I never considered that side to it, Michel. About it being a natural process. Still, it is a process. Which, for me, in regards to drugs or medicines, has been a slow progression from powerful drugs, down to less powerful drugs, and eventually their elimination. It's the same way that most humans can't force a complete change of their diet. It has to happen as a process.
With that said, I wish to update my list of common drugs, foods, and activites, and how they interact with the ecstatic mystic life.
In order of the severity of interference with naturally arising charisms, nimitta, or other pleasurable signs of meditative absorption, from least to most.
Generally Grounding
1) Benzodiazepines like Xanax, Valium, Klonipen, and Ativan
2) Alcohol and most likely any alcohol-like substances such as Kava Kava, Phenibut, GBL, DXM, and GBH
3) Anti-Psychotics like Geodon and Zyprexa
What we see here are what can be referred to as "grounding" substances. They drive one into worldliness, which includes identification with the ego (conditioned self) and physicality. I've found these to be useful ONLY WHEN NECESSARY for the mystic if one has relationship duties to fulfill, such as sexuality, or if one is having difficulty with poor appetite or becoming overwhelmed by non-physical phenomena like the mind or signs of absorption.
I think this is what the Buddha was getting at when he meant that one should abstain from intoxication. "Intoxication", which we can take to mean "intoxication with worldly life" in this case, can happen with anything worldly, but the above drugs induce worldly intoxication very easily and effectively. Thus, they have been used for "schizophrenia", "cabin fever", aborting or attenuation of psychedelic trips, and other pronounced mental states.
The following are drugs which I've found to increase the appearance of charisms, jhana-nimitta, or signs of absorption. They are in order of least to most.
Generally Elevating
1) Marijuana or marijuana-like compounds such as synthetic cannibinoids
2) Psychedelics like mushrooms, LSD, peyote, DMT, and seemingly every substance widely recognized as psychedelic (marijuana being recognized as mildly psychedelic). Which is interesting, because there are far more psychedelic substances on the planet than any other psychoactive drug group.
We can identify these substances as "elevating." It should be noted that one can still become intoxicated with these substances, and so it is not wise to think one is doing themself a spiritual favor by using marijuana and taking psychedelics often. Although for westerners, it is often that mystics start their road to meditative absorption through psychedelic compounds.
The last group are more balanced. They're not always elevating, but not always grounding. People who take drugs like this often and prefer them to treat their symptoms are almost guaranteed to be a mystic or contemplative, whether they are "in the closet" or not.
Generally Balanced
1) Opiates and Opioids such as Opium, Morphine, Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Oxycontin
2) Stimulants and Amphetemines like coffee, coca, cocaine, adderall, and ritalin
These are tricky. They can be very useful in the first dark night, or if needing enough relief to find more consistent access to meditative absorption. If one takes too much, they will find themselves intoxicated. They may experience things similar to meditative absorption phenomena while intoxicated, but that only serves the purpose of giving the user a general idea of what is possible in meditative absorption.
Why am I listing these? Everyone is at their own unique place in developing "spiritually." It is my hope that it will help those just starting on the path to get an idea how they can progress toward a more sober yet fulfilling contemplative life.
Here is a list of less-impacting yet still important "grounding" and "elevating" activities and foods:
Grounding
Animal products like meat, milk, eggs, fish
Most processed food
Physical activity like lifting heavy objects (weight lifting)
Elevating
Fruit like apples, oranges, bananas, and berries
Sugar
Physical activity like running or anything else done rapidly and repeatedly (like how a bird flaps its wings)
Balanced
Vegetables and grains like rice, quinoa, broccoli, and kale
Physical activity that is slow and deliberate, like walking, tai chi, and traditional yoga
You can really see a lot further into this, but I have schoolwork to do. I posted it here in the ADHD thread because this is where Jhananda put an earlier post similar to this.
