getting stoned. how often, and why?

[Plenum]

as per guideline 9:

9) Many if not all of us have had – or know someone who has had – experience with drugs. We have likely seen at first hand both the joys and the sorrows of drugs: the memorable moments of communing in the open heart with others; the destruction of self and/or others caused or exacerbated by drugs; and, at its best but perhaps most suspect, the spiritual insight and understanding that variably results.

We ask that the following guidelines be honored when speaking about drugs:
a) That the means of creating, obtaining, or distributing any illegal substance (whether it “should” be illegal or not) be left completely off of the public discussion table.

b) That any and all discussion of drug use be placed within the larger context of spiritual evolution. For better or worse, how does a particular drug, or drugs in general, affect your spiritual evolution? What role have drugs played in the spiritual evolution of humankind? What part did your positive and/or negative experiences with drugs have in your own spiritual evolution?

c) That use of illegal drugs never be promoted to other members as a means for evolving, healing, growing, improving, etc. Members may report of their own experiences, but are not permitted to suggest to any other member that such experiences may be replicated. It will always remain to the reader’s discrimination whether any particular drug is worthy of further consideration. No one is ever to be persuaded, swayed, won over, or influenced to change their own perspective on drugs through any means other than the sharing of ones own perspective with no motive save to share the experience.

Notably, in the dozen or so instances where the Confederation has been questioned in channeling sessions at L/L Research through the years, their answer has always been that there are unintended negative consequences that invariably accompany the use of drugs. They suggest progressing naturally.

but still. I know that some members here get stoned quite regularly.

is it medicinal? (pain relief as I know of one friend)
is it relaxation? (as I know of another friend)
or its just damn fun!!! (like I follow baseball etc, a matter of taste).

I by no means wish to judge, but I love hearing stories.

[Spaced]

I think I fall into the relaxation camp, though I find that it's useful for medicinal purposes too. I've used marijuana on and off for years, I think the main appeal for me would be that it helps me deal with some of the stress and anxieties that I otherwise have a habit of piling onto myself. If I had to describe what it does for me I would say that it gives me more room to maneuver inside my head, giving me a sort of distance from those anxieties so I can come at them from a different angle. I also sometimes just smoke it to make movies seem more interesting or to get really into a book. I'll also admit however that one of the main reasons I smoke is probably just out of habit .

As for spiritual use I don't know if marijuana is especially beneficial, but I wouldn't say it's detrimental either, though as with many things it depends on your intent when using it. I will say that I find it much easier to get into a meditative state when stoned, but I also notice a lack of dreams during periods when I use marijuana often.

[Sagittarius]

It's all of those things and more hehe. How and why pot is used is probably as varied as those who use it. My initial experience with it was heavenly. It opened my mind and made me see myself and the universe consciously really for the first time. It really de-programmed the limiting view I had of reality. It woke me up really.

However I soon grew a tolerance and the highs stopped being so amazing. Then I got into a long stage of smoking it far to much. My intent turned from discovery to stagnation as I started realizing I was just chasing that body high as much as I tried to convince myself otherwise that the floaty body feeling was discovery. It made me feel good even in times when I really shouldn't have, it was a way to hide from myself and the problems I knew I needed to address.

I remember reading this from Ra and realizing my misuse of MJ at the core was because of an indigo ray blockage.

Questioner: Could Ra recommend work appropriate for removing indigo-ray blockage?
Ra: I am Ra. We cannot recommend for the general situation for in each case the distortional vortex is unique. In this particular nexus, the more appropriate working is in the mental and mental/emotional powers of analysis and observation. When the strongest and least distorted complex is set in support, then the less strong portions of the complex shall be strengthened. This entity has long worked with this catalyst. However, this is the first occasion wherein the drugs to dull the pain that sharpens the catalyst have been refused.

So I try to limit myself to one or two nights a week, that way I still get an enjoyable experience that allows me to discover more and a way to relax and unwind on the weekend.

It's still an issue as I find myself thinking about buying more then once or twice a week constantly and in particular the last weeks I have smoked almost everyday because of boredom.

Obviously it's still a catalyst for me to deal with but I don't think whatever I need to realize or do or feel will take much longer to happen.

[Unbound]

This is something that has been an interesting ponderance of for me. I have been smoking very regularly for about 5 years now, and in that time have experimented with other entheogens.

There are different spirits or intelligent fields which are part of each different plant and certain plants have a spirit which work with you by offering you the experience of an altered state of consciousness. Naturally each plant has a different "character" behind its working, however, I have come to understand that you can even mix the consciousnesses of plants in order to produce apparently new "personalities". That being said, my use of cannabis began as a way to stop having night terrors, and to a degree it still is a blanket over the memory of my dreams in many cases each night.

Over time I have used and experimented with probably a couple dozen different strains and used it in a wide variety of situations to experience how I am able to function in the altered state and examine how I am able to function with the altered distortion pattern of my perception. I have learned that most fundamentally it causes a large charge from the kundalini to rise to the third eye, the red ray is both weakened and made solid and this results in varying ripples throughout the centers based on the individual.

I have always smoked it, rather than ingested or vaporized it and this sometimes has the effect of diminishing throat energies, and often I use it for meditation. The main reason I do so is the way it amplies my ability to see visual distortions and this is done and then comparison made to the natural, sober state.

There was a point early this year where a spirit of the plant appeared to me, a deva, and it said it was the keeper of the plants and it helps to nurture their evolution and that by sharing and partaking of its spirit we were symbiotically assisting eachother with our growth in awareness and communion with the all. It gave me a special name by which I now know the plant, and it is part of the bond, for we are allies.

If anyone wants to know more about this, see the works of Carlos Castenada as it is a good example of what I mean, although of a different plant.

[Hototo]

Not to say anything on the topic at all but man it is distracting to sit here in the the summers heat without a drap of clothing on and look at all dem faces looking down at the camera and smiling. Makes me feel quite nude.

Carry on, this a fascinating conversation.

[Jeremy]

I've only smoked a couple times within the passed 8 months or so which is the least amount in a very long time. The two times I did, it was purely a social thing though one of the times, the conversation turned into spiritual which was cool as hell considering the two people I smoked with were complete strangers. The other time was my dad gave me a bowl to smoke after a log day of driving and moving furniture so it was more of a relaxation thing.

Like others have stated, habitual smoking results in a complete shutdown of the recollection of dreams. Considering how tired I remember being every morning, I don't think I ever even entered REM sleep at all which would explain the lack of dreaming.

[Brittany]

I had highly unpleasant experiences with a family member doing drugs as I was growing up, which conditioned a deep bias against controlled substances into me. Only within the past few years have I become tolerant of my friends doing it and become comfortable being around people who are smoking (though it still requires a specific type of group vibration for me to be comfortable). The closest I have come to "doing drugs" was the powerful psychotropic drugs my psychiatrist put me on. I hated the entire experience, though some of them gave me very profound perceptual distortions (the only real noteworthy visual hallucinations I've had in my life), and I've never felt better than the moment I realized all of that crap was finally out of my system for good.

Aside from the bias, I've always been able to open my third eye with relative ease, and quite often experience states of consciousness comparable to being "high", based on how I've heard it described by others. There are simple activities, ritual or otherwise, that I can partake in to put me in these states almost instantly. I also tend to empath any high going around in a group, and will become more "out there" than anyone who is actually smoking, making contact high a very real thing for me. Basically, if I sit around a bunch of high people I can trip for free. I'm interested in sitting next to someone doing LSD or DMT...I'm very curious how much of their experience I could absorb.

[AnthroHeart]

I've smoked mj twice, just out of curiosity. All I know is it affected my balance and ability to walk, but I didn't get much enjoyment out of it. It made stuff that was freaky online even freakier, such as a dubstep video. That really freaked me out.

[Ashim]

I smoked MJ and hash from about age 18 onwards, sometimes more, sometimes less.
I had a period of about 7 years where this became a daily habit.
About 3 years ago I started with research chemicals due to their greater potency.
This is not something that I recommend, but did prove fruitful in my own case.
I have abstained for the last few months without any withdrawl symptoms only to note a sharp increase in the ability to recall dreams.
I guess it's a trade off - deep meditation during wake time vs lucid dreams.
These substances/plants are just tools IMHO. What you do with them is up to you.
Being as my environment is lacking in pyramids/temples etc. I have no problem with justifying the use of said drugs - remembering that my intent was always to serve to the highest possible degree of my capability.
Having said that, I did find myself 'chasing the body high' some of the time.

My impression is that stimulating the CB1 and CB2 receptors does indeed aid in achieving a deep state of meditation - for some.
This seemed to 'blow open' the upper chakras, especially the crown, and enabled the reaching of a state not so easily aquired through traditional meditation techniques.

If you are inclined to try such methods I would adivise that you be prepared for
negative greetings of exactly the same power of the positive ones that will filter through.
There is no taking without giving.
Tit for tat.

Since stopping drug use (apart from a few beers) I have been able to remain lucid during dreamtime - not always fully conscious, but mostly able to recall and integrate the experiences.

My synopsis would be - if you feel like it, then go for it!

Just be prepared and observant.

[vervex]

My relationship with drugs is one of simultaneous fascination and contempt. I find amazing that for many people it can open doors to altered states of consciousness, an introduction to the cosmos and the world beyond the veil. I find myself disturbed however by the addiction several users experience, and how they misuse the drugs to avoid facing their fears and issues. Drugs are double edged swords indeed.

I've personally only ever smoked MJ thrice when I was 15, and got three different results. But for all three experiences, I can tell it felt as if my IQ had been reduced by half. This realization was enough for me to conclude I was not going to get anything positive out of using drugs. Drugs do not bring anything beneficial to my path, and life has confirmed I can expand my consciousness naturally.

That being said, I respect the free will of others and wish you the best in all your endeavours. Consume responsibly, everyone

[AnthroHeart]

I smoked DMT a number of times, and took pharmahuasca (a derivative of ayahuasca) a number of times. These blew open my 3rd eye. I wasn't ready for the experience, which led me to schizophrenia. I'm on medication now to keep my indigo ray closed enough, and to keep me grounded. I don't know how they work, but they work. I used to have delusions of grandeur, thinking I was creating a galaxy, and working for God. It turned out I was working on the negative path of fear. A lot of fear in my life. Thinking I was getting sucked into a black hole was one of them.

Someone once asked me, what would I do if I knew I would be safe, and I answered jump into a black hole. But now I know I wouldn't do that. It would be too unpredictable. Plus I don't want my body stretched like a piece of spaghetti, and going through the painful tidal forces of a black hole that would surely kill me.

Before I did DMT, I smoked Salvia. Those were strange experiences to say the least. Not really scary, but weird, especially when caught in time loops.

[xise]

Marijuana turns on it's usage.

It helped me think outside the box for a few months, but fast began a crutch to avoid catalyst. But it was damned fun, for sure. Luckily, the decision not to smoke is a no brainer, because my body reacts differently to THC now. It now makes me more anxious than enjoyable. I never believed that when others told me that. But with exact same weed (if anything weaker because it was old and stockpiled), mad anxiety after 2 years of heavy smoking. Tried a bunch of varieties, etc.

You can, without a doubt, be addicted to weed psychologically. I had minor withdrawal symptoms for about a week. Greatly increased irritation. I almost started a fight over road rage stuff haha.

Weed also shuts down your dreams, or did in my experience.

Interestingly, in five years of public defender work, the most angry people I met were potheads. Most potheads were cool, but the top 1% of the angriest people for whatever reason were heavy pot smokers -their case was often there for some bullshit pot violation. Perhaps these people gravitate toward weed as a crutch for their inability to handle anger. But out of like 4 assaults of clients against their attorneys in the offices I worked at, 2 involved potheads and who were there for possession of weed.

That being said, weed is so much better than heavy drinking it's not funny. I've never had a marijuana only DUI that I didn't win at trial or get dismissed - it just a much safer drug for roadway (Though it's still not advisable to smoke and drive). I've never heard of someone committing a crime on marijuana but many people do horrible things under the heavy influence of lots of alcohol. So at the end of the day, it really depends on how you use it.

[Jerome]

Medicinal - yes. I have Crohn's disease and THC is the best medicine (along with meditation) to be found. It is wrong to think it only helps treat the pain, nausea, and loss of appetite (which it does better than anything), it actually puts the disease in remission. I was chastised for asserting this, as there is such a nasty stigma attached to cannabis, but a preliminary study suggests I'm right - a large percentage of Crohn's and colitis sufferers experienced remission while using cannabis.

Relaxation - yes, very much so. But note what Ashim wrote, I believe he nailed it - where there is a benefit, there is a drawback. You have to be aware of the potential for negative greetings, anxiety, and other forms of 'the fear'.

Damn fun - yes. It makes all good things better but it can make bad things a living nightmare. I once got very high after smoking a bong with my friends then immediately got a phone call about a serious medical emergency with my father. A few minutes later I was by his hospitable bed before he was going to get an emergency heart procedure and he was giving me his oral will as he thought he wasn't going to make it (he made it). Almost straight out of the first episode of Six Feet Under, a scene I never want to come close to reliving.

Other - Intelligence. There's been one good study on cannabis use and intelligence and it's findings might surprise some non-users. Extreme users (stoned all day every day) lose an average of four IQ points which can be regained after a few months. Casual users (twice a week) gain an average of six IQ points.
If you've done something a thousand times and you do it after ingesting THC, you will see it with new eyes. If you're trying to figure out something new and complicated, you'll get nowhere and feel like you're brain is broken.

Other - Inertia. Want to clean your entire house/apartment wonderfully? Smoke a joint after you've been cleaning for ten minutes. Want to never clean your apartment? Smoke a joint while seated.

Other - Exercise. I love running but it becomes a sacred event when I'm stoned, almost an out of body experience. I won't even try to describe it. Also, skiing, my goodness.

[Lycen]

A friend of meine does it, and at occasions he offers it to me as well. I always accept as I am very interested in the experience that follows. Though it has not been as amazing as it was the first time, when me and he did it. The highlight was telepathy among other things. Still it is oh so interesting, everything is so seemingly weird heh. I have noticed that many a times I will remember things I felt as a child but have forgotten now, very strange. And at the time, I understand why I do not remember them. Also everything seems so much more alive, like I have new eyes to see. My body is seemingly more in sync and light, very easy to move and I seem to see everything more sharper and be able to do things almost perfectly. My motor skills (body) seems to be a LOT better than un-high. I do not consider myself a cluts but then I just seem to be more in sync. I have tried doing things I consider difficult (coordination) and always it has worked out thus far. Like some how I managed to balance a bottle cap on one of my fingers with one finger as it was on the table. Moved it across the air just for kicks and set it back seemingly perfectly. It's funny as when something does not go as planned, that I consider amazing .p Pretty much the other way around when drunk haha.

I accept it because of the alternate state it allows me to achieve, I am most interested in exploring.. well everything while under such a state. When the rare opportunity arises once every one or two months perhaps, then we smoke it pure. As a joint has an ill effect on me (on larger quantities which seem to be ok for others) because of the "tobacco" that is added. Like throwing up, with total loss of energy, followed by a miserable state hovering the toilet

For now, I am still interested in its use, but as Lynn said I am sure one is able to achieve such states without using any substances as well.

[Hototo]

I smoke not to get to states that I can get to without smoking as well.

I smoke, mostly, because I want to know there is something near by that will always regardless of how messed up I've made myself be, lift myself up to the higher planes.

Its kind of like knowing what the emergency numbers are and carrying a phone around that can just dial them. Its not so much about the phone or the numbers, but the peace of mind knowing that it can be there, even if its not.

On the other hand, I'm starting to enjoy not being high because constant awareness of telepathy in such enclosed societies gets very very distracting at times.

[Guardian]

Never

[Adonai One]

Never

Same. Intoxicants are becoming less and less interesting to me as I pursue more things in the "spiritual" realm. I even find myself bothered by coffee and sugar nowadays.

[native]

It's useful, but I feel it eventually has to be transcended. Regular use slows the brain, affects dreaming, and is a form of attachment. I've often heard of people who stop smoking admit that there was a certain type of addiction present that they weren't willing to acknowledge when using it. I'm one of them. I would go days without it but that doesn't mean I didn't want it. This concert would be much better if we were high, this movie would be better if we were high, the night wasn't as fun because we didn't have anything to smoke. There's always that aspect of how the moment could be better, yet that isn't living in the moment. It's attachment to a substance and the body is in control of you.

According to the material, the instreamings affecting this planet right now involve balancing the use of the body with detachment. I was a social drinker like everyone else that got drunk on the weekends, but realized that it was no longer useful, and just damaging my body. I wasn't following through and had the large board applied to my forehead. I got the message and stopped altogether. There was a surge in consciousness that followed. And when I stumbled, catalyst acted instantly.

You contact intelligent infinity through the body. Properly using the body in relation to yourself and others will transmute consciousness. It's a translation of the mental into the physical. The green ray sphere is formed, and the particles rotate (move) in a certain manner. By moving your body in harmony with the energies (catalyst) around you, you're creating a resonance and aligning with that vibration. That allows transformation to take place. Channeling intelligent infinity.

[GentleReckoning]

It's useful, but I feel it eventually has to be transcended. Regular use slows the brain, affects dreaming, and is a form of attachment. I've often heard of people who stop smoking admit that there was a certain type of addiction present that they weren't willing to acknowledge when using it. I'm one of them. I would go days without it but that doesn't mean I didn't want it. This concert would be much better if we were high, this movie would be better if we were high, the night wasn't as fun because we didn't have anything to smoke. There's always that aspect of how the moment could be better, yet that isn't living in the moment. It's attachment to a substance and the body is in control of you.

According to the material, the instreamings affecting this planet right now involve balancing the use of the body with detachment. I was a social drinker like everyone else that got drunk on the weekends, but realized that it was no longer useful, and just damaging my body. I wasn't following through and had the large board applied to my forehead. I got the message and stopped altogether. There was a surge in consciousness that followed. And when I stumbled, catalyst acted instantly.

You contact intelligent infinity through the body. Properly using the body in relation to yourself and others will transmute consciousness. It's a translation of the mental into the physical. The green ray sphere is formed, and the particles rotate (move) in a certain manner. By moving your body in harmony with the energies (catalyst) around you, you're creating a resonance and aligning with that vibration. That allows transformation to take place. Channeling intelligent infinity.

I'll go months and months without it, but still desire it. I've never had regular access to it though. So am I addicted? Or do I just desire to thoroughly explore the catalyst available to me through it...

[xise]

I want to get high so high!
I want to get high so high!
I want to get high so high!
I want to get high so high!
Well that's the funk elastic the blunt I twist it
The slamafied (buddafied) funk on your discus
Oh what you messed with you got to bare witness
Catch a ho and another ho Merry Christmas
Yes I smoke s*** straight off the roach clip
I roach it roll the blunt at once to approach it
Forward motion make you sway like the ocean
The herb is more than just a powerful potion
What's the commotion, yo I'm not joking around
People learning about, what they're smoking
My oven is on high, when I roast the quail
Tell Bill Clinton to go and inhale
Exhale, now you felt the funk of the power
Now feel the effects...

[native]

I'll go months and months without it, but still desire it. I've never had regular access to it though. So am I addicted? Or do I just desire to thoroughly explore the catalyst available to me through it...

Again, it's useful and can provide insights, but for me and many others it eventually had nothing left to provide. It's said to not be physically addictive, but mentally. Anyone who smokes regularly or has a circle of friends that do, knows that it's something that they look forward to..it's on the mind often. That signifies an attachment. People are addicted to many things..soda, coffee etc. I see nothing wrong with irregular use, but personally I even had to stop that. The experience began going in the opposite direction..I could feel separation in others, felt very insecure, I would become paranoid about things I said or did recently.

[GentleReckoning]

Again, it's useful and can provide insights, but for me and many others it eventually had nothing left to provide. It's said to not be physically addictive, but mentally. Anyone who smokes regularly or has a circle of friends that do, knows that it's something that they look forward to..it's on the mind often. That signifies an attachment. People are addicted to many things..soda, coffee etc. I see nothing wrong with irregular use, but personally I even had to stop that. The experience began going in the opposite direction..I could feel separation in others, felt very insecure, I would become paranoid about things I said or did recently.

To put it in perspective (perhaps)...

I've gotten high from mj possibly 10-15 times in my life. To say that I'm not really familiar with the drug would be an understatement. I've had various powerful experiences many of the times. The things that I've learned during the few times that I've smoked them have been profound, and I feel that there are very many powerful lessons that can easily be 'unlocked' through this substance. Our desires lead us towards our lessons. We shouldn't necessarily deny our desires, but we should understand them. This is why free will is such a powerful tool for soul growth.

[native]

Yes I know and agree..I'm not denying that. My user name even comes from plant shamanism. In the beginning I also had profound experiences, but eventually a tolerance builds and the psychedelic aspect goes away. It then is just a high with not much to offer. That's what I was trying to say.

[Bat]

I have smoked cannabis since i was 16 and i am now 23 and still do so now and again. I have tried salvia a good few times as well. I guess i just used them for the fun of it at the end of the day. I did notice that while on salvia with my eyes closed i felt like i was in an endless dark room with purple colours and one time i turned into an orange book case. Most of the time though it was like space folding in and out of itself, really weird indeed.

As for cannabis , it was only when i ate a good few grams of hash that i started to see snakes and stuff on my bed for a few moments. I like reptiles though.

[isis]

[deleted]

[Observer]

So as I sit here I wonder why I am smoking pot, what does it do for me ?
After continuous use you continue to see weaker and weaker effects but you still see one thing.
A numbing of the emotional sensation of pain. I have always used pot for this reason because I am so very used to running to it when I am hurt emotionally by other selves.
I have been relying on my willpower as of late and I had a very rough year the last year, but everything is made to learn/teach and teach/learn so I am happy. I still smoke occasionally when it is offered to me by friends, but I will not purchase it, let alone grow it.

[anagogy]

but still. I know that some members here get stoned quite regularly.

is it medicinal? (pain relief as I know of one friend)
is it relaxation? (as I know of another friend)
or its just damn fun!!! (like I follow baseball etc, a matter of taste).

I by no means wish to judge, but I love hearing stories.

For me, it is mostly medicinal.

I first tried pot a number of years ago, and actually had some really bad experiences with it which were atypical of most people's experiences. It caused EXTREME panic attacks, and a sort of paralysis. I think I was too sensitive to its effects at the time, and it would actually put me in some kind of shock.

Many months later, I tried it again, and found the effect on my particular body chemistry had changed, and it had a very calming effect on me.

I suffer from terrible insomnia, and cannabis is one of the few substances that actually allows me to fall asleep, without terrible side effects. So I suppose you could say it is for relaxation/medicine, as its calming effects are what allows me to sleep.

Kratom is another beneficial plant, which I find helps with insomnia, and anxiety.

[GentleReckoning]

i tried salvia 30x a few times when it was legal. it completely messes u up. it made me feel like my brain was separating & it made me extremely aware of my teeth & overall just really messed up like i wasn't human anymore. when it hit me i couldn't wait for the feeling to be over & it stays about 3 mins. i did hallucinate 2 interesting images w/ my eyes closed on it but i'll never do it again bc the memories rn't pleasing & i can recall them as if it happened yesterday.

I've always enjoyed salvia. I think I did it 3 times. Every single time, the experience was extremely impersonal and uncomfortable. At the same time, it was a roller coaster ride of altered perceptions including the sensations of pressure, pain, and sense of body.

The best part is, I would feel great after and have no real urge to use it again for months to a year.

[Rake]

Bashar's speaking about how we can learn from cannabis.