Effects of drugs on subconscious mind

[cassiopeias_dream]

I am curious about what your opinions are on the effect that regular drug use has on the subconscious mind. Specifically drugs that are used to either numb pain or cause euphoria. Will self-development techniques that focus on the subconscious (eg PATHS) be less effective because of drug use?

[wantfreeenergy]

Drugs are bad m'kay. Plants are good m'kay.

Even plants can be abused though. It's really a question of; if what one is doing to themselves is to cause numbness or euphoria then they have lost the essense of the plant's purpose. Many people are addicted to what they are doing cause they don't know how to feel different or what to do to experience it. So they stay on the path they are on; addiction.

Personally I'm gonna say that you've already answered your question about drugs being less effective on self develpoment techniques.

And also; one can use plants to bring them to a new awareness and help open their eyes, but it's the addiction to using em constantly that will cause one to stand still and stagnate.


BUT as far as medical drugs from pharma land go. Well I don't agree with pharma at all. And many will say this or that to save themselves face, but I KNOW that there exists alternatives that work WAY better than any pharma drug a doc can prescribe.


So say no to addiction.

[Kevin]

I am curious about what your opinions are on the effect that regular drug use has on the subconscious mind. Specifically drugs that are used to either numb pain or cause euphoria. Will self-development techniques that focus on the subconscious (eg PATHS) be less effective because of drug use?

This is a huge question that I will not attempt to address fully. I will share what I know, and some general thoughts.

1. Hormone Replacement Therapy will affect (for most people) the efficacy of PATHS. There are a couple of threads on this, and I think it is also addressed in the FAQ section of the PATHS website.

2. When the US Government was first developing/refining TRV protocols (which have EVERYTHING to do with subconscious interaction) they experimented with dozens of different drugs, from peyote, to cocaine, to heroin, to THC (marijuana), to LSD to alcohol, etc.

All of these drugs impaired a persons ability to TRV/have optimum subconscious receptivity to outside communication.

NONE of these had any lasting negative effect on the subconscious except one. That is to say, when the effects of the drug wore off, there was no residual reduction in subconscious interaction.

Except one. THC in marijuana is absorbed into the fatty tissue in the brain and can take quite a while (weeks to months) to be expelled from the body.

While I do not know if this would have any negative effect on the subconscious interaction with PATHS, it does with TRV.

I do know a few people that use PATHS and THC, they seem to get good results...it is unknown if they would get better results if they did not use THC.

3. My opinion is that any drug that upsets the balance of the bodies chemistry (ie. HRT) is going to slow PATHS efficacy. Any drug that disrupts the neural pathways is going to also disrupt the flow of PATHS instructions.

That's my 3 cents.

[PATHS, S.A.]

Hi!

We answered a question similar to this recently. You can read it here.

The bottom line is that anything that creates additional blockages is something that can limit the benefits you receive from PATHS.

While instructions are still being received, they may get tied up correcting problems being caused instead of improving upon an unaltered state.

Everybody has different reactions to stimuli on every level, so it is up to the individual to experiment and see what works best for them.

[cassiopeias_dream]

Except one. THC in marijuana is absorbed into the fatty tissue in the brain and can take quite a while (weeks to months) to be expelled from the body.

While I do not know if this would have any negative effect on the subconscious interaction with PATHS, it does with TRV.

THC is an interesting one. I had a two-year relationship with a guy who was a complete stoner, often he would smoke from morning onwards. I found that it changed his personality a lot, negatively - he never understood me when it came to this subject. One thing that I have found with (habitual) use of marijuana in a lot of people is that it narrows your mind and makes you self-absorbed, you are less likely to be able to imagine yourself in another person's reality (there are exceptions to every rule, but I've known a lot of daily stoners and this is the majority). In the end, we came to an agreement that he wouldn't smoke when we were together, but I found that even if it had been days since he smoked, the effects on his personality were still there. I read a really interesting article about this, I tried to find it but couldn't. The premise of the article was that a part of your mind expands when you use marijuana, but when you sober up, it contracts so it becomes even smaller than it was before you smoked. Habitual use results in long-term contraction of this part of your brain, presumably until the THC has left your system completely.

i am drug-liberal, and I don't doubt that marijuana is useful in many contexts. But it needs to be treated with respect. I have tried doing energy work while indulging in a little bit of the stuff, and it certainly allows you to reach interesting parts of your psyche. But the next day, or even the next few days, I feel like something has contracted, just like it said in the article - I'll feel blocked. This doesn't occur with any other drug.


Kevin: If HRT affects PATHS, then what about the birth control pill for women? That involves hormones as well, so you would think it would affect the efficacy...

[Kevin]

Kevin: If HRT affects PATHS, then what about the birth control pill for women? That involves hormones as well, so you would think it would affect the efficacy...

I have heard of no reports of PATHS efficacy being blocked/severely hampered by birth control pills. That does not mean it is not, I just have not run across it like I have on the HRT.

[wpage]

Cocktails anyone?

Drugs do effect dramatically the subconscious mind...
Just like our cognitive effects are evident with drugs. Certainly their subliminal effect occurs as well.
"Your actual MPG may vary"
Since everyone's metabolism is different. How to measure this effect. The stuff that job security dreams for psychology world are made of!

Ever notice how your dreams are altered when you sleep after a few drinks?