Why Cannabis and Meditation???

[Stoner Shadow Wolf]

Form and formless are intertwined. Getting lost in form and losing touch with the formless is our problem in the world now. If we were living like animals, then we still would not be conscious of this formless dimension. The point of existence is to rise up and become conscious of this dimension, or rather have this dimension become conscious of itself.

the formless demension? what do you speak, void, nothingness, nirvana?

When i pointed to animals as a reference, i meant to show that they live in unity with formlessness.

the animals themselves and their immediate families are the forms, living without any particular major social structure, they live as forms in formlessness.

Plantlife is just as good an example, however i doubt most people would be willing to understand that metaphore any better than they would the animal metaphore.


animals have made peace with what they are; as extensions of the earth itself anmials accept that they will eventually die and decompose and return to the earth. not to say they have given up life, no, not at all. in fact, they understand that by dying they are providing space and resources for NEW life.


Humans, however, fight this to the bitter end. "we" struggle to no end to "cure" death.
Where animals fight nature with nature, humans fight nature with synthetics and pharmecuticals.
Animals develope a natural immunity, or die trying.
Humans struggle to develope artificial immunity, and many still end up dying anyways.

Humans have no faith in nature and the life and death cycle.
Animals live on that very "faith" every day.

The animals of the world understand that nothing matters, while humans beat each other up and kill each other constantly over "meaningful" events that WE assign the meaning to.



let me put it this way: Humans are self proclaimed intelligent life as well as self proclaimed children of "god", a man-made idea!

Animals just LIVE their life day to day till they die, doing their best to survive, not for the sake of having any higher purpose in the universe, not for the sake of their self proclaimed intelligence, but because they have become one with the workings of the earth and accept their place as living dirt.



Which of the two sounds like a Peter Griffin calibur retard?



Basically, just do. dont think, just do. accept that your instincts are there to help you survive, and that all man made rules are simply man made and utterly meaningless.
Physics are law, law cannot be broken.*

in other words: If god/life/nature/physics didnt want us to rape, kill, steal, and fight, then it would be impossible for us to rape, steal, kill, or fight.



* now let me say this before someone goes and says "but we can make machines that let us fly and breathe under water".
you arent breaking the laws of physics just by using math. you cannot break the laws of physics by actually working WITH them to achieve a desired goal.

the laws of physics cannot be broken, but that doesnt mean you cant work with them using math to find ways to accomplish otherwise impossible goals. we do not fly without math and machines, but that doesnt mean math or machines are impossible to use.

[Coelho]

the laws of physics cannot be broken, but that doesnt mean you cant work with them using math to find ways to accomplish otherwise impossible goals. we do not fly without math and machines, but that doesnt mean math or machines are impossible to use.

Well... while i agree with the entire rest of your post, i must add something to this last paragraph.
The laws of physics are only and just only relationships between things, patterns percieved by the human mind. They, as well as what we usually call "reality", the "outside world" have no reality by itself, outside the human mind. We do NOT percieve the world as it is, but only as our mind filters and interprets it. Everything we see, hear, touch and think about is only a product of our mind. And thus, the laws of the physics, which are only relationships between percieved things, are also a creation of the mind. So, its possible to break them, if one can see and handle the reality beyond the "illusion of the senses", beyond the interpretation our minds. Its much like someone who is outside The Matrix can do impossible things in the Matrix. Its because they know the Matrix is not "real", but only a created thing, that can be controlled, if one knows how. And thats exactly how persons with "supernatural" powers do things that defy the laws of the physics. :abduct::thumbsup:

[Stoner Shadow Wolf]

not EXACTLY... the laws of physics are still in control of the individual's body. they may be able to SEE the truth, but they have to exercise their body in order to be able to weild it.


Yogi physics.


while this may be a load of crap, it generally hilights my point that while we CAN rise above physics, it is still within the framework of physics, or maybe "just" a "higher physics".

Cause and effect are true, regardless of our huamn perceptions of them. really, all that means is we are seeing the same truth in a different representation of it.

it's like the light spectrum theory: do we all see the same colors in the same shades and hues?

the point is that the color is true, but what it looks like is beyond perception, therefore we SEE it, but we cannot KNOW it.

Human beings have perceptive senses, but no knowledge sensory perception; we only know what we percieve.


"supernatural powers that defy physics" STILL work within the framework OF physics. it is just that the mind and body have united as one with the physical world.


This takes constant physical and mental activities that continue to limber and strengthen the mind and the muscles.

[Coelho]

not EXACTLY... the laws of physics are still in control of the individual's body. they may be able to SEE the truth, but they have to exercise their body in order to be able to weild it.

Well... if one assumes that the reality as we percieve it (including the laws of physics) is only a product of the mind, then the physical body as we percieve it is also a product of the mind.
It would explain why some people get miraculously cured of incurable diseases, etc, only by faith (which some ones calls power of the mind, suggestion, whatever).

while this may be a load of crap, it generally hilights my point that while we CAN rise above physics, it is still within the framework of physics, or maybe "just" a "higher physics".

While i also think that there are higher laws that govern the things beyond the human realm, i dont think they are "just a higher physics". I strongly believe that physics and math are the result of how our brain is hardwired to percieve the world, and so there is no reason to think that any laws outside the human realm should be able to be described by mathematics of physics.
Of course, if we humans were to try to understand this laws, probably we would only understand it in terms of math and physics, because it would be as our brain works, but it doesnt mean the laws itself should obey math or physics.
Or maybe this "higher" laws are NOT able to be rightly understood by means of math or physics... that would explain why until today there is unexplained things, mainly in physics (quantum physics for example). It would be just a result of the impossibility of expressing mathematically the laws that actually governs the universe.

Cause and effect are true, regardless of our huamn perceptions of them.

I dont think so... cause and effect are only valid when you admit that there is a flow of the time, that events can precede events. But in general relativity for example (as well as in some occulter subjects), we learn that there is a thing called space-time, that represents at the same "place" all the past and future of anything. Like if the time were only other direction. And so if one is able to percieve all this 4 dimensions (3 of space and 1 of time) at once, one percieves all the past and all the future together, "at the same time". And in this case there is no causality, as causes and effects are being there "at the same time", only at different "places".

Human beings have perceptive senses, but no knowledge sensory perception; we only know what we percieve.

With this i agree completly!

[Stoner Shadow Wolf]

in this case there is no causality, as causes and effects are being there "at the same time", only at different "places".

Isnt that all cause and effect are anyways?

In our limited human perception of time, they are seen in a particular order, but in their own isness, of what they are regardless of our perception is inconsequential; they have their own laws they must abide by in their own fashon, even if we cannot comprehend them.

All of infinity affects all of infinity, infinitely resonating throughout themselves, therefore being that we are all connected, there is unity, and if there is unity, there is one all encompasing denominator. from that, everything else revibrates off each other, creating the illusions that we see, that we are, that we have come to know and understand in what ways we might or might not.

[John Murdoch]

MeIT â?? that was an Earth-shakingly profound post. Very, very groovy. I mean MAJOR.

I have two questions for you:

Quote: â??Unless you're bothered with weed-anxiety (something that's very easy to get rid of)...â?�

Can you explain how this is easy to get rid of?

Question 2:

Quote: â??But with the breadth of high caused by a good weed, or better still, eating itâ?�...

Why do you think it is better to eat it? And, what would be your favourite recipes â?? ones that are simple and donâ??t necessarily involve sugary food like cookies and brownies. (Iâ??ve got myself used to a pretty clean diet these days, and Iâ??d like to maintain it.)

Again man, can't thank you enough for the initial post.

[mjmomma]

to Green Destiny: I LOVE how you compared the cannabis to vitamins and Omega 3's. No: we don't absolutely need them to live, but isn't it much nicer when we do?

I practice yoga and intend to obtain certification to teach yoga and meditation within this year. I smoke before my sessions and it seems to relax me enough to the point of emptying my mind and putting my thoughts on hold, therefore focusing in the proper breathing and oxygenating the cells.

[MelT]

I have two questions for you:

Quote: â??Unless you're bothered with weed-anxiety (something that's very easy to get rid of)...â?�

Can you explain how this is easy to get rid of?

See below, I hope it helps

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you John, you've been very kind. I've got to admit that I'm a little reticent to keep posting from the book as it seems to be taking liberties with the forum. Please mod's, if I'm posting too much just pull the following.

I know that this is not an answer to everyone's problems, but it has certainly helped a few hundred so far. This is not a 'weed is bad for you' posting, but something that I hope will allow many to keep toking without tolerance breaks, and may be of interest to those of you who are borderline diabetics. My apologies for the length of it:

"...Diabetes, Cannabis and Anxiety: The following excerpts were written to clarify the situation regarding cannabis use, diabetes, and the causes of anxiety that some users may experience.

The causes of cannabis anxiety and paranoia are both mental and chemical. Although some episodes of anxiety can be created by your expectations and fears about having a bad high, or just simply taking cannabis, it's more likely that much of your discomfort is being created by the things I talk about below. Even if you've never had a moment's anxiety with cannabis in your life, it'll be useful if you can read through the following just in case it should ever happen â?? and just to check that you really are avoiding these pitfalls.

Changes in blood sugar levels can be responsible for pretty extreme effects (both good and bad) when you're high, so you have to pay real attention to it if you want to get, and keep, a good high. Too much blood sugar, from eating a lot of candy for example, and you get a rush as the cannabis high and the sugar high combine â?? but the sugar high is short-lived, and will make you want to fall asleep as soon as your system burns off the excess insulin that all the sugar has forced the release of. Too little blood sugar, and things go from uncomfortable to extremely unpleasant very quickly. As you first start to get high, your metabolism may hike up a notch and cause a sudden dip in blood sugar. That's no problem if you've just eaten, but if you're already on the edge of being hungry without realising it, that first toke can make you feel pretty nasty in less than ten minutes. Never take the chance of getting high when you're somewhere without access to the right kinds of food and drink, just in case. If you have the added 'pleasure' of being a borderline diabetic and you don't know it, you could get into quite a state from just that one first high, if you're not careful.

In terms of the things that make you feel mentally and physically good or bad, blood sugar is way up there with the best of them. As the effects of even slightly low blood sugar can be so extreme as to literally stop us thinking clearly and sanely, it has to be something to consider all the time you're high.

4.20, And Why It May Be Bad For Us

There are good reasons why the traditional idea of starting toking at 4.20pm may not be the good idea we all tend to think it is. Many regular cannabis users begin their day's session in the late afternoon as work is winding down, and maybe an hour or two before their evening meal â?? just at the very time when their blood sugar is already on the wane. If this is you, you'll more than likely feel a lot of the symptoms below within ten minutes or so of getting high. Eat! Better still, make sure that you've eaten well in advance of getting high.

For any cannabis user, even without food binges, the increase in metabolism that cannabis can create burns off blood sugar very quickly, so you're much more likely to have the symptoms listed below. Look out for any of the following as indicators of low blood sugar:

Sweating, shaking, anxiety, hunger, dizziness, faintness, pounding heart, personality changes, confused thinking, impatience, numbness of lips and tongue, headache, nausea, blurred vision, slurred or slow speech, convulsions, coldness, white hands and face. Eventually, if it is not attended to, it can lead to unconsciousness.

Adrenaline & Cannabis

A second cause of dope-anxiety is something I term here the 'Adrenaline Cascade'; really a mild form of 'shock'. After any event that has made you anxious, the anxiety causes your system to dump adrenaline (also called epinephrine) into your blood-stream, creating a rapid heart-beat, a growing demand on your BSL, and thus deeper and deeper feelings of anxiety as your BSL levels drop. Of course, you'll usually find these effects uncomfortable or worrying, thus causing the release of even more adrenaline and a worsening of symptoms. This vicious circle of adrenaline release will be increasingly hard to overcome, and the deeper it gets the more likely it is to lead to a 'white-out' due to its depressive effects on your blood sugar.

Many things trigger the release of adrenaline:

Apprehension about potentially bad highs
Stress
Anxiety
Fatigue
Stimulants, such as alcohol, caffeine, cocaine, and heroin.
Bright lights
Loud noises
Exercise
Sugar sensitivity
Abnormal glucose metabolism

Again, do not underestimate the mental effects that adrenaline can cause by itself - irregular heart-beat, palpitations, abnormal behaviour, anxiety and headaches - even before it starts reducing our BSL to a point where it can no longer support full brain function (about 60% of our blood sugar is used by our brains).

Unfortunately, there's very little you can do to remove excess adrenaline from your system once it's in there, and it can only really be counteracted by 'nor-adrenaline', something that usually only our bodies can provide. It can be burned off by exercise, but if adrenaline has caused a very deep dip in your BSL then that may not be a viable option. The only things you can truly do are: eat to get rid of some of the more unpleasant symptoms; or, simply wait it out, knowing that it is a brief physiological effect.

I've seen a number of people offering advice to 'just suck it up and it'll go away' on this particular kind of anxiety and, to some extent that is helpful, as relaxing and trying to be calm will help break the cycle of adrenaline release. On the other hand, if someone is having an intense version of this then relaxing is far easier said than done and, if you should experience the above yourself, then you need to treat yourself as you would for low BSL and the effects of a grade 4 high (see later), removing yourself from any strong stimuli - lights, noises, etc. - that might help promote the effects of the high and further adrenaline release.

It's interesting to consider all of the effects that adrenaline has on our systems, especially when we're high, especially in light of the small amount of research that's been done into cannabis and the control of BSL in diabetics. Cannabis works for some diabetics in this respect, but not all. Some have found that it lowers BSL and helps control the illness, others that it has no effect at all, which may simply be down to the amount of adrenaline they might or might not produce when they're high. Many have rigorously self-tested their BSL and found that cannabis causes an initial rise in blood sugar (caused by increased hydrolysis of glycogen to glucose), followed by a low period where they're unable to return their background sugar levels to a normal level.

If we look at the actions of adrenaline in this respect then the mechanism that prevents this rise becomes obvious (remember that this same effect will be present in anyone who has a burst of adrenaline in their systems, not just diabetics): adrenaline prepares the body for 'fight or flight' in an emergency by increasing the supply of glucose and oxygen to the brain and muscles, whilst at the same time suppressing other less-important processes, digestion in particular. This means that the initial elevation in blood-sugar (through increased catabolism) may be short-lived, and whether it then leads to a later dip and anxiety is dependent on the amount of adrenaline present in the blood at the time. Not only does it reduce the bodies ability to take in new blood sugar to redress the balance, but it increases speedier depletion of stored blood sugar, preventing restoration.

Some people, particularly those with bad diets or who are subjected regularly to stress, may have semi-permanent hypoglycemia (a deficiency of glucose in the blood), resulting in adverse reactions to cannabis through their bodies inability to control adrenaline and/or cortisol through 'adrenal fatigue'.

The Answer

In light of the above, those who know they're already at risk from fluctuating BSL will find that their symptoms of anxiety during cannabis use will be significantly reduced if they can pay full attention not only to those levels before use, but also setting and mood before use, as recommended in other chapters here.

Testing for Hypoglycemia

'Many more people believe they have hypoglycemia than actually test positive when given blood-sugar tests...

Dr. Callaway suspects that people can experience pharmacological effects from sugar, even if blood-sugar levels remain within the normal range. People's responses to fluctuating blood-sugar levels vary greatly. Some people experience symptoms when blood-sugar levels are well within the normal range, while others report no symptoms even when blood-sugar levels have dropped substantially. It is likely that each person has a unique blood-sugar range, with fatigue or mood changes occurring when levels fluctuate above or below these levels..."

(Excerpts C+M:SE c HeadstuffBooks 2009)

Question 2:

Quote: â??But with the breadth of high caused by a good weed, or better still, eating itâ?�...

Why do you think it is better to eat it? And, what would be your favourite recipes â?? ones that are simple and donâ??t necessarily involve sugary food like cookies and brownies. (Iâ??ve got myself used to a pretty clean diet these days, and Iâ??d like to maintain it.)

Well, in terms of breadth of effects, the difference between eating good hash and smoking even the best weed is pretty remarkable, to the point sometimes where it can feel like a totally different drug. As an aid to mental exploration, it's far easier to manipulate your consciousness when deeply high on eating.

As for recipes, it varies with the kindof hash you use. My favourites are basic blacks like Red Leb and Morrocan Gold, which smoke in a fairly standard way, but have just the right kind of high when eaten that really does help 'meditation' a lot. I vary between simply eating it: a piece about the size of my little fingernail (cubed) will usually give me a pleasant 4/5 hour high with a sustained peak of about 3 hours.

If I boil it up in a little milk in a cup in the microwave (five hits of about 40 seconds each that take it to boiling, obviously stop the microwave before the milk boils over each time. Scrape the cannabis bits down the sides of the cup back into the milk so it wont dry out), add a small amount of sugar and drink. Very bitter, but you'll get a small high within a couple of minutes that will grow for the next two hours.

This method is obviously not ideal, as a lot of THC is lost to the edges of the cup, but it's quick and works very well.

Again, sorry to everyone about this massive posting, I hope it's of use to some here.

MelT

[astralprojectee]

Great post MelT. I was wondering what kind of cannabis does your SWIM use?