(Part 2) Best products from r/Psychonaut

Hi there,

> I'm going to take your advice and get off the weed over the course of the next few weeks.

Great!

> It's good timing too, since my smoking buddy is quitting for upcoming drug tests and I'll have to quit halfway through April for the same reasons if I want to get a summer job (college student)

This is one of those synchronicities that you learn to pay attention to (heed the whispers). You're getting the hint from several sides that it's the right time to back away, in gratitude (gratitude makes the transition easier). Glad you're listening to the whispers. :)

> I'll just try to enjoy my last few sessions and do something other than stare at the ceiling while listening to trippy music. Maybe go for a walk or something, since the weather is getting nice. :D

Physical activity is good regardless, and certainly good if you're heading out of a Tamasic situation. Enjoy being outside. :) And when you eventually come back inside, if you end up doing something non-physical, you can still do an activity that engages the heart more than the head. Or in a pinch, if you just gotta stare at something, watch a movie that's emotionally inspiring, e.g. Dead Poet's Society. Carpe Diem! :D

With regards to the rest of your post: I have read it all, a couple times actually, just to make sure I was clear. And the crux of it to me is in these next few quotes:

> But if we are to suppose that the Gnostic perspective is valid and that transcendence (or gnosis) lies in the direction of the mind, might the only direction to go be deeper? It's scary as hell, but part of me feels like there must be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Yes there is light, but not that way. That's your head talking, and it will take you down into that blackness further and further until you see the world as nothing but cold and dead. The light isn't at the end of the tunnel; the tunnel is one-way, and the light is back at the beginning.

You are looking for Gnosis, for transcendence. If that's your goal, then turn around and head back to the root, down the path of subjectivity, until you understand.

Here's why: you are looking to know but you don't yet understand the nature of the knower. You can only transcend if you intuitively understand who you actually are in relation to the universe you're trying to know. Going deeper into Tamas will never get you there, as its principles are darkness and ignorance. You are right that there is a light that shines in Tamas, yes... but it's the light that helps you turn around and get out of it! :D

If it's knowledge you're concerned about, understand that knowledge is temporal but wisdom is not, and wisdom will spawn knowledge as necessary for each situation as it happens. And so if it's wisdom you're actually looking for, that's exactly what you get as you work your way down the tree: every branch you take downward and every bit of transient attachment and identity that you surrender, is matched by a flood of wisdom to take its place. Guaranteed! Then by the time you reach the root, you'll have the awareness you were looking for all along.

> I've spent my entire life in my head. It's come to define who I am, and I admit, I am scared to step out of it.

This "it's come to define who I am" is what I mean by surrendering identity.

I know it's hard, believe me. Before going down this road my Meyer's-Briggs type was strong INTJ, and I still work as an engineer even now. So I can relate to being a rational, logical, objective thinker. This is not an easy transition to make... but it's the right one.

Now that said, once you've committed to heading back to the root of the tree (aka Union, which is the real meaning of the word Yoga), you have a number of intertwining techniques to get you there. Given your focus on the knowledge/wisdom angle of things, you may be interested in Jnana Yoga as a place to start. This is using your head still, but focusing it the right way, back towards the subjective root and the truth of your own Self. Or to quote Ramana Maharishi:

"The experience of the Self is sometimes called jnana or knowledge. This term should not be taken to mean that there is a person who has knowledge of the Self, because in the state of Self-awareness there is no localized knower and there is nothing that is separate from the Self that can be known. True knowledge, or jnana, is not an object of experience, nor is it an understanding of a state which is different and apart from the subjective knower; it is a direct and knowing awareness of the one reality in which subjects and objects have ceased to exist. One who is established in this state is known as a jnani."

From my reading of what you've said so far, that quote might resonate with you. If so, you may wish to check out Be as You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharishi. It's one of the best intros to Jnana Yoga that I've ever encountered, and it might be right up your alley.

> AND as a side thought totally separate from the Hindu and Gnostic perspectives on this, could "being in my head" so much be part of the reason why the fact that I exist in a physical way seems to disconcerting to me?

Yes! Absolutely! This is part of self-acceptance, and is something that will make more sense as you work your way back to the root. Because believe it not, you chose this form for yourself. Not only that, you chose why the physical world works the way that it does. You chose why the force of gravity behaves this way. You chose why light and heat and vibration and quantum mechanics work the way they do. You chose all of this, deliberately. But in order to understand all that and understand Why you did all of this, you have to engage in the path of subjectivity so you can learn more about... You! Not the 'universe', not the 'other'... you! You did this! And you get to learn why you did this. Isn't that awesome?

You just gotta have the willingness to come down the tree again, and trust that it'll be okay. The rest will take care of itself.

Check out that Ramana Maharishi book! I believe it'll be right up your alley. :D Namaste.

Although many people, even spiritually advanced always say look within, I'll sympathize and say it's a lot more difficult to grow in this consumerist society, and a lot of people don't recognize that. If you feel you might get a headstart in a better environment, then go for it. It's like starting meditation. It's better to find a teacher and absorb loving and joyful qualities with advanced meditators than trying to go all the way by yourself. So that's an external factor. It is indeed possible to become enlightened by yourself, but it will be a lot more confusing and difficult at the start. It's a bit naive to say "no it's all within", although I think I understand why people are commenting that since you may indeed find peace within this society, but I don't see them really addressing what you (and many others perhaps) are concerned about for external factors to nourish self transformation.

Anyway,

Check out this article by bhikkhu bodhi, association with the wise

A sutra from the Buddha,

>"With regard to internal factors, I do not envision any other single factor like appropriate attention as being so helpful for a monk in training, who has not attained the heart's goal but remains intent on the unexcelled security from bondage. A monk who attends appropriately abandons what is unskillful and develops what is skillful.
Appropriate attention as a quality of a monk in training: Nothing else does do much for attaining the superlative goal. A monk, striving appropriately, reaches the ending of suffering & stress." — Iti 16
"With regard to external factors, I do not envision any other single factor like admirable friendship as being so helpful for a monk in training, who has not attained the heart's the goal but remains intent on the unexcelled security from bondage. A monk who is a friend with admirable people abandons what is unskillful and develops what is skillful.
A monk with admirable people as friends, — who's reverential, respectful, doing what his friends advise — mindful, alert, attains step by step the ending of all fetters." — Iti 17

I think this may help:

>I don't know what it means to be a person, a human in this world, what my potential for love or sharing is

I think you will greatly appreciate the book, it's highly recommended from advanced metta practiotioners, Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

Try to find the intention of love and not so much the feeling. Even if you have not found the practice benefiting you, there is some good advice in that book. She explains it very nicely how our selfish desires and our current society reinforces a lot of conflict and separation between people. And also what you might found helpful is some of her stories, for example she mentions a story of how a kid who in a terrible environment (had to be forced to block all emotion and love), was adopted by a kind father, and the child found what love again feels like by seeing into the eyes of the father, his eyes showing how this child is deserving of so much love.

Such is the power of Metta

Many psychedelic drug users have dropped the drugs in favor of meditation.


They say "when you get the message, hang up the phone".

I would recommend "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda for an overview of the yoga perspective on spiritual exploration.

I have used the SRF lessons that were developed by Yogananda to teach people to access these states of spiritual realization at will.

These lessons teach techniques that are powerful and effective.

You have to put some time and effort into the techniques, but what you get in return is your own, bought by your effort and understanding.

What is nice about spiritual experiences that you gain through meditation and inner yoga is that they never really leave you -- they become part of your being and you become transformed by them, so that they become part of your everyday experience.

The point of yoga is to make these experiences become your permanent reality.

The best part is that over time these experiences become more powerful and deep and also more easily accessible.

So I would wholeheartedly recommend accessing these states through meditation and inner yoga.

It's not as cheap and easy as accessing the states through drugs -- the metaphor that seems most apt is the mountain climber vs the person who takes a helicopter ride to the top.

The mountain climber is changed by the effort and time put into the climbing and becomes a master, while the person who got the helicopter ride ends up back at the airport that he or she started from.

The mountain climber may make slow progress and take many years to get the same experience the helicopter passenger got immediately, but when the climber gets to the top, he has gained the ability to come and go as he wishes, and hang out wherever he wants as long as he wants.

The helicopter passenger instead has no control over the experience but always has to return to the airport he started from when the ride is over.

So I think you are on a wonderful track - there are many paths to the top of the mountain, you just have to pick which ones appeal to you.

The advantage of yoga methods is that they use features of your inner energetic anatomy to make the 'climbing' faster and easier.

Beyond the obvious choices, Watts' The Book, Ram Dass' Be Here Now, Huxley's Doors of Perception, Leary’s The Psychedelic Experience, and of course Fear and Loathing (all of these should be on the list without question; they’re classics), here are a some others from a few different perspectives:

From a Secular Contemporary Perspective

Godel Escher Bach by Douglass Hofstadter -- This is a classic for anyone, but man is it food for psychedelic thought. It's a giant book, but even just reading the dialogues in between chapters is worth it.

The Mind’s Eye edited by Douglass Hofstadter and Daniel Dennett – This is an anthology with a bunch of great essays and short fictional works on the self.

From an Eastern Religious Perspective

The Tao is Silent by Raymond Smullyan -- This is a very fun and amusing exploration of Taoist thought from one of the best living logicians (he's 94 and still writing logic books!).

Religion and Nothingness by Keiji Nishitani – This one is a bit dense, but it is full of some of the most exciting philosophical and theological thought I’ve ever come across. Nishitani, an Eastern Buddhist brings together thought from Buddhist thinkers, Christian mystics, and the existentialists like Neitzsche and Heidegger to try to bridge some of the philosophical gaps between the east and the west.

The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way by Nagarjuna (and Garfield's translation/commentary is very good as well) -- This is the classic work from Nagarjuna, who lived around the turn of the millennium and is arguably the most important Buddhist thinker after the Buddha himself.

From a Western Religious Perspective

I and Thou by Martin Buber – Buber wouldn’t approve of this book being on this list, but it’s a profound book, and there’s not much quite like it. Buber is a mystical Jewish Philosopher who argues, in beautiful and poetic prose, that we get glimpses of the Divine from interpersonal moments with others which transcend what he calls “I-it” experience.

The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila – this is an old book (from the 1500s) and it is very steeped in Christian language, so it might not be everyone’s favorite, but it is perhaps the seminal work of medieval Christian mysticism.

From an Existentialist Perspective

Nausea by Jean Paul Sartre – Not for the light of heart, this existential novel talks about existential nausea a strange perception of the absurdity of existence.

The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus – a classic essay that discusses the struggle one faces in a world inherently devoid of meaning.

----
I’ll add more if I think of anything else that needs to be thrown in there!

The psychedelic experience is by Timothy Leary, and is a manual based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead. On amazon here.
The pyshcedelic explorer's guide is by James Fadiman, found here.

The power of now is good too, it will certainly prime you for ego death. I definitely recommend reading Be here now too, the illustrated middle part that I used during the come-up are just fantastic, you see people mention it all the time here. So many great things to meditate on in there. Opening the doors of perception, I have not read this one, but I have had it recommended often. The joyous cosmology by Alan Watts is short but great too. He describes his experiences with LSD, and the world that you enter. He is amazing with language.

> There is also a book called Prometheus Rising that might help you there. It goes into the social spectrum of personalities and the somatic effects that thought scripts have on the body.

Thanks for dropping that in. I just bought the book from Amazon because of this comment. I've put off reading one of Robert Anton Wilson's books for far too long. Here is the description for anyone else interested.

>Imagine trying to make sense of an amalgam of Timothy Leary's eight neurological circuits, G.I. Gurdjieff's self-observation exercises, Alfred Korzybski's general semantics, Aleister Crowley's magical theorems, and the several disciplines of Yoga; not to mention Christian Science, relativity, quantum mechanics, and many other approaches to understanding the world around us. That is exactly what Robert Anton Wilson does in Prometheus Rising. In short, this is a book about how the human mind works and what you can do to make the most of yours.

>"Robert Anton Wilson speaks for that tiny but indispensable minority who are changing the way we think. To read him is to learn what the future holds, how to be part of the future and how to help create the future." -- Robert Shea
"The man's glittering intelligence won't let you rest. First he shocks, then he enlightens. One is never the same after reading him. With each new book I welcome his wisdom, laced with his special brand of crazy humor." -- Alan Harrington, author of The Immortalist

>"Bob has done it again for the first time ever! This book is everything I ever wanted to write in a practical guidebook on how to get here from there, and he's-as usual-first in print again! Just the exercise on finding quarters has paid for the book many times over." --E. J. Gold

Amazon link

Yeah man, I think your onto some stuff.

>My question for you, is that during ones life, does our actions alone influence gene expression, and therefor, does our everyday actions influence gene expression that has to do with the 'activities (both physical and mental (ie. thoughts))' they do most?

Yes, I think this is true. For example, there's the example that is often associated with epigenetics that the children of people who experienced starvation at some point in their life would have epigenetic changes that made their body hold onto calories and store much more fat, even though they themselves had never experienced starvation. I'm sure this happens with all sorts of different environemtnal stimuli, like drugs, diet, if they've experienced trauma, etc. You might see this in a way of environmental and cultural stimuli causing physical genetic changes in unborn future generations.

>Ive came up with the idea, which is something about the evolution of beliefs, and how that in turn influences actions.

I think humans primary mode of evolution is cultural. We dictate the structure of our societies by the beleifs of our culture. And the structure of our society is quite literally the survival strategy of our species. It is our Ecological Niche. And just as coming out of trees and choosing to hunt and forage on the ground has had physical evolutionary changes on our species, so does any survival strategy alter our evolutionary course.

Our culture is how we pass down our survival strategies and the beleifs that shape how we act. So culture has very real evolutionary implications, and IS how our species primarily evolves, imo.

>here is then sub cultures, and linkages of sub cultures, for which all thought (semantics) is connected. What is this 'source' that integrates all semantics (meaning), and how does it influence our actions? Do we have the power to choose what we feed this source, and therefor spread good karma, which would then make our actions, and generally our world a better place?

I don't know if your familiar with the idea, but you should look into the concept of memetics which is a concept for how ideas and behaviors spread through a population, and looks at it in evolutionary terms. Seems really relevant to all the ideas you put forward here.

I think I agree with the idea that religion has evolutionary implications, and also the idea that your own mindset, thoughts, and behaviors, can influence the people around you, the culture, and even our evolutionary course.

Some more scientific books that are in line with what you're saying here that you might want to check out:

Evolution in Four Dimensions which seeks to show that evolution isn't just about genes, but also things like behaviors, culture, and also epigenetics.

The Social Conquest of Earth by the great biologist E.O. Wilson. This guy also developed the concept and field of study of sociobiology which looks at how organisms in a society (whether human or ant) interact and how their social systems evolve. Here he goes really deep into the biological foundations of human culture and society.

The Evolving Self; a psychology for the third millenium. I just mention this one because the way you talk about these things makes me think you'd enjoy this book. This is kind of a book that tries to get at the ethics that a modern person could adopt, and the conclusion is along the lines of doing what you can to contribute to the larger evolutionary process that we are all a part of. He goes into a lot of thinking about genes, memetics, and what impact a person could have in it all.

You probably wouldn't! But that doesn't mean that you wouldn't have been able to. If you really want to deepen this state and experience it all the time I highly recommend to get serious about meditation. If you treat meditation like a hobby you need to get good at then you will see way greater benefits than if you just treat it like a chore. I recommend reading The Mind Illuminated if you want a road-map of all the stages you need to go through to completely master meditation. The Buddha said it should take no more than 7 years of daily meditation to get to this point for an average Joe but many meditation teachers says it can be done in less than a year of very serious practice. It's pretty interesting and will definitely help you in your daily life.

In most spiritual traditions, sensations in your third eye are considered a sign of progress.


In Hinduism, it could mean that you are opening your ajna chakra, and you should continue what you're doing. Or, it could mean that there as a blockage there or you're progressing to fast, and you should take a break from your practice until it goes away.


I've experienced sensations in all of the traditional chakras at one time or another, so I'd say there is something to chakras. But, I belong to the Theravada Buddhism tradition.


In Theravada and Zen Buddhism, it would be interpreted as a part of your self trying to distract you from your practice, so you should continue what you're doing and not let it distract you.


If you're interested in attaining samadhi via the Hindu traditions, I'd recommend reading Raja-Yoga by Swami Vivekananda.


If you're interested in attaining enlightenment (or satori) via Zen Buddhism, The Three Pillars of Zen by Philip Kapleau is an excellent book.


If you're interested in attaining enlightenment via Theravada Buddhism, What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula is excellent and freely available.

(Copy & paste of an old post of mine)

Maybe you should post over at r/microdosing and read through the wiki at https://www.reddit.com/r/microdosing/wiki/index

Also lots of comprehensive free info at: https://thethirdwave.co/microdosing/ (IMHO you don't need to sign up for any training unless you want to become a psychedelic therapist)

• A video from the BBC which is nearly a few years old (plenty of more videos on YouTube about microdosing): Microdosing: People who take LSD with breakfast (cutting tabs which is featured on the video is not recommended as it's not accurate; volumetric microdosing is a better method - see wiki/thirdwave links above for more info)
  
• Ayelet Waldman who is featured on the BBC video talks about her depression and how microdosing helped her and saved her from suicide and wrote this book about it: A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life
  
• If you are taking any meds may want to check for drug interactions which you can do so at https://reference.medscape.com/drug-interactionchecker by entering 'lsd' (also 'cannabis' or 'cannabidiol' but no 'psilocybin') and any other meds you are taking.
  
• Also check Dr. James Fadiman's website as that contains some meds (based on anecdotal reports) that you can combine with microdosing: https://sites.google.com/view/microdosingpsychedelics/drugs-and-supplements
  
  Probably need to take extra caution (or ask at r/microdosing) if there is any conflicting info between the medscape and Fadiman's website especially for those drugs that increase serotonin levels. The medscape site is probably more if you macrodose or take large doses of pharma meds.
  
  Other things I've read that could be linked to depression is magnesium deficiency (which does not show up on standard blood tests) and is becoming more prevalent due to modern intensive farming methods or due to taking PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) and any gut/microbiome issues as the majority of serotonin is produced in the gut (where kefir and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi seem to help).
  
  Why magnesium is so good for you: https://youtu.be/oZYXBYAHhN8 (and can also decrease vasoconstriction which can occur when taking psychedelics). There are a few anecdotal reports at r/microdosing of people getting headaches (probably due to vasoconstriction) after microdosing where magnesium supplements offered them relief. As caffeine is also a vasoconstrictor it maybe worthwhile avoiding this on microdosing days. (EDIT: https://www.reddit.com/r/microdosing/comments/94g0o8/caffeine_lsd/ )
  
  Psychedelics are one tool in your toolbox along with things like meditation, breathwork, exercise, healthy diet, etc. for achieving a better quality of life.
  
  Good luck.
  
  Also maybe worth a read: https://www.reddit.com/r/microdosing/comments/9qgqb7/take_your_vitamins/
  
  EDIT: 6 months is rather long for microdosing. A month or two and then a break is the current recommendation as there is very limited (if any) research on the long-term effects.
  
  EDIT 2: Paul Stamets was on the Joe Rogan podcast a few days ago: The Benefits of Micro-dosing Mushrooms w/Paul Stamets | Joe Rogan

Safety topics kill me. Especially when I talk about the same things with the same people...

I think you would really enjoy [this book](The Anunnaki of Nibiru: Mankind's Forgotten Creators, Enslavers, Saviors, and Hidden Architects of the New World Order https://www.amazon.com/dp/1491211229/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UahSybZGNHAWC). And [this book](The Illusion of Us: The Suppression and Evolution of Human Consciousness https://www.amazon.com/dp/1518671063/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PghSyb1XGM66M).

If you don't have the time to read or money to buy the books, this YouTube channel will sum it all up really nice.

Peace and love, friend :) <3

The Penguin Classics version is pretty good and, unlike some of the others, is a complete translation. Leary's The Psychedelic Experience is definitely worth reading as well. When you're done with those, the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying is quite interesting as well.

I learned it from The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide. It was a complete game-changer for me. My trips became completely different once I started doing this. It used to be very nerve-racking for me to go outside and in public while on LSD, but now I'm able to go out feeling like a complete badass, supremely confident, and having no angst about what anybody else thinks of me or cultural expectations in general. That's a complete 180. That perspective really gave me some profound insights into what it means to be a man.

I've listened to an audiobook version several times through; it's enjoyable. There definitely are many parallels between the concepts in the book, other eastern philosophies and the ideas floating around here.

The general message I get from the book is that our apprehensions towards life are based on illusory understanding. The highest good transcends our preferences and hang-ups.

I find that, as I learn similar concepts through other avenues, it is good to revisit works such as the Bhagavad Gita as what I get from it changes as I change. Though I suppose the same could be said of any book; isn't there a saying in zen that any book can be used to practice as any book can serve as a mirror?

One aspect of the Gita which has never been of value to me is the seemingly endless naming of things though perhaps that would change if I had a stronger context for similar literature. I'd be curious to hear other's thoughts on this aspect.

I recently purchased but have yet to read The Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita. I was overwhelmingly impressed with Autobiography of a Yogi so I have high hopes for this book. Has anyone else read it?

I've also read / listened to a few translations of the Tao Te Ching which has similar content but is presented very differently (more abstractly?) I find that I get a bit more out of the Tao Te Ching than the Gita. The Tao Te Ching is a bit more simple; the way it is written tends to evoke more parallels in my mind than more concrete books.

There is a 500 page legendary book that mostly discusses the ego called Course In Miracles.

All my info comes from that book and yes, the book teaches people about the miracle of living in peace no matter how bad things may seem to be and it identifies the ego as the key blocker to peace. The only purpose the ego holds is to give us the option to idolize it instead of idolizing our higher, more powerful self.

Just check out that Amazon feedback.

https://www.amazon.com/Course-Miracles-Combined-Workbook-Students/dp/0960638881/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QRVJGTG4SQMJ3PA76C8H

I recently began looking into meditation from a suggestiong in the comments of a post here in /r/psychonaut referring me to a book called "Mindfulness In Plain English". Being an amateur myself, I can safely recommend this book as a starting point for anyone. It is an easy read, no complex concepts or anything like that. The author keeps is pretty basic.

Oh, it's so hard to pick just three... but I would feel comfortable recommending these:

https://www.amazon.com/Prometheus-Rising-Robert-Anton-Wilson/dp/0692710604/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492139963&sr=8-1&keywords=prometheus+rising

https://www.amazon.com/Not-His-Image-Gnostic-Ecology/dp/193149892X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492139398&sr=8-1&keywords=not+in+his+image

https://www.amazon.com/Seth-Speaks-Eternal-Validity-Soul/dp/1878424076/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492140107&sr=8-1&keywords=seth+speaks

I try to read a little bit of everything, but the main topics I enjoy reading about are religion, history, philosophy, occultism/esotericism, parapolitics, UFOlogy, and psychology.

>Moreover, unless fortified by joriki (meditative practice), a single experience of kensho (satori-awakening) will have no appreciable effect on your life, and will fade away into a mere memory. For although through the experience of kensho you have apprehended the underling unity of the cosmos with your Mind's eye, without joriki you are unable to act with the total force of our being on what your inner vision has revealed to you.

Yasutani-roshi of Zen Buddhism p. 48 "The Three Pillars of Zen", edited by Phillip Kapleau


The full lecture may be of interest to you, it regards the three aims of zazen in Zen Buddhism. Let me know if you'd like a scan!

You say:

>Life has a way if forcing you back into the game and making you care about pointless things that we bring upon ourselves without realizing it, and im getting trapped again.

But you see: this isn't life doing this... it is you! You are life! You are allowing yourself to care about these "pointless" things.

>How am I supposed to learn and be a good person when there is bad energy all around me?

Meditate. Practice. Consider purchasing this text: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Pillars-Zen-Teaching-Enlightenment/dp/0385260938/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542392386&sr=8-1&keywords=the+three+pillars+of+zen+by+philip+kapleau

Everyone should read the Cosmic Serpent. It's a little boring in the middle but don't give up halfway through. Definitely an amazing book.

The, err, idea you're talking about is a pretty big one and a lot of cool stuff has been written about it. You might really enjoy reading some of it, if you haven't already, and even writing some of your own. The question if we make words for ideas or if we get have ideas because we have words for them is a mind boggling. You can probably find wikipedia articles through the article for structuralism. Then there's this amazing book which goes into the question about the neurons and consciousness, called "Gödel, Escher, Bach." here: http://www.amazon.com/G%C3%B6del-Escher-Bach-Eternal-Golden/dp/0465026567/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335752053&sr=8-1
And the obligatory reading-guide subreddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/GEB/

I really like Island, by Aldous Huxley, and The Joyous Cosmology, by Alan Watts.

since I quit the weed I've really gotten into it.. try to get the nice stuff, compared to the other green stuff the money is negligible. My local organic shop has first flush organic sencha, loose leaf. Steep 30 seconds at 70 degrees C, I reuse the same leaves 3 times, each time a bit hotter and longer. I'm kinda wondering if I've just replaced my weed addiction with a green tea addiction, but I know its doing me alot more good.

ps. I also had a really unsettling lsd trip quite a few years back... still kindof feel like I'm reassembling myself ever since then. and just recently got away from the weed for good. took a really horrible relationship to make me see that one... yea, drugs are fun, but sober self needs some attention too.

edit: currently reading this pretty far out book. It's not an easy read, but I think there's some incredibly powerful stuff in there. Especially regarding the ego and its constant up/down crap that tends to make life, at least for me, much more difficult than it ought to be.

[http://www.amazon.com/Course-Miracles-Combined-Workbook-Students/dp/0960638881/ref=pd_sim_b_4/184-9607254-3680411)]

Probably going to get down-voted to oblivion.


You sound just like my little brother now, and myself a decade ago. You have little love for yourself, are extremely insecure, and blow up your ego to compensate. You want and think you stand like an adult, but you can barely crawl. Now you're trying to run away.


Where can you go? Your parents. I guarantee you your parents and love you more than you can imagine. Possibly more than you even love yourself. As difficult and humiliating as it feels, swallow your pride, listen and follow through their advice, and get ready to walk a long long way. It will take several years, but will progressively get better far sooner. If you're actually serious (I remain unconvinced).


You're telling yourself half-truths and subtle lies. Stop and shut up for a little bit. Chill out with substances to "expand your mind" and read some god-damned books.


The Evolving Self: A Psychology for the Third Millennium


The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are


I can guarantee if you don't change your attitude you'll be doing and feeling the same shit you do right now. You said your habits weren't a part of the problem. That's a lie, and you know it. Attitude is nothing but mental/thought habits. Stop feeding yourself bullshit and eat some of those greens your parents are trying to feed you.


Mutters under breath "God damned kids these days"

I haven't read it myself but I would imagine The Tibetan Book of The Dead would be an interesting read, and I'm fairly sure it has a lot about 'reincarnation' in it.

You might be interested in learning about TRE if you don't already know about it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tension_%26_Trauma_Releasing_Exercises

There's also a really amazing book called "The Body Keeps the Score" that talks about how our bodies remember and store the trauma energy. https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748

Alan Watts' autobiography is In My Own Way. However, it is within The Joyous Cosmology that he details his psychedelic experiences(s), if I recall correctly.

Aldous Huxley details his psychedelic experience(s) in The Doors of Perception.

Edit: Timothy Leary's autobiography is Flashbacks.

The Psychedelic Experience by Timothy Leary and Ram Dass

http://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/Timothy-Leary-The-Psychedelic-Experience-The-Tibetan-Book-Of-The-Dead.pdf

About Consciousness:

I AM THAT by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

https://www.amazon.com/I-Am-That-Nisargadatta-Maharaj/dp/0893860468

Be as You Are By Ramana Maharshi

https://www.amazon.com/Be-As-You-Are-Teachings/dp/0140190627/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526748482&sr=1-1&keywords=be+as+you+are

The Way of The Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman

https://www.amazon.com/Way-Peaceful-Warrior-Changes-Lives/dp/1932073205/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526748504&sr=1-4&keywords=the+way+of+the+peaceful+warrior

https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069
Mindfulness in plain English. It’s a great staring point.

It's an archetype in the human brain. I've seen snakes on different psychedelic substances, most notably ayahuasca.

Jeremy Narby wrote a very interesting book about snake symbolism, psychedelics and DNA called 'The Cosmic Serpect'. Highly recommended.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Cosmic-Serpent-Origins-Knowledge/dp/0874779642

It's from his book The Joyous Cosmology which is one of the better books about the psychedelic experience. There are some online versions but they are missing the photos (of abstract patterns from nature, mostly), so it is worth getting a physical copy.

This book may be helpful.

I recommend also reading Jeremy Narby's book "The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge."

I second this. Check out the book "Mindfulness in Plain English"

Here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0861719069/ref=mp_s_a_1_1/189-3235756-5993634?qid=1408325084&sr=1-1&pi=SY200_QL40

You should read this book