Marijuana

[d2iekan]

I have to agree with Panthau to every degree in this case especially that i quit weed recently. I have been a heavy, everyday smoker for many years.
The way i quit simply realised that i no longer enjoy how it influences my mind and especially my mind. Funnily enough it was not gradual, i kind of "snaped" and since then weed makes me paranoied.
Basically,as others said weed doesnt go along with meditiation although it may seem it has calming affect on your mind. It just becomes "muddy" so it may seem easier to have control over it. Since i quit my clarity of mind started coming back plus i dont have problems with motivation any more.
The most noticeable thing , which Panthau pointed out, was decrease of all my insecurities to such a level i can say im almost my old myself again.
Maybe i did nnot say anything new but i hope that my post can support the fact that weed like anything else has a tremendous influence over you. And it is saying a person who still thinks its a very good drug out of any other substance.

[Edwin]

Originally Posted by Grey

Ram Das suffered a massive stroke that left him with severe disabilities. His example of experimentation probably isn't the best one to emulate.

Or maybe it is...

[Bhavya]

When it comes to drugs+meditation, that will never mix. Meditation only works when as sober as possible.

There have been those that used certain kinds of drugs and got their "moment of insight" from that.
Ramm Dass for instance

I used to smoke cannabis and do LSD in the 70s and I can say that they were only helpful because they started me on my spiritual quest. This was also true of Ram Das. He experimented with LSD but it didn't satisfy because he always came down again, so eventually he went off to India where he met his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba (or Maharaji). Maharaji asked RD to give him some LSD, and he ingested a huge amount but nothing happened. He was already 'there' so it had no effect on him.

I know of people who still smoke regularly and often and they're nice people, but the trouble is, they're in the same head space as they were in the 70s. There's nothing wrong with that I suppose if you want to coast through life, but if you're looking for spiritual growth, the real and lasting effects come from meditation with a clear mind and applying the insights in daily life. It takes perseverance and determination but it brings such happiness and peace of mind.

Wishing you all such joy
Bhavya

[Midnight]

I think the biggest reason drugs feel so good is because they allow you to feel disidentified with your thoughts. Both times I tried Marijuana, I lost all inhibitions and did whatever I wanted. My mind said no, but my body said "What's it matter if someone's watching?" I literally watched thoughts in my head go by and I would listen to them. In that sense weed, "revealed me to myself" as Bob Marley once said (I think). That little push can probably spark the fire of consciousness, but it's probably not the best thing to do to become enlightened.

[Sunflowerk2]

This made me think of something funny from my distant past.
Back in 1974 while in college I attended a Transcendental Meditation class and before it began the teacher said. "Anyone that has smoked marijuana in the last 30 days cannot take this class". Promptly over half of the class stood up and walked out! I've been meditating ever since.

[sliccy]

Hey guys,

This is my first post in a long while

I wanted to thank the OP of this thread, that was very insightful information, thank you. I personally haven't done any research on this, but I will explain how it is from my personal perspective. To me when it comes down to compare meditation and marijuana, it's a different state of awareness. Both seem to have some similarities, but they're not quite the same. To achieve the state of "high" with marijuana you're inducing some kind of chemicals (not judging weather they're good or bad) in your body. While meditation is a more natural way of achieving an altered state of mind, in my opinion. You get yourself in a harmonious, calm, peaceful, and happy state of feeling combined with neutralizing your thoughts. While with marijuana you inhale an herb which contains THC (and other stuff maybe? Idk).

I do both, and I enjoy both, hence they help me on my path to enlightenment. So for me marijuana is a spiritual practice (I don't like the munchies that it gives me).


-Andy

[Space Fox Now With Lasers]

Just putting my 2 cents in here. I am a regular weed smoker. (about a quarter a month) I have cut back since starting meditation because I want to have a completely clear mind during my sessions.

Do I think marijuana is bad for the mind? No. I think it has been one of the most beneficial things in my life. My experience with weed has been only positive.

Sometimes I like to mix weed with LF, but only for fun. I always get the WILDEST body sensations. I feel like a weigh 500 pounds and I am in a state of complete relaxation. Sometimes I'll feel like my body is being stretched into space, or that I'm spreading out like a ball of ice cream melting in the sun^^

[Edwin]

Originally Posted by Space Fox Now With Lasers

Just putting my 2 cents in here. I am a regular weed smoker. (about a quarter a month) I have cut back since starting meditation because I want to have a completely clear mind during my sessions.

I see no problem with that ! Always keep your meditations sober !

Originally Posted by Space Fox Now With Lasers

Sometimes I'll feel like my body is being stretched into space, or that I'm spreading out like a ball of ice cream melting in the sun^^

That's so weird, you completely discribed how I felt during meditation when I was focusing on the feeling "I AM" for the first time !

[John Christian]

I have smoked pot on and off for many, many years. I feel personally that they do not mix for me. I do meditation (now Lifeflow) for many reasons but to become enlightened is not one. Enlightenment is just realizing who is aware. Aware of thoughts that say i am John and this is my story etc. Awareness that there is no real thing outside of this moment except presently arising thoughts that John believes. However John seems to have his own karma, desires etc that seem to have little to do with this awareness.
John has no control over the millions of circumstanses that come together to create addiction ect. In fact i am that which witness's Johns actions including having the desire to smoke or not. John has gone many years without smoking while doing intense meditation and sadhnas and has smoked a pound in 6 months. As October creeps closer John begins to think more and more about it. My only hope is that Lifeflow and other things John adds to his life will lesson the anxiety and desire. Or he will smoke again. Within John there is a war about this. Two stories playing over and over.
If "I" can just watch this. Stay as I the witness and let john do what he will maybe John will not feel the need to smoke. If not, if I"I get cought up as John too much the John will smoke.
Heres hope that "I" as pure soul, as awareness, as self, can be see by itself deeply enough...

[fshortt]

Just thought i would remind people that plants like cannabis and shrooms and other hallucinogenic plants have been used throughout the ages and still today by sages and shamans across the globe. And yes, it has been and still is used for meditation as well as spirit journeys.
Personally i have been brought up in the norse shamanic traditions passed on through my great-grand-mother to me. I have been trained in the use of certain shrooms, as well as cannabis - both for healing (physical, mental, emotional and spirituall), for meditation and for spirit journeys.
It is not that one relies on the plant for this purpose, but to commune with the plant as an ally can be helpful and insightful depending on the purpose.

However, in relation to cannabis and meditation - one only has to look to india and the "sadhus" (holy men).
"Bhang (Hindi: भांग, [bʱaːŋɡ]; Punjabi: ਭੰਗ IPA: [pə̀ŋɡ]; Bengali: ভাং [bʱaŋ]) Persian "bhanga", is a preparation from the leaves and flowers (buds) of the female cannabis plant, smoked or consumed as a beverage in the Indian subcontinent. [1]
The traditional harvest and preparation of bhang occurs during the celebrations of Holi in March and Vaisakhi in April, hence associated with Lord Shiva. It has now become synonymous with Holi, to the point where consuming bhang at that time is a standard practice.
Bhang Ki Thandai (Hindi) is a drink popular in many parts of India which is made by mixing bhang with thandai, a cold beverage prepared with almonds, spices, milk and sugar. Consumption of Bhang and psychotropic substances has been forbidden by certain Hindu religious sects such as the Shikshapatri."
Wikipedia

or to south american shamanism, or for that matter north european (even norwegian shamans since at least 1500BC)

I just want to state that this is nothing for or against the practice, but as the people on the thread seem interested in the subject there is a lot of history (and literature) on this worth looking into before having too strong opinions.

kind regards
fshortt