Beyond Psychedelics: The Grace and Limits of Consciousness Expansion

[Davino]

One of the worst feelings a psychonaut, in the process of Awakening can have, is the following:

The substance(s) and doses are mostly irrelevant, hitting a new peak Awakening is at God's mercy and grace.

I'm reaching a plateau lately that how much 5meo I consume or be it a novel substance, it's unlikely I'll get the Consciousness I truly desire. I just want more and more.

It feels like maxing out with meditation and yoga, they can't bring more consciousness up to a certain point, what if I wante more?

Same exact thing with psychedelics.

Drop me in a bed and inject me drugs all you want, it's not the substance anymore, I've explored the landscape, I can have weird and exotic experiences, I can trip balls, I can get traumatized, I can overdose, whatever, but that's not the pure consciousness increase

Once a certain threshold, more consciousness is grace, it's a gift, it's almost acausal.

Your already Infinite Mind and boundless Conscioussness, digging itself out through all its holes to find an ace, to break the limit, to become more conscious, to hack itself out, as you are aware that you are both imagining the limit and the limit, how can I break myself out, self-liberation, this is the paradox.

The Truth is that it just keeps getting harder and harder to do so. Before a few meditations, some yoga, some trips. But after some point... You know all the tricks, you hit yourself with yourself and you play solitary to increase your level, in an infinite loophole just for its own sake. There's no more shortcuts, just an existential unexplainable unquenchable thirst for more Consciousness, more God, more Infinity...

[Davino]

I might have maxed peak consciousness for a while, probably hitting a plateau. 

I'll work on baseline consciousness.

I've also come to the conclusion that I'll need retreats moving forward to increase the peak.

[PenguinPablo]

@Davino I'm very impressed by your ability to handle these states, along with engineering education endeavors. 

[Davino]

@PenguinPablo Great news I wanted to publish, I've finally finished my two engineering degrees. Got a super nice job also, the best given my ambitions.

But it has been a rough journey. Before selecting a degree/university I was so close to drop all possessions, find a monastery (whatever religion) that handles my survival and just do spiritual practices forever. Every fucking year of my degree I hit rock bottom, I didn't like it. I was Awakening so high and the contrast with mundane life and one that I didn't like, was quite harsh. The only decent year was my international exchange, that was decent in the human domain, but I awoke to solipsism which made it hard in the metaphysical sense. However, I love the person I've become and moreover, I love the positioning and leverage that I have now. Many times we hear, you gotta enjoy the process. But maybe there's no way to enjoy the process, it's a fucking grind, BUT, you may love the result. And that's what has happened with me, it has been quite a revelation. I plan to do a post reflecting back on my university experience.

[ExploringReality]

I understand what you mean. 

There is something that happens to my mind when on LSD and Psilocybin that I look for and always receive. It's this very stoned, very alert, hyper alert but cleanly clear and smooth consciousness. It's like being in flow States ×10. Imagine squeezing a full months retreat state of mind into an order of a full day. I love deep trance hallucinations that completely break my senses of reality and I have also experienced states of cosmic Consciousness where I am absolutely petrified, terrified, crying and salivating on the floor praying for mercy, but the main thing that I love is having a smooth, alert, wakeful, non reactive, hypersensitive and hyperspacual perception. Think of a mind of a fucking Buddha!! That's the good shit. 

But also this mundane ordinary consciousness right now is also IT!!!!! Once you see it, you can never go back

[emil1234]

from my point of view, liberation is annihilation of even the desire for more consciousness. desire truly is the root of suffering, buddhism is right on this point. be it desire for food, sex, money or even increased consciousness, it doesnt matter. i say kill the desire

[Dabidoe]

My take on psychedellics might be contrary to the majority of the crowd.

If it's not within you then it's not real. Taking the experiences from psychedellics and making them part of the whole you seems to be the goal. I'm not sure how many drugs you have to take to do that, that probably varies on the person. There certainly are benefits but if you never incorporate into your sober life and rely on the drugs to "see" then it's temporary.

It's possible we can all find our way to non-duality in our own way, but ideally it becomes a new way of life rather than a fleeting moment.

[Rigel]

Beautiful writing.

[Asia P]

I understand you

[OBEler]

@Davino I am looking forward to your university experience.

You are on a plateau on psychedelics? This is interesting to hear that this is possible. Would you say you saw so many things it becomes somehow always the same? You got used to these experiences? Even the crazy breakthroughs on DMT or on whatever substance you take? 

Edited September 14 by OBEler

[Jodistrict]

I took psychedelics intensely for five years including 5-meo.   It gives a temporary state which wears off and then you just have a memory, but no long-term change.   But then you desire to have the same mystical experience again, so now you are chasing experience.   This is just more attachment, the opposite of liberation.  You can’t get liberation from drugs.  It requires a sober mind which can investigate the nature of self and an ongoing surrender and letting go moment to moment 24/7.  Drugs sabotage the spiritual path with self deception.

[Jowblob]

Drugs in itself is a realm that you access and is not god realization as Leo claims, yes it leads to awakenings if god wills so. But it's not a tool for god realization, remember that your higher self has access to all the events simultaneously. What makes you think that the script that you wrote for your human self, can be broken by some "psychedelics" from the human realm. Stop kidding yourself, only pray and thank god for the gifts or desires he might let you fullfill while you're in the human body.

[Davino]

 

On 7/9/2025 at 8:40 AM, emil1234 said:

Desire truly is the root of suffering, buddhism is right on this point. be it desire for food, sex, money or even increased consciousness, it doesnt matter. i say kill the desire

I'm aware 

I have no trouble suffering for what I love.

Being liberated from suffering is quite boring if you've accessed that state of consciousness. It's just plain equanimity, like the most plain boring vanilla ice cream, not good, not bad, not anything, but not nothing either. I just don't like the classic Buddhist freedom from suffering.

But hey you don't suffer, it's great but you also miss the pleasure, the joy, the sadness, the angry, the melancholic, the despair, the spark, the hope, ... You trade all of that for Equanimity. If you wanna take that deal go ahead and work for it.

In my case, I have no trouble suffering for what I love. And I do love Consciousness.

[Davino]

On 14/9/2025 at 4:56 AM, OBEler said:

I am looking forward to your university experience.

Hopefully soon I'll get down to write it, I'm going through many life transforming processes right now.

On 14/9/2025 at 4:56 AM, OBEler said:

You are on a plateau on psychedelics? This is interesting to hear that this is possible. Would you say you saw so many things it becomes somehow always the same? You got used to these experiences? Even the crazy breakthroughs on DMT or on whatever substance you take? 

It certainly is possible, if you read the book on Mastery from Leo's Booklist, you'll see that it's a common happening in any long term pursuit.

If you are working towards higher peak consciousness, in that process you'll experience plateaus. In this regard, psychedelics are a bit deceiving, because of how potent and efficient they are, you get too complacent with constant breakthroughs. They are too good in a way. So if you go on trying new psychedelics, higher doses and mixing them all up, just by chances you are likely to keep having breakthroughs, Awakenings and Peak Consciousness; however, this process is bound to plateau at some point. It's like hitting with the glass ceiling of consciousness, well to put it into context, my plateau is already Infinite Consciousness, but I see how much more I'm missing, more Infinite Infinity!

That regarding psychedelics for pure Consciousness. But on the psychonaut domain, I haven't plateaued yet, there are so many conscious experiences and states of consciousness and weird reality corners to explore. That is interesting and I do it to some extent, but I trip for Consciousness, Truth, Love, God and Infinity, those are my values.

The Good thing is that plateaus are temporary and with consistent work, the breakthrough will come.

Edited 14 hours ago by Davino

[emil1234]

2 hours ago, Davino said:

 

I'm aware 

I have no trouble suffering for what I love.

Being liberated from suffering is quite boring if you've accessed that state of consciousness. It's just plain equanimity, like the most plain boring vanilla ice cream, not good, not bad, not anything, but not nothing either. I just don't like the classic Buddhist freedom from suffering.

But hey you don't suffer, it's great but you also miss the pleasure, the joy, the sadness, the angry, the melancholic, the despair, the spark, the hope, ... You trade all of that for Equanimity. If you wanna take that deal go ahead and work for it.

In my case, I have no trouble suffering for what I love. And I do love Consciousness.

but you can have both. it actually is possible to pursue things without desire, however paradoxical it might sound

[Xonas Pitfall]

Right now, the way I use psychedelics is as fuel for whatever else I'm doing in "real life." It's similar to how Leo uses his insights to fuel his Actualized.org work. The beauty of it is that you can keep finding infinite ways to explore "God" through the proxy of the "finite" world. Lately, I've been going through regular YouTube biology courses, particularly the evolution of systems and organisms, only I am studying them through the lens of spirituality, enlightenment, non-duality, and God. I also recommended watching the lessons while on psychedelics, too! It's incredible to see God in everything, in both the smallest and the broadest subjects. So, even though my trips might feel familiar and similar, the world keeps reflecting those insights in new, unexpected ways through the lens of the "finite" topics.

What about you? What are you currently working on? What's your career? Do you have anything you want to learn, re-learn, or experience, maybe something you're building, writing, or creating?

I honestly recommend doing psychedelics and then enjoying your day-to-day life with a novel lens, watching movies, playing games, reading books, courses, or even starting a business. Even the Leo meme of watching porn while high can be quite awesome. As you become more conscious, everything gains a new sense of novelty and excitement (You begin recognizing God in everything, and finding new ways as to how to conceptualize God through finite objects and seeing the genius of Everythingness); it feels like being a kid again, heading off to school with a naive spark of curiosity! A great way to love the world more, too, and not over-indulge in escapism and wanting to be an Intergalactic Psychedelic Transcendent Psychonautic Shimmering Iridescent Ethereal Otherworldly Bizarre Unfathomable Hypnotic Fractured Delirious Mind-bending Cosmic Mystical Alien! 

If you’re an 'insight addict' (which, let's be honest, you probably are based on this post), this approach is an absolute gold mine! 

Once you reach God, the deeper you can integrate it, the more it becomes a superpower. You’re able to weave God into everything you do and say. It’s a profound art form, one that the world desperately needs more of. So if you're in this position, don’t feel bad; it’s actually an incredible "luxury problem". It's like when you’ve made enough money to retire. Once you're free from the chase for survival, you can start creating with purpose and authenticity, building businesses driven by passion, and contributing something meaningful. You can create art and experience life. It’s similar here, but with God. God is always present; you just get to experience it in endless ways, which I find beautiful.

One example that comes to mind is during a trip, I’d just watch old nostalgic cartoons and observe how my mind would put archetypes on each character and analyze the ways my mind works. I’d see the survival needs of the characters, then I’d notice their desperate need for safety, connection, and love. Then I’d focus on the outlines of the characters, the design of the setting, and the way the colors and shapes interacted. Next, I’d get memories of how I used to see this cartoon when I was little, and how I’m watching it now with completely different eyes, then my mind would drift to a different place, contemplating the different levels of consciousness and how hypnotic these states can be. Then I’d notice how my ego would try to barge in, creating biases about which archetypes I found more favorable than others, and I’d observe where those biases came from. I’d analyze them, tracing back to my upbringing, to society, to my conditioning. I’d reflect on the nature of bias itself, how it’s both finite and infinite, and, oh wait, there’s God again! Then I’d come back to simply observing what a pixel is, or a unit, an atom, the building blocks of everything. And suddenly, it becomes clear: oneness, structure, connection. It’s like you can zoom endlessly into everything, peeling back layer after layer, and eventually, you start to see the mind, God, truth, bias, love, infinity, all woven together. You begin to see beauty (God) in everything. It’s so beautiful.

I also remember re-listening to this song during an incredibly intense trip. As it played, it felt like the sound looped forever, and I could pick out the tiniest of details in every note, every vibration. Then I began contemplating the nature of songwriting, what is a sound? A melody? A vibration? How does it relate to God? I listened to the song so many times, I basically lost myself in it and became it. I became the vibration, the melody, the picture the artist wanted me to feel as I listened, the children’s laughter, the lights on the leaves. Then I’d “loop” back from it and reflect on how different my state was. Once again, I’d find myself pondering consciousness, ego, disillusionment, my identity, and the nature of the states I could access.

I remember trying to work out too, and as I moved my muscles, I felt like I could actually feel myself as an engine being pushed. I noticed my skin was so organic, so natural, and I felt like my skin was a tree, a carbon-based life form. I felt like I was a tree that had internal organs and muscles, just so I could move. It was very trippy because I was both feeling the pain and effort from regular weights and movement, yet I didn’t associate with the pain; I just observed it. Then I contemplated the nature of pain as well, and so on ...You get the point!

It’s easy to get entranced by higher and higher states, indulging in a sort of psychedelic escapism, but we need to remember that this world is the REAL world, the closest to God and reality it will ever be. To not wish to find God in it, to not fully see the beauty in it, and only seek the highest peaks of emptiness would be silly. You have the superpower now to enrich your experience and see God everywhere.

Edited 20 hours ago by Xonas Pitfall

[Davino]

10 hours ago, emil1234 said:

but you can have both. it actually is possible to pursue things without desire, however paradoxical it might sound

Is it, really?

Can you give me an example to under you better