Jedi and "Drugs"

I don't think anybody should take anything that isn't medically necessary. Even our beloved caffeine. I became aware of the negative effects of caffeine when I could NOT have it for some time. My body felt sick and my head in a complete fog. Anything that can leave you feeling that awful when you don't have it can't be good. So, I let it go. It took a couple weeks for the symptoms to fully subside, but now I can wake up each day feeling refreshed instead of frantically looking for my fix.

That being told, caffeine is one of the safer things people consume. Just let it all go.

Also, if being told to give up something makes you a touch upset... You ARE addicted to or dependent on something.

In my years I have had many experiences with various drugs, good and bad, and I don't see a reason why purposeful, responsible drug use should necessarily be adverse to a Jedi. As we all agree addiction and especially abuse of a drug (or anything else, for that matter) is detrimental but too often utilizing a drug's potential is equated with abuse, which is not the case. My personal favourites have always been the substances that promotes the thinking process in one way or the other,
among these cannabis, LSD, mescaline and DMT, all of which can have great benefits, if used under the right circumstances. Even the so-called 'bad trips' can be of much use if a person knows how to handle them, is guided, because none of the substances creates anything new in the mind, they merely show you what is already present but perhaps repressed. They also have the ability to show a person other aspects alongside the known. Imagine it as a dice. Under normal circumstances you are seeing but one side of this dice but a psychedelic will unfurl the dice, showing you the remaining sides as well as the one you already know. No longer are you limited to exploring one aspect at a time but can explore multiple in unison.
A heavy dose of psilocybin mushrooms unfurled the world to me and showed me how the economic system functions on a
global scale. It was terrifying but highly beneficial. It was also under the influence of psilocybin that I experienced what I believe was Nirvana. No thoughts, no sense of self, just complete being in a timeless moment.
I then understood just why Buddhist monks are willing to spend their lives attaining that state, it was pure bliss,
in lieu of a better word.
Before using any substance, though, there was a time of research. I like these experiences but I am not willing to
pay my health for them. I've always been mindful of the settings under which I used them and my purpose for using
them and they've helped me learn a great deal about myself.
However, they should never become the only way for a person to learn about themselves.

Legality has never been an issue for me and I don't believe a Jedi (or anyone) should blindly follow laws if these laws are contradictory to moral and reason. That, of course, opens the debate of what moral and reason is but mine tells me that as long as I'm not hurting or endangering anyone, no one should be able to tell me what I can and cannot do with my body.
People blindly following laws has been a factor in some of worst events in human history.

Some drugs I have used purely for the fun of it. My cousin and I have on more than one occasion indulged in amphetamine use and spent the better part of two days just talking and laughing because there has to be pure recreation as well. Though it has not caused to be any different that we might be shopping in IKEA, we just get to do it for a longer period. It does not add to our general weirdness

I have not used heavy psychedelics in many years now but should the right circumstance and purpose present itself I would.
In the end I think it comes down to moderation and common sense.

Everything has its place. Everything is a gift from the Force for use to use accurately.

As long as we are "asleep", unconscious and shadowy in our choices, I feel that drugs are a distraction from our connection to the Force.

Because illegal drugs happen in secret, they carry shadow in them. they create shame, hiding, triggers, insecurity, paranoia, guilt and secrets. These things muddy up our field. Theses feelings cut people off from each other and the force.

As long as these things are illegal, they will have a rebellious and shadowing side to them. they maintain and manifest the "darkside" that is pervasive in humanity.

Even the legal drugs like caffeine, Tobacco(nicotine), Alcohol, Marijuana/Cannabis(obviously), etc. had a shadow side. No matter what people say, these can be addictive and become a crutch for people. Research into caffeine shows that this is one of the worst drugs for humans. it causes stress in the body and bring anxiety into the field.

In the end, I suggest that people focus on their communion with themselves and the force. Only when the collective consciousness rises high enough to respect these substances in a light way, I suggest that they are avoided.

baru wrote:
Because illegal drugs happen in secret, they carry shadow in them. they create shame, hiding, triggers, insecurity, paranoia, guilt and secrets. These things muddy up our field. Theses feelings cut people off from each other and the force.

As long as these things are illegal, they will have a rebellious and shadowing side to them. they maintain and manifest the "darkside" that is pervasive in humanity.

But these traits are the result of legislation, it's the nature of them. If I drink cannabis chai I do not pronounce it to the world as that might land me a hefty fine but that doesn't mean I am ashamed of what I've done.

Yes, similarly certain religions have created complexes in children and adults in regards to masturbation, but truly, this is nothing to be ashamed of.

Though I would prefer people keep it a secret, or at least do it in private.

Khaos wrote: Yes, similarly certain religions have created complexes in children and adults in regards to masturbation, but truly, this is nothing to be ashamed of.

Though I would prefer people keep it a secret, or at least do it in private.

Most definitely!
And while I remain a proponent of the benefits it does mean that I enjoy seeing people tumble around all over in various states of intoxication.

imo there are quite a few people who would benefit greatly by having to adapt to a world where people were free to just masturbate wherever whenever they wanted

though i also would rather it were done, er, *privately

i am always amused at how much less valuable freedom seems to become to people when presented with the idea that they dont get to decide how its used by everyone else

Well, thats the problem with having subjective desires in an objective universe.

At what point does your freedom end and mine begin?

Am I not free to not want to see public masturbation.

I myself always kept my drug use at home amongst friends.

I could never understand how people could drink and drive, or drive under any substance.

I couldnt think of a time I wanted to drive less.

We got drinks, movies, food, pillows, blankets, music, etc,etc(This is essentially set and setting) and hung out while under the influence.

Hence, my freedom did not infringe or damage anothers( the ultimate freedom being living)

drunken driving is intrinsically dangerous - i support the idea that it should carry penalty
as far as freedom of not having to see something we dont like, to me its the same thing as trying to make it against the law to be ugly in public, or really old in public, or sickly

imo "i dont like to see it" is not good enough to justify "youre not allowed to do it"

And I thought not covering your mouth while coughing in public was bad :S

I think perception altering drugs are best viewed as putting 'power' into specific components of perception, and skills like meditation, and contemplation on egoless states, compassionate states and reflection of matter as vacuous are good examples of skills to try and manage that power into useful channels. Too much power can cause aberrations which effect different systems differently depending on the chemicals target sites.

Many drugs can be pretty powerful to the point of dangerous and deadly, even some of the recreational ones, but I guess that should be obvious. Recreational users do though have a tendency to increase dosages in reaction to developing tolerance and resistance, which can add new risks.

The illegality does serve as a burden to usage for many, paranoia etc as that 'power' can get channeled into fear about being caught, but the belief in authorities that it might act as a deterrent might be part of the strategy against widespread abuse - at the risks of increasing mental health costs to the society. I guess that is where the religious sacrament opportunity exists, to make use useful, rather then entertainment.