Posted for ERIK

Charles Tart states on his website that an "altered state", whether it be drug induced or otherwise, play a very important part in allowing a person to "step out" of their "normal" realm of consciousness, and into one which permits the individual to appreciate what is sometimes taken for granted when in a "normal" state. I think all of the worlds great - and novice - thinkers, artists, and scientists have an ability to place themselves, on purpose or involuntary, into an altered state. This ability gives them the visionary fuel to create, discover, and push the boundaries previously set. Our human brain has the unique - as far as we know, unique - ability to alter our state of consciousness in order to satisfy our curiosity as to what we can experience. In my opinion, enlightenment is only achieved through some form of altered state. Tart also stated that altered state experiences expand one's ability to be flexible and less attached to the "absoluteness", as he put it, of our lives. After all, nothing is absolute, with maybe the exception of mathematics, but that is a subject I stay away from. It is true that the great painter Vincent Van Gogh was deeply depressed and more or less a manic person throughout his life. Some argue that his greatest work was done while in the manic states, but what caused him to be manic and tap his ability even more so than he was already doing? It is known that the paint used during Vincent's time period was laden with lead. It is also a fact that Vincent use to put his paint encrusted brush in his mouth a lot while pondering his works in progress. We now know the effects of lead poisoning and that it can take years of exposure to complete its wrath on the human body and brain. So, did Vincent unknowingly poison himself over the years? Did the lead and its effects on Vincent's brain somehow propel his creativity much like a typical "recreational" drug would have? Perhaps. It could also be said that maybe Vincent was a good artist that was perpetuated to greatness through the slow chemical alteration of his brain, which in comparison, is much different than a drug induced state that only lasts for brief periods such as those experienced from eating mushrooms. I think it takes a good deal of intelligence to bear fruit in the form of creativity from an altered state of consciousness. Many people use mind altering drugs and never produce a creative thought or piece of work. So, it must takes a special mind, one that is infused with passion and curiosity, to benefit from periods of altered states, in a creative and enlightened sense anyway.