In a recent discussion on the "Dr. Baffour Jan" YouTube channel, spiritual guru Dr. Baffour Jan delved into the complex relationship between psychedelics and spiritual awakening, cautioning against the common perception that these substances offer a shortcut to enlightenment.
While acknowledging that psychedelics can be beneficial under specific conditions, he emphasized that their use without proper understanding and guidance can lead to temporary highs, instability, and even addiction rather than sustained spiritual realization.
The Dual Nature of Psychedelics: A Path and a Pitfall
The core of Dr. Jan's message is that whether psychedelics are "good" depends entirely on one's understanding of their effects. He explained that the word "psych" itself refers to the zone "between the spirit and the physical," a realm dealing with energy that is neither purely spiritual nor purely physical. Psychedelics, he noted, act by forcefully and quickly activating the subconscious mind, particularly the right side of the brain, which has access to this vast inner realm.
However, this forced activation often comes without the necessary preparation. Dr. Jan illustrated this with an analogy: imagine one leg is tied down (representing our attachment to the physical world), and you try to move the other leg repeatedly. Similarly, when psychedelics propel an individual into the subconscious without them having loosened their "grip on the lower side" – meaning their attachment to the physical and its limitations – the "pull" from the unaddressed physical side brings them back down.
This return, unfortunately, can be uncomfortable, or even leave a person feeling "lower than where it was before," much like the experience with alcohol. The temporary nature of the psychedelic high often leads to a cycle of repeated use, as individuals crave to return to that elevated state, potentially fostering addiction. "There is no stability up there" when accessed through this bypass, Dr. Jan stated.
The Subconscious Realm: Not Always a Blissful Journey
Dr. Jan clarified that the subconscious mind, while vast and powerful, is also a storehouse of all our memories, beliefs, and past indoctrinations. When one enters this zone via psychedelics, the experiences can be highly unstable, reflecting the forms and patterns that have been structured by one's own self from childhood. This can lead to seeing "terrible" or "fearful things" because the subconscious preserves anxieties and fears.
"These are all not spiritual," Dr. Jan asserted. True spirituality, he explained, involves progressing to the "superconscious zone," the highest side of the subconscious, which is closer to spirit itself and where there is "no storage" of limiting memories or beliefs. He pointed out that very few people who use psychedelics become "self-realized," and many mistakenly believe they have "seen god" when they are merely experiencing the unstable forms within the subconscious realm.
The Path to Sustainable Spiritual Awakening: Determination and Humility
For those genuinely seeking a stable, lasting spiritual awakening, Dr. Jan outlined a different approach, one rooted in spiritual practices that are categorized in two ways: "loosening your grip on the lower side and the side which is lifting you up". This involves detaching from anxieties, sadness, and material holds, while connecting to higher states of joy, peace, and unconditional love.
He emphasized that this is not a "quick fix" and requires time and sustained effort. The most crucial qualities for a true seeker, he stressed, are:
- Determination: A strong desire to let go of attachments to the worldly and embark on the journey. "Those who are thirsty, come," he quoted, indicating that spiritual help is for those who genuinely seek it.
- Humility: The willingness to acknowledge one's current state of being "tied down" and to drop arrogance or pride about having already achieved spiritual enlightenment. True spiritual attainment, he noted, is evidenced by inner peace, bliss, joy, and unconditional love.
Dr. Jan suggested that life's challenges and disasters often serve as necessary lessons, "shaking people" to realize their entanglement and begin to yearn for a different path. He concluded by reiterating that psychedelics "don't really stabilize people in spirituality". For true and sustainable spiritual growth, he advised, it is vital to find a genuine teacher who can provide patient guidance through the entire journey to self-realization.