Silk Road forums
Discussion => Philosophy, Economics and Justice => Topic started by: babyshiva999 on May 01, 2013, 10:08 pm
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How do you define something that Wittgenstein calls "the unsayable". We label things according to our own perspectives and personal background, because on the surface we are all unique and this individuality talk has been the staple of the Western culture for centuries.
Most of the psychonauts here who have had a chance to come close to this on high does of acid, dmt or mushrooms would label these experience as - EGO DEATH. Buddhism calls this very same phenomenon: realizing your TRUE identity, Christianity - communion with the Divine, Hinduism - self vs the Self etc.
The pattern that I see here is that practically all major religions talk about the same thing using different terms.
The truth of the matter is that what we here call ego death can be achieved using many different methods that have been employed by mystics and sages over the centuries from all religions:
Fasting, sleep deprivation, meditation, prayer, chanting, dancing, taking various plants and substances etc. You see where I am going. I have despised Christianity my whole life - because I was brought up in a religious setting. What Christianity has become now is the polar opposite of what it was in the first couple of centuries AD. There were numerous mystics who went to live as hermits in the caves in order to "get the revelation" and spread the word to their fellow humans. This is well documented - but not broadly discussed.
With LSD and similar substances we have a very potent fast forward into the other side - and this can be very dangerous. Buddhist monks for instance are well trained for this event because they have spent decades devoting their lives to achieving this.
LSD is a gift to humanity but no one can deny that it is a very dangerous substance because of the arguments outlined above. I am not talking here about the average doses of 100-200 ug, which I have done dozens of times over the past two decades. 300 plus ug seems to be the breaking point, but not everyone is the same and some people would need more than 500 ug.
Just imagine what a few batches of pure Sandoz LSD did to our collective creativity in the 60s ! The art, the music, the literature. Unfortunately it all happened very rapidly and not under controlled conditions as Dr. Hoffman advocated. The youth was enchanted by Leary's message and his public person and the Church of LSD have given the whole movement a bad name. I have to say that I respect Leary perhaps as much as Dr. Hoffman and I know his intentions were genuine - but the method was absolutely wrong.
With SR and Tor we have another real chance at it. We musn't commit the same mistakes again, it cannot be allowed to happen. LE will eventually be forced to changed its stance towards drugs, especially psychedelics, We see this already happening with psylocibin trails for depression treatment getting ready to start at Imperial College.
We cannot afford another individual to stand out - in other words it has to be as decentralized as possible. Otherwise it is going to be the same scenario we have seen in the 60s. We need a vast group of people with credentials and good public standing, as well as experienced users (ideally people with both traits) who would be willing to take on the public scrutiny, insults, ridicule and everything else that is bound to follow.
I am humbled by this opportunity and all the beautiful people here. I am truly amazed what an incredible collective this is. There are trolls and fools, here as well - but they are definitely in the minority. When I first came here I thought this is just a place to buy and sell drugs, but it is way beyond that and I see that for the first time in half a century we have an opportunity. It will not happen over night, it will take years, decades, most of us probably won't see the complete paradigm shift during our lifetimes. But it's a fight worth fighting for - for our progeny - as the late great Bill Hicks said : "To explore the Universe both inner and outer". This is our destiny as a species.
Peace,
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Interesting post! Since my ego death experience I've been thinking about different religions and their interconnectedness and stuff. I agree with a lot of what you say. I notice a lot more the themes of God and man being very much the same... Things like "the smallest thing you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me" and shit like that jumped out at me. The whole children of god theme, that we are simply manifestations of the infinite is interesting. Eastern religions seem to be even more direct about it too.
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With LSD and similar substances we have a very potent fast forward into the other side - and this can be very dangerous. Buddhist monks for instance are well trained for this event because they have spent decades devoting their lives to achieving this.
LSD is a gift to humanity but no one can deny that it is a very dangerous substance because of the arguments outlined above. I am not talking here about the average doses of 100-200 ug, which I have done dozens of times over the past two decades. 300 plus ug seems to be the breaking point, but not everyone is the same and some people would need more than 500 ug.
While I understand where you're coming from, I disagree that an ego-death can be "dangerous" simply because it is "quick." Obviously, the user should really know what to expect and shouldn't cannonball into the experience, but even if someone were to take 1,200ug their first time, the ego death is not a problem. What I'm saying is that you don't need "experience" to take something from an ego death. As long as you know to surrender yourself to the drug, only good things can come out of it. If you read about experience where people had "bad trips" from taking even a thumbprint, after the fact, they all said that it was a marvelous, enlightening experience for the better. In the right setting, with the right expectations/knowledge, and mindset an LSD trip cannot go wrong.
Mushrooms are more or less the same, but some people say that they are more unpredictable. Mescaline is more reality changing and ego-death potentiating on higher doses, but is more gentle throughout. I don't see any of these as dangerous. In an accident, don't blame the car, blame the person driving the car.
PS, completely disagree on 300ug being the "breaking point" I get an full ego death at about 1,000-1,200ug, anything lower is certainly an ego death, but only partial.
Just imagine what a few batches of pure Sandoz LSD did to our collective creativity in the 60s ! The art, the music, the literature. Unfortunately it all happened very rapidly and not under controlled conditions as Dr. Hoffman advocated. The youth was enchanted by Leary's message and his public person and the Church of LSD have given the whole movement a bad name. I have to say that I respect Leary perhaps as much as Dr. Hoffman and I know his intentions were genuine - but the method was absolutely wrong.
With SR and Tor we have another real chance at it. We musn't commit the same mistakes again, it cannot be allowed to happen. LE will eventually be forced to changed its stance towards drugs, especially psychedelics, We see this already happening with psylocibin trails for depression treatment getting ready to start at Imperial College.
We cannot afford another individual to stand out - in other words it has to be as decentralized as possible. Otherwise it is going to be the same scenario we have seen in the 60s. We need a vast group of people with credentials and good public standing, as well as experienced users (ideally people with both traits) who would be willing to take on the public scrutiny, insults, ridicule and everything else that is bound to follow.
I am humbled by this opportunity and all the beautiful people here. I am truly amazed what an incredible collective this is. There are trolls and fools, here as well - but they are definitely in the minority. When I first came here I thought this is just a place to buy and sell drugs, but it is way beyond that and I see that for the first time in half a century we have an opportunity. It will not happen over night, it will take years, decades, most of us probably won't see the complete paradigm shift during our lifetimes. But it's a fight worth fighting for - for our progeny - as the late great Bill Hicks said : "To explore the Universe both inner and outer". This is our destiny as a species.
Peace,
I like what you say here and there are many people here that feel the same way and are starting to get the ball rolling, albeit very slowly. Leary really fucked over a generation in my opinion. The government wasn't too afraid of LSD until he publicly spoke of it as a gateway to "drop[ping] out" of society. This is what they weren't afraid of. We would have to convince the gov. that somehow we weren't going to uppin' leave society.
I think that all drugs just need be legalized and I'll be on the forefront of making psychedelic use safe for the masses. ;)
Much Love -- DMTisinME
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Interesting post! Since my ego death experience I've been thinking about different religions and their interconnectedness and stuff. I agree with a lot of what you say. I notice a lot more the themes of God and man being very much the same... Things like "the smallest thing you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me" and shit like that jumped out at me. The whole children of god theme, that we are simply manifestations of the infinite is interesting. Eastern religions seem to be even more direct about it too.
Absolutely. There is no duality at all. There is only One - whatever you want to call it God, Allah, Love, Cosmos , the Eternal etc. This is just semantic. And even the whole Jesus idea was turned upside down - the way I see it now - if he was a historical person - and there seems to be evidence to support this - he was one of dozens "prophets" at that time spreading the word of Love. The idea of Jesus as as living God is completely misunderstood - the way I see it the gist of the message was that we are all incarnations/ faces of god, children of God if you will.
Another key issue is the duality of Good vs Evil, God and Devil, this idea is even found in Theravada Buddhism though they use the notion of Mara - the demon which would fit the MO of the Devil. What is profoundly misunderstood is that good and evil are the two sides of the same coin.
How can you have a night without a day? Black without white? Good is not possible without evil. Imagine this. It only exists when juxtaposed against the opposite. But I digress, for the whole idea is to go BEYOND good and evil, beyond this duality, for at the core of it it is only an illusion.
Peace,
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While I understand where you're coming from, I disagree that an ego-death can be "dangerous" simply because it is "quick." Obviously, the user should really know what to expect and shouldn't cannonball into the experience, but even if someone were to take 1,200ug their first time, the ego death is not a problem. What I'm saying is that you don't need "experience" to take something from an ego death. As long as you know to surrender yourself to the drug, only good things can come out of it. If you read about experience where people had "bad trips" from taking even a thumbprint, after the fact, they all said that it was a marvelous, enlightening experience for the better. In the right setting, with the right expectations/knowledge, and mindset an LSD trip cannot go wrong.
Well said. I haven't emphasized "set and setting" which is absolutely paramount to the whole LSD package. I was thinking about teenagers doing crazy things like taking acid for the first time and then going out in public - I did this mistake as a teenager many moons ago, and it was absolutely a dreadful experience.
1,200 ug. I haven't gone that far yet. I have always thought that going beyond 500 ug would be pretty much pointless, and wouldn't make much of a difference. Would you be so kind to share some of your experiences of 500 ug vs 1,200 ug. Are you talking about total annihilation of ego - something that changes your persona so profoundly that you are never going to be the same person again? I believe I've come pretty close to this on 300-500 ug. But your comment is very intriguing and I am curious as to under what circumstances would you do it ? Exclusively in an private intimate setting with a trusting sitter,or would you do it on your own?
These days I mostly take high doses on my own in the comfort of my home. I find that the presence of others at high dosages can effect me profoundly and in a way lock the full potential of the trip. I'm very curious indeed to hear your thoughts on this matter.
I like what you say here and there are many people here that feel the same way and are starting to get the ball rolling, albeit very slowly. Leary really fucked over a generation in my opinion. The government wasn't too afraid of LSD until he publicly spoke of it as a gateway to "drop[ping] out" of society.
That is why I am pointing out the notion of decentralizing the movement, if you will. As long as the powers that be can pinpoint one individual we are going to be fucked. We need a whole army of people fighting the good fight, but without any particular individual standing out in the public the way Leary did in the 60s.
Peace,
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PS, completely disagree on 300ug being the "breaking point" I get an full ego death at about 1,000-1,200ug, anything lower is certainly an ego death, but only partial.
This is extremely rare. Grof reports that only the most resistant individuals need more than 200ug to to experience full ego death. People who need 1,000ug are highly unusual. Grof has administered LSD to thousands of patients. Some very sensitive people need only take 100ug for ego death, though in such cases it typically lasts for only a moment. You may disagree, but you are talking about your own personal reaction to LSD; it is not generalisable to others. You are an unusual case. So I wouldn't recommend that anyone should take 1,000ug of LSD.
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PS, completely disagree on 300ug being the "breaking point" I get an full ego death at about 1,000-1,200ug, anything lower is certainly an ego death, but only partial.
This is extremely rare. Grof reports that only the most resistant individuals need more than 200ug to to experience full ego death. People who need 1,000ug are highly unusual. Grof has administered LSD to thousands of patients. Some very sensitive people need only take 100ug for ego death, though in such cases it typically lasts for only a moment. You may disagree, but you are talking about your own personal reaction to LSD; it is not generalisable to others. You are an unusual case. So I wouldn't recommend that anyone should take 1,000ug of LSD.
Hey, scientist. We've had this exact talk before haven't we?
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PS, completely disagree on 300ug being the "breaking point" I get an full ego death at about 1,000-1,200ug, anything lower is certainly an ego death, but only partial.
This is extremely rare. Grof reports that only the most resistant individuals need more than 200ug to to experience full ego death. People who need 1,000ug are highly unusual. Grof has administered LSD to thousands of patients. Some very sensitive people need only take 100ug for ego death, though in such cases it typically lasts for only a moment. You may disagree, but you are talking about your own personal reaction to LSD; it is not generalisable to others. You are an unusual case. So I wouldn't recommend that anyone should take 1,000ug of LSD.
Hey, scientist. We've had this exact talk before haven't we?
It is extremely reckless to suggest that it's "not a problem" for new users to take 1,200ug of acid. Sorry, but this is bad advice. As someone who has suffered the consequences of taking extremely high dosages of LSD while I was still inexperienced with the drug, I would urge any new acid users not to take any more than 200ug of the drug. An overly intense first experience can even cause post-traumatic stress disorder.
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i view the various branches of religion as belonging to the same tree. they seem to be opposed, but are really complementary.
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I've experienced what must be partial ego-death from what I've read in both a bad setting and a good one on standard/low doses (150ug LSD 1000ug NBOME) but I've only taken a hallucinogenic a handful of times. I do have to agree that it could be dangerous. I do get flash backs every so often but I've never heard of LSD or hallucinogens causing PTSD. In fact I'm sure it was used as treatment for PTSD for a while along with MDMA.
I think it can lead to psychosis and psychotic thoughts. It takes me a long time to recover from hallucinogenic substances psychologically. I may be predisposed to psychological illness but I have a good month of introspection combined with depression and occasional mild psychosis.
I don't think I would ever persuade one of my friends to do a psychadelic because they effect everyone in such different ways and I don't want to be to blame for uncovering a psychological illness.
They are mind opening substances though and I agree with a lot you are saying. I especially like the defining the unsayable bit. Everything makes so much sense, the universe, everything, but you can't explain it in words and the memories start to fade quickly.
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PS, completely disagree on 300ug being the "breaking point" I get an full ego death at about 1,000-1,200ug, anything lower is certainly an ego death, but only partial.
This is extremely rare. Grof reports that only the most resistant individuals need more than 200ug to to experience full ego death. People who need 1,000ug are highly unusual. Grof has administered LSD to thousands of patients. Some very sensitive people need only take 100ug for ego death, though in such cases it typically lasts for only a moment. You may disagree, but you are talking about your own personal reaction to LSD; it is not generalisable to others. You are an unusual case. So I wouldn't recommend that anyone should take 1,000ug of LSD.
Hey, scientist. We've had this exact talk before haven't we?
It is extremely reckless to suggest that it's "not a problem" for new users to take 1,200ug of acid. Sorry, but this is bad advice. As someone who has suffered the consequences of taking extremely high dosages of LSD while I was still inexperienced with the drug, I would urge any new acid users not to take any more than 200ug of the drug. An overly intense first experience can even cause post-traumatic stress disorder.
I was only implying that the ego-death from the experience would not leave the user will ill effects. Like I said, someone should never canonball into the experience, but I do not think that an ego death can be for the worse. I was only using hyperbole to make a point, but I guess because of that, my point was lost.
I agree with the number 200ug. I wouldn't recommend taking anything over 500ug unless you have a dozen experiences, if not more -- but everyone is different. LSD or any psychedelic for that matter are not substances that take well to over-confidence in terms of dosage.
What were those consequences might I ask?
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While I understand where you're coming from, I disagree that an ego-death can be "dangerous" simply because it is "quick." Obviously, the user should really know what to expect and shouldn't cannonball into the experience, but even if someone were to take 1,200ug their first time, the ego death is not a problem. What I'm saying is that you don't need "experience" to take something from an ego death. As long as you know to surrender yourself to the drug, only good things can come out of it. If you read about experience where people had "bad trips" from taking even a thumbprint, after the fact, they all said that it was a marvelous, enlightening experience for the better. In the right setting, with the right expectations/knowledge, and mindset an LSD trip cannot go wrong.
Mushrooms are more or less the same, but some people say that they are more unpredictable. Mescaline is more reality changing and ego-death potentiating on higher doses, but is more gentle throughout. I don't see any of these as dangerous. In an accident, don't blame the car, blame the person driving the car.
Much Love -- DMTisinME
From my experiences this is completely false. I have had bad trips in good settings, going in with a good mind set, and surrounded by good people. When the LSD gets a hold of any mental problems you have it digs deep and it wrecks your shit. I'm talking the gates to hell opening up in my head, teeth, claws, rivers of blood, Goblins of the most terrifying kind far more ghastly then anything you've seen on TV or movies. On a lower dose I've been brought to tears for a solid 2 hours by being forced to examine things I was hiding from, things that I didn't want to admit.
Meanwhile shrooms have done even worse to me (I take selegiline Type-B selective MAOi for depression-there was no potentiation) and the shrooms started fighting with it. My blood was turned to ice, my heat regulation plummeted through the ground, I couldn't walk through dark rooms because of the terror, I couldn't go to the bathroom because every time I tried I would hallucinate blood spraying everywhere, rivers of blood running in my head, I felt my body and brain shut down (I'd been in a hottub too long) and nearly fainted, after that I watched myself die and be reincarnated with the rest of the world.
I haven't tripped in a month because I'm paranoid of having another bad trip (4 in a row over 3 months, 1 high dose, 1 mid dose and 2 light trips) so yes, bad trips can happen in the right setting - but its totally dependent on your personal brain chemistry.
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Hey everyone i was just wondering if one of you would mind explaining a in depth meaning of what a 'Ego death' Is? Iv been giving LSD a few times but decided not to do it cause i was just scared of what my mind may end up wondering into, on top of that i have depression and anxiety issues so my luck id get stuck on a bad trip for a day or something.
I have eaten mushrooms a few times (NOT allot) and i loved it, but iv heard of 'Ego death; brought up but never knew the actual meaning.. Any in sight?
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We cannot afford another individual to stand out - in other words it has to be as decentralized as possible. Otherwise it is going to be the same scenario we have seen in the 60s. We need a vast group of people with credentials and good public standing, as well as experienced users (ideally people with both traits) who would be willing to take on the public scrutiny, insults, ridicule and everything else that is bound to follow.
I am not intending to troll your post. Quite literally we need a Batman figure.. or Dread Pirate Roberts type... Incorruptible and anonymous. More a symbol than a man.. Something we can all get behind to unite us as a community but could never be used to discredit or disillusion members.
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While I understand where you're coming from, I disagree that an ego-death can be "dangerous" simply because it is "quick." Obviously, the user should really know what to expect and shouldn't cannonball into the experience, but even if someone were to take 1,200ug their first time, the ego death is not a problem. What I'm saying is that you don't need "experience" to take something from an ego death. As long as you know to surrender yourself to the drug, only good things can come out of it. If you read about experience where people had "bad trips" from taking even a thumbprint, after the fact, they all said that it was a marvelous, enlightening experience for the better. In the right setting, with the right expectations/knowledge, and mindset an LSD trip cannot go wrong.
Mushrooms are more or less the same, but some people say that they are more unpredictable. Mescaline is more reality changing and ego-death potentiating on higher doses, but is more gentle throughout. I don't see any of these as dangerous. In an accident, don't blame the car, blame the person driving the car.
Much Love -- DMTisinME
From my experiences this is completely false. I have had bad trips in good settings, going in with a good mind set, and surrounded by good people. When the LSD gets a hold of any mental problems you have it digs deep and it wrecks your shit. I'm talking the gates to hell opening up in my head, teeth, claws, rivers of blood, Goblins of the most terrifying kind far more ghastly then anything you've seen on TV or movies. On a lower dose I've been brought to tears for a solid 2 hours by being forced to examine things I was hiding from, things that I didn't want to admit.
Meanwhile shrooms have done even worse to me (I take selegiline Type-B selective MAOi for depression-there was no potentiation) and the shrooms started fighting with it. My blood was turned to ice, my heat regulation plummeted through the ground, I couldn't walk through dark rooms because of the terror, I couldn't go to the bathroom because every time I tried I would hallucinate blood spraying everywhere, rivers of blood running in my head, I felt my body and brain shut down (I'd been in a hottub too long) and nearly fainted, after that I watched myself die and be reincarnated with the rest of the world.
I haven't tripped in a month because I'm paranoid of having another bad trip (4 in a row over 3 months, 1 high dose, 1 mid dose and 2 light trips) so yes, bad trips can happen in the right setting - but its totally dependent on your personal brain chemistry.
It seems that you indeed, were not in a good mindset after all. And when I said "right expectations/knowledge" I meant knowing what to do should anything of that sort arise. When LSD "digs deep" it refreshes me -- it points out problems in the way I conduct myself, and I listen. And I too have seen plenty of "scary" type visual images, but they do not even phase me, because I know where I am at and what I have taken. From experience, a "bad trip" starts from fear, so if instead of being afraid of those things merely because they look scary you show them love, they will show you love and morph into something more aesthetically pleasant. Love what you fear, and you won't fear anything.
We cannot afford another individual to stand out - in other words it has to be as decentralized as possible. Otherwise it is going to be the same scenario we have seen in the 60s. We need a vast group of people with credentials and good public standing, as well as experienced users (ideally people with both traits) who would be willing to take on the public scrutiny, insults, ridicule and everything else that is bound to follow.
I am not intending to troll your post. Quite literally we need a Batman figure.. or Dread Pirate Roberts type... Incorruptible and anonymous. More a symbol than a man.. Something we can all get behind to unite us as a community but could never be used to discredit or disillusion members.
I agree, but Leary was not this at all. He had a massive ego and did most things to promote not LSD, but his image. He tried to get everyone to follow him instead of following LSD.
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I agree, but Leary was not this at all. He had a massive ego and did most things to promote not LSD, but his image. He tried to get everyone to follow him instead of following LSD.
That's the point I was making. I was in agreement with OP. Even if Leary was not so 'self-centered' for lack of a better term, he could still have been portrayed in many negative ways through misinformation campaigns. Look at COINTELPRO and other various incarnations. An individual can be portrayed as being corrupt or insincere effectively even if they are completely genuine.
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it isnt just that easy. dont you think weve been that far thousands of years ago and got thrown back again? it isnt just done with "ego-death". sure thing you can throw 10LSD blotters and see the "door" and see that all is one and one is all but how do you explain it? how do you give your experience to the majority of humanity? you just cant. its not that simple. its more than a feeling and how do you explain a feeling that it wordless? sure u can experience something that u can call insight and you can see in other people eyes if they know what youre talking about and you fell that special feel without taking any drugs. but there is a point where you cant describe it. and thats the great joke about it, about us, about humanity. thats why in religion you say "believe". religious people dont know anything. they just believe. and now try to explain what you saw and felt. maybe youre doing it right but maybe the guy next to you saw the same and describes it just a little different. so whos right now? bäm WAR. that how we humans work. we wont last foerver but thats fine. nothing does. like a river. take a look at a point. its the same point but it will never be the same. thats life.
and serious if somebody experiences "god" and "ego-death" and saw the "door" dont you know enough then for your whole live and know it is perfect in its imperfectness? if you saw and felt something that beautiful you dont have to tell it people. it becomes again an EGO thing if you try to tell people what YOU saw and what YOU expirienced, like all religions and sect's and shit.
live life, its beautiful and horrible. sad and funny. maybe when we ALL meet again in one we will laugh about our imperfectness and that weve been fools. its maybe sooner then you can imagine. till then, i love our universe, i love every single one of you and i really do. but most i love my wife cause she loves back. with no condition.
many people talk. less really do something. just love. like beatles said all you need is love and living is easy. and shit they did alot of everything. words of wizdom are around but theyre just words noone understands. and its realy not that hard to tell. Ohm my friends
Pinkman
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Another key issue is the duality of Good vs Evil, God and Devil, this idea is even found in Theravada Buddhism though they use the notion of Mara - the demon which would fit the MO of the Devil. What is profoundly misunderstood is that good and evil are the two sides of the same coin.
How can you have a night without a day? Black without white? Good is not possible without evil. Imagine this. It only exists when juxtaposed against the opposite. But I digress, for the whole idea is to go BEYOND good and evil, beyond this duality, for at the core of it it is only an illusion.
Good and evil are more or less two sides of the same coin, as you say... This is a bit incomplete, for these seemingly opposite qualities are only so due to our own personal judgments. Day does not exactly not exist without night, it is just the way the Earth cycles around the Sun. A good action is not balanced by a bad action, they are just actions and we choose to describe them - they just are. We are not juxtaposing opposites here, we are instead realizing that opposites are of our own creation.
The Therevada Buddhist path teaches us that (3) a) everything is impermanent [anicca] b) it is from within that duality arises, when we associate pleasure or liking or good, developing cravings to seek, creating suffering [dukkha] c) we are made up of characteristics, however none of these can be associated with our Self. This is the "ego-death" you refer to. It is the deep understanding that we cannot identify ourselves with who we are, for we are continuously changing. The only way to truly understand this is through direct experience such as Vipassana meditation. This is what you refer to with the Buddhist monks who see unity through the illusion and who understand that the significance "ego-death". This concept is called Anatta, or "lack of self".
An important part of this philosophy is that it applies to all living beings and things - everything is always changing - The only way to achieve true happiness is by being in a state of awareness of this idea, having let go of all attachments like physical pain, reward or punishment, pleasure, anticipation, fear, jealousy, etc. Knowing that things just are, and that suffering comes from within, is found only within, and can only be alleviated from within.
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Good and evil are more or less two sides of the same coin, as you say... This is a bit incomplete, for these seemingly opposite qualities are only so due to our own personal judgments. Day does not exactly not exist without night, it is just the way the Earth cycles around the Sun. A good action is not balanced by a bad action, they are just actions and we choose to describe them - they just are. We are not juxtaposing opposites here, we are instead realizing that opposites are of our own creation.
I appreciate your insightful comments. You've said it better then me. Ultimately these phenomenons are creation of our own minds - for duality does not reality exist - there is only One. But we are stuck in the material world, and bare a few moments of insight, we have to operate within the material world, so duality is a product of our own misunderstand, but it is also due to a fact that we cannot escape the cage that is our own body and the material world.
The Therevada Buddhist path teaches us that (3) a) everything is impermanent [anicca] b) it is from within that duality arises, when we associate pleasure or liking or good, developing cravings to seek, creating suffering [dukkha] c) we are made up of characteristics, however none of these can be associated with our Self. This is the "ego-death" you refer to. It is the deep understanding that we cannot identify ourselves with who we are, for we are continuously changing. The only way to truly understand this is through direct experience such as Vipassana meditation. This is what you refer to with the Buddhist monks who see unity through the illusion and who understand that the significance "ego-death". This concept is called Anatta, or "lack of self".
I see that you have a deep understanding of Theravada Buddhism. The concept of anatta in itself is so difficult to translate; as you've said - lack of self, but it can also mean: non-self, which is basically the same thing, and we are only stuck with semantics here. For what it's worth I still believe that Anatta or Ego-death achieved through decades of meditation practice while living in a monastery setting is much more valid then the fast forward thing we have with LSD. Nonetheless, I understand that only a few individuals are able to devote a whole lifetime to meditation practice, and that is where LSD has the most significance. But it needs to be taken in controlled environment and with people who understand both the religious aspect and set and setting.
Peace,
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Nothing especially to add, just that I believe you are on the right track, and I appreciated reading this topic.