already on their way, a belief which I didn't believe at all logically, but it just felt so true that it was going to happen.
Anyways, ever since I got to the point of being able to reach EQ consistently, I've noticed that while on psychedelics, none of the stages have as much weight, and I'm more likely to just cruise on to EQ and spend the majority of the time there. Maybe psychedelics act to open energy channels (pure speculation) temporarily, but if they're already open from doing enough practice, the effect is minimized. I've also heard how people who have gotten 1st path or higher don't feel drunk at all after drinking. I dunno. Heh... there is only drunkenness, no drunkard.
None of this is encouragement to do psychedelics or get drunk, but it's an interesting topic which could possibly be useful. |