A reader writes:
I can’t speak to psilocybin or LSD or any other of those
psychedelic drugs. I can, however, speak to these same principles in the use of cannabis. I have never used cannabis until about six months ago. I do it primarily for health reasons. As a type-1 diabetic, alcohol is almost a complete no-go for me. And with the severe heart disease that I have suffered as a result of diabetes, I have all the hallmarks of long-term chronic disease: generalized and specialized pain, both musculoskeletal and neurogenic; wasting, much like AIDS-related wasting; loss of appetite; loss of the raw materials required just to keep the brain functioning.
So, I began cannabis for the medical benefits and also as a substitute for a glass or two of wine. What I have been most surprised about is the effect it has on mental functioning. Besides just helping to increase my nutrition, it has made my mental functioning orders of magnitude better. And it is not just general cognitive functioning, but what I term “philosophical” cognition.
I consider myself a non-theist. But when I get high and think about some of the big
issues in life, I find myself going all the way to the evolutionary cellular level. (I know, quite a trip!) But it reveals that there is a power in this universe. In my determination, it is whatever has given protons and electrons their charge, their dynamic power interplay, i.e. their “power.” Whoever or whatever did that is “God.” And it is as profound as any spiritual experience I have ever had (yes, I came from a very traditional, conservative Southern Baptist environment).
The ability to recognize a power “greater than us” actually helps me understand those who believe in a more traditional view of God. The traditional God never had that overpowering awe to me, even at earliest ages, like realizing the power in the atom. Now, I am in awe of this creation.
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