Imagine a day in the future when scientists have made major breakthroughs in brain chemistry and physiology… and after much research they have been able to develop a PILL that would allow the brain to see reality as it “REALLY IS”. 

“The Enlightenment Pill” -- A pill that allows the brain to cut through any illusion or misconception regarding it’s sense of self, and it’s filtering of reality through the distortions of perception and preconceived views.  An enlightenment pill, that peels away like the layers of an onion, any perceptual or mental mechanisms that block our experience of direct “reality”.

What if there were a pill you could take to experience enlightenment? 

In the Diamond Sutra the Buddha said;

Buddhas and disciples are not enlightened by a set method of teachings, but by an internally intuitive process which is spontaneous and is part of their own inner nature.
- Diamond Sutra, Chapter 7

Is it possible that “their own inner nature” could include chemical and biological factors?

If enlightenment is “spontaneous” and “part of their own inner nature”, it seems that a chemical change could be a factor in triggering a person’s experience of a total shift in their perception -- in the direction of viewing reality directly, and without filters of any kind.

Many people may automatically think, “No Way, of course enlightenment is MUCH MORE than just chemistry in the brain!”

In fact, I usually think this way myself. However, I am able to allow myself the ability to concede that, since we don’t know exactly WHAT is involved in this process, we don’t REALLY know that it is impossible to achieve.

That is, with what little we know, how can one categorically rule out the scenario of creating an “enlightenment pill”?

What, exactly, are the reasons that enlightenment could NOT be achievable through chemistry and physiology?
If someone could tell me specifically why an “enlightenment pill” would be impossible, I would like to know.

HISTORY OF THE “ENLIGHTENMENT PILL”

There was research being done in the 1950s and 1960s that focused on the effects of LSD on the brain and perception.

Rather than write out all of the information about that history here, I am including a link to a YouTube video for you to watch if you are interested.

“LSD’s inventor Albert Hofmann called it “medicine for the soul.” The Beatles wrote songs about it. Secret military mind control experiments exploited its hallucinogenic powers. Outlawed in 1966, LSD became a street drug and developed a reputation as the dangerous toy of the counterculture, capable of inspiring either moments of genius, or a descent into madness. Now science is taking a fresh look at LSD, including the first human trials in over 35 years. Using enhanced brain imaging, non-hallucinogenic versions of the drug and information from an underground network of test subjects who suffer from an agonizing condition for which there is no cure, researchers are finding that this “trippy” drug could become the pharmaceutical of the future. Can it enhance our brain power, expand our creativity and cure disease? To find out, Explorer puts LSD under the microscope.”

National Geographic Inside LSD -
(This segment is only one of several, all highly recommended viewing.)

LSD -- The Beyond Within [Part 1 of 9] --  LSD -- The Beyond Within
- A BBC documentary on LSD. Part 2:

I would also point out that hallucinogenic plants and chemicals have been used in religious and spiritual ceremonies for perhaps thousands of years.

“Medicine men, shamans, and other spiritual leaders have used natural hallucinogens found in plants and mushrooms since ancient times, believing in their power to help contact the spiritual world or mystical beings for guidance in serving their people.”
- Hallucinogens and Spirituality

Another reference:

Historically, hallucinogens have been most commonly used in religious or shamanic rituals. In this context they are referred to as entheogens, and they are used to facilitate healing, divination, communication with spirits, and coming-of-age ceremonies. Evidence exists for the use of entheogens in prehistoric times, as well as in numerous ancient cultures, including the Ancient Egyptian, Mycenaean, Ancient Greek, Vedic, Maya, Inca and Aztec cultures. The Upper Amazon is home to the strongest extant entheogenic tradition; the Urarina of Peruvian Amazonia, for instance, continue to practice an elaborate system of ayahuasca shamanism, coupled with an animistic belief system.
- Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants, Wikipedia.

NOTE: I am not recommending using drugs to find enlightenment, but reference this information to show that there is more to this story than the perception that hallucinogens and other mind altering chemicals are merely “dangerous drugs”. There is a history of use and development that continues until today.

Research was being done with various hallucinogenic drugs by universities, and even government agencies at one time. All of that was all lost when the drugs became “recreational” and considered a menace to society. Researchers and chemists had been working on taking out the “bad” parts, the “noise” of the drugs, and zeroing in on aspects of the chemical responses that induced positive, long term results. We don’t hear about these studies now, because the “war on drugs” has made any objective discussion of this topic nearly impossible.

Imagine if there were a focused and concerted effort to find and utilize ANY chemical substances that would particularly effect perceptions normally associated with “enlightenment” and awakenings.

My point here is not to be an advocate for creating an “enlightenment pill”.

But I DO feel that EVERY MEANS AVAILABLE should be used in pursuit of finding ways to achieve awakenings and breakthroughs.

If there IS a chemical or physiological factor involved in epiphanies or enlightenment…  then that should be investigated and utilized to the fullest extent possible.

Here are a couple of my reasons for considering the chemical aspect of enlightenment:

1. What if there WERE a strong chemical component to these experiences, and we did NOT pursue that avenue? -- How much time and effort would be wasted going in the wrong direction, or in ignoring a perfectly valid means of achieving the goal of enlightenment?
2. What if the chemical aspect turned out to be a critical factor in enlightenment, and we were constantly working around that fact? - We would mistakenly be leaving out a key element in finding ways to facilitate awakenings and enlightenment. - It would take far LONGER to achieve enlightenment if this critical factor was removed from the equation.

How many drugs are taken each day for 
conditions related to “mental” issues?

How many people are helped every day by
drugs that help depression?

Imagine a day when you could take an “enlightenment pill”…

Would you take it?

How would you feel about only having to “take a pill” to achieve enlightenment?

Would it diminish the value of enlightenment in any way?

Here is another scenario:

Imagine yourself in a study group, or “clinical trials” for testing the effectiveness of the enlightenment pill.

Imagine that you took the enlightenment pill, and amazingly - 
you actually DID achieve enlightenment!

But, when the trial was over, you found out that -

you had taken a placebo…

In Unity,
AJ

• Previous Entry: The Ripeness Factor
• Next Entry: What Is Enlightenment?