Integrating with your feelings

Jeroen

I found this in a story on Elephant Journal about how Ayahuasca helped the author overcome depression and addiction:

In many of my ceremonies, I was brought back to feelings and memories I had walled off, and the medicine held me there while I cried uncontrollably; my whole body shaking in terror while I was vomiting and sweating. I hated every second of it—but then came the compassion.

I don’t know if this compassion came from “God” or ayahuasca or my higher soul-self. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that integration happened by feeling it all, releasing the pain, and being held in love and kindness afterward.

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2019/08/how-ayahuasca-healed-my-depression-addiction-gillian-may/

It rung a chord in me because I myself went through a long period of being detached from my feelings, and the whole idea of coming through past trauma’s in order to re-integrate sounds very familiar, although for me this came through many meditative experiences on the edge of sleep.

I think that very few people come through childhood without a measure of trauma, although of course some people experience very much more severe events than others. Anyway I thought this was a really interesting article on the topic of integration in general.

Nerida

Admittedly, I'm really hesitant to embrace something I don't understand. But my own point of view is that the fifth precept is to avoid intoxicants so I would avoid using Ayahuasca or any other mind altering substance (including alcohol or prescription drugs) to facilitate any enlightenment or satori type experience.

Not knowing anyone else's experiences though, I'm not going to judge them for it. But I'm not going to condone it either.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

lobster

Life the universe and everything is a 'mind altering substance'. Similar investigation and integration effects occur with non toxic hallucinogens. For some of us mind clarity, for others medicine.

For some precepts. For some heresy ...

I believe in physical, emotional and mental integration. What is the best way? It depends on our starting point ...

What would baby Jesus baby Buddha do? Perhaps ... Go wrong ... then sit quietly under a tree for a while ...

Jeroen

@Nerida said:
But my own point of view is that the fifth precept is to avoid intoxicants so I would avoid using Ayahuasca or any other mind altering substance (including alcohol or prescription drugs) to facilitate any enlightenment or satori type experience.

Certainly but the process this lady describes is beautiful, and it shows that what she wants is to be loved, it’s not really about enlightenment. The whole idea of integration through love is something I can get behind.

Entirely aside from the idea of psychedelics and the precepts.

Nerida

@Kerome said:
The whole idea of integration through love is something I can get behind.

As can I.

lobster

@Nerida

#metoo

Bonus track:

Dimmesdale

What I believe is that, ultimately, you have to find the answers within yourself and not rely on something such as a substance....

Then again, I am not discounting external supports. Those may be necessary. But they should be recognized as tools or steppingstones, not the end-all. Not the ultimate abode or refuge...

The only "intoxicant" if you can call it that that I use or indulge in is caffeine.... I will say outright that it helps me, my thinking, my alertness, and even my calm.... I do not limit myself to that alone though, nor do I think that without it I would be awash in misery.. ok maybe somewhat... But the point is, caffeine is not the ONLY thing in my toolbox, nor does it have pride of place...

We are very dependent though on externals. The very air you breathe, for instance... But I don't want to take ultimate shelter of anything in the material realm. That's just me.

lobster

Ah coffee and tea junkies. Just been on the hard stuff myself. Peppermint tea!

Downers = z z z ...
Chocolate = ecstasy