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An alternative Gate-Way Hypothesis During the Induction of H-ASCs. Let's call this region in the limbic system as Area Tempestas, which is inhibited and dormant during normal life; but becomes active, as a pacemaker, when some hallucinogens disinhibit such a center, at different degrees and levels. Area Tempestas may also be disinhibited and activated by the shamans, by means of drumming, music, meditation, solitary confinement, sensory deprivation, self-hypnosis and other trance techniques to induce ASCs.
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Psychoactive plants have been consumed by many cultures, cults and groups during religious rituals and ceremonies for centuries and they have been influential on the eruption of many images, secret and religious symbols, esoteric geometrical shapes, archetypes, religious figures, and philosophy of religions since the dawn of Homo sapiens. Some of t...
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Abstract:
Psychoactive plants which contain hallucinogenic molecules that induce a form of altered states of consciousness (H-ASC) have been widely used during the religious rituals of many cultures throughout the centuries, while the consumption of these plants for spiritual and religious purposes is as old as human history. Some of those culture...
Psychoactive plants have been consumed by many cultures, cults and groups during religious rituals and ceremonies for centuries and they have been influential on the eruption of many images, secret and religious symbols, esoteric geometrical shapes, archetypes, religious figures, and philosophy of religions since the dawn of Homo sapiens. Some of t...
Entheogens, a class of psychoactive substances with profound cultural and religious significance, have been utilized for centuries across diverse traditions for healing, spiritual exploration, and communication with the divine. Their historical usage spans continents, from the pre-Columbian Americas to traditional African practices and Ayurvedic me...
Citations
... Some accepted classifications in psychiatry, described long ago, such as ID, ego, superego, do also have neurochemical basis and mechanisms which can be influenced and/or altered by the modern methods of psychopharmacology and/or biological psychiatry. Any abstractions about human psyche which do not depend on pure neuroscience and neuropharmacology are not valid anymore, including the spirits, souls, and other heavenly creatures which take their origins from early pagan beliefs or institutionalized religions [94,95]. In a century, imaging techniques, non-invasive neuropharmacology techniques will evolve and develop. ...
Id, ego and superego are three abstract compartments of the human psyche according to the schools of psychoanalysis, established by Freud. Although these are abstract notions, today we have the neuroscientific basis of knowledge for defining them in terms of neuroanatomy and psychopharmacology. Hedonic hot spots or pleasure centers in the limbic system have been identified. Some of them are ventral tegmental are (VTA) cingulate, orbitofrontal cortex, prefrontal cortex (PFC), insula, nucleus accumbens (NA), amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus. Actually, there are regions in the brain where the functions of the id arise, mostly in the limbic system. Libido and pleasure principle have the neuroanatomical and neuropharmacological correlates in the brain. During pleasure, passionate love, extreme pleasure, peak experiences, orgasms or prolonged orgasms, these areas are activated; some neurotransmitters such as dopamine, oxytocin, glutamate, GABA, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, endogenous opioids, serotonin and the hormones testosterone and vasopressin mediate the neurotransmission of pleasure and love, which is a peak experience of the id. The reward-pleasure circuitry, which plays important roles in the development of psychological dependence and addiction is also involved in the mechanisms of these functions. Nearly 5000 dopaminergic neurons originating from VTA projecting to NA and PFC control most of the pleasure reactions, which may have great impacts on synaptic plasticity, learning, habituation and influence the components of the human psyche and eventually the personality. Dopaminergic projections of VTA may have as many as 25 x 10 8 synaptic connections at the targets, which can carry 92 gigabytes of "pleasure information". The brain has much more information processing capacity than we can imagine. Dopamine and oxytocin are the major "pleasure, orgasm and happiness" neurotransmitters which the id uses to mediate and perform its discrete functions of the nature, while "the pleasure principle" is inevitable, unbeatable and indispensable. When superego counteracts with these functions, psychological disturbances may arise. The centers of ego and superego are probably the cortical and associative areas, particularly frontal, parietal and temporal cortices. This review is a neuro-scientific summary of what happens in the brain when the id prevails the superego.
... The study of language is closely linked to the study of the mind. However, long before the creation of languages, visual perception and movement were the only way for mankind to perceive the outer world [Sayin 2014]. An important example is the distinction between sign and symbol, which has been drawn with the problem of contingency in mind. ...
... The appearance of these "form constants" in the everyday experience of entoptic phenomena [Glicksohn, Friedland and Salach-Nachum, 1990-91], but especially in dreams [Shepard, 1983], might be viewed as an "archaic form of symbolic language" ( [Sayin, 2014], pp. 429), or as a basis for symbolic imagery [Hunt, 1989]. ...
... More specifically, as Sayin concludes, "Flicker phosphenes created by stroboscopic lights or mind-machines tend to be more amorphous at low frequencies (1-4 Hz), tend to fall into web, spiral, or cloverleaf patterns at medium frequencies (4-9 Hz), and tend to lock into grid, honeycomb, or checkerboard patterns at higher frequencies (9-16 Hz). Flicker phosphenes will have slow lateral drift at lower frequencies; a rotational drift at medium frequencies; and will maintain stability or produce fast lateral drift at higher frequencies" ( [Sayin, 2014], pp. 431]). ...
In the current article, we will bring forth the subject of embodied symbols and discuss
the possible underlying neuronal mechanisms mediating the comprehension of these symbols, focusing on the motor system. We will focus on three main examples, related to (1) structures (such as the labyrinth), (2) visual stimuli (e.g., sculptures) and (3) embodied symbols utilizing the human body (e.g., symbolic hand gestures). Finally, the implications of embodied symbols will be discussed through the PHASE (Philosophy, Art, Science and Economics) framework. PHASE links philosophical ideas of man’s improvement through creative art and its examination through science towards the improved economy of self. Utilizing this perspective, we will discuss scientific experiments related to embodied symbols in art and neuroscience.
In this context, we will focus on the theory of embodied cognition and embodied language, which has claimed that cognitive and linguistic systems re-use the structures and the organization characterizing the motor system. While de Saussure [1983] has argued that the linear-segmented character of spoken language is a property that arises due to the unidimensionality of language, meaning is multidimensional; physical gesture is not restricted to breaking down meaning complexes into segments. As Goldin-Meadow has suggested in her book Hearing gesture: How our hands help us think: “Gestures are free to vary on dimensions of space, time, form, trajectory, and so on, and can
present meaning complexes without undergoing segmentation or linearization.” ([Goldin-Meadow, 2005], pp. 25). Although the current article is not a systematic review, it would like to suggest that objective art may exist, in which specific properties of the stimuli (e.g., form, proportion and frequency) can produce a specific neuronal and behavioral response. In addition, these effects may be mediated, at least in part, by the motor system. Understanding the effects of specific characteristics of the stimuli and the possible underlying mechanism may architects and therapists, as well as parents
and teachers to choose the best stimuli in order to voluntarily orient themselves and others towards the inner state which they would like to achieve.
... There had always been a rumor that men and women drank a very powerful "magical potion" during these rituals. Most probably, these rituals were the imitation of "Dionysian rituals" and the potion was some kind of psychoactive drink, such as absinthe (or kykeon) Nichols, 2004;Ruck, 2000Ruck, , 2006Ruck, , 2009Azar, 2006;Daniélou, 1992;Sayin, 2014). There are even 13th-century secular love songs about these rituals, known as Carmina Burana ('Songs of Beuern,' 5 songs of morals and mockery, 131 love songs, 40 drinking and gaming songs, the most important collection of Goliard and vagabond songs, with obscene themes and satirical of the Church, of old Northern Europe culture; written in 1230) of which lyrics were used by Carl Orff to compose his famous work of the Carmina Burana in 1936 (Azar, 2006;Sayin 2014). ...
... Most probably, these rituals were the imitation of "Dionysian rituals" and the potion was some kind of psychoactive drink, such as absinthe (or kykeon) Nichols, 2004;Ruck, 2000Ruck, , 2006Ruck, , 2009Azar, 2006;Daniélou, 1992;Sayin, 2014). There are even 13th-century secular love songs about these rituals, known as Carmina Burana ('Songs of Beuern,' 5 songs of morals and mockery, 131 love songs, 40 drinking and gaming songs, the most important collection of Goliard and vagabond songs, with obscene themes and satirical of the Church, of old Northern Europe culture; written in 1230) of which lyrics were used by Carl Orff to compose his famous work of the Carmina Burana in 1936 (Azar, 2006;Sayin 2014). ...
... This special drink was described as "a hallucinogenicaphrodisiac potion" that was consumed during the long "Dionysian festivals and orgia". Its active hallucinogenic ingredient was probably thujone (in Artemisia absinthium), a cannabinoid receptor agonist, while it might have also contained other psychoactive plants and herbs, such as magic mushrooms (Webster, 2000), ergot compounds and LSA (kykeon; Ruck, 2000Ruck, , 2001Ruck, , 2013Ruck, , 2006aRuck, -b, 2009), opium, (Ritter, 2008;Gimpel, 2006;Lachenmeier, 2006aLachenmeier, , 2006bAzar, 2006;Daniélou, 1992;Sayin, 2014). It is interesting to note that another cannabinoid receptor agonist, cannabidiol, has recently been found to effectively control the disturbing dreams/nightmares--i.e. ...
Abstract:
Psychoactive plants which contain hallucinogenic molecules that induce a form of altered states of consciousness (H-ASC) have been widely used during the religious rituals of many cultures throughout the centuries, while the consumption of these plants for spiritual and religious purposes is as old as human history. Some of those cultures were shaman and pagan subcultures; African native religions; Bwiti Cult; South American native religions; Amazon Cultures; Central American Cultures; Mexican subcultures; Aztec, Maya and Inca; Wiccan and witch subcultures; Satanists; American Indians; Greek and Hellenistic cultures; Sufis; Hassan Sabbah’s Hashisins; Hindu, Indian and Tibetan cultures; some of the Nordic subcultures etc. Some of the psychoactive ingredients of the plants that were used during these religious rituals were; narcotic analgesics (opium), THC (cannabis), psilocybin (magic mushrooms), mescaline (peyote), ibogaine (Tabernanthe iboga), DMT (Ayahuasca and phalaris species), Peganum harmala, bufotenin, muscimol (Amanita muscaria), thujone (absinthe, Arthemisia absinthium), ephedra, mandragora, star lotus, Salvia divinorum etc. The main purposes of the practice of these plants were: spiritual healing; to contact with spirits; to contact with the souls of ancestors; to reach enlightenment (Nirvana or Satori); to become a master shaman, pagan or witch; to reach so-called-other realities, etc. Such “psychedelic-philosophical plant rituals” changed participating persons’ psychology, philosophy and personality to a great degree. In these two successive articles, the consumption of psychedelic plants during religious rituals is reviewed and it is hypothesized that the images, figures, illusions and hallucinations experienced during these “plant trips” had a great impact on the formation and creation of many figures, characters, creatures, archetype images that exist not only in the mythology, but also in many religions, as well, such as angels, demons, Satan, mythological creatures, gods, goddesses etc. In the Middle East and Anatolia, within many hermetic and pagan religions, Greek and Hellenic cultures psychoactive plant use was a serious part of the religious rituals, such as Dionysian rituals or Witch’s’ Sabbaths. Although the impact of the “psychedelic experience and imagination” was enormous to the configuration of many religious and mythological characters, and archetypes, this fact has been underestimated and even unnoticed by many historians and anthropologists, because of the quasi-ethical trends of “anti-drug-brain-washed Western Societies”. Today, it may be perceived as very disturbing for many believers that their belief systems and religious figures are actually just a result of the imaginations of the “human brain and psyche”, which were very elevated and altered by psychedelic plants that are totally banned today. What those chemicals did in the brain was actually induce the consciousness to recognize the inner self, to unravel the subconscious and the collective unconscious, to open some of the doors of perception, to disentangle entoptic images and perhaps explicate some unknown functions of the brain and the human psyche which may have many other means to contact other –hypothetical— realities! Since the research on the psychedelic nature of the brain will unravel many facts about the consciousness of the brain and human psyche, we invite the authorities again to ponder deeply the banning of research on psychoactive plants and psychedelic drugs!
KEY WORDS: psychoactive plant, entoptic, phosphene, religious ritual, opium, THC, Cannabis, DMT, ayahuasca, Peganum harmala, phalaris, magic mushroom, psilocybin, peyote, mescaline, ibogaine, thujone, Arthemisia absinthium, Salvia divinorum, Dionysian ritual, mandragora
SexuS Journal ● 2017 ● 2 (5): 201-236
... There had always been a rumor that men and women drank a very powerful "magical potion" during these rituals. Most probably, these rituals were the imitation of "Dionysian rituals" and the potion was some kind of psychoactive drink, such as absinthe (or kykeon) Nichols, 2004;Ruck, 2000Ruck, , 2006Ruck, , 2009Azar, 2006;Daniélou, 1992;Sayin, 2014). There are even 13th-century secular love songs about these rituals, known as Carmina Burana ('Songs of Beuern,' 5 songs of morals and mockery, 131 love songs, 40 2 The phenomenon of "conscious dreaming" just mentioned has the formal contemporary designation of "lucid dreaming", and the objective study of sleep by means of polysomnography in lucid dreamers has documented the fascinating co-occurrence of the waking state within the rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep state, as a distinct form of "dissociated state" in which the lucid dreamer can direct the dream action (LaBerge, 1990;Godwin, 1994;Mahowald, 1998 drinking and gaming songs, the most important collection of Goliard and vagabond songs, with obscene themes and satirical of the Church, of old Northern Europe culture; written in 1230) of which lyrics were used by Carl Orff to compose his famous work of the Carmina Burana in 1936 (Azar, 2006;Sayin 2014). ...
... Most probably, these rituals were the imitation of "Dionysian rituals" and the potion was some kind of psychoactive drink, such as absinthe (or kykeon) Nichols, 2004;Ruck, 2000Ruck, , 2006Ruck, , 2009Azar, 2006;Daniélou, 1992;Sayin, 2014). There are even 13th-century secular love songs about these rituals, known as Carmina Burana ('Songs of Beuern,' 5 songs of morals and mockery, 131 love songs, 40 2 The phenomenon of "conscious dreaming" just mentioned has the formal contemporary designation of "lucid dreaming", and the objective study of sleep by means of polysomnography in lucid dreamers has documented the fascinating co-occurrence of the waking state within the rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep state, as a distinct form of "dissociated state" in which the lucid dreamer can direct the dream action (LaBerge, 1990;Godwin, 1994;Mahowald, 1998 drinking and gaming songs, the most important collection of Goliard and vagabond songs, with obscene themes and satirical of the Church, of old Northern Europe culture; written in 1230) of which lyrics were used by Carl Orff to compose his famous work of the Carmina Burana in 1936 (Azar, 2006;Sayin 2014). ...
... This special drink was described as "a hallucinogenic-aphrodisiac potion" that was consumed during the long "Dionysian festivals and orgia". Its active hallucinogenic ingredient was probably thujone (in Artemisia absinthium), a cannabinoid receptor agonist, while it might have also contained other psychoactive plants and herbs, such as magic mushrooms (Webster, 2000), ergot compounds and LSA (kykeon; Ruck, 2000Ruck, , 2001Ruck, , 2013Ruck, , 2006aRuck, -b, 2009), opium, etc. (Ritter, 2008;Gimpel, 2006;Lachenmeier, 2006aLachenmeier, , 2006bAzar, 2006;Daniélou, 1992;Sayin, 2014). It is interesting to note that another cannabinoid receptor agonist, cannabidiol, has recently been found to effectively control the disturbing dreams/nightmares -i.e., hallucinations during REM sleep--and associated abnormal parasomnia behaviors -viz. ...
Psychoactive plants that induce a form of altered states of consciousness (hallucinogen-induced ASC (H-ASC)) have been widely used during the religious rituals of many cultures throughout the centuries. Some of the psychoactive ingredients of the plants that were used during these religious rituals were opium, cannabis (tetrahydrocannabinol), psilocybin, mescaline, ibogaine, dimethyltryptamine, Peganum harmala, bufotenin, muscimol, thujone, ephedra, mandragora, Salvia divinorum, etc. The main purposes of these plants were spiritual healing; to contact with spirits; to contact with the souls of ancestors; to reach enlightenment (Nirvana or Satori); to become a master shaman, pagan, or witch; and to reach so-called-other realities. In most of the ancient religious rituals such plants were consumed as a part of the traditional shamanic or pagan culture for many centuries and most of the religious figures and images in the ancient and modern religious systems are a result of these hallucinogenic substances and H-ASC mind states.
... There had always been a rumor that men and women drank a very powerful "magical potion" during these rituals. Most probably, these rituals were the imitation of "Dionysian rituals" and the potion was some kind of psychoactive drink, such as absinthe (or kykeon) Nichols, 2004;Ruck, 2000Ruck, , 2006Ruck, , 2009Azar, 2006;Daniélou, 1992;Sayin, 2014). There are even 13th-century secular love songs about these rituals, known as Carmina Burana ('Songs of Beuern,' 5 songs of morals and mockery, 131 love songs, 40 2 The phenomenon of "conscious dreaming" just mentioned has the formal contemporary designation of "lucid dreaming", and the objective study of sleep by means of polysomnography in lucid dreamers has documented the fascinating co-occurrence of the waking state within the rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep state, as a distinct form of "dissociated state" in which the lucid dreamer can direct the dream action (LaBerge, 1990;Godwin, 1994;Mahowald, 1998 drinking and gaming songs, the most important collection of Goliard and vagabond songs, with obscene themes and satirical of the Church, of old Northern Europe culture; written in 1230) of which lyrics were used by Carl Orff to compose his famous work of the Carmina Burana in 1936 (Azar, 2006;Sayin 2014). ...
... Most probably, these rituals were the imitation of "Dionysian rituals" and the potion was some kind of psychoactive drink, such as absinthe (or kykeon) Nichols, 2004;Ruck, 2000Ruck, , 2006Ruck, , 2009Azar, 2006;Daniélou, 1992;Sayin, 2014). There are even 13th-century secular love songs about these rituals, known as Carmina Burana ('Songs of Beuern,' 5 songs of morals and mockery, 131 love songs, 40 2 The phenomenon of "conscious dreaming" just mentioned has the formal contemporary designation of "lucid dreaming", and the objective study of sleep by means of polysomnography in lucid dreamers has documented the fascinating co-occurrence of the waking state within the rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep state, as a distinct form of "dissociated state" in which the lucid dreamer can direct the dream action (LaBerge, 1990;Godwin, 1994;Mahowald, 1998 drinking and gaming songs, the most important collection of Goliard and vagabond songs, with obscene themes and satirical of the Church, of old Northern Europe culture; written in 1230) of which lyrics were used by Carl Orff to compose his famous work of the Carmina Burana in 1936 (Azar, 2006;Sayin 2014). ...
... This special drink was described as "a hallucinogenic-aphrodisiac potion" that was consumed during the long "Dionysian festivals and orgia". Its active hallucinogenic ingredient was probably thujone (in Artemisia absinthium), a cannabinoid receptor agonist, while it might have also contained other psychoactive plants and herbs, such as magic mushrooms (Webster, 2000), ergot compounds and LSA (kykeon; Ruck, 2000Ruck, , 2001Ruck, , 2013Ruck, , 2006aRuck, -b, 2009), opium, etc. (Ritter, 2008;Gimpel, 2006;Lachenmeier, 2006aLachenmeier, , 2006bAzar, 2006;Daniélou, 1992;Sayin, 2014). It is interesting to note that another cannabinoid receptor agonist, cannabidiol, has recently been found to effectively control the disturbing dreams/nightmares -i.e., hallucinations during REM sleep--and associated abnormal parasomnia behaviors -viz. ...
Psychoactive plants which contain hallucinogenic molecules that induce a form of altered states of consciousness (HASC) have been widely used during the religious rituals of many cultures throughout the centuries, while the consumption of these plants for spiritual and religious purposes is as old as human history. Some of those cultures were shaman and pagan subcultures; African native religions; Bwiti Cult; South American native religions; Amazon Cultures; Central American Cultures; Mexican subcultures; Aztec, Maya and Inca; Wiccan and witch subcultures; Satanists; American Indians; Greek and Hellenistic cultures; Sufis; Hassan Sabbah's Hashissins; Hindu, Indian and Tibetan cultures; some of the Nordic subcultures etc. Some of the psychoactive ingredients of the plants that were used during these religious rituals were; narcotic analgesics (opium), THC (cannabis), psilocybin (magic mushrooms), mescaline (peyote), ibogaine (Tabernanthe iboga), DMT (Ayahuasca and phalaris species), Peganum harmala, bufotenin, muscimol (Amanita muscaria), thujone (absinthe, Arthemisia absinthium), ephedra, mandragora, star lotus, Salvia divinorum etc. The main purposes of the practice of these plants were: spiritual healing; to contact with spirits; to contact with the souls of ancestors; to reach enlightenment (Nirvana or Satori); to become a master shaman, pagan or witch; to reach so-called-other realities, etc. Such "psychedelic-philosophical plant rituals" changed participating persons' psychology, philosophy and personality to a great degree. In these two successive articles, the consumption of psychedelic plants during religious rituals is reviewed and it is hypothesized that the images, figures, illusions and hallucinations experienced during these "plant trips" had a great impact on the formation and creation of many figures, characters, creatures, archetype images that exist not only in the mythology, but also in many religions, as well, such as angels, demons, Satan, mythological creatures, gods, goddesses etc. In the Middle East and Anatolia, within many hermetic and pagan religions, Greek and Hellenic cultures psychoactive plant use was a serious part of the religious rituals, such as Dionysian rituals or Witch's' Sabbaths. Although the impact of the "psychedelic experience and imagination" was enormous to the configuration of many religious and mythological characters, and archetypes, this fact has been underestimated and even unnoticed by many historians and anthropologists, because of the quasi-ethical trends of "anti-drug-brain-washed Western Societies".
That gives a basic summary of ways the first-path accounts for what ghosts and other paranormal things are made from. Broadly speaking, ghosts consist of a pattern of information residing in a low energy, high energy, negative energy (or whatever) conformation. I’ve suggested that how they are perceived is through our conventional senses, but does that necessarily have to be as visible light? Are there other types of energy that the ghost can present as, which can also be observed by the witness?
Having briefly summarised the jigsaw analogy of altered states, it’s now possible to ponder how any new “pieces” of a reconfigured consciousness might enable unusual (paranormal) experiences.
A Multidisciplinary Academic Journal Published Quarterly by CİSEATED-ASEHERT • www.ciseated.org • www.sexusjournal.com •
Abstract:
Constructing a System Theory (ST) is a method to establish a logical, mathematical, self-consistent, self-existing, coherent model to explain the interactions of the elements, functions and development of a closed or open system. System Theory (ST) is very important to define, organize, evaluate, control, regulate the systems and form mathematical models in a set of elements of that particular system. General Systems Theory (GST) is a name which has been adopted to describe a level of theoretical model-building which lies somewhere between the highly generalized constructions of pure mathematics & logic and the specific theories of the specialized disciplines. An ST can be universal, perfect, imperfect or defective; while the defective STs cannot survive. GST is a series of related definitions, assumptions, and postulates about all levels of systems from atomic particles through atoms, molecules, crystals, viruses, cells, organs, individuals , small groups, companies, societies, planets, solar systems, and galaxies. General Behavior ST is a sub-category of such a theory, dealing with living systems, extending roughly from viruses through societies. A significant fact about living things is that they are open systems, with important inputs and outputs. Laws which apply to them differ from those applying to relatively closed systems. Ludwig von Bertalanffy, the founder of ST, described two types of systems: open systems and closed systems. The open systems are systems that allow interactions between its internal elements and the environment. An open system, like space, is defined as a "system in exchange of matter and energy with its environment, presenting import and export, building-up and breaking-down of its material components." Closed systems, on the other hand, are held to be isolated from their environment. Also Sex Therapy and other therapies should regard the gestalt of the system as a holistic approach. Nowadays Systemic Sex Therapy is prevailing.
