Quote Originally Posted by Polymirize
From my perspective at least, we can say that drugs alter the body. Which creates differences in our perceptions and thoughts in so much as our mental processes are directly the result of physical processes in the body. I won't deny that this is a powerful effect. But I don't think the mind reduces to simply the physical processes. Whether you want to call it the soul, the spirit, the mind, chi, ki, prana, the force, semantics... I have an intuition at least that there is more than just the physical at work. Meditation (for me at least) deals directly with this part, rather than the physical.

So when the physical is altered, sometimes the distinction makes it even easier to focus on that "other part". Why do you think mushrooms and LSD can grant such "spirtual/divine/profound" experiences?
I think it's more than physical properties too. but I'm looking at it from this perspective.... would a person try to attain a deep level of meditation if they were extremely angry? what about really horny, or grief stricken after seeing a loved one die? of course you wouldn't try to meditate in these states, and these states are created by chemicals in the brain. generally buddhists reject meditating under the influence of drugs because whether it be pot, shrooms, or just powerfull emotions, chemicals cloud the mind and distract it from seeing the true self.

now I"m not saying anybody should write off drug induced meditation all-together, but I am speaking from a buddhist point-of-view (buddha could be considered the ultimate meditator after all), and in buddhist philosophy it is said that the attainment of enlightenment starts with the extinction of "self" (note, this is a rather complex but well explained concept - the extinction of "self" does not mean the extinction of your existence). in order to see the true self, one must liberate him/herself from chemical influences, emotional or otherwise. in attaining this goal, the pure and untainted self is all that remains, unobstructed by drives, conditioning, and emotions that we fool ourselves into believing is the true us.

(note: to clarify this whole "self" issue, which is a big point of confusion for a lot of people, we actually need another word for "self" as in the delusion, and "self" as in the true essence of our being)