The Albert Hofmann Foundation-LSD and Mysticism: A Short Essay

LSD and Mysticism: A Short Essay

By Theophilus

My first experience with LSD was on October 31, 1975. I was only 15 years old at the time, and I was already drifting into an Eastern religious and philosophical worldview; having left the Catholic Church (and therefore the Christian worldview) about two years before this time. I mention this because I am certain that all experiences are interpreted experiences, and that an LSD experience (of all things!) is no less an interpreted experience than any other experience. Perhaps even more so.

As my perception of the world had now become pantheistic, so then was my LSD experience (and my subsequent LSD experiences) pantheistic. As the drug took effect, I began to have the most marvelous feelings, sights and sounds. Colors grew very bright and vivid, and both light and sound began to come into my mind through my senses like vividly perceived waves. I began to see ordinary objects (e.g., people, trees, buildings, etc.) turn into very unordinary objects. Slowly, as I watched them, whatever colors and shapes these objects had previously began to change into other, intricate and beautiful, patterns and shapes. Not that the objects themselves would lose their original shapes, but that there was a new, previously hidden, shape or pattern as a part of their existence. Above all, I had the distinct impression that everything---EVERYTHING---was interconnected. In fact, everything was the same thing….underneath their initial appearances.

This perception, that all things are in actuality one, is (as I understand it) the goal of eastern mysticism. One is supposed to meditate and contemplate reality until the realization comes that ALL is ONE and ONE is ALL. That is what enlightenment is, the realization that the monistic/pantheistic worldview is both true and correct. The world is not as-it-appears; what the world appears to be is an illusion, what the Hindus call Maya. This veil of illusion (Maya) must be lifted, and one must realize that the Life-Force (or, Brahman to the Hindu) is in-and-through all things. This is the Divine-Light within us all, the Spark of the Divine, or the Attman (to the Hindu). LSD helped me to realize this, and it helped me to experience it in a powerful way, but my belief in monism/pantheism was already presupposed prior to the experience, and thus the experience was interpreted according to this framework.

I suppose, but I don't know, that the experience of a non-pantheist would be much different. I know for certain that the psychological state of a person who is taking LSD is very important as the drug can amplify prior emotional and psychological conditions. Likewise, the environment in which one has the experience is very important. I was very fortunate in that I was well balanced, happy, and in a good safe place when I had my first experience. I had many other LSD trips over the next 10 years or so, and they were all good. I only had one experience that was not very good and it was due to environment, a little depression, and some rather bad LSD (it had a lot of speed in it or something).

All in all, I thought that LSD was really very helpful in attaining mystical insights and experiences (or, cosmic-consciousness). One time I practiced Transcendental Meditation while on LSD. Although I had already been practicing TM for some time, this time (while on the drug) it was as if a door had opened for me. Rather than spending a lot of time trying to quiet the rambling thoughts of my mind, I was immediately able to spiral slowly down the corridors of my mind and consciousness down to the very source of thought itself. As I reached the bottom (so to speak) I was surprised to discover that, rather than "bottoming out" (I really didn't know what to expect) I found that I had gone all the way through and out the other side. Rather than siting on the sandy soil of Monterey Bay at night (which is where I was at the time) I found myself sitting on the side of a hill in broad daylight overlooking the most beautiful valley imaginable. Once I realized that I wasn't "where I was supposed to be" I got scared and wanted to come back. Not that it was a scary experience, because it was not; but because I had read once that if you go somewhere like that, you'd better not stay long because you may not be able to get back and I just wanted to be sure I got back!

And so this short essay is over. I could say a lot more on this subject, and I no doubt I will say more about it at some other time, but for now let this be the end of the relating of some of my experiences with drugs and mysticism to you. LSD is a very powerful drug, but it is not as bad as most people think it is. If given to the wrong person (say, an evil person, or an emotionally unbalanced one) there could, and probably would, be adverse affects; but for the most part, it would seem that LSD is rather harmless (from my experience) and that it can actually facilitate (via drug technology) one's ability to begin to think deeply and reflectively upon the nature of God and the universe.