The physical effect of Alcohol on the energetic body

[Haelos]

I'm to the point of development that I feel ready to offer some useful amenities back to the community. I've gained knowledge and skill in many fields of study, and I've acquired a certain 'knowing' of myself. The kind needed for real development in magick work.

The only way to truly study something is to get up close, and use yourself as a medium of testing. Timothy Leary wouldn't have learned what he had, should he have used only test subjects.
In this tradition, and following a previous post of mine, I've been heavily studying the effects of alcohol on my own body.


To start things off, I need to outline a few bit of logistical information.
Each of my tests have included a single Cup of 60-65 percent Whisky/ey, drank once a night over the course of several nights/weeks. I did not drink every night, with up to two days in between "tests".


The first, biggest effect I need to mention, is how heavy your frontal lobe becomes during come-down. The intoxication seems to lead to an over-activity in this part of your brain, and if you don't do anything with that energy, it stagnates very quickly. It can lead to blockages, if you don't know how to pass energy properly. I'm actually astounded at how quickly a blockage can form there, and you need to take great care when doing any type of Qi work while under the influence of alcohol.

As I stated, alcohol over-energizes your frontal lobe quite a bit. I can see this being a reason so many writers and artists have used its influence in their work. Even now, a slight buzz is what prompted me to finally write this thread.

Finally, while it seems to work good deeds in small amounts for the brain, even the tiniest drop goes to town attacking your lower insides. A good immune system, both physical and energetic, goes a long way for combating any illness you might come by from this.


Over-all, I can say, in response to my previous thread, that:
Alcohol is absolutely detrimental to spiritual practice.
It attacks you more than it helps you, and it causes such an over-energization of your mental body, it's nearly impossible to have 100% positive effects from it, though I wouldn't doubt a powerful magician could handle it better than me. If your goal is to progress to, and reconnect with, the Source, I recommend staying away from liquor and other alcohols at all costs.


I'd also like to say, however, that I am not a mystic. I am a magician. "Spiritually-beneficial" isn't a top priority to me. I've had the chance to transcend this reality many times, and I've declined each one for a reason.

Alcohol can be intensely beneficial in many workings. This post is one of them, that is such a case.
It has its downsides, and it has its upsides. None of these are to be taken for granted.
You're invoking a powerful entity each time you consume the brew, and it's been charged over more ages than I have knowledge of. Tread cautiously, should you decide to use this substance ritually.

[[email protected]]

Hello!
I'm new here, I got linked from r/occult and I've always been interested in how alcohol affects a spiritual practice and I totally agree that it's almost all bad.
But what I came to ask (if this is the wrong place please direct me to the right one) is this. You seem very active in this community and through the general language of this post I gathered you're quite experienced to some degree. So you said "I've had the chance to transcend this reality many times, and I've declined each one for a reason." Would you mind going more in depth on that? While I've met people who have had intense spiritual experiences, and have had a few myself, I've really never had the motivation to wonder about something like someone saying they can, could have, or have transcended reality. What was having that option like? How did you arrive at that option?
Also one other thing, you said "I am not a mystic. I am a magician." I'm somewhat familiar with what those labels mean and how they differ, so are there real benefits that you see from naming yourself as such? I'm just really interested in how all this works because I'm absolutely certain there's an underlying form (or formlessness) to all of this but when it comes to the occult I feel as if I personally run into contradictions or facades and I'd love to see what other people are experiencing.

[corvidus]

Very good stuff! I've experienced similar things in the frontal lobe. I think some of the stagnation is also do to the alcohol dissolving some of the brain matter as well -- aka, death of brain cells.

I'd like to add, from a more chemical perspective, that alcohol is terrible for your stomach and intestines as well, as it dissolves the mucus membrane lining these organs. The mucus membrane is where your bacterial ecosystem lives, and is very necessary for proper digestion.

This is why, if you do choose to drink, take no more than one or two drinks with a meal, and nevery strait whiskey or vodka. It will first of all be diluted, and second of all the alcohol won't be as potent on the mucus membranes because it is dissolving the vegetables or meats or whatever it is you eats.

[Haelos]

Hello!
I'm new here, I got linked from r/occult and I've always been interested in how alcohol affects a spiritual practice and I totally agree that it's almost all bad.
But what I came to ask (if this is the wrong place please direct me to the right one) is this. You seem very active in this community and through the general language of this post I gathered you're quite experienced to some degree. So you said "I've had the chance to transcend this reality many times, and I've declined each one for a reason." Would you mind going more in depth on that? While I've met people who have had intense spiritual experiences, and have had a few myself, I've really never had the motivation to wonder about something like someone saying they can, could have, or have transcended reality. What was having that option like? How did you arrive at that option?
Also one other thing, you said "I am not a mystic. I am a magician." I'm somewhat familiar with what those labels mean and how they differ, so are there real benefits that you see from naming yourself as such? I'm just really interested in how all this works because I'm absolutely certain there's an underlying form (or formlessness) to all of this but when it comes to the occult I feel as if I personally run into contradictions or facades and I'd love to see what other people are experiencing.

You can find all of the information about that experience in my thread Magick and Hallucinogenics. Prepare yourself, it's a long read.
http://www.occultforum.org/forum/viewto ... 14&t=37989
To put it short, it was terrifying, and not by my own choice. I did what I could with what I was dealt.

From what I was once told, and how I understand it, Mysticism involves trying to transcend reality, while Magick involves trying to Master it. Magicians walk as close to Death as they can while always returning, whereas Mystics wish to dissolve into the Source as quickly as possible, so they can reach full Enlightenment. It's all semantics, really.

[Nahemah]

Hmm, I have used Absinthe ( good quality, 68% strength) in my practices without any detrimental effects, so perhaps it may also be a question relating to individual body chemistry and type of alcohol ingested, as well as how often you've imbibed and how much?

Colourings, preservatives and additives can also greatly affect whether there is a hangover effect with alcohol, even when it's only taken in a relatively small amount.

[Haelos]

Hmm, I have used Absinthe ( good quality, 68% strength) in my practices without any detrimental effects, so perhaps it may also be a question relating to individual body chemistry and type of alcohol ingested, as well as how often you've imbibed and how much?

Colourings, preservatives and additives can also greatly affect whether there is a hangover effect with alcohol, even when it's only taken in a relatively small amount.

When I say "detrimental", I very specifically mean that it causes harm to the energetic body. Harm that comes in greater amounts than the benefits.

Also, I made sure to mention that this was for "spiritual" practice, not magickal. While a magician like Bardon might have things to say about the use of substances, I fully see the merit of their use.

If you're an artist, and not a Mystic, then it makes sense to take in a little brew. If your goal is to reconnect with the Source, alcohol will be a very powerful adversary on your path.

I could say some things about Marijuana too, but that doesn't stop me from ingesting it.


Just trying to clarify a bit; People on reddit were saying the same things (I reposted this there).
It's not that I think you shouldn't use alcohol, just that you should really know what it's hurting, and how much. "Detriment" is only one line on the scale of destruction.

[Nahemah]

I still have to read the thread you linked, so apologies on that and will do so after posting.

I use Absinthe very occasionally for ritual purpose, heck the good stuff is too expensive for me to use it recreationally, though I''d like to very much, in my mind, at least. I have never found it a detriment in any way.

I have to stand by this statement, but I don't know yet which paradigm you are working from ,so I have no judgement calls to make on your own perspective, other than I don't think you can uniformly apply it to all humanity.

Referring back to brain chemistry and such as well as type and ingredients of alcohol used, alongside quantity and frequency.

No one size fits all for anything. This was my point and it still is. Sorry if I was unclear on that in my prior post.

I use absinthe because I can, it's available it's content specific and it works for me, for certain specific lines of trance work. [thumbup]

[Nahemah]

I've read the other linked thread and I don't really understand why you linked it here.

Are you relating your alcohol use to being the reason for your bad trip experiences?

I don't mix trips with alcohol, personally. They definetely don't merge well for me.

[Haelos]

I've read the other linked thread and I don't really understand why you linked it here.

Are you relating your alcohol use to being the reason for your bad trip experiences?

I don't mix trips with alcohol, personally. They definetely don't merge well for me.

That was for the other commenter on this thread, who was questioning the times I was allowed to transcend physical reality.
That thread outlines the first of those times, so it was for him to read. It really didn't relate here any other way. Sorry for that.

[Cybernetic_Jazz]

I did here something brought up again in a lecture series on youtube (Mark Stavish - Unfolding the Rose) where he brought up alcohol's effect. What he said was that it takes whatever you're paying attention to, especially what you're emotionally focused on, and hammers it into the subconscious. I remember him saying this before, that a cold beer is like an empty talisman and if you're thinking negatively over it you'll get ugly results in your life, if you're thinking positively with your drinks you'll do well as long as you're keeping them moderate.

[ArkanusBraziliensis]

Very interesting post! I have to say that I feel so much relaxed and with an 'out of body' sensation after taking a single cup of light beer. Nowadays I had the habit of drink beer for recreational purposes, but I'll try to quit.