Psychedelics, Finding God, Plant Medicine, Entheogens, Spiritual Awakening & Drugs Q&A With Ben Greenfield From Twitter Spaces.

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Biohacking, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Mind-Spirit, Podcast, Podcast-new, Spiritual Growth & Disciplines, Spirituality

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Earlier this summer, as you probably heard if you've been following me, I declared that plant medicines were a “big problem”…

…and that after a great deal of study, contemplation, and prayer, I decided to put up some big ol' warning signs against the use of mind-altering substances, especially considering their widespread abuse and potential for psychological harm, but perhaps of more concern, the increasing trend to put one's faith for healing, trauma, relationship work, self-discovery, divination, spiritual awakening, and anything of the like in drugs instead of in God. 

I also feel that it's my God-given responsibility to educate you on why I made this choice in the hope that you can make an informed decision for yourself. For (many) more details about this topic, you can read the two-part article series that I published in June and listen to my more recent podcast with Josh Trent:

Social media is another important pathway for me to offer thoughts and prompt discussion on this popular topic. My Instagram post announcing my decision in June earned more than 2,500 likes and a wide range of responses in the form of comments, which I appreciate because I put my views out there honestly, and I want you to also, even if your own views don't line up with what I'm saying.

I don't hold back on my Twitter feed either, which has more than 88,000 followers. Last year, Twitter launched Twitter Spaces, an online forum for live audio conversations. Spaces are another great way for me to have open and unfiltered discussions about different topics that are on my mind, and I often host podcasts there.

This latest Twitter Space audio—graciously hosted by @AncestralVril and joined by @CenterHps and @ReclaimMindgoes even deeper into how I got to where I am today with my stance on plant medicine, which, for all its nuance, really comes down to a single belief: you just don't need drugs to talk to God or hear His voice or seek His direction. This was a Q&A that was open to many voices, so you'll hear many opinions other than mine, and I think you'll find the wide range of views quite beneficial for better understanding this topic.

During our discussion, you'll discover:

-Ben’s background with psychedelics…07:32

  • Ben grew up clean, homeschooled, in a strict, Protestant reform Christian family
  • Drugs meant taking ibuprofen
  • Knew a little bit about marijuana and alcohol
  • Occasional beer and wine
  • Dabbled with cannabis at age 30 or 31
  • First experience with ayahuasca and DMT at age 32
  • For the next 7 years, he experimented with psychedelics, entheogens, and plant medicines
    • Ayahuasca
    • DMT
    • Huachuma
    • LSD/LSA
    • Psilocybin
    • Incense and oils used by the Levite priests
  • Ben experimented for personal development, relationship, and sexual enhancement; for dissolution of the ego, and journey and call upon God
  • The experiences were very transformative, but Ben never experienced “bad trips”
  • It's always been light and love and purity, and fantastic personal and professional breakthroughs.

-If mushrooms are said to open your soul to something, can you say that mushrooms are demonic?…17:44 

  • You can experience God through plant medicines in a profound and meaningful way
  • People who may be atheists or not spiritual who try psychedelics end up being transformed in a remarkable way
  • Due to their emerging popularity, there’s a misuse and abuse of plant medicines and entheogens
  • A plant medicine experience that is spiritually impactful and transformative can be relied upon as a crutch and can be viewed as the only path to enlightenment
  • Aldous Huxley and Timothy Leary
    • The idea that these experiences are available to a select few to enhance their spiritual experience
  • Need to make accessible and available to the entire population
  • The downside is when we rely on plant medicine as the only real way to experience God
  • People can then say that the free message of salvation through Jesus Christ is not needed; plant medicines can do that

-What the Bible says about plant medicine…23:20

-What Ben thinks about the New Age model…35:22

  • Pantheistic philosophy – I'm God, You're God, God is in the plan. God is in everything
  • This belief, for a Christian, leads to idolatry or worship of things other than God, including ourselves

-Are plant medicines and psychedelics evil?…37:30

  • Plant medicines are not evil; they are tools via which evil can interact with people
  • The Map of Consciousness Explained by David Hawkins
  • New York Magazine Cover Story: Power Trip
  • If you believe in the spiritual dimension and spiritual entities, believing that you can somehow control them is a big risk
  • Discusses three evils in the Bible:
    • Drunkenness
    • Pharmakia
    • Porneia
  • Pharmakia has the highest potential to cause susceptibility to dark energies, entities, and influences
  • People do not brag about how drunk they get as often as people brag about their plant medicine experience; both have their downfalls but plant medicine right now is like the darling of society

-Why is it difficult to experience the mystical in our times?…58:02 

  • Branches of Christianity outside of Catholicism and Orthodoxy have dictated that it is very difficult to experience mystical knowledge of God
  • In the past, men had writings, visions, and prophecies and developed deep experiences with God in the absence of plant medicine
  • We have lost key parts of Christianity like sacramentalism and spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, solitude, meditation, chanting, and humming
  • If religions could only go back to holy, reverent, and solemn practices, then people would experience God more and would not have to resort to plant medicines
  • Ben would say to his kids and wife that experiencing God through plant medicines is like playing with fire, and it is not the only path
  • There are other ways:
    • Prayer
    • Fasting
    • Meditation
    • Silence and solitude
    • Scripture study
    • Singing
  • Plant medicines can be fantastic, but there is such dark energy and so much room for deceit
  • Ben now wishes he had known what it meant to truly experience the mystical experience of God in a fully sober state, on his knees, in prayer, before resorting to plant medicine
  • What Ben would say to his kids: All you need is your faith and understanding that God will reveal himself to you, and you don't need drugs to do so

-Experimenting too much with psychedelics and hoping to believe in God…1:06:04

  • Many atheists have come to know God through plant medicine
  • Atheists who believe God is at their beck and call can do more damage to the world than an atheist who does not believe in God

-Drawing the line of treating an illness vs. potentially losing your soul…1:10:32

-And much more…

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Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

– Podcasts:

– Other Resources:

Episode sponsors:

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Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Ben? Leave your comments below, and he will reply!

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4 thoughts on “Psychedelics, Finding God, Plant Medicine, Entheogens, Spiritual Awakening & Drugs Q&A With Ben Greenfield From Twitter Spaces.

  1. Celeste and The Lion says:

    All of that is only a glimpse of God being self within all of us.
    In minutes and all natural by a simple process through meditation into Alpha, Theta, and Delta Consciousness anyone with desire can at-one from Conscious separation of Eternal Soul Self and it’s evolution. The key to the door of God Self discovery into Whole-I-ness and it’s Right-use.
    This is not bait, no strings attached, we show and share freely and anonymously this Eternal Life Shifting Gift that has been gifted to us with any that do so desire.
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  2. Kristina Frederick says:

    So true- I have always had a very strong negative gut reaction when it came to “plant medicine”. My intuition is never wrong – I put everything into my spiritual journey & that would never include extraneous substances- it all comes from with in

  3. Chaya says:

    Hey Ben – I love your content – yours is the one podcast I always download and listen to and wait upon. You’re a king.

    But I want to mention something that I think diminishes from the content..

    It’s harder listening to you and concentrating when you’re walking and slightly out of breath (I know you’re prob not – but it sounds like it.)
    It makes me feel like I can’t breathe.. that you;’re in a hurry – it’s just generally uncomfortable.

    I know you’re. a passionate guy with a brain that runs at 100 miles an hour and need to be achieving in order to thrive.. I love this – it’s inspiring.

    I just wish you’d take a deep breath before the podcasts and slow down a little..

    Same with Endure – even though I’m not a christian – I listen for the content that is relevant to me. However, you read at such a fast pace, it’s almost exhausting!

    I’d be interested to know if anyone else feels like this or if it’s just me?

    Anyway – as I said – it’s not going to stop me tuning in! I love the content. Just a general grumble.

  4. Liv Dahlberg says:

    That which we are searching for is that which we are searching from. God or the demonic or whatever that is not of the world of form is not limited to anything anywhere. No one thing is always good or always bad. The relative is, well, relative. Here now is where the Divine is, awaiting you in your own heart. To hang out.

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