Getting High Without Drugs

I have long been fascinated with experiencing altered states of consciousness. Since I no longer choose to ingest certain chemicals in order to induce these states, however, I have since turned to exploring other avenues of tweaking my primary modes of perception. The following is a list of my top three favorite ways to “get high” without the use of drugs.

WARNING: The following exercises may be contraindicated for people with certain physical disabilities (e.g., epilepsy) and/or mental illnesses (e.g., bipolar Disorder, schizophrenia).

1. Lucid Dreaming

Have you ever wanted to actively engage with your dream life? This can be achieved through the practice of lucid dreaming; an experience akin to being fully immersed in a fantasy world, while maintaining an awareness that you are actually dreaming and that your physical body is asleep. Some people arrive at lucid dreaming naturally, but most of us require an abundance of practice in order to achieve this state. Thankfully, there are certain steps that, if followed correctly, will eventually result in dream lucidity. Lucid dreaming does not only hold the prospect of being insanely fun, but may also have significant therapeutic potential; a subject currently being investigated by researchers. [For a comprehensive resource on the subject, check out Stephen Laberge's website].

One possible therapeutic application of lucid dreaming is for confronting recurring nightmares, which are almost always indicative of some unconscious complex that is not being adequately addressed by the individual. If you are having a recurring nightmare of a man stabbing you to death, for example, the result will always be the same; death by stabbing. If you are fortunate enough to achieve a lucid state while experiencing this same nightmare, however, you would be able to retain some level of awareness that you are only dreaming, and hence the fear factor of the knife-wielding murderer would be lowered dramatically. You can then engage in the dream without the usual level of fear, and thereby confront or destroy this would-be attacker before he kills you yet again. Theoretically, by accomplishing this goal (facing the antagonist of your nightmare), you may also overcome the unconscious issue behind the dream without ever necessarily realizing it. This is just one possible example of how lucid dreaming can be fun, exciting, and potentially therapeutic.

2. Sensory Deprivation

In the absence of sensory stimuli, the mind can always be counted on to provide its own objects of perception. Are you not at least mildly curious to see what thoughts, images, or experiences could be encountered when you let your mind break away from the hindrances of everyday perception? If you are not at least intrigued by this idea, consider yourself either pathetically boring and/or incredibly fearful of getting in touch with yourself. [The authors of this site indulged our intrigue with regard to sensory deprivation some years ago, as witnessed here.]

Most authorities maintain that what is perceived under the conditions of sensory deprivation are merely hallucinatory. Although it is likely true that the content of a hallucination does not exist in any reality outside the mind of the individual observer, it can nonetheless provide us with meaningful information. It is rumored that Francis Crick, before co-discovering the DNA molecule, clearly saw a vision of the double-helix while “hallucinating” under the effects of LSD. Whether this is true or not, there can be no doubt that many valuable insights have been engendered via experiences of similar types of altered states. Such states should therefore, at the very least, be respected as tools for initiating certain higher-order creative processes.

[If you are interested in finding a sensory deprivation (flotation) tank in your area click here.]

3. Tantric Sex

Sting is not the only person out there who has become acquainted with the benefits of tantric sex. This practice (sometimes referred to as kundalini yoga) is essentially a blending of certain yoga and meditation practices within the act of sexual intercourse. This is not an exercise that comes easily by any means, but if practiced enough, holds the potential to take sex to a "higher" level. Speaking for men, specifically, sex is almost always performed as a means to an end; creating the all-powerful money-shot is most often the goal. In contrast, taking the focus off of the orgasm is taken as an implicit rule in tantric practice.

The sexual act undoubtedly raises one’s energy levels (whether you call it plain old sexual arousal or the raising of chi, prana, orgone, etc). Instead of harnessing that energy with the goal of expelling it all at once through ejaculation, however, those who engage in tantric practices attempt to steer the energy of their libidos toward achieving certain altered states of consciousness (e.g., mystical union, rapture, etc). In this way, the tantric practitioner experiences moments of bliss, comparable to or exceeding that of normal orgasm, without actually cumming in the formal sense. Again, if this topic does not at least slightly pique your interest, consider yourself a hopelessly boring individual.

~Wolf

And now, for your viewing pleasure: A ridiculous dramatization of the sensory deprivation experience via the sloppy 80's movie, "Altered States."