I was never an alcoholic, but used to drink quite a lot. I could drink a bottle of jack daniels, a few litres of vodka before going to a nightclub, or almost anything and feel a nice drunken buzz/relaxation. The same with certain other intoxicants. 

But the last few years, I have been heavily into spiritual practise (and also eating a super "clean" vegetarian diet). I've felt no desire to drink, but have had a glass in occasional situations, including last night. But it's followed a distinct pattern, the last 3/4 times I've had even half a glass, I feel a headache, nausea, quite restless, flushed. It's like I've become hypersensitive to alcohol. Likewise, trying a small amount of other intoxicants put me in a super bad state. In all cases, I just felt like leaving and going to sleep. 


Has anyone else found bad reactions to intoxicants they used to enjoy and/or feel no ill effects from?


I think a lot of this stuff works backwards. Rather than applying rules of no intoxicating, no stealing, no lying, no sexual "misconduct", no this, no that... through practise interest just naturally falls away and negative reactions tend to arise when you do pursue them. Not as a result of some kind of self-judgement or guilt, but as a result of a heightened awareness/sensitivity. I've not tried to quit anything, but an incredible amount of interest in stuff has just straight up disappeared. 

Then again, lots of people seem to pursue and enjoy intoxicants/psychedelics/etc along the path and have absolutely no problem. So who knows.

Yes, I have no real desire to drink alcohol, though I used to do so frequently but not to excess. I believe the cause is having stopped drinking for an extended period of time. When I drink alcohol now I'm very sensitive to its effects, like you, though it doesn't make me ill but rather very tired and sleepy.

Hi here is the progression I noticed with regards to alcohol:

Prior to meditative practice: Social drinker, with what I assume are fairly normal reactions, and tolerence.

Immidiately after stream entry: Really bad reactions to even small amounts of alcohol. Stopped drinking for a little while.

After an attention wave sync type attainment: Seemingly no reactions or noticable 'buzzed' feeling from alcohol. Tendency to drink really fast, and inability to rely feeling drunk to temper drinking (lead to me overdrinking a couple of times, before I realized what was happening).

Currently: Rarely drink, and always in moderation when I do. Still no 'buzzed' feeling as before but can now easily notice some other more subtle  energy relaxation feeling when I drink alcohol. To drink in moderation, I count out how much I have had as well as look for signs of behavorial changes.

I also used to greatly enjoy drinking, but rarely do now. Usually 2 or 3 or the course of an entire evening (say 6pm to 11pm, for example) is as much as I can enjoy. Drinking on consecutive days is not interesting to me, usually. The idea that it slowly falls away as an interest or a desire seems about right to me.

Taking psychadelics is a drug path and not a spiritual path. 

Your heightened sensitivity to alcohol is normal & is insight into the poisonous nature of alchohol & intoxicants. 

Just as your experience is not related to guilt, so are the precepts not related to guilt. They are related to non-harming & the best of health. 

Years ago, before Buddhism, I used to retail hundreds of different brands of beers & wines, from all around the world. 

Now, if I am at a social gathering, I might very occassionally taste a novel beer or wine, merely for tasting or testing. 

I instantly feel the nausea of the alcohol running through my veins, which is not agreeable to a clear mind. 

Regards 

On psychedelics, people do frequently have A&P type events (including a significant % on this forum) and at least early stage insight/heart level openings or brief glimpses. There are also progressive paths/teachings revolving around the use of ayahuasca, mescaline, etc. So I don't think this is true, although it can be argued that substance-fuelled spiritual experiences are unpredictable, have strong limits and don't necessarily transfer to daily life, since they may bypass the development of other factors that would make them stable and replicable.

People may also use substances to increase mental stability, acuity and concentration, rather than to dull/intoxicate e.g. nootropics. It's not my expertise, but in future we shouldn't rule out designer pharmaceuticals as being common aids to general practise, or being used as stage-specific tools to induce specific types of breakthroughs along the path. 


Anyway, interesting to hear this is a common experience and may be stage specific. No more alcohol for me. 

-Wing

These are just impermanent experiences & generally lead to a life talking about those experiences rather than actualising those experciences. 

There are no short cuts. 

Anyone that has taken drugs & then at a later time has realised the spiritual path has done so due the their spiritual disposition & not due to the drugs. 

I used to take drugs when I was young and once deludedly believe they contributed to my spiritual path. 

They don't.

Many take drugs; a tiny few of them enter the spiritual path; more do irrepairable damage.

There is nothing cool or hip about supporting druggies & being a drug pusher.

 

I only drink quater glass  of red wine for health reason, especially after eating meat. I stopped drinking even red wine.

Today, at the hotel I am staying at, I drank the same amount of red wine while eating buffalo wings  (all complimentry of the hotel) I got slight light head. Seems like I am more sensitive to wine than before.

..after intense practice?
-----
What about you give up practicing like you grow muscles, you know that after you stop you will go small again.
There is a way to train going smaller. Why that practice is so unpopular?

Im stuck with the going smaller and can't help it myself.

Guys you are not help at all, even RL can't help it. Only thing is to throw salt and be toxic, but it is still better than people coming to talk about positivity, no postivity doesn't help it.

I know the answer tho.. Just ranting here that two steps away people think not helping us but us being stupid, so they don't even try to help.