Altered state of conscious ASC - Castaneda-version

The theme is an exciting one and it drives our attention towards different dimensions and altered realities with the aim to discover more about the meaning of our existence.

Near death experience, psychedelics and lucid dreaming are just three methods or keys to open the door to that 'other reality' among the others. But any of these three are important and deep and equally enough to get a sight from the world within.

Let's check out one by one:

- Near death experience - I touched the subject in connection with Claire Wineland as I experienced that kind of 'exit' twice in my life as well. I am planning to go deeper into the subject but preferably as an outside observer this time. :)

-Psychedelics - There are great names in psychology who dedicated their life to investigate that kind of altered conscious. One of them is Ralph Metzner and his book named Ecology of Consciousness is one of the best summary of today's scientific discovery.

The other name is Carlos Castaneda. He is an American anthropologist. His journey is also worthy to discover since he started as an observer and wanted to take the role of an outsider while discovering hallucinogens. During these experiences he faced with a dilemma how can be this experiences examined in the scientific field and how much can it be used as confirmed evidences without scientific approval. The dilemma lead him out of the scientific circles as the experiences requires a certain specific kind of sense which has no measure in the field of science yet and as it is not accepted.

This brought the questions forward how can these kind of altered realities be examined for science and if there is any sense to synthetize these materials out of their natural environment. (DMT as a synthetize version of Ayahuasca for example).

In other words: Does that kill the magic if you synthetize them? How much alteration in conscious does the synthetization cost? How much the experience differ if you do the initiation procedure or if you just take the synthetic version?

He experienced Pejot, Datura and Humito and he published his discovery as a proper study in his book 'The teaching of Don Juan: a Yaqui way of Knowledge'. According to his biography, he left Don Juan right after this experience and he returned only two years later with a decision he made, to continue to go deeper even if the price is to be kicked out from the scientific circles.

He went deeper with his studies to experience other way and he published a book about dreaming called 'The art of Dreaming' in 1993.

He passed away in 1998 and the cause of the death was liver disease. We can say it was the price of the usage of these materials but it was the price to give an insight to the other world. May be it is just a way as it is.

-Lucid dreaming - as the third way to ASC. You can find deep studies about it in the tibetian Buddhist teachings and also Jung was the master of the subject. There are certain movies based on the theme for example Inception.

Both of that three gateway are powerful and deep channels to that altered reality and worth for farther investigation.

photo source: unknown