Psychonaut or Druggie?

[ThePsychonauticOne]

Anyone who uses the term Psychonaut to promote their drug abuse as study is silly. That being said, there is something to be said of the ability for particular psychedelics, in coupling with other very simple experiences, are very profound and usually more concrete. I agree with the post above however, the forum poster that make comments like "Yeah I took six hits of acid I got from "Bob The Acid man" and laughed at the mysterious wall that appeared in my room!" sullie the spiritual and inspirational aspect of these entheogens.

 

[BrainEater]

i think drugs are like tools in some sense. so people who discriminate those who take tools are comparably silly to people who discriminate those who prefer not to take tools. the paradigms of such people are simply too ignorant and limited to allow different ways like their own.
to choose mental imprisonment consciously or unconciously. either way is insane. people that think like "the means jusfifies the end" or vice versa or "there is no other way" or similar shit are very often simply deluded. something like that.. i hope you know what i mean...



peace

 

[organicQz]

I feel that there is a drug-use spectrum. One end of that spectrum would be consuming a particular dose of a given product under the direction of a shaman or therapist. At the other end is a garden variety crack-head. But really--the crack-head could be addicted to any substance. I live somewhere in the middle. I consider myself an alcoholic, and I consider that disgusting. I quit drinking a bit over four years ago. I first enjoyed drinking because of its effects easing social interaction, something with which I, for sure, have difficulties. I've used psychedelics experimentally, responsibly, recreationally and excessively at different times.
I was interested in psychedelic drugs for several years, starting in junior high before I ever took my first dose of mushrooms, and I didn’t smoke pot until after high school. I would read entries in PiHKaL and TiHKaL and find it so interesting that there were, apparently, all these substances that bend perception, reveal alternate realities, or take one on any of a multitude of journeys into the mind. I thought, “there are so many of them, and they’re all different. I have to try as many as I can.” That quickly turned into, “I wonder what happens when I take a lot of this one.” In retrospect, I wouldn’t advise accidentally vaporizing and inhaling 4 bottles of cough syrup worth of DXM, eating the whole sheet, or chewing up that Sweet Breath bottle. But, I would say that experimentation with psychedelics is an awesome way to explore the human perceptive experience.
I grew up going to a Christian church every Sunday. I recall the minister saying frequently that during prayer one should, “be still and listen.” I always had trouble with that. My thoughts would race, and I would get distracted from the task at hand. There were only a very few times that I was able to disconnect from my existence and open my third eye to receive insight. Psychedelics have helped me with this.
I’m not sure that I’ve ever called myself a psychonaut. Actually, I know that I haven’t. I have, in the past, wondered if I was druggie. I think that an interest in exploring the corners of my mind lead to the consumption of a variety of substances. Drugs, in turn, amplified that interest and sparked, at various times, interests in horticulture, chemistry, etc. These give me a really sweet outlet to be as nerdy as I want. I’m pretty sure that being a psychonaut and being a druggie are neither mutually exclusive nor have a causal relationship.

 

[redskelly]

I feel one should start out by getting into the books far before they start getting into the drugs. The drugs aren't going to help you to come to any profound realizations unless you have a desire to have those realizations. I just joined this forum because I'd like to find more serious psychonauts who are focused on inner exploration instead of the common drug users who think they are deep because they did acid a couple times. There's a difference between us.

 

[Mrjelly]

I have done a lot of things that have expanded my mind, the most significant in my life were not induced by doing any kind of drug. The experiences that I had when I was younger were definitely productive to keep my mind asking questions, some of those where far outside the norm. Because of the questions I asked that were outside the norm I grew into a well rounded person. One of the best experiments that I ever took on was education. I had a few teachers that taught me how to think, and I continued to ask questions.

The sad truth is that we are creatures that need stimulation and prefer immediate gratification to something that takes many hours or even years to obtain. Taking a substance to catapult you there is a faster route and, in my opinion, provides much dirtier results. We live in a world that moves fast and when we are plugged into the grid we feel that we don't have time to explore our mind. If you can take a few grams of mushrooms you get in and out quick and can even go back to the grid on Monday.

A druggie probably wouldn't be able to comprehend the thoughts contained in this forum, they are a sad statistic of life and the reality we live in.

 

[drizzit]

Ignorance is bliss. And I don't like that >.> I don't understand how some can live so long so narrow minded then succeed because others are also living in that state. I just don't get it. How people even came to this point of world views. everyone is different I know but i only seem to find well minded people such as yourselves rarely in RL.

 

[Mrjelly]

It is the differences that make the world colorful, I would hate it if everything where purple or green... or purple and green! LOL It does get frustrating listening to the things that divide us, sometimes I want to stand on a soap box and scream. I know though that if I do that the rubber room is only a moment away. This may be why you feel that you cant find like minded people in RL... we are out there.

Here on the net we have a certain amount of perceived anonymity. Along with that there are no preconceived opinions, no stereotypes. This makes the exchange of free thinking minds as open as possible.

For instance you see a guy on a blackberry wearing a $3000 suit talking fast about stock markets and emerging economies... would you think that you could have a conversation with him about any of this? Yet he might be one of the posters here.

Lets say that same guy sees someone in ripped jeans and a tie-dye shirt sporting a Jimi Hendrix logo wearing a weaved beret and sporting dread locks. Can you imagine them sitting down and having wild conversations about mind expanding topics? Can the guy in the business suit sit down with this guy?

I think that there are more people out there that are incognito than you think. I also think that this is because if you make to much noise you will get it from the left and the right and... the center.

 

[schtroumpfette]

Reality is more complex than just separate the people here in two groups, between the "psychonauts" in one hand, the "druggies" in the other. Personally, I am both. Yes, I am a druggie : for the last six years, I took quite large amounts of a wide variety of drugs, not every time in a psychonautic state of mind (sometimes it was actually to explore my mind, but some other times it was to party, sometimes to study, sometimes just to get high, and sometimes for no particular reason but because of the habit). And so? On the other hand, I could claim to be a "psychonaut" too : not only because of the acids I took, but because of the dozens times I experienced lucid dreams and OBE's while sleeping. So, it seems that being a "druggie" doesn't prevent you to explore your mind...

 

[Mrjelly]

I guess it is perspective, depending on your deffinition you may be one or the other. Best not to put labels on things that is where it gets complicated, complications are what start wars. There was a day that I did what you talk about. From 15 to 24 it was a wild ride. I was labeled then, maybe I am now... who knows.

 

[drizzit]

Regardless I enjoy living and sharing my. views with people. We need ignorance or else we'd never learn we need it all to learn I suppose o well time to pack a bowl. You guys rule have a good one.

 

[zgoat69]

I agree With Mr. Jelly. Perception is
9/10 of reality. To most of the waking world, those that experiment with mind altering substances (especially outside of the field of medicine) are druggies. Those that produce these substances (ESPECIALLY outside the field of pharmacology) are criminals. Its all in what you believe you are. Cuz the world sees our community as something totally different. Believe that.

 

[AjnaTwilight]

I couldn't agree more with zgoat69, the term ''druggie'' just makes me feel SO SO SOOOOOOO guilty sometimes for pursuing a life dedicated to higher knowledge and better understanding of our universe. I'm into meditation as well, and i am a ''psychonaut'' even in my sober phase. I haven't smoked pot in like 2 weeks btw...im more focused on opening my heart chakra now.
And on a side note, i really DO pity REAL hardcore drug users, if only society had the balls to sit and think...

 

[Hark]

I came here thru chaos. I've always wanted to obtain it and hold it. I was in a book store in the mall and came across Liber null and psychonaut. I liked the picture and the word psychonaut. Course yrs later I find out that I had been a psychonaut all this time. "Like attracts like, the principle of similarity."- Random belief Whos to say the drugie isnt a just another travler by another name? We look in all places to find what we are searching for. It'll be in the last place we look for all of us tho. Except for me. For me I will never find it because I enjoy the trip in finding what I have lost. But I do sober up from time to time cause I get to used to it or i get bored with it or it has become unhealthy. The book about liber null is not what I was looken for on chaos. finding it inside myself pulling towards others on some lvl of likeness, the psychonaut is.

 

[Ouroboros]

i haven't read all the topic but it's funny we have the same one in the french section

 

[adetheproducer]

At 12:15 GMT+2(06/10/2011), I conducted a survey of the forum: Psychonautic Research. 67 of the 77 articles were drug related; and of the remaining 10, only 1 post revealed useful information about "travelling/navigating the mind." In terms of views, 497584 people(92.13222%) have viewed the posts related to drugs, and only 42492 people(7.867782%) have read the other posts.
This gives us a shocking impression that most people consider psychonautics to be based on drug use. This, however, is not practical, because the drugs are often not available(to some), and the tolerance people build for the drugs would then act as an inhibitor to psychonautics. Instead, the psychonautic approach to drugs should be to learn what the mind can be, and then to strive for the same effect after the drug experience has ended. This would require of one to learn how to "navigate" the mind.
I can only conclude that most people who call themselves psychonauts, do so to justify their drug habits.
With the above in mind, I must now pose the question: Why are most of the posts under the forum Psychonautic Research, actually posts of Drug Research?

What is the Difference?

Irrispective of the reason people take drugs or the names they brand them selves with, for the vast magority of people who are not addicts, drug use is for the same reason. Take you weekend party freeks. They work all week then hit the clubs on the weekend and get baked on pills coke meow meow whatever, they have no self improvment reasons or spiritual experience to talk about, they want to get wrecked and listen to the music. But this in its self the the same reason shamen use fly argaric in the siberian tundra. Each group will have a cerimony, for the weekend partier its donning your finest clothes, doing your hair/makeup and looking your best meating up in the club with your friends getting high and worshiping the music(god) and oneness it creates(everone dancing together). Now this has no less cultural significance than the Shamen on vision quests its just a different culture. The use of substances is in human nature, always has been and will continue too be until we are no more.

 

[Mr.G]

And in the french section, druggy are the leader :mrgreen:
But as Hark sayed. It's all the same ^^

 

[Hark]

the words will be what u wish them to be... what we all want is what stevan hawkins wants...from the sane to the insane to the drugy or junky or what ever you call you're self... we al devilishly want to know.

 

[Hark]

....

 

[Interdimensional Creature]

I think a Psychonautism will be a culture in the future. The true Psychonaut does not chase euphoria as a typical materialistic state of mind does but rather understands they are a eternal formless being aware of appearance and sensation and as part of our nature we can explore this infinite immaterial space through our individualized filters/perspectives.

I see mentions of meditation, that like many things also alters your state of consciousness. Its one of many forms of celebration for the mediator, the celebration of being.


---------------------------------
Everyones drug fucked... I can compare the Dopamine Release of Cocaine to the Dopamine Release of a Christian (opiate) who just avoided Cognitive Dissonance by ignoring and dismissing logic and reason to maintain current state of mind ~ignorance is bliss.

 

[toogoodforyou]

I think there is a thin line between psychonautism and being a druggie, and it's easy to tip over to the druggie side. Your regular pothead is not a psychonaut. A real psychonaut would travel his or her mind using psychedelics and then ingrain and imply what has been learned from the experience into real life. A real psychonaut would not only explore his mind with psylocibin but also explore it with natural techniques like meditation, yoga, exercise etc. After the psychedelic experience we need to forget about the substance for a while, and not use it again and again without intervals, we need to apply whatever we've learned to our daily life, work and relationships. Wanting to alter the given 3D reality ALL the time would turn you into a druggie. Also, a 'druggie' would ingest all kinds of substances without knowing their addictive potential and also repeatedly and regularly consume substances with no beneficial or spiritual value till they damage his or her mind and body