Here's an excellent essay that centers around this very subject (psychoactives triggering spiritual experiences): The New Alchemy

It was written by the late theologian Alan Watts. In 1958 he was asked by a psychactric research group to take a certain psychedelic substance in order to see if it would induce a spiritual experience. He later repeated the experiment on himself several times. He then explained the results of these experiments in the essay (written in 1960).

If you like, I can take some excerpts from the text and post them here for discussion, since most people who browse this thread probably won't have the time or motivation to read through the whole essay (even though it's a very good read, IMO).

Also, if you're curious, you can find out more about Alan Watts here.
afghooey Reviewed by afghooey on . anyone else find it suspicious? that once upon a time spiritual pursuit was a serious matter. A lifelong commitment. People would spend years meditating or contemplating god. Spirituality was a seed within everyone that could slowly be nurtured to flower after years of not only study, but also practice and internal awareness. Now, anyone with an eighth of mushrooms and a fast internet connection can claim to be enlightened in a couple days. Rating: 5