Natural

Although it has been many years since I experimented with shrooms, I clearly recall those highly revelatory experiences. I'm hesitant to call them spiritual experiences, because I don't really know what spiritual means. From what I've read of so-called spiritual practices such as meditation, enlightenment involves shedding the ego and being at one with the universe. If this way of being constitutes spirituality, then powerful hallucinogens can open spiritual doors.

The disintegration of ego can be unsettling if one hasn't contemplated this possibility. The human experience is such that it is helpful to create and maintain a sense of self. Self is such a highly regarded construct that parents and educators consider the promotion of "self esteem" in children to be an important aspect of child-rearing. Subjects in the Johns Hopkins study who reported frightening experiences were probably experiencing anxiety over the loss of ego-based grounding. Those unable to move past such fear had better steer clear of entheogens.

I want to be able to legally use entheogens. It is annoying that in my country, Canada, it is perfectly legal to buy toxic alcohol and tobacco, yet it is illegal to possess chemicals having the potential to expand consciousness. If entheogens were freely available, people might learn that materialistic ego gratification limits human potential and produces environmental and social damage. Ruling commercial interests will not permit people to use virtually free natural substances that may instill an appreciation for the merits of voluntary simplicity. posted 07/03/2008 at 02:35:43

TheBlackCat said: 'The best argument I've heard for why we should have kids is, as a friend of mine put it "You know that stupid people will keep on having them, it may not be such a good idea to let them be the main source of future Americans." '

Strong argument, Cat. The world needs more thinkers such as yourself.

What about the biological imperative argument? Your genes have programmed you to reproduce. The ultimate purpose to life can be realized only through fulfillment of this single overriding imperative. posted 07/03/2008 at 01:14:50