When I got out of the marines, I was a complete ass. And couldn't see it. I thought it was everybody else (without really knowing it). A friend of mine gave me a bunch of little pieces of paper and said, "take this." Not to be daunted by little pieces of square paper, I did. Had one of the happiest few days of my life up til then. Realized that I had changed and needed to evolve back into the real world. I continued to take these little pieces of paper off and on for about a year or two, until it wasn't that fun anymore...I had gotten out of it what I needed and quit (for the most part...think I took 'the little pieces of paper or vitamin c tablets a few times over the next 10 years, but it was just not the same). It was more of an internal trip than an external trip for me.

I had a similar post. I will say i have not used them, but if you listen to sam harris, you know that it does alter consciousness in some useful ways at least.

I'm skeptical about the claims, but a lot of people say you'd have to try it to really get why they think it's a way of communication with the supernatural. It does change people. I'm convinced it changes your personality. The most interesting thing is some of the most powerful psychedelics closely mimic human neurochemistry. The real question is, why is our neurochemistry so hallucinogenic?

my point is, there must be a benefit to this. What exactly is going on there is a mystery, but the important thing to keep in mind is it's up for exploring and nobody has to sway you one way or another about it. It's entirely possible we'll explain everything about it one day. There are plenty of people that take these things and don't have any profound experiences.

Sam harris, instead of a religious experience, just felt a sense of love and a lack of ego.

First of all shrooms are the safest of all drugs of nature. Safer than marijuana even. And I have most certainly heard that their use is beneficial for many reasons mentally. My experience with them was brief and nondescript - but also in the 80's. So I plan on retracing that route soon.

I attended an Ayahuasca ceremony once. Knowing the power of DMT and the fact that it was in effect an intense, extended DMT experience, I was curious. As a frame of reference, I have only ever experienced Marijuana a few times, and that wasn't for me.

It was intense and spiritual, but not in the way of religion. It was as if something somewhere else in the universe was communicating with me, and is difficult to explain beyond that.

Interestingly, it is considered to be a healing ceremony. I went in with a sinus infection and hours after it was over, I was breathing clearly, and the infection was gone, not to return. As a student of medicine (on my own terms, not formally, though a Biochemistry professor offered to subsidize Med school and I wish I could have accepted) I want to know how THAT worked.

I never find god(s) on mushrooms

It can fuck your head right up like it partly did mine and religion is a crutch that does help them but it is a placebo. I didnt do that myself.