Final Question 12

I’d say that drugs and mysticism are connected, at least more so than following some crazy guru. At least with drugs it is a personal pathway to guide one’s own divergence into one’s own spirituality. No one can tell you if you’re doing it right or wrong. No one can tell you what you did or did not see. Your experiences are your own. And whether nightmarish or spiritual gateways to the universe, it’s up to the user. I believe mysticism should be judged on a case by case basis, and only by the person experiencing. These judgments can then be generalized or categorized or whateverized, by whomever in order to come to some conclusion about them. But really, it will still be left up to the person experiencing. So Ken Wilber admits that drugs can trigger a “genuine breakthrough” in some people but doesn’t believe it will lead to a stable, long-term spiritual growth. But he only tried LSD once. How does he know it’s not a stable, long-term spiritual growth? He still admits that there is a connection between drugs and mysticism. Stanislav Grof took LSD many times and seemed like he has a nice, stable spiritual growth. Grof’s experiments and research definitely produce a strong positive correlation with drugs and mysticism. Some may disagree. Some might not like it. But drugs are connected to mysticism. It doesn’t discredit the other ways and forms of acquiring mystical experiences. Merely, it’s another option as to how to obtain one.