Monday, September 15, 2014

Ayahuasca shattered my materialistic worldview


by Steve Young, Mar 19 2013

I've taken Ayahuasca many times, and I was also educated to PhD level in theoretical quantum physics. For me, the Ayahuasca experience obliterated the dogmatic, materialistic worldview I had been indoctrinated with over 10 years of physics education. It helped me to see how utterly small and incomplete science is in comparison to the mystery of creation. Rupert Sheldrake is right to call it a 'delusion' - this widely held belief that science has explained everything, and dis-proven even the existence of a creator. I was there, that was me for many years.

Ultimately, I came to Ayahuasca searching for purpose in my life. Science taught me that the universe is fundamentally random, made up of dumb particles of matter floating around aimlessly, and this existence is just a happy cosmic coincidence, witnessed by an illusory consciousness in my brain. That worldview never felt right to me, I could sense a depth within myself which I had barely explored, as I had spent my life so focused on the outside world.  Ayahuasca promised to help me dive within, and boy did it deliver.

I can only describe it as an infinitely intelligent, infinitely creative, infinitely loving field of consciousness.  It has the unique property that when it is witnessed, when it is felt, it is able to transform our understanding of reality in ways we could never have previously imagined. It REMINDS us of our eternal nature, by showing us our truest essence.  And it's important to note that this is not like LEARNING - like reading a textbook, or doing an experiment - it's a KNOWING, a REMEMBERING. It is shown to you.

Once you've been there and seen this thing, you MUST adjust your worldview to accommodate its existence. This is what Hancock is going through now. I applaud him for his profound honesty and bravery, and I KNOW that he speaks the truth. It's a shame so many other people (including TED) can't yet see that, but it's not surprising. The truth will only reveal itself to those who seek it.

This was written by Steve Young as a comment on a page about Graham Hancock's "banned" TED talk on the spiritual use of the herbal medicine, Ayahuasca.

See also: Science and the richness of life

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