Kerry- thanks for the thread I saw the PBS special two weeks ago about the doc in Cali who was working with the end of life patients and it was enlightening to say the least. Several points come to mind regarding the use of physiadellics ( as we so fondly referred to them back in the 60's) and transcendentalism first, do we really need chemicals to transcend ourselves into an altered state of reality or can we change our own brain chemistry thru meditation? Why does religion almost always play a part in "becoming one with the universe" in an altered state? Once upon a time priests used to go out and wander in the wilderness or the deserts and starve themselves and have conversations with "god" and I believe the act of starvation was what got them very close to hallucinating, that combined with being in the heat will alter anyones state of consciousness. In addition there has to be something with the way our brains are hard wired for certain states of consciousness to provoke religious thought similar to an "aura" that precedes a seizure. Many people have intense religious experiences right before the seizure. Just a thought.

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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL