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That is simple to explain: there is no "me", just awareness.

Depends on the psychedelic. For example, MDMA (and to some extent psilocybin) temporarily depletes the brain's serotonin, which affects mood, sleep, concentration, etc.

Indeed. Data is not information until it has been collected, collated and organized. Information is not knowledge (intelligence) until it is absorbed and comprehended. Knowledge is not understanding nor wisdom, until it is given perspective and associated with life experience. And my favorite: Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is knowing not to use a tomato in a fruit salad. And the difference between salad and garbage, is timing.

@Old Soul , work your arse off for 3-6 months, get some cash and a backpack, and follow your dreams.

As we get older and wiser, we begin to see the man who wasn't there.

Throw a backpack on and travel through Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam. Don't plan any travel itinerary, and leave your phone behind. If you stay away from the shallow party scene in SE Asia, through these adventures you are guaranteed to meet interesting and gorgeous (inside and out) fellow travelers, who will nurture your newly-found confidence.

"As I was going up the stairs I met a man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today, I wish, I wish he'd go away!" - William Hughes Mearns

You are in the perfect place for shrooms.

Did all the above, and captured that precious moment: Pic taken from this spot

Plot twist: That guy is Leo - 30 years from now, time-travel will be commonplace.

We are all somewhere on the ignorance scale - our place on it is always relative. It's knowing that we are inherently "stupid" to some extent, that makes us wise.

I'm definitely interested, but currently live too far away from the West.

Plot twist: @ari 's "guru" was... Martin Ball.

Rupert Spira, Paul Hedderman. I relate most to the small girl in my profile pic.

Rather than one causing the other (which involves the concept of time), could we not see these phenomenon as arising from the infinite sea of consciousness, like waves in a boundless indivisible ocean?

Paradox is what happens when we are attached to incorrect views on reality, such as duality.

Ok, let's consider these two main concepts about the nature of our reality: 1) Conventional view (materialism): Matter (space-time) ---> mind ---> consciousness. 2) Non-duality perspective: Consciousness ---> mind ---> matter. Which one is your experience? And does either one of these views make our reality virtual or "less real"?

@Old Soul , I hereby challenge you to a tomato fight.

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Maturity is knowing not to use a tomato in a fruit salad.

@khalifa , watch this illuminating TED talk when you can: Depression is a disease of civilization

"We failed to find any associations between lifetime use of psychedelics and past year serious psychological distress, receiving or needing mental health treatment, depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts or behavior in the past year. Rather, lifetime use of psychedelics was associated with decreased inpatient psychiatric treatment." Hot diggety dog... so the weird stuff won't send us crazy after all? Darn! Related: Psilocybin is Looking More and More Like a Potential Wonder Drug

I've found that these also tend to attract their fair share of ungrounded loopy characters. Hang out in this forum - there are bound to be a few of those hidden gems loitering about.

I'd like to see Nellie trying some 5-MeO-DMT... @Leo Gura , how about an actual video taken during your own 5-MeO-DMT experience?

Could've been worse - doing psychedelics on a row boat, down some rapids. Row, row, row your boat, Gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream.

To most of us, ignorance is bliss.