The Doors of Perception

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PeterH P
PeterH Nov 13, 2005 19:46:59
Replying to Rune

"One thing's for sure, whatever it is, whatever label anyone wants to put on it, it's more than incredibly pleasant and often profound, I'm up for it anytime."


Yes - that is so. To function effectively in my everday world I have had to be rational, material and sceptical. Other perceptions have "happened" when I have been stressed, sick, exhausted, elated, emotional, distressed or moved by great art, music and megaliths.

So that is why I ask myself is it an illusion produced by chemical and neurological changes within me - or is it an external phenomenon that I can only perceive when I am in an altered state of consciousness? ie the old cliche about a radio tuning in to a station - the radio waves are constantly there, but you can only perceive them if you tune your radio to the appropriate wavelength.

R Rune
Rune Nov 13, 2005 23:10:58
Replying to PeterH

>>So that is why I ask myself is it an illusion produced by chemical and neurological changes within me - or is it an external phenomenon that I can only perceive when I am in an altered state of consciousness?<<

I don't think anyone knows the true answer to that, Peter. For myself, all I can say is it certainly doesn't feel to be an illusion, but simultaneously, it's more real than "normality".

There are many esoteric writings which direct us to look within ourselves for all the answers and many religious doctrines pointing us to an external source. Who knows, do we need to look at this another way and stop thinking if one way is "right" the other way must be "wrong". Perhaps they are both right, maybe what we perceive at the ancient places is a change in ourselves <i>and</i> a change in something external which combines in that instant to create our experiences.

Rune