I put Spiritual Meaning, but it could be any of those, possibly.
Basically, the hallucinations you experience in the psychedelic state are a purging of various parts of our humanity. The mild hallucinations that you experience while coming up are usually of very little actual importance, but then when you peak, especially on an ego loss trip, you begin to detach from the perceptions of everyday humanity, and the hallucinations you become immersed in and meld into can be visions within which our deepest natures are revealed. In one of Leary's books, he says that when we reach these points, we shouldn't try to stop and rationalize our hallucinations or contemplate them, lest we get pulled into ego games and delusions, but instead to accept them and allow them to move through us and around us. Resistance and rationalization during a time of transcendence in an ego loss trip can be a catalyst for turning your trip downward.
So I believe there is a definite "importance" to those hallucinations, because they DO come from inside our minds, often from the realms of the subconscious we tend to fight against in daily life; so if we stop to just experience them, we may learn something from it - not from putting a label and a definition on it, but because in those visions we sometimes see our natures put forth into vivid visual display. Usually as we come down, though, the hallucinations' importance and meaning begin to lessen, and we experience hallucinations more related to day residue. But it's always great to experience the powerfully moving visions that display the essences of my mind in a very primal and raw way.
One thing to remember is that hallucinations tend to be born from associations. So if you are experiencing some feelings of shame, and you begin hallucinating of this hellish place with creatures mocking you and surrounding you, it doesn't mean that you should begin wondering if you are in hell, since that is one way to get pulled into ego trickery and delusion; but instead, you realize that your brain has attached images that you relate to those emotions and experiences of shame, and displayed them to you in a form of symbolism. It doesn't have to mean that there is anything metaphysical or supernatural about these powerful revelatory hallucinations and insights, but if we are aware of the role of constant associations in the psychedelic state, and how they work, then it can be helpful in discouraging negative thought loops and delusional thinking, and promote more insightful transcendental experiences.
Those are all just my opinions, I should add.
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Opinions I tend to agree with matchbook. I experience hallucinations without (and before I ever tried) drugs and am of the opinion that psychotic experiences are not nessicarily 'errors' and as such have stopped taking medication due to the side effects and my ability to somewhat function dispite my hallucinations.
But what of hallucinations directly influenced by drugs? Should I treat these as just abnormal ways to experience life or should I write them off? I feel like I love someone when I'm rolling on E... well am I really in love or should I just write it off as a dumb drug experience? I think the tendency is to do whatever is most convient at the time. I broke up with a girl that I started dating when I was doing do 3 years ago and just said "well it was only just drugs anyways". As a rationalist, I do believe our conscious experience determines what "reality" really is and in those moments of hallucinations, they are as real as anything else, the user is just (usually) alone in his perceptions.
As for the spiritual aspect, Ive noticed that on certain drugs I feel more spiritually connected to people than when I am off them. Why should spiritual connection have anything to do with what substance I am taking? It's something I dont fully grasp as I sill am developing (and may never stop) my spirtual beliefs/understanding and I made this poll/thread to get some other people's take on it.
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