Interesting Dreams

I've had some interesting dreams lately.

In one of them, I was on an operating room and about to undergo some surgery. As someone approached my thigh and started to inject anesthetics, I felt a little of the pain but noticed I couldn't feel my fingers tapping on my leg. This caused everything to go dark and it was as if I had reached a cusp. I had to make a decision: was that real or was that not real. I rationally decided it was better to not be undergoing surgery, which caused me to wake up and notice my hand was not on my thigh, that's why I couldn't feel it. The interesting point here was the volitional decision: what reality would I choose?

Another interesting one was pretty convoluted, including me owning a hotel, there was some sore of parking garage confusion... presidential candidates (McCain was there with his family and a black security guard and I was wondering if it was appropriate to go and ask to take a picture -- and I don't even like the guy)... my dad was there... anyhow, at some point things started to look cartoonish (the whole environment and people), I started flying, and the sky/ world turned into a (black and white?) pattern accompanied by an orchestral music that I was humming along to. I felt like I was laughing, and even wondering if my girlfriend could hear me actually humming (so I guess I was to some extent conscious of being in a dream)...

Interesting dreams, not sure what it means, but writing is a way to not forget it. :-)

Arpie

Salvia Divinorum

A friend recently told me about this little herb, Salvia Divinorum.

Its primary psychoactive constituent is ... salvinorin A.. unique in that it is the only naturally occurring substance known to induce a visionary state this way. Salvia divinorum can be chewed, smoked, or taken as a tincture to produce experiences ranging from uncontrollable laughter to much more intense and profoundly altered states. The duration is much shorter than for some other more well known psychedelics; the effects of smoked salvia typically last for only a few minutes. The most commonly reported after-effects include an increased feeling of insight and improved mood, and a sense of calmness and increased sense of connection with nature—though much less often it may also cause dysphoria (unpleasant or uncomfortable mood).[10] Salvia divinorum is not generally understood to be toxic or addictive. As a κ-opioid agonist, it may have potential as an analgesic and as therapy for drug addictions.

I'm not usually inclined to like or encourage any sort of drug or psychotropic, as I think they hinder more than help. However, they can be a useful tool for some people. (If you've read all Carlos Castaneda books, this may ring a bell.)

The point is, this is, as far as I can tell, a pretty harmless, non-addictive little plant and possibly beneficial to some people. It's not a party drug.

However, idiotic use (mainly by young air-heads) combined with hysterical media, parents and politicians are causing it to be outlawed. What will this cause? Create a black market, make it more likely for youngsters to want to experiment (and view it as a "party drug", regardless of its real effect and potential), send more people to jail for non-violent crimes... It just seems way worse than just leaving it alone.

If you think your spiritual path requires drugs, you should probably re-examine your life, but if you think it's necessary to outlaw every single mind-expanding substance or method, you should examine your head.

Arpie

First Post

Here's a quick description of what I hope this blog becomes:
- A place for musings in terms of spirituality, personal/ human evolution, etc.
- A collection of rantings about some of the B.S. that is often associated with spiritual journeys
- A repository of interesting anecdotes or experiences
- A record of diverging opinions, we should welcome other opinions as a tool to help us grow!

See ya!
Arpie