"The basic thing nobody asks is why do people take drugs of any sort? Why do we have these accessories to normal living to live? I mean, is there something wrong with society that's making us so pressurized, that we cannot live without guarding ourselves against it?"
Something that esp reminds me of an ex-b/f, who had a lot of potential, but was in a lot of personal pain, esp re: his relationship with his dad, and his own identity.
He is still deep into it (daily weed, mostly, no job to speak of, living with his mom at age 46...)
Drugs are just a coping mechanism, it's always about something else...
Something that esp reminds me of an ex-b/f, who had a lot of potential, but was in a lot of personal pain, esp re: his relationship with his dad, and his own identity.
He is still deep into it (daily weed, mostly, no job to speak of, living with his mom at age 46...)
Drugs are just a coping mechanism, it's always about something else...
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Re: John Lennon quote:
Sat, October 28, 2006 - 5:37 AMfrankly, I don't think that drugs are always a coping mechanism. I've heard that crows eat fermented blackberries because they get drunk.
I think it's natural as humans, curious creatures that we are, to test the boundaries of our consciousness. I had my time with drugs, it's over now, was 15 years ago last time I did any, but I enjoy a glass of wine or drinks now and then.
I think it's when we tend toward preferring an altered state over our regular conscious selves, that's the beginning of a problem.
Intention is very important.
Like anything, I believe it's important to know yourself, your baseline, and spend enough time there that any deviation, intentional or otherwise, is just that- a deviation, and not a pattern.
update: turns out it's not just crows- lots of birds get drunk:
besgroup.blogspot.com/2005_11...ive.html -
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Re: John Lennon quote:
Sat, October 28, 2006 - 7:28 PMMy understanding is that it is a natural human interest to enjoy altered states of concsience. An example of this would be little kids enjoying spinning around and around until they get so dizzy that they fall down in fits of giggles. I believe that one of the (many) problems lie in the reason behind some users desires to attain altered states. When it is for negative reasons, such as addiction, or not being able to face social situations without it, etc. then I believe a problem exists.
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Re: John Lennon quote:
Thu, April 5, 2007 - 12:56 AMThat's cool, but I wasn't really talking about cattle, I was ruminating on Lennon's quote about people using drugs to make life seem better, more fun, less stressful, more beautiful, a mini-vacation.
It's pretty common for people to drink or smoke to 'loosen' up. Not 100% every single drink or toke, but pretty common. That's a noted effect, isn't it -- reduced inhibitions, relaxation, euphoria, enhanced/ hallucianations. And if drinking, etc a lot -- amnesia / blackouts.
Sometimes people don't realize or recognize their intention, it can be too painful to admit.
I'm often completely sober at parties, other times I might drink a little, or toke somewhat, but not that often. Certainly less than in the past. I notice more people partying sober, but the majority aren't.
I really love events that don't depend on the partiers to be wasted to seem fantastic. Substances should feel optional, not required, to enjoy the moment/ event/ experience/ company, I think.
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Re: John Lennon quote:
Sat, October 28, 2006 - 9:38 PM"Drugs are just a coping mechanism, it's always about something else."
I don't think that ANYTHING is "just" anything-- there are always variables and exceptions.
Sometimes, as it's been said, a cigar is just a cigar. I agree with the previous posters that said humans enjoy altered states of consciousness. It's like- you can't have light without dark. And sometimes, we can't fully understand ourselves SOBER, until we see ourselves DRUNK (/high/however else altered). I personally really enjoy being sober now, because I HAVE experimented with drugs, and realized they weren't for me, and how they felt so "fake". Having been to that other side of "next day cracked out/serotonin depleted/exhausted/body pain", I can now wake up after an evening spent just having a glass of wine or two and hanging with friends, and be rested and not feel poisoned-- and APPRECIATE it.
Anyway, rambling. -
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Re: John Lennon quote:
Thu, April 5, 2007 - 1:40 AMI dunno... maybe we are all after some atavistic hunt for experiencing transcendence of the ego. When you get drunk, high, loaded, the sensory paradigms begin to shift and blur. This is much the same was as people who have had mystical experiences brought about by deep meditative practice such as kundalini yoga.
The process of transcending or sloughing off this mortal coil in pursuit of a union with a consciousness greater than ourselves is one that I feel is known on some level (intuited mostly) by all of us. Our soul cries for release from the constraints of the day to day mucky-muck world that we are trapped in. So, getting buzzed could very well be mankind's temporary answer to this eternal challenge of our individual "higher" selves.
I don't know if this makes any sense, it is uber late for me. Thanks for letting me share : )
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