Meditation And Getting High

I would like to share what I feel to be an undeniable relationship between meditating and smoking cannabis. In this thread I'm not really talking about meditating while high so much. Moreso, the effect that getting deep into meditation as a regular practice has on your highs. There was a time when I meditated very regularly, and got quite deep into it, deep states of consciousness. During this time period, my highs were really in some ways on another level. Not to mention another significant aspect of this relationship. Namely, that I essentially felt high all the time, even without smoking.
 
I would like to describe some of the ways in which my highs were enhanced during this time period. Firstly, whenever I closed my eyes I would get the most amazing closed eye visuals. Truly psychedelic. To try to describe one of the common themes to what these visuals were. It often seemed like these images were made of a tangible seeming light, which I will get more into in the next paragraph. They would be sort of fractal images. To give an example that comes to mind, seeing figures of light which resembled a person meditating, and it would zoom out and there would be more and more of these meditating figures, and eventually you zoomed out far enough that the sum of them was an image of a deity. And then this deity would be a part of some larger conglomeration of deity images which formed a larger, spiritually significant figure. These images were very vivid, often colorful. 
 
There was something that would sort of indicate the coming on of these images. I would close my eyes, and there would be this green light which seemed very tangible. And this light would just become more and more tangible, to where it really seemed like I was almost in an environment that was enveloped in this green light. And it was usually from this green light that the images would be formed. The visuals would intensify on the more I cleared my mind. Also, and what seemed to be related somehow to this green light, was that at times it was honestly like I could still see with my eyelids closed. It was hard to believe, but I could really see things quite clearly, and there were movements that really happened that I saw happen while my eyes were closed. I think all of this, the seeing with eyes closed and the green light, is related to what is called the 'astral realm.' It sometimes seemed like this green light was somehow my actual environment, but on a higher level so to speak. 
 
And another thing, which reading someone else say a similar thing to have people kind of laugh at it, which I've seen a few times, is things visually looking cartoon-like sometimes. Especially if I was outside. Things were just so bright and vivid, to the point where it sometimes didn't look real. It could be cartoon-like at times, but at other times it could look other extreme ways, or hyper-real, which may or may not make sense to you. And I was able to intentionally intensify, and perhaps guide, all of this through techniques of focusing and unfocusing which I practiced in meditation and daily living, particularly while high because of the drastic effects it could have when high. So overall, I can say that there is a definite relationship between meditation and getting high. I don't really meditate anymore, for now anyway, and I do not get these effects anymore. They kind of seem too good to be true now in a way. It seems to me that if I dedicated myself to a regular meditation practice, similar results should follow again. And it seems to me it would for others as well. Could be a sort of motivation to get into meditation for some. 
 

 

Here's another paragraph I wrote. I removed it from the OP, cuz it was already quite long and this paragraph in a way went on a tangent, although it was related to the larger theme. And this is something I may actually want to get more into. But anyways, here it is.
 
This also to me ties into what I believe to be a fundamental drive in living creatures, somewhat similar albeit in a less fundamental and ultimately necessary way, to our sex drive. Because, the states of bliss, and elevated consciousness, that spiritual practice can give you, can really be related to being high. I'm telling you, when I was regularly getting deep into meditation, I literally felt high all the time. So many would argue our spiritual impulse is a fundamental one, and I would argue this is certainly related to our impulse to alter consciousness, which is also fundamental. What is spiritual progress, if not an alteration of consciousness? 

 

 
 
When I used to meditate, I think I did it sometimes while high but that wasn't a major thing I particularly tried to do, meditate while high. But in this period, for reasons likely related to my regular meditation, for one thing I essentially felt high all the time. I could not smoke for days, and I would feel high the whole time. And then when I would smoke, in some ways it would just feel like a bit of an intensification of how I always felt. But on the other hand, it was basically a guarantee every time that I smoked that if I would just close my eyes and stop my mind from running I would get absolutely incredible closed eye visuals. These would captivate me, and motivate me to slow my mind and go deeper into a meditative state, and then as I did this the visuals would just get more and more intense and amazing. And even with my eyes opened, things would usually just look amazing or altered in a variety of ways.
 
And that is a good point about the sort of 'high meditation' that isn't really a formal meditation and is just what you are doing. I would say that is true. And that's why I was able to get the visuals so consistently. It was so easy, once I closed my eyes, to just quickly get into a meditative state, which would bring on and intensify the visuals. Thus the affinity with being high and meditation. What meditation does for you and what weed does for you are related, and practice of one affects the other. As for your question in the last paragraph. I would say for one thing those intense visuals that would basically automatically be there. And then just this incredible build-up of energy that I could feel in my body, that would intensify the deeper of a meditative state I got into. 

 

Your post also brings to mind another thing. Namely, to what degree it is the formal practice of meditation, and to what degree it is just the sincere and persistent putting into practice of certain principles. My problem now is, I don't really make much conscious effort to put principles into practice. I am a bit more recently, but not to the same degree as I used to. Though I accept the idea that we have phases in our lives, and there are no absolute standard which can be applied universally through all points in our lives. Also, that I am aware I'm not applying things nearly as much as I could, and I know what applying it means, is better than nothing. These spiritual principles, which are related to meditative principles, can in reality be put into practice moment to moment. And one can make a continuous effort to apply these principles, and go deeper into their application. Meditation can almost seem to be a moment of focused practice of those principles, yet you try to continuously apply them.

 

Also, another thing that is just kind of interesting. Well first of all, for context. I read a variety of things, and of late I try to read things from one particular point of view at a time. Helps me be internally consistent. What I had been reading was on the topic of the Jewish Kabbalah.

So, the other day I was laying down to sleep after having already gotten a few hours of sleep. I felt myself getting very relaxed, like the beginning stage of falling asleep This sort of excited me, because I know this can lead to interesting visuals and feelings of energy, as well as a transition into a lucid dream. But, it was just the deep relaxation feeling, there were no visuals or anything like that coming. Then I thought to myself, 'where is the place where my soul, my eternal nature, abides?' At that exact moment, what I can only describe as looking like travelling through space at hyperspeed, with the celestial bodies whizzing past me leaving trails, and all of these celestial bodies and their trails were green. All these green trails whizzing past me, the green trails taking up the majority of what I see in contrast with the black background. So, when I got the idea for this thread and wrote it, it was only then that it came back to me that the light in the visuals I used to get was green. So I found it interesting that my experience with the sleep-transition, seeing the green lights at the exact moment I asked about the dwelling-place of my eternal nature, was the same color light as the light I used to see.

 

I just remembered you posting this and me not having responded. Yes, I think the whole thing of being aware of the whole process of falling asleep and consciously entering a dream without losing consciousness is significant. I think the in-between state is an important spiritual gateway that isn't often recognized. Lot of potential there, but we're not generally even conscious. 
 
That is true as well as far as experiences not exactly having the same level of impact when you've had a number of them as opposed to it being your first. For one, I've realized how incredibly impermanent experiences. Which is not to say I do not value these interesting, intense, experiences, or however you want to characterize it. I certainly do. But the thing about experiences, any experiences, no matter how wonderful or interesting or out-of-the-ordinary, is that they happen, and then they're just gone. And eventually it just fades into the background of your mind. 
 
For what I felt while seeing trails of light. Yes, the feelings that went along with it were definitely important parts of the experience. So as I said, it was in response to asking where my soul or eternal nature dwelt. That vision then appeared, and a feeling that was blissful, but more primarily an incredibly powerful sense of being at ease. Like arriving at a home base, where everywhere else is traveled to from. Well, that was the feeling. Then there was the realization that what I was experiencing was in response to asking the dwelling-place of my soul/eternal-nature. So, that solidified to my mind what I just described the feeling as, that this was sort of the inherent state. Everything stems out from here. And then realizing the implications of this. That this place was in a way defined by a lack of all effort and intentional-action. Thus I should drop all effort and intention to fully experience it. So I did this, and the more effortless and thoughtless of a mindset I entered into, the more intense the experience became. The peaceful and blissful feelings intensified the more I let go. 
 
And interesting thought, as far as other questions to ask in the state. Just an interesting idea, that you could ask a question in the in-between state and then have an experience occur to answer it in response. Maybe I should consider some other questions that may be good. Although, I had not planned or thought about asking that question. I'm not even really sure what made me think it. I just remember laying down, felt extremely relaxed to the point where I knew it may be the beginning stages of sleep, and then just for some reason asking that question, which immediately evoked that experience.

 

That's interesting. My subconscious fed me the question I myself asked, so it could give me the experience. The subconscious is amazing, and I think it is absolutely a key into spirituality. The subconscious and spirituality are intimately interwoven. I think the subconscious is where the spiritual wisdom is, so interesting that as I began the stages of falling asleep, the subconscious and conscious begin to essentially intermingle. Because it was essentially like my conscious mind thought it, even though it was being driven by the subconscious. You always have an interesting way of looking at things.

 

You have astral projected? Many times? Care to describe the experience? I astral projected one time. Though I have been in sleep paralysis many times, and learned how that state can be used to astral project. I definitely know the buzzing sound as well, presumably that go along with extremely intense feelings of energy. This can be accessed, as you say, in sleep paralysis. But it is actually a stage you go through as you fall asleep as well. Esseff and I discussed above about consciously falling asleep, and being aware through the whole process. That intense energy stage, that could be used to astral project, is a regular part of the sleep cycle as well. Interesting, though I have not yet understood exactly how it is that it works, that these vibrations that can lead to astral projection are something you sort of pursue while in a certain state where you are very receptive to it. The same stage of consciousness in the sleep-wake cycle can be used to feel these incredible energies in your body, which can lead to astral projection. Or it can just turn into visualization or some such thing and the regular sleep cycle begins.

Of course, the thing about astral projection is that it is supposed to have a higher, more tangible level of reality to it than dreams. But I do believe that dreams themselves have a higher reality than we think, and dreaming and astral projection are not unrelated. I can also relate to the sort of magnetism you can perceive in certain areas. And also how this all relates to the breath. Interestingly, the one time I astral projected, it wasn't attempting to use any particular method I had read. I just, while in sleep paralysis, remembered how that could be a gateway to astral projection. So, as I became aware of those energies, I decided to try to cycle them through my body with my breath. And this cycle became like this self-generating momentum, that along with my breath continuously increased the intensity of the energies. And just, as these energies came to absurdly high intensity levels, I attempted to sort of throw myself out using the momentum on an out-breath. For a few tries, I threw myself partially out, but got yanked back into my body as if my mid-section were tied to a rope which I was hitting the end-length of. The 4th or so try, though, I exited my body. So, I'm really just curious as to what people who have astral projected have to say about it. Because, when I try to look into it I don't find what I generally read to seem very specific, in a way that answers what seem to be basic and fundamental questions about it. So, I'm curious about your experiences.