The Self/Kip

[Guest guest]

" kipalmazy " <kipalmazy> wrote:

>

> > are you a doc ?

>

> yes!

 

Ok, than for your " Self " collection )

 

Bio explanation for the Self experience

 

Interest in the science of the mystical experience began with the

observation

that many of the aspects of mystical experiences are a constant part

of the

everyday experience of the world by

persons with certain brain dysfunctions.

For example, it was noted some years ago

that persons who have epileptic foci in

the temporal lobes of their brains often

have hallucinations that have a

mystical component to them. When the foci

are destroyed surgically, the

siezures and

the mystical experiences associated with them, go away.

 

It was also observed that persons whose parietal superior lobes were

damaged or

destroyed, suffer an agonizing disability,

in that they experience great difficulty

in distinguishing between themselves

and the rest of the world. This condition

makes it difficult, for example, for the

patient to walk, because he's unsure of

where the floor ends and his foot

begins,

or even to sit down, because he doesn't

know where his body ends and the chair begins. This is not unlike

the mystical

experience that is reported by deep meditators, of being " at one "

with the

universe. For these patients, being " at

one " with the universe is such a constant

experience, performing tasks that

require

the simple differentiation between " self "

and " world " become extraordinarily difficult.

 

Viola! Instant God Experience!

 

Dr. Michael Persinger, working at

Laurentian University, in Sudbury,

Ontario, Canada, has pioneered a method

for inducing the religious, spiritual experience of the shaman.

Without drugs,

herbs, hypnosis or invasive surgery, he

can quite literally flip a switch and

induce the experience of " god. "

Using an ordinary striped yellow

motorcycle helmet purchased at a sporting

goods store, which he has modified with

electromagnetic coils, he can place the

helmet on your head, connect the wires

to a device he has constructed that generates the proper signals,

and when

the magnetic fields produced by the

coils penetrate the skull and into the temporal lobes of the brain,

the result

is the stimulation of those lobes and

a religious experience results.

 

In common with the Hindu view that a confrontation with God is a

confrontation

with the self, the nine-hundred plus

people who have undertaken the experience

produced by Dr. Persinger's helmet have

had some very profound experiences. Four

out of five say that they've had

experiences so profound they would be life-changing had they not

understood the

mechanistic underpinnings of what they

had experienced.

 

How does Dr. Persinger's helmet work? It

works by inducing very small electrical signals with tiny

magnetically induced

mechanical vibrations in the brain cells

of the temporal lobes and other selected

areas of the brain, located in the skull

just above and forward of the ears.

 

These lobes are the portions of the brain

that produce the " Forty Hertz Component "

of the brainwaves detected in electroencephalograms. These

mysterious " forty

hertz components " are present

whenever you are awake or when you are

in REM sleep. They are absent during deep,

dreamless sleep. What the " forty hertz component " does is not well

understood,

but we know that it is always present

during the experience of " self. " We

cannot have a " me " experience without

the forty hertz component being present.

 

What this means is that the forty hertz component is essential to

our experience

of self. We cannot experience our sense

of individuality without it. It stands

to reason, then, that if the forty hertz component could somehow be

suppressed,

the sense of individuality would be suppressed with it, and indeed,

this is

what Dr. Persinger's helmet does. It

turns off the forty hertz component and

with it the sense of individuality

which your brain uses to define " self "

as opposed to " rest of the world. "

 

When the brain is deprived of the self stimulation and sensory input

that is

required for it to define itself as being

distinct from the rest of the world,

the brain 'defaults' to a sense of

infinity.

 

The sense of self expands to fill

whatever the brain can sense, and what

it senses is the world, so the experience

of the self simply expands to fill the perception of the world

itself. One

experiences becoming " one with the

universe. "

 

But What About the God Experience?

 

There are two temporal lobes in the

brain, one on each side. The one on the

left, in most people, is the dominant

one, responsible for language, which

becomes dominant when we first learn

language as children. The one on the

right, non-dominant, contributes to the

sense of self with constant

communication with its opposite

colleague. But being on the far side of

the brain, sometimes the communications

get out of whack, often as a result of stress or disease, and the

forty hertz

component falls out of sync. When this happens, the result is that

the normally

silent right-hand sense of self becomes experienced as a separate

presence by

the left-hand sense of self.

 

This is the experience of the God

presence. There is an overwhelming sense

of presence, an inescapable feeling that

someone is there.

 

from the page which has a good list of

books on the subject: http://www.bidstrup.com/mystic.htm

 

 

Era

[Guest guest]

Exactly! The self-object (subject, sense of self) is inextricably

connected to language.

 

 

Kip Almazy

 

 

 

 

Nisargadatta , " Era " <mi_nok> wrote:

>

> " kipalmazy " <kipalmazy> wrote:

> >

> > > are you a doc ?

> >

> > yes!

>

> Ok, than for your " Self " collection )

>

> Bio explanation for the Self experience

>

> Interest in the science of the mystical experience began with the

> observation

> that many of the aspects of mystical experiences are a constant

part

> of the

> everyday experience of the world by

> persons with certain brain dysfunctions.

> For example, it was noted some years ago

> that persons who have epileptic foci in

> the temporal lobes of their brains often

> have hallucinations that have a

> mystical component to them. When the foci

> are destroyed surgically, the

> siezures and

> the mystical experiences associated with them, go away.

>

> It was also observed that persons whose parietal superior lobes

were

> damaged or

> destroyed, suffer an agonizing disability,

> in that they experience great difficulty

> in distinguishing between themselves

> and the rest of the world. This condition

> makes it difficult, for example, for the

> patient to walk, because he's unsure of

> where the floor ends and his foot

> begins,

> or even to sit down, because he doesn't

> know where his body ends and the chair begins. This is not unlike

> the mystical

> experience that is reported by deep meditators, of being " at one "

> with the

> universe. For these patients, being " at

> one " with the universe is such a constant

> experience, performing tasks that

> require

> the simple differentiation between " self "

> and " world " become extraordinarily difficult.

>

> Viola! Instant God Experience!

>

> Dr. Michael Persinger, working at

> Laurentian University, in Sudbury,

> Ontario, Canada, has pioneered a method

> for inducing the religious, spiritual experience of the shaman.

> Without drugs,

> herbs, hypnosis or invasive surgery, he

> can quite literally flip a switch and

> induce the experience of " god. "

> Using an ordinary striped yellow

> motorcycle helmet purchased at a sporting

> goods store, which he has modified with

> electromagnetic coils, he can place the

> helmet on your head, connect the wires

> to a device he has constructed that generates the proper signals,

> and when

> the magnetic fields produced by the

> coils penetrate the skull and into the temporal lobes of the

brain,

> the result

> is the stimulation of those lobes and

> a religious experience results.

>

> In common with the Hindu view that a confrontation with God is a

> confrontation

> with the self, the nine-hundred plus

> people who have undertaken the experience

> produced by Dr. Persinger's helmet have

> had some very profound experiences. Four

> out of five say that they've had

> experiences so profound they would be life-changing had they not

> understood the

> mechanistic underpinnings of what they

> had experienced.

>

> How does Dr. Persinger's helmet work? It

> works by inducing very small electrical signals with tiny

> magnetically induced

> mechanical vibrations in the brain cells

> of the temporal lobes and other selected

> areas of the brain, located in the skull

> just above and forward of the ears.

>

> These lobes are the portions of the brain

> that produce the " Forty Hertz Component "

> of the brainwaves detected in electroencephalograms. These

> mysterious " forty

> hertz components " are present

> whenever you are awake or when you are

> in REM sleep. They are absent during deep,

> dreamless sleep. What the " forty hertz component " does is not well

> understood,

> but we know that it is always present

> during the experience of " self. " We

> cannot have a " me " experience without

> the forty hertz component being present.

>

> What this means is that the forty hertz component is essential to

> our experience

> of self. We cannot experience our sense

> of individuality without it. It stands

> to reason, then, that if the forty hertz component could somehow

be

> suppressed,

> the sense of individuality would be suppressed with it, and

indeed,

> this is

> what Dr. Persinger's helmet does. It

> turns off the forty hertz component and

> with it the sense of individuality

> which your brain uses to define " self "

> as opposed to " rest of the world. "

>

> When the brain is deprived of the self stimulation and sensory

input

> that is

> required for it to define itself as being

> distinct from the rest of the world,

> the brain 'defaults' to a sense of

> infinity.

>

> The sense of self expands to fill

> whatever the brain can sense, and what

> it senses is the world, so the experience

> of the self simply expands to fill the perception of the world

> itself. One

> experiences becoming " one with the

> universe. "

>

> But What About the God Experience?

>

> There are two temporal lobes in the

> brain, one on each side. The one on the

> left, in most people, is the dominant

> one, responsible for language, which

> becomes dominant when we first learn

> language as children. The one on the

> right, non-dominant, contributes to the

> sense of self with constant

> communication with its opposite

> colleague. But being on the far side of

> the brain, sometimes the communications

> get out of whack, often as a result of stress or disease, and the

> forty hertz

> component falls out of sync. When this happens, the result is that

> the normally

> silent right-hand sense of self becomes experienced as a separate

> presence by

> the left-hand sense of self.

>

> This is the experience of the God

> presence. There is an overwhelming sense

> of presence, an inescapable feeling that

> someone is there.

>

> from the page which has a good list of

> books on the subject: http://www.bidstrup.com/mystic.htm

>

>

> Era

[Guest guest]

Ok Kip,

here is an other for you collection with love, Era

 

Neuropharmacology of the Mystical State

Entheogenic tradition and the mystical experience

 

Christopher Altman

Pierre Laclede Honors College

 

Entheogen: lit: generate god or spirit within ; psychoactive

sacrament ; a plant or chemical substance taken to occasion

spiritual or mystical experience

 

Example: Peyote cactus as used in the Native American Church

 

There exists an abundance of evidence to indicate that mind-changing

drugs have been used since remotest antiquity by many of the peoples

of the earth, and have importantly affected the course of human

history. The plant sources of these drugs - the visionary

vegetables - have been worshiped as gods in many times and places,

and the persons employing the drugs as a means of

acquiring 'supernatural powers' have been the priests, prophets,

visionaries, and other leaders of their respected societies. East

and West, civilized and primitive, religious thought and all that

flows from it almost certainly has been importantly influenced by

the psychedelic drugs.

 

Many traditions throughout history have employed the use of plant

sacraments to achieve a level of intense spiritual awareness, the

mystical experience. This paper examines a few of the most prominent

traditions, and compares the experience with that of the classical

mystical experience. Much controversy has arisen concerning the

validity of the chemical-induced mystical experience, and whether or

not the subject is having a `true' experience. Far too often,

prejudices become involved when discussing the authenticity of one

tradition or another. The important thing to remember is that the

mystical state is currently not well understood. Those experiences

found outside of the ordinary spectrum of existence tend to be

illogical and often paradoxical, leaving their meanings shrouded in

a veil of mystery.

 

Entheogen Use in Religious Traditions

 

The most prominent example of entheogen use today is the Native

American Church's use of the peyote cactus. The dried heads, whose

chief active principle is mescaline, are taken in ceremonies by

Indians holding membership in the church. The peyote cactus is

central to the religious ceremony, and the Indians who use it say it

is a gift from God. Mescaline use goes back as far with the Aztecs

as 300 B.C. The morning glory vine, in which lysergic acid amines

can be found, and the psilocybin mushroom (teonanacatl, or flesh of

the gods), whose active compounds are psilocybin and psilocin, were

also utilized in divinatory ceremonies by the Aztecs, and are still

put to use today by many tribes in Mexico. The amanita muscaria

mushroom was used in India and known as the Vedic soma – its primary

active compound is muscarine. Siberian tribesmen still ingest this

mushroom today. Tibor Palfai writes, " Many older cultures used and

valued these visionary compounds as information of a higher order

than daily reality, and put them to cultural use in art, religion,

and domestic life. "

 

All of these substances are known as hallucinogens, the most

chemically heterogenous class of psychoactive drugs. But these are

only a few of the many plant sacraments used throughout history. The

number of different substances used is far too vast to be explored

here, and more are being encountered every year. Many of our oldest

religious traditions have originated with the discovery of these

compounds. Whether or not the mystical experience brought about by

these chemicals is authentic, their cultural and sociological

influences upon the history and the development of religion are of

immense interest to the philosopher.

 

Nonchemical Religious Traditions

 

Many other religious traditions bring about changes in

neurochemistry without the use of drugs. Such techniques as fasting,

controlled breathing, whirling dervish dances, sensory deprivation

and meditation all bring about altered states of consciousness. From

the standpoint of psychopharmacology, all of these rituals achieve

the same thing: they consciously alter the brain chemistry of the

individual desiring the mystical experience.

 

Each of these mystic traditions evolved independently, yet all are

different methods to reach the same state of mind. The experience

that occurs while in this state of mind has certain characteristic

qualities that differentiate it from other religious experiences.

 

Characteristics of the Mystical State

 

These characteristics and experiences perceived during the mystical

state have been examined in many scientific studies, the majority

falling into the 1950's and 60's, in the period after their

discovery before politics made scientific investigation difficult.

Such notables as Timothy Leary, Aldous Huxley, Richard Alpert,

Albert Hoffman, and Alexander T. Shultes have extensively worked in

this area. Some of these qualities have been integrated into an nine-

category typology of the mystical state by Walter H. Pahnke, a

physician and minister completing his PhD in religion and society at

Harvard. Pahnke conducted the double-blind, famous " Good Fiday "

experiment with Timothy Leary in 1962.

 

Walter Houston Clark, 1961 recipient of the American Psychological

Association's William James Memorial Award for contributions to the

psychology of religion, states " There are no experiments known to

me in the history of scientific study of religion better designed or

clearer in their conclusions than this one. " The experiment was

carried out on twenty Protestant divinity students in Boston

University's Marsh Chapel on Good Friday, 1962. Pahnke administered

small capsules, either containing 30mg of psilocybin or active

placebo (nicotinic acid; niacin), then surveyed the volunteers. The

group receiving psilocybin scored significantly higher on the

testing than the placebo, in all eight of the categories scored, and

9 of the 10 felt they had a life-transforming religious experience.

The nine characteristics which Pahnke believes are shared in the

mystical experience, cross-culturally and historically, are:

 

Unity. There is a feeling of oneness with the universe and a loss of

ego boundaries. Self is experienced as pure awareness.

 

Transcendence of Time and Space. There is a loss of usual references

of time and space. Time seems to slow down or even stop. Experiences

of eternity and infinity are common.

 

Deeply Felt Positive Mood. There are feelings of blessedness, joy,

and peace, and a sense of unconditional love. The uniqueness of

these emotions is in the level to which they are elevated, the

intensity of the experience.

 

Sense of Sacredness. There is an intuitive sense of wonder and

peace, a sense of special value, and a feeling of the holy and

divine.

 

Subjective Nature of the Experience. The knowledge seems remarkably

insightful. It is conveyed not through words, but through the

experience itself, and there is a certainty that this knowledge is

authentic and direct.

 

Paradoxicality. When attempting to explain the experience to others,

there are frequently logical contradictions in explanations, such as

emptiness in which one simultaneously feels full and complete, or a

dissolution of self in which something of the individual remains to

experience the phenomenon. There is both separateness from and unity

with the surroundings.

 

Alleged Ineffability. The experience seems to be beyond what words

can define. Logical descriptions or interpretations are incapable of

accurately describing the experience, partially due to the

paradoxical nature of the phenomena.

 

Transiency. The actual time spent in the mystical state is

temporary. A return to the everyday surroundings occurs after a

short period, whether through sudden awakening or a gradual shift of

awareness to the immediate environment.

 

ersisting Positive Changes in Mood and Behavior. In many cases, the

individual integrates these revelations into future life

experiences. Pahnke divides these attiitude changes into four areas:

toward self, toward others, toward life, and toward the mystical

experience itself. The individual is more able to recognize and deal

with the negative aspects of his own personality, acts more open to

others and is more authentic and more tolerant. The attitude is

frequently more optimistic. Purpose and meaning are more prominent

in everyday life. There is a new, deeper understanding of the

mystical experience and the individual feels more connected with

spirituality and religion.

 

Discussion

 

The mystical experience is a powerfully transforming catalyst for

change. The impact it has upon the individual is irrefutable. But

how is the experience explained? Neuroscientists, philosophers,

anthropologists, religious leaders, and psychologists all interpret

the situation differently, as could be expected. Pharmacologically,

drug-induced and non-drug induced experiences are similar: all of

these states are brought about by changes in brain chemistry.

 

Activity of these plants is due to psychoactive alkaloids which

mimic the body's endogenous neurotransmitters to produce their

profound effects upon consciousness. Psilocybin, LSD, and DMT –

three of the most potent hallucinogens – are all indoles, belonging

to the molecular class indolamines. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter

associated with sensory processing, emotion, consciousness and

cognition is also an indoleamine. These compounds bind to the same

receptor sites on neurons that serotonin does, modulating a response

which is theorized to cause the experience. Other alkaloids resemble

different neurotransmitters: such as mescaline, which closely

resembles norepinephrine (NE), another important neurotransmitter,

and muscarine, which acts upon acetylcholine (ACh) receptors. LSD in

particular shows very strong affinity for 5-HTII (serotonin subtype

two) neurons and binds to these receptors, blocking activity. This

is followed by rebound overactivity or receptor hypersensitivity –

theorized to account for some of effects, however, the exact

mechanism by which these complex experiences occur is not clear.

 

Currently, experiences brought about without these psychoactive

compounds are believed to be due to the body's release of its own

endogenous hallucinogens, which are produced naturally as a normal

component of metabolism. DMT (n,n-dimethyltryptamine) is a very

powerful hallucinogen found in various plant species and in the

cohoba and virola snuffs of South America (ayahuasca), used by a

variety of tribes for its ability to produce out-of-body

experiences. It has also been found to be an endogenous

neurotransmitter in the human body, possibly involved in dreaming

and REM sleep. Unlike many of the hallucinogens, no tolerance is

shown to its behavioral effects. Its has a relatively short onset

and duration of action. When inhaled or injected, the effects come

on within seconds and only last a matter of minutes before it is

metabolized. Subjects frequently report contact with other

dimensions and nonhuman intelligences. The correspondence between

the DMT experience and the mystical experience is especially useful

when attempting to understand the mystical experience from a

psychopharmacological standpoint. But there is much to learn before

this field reaches an understanding of the inner workings of the

mind.

 

The many entheogenic substances found across the world and thoughout

the course of history have played a key role in the development of

human culture and religion. The traditions followed by these peoples

have helped to elucidate the nature of the mystical experience,

placing it under direct, repeatable circumstances. However useful a

tool pharmacology may be in interpreting these experiences, we are

left with questions often more puzzling and even more difficult to

answer.

 

Though the scientific method has its bounds, enlightenment for the

mystic lies not in explanation, but in direct experience. Mysticism

is about the potentials of human experience, and the mystical

journey is a lifelong path which culminates in direct encounter with

the unknown. Irrespective of verification, mystical experiences

remain the zenith of human endeavor into the hidden regions of the

mind, opening doorways to the core of conscious experience itself.

 

 

 

 

> Exactly! The self-object (subject, sense of self) is inextricably

> connected to language.

>

>

> Kip Almazy

 

> >from the page which has a good list of

> > books on the subject: http://www.bidstrup.com/mystic.htm

> >

> >

> > Era

[Guest guest]

> Neuropharmacology of the Mystical State

> Entheogenic tradition and the mystical experience

 

 

Hi Era,

 

 

Interesting read. How about Brian Ferry's " More than this, there is

nothing... " Heard it again as OST of " Lost in Translation " .

 

 

Kip Almazy

[Guest guest]

Nisargadatta , " kipalmazy " <kipalmazy> wrote:

>

> > Neuropharmacology of the Mystical State

> > Entheogenic tradition and the mystical experience

>

>

> Hi Era,

>

>

>

> Interesting read. How about Brian Ferry's " More than this, there is

> nothing... " Heard it again as OST of " Lost in Translation " .

>

>

> Kip Almazy

 

 

I love them both together with Bill Murray

 

 

great movie..