THE GATEWAY TO UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS
Where do the best ideas come from? Some have claimed the inspiration for their masterpieces has come from a higher place – a gift from 'God'. Others, who recognise the power of 'God' lies within all of us, have sought ways to access this inner intelligence.
Radical thinkers, painters, musicians and scholars over the years, have been known to use various techniques for accessing inspiration mind-states. Many have tapped into this creative flow state through use of alcohol and drugs, whereas others would use extended periods of either sleep deprivation or disruptive sleep patterns to bypass the restrictive barrier of conscious thought, to delve into this illusive realm or 'dream state'. Obtaining a window into the subconscious mind to alter one's perception via ingestion of mind-altering substances, has arguably helped influence the surrealist art movement, are well publicised through the lyrics of our Rock & Roll greats and is well known to have infiltrated the hop hop and electronic dance scenes. It's less known however, that even the classical composers, poets and artists used an assortment of tonics, herbs and even poisons, for kicks, inspiration and pain relief. Man's quest for intoxication, as pleasure, relaxation or relief, has evidently been going on since records began and way beyond.
Stressing The Need To De-stress
Creativity in all it's forms, needs certain conditions in order to bring forward the magic. Certainly, a degree of 'pressure' is necessary for us to function properly but extreme and prolonged stress can have a negative impact on physical health, plus it impairs brain function for firing synapses to generate creative thoughts.
Meditation has been shown to reduce anxiety, help with alleviating stress as well as improved success in keeping one's emotions in check. Practising for just 10 minutes at a time, can help focus the mind and in allowing the mind's chatter to 'flow' past as we become the non-attached observer, can allow us to understand more about who we truly are. Regular practice will help manage non-beneficial emotional mind-states from gaining control over our lives.
Many people use alcohol to numb the negative voices in their heads and for breaking down inhibitions while in social situations. There are clearly beneficial effects experienced while drinking alcohol and moods can be positively enhanced when taking combinations of other herbs such as chamomille, lavender or cannabis. Studies have shown that consuming a reasonable amount of alcohol, can actually help moderate blood pressure and lower the risk of heart attack. According to various advocates of marijuana, certain strains can also help in lowering stress levels and some people believe that small amounts of the right strain can actually help focus the mind. Stress is a major inhibitor of creative thought, so having a glass of wine or few drags of a joint, may help us to relax enough to allow the creative thoughts to flow. But for gaining access to the most creative parts of our minds, we may need something a little stronger.
The psychoactive properties of Magic Mushrooms, Mescalin and LSD, can alter our perception on the world. Aldous Huxley famously wrote The doors of perception about his experience and many rock bands were formed on the back of their own experiences entering altered states. Recent years have witnessed the trend of microdosing in Silicon valley, to hack the mind into more productive and creative states.
A Culture of Lucid Dreaming
Visions, trips, wakeful dream states or lucid dreaming while consciously being present or 'awake', are commonly experienced in Western society, either by chance or through taking drugs recreationally. However, while a combination of mind-altering substances to activate altered mind states or self-detachment can mean anything from being interesting, scary or profoundly enlightening, this activity's benefits will only be realised if we take measures to remember/recall and document our thoughts to benefit our personal growth, achieve insights and creative inspiration.
Lucid dreaming is a method for self-realisation which the ancient shaman across the world have been known to practice for millennia. The Huichol people of Mexico, regularly use Peyote (Mescalin) in their religious ceremonies so interact with their ancestral spirits There's a technique which the Tibetan monks still use and can induce lucid thoughts.
Ultimately, obtaining a gateway to the inner self takes dedicated and consistent practice. But this transformative process offers exciting opportunities for the individual to interact with the Self, have inner investigation and discovery which can challenge the perceived notions of self, identity and even of reality itself.
