I think so. I know that there are passages that express the importance of a sober mind, but I interpret a 'sober mind' as being clear in your vision, and not necessarily the avoidance of 'hallucinogenics' (I see that word as a presupposition, but I won't go into that). 1 Timothy 4 and the famous Genesis 1:29 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=61&chapter=4 Admittedly, I have barely read the Bible, and I am unclear on much of it, but I think that the Bible could be pointing to the importance of mind altering substances as being food for the soul. Entheogens have been used in various religious ceremonies and has been said to help the person get closer to God. Entheogens and altered states of consciousness seem to be essential to becoming aware of the divine -- Why else would marijuana be a sacrament to the Rastafarian's? With the right intention, mind altering drugs can be very beneficial to our psychological well being and can be used to unlock stages of spiritual development, or at the very least, allow the person to become aware of existence of these levels. Hospitals that specialize in treating cancer are beginning to recommend their patients in taking magic mushrooms because it has been well documented that it can give the patient a healthy perspective of their condition. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVppMkeyUT8) Dr. Andrew Weil, the author of The Natural Mind, posits that altering our consciousness is a natural human drive, just as natural as our need to eat and have sex. He doesn't recommend altering out consciousness through drugs, but he doesn't condemn it either. He just believes that their are non-drug alternatives to altering our consciousness, but he does recommend allowing people to choose their methods. I interpret Meats as being food for the soul and body. Herb bearing seeds, many of which are psychoactive (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_plants). Many of these drugs have powerful effects, but despite this, are pretty safe, at least from my own research. And many of the chemicals that produce these effects are already present in our brains. In fact the only reason any of these drugs has an effect on us is because our brains are already designed to work with them. Why are we abstaining from meats if it holds so much benefit? What does everyone here think of this?
entheogens have assisted me in establishing a connection. Most drugs have in fact. I think anything that takes you out of the materialist mindset will help lead you to your spirit and where it wants to go.
Gal. 5:19-21: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, and they are . . . practice of spiritism, . . . revelries, and things like these. . . . Those who practice such things will not inherit God’s kingdom.” (The literal meaning of the Greek word phar•ma•ki′a, here rendered “practice of spiritism,” is “druggery.” So you can see that in the Bible the use of drugs is one of the works of the flesh, not a fruitage of the Spirit.
but this is like saying the monkeys shouldnt eat bananas cause the bible said so ? Id of said squirrels and nuts, but man didnt evolve from squirrels, or did he?
No, not really. Actually the question was; "what does the Bible say?", which is what I responed to. It did not ask; "should I do drugs?" and then me responding by saying the Bible says not to. As for your question, the Bible has no comment on whether or not monkeys should eat bananas!
Not having used entheogens, I'd find it hard to render an opinion on their spiritual value except to ask how would you know if that intense experience you have that seems to be bringing you closer to the divine or giving you new spritual insight is actually doing that, or is just an hallucination distorting your perception of reality? The thesis that drugs played an important part in Judeo-Christian experience has been around for awhile. In fact, Dr. John Allegro of Dead Sea Scrolls fame, pioneered the interesting theory that Jesus was actually a cover code word for the mushroom, Amanita muscaria, used by a fertility/mushroom cult. They called it Jesus to throw off the Roman and Jewish authorities. Intuitively, that seems farfetched, but what do I know?
The bible says "herb which bears seed I give you as meat", and another place it indicates that basically ingesting herb(s) are not against biblical word. A "bit" of red wine is not frowned upon and Jesus FIRST miracle was to change water into wine at a wedding celebration. However, to be a drunkard is greatly frowned upon and quite different than drinking in moderation. But more than that... Entheogens are a whole 'nother bucket of worms...and the basic word of the bible does not promote this, in my opinion. Our bodies should be temples.
