Out
of
your
head

...
or
into
it?

Tony Bowden explores the relationship between psychedelic drugs and spirituality.

Thirty years ago this Easter a group of theology students from Boston University gathered in the basement below the university chapel for an alternative Good Friday service - one designed to change their lives forever. In an experiment arranged by Walter Pahnke, a theology research student, with the assistance of a young Timothy Leary, the twenty students all swallowed psilocbyin and the resulting Easter Mass was experienced in a way that probably very few ever have been since......

The experiment was never duplicated. Psilocybin was outlawed, Leary was subsequently expelled from Harvard, and scientifically controlled tests into psychedelic drugs became a thing of the past. Yet for those twenty experimenters, life could never be the same. Pahnke had originally believed that the drugs would induce mystical experiences, and hypothesised that the experience would exert a long-term influence on the students. And, indeed, a recent study which tracked down eighteen of the twenty subjects revealed some interesting results. Ten candidates had entered the ministry, and all eighteen agreed that the experiment had indeed been of a genuinely mystical nature. One of the students, Robert Kirven, described the experience as "a very vivid opening onto another aspect of reality. It was like writing about China and then getting a chance to go there". Most classed it as a high point of their spiritual life.

Although such experiences might seem strange to many today in a society where drugs are used more for recreational purposes than religious, psychedelics have had a long history of use in spiritual and psychological contexts. Until the '60s Ecstasy and similar drugs would frequently be prescribed to people undergoing counselling or therapy. Everyone carries a vast quantity of baggage from their past with them at all times and as a self-defense mechanism a lot of this baggage gets hidden away in the mind and ignored. In general though, this is unhealthy as there is a disturbing tendency for these things which have been ignored to suddenly erupt into normal life, causing many problems. One of the goals of any counselling treatment therefore is to confront these demons from the past, and, for a long time psychedelics were used as a very helpful tool in creating an altered state of consciousness where these memories could come to the fore and be dealt with.

LSD and other psychedelic drugs have also a long tradition of use (and unfortunately misuse) as an aid to creativity. Whilst tripping the user gains a heightened sense of reality where everything around becomes strangely exciting and mysterious and demands greater attention and appreciation than is normal. In many cases such experiences spill over into normal life as well. Once someone has experienced the wonder of nature it is hard to lose this appreciation. For many who have experienced it, this state could in many cases be classed as spiritual - indeed spirituality could easily be described as "changing the way we view the world".

Psychedelics are arguably one of the greatest tools for self-exploration known today. Not everyone who wishes to examine themselves needs such a catalyst but for many, if handled correctly, it can be a very useful tool. Small doses over a prolonged period can be shown in most cases to develop personal growth, but often people cannot cope with what they discover. To see into yourself may release angels, but also often involves confronting demons. The most common reason people give for giving up hallucinogenic drugs is a bad trip, but those who perserve often gain a new outlook on life - one which generally acknowledges some form of spiritual realm.

Most people can accept spiritual experiences which come through nature, art, travel, friendship and even sex, but many of these people would be reluctant to accept an experience which arose during a "trip". Yet all of these experiences stem from a common root - seeing life from a different angle to which you are used.

It could be argued that at the root of all spiritual experiences there must, by definition, be some form of altered state of mind. These days, in many Christian circles, this state of consciousness comes through Charismatic experiences during intense praise services. For many addiction as as much of a danger as if they were on heroin. It is easy to become dependent on these "spiritual fixes" to maintain any spiritual fervour. The power has become subsidiary to the source behind it. The setting of these "fixes" are also rather different to most drug trips. Generally people who take psychedelic drugs do so in a close circle of friends where they can share experiences whereas charismatic praise services are generally experienced individually, albeit in a big crowd, and within a situation where someone else has the power and control.

It seems many of today's class of drug user are not interested in exploring the universe within and without, but are merely looking for the quick feel-good fix. They are more interested in getting out of their heads than into them. As a tool for self-exploration or spiritual growth it may well be the case that some drugs can be useful, but if used for their own sake, the chances are they are no more than a symptom of the age of instant stimulation.