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Theme: Exploration of the paradox of psychedelics as a spiritual practice—both as tools for deep transformation and as reminders that there is nothing to attain. How we`re gonna cover that - 3 steps 0- Foundations: Define spirituality & spiritual practice (thats a hard one) 1- The progressive Path/Model of spirituality & how psychedelics can assist that practice This is seen in most religious and mystical traditions: Buddhism (The Noble Eightfold Path, progressing toward Nirvana) Christianity (Sanctification, spiritual purification over a lifetime) Hinduism (The Four Yogas—Bhakti, Karma, Jnana, Raja—methods of progressive realization) Sufism (Tariqa, a path of stages leading to divine union) Psychological Models: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory (spiritual growth as stages) Scientific Validation: Cognitive and developmental psychology support the idea that human consciousness develops in stages (Piaget, Kohlberg, Kegan). Studies on meditation and neuroplasticity also show that spiritual practice rewires the brain over time, reinforcing a progressive development model. Psychedelics as a tool for spiritual development. Facilitating the ascension of this journey. They can do that in many ways, i just wanna mention 4 here: 1- Cultivation of traits / "virtues" (Courage, trust, surrender, patience, love and so on) 2- Facilitating Insight & Remembering (Deep existential realizations)- perspective about reality, existence, life, god, your Self - “Who am I?” Facilitation of genuine Inquiry into Truth. 3- Practice of Dying Death-rebirth process → acceleration of spiritual growth. Cycle of purification and how psychedelics intensify and accelerate this process. The practice of Death & Dying Psychedelics as conscious suffering Psychedelics & Near Death experiences similarities research Chris Bache // Grof Maps as Science Data backup // COEX Systems 4-An “experience” of the Absolute The reach for the Absolute: The reality of deepening experiences → Moving further into infinity, higher states, deeper truths. The notion that we must move beyond ourselves and surrender more and more deeply to experience the ultimate. Example: 5-MeO-DMT, near-death experiences, deep meditative absorption into the beyond. Briefly mentioning - Dangers, Pitfalls, Challenges & Integration & Nuances. 2 - The Absolute Perspective of Spiritual Practice & Psychedelics as a practice of detached appreciation Many non-dual traditions challenge the idea of progress: Zen Buddhism: "You are already enlightened, just recognize it." Advaita Vedanta: "Tat Tvam Asi" (You are That), realization happens in an instant. Dzogchen (Tibetan Buddhism): The natural state is already pure awareness. Christian Mysticism (Meister Eckhart, St. John of the Cross): Union with God is already present, not something to be achieved. Psychedelic States: Many report a direct “timeless” realization of ultimate truth—paralleling these traditions. Scientific Validation: Research on mystical experiences (Griffiths et al., 2006; Pahnke, 1969) shows that peak psychedelic states can induce a spontaneous recognition of unity, transcendence of self, and loss of time-based progression. Studies on meditation (Samadhi, Flow States) reveal that non-dual awareness is associated with deactivation of the Default Mode Network (DMN)—the same effect psychedelics produce. “Seeking is suffering. To seek nothing is bliss.” The paradox: If the Absolute is everything, then it is also this moment, right here. We move beyond progress, chasing, seeking All states are valid. All appearances are truth. No hierarchy of experience. (Too radical??) The highest realization is that there is nothing to attain. The paradox of progress: from this perspective, there is no spiritual path at all—it’s all already perfect. The Absolute is not just beyond—it is also immanent, present in everything This is where detached appreciation comes in → Infinite love for all states. -Spirituality is not about preferring one state over another but recognizing the one who sees. Relate it to psychedelic practice: The practice becomes seeing the seer Detached appreciation → we do not attach to psychedelic states or peak experiences but love them unconditionally. - That becomes the practice! And then the psychedelic experience does not become a means to an end, but is an end in and of itself. Just as true meditation shall be. - Detachment as integration: Do not judge any state. Do not attach to any state. Do not prefer any state over any other. 3- The Paradox & Integration Integrating the Two – Where Do They Meet? Many traditions blend both (e.g., Christianity: "Be still and know" vs. "Strive for holiness") . -Acknowledge similarities but also disagreements, come back to not-knowing. Psychedelics show both models. Enjoy the journey. Enjoy the tension, the paradox, the suffering, the seraching - all of it. Love it. Appreciate it! The key is integration, avoiding the traps of bypassing or dogmatic progression. Psychedelics redirect us to that: appreciation of simple things (Grof findings) The realization that both perspectives are true at the same time. Holding both perspectives at once: psychedelics can be a path of progress, but progress itself is an illusion. -Is there data or research on Paradox as an inherent feature of reality? The challenge of integration: How do we live in this paradox? We can honor both the progressive path and the non-seeking path without contradiction. Recognizing language's limitations—truth is beyond words and frameworks. Traps and pitfalls (spiritual bypassing, attachment to peak experiences, superiority complex, psychedelic escapism). The importance of the foundation of spiritual work The humility of not knowing—embracing mystery and paradox. The most holistic, mature spiritual practice acknowledges we don’t know. Bringing wisdom into daily life → Grounding insights in love, service, and presence. Psychedelic Integration = Life itself Taking action: “let the beauty we love be what we do” - Rumi I know that´s a lot. Any help simplifying, clarifying or cutting out things is welcome <3

@OBEler Thanks for the input! Just got a haircut I am gonna be very clear and structured in my talk, but I am not sure how much I can deliver my presentation with every argument backed up by some reserach paper. I don't really have the time or desire to prepare the facts in such a scientifically grounded, academic way. I want to present what I feel is true, and do that authentically. Not hide behind aynthing. And I do want to talk about big picture perspectives and radical ideas. And the topic of sspirituality is a hard one to wrap around "facts" in geneal, I have has some difficulty wraping my mind around that in the last few days. When you mean, "concentrate on facts around psychedelics" , what does that mean in relation to the topic of this talk "Psychedelics as a spiritual practice"?? I'll share my new refine loose structure that I worked out in the next post:

Proof of God's Existence: 1.) 5-MeO-DMT exists 2.) You can consume it 3.) Ta Daaa

Here is a simple guide: https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/5meo_dmt/5meo_dmt_article2_vape_pens.shtml

It`s very common for people not to remeber the trip itself. You`re not alone with this. For a complete breakthrough you might go to 13-20+ mg, but with this dose it is not recommended to play with fire when there is a possibility for oyu to back-out / white-out. Also - all experiences seem to be valuable and one cannot force a full release experience it seems. Another aspect people point to is the depth of surrender as being a factor in how deep you go. Deeper surrender = deeper trip.

Here a few quotes by Meister Eckhart who have helped me clarify suffering a bit: Nothing is sharper than suffering, nothing is sweeter than to have suffered. If you love God and are ill-in God's name! If your friend dies in God's name! If you lose an eye-in God's name!! Whether it be sickness or poverty, hunger or thirst, or whatever it might be whatever God has ordained or not ordained for you, or whatever God gives you or does not give you, all this is the best for you. Every day we raise our voices and exclaim in the Our Father, 'Lord your will be done!' And when his will comes about, we get angry and are not at all satisfied with his will. Yet whatever he does should please us best of all. Those who really do take this as the best remain, in all circumstances, fully at peace. Now sometimes a thought comes to you and you say: 'Alas, if it had only turned out differently, things would be better.' Or 'If it had not happened this way, things might perhaps have turned out better. As long as you think this, you will never gain peace. You should take [God's will] as the best. If you want to be son of God and you do not want to suffer, you are all wrong. In the Book of Wisdom, it is written that God tests and tries whether a man is just as men test and try gold and melt it in a furnace.6 Some people run in front of God, some next to God, some follow behind God. Those who run in front of God are the ones who follow their own will and do not want to acknowledge God's will. This is simply base. Those who go beside God say, 'Lord, I want only what you want. But if they are sick, they beg that God might want them healthy. This one can let pass. The third group follows behind God; wherever he wishes they follow him willingly, and these are perfect. About this St John says in the Book of Mysteries, "They follow the lamb wherever he goes (Rv 14:4). These people follow God wherever he leads them, in sickness or in health, in fortune or misfortune. Love God as much in poverty as in wealth; care for him as much in sickness as in health. Love him as much when being tried as when not, and as much in suffering as when free of suffering. If you really want to know whether your sufferings are your own or are God's, this is what you should observe. If you suffer for your own sake, however this may be, the suffering hurts you and is hard for you to bear. But if you suffer for God's sake and for his sake alone, the suffering will not hurt you and will not be hard for you, because God is carrying the burden. This is really true! If there were a man who wanted to suffer for the love of God and purely for God alone, if all the suffering came down on him at once that all men have ever suffered and the whole world had as its common lot, that would not hurt him or be hard for him, because it would be God who was carrying the burden. If someone loaded a hundredweight on my neck and then someone else supported it on my neck, 1 should be as glad to carry a hundred of them as one, because it would not be hard for me, nor would it hurt me at all. In a few words: Whatever a man suffers for the love of God and for him alone, God makes this easy and sweet for him. Hope that helps.

Great work! All the best with the integration!

@The Renaissance Man Well, actually my main goals at the moment are also material. Making money ist one of my top priorities. Bit it's easy to get lost in pressure and lose perspective in that persuit. So that's exactly why I do these things I mentioned that seem to be not really related. Counterintuitively those things bring the greatest insight for business and help me align my perspective and regain a sense of commitment and motivation. For me personally, another business video or more task on my calendar are not really supportive when I feel a bit overwhelmed, anxious or don't know my next step. Actually those activities just confuse me even more.

Mostly a good dose of a psychedelic will do it for me and remind me to slow down. It's a beautiful and humbling reset. Other things that help me: Long Breathwork Sessions, Ecstatic dance, looking into fire for a night, being in nature (maybe several days), travel, conscious festivals or meditation retreats.

Addiction is a calling for Love.

Thank you ... ? .... !

@The Crocodile Based on my personal experiences, that has just been the case with psychedelics and Breathwork. But from what I've read and heard about the sages it seems to be the case for deep samadhi states as well, without psychedelics.

I've created this presentation about the paradox and nuances of psychedelic practice. I would be very curious about what you think. Especially regarding the second half of the video where I go into non dual perspectives regarding the synergy between psychedelics and spiritual practice. This is a Video about DMT X which I can't seem to remove from this post .... (Feel free to remove it)

Language is limited, inherently dualistic and relative. Contradiction is implied in scriptures.

Ultimately ordinary states are mystical. To make that distinction is to leave the abolute for the relative. But relatively speaking, I can't even walk while in high mystical states of consciousness, or speak or work or other practical things like that. Takes a lot of practice to navigate society and survival while being in such states.

I have lost awareness during deep 5-MeO-Sessions. Ultimate trust is what is my anchor. Everything else is leading to resistence. Otherwise, a sitter is a good option to support that trust for deep breakthrough attempts.

@OBEler I am playing around with the 1:12, 1:4 and also the 1:2 vape pens. I have figured I might need a 1-1 to get to a one hit breakthrough. Tinnitus is still there, but it became so normal for me that I am barely thinking of it. A video Livestream about my recent 5-Meo experiences is out now:

@Davino Yeah, it`s me! Thanks! Much appreciated!

@OBEler Oh yeah, I remember! That vid is still coming, could just take a while! I am actually exploring 5-MeO-DMT at the moment again and find it very fascinating.

@Adrian colby Thanks for your comment, it resonates and I enjoyed reading it! It reminded me of the Ten-Ox-Herding pictures and similar concepts. Interesting that you came to the point where Psychedelics seem like bypassing. Many come to this place, but I haven't arrived there yet.

For each new substance I usually start with a low dose and slowly work my way up, no matter how much experience I have with other substances. I broke this rule at times and got deeply humbled.

It's really tough to find the energy and space to go into a deep psychedelic journey with chronic health issues. I noticed that I tripped way less over the past year since my health situation worsened.

Cocao and Mushrooms synergize very well. Also with other psychedelics it seems to work fine. But be aware that a good amount of cacao is dehydrating you. For the cacao itself. I find that there's definitely a subtle shift in consciousness, but not much stronger than a good green tea. Not even close in intensity to a proper serotonergic psychedelic. I still love cacao. Also contemplate: Where is the difference between ceremonial cacao and other 100% pure cacao?

I've always wondered why people do that kind of stuff. I've always been lying down & saying very still throughout my experiences. I might have to do with an inability to surrender, facing resistance or just unconsciously not being ready to confront these layers of consciousness.

Yes there's definitely a difference. I guess there's no right and wrong here.