Alcohol and "Spiritual lifestyle"

[solr]

Not sure where to put this, maybe Health/Nutrition/Fitness is better, but I'm asking this question in the light of spirituality and consciousness work not health.

I've come to the realization.. or, I guess I've known for a while, that I have to give up alcohol if I want to progress on this journey. Maybe it's not like that for everyone, but I guess with my relationship to it, it's extremely toxic..

Does alcohol and spirituality even work together in some cases? Do you drink? How often? Why/Why not? Are you planning to quit it?

[Aakash]

you lose consciousness if you drink <- literally think about it from a blacking out perspective, I don't remember shit when i've blacked out aka i've lost complete consciousness

in regards to being waved/ tipsy or drunk <- your actions become repetitive and unconscious 

slightly tipsy - is probably the best state because you still have control of your actions and are aware of your thoughts

[FredFred]

I love the taste a good beer, but I hate the effects alcohol. Alcohol closes my mind whereas what I'm trying to do is open it.

Of course now the effects are different for everyone, who am I to judge the actions of others. I personally have a goal in mind and alcohol doesn't make me closer to that goal. This is why I don't touch alcohol anymore.

Hope that helps

[solr]

23 minutes ago, FredFred said:

I love the taste a good beer, but I hate the effects alcohol. Alcohol closes my mind whereas what I'm trying to do is open it.

Of course now the effects are different for everyone, who am I to judge the actions of others. I personally have a goal in mind and alcohol doesn't make me closer to that goal. This is why I don't touch alcohol anymore.

Hope that helps

When did you quit alcohol? Was it difficult for you?

[brugluiz]

I just drink alcohol with my family and friends (I don't get drunk since 2014) because I just want to taste some beer (I realized last day that I have no joy anymore with even craft beers). When I go out to night clubs, I drink nothing because I like to be 100% sure that I was sober when approaching women.

Your question is interesting because I'm wondering if it makes sense to quit alcohol completely for spiritual purposes (the same with night clubs).

[VictorB02]

@solr I don't think anyone can tell you whether or not alcohol will aid you or hold you back on your journey. To me, you saying you have a toxic relationship with it indicates that you know you need to give it up--in that case, you know what to do.

Have you ever heard of Alan Watts? He was one of, if not the greatest Western Interpreter of Eastern Philosophy and Knowledge. He also was an alcoholic and died because of it. But that didn't take away from his greatness and his love of spreading profound knowledge.

In many cases he is considered to be (in Spiral Dynamics)  a Yellow/Turquoise individual--and he was an alcoholic.

Hopefully this comment helps you out.

[FredFred]

2 hours ago, solr said:

When did you quit alcohol? Was it difficult for you?

I quit alcohol 6 months ago. I wasn't difficult.

It's actually a series of event that lead me there. Here are some of those :

• I understood that alcoholism plays a big detrimental role in modern society. Two of my friends are addicts, and I can clearly see how it affect their lives very, very negatively.
• I already started mindfulness meditation at that time. It became very clear to me that getting drunk wasn't getting me anywhere close to where I wanted to be in the long run. Alcohol for me was more of a temporary escape from the problems I faced in my daily life.
• Alcohol is often considered a recreational substance, something you do for fun. But even then, I have had some experiences with other substances that were absolutely transcendental in terms of recreation compared to what was possible to achieve with alcohol, making the former obsolete.

Has I said earlier, everyone's different. A combination of events made me realize I simply wasn't enjoying alcohol anymore, and thus I needed to stop taking it. I also encourage you to do the same! But don't do it because of what is being said here, I'm not a reference of any kind.

Take the time to think really hard about the reasons behind all of this. Really contemplate the how alcohol is making you miserable and the why quitting could make you happier in your day to day life. There's no magic pill here. If you do the work, the answers will present themselves to you.

PM me if you want to talk about it, I'm always online  

[SgtPepper]

I think this is a very subjective matter. 

I drink alcohol at family occasions, a party with friends, or Holidays. And these occasions are not often. I "party" with my friends maybe like 5x a year.

I personally do not have a problem with alcohol. I can get completely drunk and usually I have no more interest in drinking it the following day. I don't know how people get addicted to it, it literally feels and tastes like poison lol. It has no health benefits whatsoever. However, I did not find it effects my "spiritual lifestyle", in fact being drunk is just another interesting perspective and it is psychedelics in the sense that it changes how you perceive yourself and others, so I enjoy that aspect of it.

I enjoy cannabis way more though.

Edited January 2, 2019 by SgtPepper

[Joseph Maynor]

There are pros and cons to everything.  Here's what I advise you to do.  You find the pros and cons of alcohol use in your own life and write them down.  Become mindful of these pros and cons.  This is why putting them in language is really, really important.  

Edited January 2, 2019 by Joseph Maynor

[solr]

Thank you all for your time and enlightening aswers. 

[FoxFoxFox]

@solr Alan Watts supposedly died of alcohol poisoning. He was most certainly enlightened. 

[ajasatya]

@solr you gotta let go of all your attachments if you want real progress. everything else is just a sabotaging lazy excuse.

Edited January 2, 2019 by ajasatya

[outlandish]

7 hours ago, FoxFoxFox said:

@solr Alan Watts supposedly died of alcohol poisoning. He was most certainly enlightened. 

Alan Watts was enlightened despite his relationship with alcohol, certainly not because of it. Not saying any of us disagree, just want to point this out for readers.

Sometimes people turn to alcohol as a reaction against awakening. It's like an ego backlash in a way, it's a gauze mask that dulls the intensity of truth and brings us back to comfortable safe unrealized self.

[Toby]

1 minute ago, outlandish said:

Alan Watts was enlightened despite his relationship with alcohol, certainly not because of it. Not saying any of us disagree, just want to point this out for readers.

How do you know? There is a german dude that wrote something like "spiritual awakening because of alcohol". Too bad the book is not in english: https://www.amazon.de/dp/3732245470/

[outlandish]

@TobyI don't know, this is just from what I've observed in myself and people around me. Yeah maybe alcohol helps some people, kind of doubt it though. It mostly seems to cloud judgement and bring out the worst in people IME.

I'm not a puritan or anything, I drink occasionally myself, but I do think I'd generally be a better and healthier person if I didn't.

[solr]

I've come to the conclusion that it's time to remove alcohol from my life. I've known for many years - But sometimes thoughts need some time to mature into action. For me at least. 

[FredFred]

6 minutes ago, solr said:

I've come to the conclusion that it's time to remove alcohol from my life. I've known for many years - But sometimes thoughts need some time to mature into action. For me at least. 

It's very courageous of you to do that, I wish you only the best  

[Aakash]

Word of advice, you exhibit additional vibrational frequency when you initially think about it and fight against it. Just remember to sit with that vibrational frequency until it calms down and you are able to continue onto a different task of your liking. I.e meditating on the frequency can also help! good luck! don't expect it to be easy! 

[tarax]

Alcohol in moderation seems to work for me. I've entered the first Buddhist jhana, and have experienced a kundalini activation/awakening (which started accidentally, during meditation), 24/7 during the last year without giving up alcohol. In fact, I feel like giving up alcohol completely would create yet another barrier between myself and the people around me, and I desire to live in the world, while not being of the world. I do want to stress that moderation is key, if I drink too much I'm not in control of my actions anymore, and I don't feel like that state is useful for spirituality.

Edit: last spring I completely abstained from alcohol for several months, hoping it would help clear up visual snow. I did not notice any effect whatsoever on my spiritual pursuits.

Edited January 3, 2019 by tarax

[solr]

13 minutes ago, FredFred said:

It's very courageous of you to do that, I wish you only the best  

Thank you <3

 

11 minutes ago, Aakash said:

Word of advice, you exhibit additional vibrational frequency when you initially think about it and fight against it. Just remember to sit with that vibrational frequency until it calms down and you are able to continue onto a different task of your liking. I.e meditating on the frequency can also help! good luck! don't expect it to be easy! 

Thank you for the advice, much appreciated <3

9 minutes ago, tarax said:

Alcohol in moderation seems to work for me. I've entered the first Buddhist jhana, and have experienced a kundalini activation/awakening (which started accidentally, during meditation), 24/7 during the last year without giving up alcohol. In fact, I feel like giving up alcohol completely would create yet another barrier between myself and the people around me, and I desire to live in the world, while not being of the world. I do want to stress that moderation is key, if I drink too much I'm not in control of my actions anymore, and I don't feel like that state is useful for spirituality.

Edit: last spring I completely abstained from alcohol for several months, hoping it would help clear up visual snow. I did not notice any effect whatsoever on my spiritual pursuits.

I see. It's probably different for different people then. I actually don't drink very often. My problem is I only have a choice to *not* drink my first drink. After that first drink, I always end up shitfaced. With weak willpower, doing stupid shit I regret deeply later. Yeah, actually when I think about it... I believe creating this thread was my psychological addiction to alcohol talking - Trying to confirm drinking is totally fine in my case when it's obviously stupid af