What is the new neo-spirituality with grass and mushrooms?

The other day on Reddit I saw someone post something that got me thinking about where we were going as a species.

The post went;

Spirituality doesn’t mean eating mushrooms and smoking cannabis.

So often do I hear a person say that they are spiritual after their first mushroom trip …

No, you have just been overloaded with dopamine and now you feel like you are in tune with the universe.

Spirituality is a journey, not an experience. – KamikazeKook

While Kamikaze has a point that “spirituality” doesn’t mean eating mushrooms and smoking cannabis – it isn’t those things either.

What is certain, however, is that the concept of spirituality will evolve with society. As some Redditors replied on this thread, “Today you can buy spirituality in retail stores.”

In today’s post we take a closer look at modern spirituality and digital shamanism and what the future of “religions” might look like.

Understanding a spiritual awakening (without psychedelics)

The main idea behind the Redditor’s post is that too many first-time psychedelics people believe they have attained enlightenment.

The tone of the post suggests that Kamikaze is pissed off by the notion and tries to explain it as a “dopamine release,” when in reality a lot more is happening.

One possible reason people experience this feeling of spiritual enlightenment could be the same reason people go through a “romantic phase” when they change religion.

If you’ve ever spoken to someone who has “just converted,” they will speak very similarly to someone who is newly “in love”.

This is partly due to the release of dopamine, but something is also happening from a neurological point of view that could explain this “zeal”.

There is an old adage in neurology that says, “Neurons that fire together, wire together,” suggests the process of how our brain wires itself.

In other words, when certain neurons fire in groups, they begin to group and form “networks”. These networks form a physical structure in the brain.

These physical neurological structures can appear as the “framework for your behavior” and for the most part you will not behave “outside the norms” of these structures.

These neurological structures also form your belief systems, your concepts of God, spirituality, divinity, etc.

Let’s say you’ve been raised a Catholic all your life. All rites, traditions, saints etc. form their own neurological network. If there is a particular “thing” that collides with the structure, either reject it, ignore it, or deform it to fit the shape.

But what happens when you “let go of the structure” and adopt a new one?

There is a massive release of energy in the form of neuroplasticity. You are no longer “tied to the structure inside”, but are now starting to move on new, exciting and unfamiliar terrain.

This break in a paradigm releases energy, excitement, and all of these new emotions and new ways of being that were trapped under the old structure.

Think of this as “changing your operating system”.

Psychedelic awakening!

When it comes to psychedelics, “you don’t just change the operating system”, you open up a whole new type of “operation”.

For example, MRI scans show that when someone takes LSD, their entire brain “lights up”. In other words, areas that are not normally connected to each other begin to communicate in an abstract way that is far from “standard mode”.

In contrast to your typical spiritual awakening – which is a shift from one mode of engagement to another mode of engagement – the psychedelic experience does not “shift” your mode, but rather enters a state of heightened neuroplasticity.

A moment when thoughts can flow freely through the “rules” of the self.

This can be a profound insight for people who were stuck in “standard mode” and suddenly experienced this awesome event that forever changed their perspective on the static nature of consciousness.

Chasing the tail or taming the dragon

This closes the circle with the anger about the Redditor’s post.

Some people, when experiencing this “psychedelic awakening,” may be ill-prepared for such a state of extreme neuroplasticity.

They simply replace certain “ideas” within their own pantheon of personal beliefs. Mushrooms become their “divine connection” and grass their “rites”.

They deal with these substances in an almost “religious” way – which is why some people are put off by this archetypal person.

People who use psychedelics in lieu of personal exploration and consciousness development often “chase” the experience.

Like a dog chasing its own tail, they will never really “capture” their idealized experience with the substance.

The other group of people are those who “tame” the dragon and use psychedelics as tools for deep personal exploration.

While realizing that there is “something more” in the mind, they also understand that sometimes you need some help from these medicinal plants to go deep.

Who defines spirituality_

At the end of the day, spirituality is a personal practice. Only you are the one who defines it and all – even if the Redditor might be put off by the idea of ​​using mushrooms and weed as a means of spiritual exploration.

It’s always a question of perspective.

Now I want to say that I would treat you with the respect you deserve for using these plants in the context of personal and spiritual development.

This means that you would most likely grow the stuff yourself to make sure it doesn’t get spiritually corrupted down the supply chain.

But it might be too much work for a stoner – all you have to do is pay the bill.

Personally, I use psychedelics and weed as part of my own inner exploration – of course, I’m not constantly high either, I have a disciplined habit of consumption. I know when “enough” is enough.

What do you think? Can Psychedelics and Cannabis Help You Achieve Nirvana?