peak experiences and psychedelics

[Forza-Spirito]

I've heard of peak experiences (maslow), spiritual emergencies (Stan Grof), awakening experiences of different intensity (the Leap-Steve Taylor), visions and obes. What are the differences and similarities with the effects produced by psychedelic substances?

[Harmony342]

@Forza-Spirito  Good question. I'm not experienced enough to answer that myself but I suspect they're all pointing at facets of the same thing, i.e. realisations of God. Everyone will be unique and come at it from their own angle but the truth is unchanging and ever-present. Psychedelics all radically alter your perception of reality. Some are more similar to each other than others but it's almost impossible to describe in words. Shrooms can make you feel like the world is waving around you and colours and sounds go vivid and novel. Acid can give me synesthesia and i see complex mathematical patterns and moving parts - it's really beautiful.

[WaveInTheOcean]

they are pretty much the same

psychedelics has a high success rate of producing peak experiences, but they also fail for many too.
of course you can also get peak experiences without psychedelics.

[Grateful Dead]

18 minutes ago, WaveInTheOcean said:

they are pretty much the same

Expect spiritual emergencies. They sometimes occur after a psychedelic experiences or some sort of spiritual awakening even without psychedelics.
See here for example:

Spiritual emergencies are pretty rare and can occur in many different forms.

[WaveInTheOcean]

1 hour ago, acidgoofy said:

Expect spiritual emergencies. They sometimes occur after a psychedelic experiences or some sort of spiritual awakening even without psychedelics.
See here for example:

Spiritual emergencies are pretty rare and can occur in many different forms.

oh, i've had spiritual ermergencies. They seem bad on the outside, but are good on the inside. Takes consciousness to see it, which often comes with time.

[Artsu]

Spiritual emergency feels like doing psychedelics. The experience can actually be more immersive, because it's arising organically, not due to injesting a substance, so it arrests consciousness more fully.

Edited August 29, 2020 by Artsu

[Forza-Spirito]

Thank you for the answers! Do you think that these peak experiences, visions etc., are an important part of a spiritual practice (without psychedelics) or are they just very rare?

[WaveInTheOcean]

7 hours ago, Forza-Spirito said:

Thank you for the answers! Do you think that these peak experiences, visions etc., are an important part of a spiritual practice (without psychedelics) or are they just very rare?

depends. we are all different. could be important to you, could not be -- that's not important for you:>

[Artsu]

18 hours ago, Forza-Spirito said:

Thank you for the answers! Do you think that these peak experiences, visions etc., are an important part of a spiritual practice (without psychedelics) or are they just very rare?

I think... if you're not having spiritual experiences after spiritual practices, then why not?

Perhaps one should focus on transforming one's inner self to be spiritual, rather than adopting this and that practice.