Dosing psychedlics after discovering vipassana

Maher K, modified 6 Years ago at 3/26/18 5:16 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/26/18 5:14 PM

Dosing psychedlics after discovering vipassana

Posts: 14 Join Date: 1/11/13 Recent Posts
Hi all,

Hope you're doing well. I had a question for some of the intermediate and experienced practitioners here about ingesting mind altering substances and how it might affect their practice. For some background, I meditate for about 1-1.5 hrs per day and it's mostly samatha practice and metta at this point as I want to build my concentration up to a higher level before I get back into vipassana (Goenka style) after some inconsistency in my practice.  I'd put myself around pre-path EQ on the path.

On to my question. Do any of you have experience with doing psychedelics (specifically LSD) at the higher stages of insight pre first path or post-first path? How did it affect your practice? I smoke weed on the weekends (been trying to cut back!) and the only real effect it has on me is reducing my concentration level and equanimity. I'm going to a concert with a friend of mine in mid May and he mentioned potentially doing LSD at the concert. I'll admit, I am interested. I've done LSD and other psychedelics before so I def know what to expect, but I wouldn't want it to have a really adverse affect on my practice or progress on the path. I ahve not done any psychedelics since I started meditating. Has anybody done LSD after discovering vipassana and noticed it affected their practice negatively for an extended period of time post trip? I realize that taking LSD breaks sila (maybe might not be the case), but I've always been told to let proper conduct arise out of practice instead of forcing yourself to do it.Thoughts? Any answers are appreciated. Thank you!
seth tapper, modified 6 Years ago at 3/26/18 7:46 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/26/18 7:46 PM

RE: Dosing psychedlics after discovering vipassana

Posts: 477 Join Date: 8/19/17 Recent Posts
There are alot of different issues that could arise, but one important one is the tendancy for meditators to take what is going on in their minds seriously.   We watch and care what happens.  When you trip crazy shit happens and it can feel very very important.   A casual tripper just rolls with it and enjoys the high, but meditators can get wrapped up in new insights and experiences and then have lots of issues trying to get back there or thinking they have become special or or or.  
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Ward Law, modified 6 Years ago at 3/26/18 10:12 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/26/18 10:12 PM

RE: Dosing psychedlics after discovering vipassana

Posts: 123 Join Date: 9/7/15 Recent Posts
I would not recommend going to a concert (or any public event) while on LSD.
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Bruno Loff, modified 6 Years ago at 3/27/18 5:23 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/27/18 5:07 AM

RE: Dosing psychedlics after discovering vipassana

Posts: 1094 Join Date: 8/30/09 Recent Posts
I have done psychedelics various times after stream entry, always in small doses because I seem to have become much more sensitive to these substances, perhaps as a result of practice. I can say that it definitely interacts strongly with insights, a fruition is almost unavoidable during a trip, and can show important stuff like new directions to focus on and whatnot.

Marijuana is interesting but somewhat too intense in a not mentally-clean way; and to me, just like you say, worstens concentration quite strongly for the few days after taking it. I actually dislike the mental side effects quite a lot, and only take it because it really helps with some pain.

I did not have this problem with psylocibin, mescaline, or LSD (which I never mix with marijuana).

As for the two warnings: concerts are great on psychedelics, but sure don't be an idiot, go with good friends, have a backup plan, make sure it's a warm and friendly environment and not a death-metal moche pit "lets bring satan down to earth right now" kind of thing, lest He will actually come down emoticon And for the risk of falling into a story-making spiral... well that's a real risk, actually. Do your best not to go all mesiah on the rest of us, and you should be OK. Here is a hint: if after tripping you feel a deep urge to spread the word about something existential which you feel you have deeply understood and is a profound fact about the universe... you haven't and it isn't, so don't especially if thinking about this thing makes you very excited... that's a red flag...

Also meditating on psychedelics is very interesting, even if, alas, tripping does not seem to fix the problem.

You might be interested in the recent podcast series on buddhist geeks, whose theme is currently about meditation and psychedelics.
Maher K, modified 6 Years ago at 3/27/18 2:10 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/27/18 2:10 PM

RE: Dosing psychedlics after discovering vipassana

Posts: 14 Join Date: 1/11/13 Recent Posts
Thanks for the response everyone! The consensus seems to be to proceed with caution and do your best to maintain equanimity if I decide to do it. After posting here and other places, I think I might end up not doing it, but we'll see. The concert is going to be a very chill vibe and I think the people will be very relaxed and open. 

II de agree with not taking my self too seriously. The one thing I'm always committed to spiritually is focusing on the bare sensations of what make up my experience. I'm not one for believing the stories my mind tells me (at least, not anywhere as much as I used to) so I'm more interested in seeing how LSD affects my perception and what it will be like to meditate on it. I might not do any vipassana on it and just focus on samatha
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terry, modified 5 Years ago at 3/30/18 6:18 PM
Created 5 Years ago at 3/30/18 6:18 PM

RE: Dosing psychedlics after discovering vipassana

Posts: 2426 Join Date: 8/7/17 Recent Posts
aloha,

   You could try micro-dosing.

terry
Bhumi, modified 5 Years ago at 4/5/18 1:17 PM
Created 5 Years ago at 4/5/18 1:17 PM

RE: Dosing psychedlics after discovering vipassana

Posts: 38 Join Date: 11/23/17 Recent Posts
The best thing I would recommend you with LSD for meditation is to do a moderate dosage, as it can increase your concentration and your equanimity (when you know what to expect), fruitions may occur by the way.

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