Drugs and Spirit Medicine

<p>Humans have been using substances to have ‘extraordinary experiences’ for millenia. </p><p>Sometimes this is motivated by a simple sense of curiosity, and at other times it might be to ‘fill a void,’ while in other cases it might be motivated by a promise of an elusive ‘spiritual experience.’ </p><p>In some cases it leads to addiction and dependence, while in others it might just be a bucket-list experience that someone moves on from.</p><p>In this episode, Thom takes a non-judgemental look at the motivation and impact of such experiences, and outlines an alternative approach, one that’s more sustainable and that leads to a ‘permanent high’ that most people couldn’t even conceive of.</p><p><strong>Episode Highlights: </strong></p><p>[00:40] The Desire to Belong</p><p>[02:29] Tribal Life </p><p>[04:27] A Sense of Identity </p><p>[06:00] Join the Club </p><p>[07:14] Human Beings Crave Variety </p><p>[08:33] The Nature of the Knower </p><p>[09:51] Badge of Rank </p><p>[11:29] The Difference Between a Cult and a Religion </p><p>[12:39] Shibboleth </p><p>[13:25] Drugs </p><p>[14:35] Why Drugs Work</p><p>[15:59] Endogenous Chemicals </p><p>[18:03] The Prime Directive of the Body</p><p>[19:32] Ayahuasca, LSD, THC </p><p>[21:13] Mimicking Molecules </p><p>[22:44] Lizards on LSD and Psychotic Dogs </p><p>[24:31] The Confused Body </p><p>[26:23] Sublimation and Addiction </p><p>[27:47] An Overload of Experience </p><p>[29:35] Premature Cognitive Commitments </p><p>[31:10] Psychedelic Experiences </p><p>[33:11] Where Are the Icons of Drug Use? </p><p>[35:19] A Sustainable Systematic Approach </p><p>[37:32] What About Soma? </p><p>[38:30] Vedic Meditation - A Better Methodology </p><p>[39:44] An Overload of Experience </p><p>[41:21] Supreme, Inner Contentedness </p><p>[43:01] An Experience of Self </p><p>[44:57] Our Body is a Drug-Producing Machine </p><p>[46:19] Unsustainable Ways to Extraordinary Experiences </p><p>[47:26] The 4/20 Club and Counterfeit Substances </p><p>[49:13] Consciousness-Led Experiences </p><p>[50:3