I wrote this a while back as a topic for a video and I would talk about it there but why not do both? Here is my approach to religion. It was written very quickly and may have some gaps but I think you can see the general idea. I do not believe in religious beliefs but I do however think that religion is completely based on faith. Which it is. All religions harness this faith energy and istransformed into 'miracles' I think religion is simply something that already exists but different people's perspective on how to define and structure it. Psychedelics offer a direct link to this 'spiritual' universe. I think that people used psychedelics in ancient civilizations because they weren't 'illegal' and 'bad' they were simply something growing on this earth and given to us. I think this spiritual presence, this feeling of interconnectedness that are felt on something like psilocybin and DMT is something that many people try to define and tell how it works for them thus the birth of many religions all quasi-similar. All these religions are old and none of these civilizations made these substances illegal because there really is nothing wrong with them, they're illegal today for no legitimate purpose other than controland things like alcohol and cigarettes are legal (you can't base wether something is harmful or not on legality). Visions of crazy and almost impossible things are told in stories in the bible. These could be very possible with psychedelics and were not looked at as anything other than something that grew in the ground like any other thing. you have to think about this from the mind set of people back then, not people now. religion is old and with old comes old beliefs. the belief that mushrooms and ayahuasca was put on this planet for a reason and were not frowned upon for the utilization of these plants. I think that this spiritual experience that you can have through mushrooms and through ayahuasca is something that exists unseen to people. It is only something that can be experienced, you can't put this feeling of a presence and connectedness into words. I believe the attempt to define this feeling is where the birth of religion comes in. This connectedness exists but is hard to feel without the use of psychedelics. Gravity exists and will keep you bound to this planet no matter what. It is an invisible force that is not understood but is accepted. This mindset is how we must look at the connection between all of the species of animals including ourselves and this planet. An invisible force that is not understood completely, but answers questions that were long unanswered. If we keep an open mind about this theory and apply it to different things; adapt it, then we might be able to learn things we KNEW were impossible to know.
This was very hard to read. Your concept is that when entheogens are banned, it is usually because the religions of the world have become calcified and lost their connection with their roots in mystical experience. Valid point (a great point) but your words will fall on deaf ears if you do not organize them better.
I personally experience altered states of consciousness without psychedelics, and these seem the most real and significant. I definitely have used psychedelics to reach some incredible states, but I don't think they are of much importance in most religions and the idea of the spiritual experience.
I have reached some of my most clear, aware, and focused states without psychedelics. I'm not saying they were used frequently, but I strongly believe that they were used as a tool, much as I use them. I reach incredible states and learn how to go back when sober. Meditation. I think psychedelics are important in most religions and the spiritual experience. If nothing more than a tool to amplify the subconscious mind, I think people write them off too quickly because they are illegal today and maybe the concept is a bit too radical. But maybe that's why we take so long to figure things out because we're not thinking radically enough. they were put here for a reason and are part of this earth for a reason. The same effect can be achieved through meditation however, it will just take a bit more time. Meditation for me has been the most important tool. I think religion is simply many people's definition of the same feeling. With or without psychedelics. They are just a tool much like meditation.