Insight and Laughter on LSD

The secrets of the universe lie hidden in the details of our experience. – Pete

The first time I took LSD was early 1974. We were living in San Francisco at the time and a friend who lived with us for a while asked if I had ever tried LSD. I said, no. He then asked me if I wanted to try some. Having read accounts of LSD experiences in school made me curious so I said, yes.

Since it was my first time, he broke a small piece off a transparent square (usually considered a single dose) of Window Pane, pure LSD. It took about a half hour for the drug to have an affect on me. Sitting quietly, I began to notice that as I thought about something, an idea or concept, I could see it from almost an infinite number of angles or viewpoints. I could even get inside ideas and see them from the inside out. Exploring this newfound ability, I discovered I could travel from one idea to another as if there were no separation between them. Without realizing it, I was seeing the oneness of everything. Unlike my normal state of consciousness, nothing was truly separate and nothing was closed to question and understanding.

As my euphoric bliss grew, I began to find humor in everything. I started laughing out loud and my wife, Sandra, who had refused to take LSD, asked me why I was laughing. Since I had already shared with her most of the experiences I was now laughing about, I began to share my thoughts with her. Infected by my humor, she began to laugh too. Before long we were both laughing so hard our guts ached. In bed, I continued to share my thoughts with her and point out what was so funny about them. I was seeing things in ways that made it impossible not to laugh. Finally, as the effects of the LSD wore off and exhaustion claimed us, we fell asleep.

Even though I’m sharing my drug-related experience with you, I don’t advocate drug use. In many cases they’re considered illegal. Personally, I prefer a clear mind when I explore the nature of my own consciousness. It makes me a better observer. In fact, my most profound experiences in altered states happen when my mind is clearest. Openness, fearlessness and curiosity also play a vital role in experiencing altered states of consciousness.

Many of us have been convinced that looking inward on our own is dangerous. It’s not if we refuse to be frightened by it. Like everything else, it’s best to start with baby steps. When we really want to know something it’s as if the entire universe cooperates in bringing us knowledge. In other words, we get what we concentrate on whether it’s by design or default. There are no accidents so it’s up to us to be clear on what we want.

Pete, http://realtalkworld.com

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin