Nice Post :)
I'm right there with you on feeling more like myself on mushrooms. After my first experience I really started exploring spirituality and consciousness and found myself in Peru as well!
Mushrooms and other similar substances seem to give us access to a more complete version of ourselves where everything flows better. That feeling was only there for me while on the substances for a long time, but after putting in a ton of work to remove conditioning I've started noticing perceptual changes in daily life. Glad to see other people interested and having the same type of experiences! Check out Rupert Spira's book "the Transparency of Things"
I'm always so appreciative to meet other people who are throwing out their conditioning (as if it's 'just' THAT easy) and noticing perceptual changes! I'm following you now. :)
I haven't heard of that book. Will see if my library system has a copy!
p.s. I love hearing other peoples Peru stories
Ugh, even when I know about my conditioning I still find myself acting from it sometimes, it's not an easy thing to lose. Worth it though :)
The author basically helps take a hard look at our direct experience to see it for what it is, if you check him out I'd love to hear your thoughts on what him and other non-dual teachers are saying.
Thanks for the follow, I'll try to post about my trip soon and some other stuff to keep the discussion going!
"The purpose of Rupert's book is to look clearly and simply at the nature of experience, without any attempt to change it. A series of contemplations lead us gently but directly to see that our essential nature is neither a body nor a mind. It is the conscious Presence that is aware of this current experience. As such it is nothing that can be experienced as an object and yet it is undeniably present. However, these contemplations go much further than this. As we take our stand knowingly as this conscious Presence that we always already are, and reconsider the objects of the body, mind and world, we find that they do not simply appear to this Presence, they appear within it. And further exploration reveals that they do not simply appear within this Presence but as this Presence. Finally we are led to see that it is in fact this very Presence itself that takes the shape of our experience from moment to moment whilst always remaining only itself. We see that our experience is and has only ever been one seamless totality with no separate entities or objects anywhere to be found."
Say whaaaaaaaaat?! This guy just tucks right in it doesn't he?
Library doesn't have copy, off to Amazon....
Haha right?
Other similar authors are great too, but this guy is so direct and clear to me. I'll read one chapter, or even a few paragraphs and be in a great place to meditate. So ya, I'm only 15 pages in haha, seriously my favorite right now though. Read slow and relate it to your own experience, words are just words.
PS. I can't even find most of these kinds of books at the bookstore haha