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Sacred Drugs and Psychonauts: in Search of Ego Death

592 Views Posted on: 07/07/2022

A Life of Sacrifice

For a long time I believed that ego death was an utterly utopian and unattainable condition, at best the prerogative of a very select few who – after a life spent in contemplation or by virtue of ‘divine’ enlightenment – were able to disengage from themselves at the price of very great renunciations. 

The point, at least as far as I am concerned, lies precisely in those very great renunciations, which represent a seemingly insurmountable stumbling block for my very modest willpower. 

I therefore always end up standing in the doorway of existence, implied in its entirety, unable to conceive of any dimension other than the one in which I find myself immersed up to my neck, made up of small satisfactions and vague comforts, pervaded by a general sense of dissatisfaction and incompleteness. 

Every effort and pressure to go beyond myself ends up pushing me back forcefully; I am trapped in the application of the third principle of dynamics whereby every action of mine is matched by an equal and opposite reaction. 

"How to get out of it?"

Breaking this perverse cycle seems almost impossible, but it can be done by applying a strict discipline to one's existence made up of continuous presence and daily meditation, intellectual honesty, and an uncontaminated observation of experience.  I have already discussed this approach in this article , in which I deal with the death of the ego in terms I would simplistically describe as being peculiar to Eastern philosophies and religions. 

But is there an alternative answer to the problem of overcoming the ego?

According to Albert

Swiss chemist and scholar Albert Hoffmann – the first person to synthesize and take LSD – defined reality as the product of the encounter of emanations from the outer world with the perceptual capacity of a subject who, through inner ego reworking, becomes aware of it. 

Reality is thus composed of a transmitter and a receiver, the outer world or universe, and the ego.

Since the universe is endowed with infinitesimal modes of expression the ego can – by changing the wavelength through which it perceives the emanations of the universe – process many different realities, or rather aspects of the real. 

These different shades of reality go to form that overall, transcendental and timeless reality definable as universal consciousness. In this also lies the consciousness of self, the deep and unknown heart of human beings that records the activity of the ego making it an integral part of the universe. 

According to the Swiss scientist, LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs would allow the ego to tune in to different wavelengths by altering the biochemical state of the brain, thereby unlocking new and different aspects of what is real and, in effect, changing the awareness of reality. 

This would also be accompanied by a completely different experience of what is real, in which the ego and the external world are no longer two distinct and separate entities but tend towards becoming one. 

Part of the personal self begins to flow into the external world, animating objects with life and instilling a feeling of unity with them that can, in some cases, go as far as to bring about a feeling of deep communion with the universe.

The Sacred Drugs

In this cathartic ability to unite broadcaster and receiver, the whole with the part, healing the eternal conflict between the ego and the external world, lies the propulsive and revolutionary force of the so-called sacred drugs that enable the observer to experience transcendental reality. 

This is why we talk about sacred drugs, so as not to confuse the normally negative meaning we are inclined to attach to narcotics, with the extraordinary, expansive abilities of these psychedelic substances: psilocybin, LSD, DMT, salvinorin A, mescaline...

Since the dawn of time man has dedicated himself to the exploration of his deepest meanderings by resorting to these substances, in the activity which today we would define as typical of psychonauts, those who devote themselves to the so-called navigation of the soul.

In the past, this activity was primarily communal and was often structured in a ritualistic form: shamanic cults, religious rituals, initiation ceremonies and so on have been present in most civilizations across the globe and throughout the centuries. 

Amanita muscaria, peyote, Salvia divinorum, and belladonna are plants whose hallucinogenic active ingredients were well known in the past and used by a wide variety of communities for rituals aimed at reconnecting with transcendental reality.

"How come these practices have not come down to us?"

The Eleusinian Mysteries

One of the most famous of these rites is the Eleusinian mysteries, which were celebrated annually at the shrine of Demeter in the ancient city of Eleusis. The ritual depicted the abduction of Demeter's daughter Persephone by Hades, king of the underworld. 

The most secret and hidden meaning of the mysteries is actually unknown to us since all those who were initiated into them promised, on pain of death, not to divulge their contents. From Pausanias to Plato, and Roman emperors such as Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius, there are many prominent figures who have taken part in the ritual and who – in the nearly two thousand years that it has been perpetrated – have never mentioned it. 

All we know is that Homer, Pindar and Cicero, the latter a distinguished initiate of the ritual, describe it hermetically as an enlightening event, fundamental to the understanding of the world, crucial to the individual's awareness. 

Apparently a central element of the final ceremony was the drinking of kykeon, a beverage whose recipe is unknown but supposedly may have contained hallucinogenic substances, in this case ergot, rye infested with the parasite claviceps purpurea, which has psychoactive effects.

Taking psychotropic substances would thus enable initiates to rise beyond their human nature, to witness the death of the ego, thus enabling them to experience the communion with the universe that the Greeks associated with the divine nature. 

Dionysus vs. Apollo

The Eleusinian mysteries were part of the broader Dionysian celebration related to Greek culture, which, through the induction of states of intoxication and hallucination, pushed the person to reconnect with the primordial, with chaos, and with the power of the universe. 

The Dionysian is Greek society's response to the suffering generated by the juxtaposition between the ego and the external world, where the former tends to absolutize its own function by passing off as dogmatic truths the schematization which is the result of its intermediation with the world. This schematic view of reality is represented by the Apollonian, synonymous with order and harmony, the attempt to grasp reality through ordered mental constructions.  

According to Nietzsche, Greek history was characterised by the coexistence of Dionysian and Apollonian, respectively represented by lyrical and epic production, which coexisted perfectly in Attic tragedy. 

Euripides and Socrates, again according to the German philosopher, are responsible for the prevalence of the Apollonian over the Dionysian because of their exaggeration of the rational interpretation of the world, thus triggering the slow decay of tragedy and, in a sense, of Greek culture. 

The End of the Dionysian?

The loss of the Dionysian in Western culture, which was followed by the dominance first of ecclesiastical Christianity with its stark creator-created duality, and then of the Enlightenment with its veneration of scientific hyper-rationalism, has thrown man into a condition of deep inner suffering and conflict. 

All the methods proposed by the various religious and thought systems that have followed one another over the centuries have not provided definitive and convincing answers in regards to the inner conflict. On the contrary, the drama has been increasing with the expansion of the consumer-based society, in which the progressive liberation from God and the systematic elevation of the individual sphere have ended up making the ego a hypertrophic monster which dictates every aspect of our existence.

"So, what now?" 

Rebirth and Banishment

The enormous strides made in chemistry during the 1900s led to the isolation of many active ingredients of hallucinogenic plants, and the synthesis of new psychedelic agents, such as LSD synthesised by Hoffmann in 1938. 

Subsequent scientific experimentation led to ambiguous results, but by then the door was open and the new hallucinogenic substances became the symbol of the desire for change and redemption related to the period inaugurated in '68. 

The subsequent abuse of these substances – and the risk perceived by the establishment that a change in perception by some individuals was probably actually taking place, which potentially undermined the social construct – prompted many governments to ban hallucinogenic substances by making their trade illegal. 

For more than 30 years sacred drugs have gone into oblivion, banned by governments, branded as having nefarious effects by the scientific community, and perceived by the public as a useless vice of stoned freaks. 

Humankind seemed to have finally purged itself of all Dionysian dross: the triumph of the Apollonian was certified by a period of unprecedented progress and prosperity, cocaine was the undisputed deity of a continuous, unstoppable production cycle.

The Psychedelic Renaissance

The last 15 years however, have seen a gradual perceptual shift toward hallucinogens, with a slow but stepwise demystification of the prejudices that have arisen around them. 

In particular, the scientific community is showing increasing interest in the application of psychedelics in the medical field, where they are being used experimentally to treat mental disorders and ailments with encouraging results. 

Moreover, interest from the general public has been growing exponentially: major social networks are full of groups, posts and videos in which users recount their experiences as psychonauts, demonstrating a shared need to try-out new things in the babel of contemporary neurosis. 

Some have gone as far as to speak of a true psychedelic renaissance that has been underway since the beginning of the 21st century, where the partial authorization of the scientific community and the slightly more tolerant attitude of institutions would seem to verify this change of pace. 

Revolution Comes Through Constancy

What occurs to me is that the ego death experienced through the use of psychedelics may be a support, but not the basis, for real consciousness change.

I personally have never had direct experience with hallucinogenic substances, so my opinion is based solely on what I have heard and read about them. 

The impression that I’ve got through research, is that the degree of cosmic awareness and communion that can be experienced while tripping is very difficult to translate into everyday life, effectively making it an experience undertaken that does not leave any trace of substantial or persistent worth over time. 

Perseverance and continuity are the only means by which we can achieve tangible and lasting results that make a real change in the substance of our being. 

Moreover, the use of sacred drugs entails risks that should not be taken lightly: first and foremost, the possibility of having experiences for which one is essentially unprepared, can be traumatising for the individual still firmly attached to his or her personal worldview and narrative.  

Here too, a gradual but systematic approach to the truth should enable a person to prepare themselves in time for any inherently profound or disquieting changes. 

A gradual evolution forces the individual to strip away conditioning as they go forward, causing them to arrive at the concept of truth virtually naked. 

At the last step, the person becomes truth itself.

This idea of harmonious development however, clashes somewhat with the use of sacred drugs that aim to awaken consciousness overnight by promising prodigious results from a cup or a packet.

Arguably, the journey is capable of verifying that there is a glimmer of light radiating from a door we usually perceive as being tightly shut, but in order for it to open fully allowing us to pass through, it is necessary to sustain these mystical visions through continuous and profound contemplative exercise. 

A Public Issue

I believe too, that the concept of sacred drugs is strongly linked to that of ritual, where the latter with all its symbolism and various steps, prepares the individual for whatever awaits them once the effect of the drugs has worn off. 

The presence and experience of Masters can help and support the initiate through his or her journey, enabling them to fully appreciate the power of the event, and to feel less overwhelmed by any eventual negative effects. 

The general feeling is that the isolated, individual use of sacred drugs transforms a collective ritual into a domestic experience, depowering the real revelatory significance inherent in the journey.  

Indeed, the power of ritual lies in its mystical, evocative dimension, in which the divine is actually made human and therefore able to be experienced, revealing to humankind the nature of the universe.

The ritual is an out-of-time event that confirms the existence of an eternal present, which is shaped through a codified symbolism shared by the participants. 

To think of accomplishing this individually seems to me to be quite incomplete, unrealistic and to some extent risky. 

Mankind by nature is a social animal, who is fulfilled and completed when in communion with fellow humans. This I think is even more true for such profound experiences, where solo navigation might be more problematic and less enlightening than a shared journey. 

The Vessel and the Figurehead

The hope is that people can rediscover the real nature of the universe through a harmonious and sustainable process, in which the cathartic power of the Dionysian can be considered of assistance – for those who need it – along the not entirely easy path to consciousness. 

Ego death experienced through the taking of sacred drugs could be embodied in the figurehead of the ship on which we are embarked, sailing towards universal consciousness. 

The figurehead is the most forward part of the vessel which caresses the waters that open up beneath her as she drops a friendly nod towards the horizon. She is the first to face the impetuosity of the sea, and her beauty leaves everyone who crosses her path in awe. 

But she represents only one part of the ship, and without the expertly tarred timbers of the hull, the dense network of rigging that holds the masts in place, and the majestic solemnity of the sails, she would be nothing more than a pretty, immobile carving.

If you’ve had any special experiences using sacred drugs, if you have experienced ego death in any way, or if you simply feel like having your say, I invite you to leave a comment below. Thank you!

Text by Oliver Maria Pascoletti

Translation by Clare Vibert Woodhouse 

Sources: 

Hoffmann Albert, LSD - My Problem Child, McGraw-Hill, New York City (1980).

Gottfried Benn, Provoked Life: An Essay on the Antropology of the Ego, Psychedelic Review, Vol. I, No. 1, June 1963.

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Tags : Consciousness, Ego death , Enlightment , Sacred drugs, Voyage
Posted in: Articles
Author: Oliver Maria Pascoletti
I like writing, sitting and hiking. I work in Dec Art as a copywriter and content creator.

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